Raven's Key: A Novel

by Siomonn Pulla

  “He assured me that he was working for the Council, and I believe him. He has staked his life on protecting Maeve. If he is lying to me, we’ll track him down and kill him. It’s all quite simple.”

  “So the Council must have some plan with Maeve,” Paul caught himself thinking out loud.

  “That’s what Bran told me,” replied Derg. “She’s their last hope at stopping Marduk from plunging this world into complete darkness.” Derg paused and looked up over his shoulder. “They’re back.”

  “Huh?”

  Both George and Paul looked at Derg, puzzled at what he was telling them.

  “Bran warned me that I would lose Maeve’s vibration for a while but that it would be back. And he was right. I just picked up her frequency again.”

  “So let’s go get them,” said Paul. “Now that we know the whole story, Raven can tell us where the objects are. There’s still time.”

  “I think it’s more complicated than that,” said Derg, “and I don’t want to endanger your lives needlessly.”

  “It’s not only our lives you’re endangering,” replied George. “It’s the lives of the millions of people on this planet, and the planet itself. That’s a heavy weight to carry around in your consciousness, even for hard-hearted Sidhe like you.”

  Derg turned around and started to walk away from George and Paul. The air around him started to blur.

  “You better hurry up, we’re running out of time.”

  Paul and George ran up beside Derg, just in time to follow him through the door that appeared as quickly as it faded.

  Chapter 46

  Where the hell are those Ducaz ships, they were scheduled to land two hours ago.

  Marduk was starting to feel impatient. He had spent a considerable amount of time arranging to have the next shipment of black powder ready for Anu’s workers to pick up. They weren’t suppose to pick up the shipment until next week, but Anu had sent an urgent message asking Marduk to rush the order.

  He’s testing me. I know it. Luckily I had a good quantity of overstock or else things may have become ugly. I’m tired of this. After all this time and Anu still doesn’t trust me. All the more reason to speed my plan along. That shape shifter better return with the girl or heads are going to fly. Why am I’m surrounded by all this incompetence?

  Marduk noticed his fingers were started to hurt from drumming them too hard on his desk. The urge to snort of few lines of black powder were strong.

  I’ve got to resist. Otherwise I’ll never wean myself off of the powder.

  He also knew that if he snorted the powder he’d be no closer to where he actually wanted to be, only more frustrated at all the possible variables in the time line.

  Maybe I should deploy the stealth nuclear device. That would speed things up.

  Marduk dialed his assistant.

  “Shelly get General Coster on the line. Tell him it’s urgent.”

  “Right away sir,” Shelly’s voice replied over the speaker phone. “I’ll transfer him directly to your secure line.”

  I need to make sure that my back-up plan is in order. I don’t trust the Annunaki, they’re selfish and sneaky. If I ensure that their supply of powder is first cut off and then re-established through me, on my own terms, then they will finally understand that I can no longer be manipulated and controlled. That I am the supreme commander, ruler of this petty solar system.

  The phone rang.

  Finally, Marduk thought as he transferred the call to his secure line, now I can finally start to get this moving.

  “General I need an update on the stealth nuclear device. Are we ready to deploy?”

  “Sir, the device has been successfully tested. Our prototype maintained complete stealth frequencies. The RF pulses transmitted with almost no loss of power. We were particularly impressed by the gyrotron specs you provided. This baby can produce one hell of a massive pulse.”

  “Excellent. Attach the device to our arsenal of inter continental ballistic missiles,” ordered Marduk. “Spare no expense.”

  “Before we retrofit the ICBMs we need to ensure that the peak power and duration of the radiation of the weapon is maximized,” replied the General.

  “What do you mean? You just told me we were ready to deploy,” pressed Marduk.

  “Our engineers are testing the efficiency of internal power transfers in the device. For the most part the tapered plasma helix antennas are functioning at peak performance. There were some small issues with the vircator interface, however, that need to be addressed. We have full confidence that the device will be ready to deploy in a matter of weeks Sir.”

  “Make it sooner General. I need to have this device fully functioning as soon as possible.”

  “Sir, there are some men here to pick up a delivery,” Shelly’s voice cut in on the secure line.

  “Send them in right away Shelly.” Marduk transferred the line back to the General. “I’m giving you one day General. No more. Don’t disappoint me. “

  He hung up the phone just as three Ducaz in black suits entered the office. They looked just like humans.

  “Gentlemen, I’ve been waiting for you. What took you so long?”

  “Some complications coming into the earth plane,” said one of the Ducaz. “Our ships are having problems with the gamma ray bursts from Cygnus X3. It makes us more vulnerable to the crude energy weapons protecting this planet.”

  “I’ve made it abundantly clear to the government that your ships have full access to the planet,” assured Marduk. “I can’t imagine they would be stupid enough to fire an energy pulse.”

  “We were not fired on,” replied the second Ducaz in black, “but our presence was questioned by the Chinese and American observers.”

  “What did you tell them?”

  “That we were on official business.”

  “I’ll make the required calls to assure that you are not questioned again.”

  “That would be appreciated. We will of course be reporting the incident to Anu,” added the first Ducaz. “It is essential that the integrity of our operation is maintained.”

  “I fully understand. Now let’s get down to business.”

  Marduk got up from his desk and walked over to a widescreen monitor on the other side of his office. He switched the monitor on which showed a large room being patrolled by armed men.

  “I have my best men guarding the shipment. The eighteen pallets are totally secure and ready to be loaded onto your ship.”

  “Only eighteen pallets,” asked the third Ducaz. “We were informed that there was going to be thirty.”

  “Who told you that? ” snapped Marduk. “Anu specifically requested eighteen. Don’t fuck with me right now. I’m in no mood for this shit. Besides, you’re lucky that I’m sending anything, considering the last-minute notice I received. Make sure you add that to your report back to Anu.”

  “We will make sure Anu is informed of your displeasure,” replied the second Ducaz. “Now we will load the materials into our ships.”

  “You know the drill gentleman. We’ve been doing this for a very long time.”

  Marduk watched on the monitor as the three Ducaz, who disappeared from his office in a flash of light, reappeared in the room with the guards, who were now used to this operation. Each of the three Ducaz attached a small device to the pallets. After the last of the devices were secure, the pallets started to vanish one by one. Once all of the pallets were gone, the three Ducaz disappeared in a flash of light.

  Now that’s done. I wonder where Raven is. I need to have that girl before I can do anything else. I also need to figure out what to do with this body.

  Marduk gave Iyash’s stiff, dead body a small kick. He hadn’t moved the body since the old man had collapsed on his floor. The pools of blood had dried into a thick mass underneath the corpse.

  It’s starting to stink. I should have asked the Ducaz to dispose of it. They’re used to cleaning up this kind of mess. I guess I’ll get Shell
y to look after it. I’m sure she can find the right kind of cleaner. Money can buy you anything, including silence and obedience.

  Marduk could hear Shelly’s voice outside his office.

  Odd she’s usually as quiet as a mouse. I wonder what’s going on.

  The door to Marduk’s office flew open.

  “Here she is.” Raven pushed Maeve in front of him. “I hope you’re happy. I’ve had to work extra hard to bring you this pretty little thing.”

  “I’m more the happy, I’m very happy.” Marduk beamed with joy. “Good work Raven. I knew I could rely on you.”

  Chapter 47

  “It took me considerable effort and risk to get her.” Raven closed the door to the office and sat down in Marduk’s chair. “You can rely on me to always deliver the goods.”

  “Who the hell do you think you are, you sleaze bag.” Maeve tried to lift her hands over her head. “Untie me.”

  “She’s a feisty one.” Raven put his feet up on Marduk’s desk and leaned back in the soft leather chair. “You sure are going to have your hands full. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “I know exactly what I’m doing.” Marduk walked over to Maeve and began to untie her hands. “Don’t try anything funny Maeve. I’ve waited a very long time for you. Running off is not an option. This building is the most secure space in the whole world. You will not get far.”

  “Go to hell.” Maeve spat in Marduk’s face. “I’m nobody’s prize and I certainly don’t appreciate being man-handled by a freak.”

  “You better not have hurt her in any way.” Marduk wiped the spit off of his forehead and finished untying Maeve’s hand. “Did he hurt you Maeve?”

  “Well that depends if you consider being tied up, kidnapped and dragged to some unknown location emotional and physical abuse.” Maeve rubbed her wrists where the rope had been tied. “Otherwise I’m fine.”

  “I understand he did what he had to secure you, and I apologize for any inconvenience or discomfort.” Marduk took a step back. “You certainly are more beautiful in person than I suspected.”

  “You better watch out Maeve this guy is one horny bastard,” said Raven. “He hasn’t been with a woman for a couple thousand of years. Actually I think he may still be a virgin. Go figure that. The most powerful man in the world is still a virgin.”

  “Shut up Raven and get out of my office. I’m done with your services.” Marduk pointed to the door. “Take this stinking corpse with you when you go. I’m sick of smelling him decomposing on my floor.”

  “What about my compensation?” Raven took his feet off of the desk and stood up. “I’m not leaving until you pay up.”

  “Talk to Shelly. She has an envelope with all the particulars of our deal laid out in full. The account numbers, plane tickets, deeds, everything is there. Including a little bonus for such excellent work.”

  “What do you want me to do with him?” Raven motioned to Iyash. “I can’t just drop him in an alley somewhere.”

  “I don’t care what you do with him. You brought him here now you can take him away,” replied Marduk. “Tell Shelly to get me a cleaner. I need to do something about all this blood.”

  “Whatever you say boss.” Raven grabbed Iyash’s feet and dragged him towards the door. “Nice working with you. You know where to find me if you have any further business propositions. Nice to meet you Maeve. I hope you enjoy the next thousand years with the King here. Be gentle when you take his virginity away. He’s more sensitive than he appears.”

  Raven blew Maeve a kiss and disappeared out the door.

  “I’ve waited a long time for this moment,” Marduk sighed. “Please sit Maeve. We have a lot to discuss.”

  Maeve sat in one of the large chairs beside the window overlooking Central Park.

  “Maybe you can start by telling me what the hell is going on here. First I’m abducted by some crazy freak and now there’s a dead body in your office. What kind of operation are you running? Are you going to make me turn tricks for clients? Strip in some club?”

  “My dear, I would never ever consider that.” Marduk put his hand on Maeve’s knee. “But if that turns you on, I can arrange it so you have your own club, with a few girls at your command to do whatever it is you please.”

  “That could be interesting.” Maeve didn’t know how to respond. “It’s not something I’ve ever really thought of before.”

  “First thing tomorrow we will go shopping and buy you some new clothes. Whatever you would like. I want you to be comfortable, to ease into your new life with me. There is nothing to be afraid of. I am not a monster, just a lonely man with a lot of money.”

  “I don’t get it, why me? You could have any woman in the whole world.”

  “That’s true, but there are no women like you Maeve, you’re special.”

  “I’ve been hearing that a lot lately, but I still don’t understand.”

  “You come from a special blood line, an ancient heritage. I want to tap into that, I want our children to be part of that.”

  “Our children, you’ve got to be kidding.” Maeve brushed Marduk’s hand off of her knee. “I’m never going to bear your child.”

  “Not right away, but eventually you will.” Marduk took Maeve’s hand. “We’re going to have a very long life together my queen. I almost gave up on the possibility of ever meeting somebody to share this ageless existence with. Then one day I saw you in the timeline, your beautiful face, your tight body, waking up next to mine. The more I explored the possibility, the more I learned about who you were and it all started to make sense. We will build an empire together, share the spoils of this world, the power, the prestige.”

  “That sounds pretty interesting, but I think I need some time to consider all this.” Maeve pulled her hand away. “It’s kind of overwhelming.”

  “I understand. We have all the time in the world to discuss family planning, so there is no rush. But I do need your compliance in one small matter.”

  “I guess that depends on what it is.”

  “In order to secure our place in the new world order, there is a small ritual we must perform. We are at a critical point in time and space right now. Our planet is at the centre of the galaxy and the energies of creation are very powerful. Over the last hundred years I have been harnessing and amplifying the collective consciousness of human beings from around the globe. The fear, despair and insecurity of our species has manifested itself through disease, war, and the general breakdown of the social order. Now is the perfect time for me to come out as the supreme ruler of our solar system. People are hungry for a leader to direct them, to control them and I am that leader. I have been that leader for over a thousand years.”

  “But why now, why didn’t you come out earlier and proclaim yourself?”

  “We weren’t ready. There was too much work to be done. I saw it all in the timeline. We are now at a point with our technological advancements that we no longer require assistance from the Annunaki. We can control our own destinies, our own resources.”

  “Who are the Annunaki?”

  “Oh Maeve, there is so much you don’t understand.” Marduk sat back in his chair. “It will all be revealed to you in due time.”

  “If you say so.” Maeve looked around the office, remembering what Arwan and Essa had told her about the black dagger. “Tell me more about this ritual.”

  “We will create the world in our own vision. The rest of humanity will worship us like the gods that we are.” Marduk stood up and walked over to the table where he had the five objects laid out. “With these special objects, we will create the new world order as king and queen, god and goddess. People will obey our every word and tremble at the sight of us.” He picked up the small bone cylinder filled with the sacred water from Shambala. “The water in this cylinder will grant us immortality. Nothing will be able to harm us.”

  “That sounds pretty amazing, but are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

  “Of course
I know what I’m doing,” snapped Marduk. “I haven’t lived all these years and made all these plans for nothing. I’ve seen it all in the timeline. The whole ritual.”

  “So once we complete the ritual what’s going to happen,” asked Maeve, “is this like the apocalypse or something?”

  “Once we complete the ritual, the next step is to engage World War three.” Marduk held the blood-red amulet in his hands, “To clean this world of all that is no longer needed. It will be quick and easy. My engineers have been working on a stealth nuclear device that will first disable the electronic web and then deliver a lethal surgical blast of radiation which will completely annihilate key human populations. By the time we are finished, there will be no resistance, just hungry, diseased and despondent people. They will be ready to receive us. It will be our Eden Maeve.”

  “But there will be nothing left for us to enjoy, no natural beauty, no forests. Everything will be contaminated.”

  “Like I said, It will not effect us. Once we perform this ritual, we will be untouchable, unstoppable.” Marduk placed the amulet back on the table. “Lets not waste any more time. I’ve been waiting many years for this moment. You need to take your clothes off Maeve.”

  “What?”

  “I think you heard me the first time,” Marduk started to unbutton his shirt, “I’d be pleased to help you.”

  Chapter 48

  “The boss man said you had an envelope for me.” Raven propped Iyash’s feet up on one of the chairs in the reception room.

  “Yes Mr. Corvus.” Shelly pulled a large manila envelope out of the filing cabinet behind her and passed it to Raven. “Everything you need is in this envelope.”

  Raven ripped the envelope open and emptied the contents onto Shelly’s desk.

  “I hope you don’t mind if I just check for myself.

  Don’ t take it personally. It’s not you that I don’t trust.”

  Lying on the desk was a large stack of money, a passport, and various sheets of paper. Raven carefully studied the papers and then returned everything back into the envelope.