by Frank Morin
~Melek
Chapter Twenty-Four
Gregorios hated waiting.
It shouldn’t have bothered him anymore, but it did. Despite so much experience, he still found himself growing impatient. Some things just didn’t get easier with time.
He stood beside a simple cot set up in a small garden on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Night had settled over the city, cloaking the world in shadow, although enough light reflected from nearby buildings to keep the area in perpetual twilight. The garden was a private oasis surrounded by city, with clear visibility to all avenues of approach.
Gregorios wore his regular body again. He hated swapping out of the battle suit because everything else he wore always felt weak and slow for the first few hours afterward. Reuben’s body lay on the cot.
Eirene’s voice spoke into his ear. “Incoming. Single male. Not Melek. Looks like Alter.”
They didn’t wait long to spring the first surprise. He wondered how they would justify the double-cross. The hunters were implacable enemies but held to a strict code of honor that could usually be counted on.
Alter approached on the paved path leading to the garden, carrying a box about the size of a soul coffin and a manila folder. His hand was already healed.
Good rune work. His soul was probably already bonded to almost as many runes as Reuben’s had been.
“Where’s your father?”
“I stand for him,” Alter said proudly. “We cannot risk him alone with a demon.”
Typical foolishness. “Are you qualified to explain those runes?”
“I am one of the leading runesmiths in the clan.”
“Hard times, huh?”
Alter bristled. “Restore my brother or I’ll kill you now.”
“Show me what you brought.”
Alter flipped open the manila envelope to reveal enlarged photos of the runes, with typed words beside each one. “I have the information you seek.”
He snapped the envelope closed but didn’t hand it over. “You get it once Reuben is restored.”
“Fair enough.” Gregorios resisted the temptation to snatch the envelope away from Alter, but then they’d fight and he might have to resort to removing another of Melek’s sons soulmasks. It wasn’t worth the hassle.
“Some of these runes are very ancient,” Alter added, his voice a little less belligerent. “Where did you find them?”
“Let’s deal with your brother. Then we’ll talk about the runes.”
Inside the box rested Reuben’s soulmask. It was partially shrunken, but the rainbow mist still glowed with vibrant colors.
“You’ve taken good care of him.”
“He is blood.”
“Good. That improves his chances for full recovery.”
Gregorios lifted the soulmask and it triggered a flood of mostly unpleasant memories. “Hello, Reuben. You’re looking well, all things considered.”
The whisper voice drifted up to him. “I will kill you, demon.”
“Relax. I’m restoring your body tonight. You’ll be a little shaky at first, so don’t try anything taxing. We have a truce at the moment, so don’t make me regret it.”
Alter said, “You’ve damaged my brother’s honor enough, demon. Don’t taunt him again.”
“I spared his life when I had every right to take it,” Gregorios said. “Don’t ever forget that.”
He sometimes wondered why he had spared Reuben. The young hunter was arrogant, a deadly enemy. But he descended from an honorable family line, and Eirene would have urged Gregorios to show mercy. The things he did for his wife.
Alter opened his mouth to make another angry reply but Gregorios cut him off. “Hush now. I have work to do.”
He positioned the face over the blank head and embraced his nevra core. His eyes and hands began to glow and under the influence of his nevron, the soulmask expanded slowly and the rainbow mist started to pulse beneath it. He glanced at Alter and found the young man leaning forward, fists clenched, as if barely containing the urge to leap upon him. If the boy made a rash move, Melek would lose a second son.
As Gregorios began to press the soulmask into place, Alter asked, “What rune are you using?”
Gregorios didn’t pause, but spoke even as the skin began flowing over the soulmask to seal it to the body. “I don’t use runes, boy.”
Alter approached. “What are you doing? It’s masked well. I can barely feel it.”
“You probably feel something triggering in his body. He has more runes than most.”
Impressive that the boy could sense anything at all. Gregorios would not directly trigger the runes. That would happen as Reuben’s soul sealed with the body and reactivated the runes. He wouldn’t have expected anyone to sense anything so quickly or without physical contact.
“No, it’s not that,” Alter protested.
Gregorios glanced at Alter again. Maybe they could find time later to discuss what he was feeling. It wasn’t normal, and anything unusual where the hunters were concerned was worth investigating. As the skin settled and Reuben gasped his first breath, Gregorios snapped, “Take his legs, quick.”
He used his weight to pin Reuben’s torso and hands.
Alter reacted a little too slow, still protesting about the runes. Reuben’s body convulsed as his long-dispossessed soul connected with a physical form for the first time in years. Every muscle shook and his legs shot out and caught Alter in the stomach. The boy grunted but didn’t go down. He threw himself back on top of his older brother and held on tight.
The spasm passed after only about twenty seconds. Gregorios didn’t bother pointing out to Alter how unusual that was. Better the boy didn’t think about it. As Reuben’s body quieted and his breathing settled to a normal rhythm, Gregorios retreated a couple of steps.
Reuben sat up clumsily and Alter embraced him. “Welcome back, Brother!”
“You’ve grown so much, little brother.”
Reuben hugged him back, but his arms were not working very well yet. After such a long dispossession his limbs would feel stiff and asleep. Many people couldn’t handle being restored after years, but Reuben had been cared for very well by his family. Gregorios gave him a fifty-fifty chance of regaining his full faculties and not just flipping out into a psycho.
Then again, maybe he was just optimistic.
Reuben shattered the tender moment by speaking in what he probably hoped was a whisper but came out as a shout. “Come, Brother, together we can kill ...”
His words trailed off into a garbled whisper and he slumped back onto the stretcher.
Alter shook him and called his name but got no response. “What happened?”
“Oh, he’ll be all right,” Eirene said brightly as she stepped out of the shadows of a tree not far away. She dressed in form-fitting black pants, hair tied in a simple ponytail, just a hint of make-up, and a royal blue shirt with a scoop neck. The outfit was calculated to make men like Alter underestimate her even though she carried a dart gun loosely in one hand.
From the look on Alter’s face, it was working. He stared at her, clearly confused. Was she an enemy or a lost college student?
“Who are you?”
“Insurance.” She pulled a small dart out of Reuben’s leg. “The box I got that dart from says he’ll sleep for a few hours. Might have a headache when he wakes up.”
Alter frowned. “A single dart wouldn’t affect him.”
Eirene patted Reuben’s head with a gentle touch. “He’s a tough one, is he?”
Gregorios refused to laugh and ruin Eirene’s work, but it was a struggle. She had completely thrown Alter off balance.
“Your brother’s been dispossessed for quite a while,” he said. “It’ll take a few hours for his soul to fully connect with his body and bond anew with all those runes. He’ll be fine.”
Eirene stuck the dart gun into the front of her pants and extended a hand that Alter took out of pure reflex. “It’s a pleasure, Alter.” She cocked her head to
one side. “Has anyone told you lately just how much you look like your great grandfather?”
“How could you possibly know that?” Alter looked her up and down, still holding her hand. “You can’t be more than twenty.”
Eirene laughed and patted his cheek. “You’re so sweet. Your family is not unknown to me.”
“I would’ve remembered meeting you,” he said with a warm smile.
“I last saw your great grandfather long before you were born.” Her eyes grew distant and her smile faded. “I am far older than I look.”
“Who are you?”
She gave him a dazzling smile. “I’m Eirene.”
Alter snatched his hand away as if stung and stumbled back with a cry of surprise. “You can’t be. Not the Mistress of Darkness!”
“Oh, I like that.” She beamed at Gregorios. “We should add that to our Christmas cards this year.”
She pulled out a smartphone and started typing away like crazy.
Alter frowned. “What are you doing?”
“I’m updating my profile with that right now. Do you have any idea how incredible social media is? I’m out of the loop for a few years and suddenly the world gets connected.”
“Uh, I don’t use any social media,” Alter said slowly, craning his neck to see what she was doing while trying to keep his distance.
“Good for you,” Eirene said, fingers still flying. “Your father is a very wise man. If he let you on those sites, you’d have new girls knocking on your door every day.”
“Really?” Alter perked up.
Gregorios interrupted. “While Reuben’s napping, why don’t you tell us about those runes? We have a long way to go and not much time.”
Alter lifted a radio. “I’ll summon my cousins to bear Reuben home. I’ll explain about the runes while we travel.”
So he did have some surprises of his own.
Gregorios shook his head. “Your job is only to explain the runes.”
“No, my job is to study them. I’ll explain what I can of these that you brought, but I must gain access to the machine.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Gregorios said.
“You warned us a Cui Dashi has risen,” Alter said. “Armed with these runes, they could do much harm. I need to know what their plans are if we are to stop them.”
“We?”
“As you said, you need help. I’m it.”
To the well-organized mind, death is but the next soul transfer.
~Queen Elizabeth I
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sarah slept in and found Tomas had prepared an impressive breakfast when she woke.
“Good morning,” he greeted her enthusiastically. She doubted he slept much the night before, but he looked more chipper than he had in the past few days. “What would you like to do today?”
“Not get chased,” she said hopefully.
He saluted with a glass of orange juice. “I’ll do my best.”
His good humor was infectious and by the time they finished breakfast, she was willing to risk another excursion on the town. The sights of Rome were too tempting to resist for long. They started by visiting the Colosseum, and Sarah could have spent half the day at the ancient arena. It was bigger up close than she had anticipated, towering over them and instilling a sense of awe. Those weathered stones held such a wealth of history, she wished she could explore even the restricted areas.
“Maybe another time,” Tomas had said.
“Really?”
“We’ll see.”
As they passed the Arch of Constantine, Tomas made an obscene gesture at the beautiful arch just as Gregorios had the first night they arrived in Rome.
“Why do you all do that?”
He shrugged. “It’s a tradition Eirene takes very seriously. I just do it to support her.”
So Sarah flipped off the Arch too.
They visited the Parthenon next and then the catacombs. She wished he had chosen something besides those creepy tunnels lined with dead people, and she gladly moved on to the Roman Forum. She loved the forum, although she felt a little sad walking through the skeleton of what must have been an incredible sight in its day.
“We’ll have to get Eirene to show us around another time,” Tomas said. “She can tell you all about the ruins.”
“She didn’t actually live in Rome, did she?”
“You sure you want to know?”
Sarah hesitated for just a moment. “Yes.”
Tomas nodded. “She was born in the early days of the republic.”
“That’s like two thousand years ago,” Sarah whispered.
“More. The republic started in the eighth century B.C. and she lived through most of it, and from there right through the empire.”
“I can hardly believe it.”
“It takes a while,” he said. “Gregorios is even older.”
Sarah wondered about that as they continued the tour. What must it be like to have lived for so long? There were so many interesting historical figures. How many of them had they met? Did they meet Jesus Christ, or Julius Caesar, or Queen Elizabeth? The possibilities seemed endless. She and Eirene needed to sit down and talk for a month when the facetakers got back.
They returned to the safe house after lunch at an open-air cafe and Sarah gave Tomas a long kiss. “That was a great morning.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Then he got that nervous look in his eye again and her plans for the afternoon began to look shaky. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he lied. “It’s just, there’s something I need to show you.”
“Good. Show me.” He had said that after he showed her ‘something’, he’d tell her about his past. She was looking forward to that conversation.
He surprised her by taking her hands and saying, “First I have to run to the office.”
“The Suntara headquarters?”
“Yes.”
“Are you crazy?”
“I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “It won’t take long but it’s really important.”
“How can you say that?” she demanded. “You said yourself your cover’s probably blown, and there’s no one around to help if you get into trouble.”
“It’s a risk,” he admitted. “But it has to be done.”
“Why?”
He hesitated. “It’ll make sense when I get back.”
She wondered if she’d ever understand him. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“I know, but it’s necessary.”
“So you keep saying.” She hated thinking of him walking into a potentially dangerous situation, but it was clear he was determined. She kissed his cheek. “Well don’t take too long.”
He squeezed her hands a final time and left. Sarah dropped into a padded chair and flipped on the television. She found a great tourist channel discussing all the best tourist sites and started taking notes on other places she would make him take her. She would hold him to his promise or they were in for a very rocky day.
Occasionally, she glanced at the face coffin that held Dalal. That woman was a piece of work. They had sent the drunk on his way the day before and stuck Curly’s face in one of the closets under a pile of towels. She tried not to think about how wrong it was that those facts did’nt even bother her any more.
Barely an hour later, Tomas rushed back in through the door. She had expected him to take a lot longer.
He looked worried.
As soon as he spotted her he called, “Grab your bag. Hurry.”
She chased him into the kitchen where he pulled a keyboard out of a recessed cupboard and began typing furiously, his face intent as he scanned the security monitors.
“What’s wrong? Did the facetakers figure out it was you?”
“No. Never made it to the office. I spotted a tail and circled back around.”
“You led them here?”
“I think I lost them, but I wanted to make sure you were safe.” He
gripped her hand tight. “If they knew where to start tailing me, they might’ve come for you too.”
“You think it’s Mai Luan’s guys again?”
“Most likely. We have to hurry. This location may be compromised.”
That was a terrifying thought, confirming Sarah’s fears from the night before. She rushed to her room to grab up her belongings and returned to the kitchen four minutes later with everything packed.
Tomas was there, a couple of bags at his feet as he again focused on the outside monitors. One bag was his backpack, and the other was a large black duffel packed with weapons, cash and a bunch of other gear. The sight of it drove home just how serious he considered the risk.
“What about Dalal and—”
A loud beep cut her off and a flashing light appeared on his monitor.
Tomas muttered a curse. “Grab the coffin. Hurry!”
She rushed into the living room and snatched it up. Tomas shoved it into his duffel. The monitor showed a view of the enclosed courtyard just outside the front door. A group of tough-looking men were entering the courtyard, pulling out weapons. She’d spent enough time at shooting ranges to recognize automatic rifles with suppressors.
Tomas typed a command and slapped the Enter key. On the screen, orange clouds of smoke suddenly billowed into the courtyard from three sides, enveloping the men.
“If they’re not enhanced, that’ll stop them,” he said.
“But they’re probably enhanced?”
He nodded and the worry already knotting her stomach spiked to full-blown fear.
Tomas typed a couple more commands and nodded with satisfaction. “Let’s go.”
Instead of heading for the back door, he led her into the bathroom.
“I don’t think hiding in the bathtub is a good idea,” she said.
“Trust me.”
He pushed on the sink. It rolled aside, lower cupboard and all, like it was set on hidden wheels, revealing a dark, narrow stair leading down. He grabbed a pair of flashlights attached to the wall, handed one to her, and led the way down.
The sink rolled back into place behind them.