Memory Hunter

by Frank Morin

  The council and Mai Luan discussed the schedule for the next test for a few more minutes. No one paid Gregorios any more attention, which was exactly what he needed.

  You can never be overdressed or overeducated.

  ~Quentin

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  With the test completed, the council members quickly dispersed. A pair of enforcers were assigned to lift Gregorios from his chair and drag him to a holding cell in the basement. His legs were unshackled and left to drag behind, but they kept his hands cuffed behind his back.

  Asoka spoke as they were dragging him away. “Gregorios has gone soft.”

  Gregorios yearned to punch Asoka in the mouth, but resisted the urge. Asoka might inhabit an old form, but he was no fool. That was a classic test that often worked on even experienced operatives.

  Gregorios remained limp until the enforcers paused to unlock the cell door. As soon as he heard the cell door begin to swing open, he lunged and knocked the lead enforcer into the cell. They might be powerfully enhanced soldiers, but even they could be knocked down when taken by surprise.

  Gregorios threw himself against the second enforcer, but the half-second delay was plenty of time for the man. He knocked Gregorios against the wall next to the cell door and punched him twice in his already hurt ribs. Gregorios hissed with pain and tried kicking the man’s knees with no luck.

  The fellow threw another punch but Gregorios twisted away and the man hit the corner of the door frame. He yelped and Gregorios kicked him between the legs.

  As the man went down, the enforcer Gregorios had knocked into the cell jumped onto his back. The two of them stumbled across the hall. Gregorios spun wildly and bit the arm wrapped around his neck. The enforcer slipped off and Gregorios twisted free.

  Both enforcers faced him in the hallway. Battered as he was, with his arms still chained behind his back, he was going to have a very hard time of it.

  Then one of them suddenly pitched to the floor where he lay twitching.

  The second enforcer snarled, “What did you do?”

  “Magic.”

  Then the second enforcer jerked in shock and fell to the floor, arms and legs flailing.

  Quentin stood ten feet behind the enforcers, double-barreled revolver still raised. “Magic?”

  “Keeps them guessing. Besides, kept that guy still for another second.”

  Quentin frowned as he removed the cuffs, “The day I can’t hit a moving target at ten feet is the day you bury me.”

  “I’d trust your aim for at least a couple days after that.” Gregorios gripped Quentin’s shoulder in silent thanks.

  “Sloppy not to watch their backs anyway,” Quentin said as the two of them tossed the unconscious enforcers into the cell and locked the door.

  Even as Gregorios dropped the key into his pocket, he heard muttered curses inside. That was pretty good recovery.

  Gregorios accepted the revolver from Quentin. “You’d better make yourself scarce before someone sees you.”

  Quentin saluted. “I need to get back to the toy shop anyway. Working on non-lethals for heka takedowns today. Some exciting breakthroughs recently.”

  “Anything new against Cui Dashi?”

  “That’s on tomorrow’s brainstorming schedule.”

  “Good. Think fast. See you later.”

  Gregorios headed the opposite way of his old friend. He stopped at Asoka’s office and threw open the door without knocking.

  Asoka sat in a padded chair behind his huge desk. He recovered from the shock of the unexpected intrusion with remarkable speed for an old guy and jumped to his feet.

  Gregorios shot him in the chest with the double-barreled revolver. The blow knocked him back into his chair. While Asoka twitched under the double tap of electric shock and fast-acting drugs, Gregorios tied him up with his own shirt. Then he donned Asoka’s fine wool overcoat and signature wide-brimmed hat.

  Before the drug shut down Asoka’s mind, Gregorios gave him a mock bow. “You know, I’ve always liked this hat.”

  “I’ll kill you,” Asoka growled.

  Gregorios punched him in the mouth. “Payback is always the best part of my job.”

  “Kill me, then.”

  It always infuriated him when fools tried to assume the role of martyr.

  He leaned closer. “I was never your enemy, you idiot.”

  Asoka struggled against the restraining shirt, but his strength was fading under the effects of the sleep drug. Gregorios leaned close.

  “Listen carefully. Mai Luan is Cui Dashi and the machine grants her the ability to travel through your memories. She’s going to strip your mind and destroy you all. She’s never going to restore your soul.”

  “You lie,” Asoka muttered, growing drowsy.

  “Think about it,” Gregorios said. “You’re the one who betrayed me, but I’ve never lied to you. Ever. We have differences to resolve, but Mai Luan’s a bigger threat than any other. You’re smarter than you’ve been acting. Defend yourself.”

  Asoka mumbled something too soft to understand, then his eyes drifted closed.

  Gregorios stood over him for a moment, torn. By all rights, he should remove Asoka’s soulmask and shatter it, but all he saw was a broken old man seated before him. He hoped Asoka would consider the warning when he awoke. It was all Gregorios could do for him and for the council.

  He’d lead his small team against Mai Luan, but if the council didn’t act in their own defense, they would fall and there was nothing Gregorios could do to save them from the fate they were walking into.

  There are more beautiful people living in the world today than ever before. I know, I’ve cataloged them for centuries. The consignment team has never had such an easy job finding excellent transfer vehicles and it’s never been easier to find delicious boys to attend me.

  ~Meryem, facetaker council member

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Sarah moved across the polished hardwood floor of the exercise room in a series of kicks and punches. Tomas, who rested in a comfortable chair nearby, called out the moves in an ever-increasing tempo and she struggled to keep up.

  The door opened and Alter entered. Sarah’s concentration wavered and she stumbled.

  “Focus,” Tomas urged.

  “In a minute,” Sarah panted. She rested hands on knees and sucked in several deep breathes. Then she walked to the wall of mirrors for a drink from her water bottle. She was enjoying the strenuous workout.

  The exercise room was located on the main floor, with wide windows overlooking the pool. The room smelled of wood polish and faintly of chlorine. Sarah planned to take a swim after the workout. As a top model for Alterego, she kept in excellent condition, but her muscles burned from the unfamiliar fighting moves.

  “What do you think?” Sarah asked.

  “You have great natural talent,” Tomas said. “You’re taking to the basic forms really well. In a couple days when I’m back on my feet we can begin sparring.”

  “What are you doing?” Alter asked from the door.

  Sarah wiped her face with a small towel. “Tomas promised to teach me some self-defense. I think I’m going to need it.”

  “No doubt,” Alter said as he crossed the room to join them. “Have you had any training before?”

  She shrugged. “Not much. Just a couple evening classes at the local gym.”

  “Well, you can’t learn self defense without a sparring partner. Come, I’ll take you.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Tomas said with a frown. “You hunters use a different style. I don’t want to confuse her.”

  “We’ll start with the basics,” Alter assured him although he never looked away from Sarah. “That won’t cause any harm.”

  “Oh, I’ll cause harm,” Sarah promised with a smile as she faced off with him.

  Tomas didn’t look happy to have his role as teacher supplanted, and she knew he probably hated the idea of her getting physical with Alter. Well, he’d
have to deal with it. She needed to learn, and he needed to learn to trust her. They were either going to make a relationship work, or they weren’t. Getting jealous wasn’t going to help.

  They had already faced heka twice, and both times she’d felt terrified and unsure how to defend herself. She couldn’t count on luck keeping her alive in the future, especially once Mai Luan decided to come after them. She needed to learn everything she could, and she’d take that knowledge from anyone offering it.

  Before she and Alter could begin, the door opened again and Gregorios swept inside, his long coat billowing behind, most of his face concealed by a wide-brimmed, leather hat. Eirene walked by his side.

  Tomas looked relieved and Alter irritated.

  “Nice hat,” Sarah said.

  Gregorios made a little bow and Eirene said, “Don’t encourage him. He always liked that hat.”

  “What happened?” Tomas asked.

  “They’re farther gone than we feared,” Gregorios said. He tossed the hat onto a bench against the wall and Sarah gasped to see deep bruises on his face.

  “You about done here?” he asked.

  “Sure. We can finish later,” Sarah said.

  She pulled on a light jacket to cover her sweat-soaked exercise top and followed the group back to the gallery dining room. Quentin had returned and waited for them there, sitting at the head of the table laden with an assortment of snacks and drinks.

  He greeted Sarah with a tiny bow and helped push in her chair. She sat between Alter and Tomas, and they mirrored similar expressions of surprise at Quentin’s chivalrous move, followed by chagrin that they hadn’t thought of it first.

  Quentin leaned close. “I hear you’re interested in training to fight?”

  “I am,” she said. “Tomas and Alter both volunteered to teach me.”

  “Excellent, my dear,” he said with a smile. “Please add me to your card.”

  “My what?”

  “Your schedule,” he said with a little smile.

  “Are you sure you want me trying to hit you?” Sarah asked, surprised. He still looked to be in excellent shape, but he was easily twice her age.

  Quentin chuckled. “No, you go ahead and punch the young men as much as you like. There are a few things I can teach you that they haven’t mastered yet.”

  “He’s the best,” Tomas interjected. “Quentin was recruited from British special forces to run the armory. He’s our mad genius weapons inventor.”

  “Careful with laying on so many compliments,” Quentin warned. “Or one might assume you are trying to ingratiate yourself with your boss.”

  “Wait, you’re Tomas’ boss?” Sarah exclaimed.

  “Technically, yes,” Quentin said. “For the past eighteen months, on paper at least, he reports to me as a special operations asset.”

  “Couldn’t really tell them I was working with Gregorios, could I?” Tomas asked.

  “You could’ve told me sooner,” Sarah said. “Quentin, I’d be honored to train with you.”

  She was comfortable around guns, but welcomed a chance to practice with an actual soldier.

  “It will be my pleasure,” Quentin said.

  While they dug into the snack food, Gregorios told them what happened to him at Suntara. Sarah wanted to ask lots of questions about his memory of Berlin, but he didn’t look like he was in a mood to share more details. The fight with Mai Luan sounded brutal, and by the stiff way he sat in his chair, she could tell he was in a lot of pain.

  “It’s interesting that Mai Luan pushed you back to World War Two like she did with me,” Eirene commented.

  “She flat out said she’s searching for something.”

  “Her name is a lie,” Alter interjected.

  “What?”

  “You said she’s Chinese or Chinese-American. That name doesn’t work in Chinese. It has to be some kind of alias.”

  “It sounds Chinese to me,” Sarah said.

  “The sounds are, but Chinese names are very important, and are chosen carefully,” Alter said. “Those sounds, and the characters they form don’t flow well and don’t produce the effect a good Chinese name seeks.”

  “Interesting point,” Gregorios said. “I’ll ask her about it the next time I see her.”

  “Good.” Alter missed the sarcasm. “Knowing her family line might be important. There has to be a reason she’d choose a name like this.”

  Eirene said, “We’ll see what we can learn. Whatever she’s looking for must be from the war. The memories coincide.”

  That gave Sarah a thought. “Do you have any shared memories she might find interesting?”

  “I hadn’t considered she might be interested in memories like that,” Eirene said with a grin.

  Gregorios laughed and nearly snorted fruit juice right out his nose. He started coughing, which made him wince in pain. Tomas slapped him on the back a few times, probably hurting him more.

  Sarah blushed. “I mean shared memories of the war?”

  “Most of the world shared in those events one way or another,” Gregorios said when he caught his breath.

  Alter, who had been frowning again, rocked back in his chair. He looked shocked.

  “What is it?” Sarah asked.

  “Ah, nothing.”

  “That excuse didn’t work last time,” Tomas said. “Spit it out.”

  “It’s nothing,” Alter insisted even though he still looked rattled.

  Eirene said, “Dear, you’ve lost every chance of hiding whatever it is you just realized. Now don’t insult us all by pretending we didn’t see what we just did. You have a terrible poker face.”

  “I don’t play poker.”

  “Don’t,” Gregorios said. “You’ll lose your shirt.”

  “What did you realize?” Sarah asked. She wouldn’t mind seeing him lose his shirt.

  Alter folded his arms, his expression unfriendly. “It’s not something we talk about.”

  Gregorios growled, “You insisted on coming along so you could share your knowledge with us and help us bring down Mai Luan.”

  “This is different.”

  “Then it’s exactly what we need to hear.”

  When he still didn’t speak Gregorios added, “Either explain, or you’re on the next flight back to daddy.”

  “You cannot force me away!”

  “Wanna make a wager?” Tomas asked. The threatening tone would have worked better if he wasn’t still mostly confined to a chair.

  That approach wasn’t working, so Sarah placed a hand on Alter’s arm. “Mai Luan promised to kill me. She’ll do it if you don’t help us.”

  Alter’s anger faltered under her steady gaze and he swallowed hard. He spoke softly to her, again as if the two of them were alone. “When you brought up the shared memories, that’s when I knew.”

  “Tell us.” She squeezed his arm. He really did have excellent muscle tone.

  “You know how we were discussing runes yesterday and how we can pull special ones from our most powerful memories?”

  “Yes.”

  “This is related, but far more powerful.”

  “How?”

  He spoke with great reluctance. “All of the runes we’ve discussed so far are runes that draw from the power of individual souls, but that’s not the only type.”

  “Some runes aren’t appropriate for personal enhancement,” Eirene said.

  “Like the rune webs enchanters can fashion,” Tomas added.

  “Enchanters?” Sarah asked.

  “The highest form of heka rounon power,” Tomas said. “Channelers can power their runes remotely by bound dispossessed souls, but the runes still work the same way they do for occultists. Fully trained enchanters can link several soulmasks into a spell web that’s far more powerful, with broader effects, sometimes covering an entire area instead of an individual heka.”

  “Those are a higher form of rounon spellcasting,” Alter said. “But there’s a higher form still. Only the most trusted rune exper
ts in my family know about them.”

  “That’s why you hesitated,” Sarah said.

  He nodded. “We call them master runes.”

  If you’re gonna have two lives at least make one of them pretty.

  ~Marilyn Monroe

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  “I’ve never heard of master runes,” Gregorios said.

  “Like I said, they’re a closely guarded secret and for good reason.”

  Everyone leaned closer since he spoke so softly, clearly torn between the desire to explain and the need to keep the secret. Sarah’s touch finally won out.

  “You must swear to keep this knowledge secret and share it with no others.”

  “Agreed,” Gregorios said, “unless that knowledge is necessary to bring down Mai Luan.”

  When everyone nodded agreement Alter continued. “The memory runes we’ve discussed before represent personal truths that resonate with a person’s soul. They produce far greater enhancements for those individuals than generic runes because they’re attuned to that individual soul. In the same way, there are runes attuned to pivotal moments in history.”

  “How does that work?” Tomas asked.

  Alter shrugged. “It just does. Important moments in history, those pivotal moments where large segments of the population are focused on the outcome of the event, are attuned to the souls of those thousands or even millions of people. As a result, those moments are imbued with incredible power.”

  “I can hardly believe it,” Eirene whispered.

  “They are rare,” Alter said, “and extremely difficult to access. It can be done only by one who is connected with that moment, who is trained properly, and who is gifted with sufficient power. They must travel their memories to that moment and embrace a truth of the event.

  “A truth?” Sarah asked.

  “Such a moment will likely link to many truths,” Alter said. “A moment of great victory for one is also the moment of crushing defeat to another. Which truth the memory walker embraces will shift the rune to reflect that truth.”