by Jeff Elkins
Hyoi sat down on the floor.
Bashi marched over to the Slake and punched him in the face. Blood flew from Lenious’ mouth and nose. “You’re lying,” Bashi said. “That’s not possible.”
“Why does Azo want the box?” Chris said.
“So he can create an army of Egrats with the mind of Mardocks,” Lenious said eagerly, hoping to please. “He thinks that, with a thousand vicious Egrats on his side, he will be able to overthrow the council, and take leadership of Malcandria. He plans to change all of us, and then rush the High Castle.”
“He could do it,” Hyoi said to the floor. “With a thousand vicious, battle-hardened Egrats, he could do it.”
“What does the box look like?” Chris asked.
“It’s small,” Lenious said. “One foot by one foot by one foot. It’s brown. It has the Tinker’s sigil on it. The outside has a decorative pattern. I don’t know what else to say. It’s very plain.”
“Do you need to know anything else?” Chris asked Hyoi.
“No,” Hyoi said. “I’ve heard enough.”
“Jose,” Chris said. “Snap its neck.”
“Me?” Jose asked.
“Yeah,” Chris said. “It’s your fucking job. This is what we do.”
Jose looked into Lenious eyes. They were filled with fear and expectation. “I don’t know if…”
“Commandment four. Nothing stays. If you can’t do it while he’s tied to a chair, you won’t be able to do it in the heat of battle,” Chris said.
“If we untied him,” Hyoi said, “he would not hesitate to end you.”
Jose sighed and looked at his shoes. Moving slowly, he stood behind the Slake.
“Thank you for sparing me the Nostmonia,” Lenious said.
Jose placed one hand on the monster’s snout and another on the back of its neck. He closed his eyes and twisted. The Slake’s body went limp.
“Hey,” Chris said angrily. “Don’t fucking close your eyes. Close your eyes in battle and one of those pieces of shit will take your fucking head off before you can open your eyes back up.”
“Okay,” Jose said, pushing down tears.
CHAPTER NINE
“Ernie said there’s only two of them,” Chris said as they sprinted down Light Street. “They’re getting ready to cross over.” Jose struggled to keep up with his partner. They weaved passed the pedestrians, trying not to crash into any as they ran to intercept the invaders. “Here’s the plan,” Chris yelled over his shoulder as he pointed to the left. “You take Cross and then a right on William. Keep their focus on you. I’ll come up behind them.”
“Got it,” Jose yelled as he turned left to cut across Light Street. Thankfully the traffic was creeping down the street so slowly he was easily able to weave between the cars. The Federal Hill neighborhood was a hot spot for Baltimore bar hoppers. At eight o’clock the streets were just beginning to fill with twenty-somethings looking to kick off their weekends by making bad decisions in the neighborhood dives.
Jose pulled up at the corner of Cross and William. He looked to the left and scanned the front of the elementary school. There was nothing. He looked right. A small group of people – three women and two men - walked toward him down William Street. They were dressed in Ravens gear. There were no Mardocks in sight. Jose wished he had his partner’s ability to see both sides of the Veil. Then he’d know exactly where they were going to cross.
There was a spark of pink to the right, just behind the five party-goers. Jose ran across Cross Street toward the group, waving his hands and yelling, “Run! Get away! Run!”
There was a scuffle in the group. They turned their backs to Jose. He put his head down and ran faster.
Jose pushed past three screaming women and came to a halt. In front of him stood two Mardocks. Their white muscles gleamed in the street light. The first had a white beard but no hair on his head. It wore loose-fitting gray pants. Its black eyes spun at Jose and it bared its sharp teeth. “Look here,” it said. “Another one has come to join the fun.”
“The more the merrier,” the second said. It was clean shaven and held the two party goers by their necks – one in each hand. The men thrashed at the powerful hands crushing their throats. They tried to scream, but they couldn’t pull enough air into their lungs. A chill ran up Jose’s back. He knew he needed to engage. He knew he should take action, but he was frozen. His feet couldn’t move. His mind raced for ideas, but none came.
The women behind Jose began to wail with fear. Cars passed on Cross Street. He saw the grinning shark-like teeth of monsters. He looked into the bulging eyes of the two men. He needed to act now or it would be too late.
He heard Chris’ voice in his mind. “Rule Five. They fear us. We don’t fear them.”
“P-p-put them down,” Jose said.
The first monster laughed.
The second replied, “Fine.” Locking eyes with Jose, the beast squeezed the necks of both men. There was a crunching sound as the bones of their necks gave way. Jose reached forward and screamed, “No!” The women behind him began to wail with increased intensity. The two men’s heads fell limp in the Mardock’s hands and for a moment, their legs and arms twitched uncontrollably. The two monsters smiled as they inhaled the pain and fear of their surroundings.
The bearded one laughed again. “I told you,” it said breathing deeply. “There’s nothing like it.”
The second Mardock let the two bodies fall to the ground. “I want more,” it said to its friend.
“No,” Jose said, still unmoving. With his arm held up in a stop sign, he said, “Stay right there.”
The first Mardock laughed. “Let’s tear this one in half,” it said to its friend, but to its surprise, there was no response.
If the bearded beast had had the time to look up, it would have seen its friend’s legs broken and spine ripped from its clean shaven body, but Chris was two quick. Before the bearded Mardock could discover why its friend hadn’t answered, Chris had the monster by the jaw. Grabbing the beast’s bottom teeth, Chris pulled it toward him. In a smooth motion, he grabbed the monster’s top jaw with his other hand and pulled in opposing directions, ripping the Mardocks skull in half. Black blood splattered in all directions, coating Chris’ face and torso. The women behind Jose went quiet except for a soft whimper of fear.
Chris let the body of the Mardock fall to his feet. His face was streaked with the black blood. He looked at Jose and said, “Get them out of here.”
Snapping into action, Jose turned to the weeping women. “Run,” he yelled. “Go find a cop!” One of the three sat weeping on the sidewalk, but the other two turned and ran.
Jose turned back to find Chris searching the pockets of the two dead men. Chris retrieved a small, green cigarette lighter from one. Tossing it to Jose, he said, “Light’em up. I’ve got too much of their shit on me.”
Jose caught the lighter and looked at the bodies. Chris walked passed him to the woman on the ground. He helped her to her feet saying gently, “I know. I know. It’s very scary. I ripped its head off right in front of you. Now go and find your friends.” The woman stumbled slowly back toward Cross Street crying and talking to herself.
Jose flicked the lighter with his thumb. A small blue flame appeared. Leaning down, he touched it to a small puddle of the black ooze. It ignited and the flames raced to engulf the black blood and the lifeless bodies that were soaked in it. Jose watched the flames eat away the Mardocks’ bodies and the flesh of the two men. The smell of burning remains stung his nose.
“Let’s go,” Chris said, wiping his face with his already stained shirt.
They walked quickly to Cross Street and took a right toward Battery Ave, heading toward Federal Hill park. “I’m sorry I didn’t… I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough,” Jose said.
“This time wasn’t like the last time,” Chris said. “You did all you could do. Sometimes people get caught in the middle. Nothing you could have done for the first two. They were gone before y
ou got there. But hey, we saved three. We need to celebrate that.”
“Yeah,” Jose said, but all he could see was the image of the thrashing bodies with limp heads.
“You did a good job distracting them,” Chris said, “But next time, don’t wait for me. Just jump in and kick their ass. Never hesitate, okay.”
Jose swallowed and said, “Yeah. Um. Okay.”
CHAPTER TEN
Jose sat on the cold linoleum floor with his knees pulled to his chest, clutching his teddy bear to his chest. He’d cried so much his eyes were dry and his cheeks burned. The only sounds in the room were the steady beat of his mom’s heart monitor and her heavy breathing. The room was dark except for a small beam of light coming through the rectangular window on the door. Jose could see nurses and doctors coming and going in the hallway. He sighed, wishing he could sleep.
The door opened and a nurse came in. He looked younger than the other nurses Jose had met. The nurse turned on a light by the door, walked over to the machines plugged into Jose’s mom, and began making notes on a clip board. Jose watched in silence hoping that what the nurse was recording was good news.
“Hey Charlie,” Jose’s mom said. Her voice was soft and scratchy.
“Hey,” the nurse said turning to Jose’s mom. “How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?” His voice was kind.
“Maybe some water,” Jose’s mom said.
“Sure thing,” Charlie replied.
“Hey baby,” Jose mom said, noticing her son on the floor.
“Hey mom,” Jose said.
“Oh,” Charlie said surprised. “I didn’t know you were in here.”
“What are you doing here, baby?” Jose’s mom asked.
“Uncle Sal never came,” Jose said.
“What time is it?” Jose’s mom asked the nurse.
“A little after two,” Charlie said.
“Oh baby,” Jose mom said. She motioned for him to come to the bed. “Come up here, baby. Come and lay with me. You need to get to sleep. You’ve got school tomorrow.”
Jose stood and joined his mom in the bed. His jeans pulled against the hospital sheets. When nestled into her, he felt her bones.
“Could you call my brother for me?” Jose’s mom asked the nurse.
“Sure thing,” Charlie said.
Jose closed his eyes as his mom stroked his hair and sang softly, “Little bird, little bird, your voice so small and sweet. Someday your wings will thunder as they beat.”
“Get up,” Chris said, nudging Jose.
Jose’s eyes hurt. Jose couldn’t tell if they were open or not because everything was still black. He searched for his mom, but there was only the unforgiving car seat. “Another dream. Or memory. Are they dreams when they really happened?” Jose thought.
Two sharp bangs on the hood of the car made Jose sit up straight. He pinched the lids of his eyes together, held them closed, and then opened them again. Still no light. It was night.
“We’ve got to move,” Chris said from the front of the car. “Let’s go.”
Jose swung his legs to the right and tried to stand. His knees were shaky.
“Ernie called,” Chris barked. “Said there’s a group gathering on the other side by the Harbor. They’ll probably cross at first light. We need to be there when they do. So let’s move.”
“Okay,” Jose said, staggering. It was cold again. He wished someone would tell winter to go the hell away.
They tromped down the parking garage ramps together. Managing the slope was difficult at first. It wasn’t until the third floor that Jose’s legs began to work. They’d moved the car last night to a garage on St. Paul, north of Eager Street. Jose had asked a few days ago why they didn’t drive more.
“Parking sucks,” was all Chris said.
By the time they exited the garage, a pain had formed in Jose’s gut. His stomach rumbled. “Can we stop for breakfast?” he asked.
“If we pass something,” Chris said, looking up and down the quiet street. He turned left and walked briskly to the south. Jose followed.
“Can I ask a question?” Jose said, struggling to keep up with his partner’s pace.
“It’s the only way you’ll learn anything,” Chris said.
“Who’s Ernie and how does that whole thing work?” Jose said. He spotted a bakery three blocks ahead. His mouth started to water.
“Yes,” Chris said before Jose asked. “We can stop and check for breakfast.”
“Awesome,” Jose said with a skip.
“Ernie is our Relay,” Chris said. “He works at Hopkins. If you ever need him, go find the giant statue and look up. He’ll be there.”
“Got it. Giant statue. Look up. Why would I need to find him?”
Chris sighed. “When I die, you’re in charge. And when you’re the lead team member, you hear the Relay’s voice in your head. It sucks. Ernie doesn’t care where you are or what you’re doing. His damn voice just barrages in, so you’ll want to meet him at least once. It helps to put a face to the voice. Especially his voice because… well, just trust me. You’ll at least want to visualize the asshole when he starts talking.”
They paused at the corner to let a truck pass before they continued on. Jose could smell the bakery. “You’ve got to be careful, though,” Chris continued. “Our Relays give us intel but they’re pretty defenseless. Especially Ernie. He’s completely hopeless. He goes to karate on Tuesdays, or so he likes to tell me. Says he’s up to a purple belt, but I don’t believe it for a second. So you can’t let anyone see you meet him. You’ve got to make sure you aren’t being followed, on both sides of the Veil. If the monsters figure out the Relay system, we’re screwed. Right now, they think we’re magic or some kind of shit. We need to keep it that way.”
“Yeah. Okay,” Jose said. “Got it.” But the pre-teen was only half listening. They’d arrived at the bakery. The red and black sign on the door said “Closed” but Jose could see the employees moving around inside. He imagined them taking fresh muffins, donuts, and breads from their giant ovens, preparing for the breakfast rush. There was coffee brewing too. It was tart and rich. The smell was almost too much to stand. He could almost taste it.
“Come on,” Chris said with a laugh.
Jose followed him down the alley next to the building. It was difficult to see where they were walking in the dark, narrow space, so they moved slow, trying not to trip. Jose could make out the dumpster in front of them.
Chris put his hand out and stopped Jose by touching his chest. He placed his finger to his lips with one hand and pointed to the open window with the other. The light from the window was blocked by closed blinds, but sound traveled freely from the alley to the bakery.
Jose and Chris crept forward, slowly, toward the large, metal, green dumpster. Chris gingerly lifted the black plastic lid. Two large rats scurried from underneath the rectangular beast, rubbing against Jose’s leg. Jose jumped but held the instinctual yelp of fear in his throat. Chris, holding the lid above his head, nodded for his partner to take a look inside.
Jose reached up and grabbed the rim of the container. It was wet and cold. He held tight with his hands and ran up the side of the metal box with his feet until his stomach was resting on the rim. He could feel the grime soaking through his shirt.
His stomach rumbled, knowing the truth before his eyes could adjust. Nothing but a few rats. The can was empty. Jose let himself fall back to the ground. With his head out of the container, he could again smell the baking happening less than ten feet away. “There’s nothing,” he said.
“The truck must have beat us here,” Chris said. Seeing the disappointment on the teen's face, he added, “Maybe there’ll be something further up the road.”
“Yeah,” Jose said, his stomach rumbling with frustration. They tromped out of the alley in silence, both frustrated by the absence of food.
Turning left again, the pair was about to return to their trek south when they heard the woman yell, “Hey!” The voice stop
ped both of them in their tracks. Jose’s heart raced. No one had ever noticed them before. He wasn’t sure what to do. What was the protocol here? He looked up at Chris for guidance.
Chris looked at his shoes and bit the inside of his lip with frustration. “Damn it,” he muttered. He sighed and turned. Jose followed suit.
With his arms outstretched in a peaceful gesture, Chris mumbled in a drunken voice, “I’m so sorry.” He slurred his words so perfectly, Jose had to remind himself that Chris was acting. Chris stumbled forward two paces toward the woman who had called out. Jose stood back, not wanting want to get in the way of such an amazing performance.
“I’m so sorry,” Chris slurred again. “I was just lookin’ for something. Uh. Down there.” He gestured with both hands toward the alley.
The woman facing Chris was a few inches shorter than he was, and her hair was short, almost shaved. The muscles of her lean arms bulged from the weight of the giant white box she was carrying. She wore a black tank top and green cargo pants with buttoned pockets on her thighs. Her deep brown eyes were kind and full of life, and her gentle smile made Jose feel warm and safe.
“Here,” she said, putting the box on the sidewalk. “I can spare a few.” She lifted the top of the box to reveal stacks of fresh muffins.
“No, no,” Chris stammered. “It’s okay. It’s okay. We’re fine.”
“Nonsense,” the woman said, retrieving two perfect muffins from the box. She closed the lid of the box and then held the muffins out as if she were offering a treat to an injured dog.