by Greg Ballan
Chapter 4: Shelter from the Storm
Molec's Lair
"I'm not interested in hearing about our failures, Mr. Akaowa. I'm only interested in success. Why is the child still breathing?" The archdemon swept his long coal-black forearm, pointing a lethal sharp claw at each human subordinate dressed in expensive Italian suits. "You all assured me Erik Knight and his child would be handled. I pay for and expect results!"
Mr. Akaowa trembled. The paper he held vibrated with each gesture of his hand. "I understand, Lord Molec. The Quint Assassins have never, ever failed. I was assured that…"
An angry fist slammed against heavy mahogany. "Are you offering excuses? I didn't ask for excuses. I asked and paid for results. I don't see results, gentlemen."
Akaowa flinched and shrank back.
"You can't blame us for the failure of your forces, Molec!"
The large demon stopped mid-rant and spun toward the skeletal demon lounging on a sofa in the far corner. "I didn't ask for your opinion, Wraith."
The wraith dared to point a pale bony finger at Molec, its voice as cold and chilly as death. "Knight killed our leader, vaporized him while barely cracking a sweat. Now you have every one of our forces out there forming alliances and blood pacts in a desperate attempt to kill this child to satisfy your Soul Bounty. You know how formidable Knight is, and you neglect to tell your forces. You're sending your followers to their doom, hoping some being gets in a lucky strike." The wraith opened a glass globe and produced a glowing orb. It held the struggling ball of light in dead hands. A faint shriek of terror whispered through the large room. The wraith bit into the globe like a ripe apple, ignoring the death shriek of the hapless soul. The humans winced as the sound echoed then faded away.
Molec leaned back, the heavy chair creaking under his immense bulk. Another human suit stepped toward the wraith. "What would you suggest we do? Even Lucifer's Golem Giants fell to Knight's power."
The wraith hissed. "One Golem fell to another power, a higher Lord of Light."
"The archangel!" Molec hissed. "We are drawing the higher lords' interest. Michael is His personal puppet. For the standard bearer of Light's army to become involved in human affairs means we need to move forward with even more urgency. The archangels cannot be allowed to interfere. They must be kept in the dark until the child is eliminated."
"How do we do this, Lord Molec?" A third suit began thumbing through several sheets of paper. "Knight, his bitch, and the child have all fled to Vatican City. Dukath, the War Angel, now guards the hybrid's female human child. Even those lesser relations at his work place are under the protective envelope of the firm and their ethereal forces."
Molec began moving several intricately carved horned demon chess pawns toward a large ivory king. "You cannot hide from me, Knight. Your child will die. It's merely a matter of time and resources. My time may be limited, but I have more than enough resources. I'll keep coming at you again and again until you wither and fall. Then I'll take the child and slit his throat in front of you and laugh while the petty, staunch Lords of Light watch in horror as I accomplish what Lucifer has failed to over many millennia." Molec swept all the pieces off the large board with one sweep of his powerful hand. "I will have this world and I will have Hell itself." The archdemon stood. "I want whatever forces we have remaining in Vatican City to avoid causing any turmoil but have them keep watch. If they have even the remotest chance at killing the child, they are to take it. I want Light's chosen one dead!"
"My Lord Molec, you must realize any human even attempting to harm the child in Vatican City will be signing his own death warrant under Angelic Law. No one would risk ethereal execution. The forces of Heaven have reinforced their security, both human and divine. An attempt on the hybrid child would be suicide."
Molec clenched his fists. "If they refuse, I'll personally hunt them down and feed their souls to the nosferatu. Which death would they find preferable?"
The human looked over at the skeletal wraith, still feasting on what was once a human soul. "I will relay your instructions at once."
Molec leaned forward "Listen to me! Speed is of the essence now. We have the cross, but it burns through its confinement. Once freed, we can neither contain nor control it. The forces of Light will come to claim their prize and we will not be able to resist the unfettered might of Light's army. But if we kill the child, we win by default. The cross is useless. We cannot keep this relic within our possession much longer. We must kill the child if our plans are to succeed!"
◆◆◆
Vatican City, Rome.
Erik and Shanda walked arm in arm through Vatican City. EJ insisted on "playing" with the nice ladies with the funny hats. Shanda reluctantly relented, allowing the couple to spend some quiet, alone time.
They came to the area where Erik had battled the first nosferatu. The open park was still in ruins. Work crews were busily replacing glass panes and filling in the titanic crater caused by his lightning strike and the massive explosion.
"My God, Erik. This looks like a war zone that just got carpet bombed!" She looked up at him. "You did all this?"
Erik nodded as he surveyed the destruction. "Yeah, pretty much. Though when the thing exploded, it only added to the destructive force."
She stopped and looked directly into his eyes. "You said you had no limits. Was that bravado at the time or were you speaking the truth?"
Erik sighed. "As far as I know, there are no limits. At least none that I can find or dare approach. There's a certain line I'm afraid to cross, babe. I came close during the Observer War. I pounded through several layers of bedrock with one massive blow to the ground and I could have vaporized the Observer fleet in space if I wanted to. And you saw the size of their carrier ship. When I thought you were in danger, I didn't pay much heed to limits or caution. I could have destroyed the entire state if I kept going. The angel was right. To unleash that kind of power is reckless and foolish … so I do my best to keep it in check. But if I have to go to war to protect you and EJ, I'll push the boundaries to the very edge and beyond if need be."
Shanda fell into him, wrapping her arms around his torso. "Let's hope you can find Molec and end this without having to push yourself too far."
Erik nodded. "Even with all my power, babe, I still can't comprehend these ethereal beings. They move through galaxies like we move from one room to another. The rules of space and time don't seem to apply to them. We must seem like cockroaches."
Shanda put her head against his shoulder. "Maybe us, but not you. You killed some of them and that has them disturbed. They don't appear to be as formidable as their legend. You said the Seelak used Netherspace to move through distances instantaneously. Maybe our divine friends have a similar type of travel. You sent your staff half way across the world in the blink of an eye to save us from that hellspawn. Yes, they're immortal and powerful, but do they have the redeeming qualities that make human life so precious? Can they feel love, compassion and kindness?"
Erik shrugged. "I honestly don't know. But we have to trust them for now. I don't see any other choice." He wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I'm sorry for all of this. I wish I had the power to make it end now. With everything we've learned, I'm afraid we may never get back to what was once 'Normal'. How do we get it back, baby? How do we get back to normal after all this shit plays out for good or for bad?"
"I don't know, Erik. I don't know. But we go forward and make our lives again for us and for our son. We can't let this one event define us, as titanic as it seems. We have to move through it as a family."
They held each other tight, finding comfort and warmth inside love's embrace.
"Special Agent Knight?"
Erik looked up. "Damn it!"
He reluctantly let her go and turned toward the voice. A young cleric quickly approached. There was an air of urgency in the young man's stride. "Special Agent Knight, I've been instructed to escort you to the White Room. Mr. Denton, Bishop O'Malley, the Archbishop and
several Vatican Councilmen are already there."
"I don't understand. My wife and I were supposed to have this day together."
"I don't know, sir. We were told to fetch you and Mr. Denton."
Erik shook his head, mildly annoyed. "Something's up." He kissed Shanda quickly. "I'm sorry, I'll get though whatever's got our holy friends on edge and meet you back at our suite."
"Don't apologize. Do what you have to do. I'd love to tour Rome, but…" She let her words hang.
"But there's probably a dozen things lurking out there just waiting for you." Erik finished her thought.
"Yeah, nothing like being a prisoner for my own safety. I feel like I'm under house arrest." She sighed. "I'll head over to the makeshift daycare and see how EJ is doing. Hopefully he's not embarrassing us with more unique observations."
Erik chuckled. "The boy has no filter. Where did he get that trait from?" Erik's eyes sparkled briefly as he teased her.
She blushed as Erik turned to go. Shanda reached for him again, rushing into his arms. "Promise me you'll fix this and make it better. As long as I've known you, you've always made it better." She looked up with tear-filled eyes. "I'm scared, I'm afraid for our son and for us."
Erik held her tight. "I swear to you, I'll do everything within my power to make things right."
She smiled. "I know you will, babe. I guess I just needed to hear you say it again."
Shanda let go, turned and walked away. Erik heard her sobbing.
"I am sorry to interrupt, but the Council is waiting. We must go."
He wiped away tears as he turned. "Lead the way."
The cleric moved quickly toward the large conference building that contained the fortified room.
Special Agent Erik Knight got that queasy feeling as he entered the White Room. His enhanced senses quickly adjusted to the powerful illusion and he was able to define the barely visible walls and ceiling. He looked over at his old friend and could see him struggling to cope with the never-ending sea of white.
He noted again that all of the clergy had donned matching robes and it appeared that their heads were floating in air as the fabric perfectly matched the endless sea of bleached white light.
Erik sat next to Martin and silently poured himself a glass of water. He gestured toward Martin and the older man nodded, holding out his glass.
"You look perturbed."
The detective gave a curt nod. "I don't like being summoned, especially when I requested to spend this day with my wife who's apparently about to come apart thanks to all of this holy revelation."
"Clergy don't marry. They probably don't understand that type of relationship." Denton whispered behind his glass of water.
"Well I am, Counselor, and my bride is not very happy right now, which tends to make my mood rather foul."
Denton chuckled. "I understand, believe me. I remember those days all too well."
The Archbishop looked over at Erik. "Special Agent Knight, thank you for joining us. Our young cleric informs me that we interrupted a moment of intimacy with your spouse. I do apologize, but we need to agree upon a course of action. I hope you and your bride will forgive our intrusion."
Erik didn't really trust himself to speak. He was annoyed, but the Archbishop's apology was genuine "Thank you, I'll relay your apology to Shanda later on. I thought we had agreed upon a course of action. Mr. Denton and I were going to DC to turn over some stones and rattle some cages."
Bishop O'Malley nodded. "Yes, but we have gathered some further insight. Washington is abuzz in activity. The human politicians controlled by Lucifer have been much more active the past week. Several demonic agents of great influence have been to the capital city which indicates something is truly amiss." O'Malley looked at a sheet of paper then glanced over at Erik. "You may find this of interest. Bartholomew, the herald of Lucifer, was spotted outside the speaker's office yesterday afternoon. He was in conference with Collins and the senate majority leader for several hours. Our men saw the majority leader leave, but not Bartholomew. We can only assume he simply vanished." O'Malley studied the report. "It says here Bartholomew was constantly rubbing his jaw as if in discomfort."
Erik smirked. "I knocked his jaw out of his head with a barbell, Your Excellency. Apparently, he found a replacement and isn't quite accustomed to it yet."
O'Malley snickered. "Our friends discomfort warms my heart, Special Agent Knight. But having the demon in Washington is noteworthy. We can assume they're just as busy looking for Molec and the Ruby Crucifix. It pains me to admit that our dark adversaries have a head start. Molec, despite being a renegade, uses conventional demonic routes and contacts that all earthbound hellspawn can access. This means he can be tracked or spotted by any other demons. We don't have that advantage. Molec's foot soldiers are probably well known to Lucifer and his forces, the number of spies they have searching must be quite sizeable at this point. Molec has the advantage over his former master right now and has made his intentions known by taking out the bounty on your child. Lucifer has countered that action but still needs to find the artifact and the archdemon to regain his strategic advantage on Earth. The King of the Damned cannot be happy with the current turn of events."
The Archbishop leaned forward. "I strongly urge you and Mr. Denton to tread lightly. Washington is in an upheaval right now and if you two charge in wreaking havoc and mayhem, all hell will literally break loose. We don't want Lucifer or Molec to know what we're doing. And we don't want any of our agents or networks in DC compromised. Despite the tumultuous events in play we cannot have humanity aware of the level of divine involvement within human affairs."
Martin nodded while Erik shook his head.
"Free will my ass, Archbishop. Your hands are just as deep in the cookie jar as Lucifer's."
The room fell silent. Erik and the Archbishop locked eyes. The hybrid's eyes burned a fiery intense glow. "We're not supposed to be pawns for divine amusement."
"Special Agent Knight, our hand in the cookie jar isn't to steal the cookies in your clever metaphor but to prevent the dark hand of Lucifer from emptying the jar."
Erik smiled a shark-like grin that sent a shudder through the room. "Methinks thou doth protest too much, Archbishop. But now isn't the time to argue semantics or the impact of divine intervention in the affairs of man." Erik took a sip of his water. "We'll hunt down Molec, but I'll do it my way with my methods. I won't trample through the halls, but I'm not going to pussyfoot around either." Erik looked over at Martin. "The counselor and I have enough experience dealing with bureaucrats. Just point us in the right direction and we'll get the job done."
The Archbishop sat back, eyes wide, as though he'd been slapped. "These are not normal times. I urge you to let caution overrule your proclivity to wreak havoc."
Denton stepped in. "We understand the epic calamity, Your Grace, but politicians are consummate liars, especially politicians that happen to represent the interests of Satan. One can only assume that they are the best at lying and deception. When dealing with characters of low scruples, it's often necessary to encourage cooperation through some personal discomfort."
The Archbishop frowned. "Will you at least coordinate with our contact before you begin 'persuading' anybody on Lucifer's payroll? You start breaking fingers and arms straight away, Lucifer will clear out his agents and we'll have to spend even more time locating them again. The Dark Prince may even send more of his own forces to neutralize the both of you if you push too hard."
Denton laughed. "A hack politician will never leave Washington, Your Grace. Their mouths and pocketbook are glued to the taxpayer dime. I don't think we have any intention of riling up the demonic side of Washington, but the human side needs a little cage-rattling. As for Lucifer sending out the shock troops, the firm has a few toys I've recently discovered and I know my young associate here is more than capable of dealing with such problems. I don't think Lucifer or Molec are going to throw any more resources toward us and they must know the child i
s here, protected. If I were a betting man, Archbishop, I lay odds moving EJ here has both sides in an uproar. They're scrambling now to find a way to counter that move."
"Why do you think that, Mr. Denton.?"
Erik interrupted. "Because if we were on the opposing side, we'd be addressing ways to breach this compound."
Bishop O'Malley's face paled, nearly matching the ivory background. "You don't think they would be so bold as to attack the Holy City? We've reinforced our guard and Light's forces patrol the streets and the sky above, unseen."
Erik looked over at Denton. The old man nodded, rolling his eyes. "You said EJ was the key, the chosen one. By hiding him here and providing us shelter, you've drawn all the attention to Vatican City. The ghouls and creepy crawlies are no longer interested in me because I'm no longer the obstacle, this fortress is. This place is what stands between EJ living and dying now. You said this place was protected and assured me my family would be safe. You must have realized what would happen once we took shelter here. Lucifer's and Molec's objectives haven't changed. They just have a new obstacle to overcome." Erik pointed toward the Archbishop and Bishop O'Malley. "You."
"They cannot get here, Agent Knight, not with the forces of Light on guard and ready to do battle." The Archbishop countered adamantly.
Erik looked back over at the old man. "I hope so, for all your sakes. I'm staking the lives of my son and my wife on that. My being in Washington won't upset the applecart nearly as much as you did by providing us sanctuary."
The Archbishop nodded. "You're very astute, Special Agent Knight. I commend you and Mr. Denton. Your minds are sharp and agile, but I assure you we are more than able to dissuade and repel any advances by the forces of darkness. We will keep your family safe while you and Mr. Denton recover our stolen relic."
