His first call was to a reporter at one of the lesser reputed world news organizations, offering up an exclusive story, almost too good to be true. He spun a tail of drama and international intrigue. A reputed scientist working for NASA was selling classified documents to foreign governments, who were all conspiring to conceal evidence of an extraterrestrial presence on Earth. Fear was the first fruit of the dark spirit. Fear led to anger. Anger led to conflict. Conflict led to suffering. Suffering was mana from ... hell, in this case.
His next call was to his superiors.
“You idiot!” Jääger shouted. “How could you be so stupid? You allowed the American agent to escape! She went straight to her superiors and told them everything! Everything! Your orders were to seize the data, eliminate the scientists and ensure there were no witnesses! I can’t believe the incompetence I am forced to work with! You know the consequences if we fail?”
“I do,” Malakoff finally got a word in edgewise. “Which is why I’ve called in my reinforcements. I just need to get to Donovan, her boyfriend ... and his family.”
“I can arrange that, but ... you’re not going to like it,” Jääger intoned.
* * *
Frank White sat behind a mahogany desk; his phone tucked under his ear. Lauren sat across from him, stirring a generous dose of cream into her coffee. Rowan had taken Henry for a morning walk in the crisp autumn air.
“Dr. Pierce,” he said, hanging up. “I’ve just gotten word; Yevgeny Malakoff has been turned over by the Estonian Government for questioning.”
Lauren sat up. “What?”
“He’s also facing charges of treason in his own country, but in the interest of international relations, the Estonian Security Council is escorting him here.”
“Here? To DC?”
“To this office,” he said. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
Lauren sat, gazing into her coffee a moment. “With everything you know now ... what happens next?”
“Hard to say,” he said. “I briefed the President this morning and I have a meeting with the National Security Advisor. I’ll make recommendations, but something of this magnitude ... it’s hard to say.” Frank paused for a long moment. “If you had a say in what was to follow, what would you advise?”
Lauren’s brow lifted. “You’re asking me? On matters of national ... global security?”
“Intergalactic security.” He noted.
She conceded with a nod. “Valid point.” Lauren sat back and thought about this for a moment. “I am a scientist,” she said. “First and foremost. I believe what I can prove. Or ... I did.”
“Did?”
“In the past three years, I have seen some unexplainable things; been able to do things I can’t quite explain. I have no empirical data to fully elucidate what’s happened to me, or how it’s changed me. I don’t consider it magic, but I have a hypothesis.”
“Oh?”
“My theory is there is a force in the universe that is woven of matter, energy, time and space. There are those who can command these forces; some will use them for good ... others for evil.”
“Kinda sounds like the plot to Star Wars.” He chuckled.
Lauren lifted a shoulder and nodded. “Perhaps,” she said. “But I have to think there is a purpose in all of it. A balance of power must be maintained. Good cannot dominate everything; nor can evil. Homeostasis ... now that is the goal.”
“I’m afraid I can’t take that to the Security Advisor, Dr. Pierce.”
“Then I’m afraid I can be of little help to you,” she said. “Kitty told you what they said. You have to decide what to do with that.”
He nodded. “I can’t keep but thinking about a quote I saw on a t-shirt though.”
“Oh?” She lifted a curious brow. “What did it say?”
“Every disaster movie starts with a scientist no one will listen to,” he said. “I was hoping you’d provide me with some council, some words of wisdom I could use that would convince them. We have to listen to our scientists, because God knows, our politicians can’t be trusted.”
The revelation shocked Lauren, but a sudden realization came over her. “Okay,” she said. “Here’s the best I have: To everything, there is a season. For every force there is an equal and opposing force. A body in motion tends to stay in motion.”
Frank looked puzzled. “I’m sorry?”
“Balance,” she said. “The key to everything in the universe is balance. If you want to avoid war, you must embrace peace. If you wish to defeat the enemy, you must surrender. The cure for hate ... is love.”
He pursed his lips as he considered her words for a long moment. “Why do scientists always speak in riddles?”
“Because a wise man will seek the truth in them,” she smiled, and sipped her coffee.
He picked up his cup and sat back, pondering this for a moment. He finally met her eye. “I like you, Dr. Pierce. I like you a lot.”
Chapter 23
Lauren sat in the observation room with Henry laying against her, a limp form in her lap. Rowan had worn him out, and she was grateful that he was sleeping. Rowan sat beside her, taking in everything as Malakoff was led into the adjoining interrogation room in handcuffs. He had a black eye and a bruise on his jaw, and Lauren suspected Rowan took a great deal of pride in those marks. He’d made at least one of them; had the busted knuckles to prove it.
Lauren felt the pressure in the room shift and wasn’t a bit surprised to find Kitty standing beside her. Rowan, however, nearly leapt out of his skin, but managed to keep the yelp choked down. Henry never flinched.
Kitty’s hand went to her shoulder, steadying herself. “That doesn’t get any easier, does it?” She chortled. Rowan caught her and helped her into his chair.
“I didn’t expect you to be back so soon,” Lauren put a hand on her arm. She’d been prepared to hate her, for Michael’s sake, but she found herself growing more fond of the scientist.
“So soon?” Kitty puzzled. “It seemed like ... a month, at least.”
“You just left yesterday,” Rowan said.
“Well, Michael did say time moves differently ...” Lauren’s eyes lifted. “Up there.”
“So what did you learn?” Rowan grabbed another chair and pulled it over. He sat backwards on it so he could lean his arms on the backrest.
“So much,” she said. “I’m not even sure where to start.” She turned to the window where Malakoff had been seated at a table and left alone; his hands cuffed behind him. Kitty’s whole expression dropped. “What is he doing here?” She started to rise, but Lauren’s hand tightened on her arm.
“The Estonian government turned him over to US authorities,” Lauren said. She couldn’t help but notice Kitty’s reaction as she stiffened, her eyes fixed on the KGB spy. When she spoke, her voice was dark, like a soothsayer in a trance. “The Dark One has agents who serve the master. They create chaos upon which the Dark One feeds.”
“Enlil?” Lauren leaned forward, catching her eye. Kitty softened slightly as she nodded. “Is ... is Malakoff one of these agents?”
“I believe so,” she said. “I don’t have the same ... what do we call it? Magic? I don’t have the same magic you have?”
Lauren sat back, lifting Henry into a more comfortable position. “Magic doesn’t seem like an adequate term,” she said. “But I don’t know what else to call it.”
Lauren watched as Malakoff’s gaze seemed to settle on her. The one-way mirror ensured he couldn’t see her, but her heart chilled at the devious grin that spread across the villain’s face as he gazed at what could only be his own reflection in the mirror. She felt his dark eyes burn into her. A sharp pain pierced her skull and the room tilted.
Rowan caught her elbow. “Easy there. You okay?”
The gaze broke and Lauren turned and looked at her husband. “Oh, yeah,” she muttered. “He’s a baddy.”
Malakoff stood and walked over to the window, the motion catching Lauren’s e
ye. Rowan turned. Lauren rose, and Malakoff’s gaze locked on hers. They stood staring each other down. Henry slipped out of her grasp and Kitty took the sleeping baby, hoisting him onto her shoulder.
“Lauren?” Rowan said. “Lauren?”
She took a weak step forward, coming to stand even with the KGB operative. She could feel a warm light build in her core, as she stared into the cold eyes that seemed to grow darker. The smell of sulfur and brimstone found its way to her nose just as Malakoff let out a beastly roar, straining the chain between the cuffs on his hands, which shattered. His arms went up with the force of his effort, and Lauren realized the cuffs were glowing bright red, sparks flying from the molten metal as it dripped from his wrists. Lauren didn’t flinch. Suddenly, the man drew back his arm, like a demon possessed, and smashed his palm through the glass. Kitty shrieked. Rowan snagged Lauren and pulled her down. He tackled her to the floor; shielding her from the shattering glass, even as shards cut his own flesh.
Lauren pushed him off of her and scrambled to her feet, shouting at Kitty to get Henry out of there. She hoisted Rowan to his feet and shoved him towards the door. “Go!” she shouted as she turned to face Malakoff. The KGB agent had taken on a dark aura, his boiling eyes completely black, his chin seemed more angular, his bared teeth appeared as fangs. “Go!” She shouted at Rowan, sensing he was still in the doorway. “Go! Get Henry somewhere safe!”
She could hear the baby’s cry down the hallway as he called for her, frightened from his sleep by the sudden noise and excitement. But Lauren’s full attention was on the enemy before her.
“The taint of goodness on your flesh offends me,” the man snarled, his deep voice resonated in her core. “You are not worthy to be the Champion for the gods.”
She didn’t know what he was talking about. Michael had been named Champion, but she didn’t have time to think on it. “I’m not afraid of you.” Lauren stood her ground, realizing she hadn’t been unscathed by the breaking glass. Blood ran into her eye and she pushed it away, wiping her hand on her jeans.
“You should be, Dr. Pierce,” he said. His Slavic tongue clipped the words. He withdrew and a rumble of thunder crashed around them. Lauren’s hands went to her ears to protect them from the crash, but the remaining wall between them fragmented and blew out towards her. Bits of drywall and metal studs struck her, nearly taking her knees out as she staggered back.
The door behind Malakoff flew open and two federal agents charged into the room, their weapons drawn. Malakoff never turned his head, but his hand rose and sent a blast of dark energy towards them. Their guns went red hot and they yelped collectively as the weapons turned to molten metal. Then, the bullets in the chamber exploded in the agent’s face. Both dropped where they stood, one clawed at his eyes, screaming in pain. The other gasped, clutching his neck, blood gurgling up from between his fingers.
Lauren stood her ground as Malakoff turned back to her. His eyes flickered red now, fueled by the bloodlust and the suffering around him. “So you think you’re a demon?” She spat blood from her mouth, realizing her lip was cut; iron mingled with her saliva and she spat again.
“You think yourself a witch?”
“I don’t know what I am,” she said, uncertain where the words came from.
“Thou shall not suffer a witch to live,” Malakoff sneered.
“Really?” Lauren quipped. “You’re going to quote the Bible to me?”
His grin deepened. “Whatever works, da?”
“So, what are you?” Lauren asked, her hands up as if to shield herself if he made any move. Malakoff stood seething, and she had to wonder if he were buying time or sizing her up. “An agent of Enlil?”
“I am the very Hand of the Dark One Himself.”
Lauren swiped at the blood running down her face, to clear her vision. The room tilted and she widened her stance to steady herself. She wasn’t sure what she was doing. A woman her size couldn’t fight a man of his stature, demon, or no. Her mind was racing trying to come up with a defense, something she could say or do to stop him in his tracks. She couldn’t risk something happening to her. Henry needed her. Rowan did too, and she knew it.
Enki’s words reverberated in her head, but she couldn’t reconcile the being’s words with the horror that faced her now. Where was Michael when she needed him? When she needed a Champion, where was her older brother?
Malakoff straightened a moment. “It isn’t you? You’re not the Champion.” It wasn’t a question. Suddenly Lauren realized he’d thought she had been chosen to speak for the gods.
“Yes, where is the Champion? I came for you, but I will use you to get to him.” His hand went up and she could feel her feet slipping on the tile floor as an unseen force drew her to him. “I will destroy everything he loves ...” he said. “The pretty blonde ... the baby ... and you.”
Lauren’s anger grew, her face contorting with it, even as she struggled to free herself from his unseen grasp. The fetid breath of the KGB operative, now fouled with this dark entity that seemed to overtake the man, became sickening as she drew closer.
“Lauren!” Rowan raced into the room, charging the operative, pushing her aside as he rushed to tackle Malakoff. The monster raised his hand and Rowan’s body violated the laws of physics when it flew back and slammed into the wall. The thud of his flesh on drywall was sickening but the demon rushed in, reaching for her throat.
Lauren threw her hand up without thinking. Heat built in her shoulder. She could feel the metal pins from the injury she’d sustained in Washington State go painfully hot against her bone. The surge of energy traveled down her arm culminating into a power she’d never experienced. The force caught Malakoff in the chest, pushing him away so hard it knocked her off her feet. It cast her opponent aloft.
The cry that erupted from the operative’s throat was gut-wrenching as he hit the wall, leaving an impact crater in the crumbling drywall. He fell to the floor, his body seizing, smoke rising from the center of his chest. Beneath the scorched shirt, the blackness in his heart seemed to ignite into flames, burning a hole in the man’s body. A moment later, the smoldering embers of flesh, bone, and ash were all that were left in the charred void.
Lauren sat stunned, terrified, and confused; trying to make sense of what had just happened. Her fingers tingled and her shoulder throbbed. For a moment she felt as if her humerus had split down the middle. Gazing down at her hand, lightning bolts danced between her digits and dissipated into sparks.
Regaining her wits, she took in the devastation all around her. Panic rushed through her and her heart skipped a beat as she realized her husband lay unmoving by the door. “Rowan!” She grabbed his shirt and tugged on him, rolling him over. He moaned, as his face scrunched up. Cuts marred his flesh and spots of blood stained his skin and clothing. “Rowan, honey?” she asked, a little more calmly. He looked up at her, his face softening. “Are you okay?”
He hesitated a minute, wincing. “Define okay.”
“Are you going to die?”
“I don’t think so,” he said.
“Do you want to?” She tried to lighten the mood.
“I’m not going anywhere without you.” He caught her hand, reaching for her face.
She cupped his hand to her cheek and brightened with relief.
Lauren turned as she heard voices in the hallway and realized help was coming. Then she realized Rowan wasn’t the only one injured. “Be right back.” She jumped up and went to check on the agents who’d faced the KGB operative and lost.
Frank White burst into the room and froze, recoiling at the devastation he witnessed. “Jesus Christ!” He gasped, taken aback by the destruction, wincing as he looked over at the KGB operative. “What the hell happened in here? It looks like a war zone.”
Lauren looked up at him. “This was just a skirmish,” she said. “Call 911. Your agents need medical attention.” Lauren barked orders, doing what she could for the two. One had shrapnel wounds to the neck, the other to the face. �
�Rowan?” She was surprised when he managed to crawl over to see what he could do to help. He jumped in, and took over, despite the fact that he was clearly in pain.
Lauren sat back on her heels, looking up as she heard her son crying. Kitty hesitated at the door, but Henry was screaming and kicking against her, writhing as he struggled to get to his mother; tears cascading down his red face. Henry slid out of Kitty’s arms into Lauren’s. “Are you okay?” She inspected him and was quickly satisfied that he had not been harmed.
“Mama ...” Henry pointed to the body of the dead KGB operative as Frank walked back in the room followed by paramedics. “Bad. Bad.”
“Yes,” she said, approving of his new word. “He was a very bad man.”
Henry gave her a toothy grin that reminded her so very much of his father when she’d first met him. She glanced over at Rowan as he stood, letting the medics help the fallen agents first. Two more agents entered from the interrogation room, pausing at the destruction that had been wrought. “What the hell ...?” One of them muttered, walking over to the body by the wall. “What happened to this guy?”
Rowan and Lauren exchanged glances. “He raised a hand to my wife,” Rowan said.
“Did you do that?” Frank asked, looking at Rowan.
“I didn’t have to,” he said. “You mess with the bull; you get the horns. You mess with my wife ... you get a body bag.”
“But ...” The two agents puzzled over the corpse. “How ...”
“I’m not confident I know how,” Lauren said, directing it more to Frank. “The only thing I can guess is ... divine intervention.”
* * *
The cut on Lauren’s forehead took six stitches to close. Rowan’s injuries took a few more, most of his were on his shoulders and the back of his head. He had a few contusions from hitting the wall, but it wasn’t as bad as Lauren had feared. Frank took them back to his office after the medics were done with them and put a pot of coffee on. Henry wrapped his arms around his mother’s neck, twisting her braid in his little hands, refusing to let go of her once he had her.
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