China

by Scott M. Baker

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  A commotion outside their tent roused Jeanette from her sleep. At first, she thought Mei’s people were preparing to sacrifice them to Bai in another Golem-making ritual. Then she smelled the aroma of food being cooked and realized it must be time for breakfast. Jeanette woke the others. It took two attempts with Antoine. A few minutes later, Mei and four of her followers entered. One brandished a Type 63 automatic rifle, which he held in front of him, ready to use if necessary. The other three carried breakfast. The youngest, a boy no older than ten, handed each of the Demon Hunters a small plastic bowl and a cup, and then the other two served white rice and water.

  “Good morning,” said Mei with a cheery tone. “I hope you all slept well.”

  Jeanette forewent any platitudes. She stared at the rice and water. “Is this what we’re getting for breakfast? Prison rations?”

  “You’re getting the same food and portions the rest of us do. We treat you no different.”

  Ian snorted. “You’d think Satan’s mates would be given better food than this.”

  “Eating to excess is one of the many sins mankind developed when we abandoned religion for Communism.” Mei sounded befuddled, not angry. “We consume what we need to stay alive and strong. We chose rice and water because they were the staples of our ancestors. Now please, eat. You need to keep your strength up. We have a long day ahead of us.”

  The servers left the tent, followed by Mei and the gunman. Ian sat down, crossed his legs, and shoveled rice into his mouth with his fingers.

  “What are you doing?” asked Jeanette.

  “Mei may be crazy, but she’s right about keeping up our strength.”

  Jeanette hesitated. She hated the idea of doing what Mei requested. She also knew that they needed to be ready to fight back if the opportunity presented itself. Giving in to the inevitable, Jeanette sat and ate.

  After a few minutes, Jeanette asked Antoine, “How are you doing?”

  “I’m fine.” The Moroccan stared at her quizzically. “Why do you ask?”

  “You collapsed last night when we got into the tent and slept straight through until morning.”

  “I’m exhausted. I’ve been riding the horse so long I’m not used to walking.”

  “Good. I thought we were losing you.”

  Antoine chuckled. “You don’t have to worry about me. When the time comes, I’ll be ready to bust heads.”

  Vicky stared at her bowl of rice and mumbled something Jeanette did not hear. “I didn’t get that.”

  “I know I’m the one you’re really worried about.” Vicky lifted her head. “I freaked out on you last night. I’m sorry.”

  “There’s no need to apologize,” Jeanette reassured her. “It happens to everyone.”

  “No, it doesn’t. You and Antoine have gone through much more than me and are still holding it together. And Ian is enjoying this.”

  Ian was taken aback. “I wouldn’t say I’m enjoying this. I expected it to be dangerous and exciting. It’s one of the reasons I asked to join.”

  Vicky lowered her head again so she could cry. “I’m here for the wrong reason.”

  “What do you mean?” Ian asked.

  Jeanette interrupted, wanting to save Vicky the need to explain why she had to leave the predatory situation at Mont St. Michel. “You have to believe me when I say it’s all right. You’ve done nothing you need to be ashamed or embarrassed about.”

  Vicky raised her head. “I promise I won’t let you down again.”

  “You haven’t,” Jeanette reassured her. “I’m the one who let you down.”

  Vicky sniffed back her tears. “How?”

  Jeanette sighed. “Antoine tried to warn me not to trust Mei and I didn’t listen to him. I thought I knew better. I wanted to prove I’m as capable of leading as Jason and… and….”

  Vicky tried to comfort her. “It’s okay.”

  “It’s not! I screwed up and we’re probably going to die.” Jeanette faced Antoine. “I’m sorry I ignored your advice.”

  The Moroccan nodded. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “How can I not? If I had listened to you rather than being so arrogant, none of us would be in this situation.”

  “We’ve been in worse.”

  “Not because of bad decisions.”

  “None of us blame you for this,” said Vicky, trying to comfort her friend.

  “I don’t,” added Antoine.

  Jeanette stared at Ian, who for a moment said nothing. He finally realized that she expected a response. “I probably would have done the same thing you did.”

  “Thank you.” Jeanette forced a smile. “I—”

  The sound of approaching footsteps forced an end to the conversation. Five of Mei’s people entered, four of them holding Type 63s. They stood in each corner as the fifth went from prisoner to prisoner, unfastening the shackles. When finished, he gestured for them to follow. At first, Jeanette refused to move until one of the guards stepped forward and raised his weapon. They exited the tent. Eight more of Mei’s people greeted them outside. As four of them broke down the tent, the rest tied the Demon Hunters’ wrists together with rope and attached the loose end to the saddle of a horse.

  Ten minutes later, the camp set out on the road to Shenyang.

  * * *

  From the copse of trees on a small hillock half a mile away, Xiu lay prone and watched the Sataners through a pair of binoculars. “Where are the outsiders?”

  “Keep looking,” ordered her sister, Lihua, who lay on the grass beside her. She also scanned the compound through a pair of binoculars. “They have to be down there somewhere.”

  “Unless Mei killed them already.”

  “God forbid.” Lihua spun her head toward her sister. Her brunette ponytail slapped against her cheek. “Don’t joke about things like that.”

  “I’m not joking.”

  “Knock that off. We promised Qiang—”

  Off to Lihua’s left, Zhen whispered, “I found them.”

  “Where?” Lihua asked.

  Zhen lowered her binoculars and pointed. “In the center of the compound where the Sataners are taking down the tent. The outsiders are being tied to four horses.”

  Xiu focused on that location. “I see them.”

  “Are they okay?” asked Lihua. She still scanned the compound, unable to find them.

  “As well as can be expected.”

  Lihua found the outsiders, two men and two women, standing behind the horses they were lashed to.

  The three women watched for close to an hour as the Sataners finished breaking down camp and then set out for the gate. Xiu watched the direction the Sataners went until they disappeared over the horizon and calculated their direction on the map. Once certain the caravan had traveled out of sight, she stood, removed a notepad and pen from her jacket pocket, and jotted a message. Ripping off the top sheet, Xiu folded it and handed it to Zhen.

  “Take this to Qiang. Let him know the Sataners are traveling south through the countryside between the G1 and the G25, and don’t appear to be in any hurry.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Zhen took the paper and slid it into her trouser pocket. “What about you?”

  “Lihua and I will follow the Sataners. If there is any change in their movement, I’ll send her to Qiang with the details. Join us as soon as you can.”

  “How will I find you?”

  Xiu considered it for a moment. “Do you have your compass with you?”

  Zhen removed it from her pocket, flipped open the top, and aligned the arrow with north.

  “Good,” said Xiu. “Note where the Sataners are heading. After you talk to Qiang, come back here and follow us. I have chalk. We’ll leave marks. An X means they’re staying on course, an arrow indicates if they change direction. Understood?”

  Zhen nodded. Mounting her horse, she rode off as fast as possible toward the factory. When the woman had left, Lihua asked her sister, “Now what?”

  �
��We track the Sataners until Qiang and the outsiders close the gate.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  The Demon Hunters and the Xiongnu had been traveling along the G1 all night and well into the morning with only a few brief breaks. By sunrise, they had reached the northern outskirts of Kaiyuan. A few hours later, they had bypassed the town and were heading toward Yinzhou. To ensure nothing snuck up on them, either human or demon, Qiang had stationed four five-man patrols one mile ahead and behind the main group as well as on either flank. Because of these early warning pickets, they had been able to move faster than normal.

  Ustagov brought his horse alongside of Jason’s and kept pace. “Do you mind if we talk?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’m concerned about how you reacted the other day to the killing of the villagers and the formation of the Golem.”

  “I’m fine. Just overwhelmed by so many souls being slaughtered at once.”

  “I know you’re fine physically.” Ustagov shook his head. “I’ve been analyzing how you reacted, and I think there may be a way for you to better control your sixth sense.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “You told me earlier you can sense beings that once had souls, like the flesh eaters, or were made from people with souls, like the ravagers and Golem. And you can detect the auras of certain people you’re emotionally close to, such as Sasha.”

  “That’s right.”

  Ustagov gestured toward the werehounds. “You also pick up the auras of Lilith and Lucifer, yet they don’t possess souls.”

  Jason contemplated what the doctor had said. “You know, I hadn’t thought about that.”

  “I hadn’t either until I witnessed your reaction at the decimation field.”

  “What do you think it means?”

  “It means you possess the ability to pick up the aura emitted by anything, human or demonic,” Ustagov answered. “You haven’t fully developed the skill yet. So far, you’ve only sensed auras that are very intense or that have strong feelings of affection toward you. You’ve always thought that was the extent of your ability. It’s not. It’s the baseline.”

  Jason had no idea what Ustagov meant. “Now you’ve lost me.”

  “Your sixth sense can easily pick up extremes. By contrast, you should also have the ability to detect auras that are subtle.”

  Jason had never considered it before. What Ustagov proposed made perfect sense. If he could perfect that skill, then in the future he could avoid incidents like what occurred when the giant insects ambushed his team in the Paris Metro. “How do I perfect it?”

  “Since you know it can be done, practice on detecting our auras. Once you’ve honed your sixth sense, picking up those of other humans or Demon Spawn will be easy.”

  “Do you really think it’ll work?”

  “I don’t know why it wouldn’t. It makes—”

  Ustagov’s words trailed off, his attention drawn to the front of the column. Two of the Xiongnu horsemen guarding their southern flank approached, escorting a third horse. Jason recognized the latter’s rider as one of the young women Qiang had been talking to the night before. When they reached him, the two guards headed back to their station. Qiang chatted with the young woman for a moment, and then the two rode over to Jason.

  “We have good news,” said Qiang. “Your missing team members are still alive. The Sataners are twelve kilometers to our south and several kilometers behind us. They’re making their way toward the gate and are in no hurry. We should get there and have plenty of time to close it before they arrive.”

  Jason allowed himself a slight grin. It was the first good news he had received in a long time.

  Qiang said to Zhen, “Head back with the others and keep us apprised of any change in the situation.”

  “I will.”

  “Good job out there.”

  Zhen bowed. She spurred her horse and headed back.

  “I’m going to order everyone to stand down for a few hours,” said Qiang.

  Jason shook his head. “We know we have the advantage. Let’s exploit it.”

  “We’ve been marching for ten hours. The horses are exhausted and can’t go on. We need to give them a break or they’ll be no use to us when we reach the gate.”

  Jason tried to protest when Ustagov cut him off. “Qiang’s right. The Sataners are nowhere near the portal. We need to be rested if we hope to close it.”

  Jason gave in to the inevitable. “Sorry. I want to get this over with.”

  “No need to apologize,” said Qiang. “We’re not that far away. If we rest for six hours, we should reach the gate early tomorrow morning.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Jeanette did not know what bothered her more—having to walk all day with her hands lashed to a horse’s saddle or having to trudge through all the shit the animals left in their wake. By late morning, Jeanette felt filthy and exhausted. She was relieved when Mei’s people stopped for lunch. That feeling was short-lived, however, when Mei refused to untie them. The Demon Hunters had to stand or kneel by the horses and struggle to drink from a single canteen of water that they passed between them.

  Ian took a long gulp and handed the canteen to Vicky. Because her hands were tied, she had difficulty grasping it. The canteen slipped and almost dropped into a steaming pile of fresh horse dung. Ian caught it at the last moment.

  “Thanks,” Vicky said sheepishly. She drank so quickly some of the water spilled out of her mouth and ran down her chin. “I wonder how much longer we’ll have to travel like this.”

  “It shouldn’t be too long,” Ian answered. “By my estimates, we’re probably thirty to forty miles from Shenyang, and even closer to the portal. We should be there in two, maybe three days, depending on how fast we move.”

  Vicky laughed and took another drink.

  “What’s so funny?” Ian asked, offended.

  “You’re so optimistic.” Vicky passed the canteen to Antoine. “Only two, maybe three days to go.”

  “I didn’t say only.”

  “It was implied. You’ve always seen the bright side of every aspect of this journey. I wish I had your outlook.”

  “Thanks.” Ian’s anger quickly drained away. “I have to be optimistic. But in the back of my mind I always realize that things could easily get worse.”

  * * *

  Xiu brought her horse to a stop and raised her right hand, warning Lihua to do the same. They had topped the crest of a small hill, only to find that the Sataners had paused on the opposite slope. Her and Lihua backtracked down the hill and waited. When no one raised any alarms or came after them, they tied their horses to a nearby tree and climbed the hill on foot, this time more cautiously. Near the top, they went prone and crawled to the crest on their hands and knees.

  Xiu raised her binoculars and scanned the Sataners. After several seconds, she spotted the outsiders. They were lashed to horses and shared a canteen. The four were dirty, haggard, and tired, yet still appeared in good shape. So far, the Sataners had pretty much remained on course.

  “What now?” Lihua asked.

  “Once the Sataners set out, we’ll mark a tree and fo—”

  The cocking of a weapon cut off their conversation. Five Sataners stood behind them. Four held Type 63 automatic rifles, while the closest, a woman with a three-inch scar down her cheek, pointed a 9mm Makarov at Xiu.

  “Get up!” Scarface waved the pistol. “Place your weapons on the ground and your hands behind your head. Both of you.”

  Xiu and Zhen did as they were told.

  Scarface snapped her fingers to get the attention of one of the gunmen. “Get their horses and weapons.”

  Stepping closer to the two women, Scarface motioned with the Makarov toward the rest of the Sataners. “Go.”

  Xiu hesitated. Scarface shoved the pistol into her face. “Now!”

  With a deep sigh, Xiu and Lihua topped the hill and headed down the opposite slope.

  * * *

 
Mei meandered around the rest spot, desperately trying not to glance toward the hill where her guards said they had spotted someone spying on them. She told Huan to take four armed men and check on the situation. Five tense minutes had passed with no sign of Huan. Finally, one of her guards called out, “They found something.”

  Mei walked over as the small group descended the hill. They met at the base of the slope.

  “I told you I saw someone,” said Huan.

  “Good job.” Mei walked around the two captured women. “You’re Unbelievers.”

  “We’re Xiongnu,” Xiu responded defiantly.

  “Why are you following us?”

  Neither woman replied.

  “What do you want me to do with them?” asked Huan.

  Mei ignored her subordinate, instead studying the two intruders. The Unbelievers had avoided them for the past few months, having been cowed in too many confrontations. So, what changed? Why risk an encounter with them no—

  Mei chastised herself for being so naïve. She had assumed the rest of the travelers had been killed by the giant worms or in the dust storm when some of them most likely had survived and must be looking for their friends. If the Unbelievers were interested in the travelers, then it indicated that the two groups had joined forces to close the Gate to Salvation.

  Mei rushed over to her deputy. “We have to get to the gate as quickly as possible. Give the outsiders their horses back, bind their hands, and make certain the animals are under our control. We’re going to double time.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  As the deputy raced off to complete his orders, Huan gestured toward Xiu and Lihua. “What do you want me to do with these two?”

  Mei sneered. “We’ll give them a message to send to the Unbelievers.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  The Demon Hunters and the Xiongnu had rested until late afternoon, had a quick dinner, and set out along the G1 shortly after sunset. They had traveled for six hours and, according to the road signs, were approaching the small city Tieling. Qiang stopped the column.