“You explained about the dispensation?” Shanti asked.
Anna nodded but didn’t take her eyes off the view below her.
“It didn’t matter; he wants her dead.”
“If it’s a matter of practicality—” began Shanti.
Anna turned, and Shanti stopped speaking under the force of her gaze.
“Sisters do not violate our established precepts,” Anna said.
“What about the contract? Must it still be fulfilled?”
“The contract has been declared null and void,” Anna replied.
Shanti raised an eyebrow in surprise. She walked over to where Anna stood.
“Null and void?” she asked. “That can only happen under a declaration of—”
“He has declared war against the Sisters.”
“Is he insane?” Shanti asked. “Doesn’t he know the outcome of the Sisters wearing black lace?”
“Clearly, he does not.”
Anna grabbed the phone from her desk and made a call.
“Anna, is this a courtesy call before hell showers down on me?” Gan said. “I do appreciate the early warning.”
“Ganriel, the contract is null and void, but I’m afraid your Hunter is still in danger. The Sisters will be wearing black lace.”
“Shit, not again,” he said. “The last time the Sisters wore black it was a bloody mess—literally.”
“Yes, but this time will be the last time,” Anna said. “Get the Gray ready.”
“The Gray are always ready, but we should explore another, less lethal, option,” Gan said. “There has to be another way.”
“I’ve found in situations like these that the best option is usually the most violent and permanent one,” Anna said. “Prepare for war.”
*******
Marks dialed another number. This one took longer to connect and once it did, there was silence on the line followed by quiet breathing.
“Hello?” Marks said. “Are you there? I need to speak to Kala.”
“One moment,” a voice answered. “Please be patient.”
After several minutes of silence, measured breathing could be heard on the line.
“Kala?” Marks asked. “I have a situation.”
“State your business.” the man’s gruff voice said.
“I have a job for you and your men,” Marks said. “Double your usual fee. Do you know who this is?”
“Don’t be dense. Of course I know who it is,” Kala said. “Who is the target?”
“Targets—it’s more than one,” Marks said.
“That will increase the cost.”
“The first one is a Hunter,” Marks said. “Her name is Sepia Blue.”
“I heard something about this Hunter. Didn’t you have her removed or banned?”
“Yes, her, followed by the Sisters, in my region.”
“As in the Sisters of the Order—all of them?”
“Only the ones in my region,” Marks said. “Leave the ones in Rebecca’s region untouched…for now.”
The sound of tapping on a keyboard was the only response for several seconds.
“This is the group led by Anna White?” Kala asked. “Do you know what you are asking?”
“Can you do it?”
“Are you prepared to deal with the collateral damage?” Kala said. “There’s a high probability you will not escape this unscathed.”
“What do you mean?” Marks asked. “They’re only Sisters. You and your men are Black Hunters.”
“Who we are has no bearing on their lethality or resourcefulness,” Kala said. “Have you heard of Death’s Trinity?”
“No—who are they?”
“Three Sisters who operate as a unit,” Kala said. “They have never failed a contract. Anna leads this group.”
“Does this mean you can’t do this?” Marks asked. “Should I call someone else?”
Kala gave a short laugh. “I welcome you to try,” he said. “No one else will take this job. Not against them.”
Marks knew better than to doubt Kala.
“In that case I will triple the usual fee,” Marks said.
“That will barely cover operating costs on this,” Kala replied. “No, I think you will have to go substantially higher this time, Overseer.”
Marks punched some keys on his computer.
“Check your account,” Marks said. “How soon can it be done?”
A few moments of silence, as more keyboard tapping came over the call.
“This is adequate,” Kala said after a pause. “We’ll arrive in three days.”
The call disconnected.
In three days, Sepia and the Sisters will be a memory.
THREE
“What the hell is wrong with you, Jas?”
“Shut up, Cyn.”
“Don’t tell me to shut up,” Cyn said. “If you fail the gauntlet during the selection, Anna will kick you out of the Sisters and then where will you be? Out on the street—working rogue for the Order or freelancing and getting yourself killed.”
Cyn stood a head taller than Jas. Both were dressed in the gray sleeveless bodysuits the Sister trainees wore. Her black hair was arranged in a long braid that ran down the length of her back. She tugged on the end of the braid as she spoke to Jas.
“I don’t know what it is, but every time I try and run the course I freeze up,” Jas said as she tightened the holster around her waist. “Every single time at the chasm.”
“The chasm is impossible, everyone wipes there,” Cyn answered. “None of the trainees have been able to pass it.”
“I’m not everyone,” Jas said. “I should be able to beat this.”
How can something so simple beat me?
“Don’t I know it,” Cyn replied, “but this isn’t about that big brain of yours. What about the other thing—the blood?”
Jas winced at the mention of blood.
“We don’t discuss that, ever.”
“Jas,”—Cyn placed a hand on her shoulder—“you can’t deny it. She’s going to find out sooner or later.”
“Do you really think she will kick me out?” Jas asked, barely above a whisper. “Because of that?”
“I don’t know, you’ve been here forever,” Cyn said. “Anna doesn’t have favorites, but if she did it would be you.”
“If by favorite you mean being pushed harder and longer than any other of the trainees, then yes that’s me.”
Jas pulled her red hair into a ponytail and tightened her boots. Making sure all of her weapons were in place, she headed to the start of the gauntlet. It was a thirty-foot deep and a half-mile long trench, filled with traps and obstacles, designed to challenge and hone the Sisters’ skills. In the center of the course, at the halfway mark, lay a forty-foot-wide gap—the chasm. During the selection when Sisters were promoted from trainee to full-fledged member, the training obstacles were replaced with deadly threats.
“You’re running it again?” Cyn asked. “Unsupervised?”
“You said it yourself, if I screw this up during the selection, I’m out,” Jas said. “I have to show them, show her that I’m good enough.”
“But it’s dangerous—you could be hurt or killed without one of the Sisters here to monitor the course.”
“It’s on the lowest setting,” Jas answered. “If I don’t do this, then—”
“But the chasm, how will you pass it?”
“The threats are non-lethal so the most I’m going to get is a scrape or bruise.”
“And if you fall into the chasm?” Cyn asked. “I won’t be able to get to you, it’s too deep.”
“I won’t fall in,” Jas said with certainty. “If I do, you get out of here fast. I don’t want you getting in trouble because of me.”
“This is a bad idea, Jas,” Cyn said. “If one of the Sisters comes down here, we are so dead.”
“Go check the observation tower,” Jas said. “Make sure no one is in there.”
Cyn headed over to the tower. Jas
mine headed down the ladder to the entrance of the gauntlet. Once she reached the bottom, the ladder retracted, leaving her with no way to exit the trench…except to go forward.
FOUR
Cyn opened the door to the observation tower and peeked inside. It contained several computer control modules that managed the obstacles and traps in the gauntlet. They were running automatically, controlling the gauntlet. The lighting in the room cast the corners in shadow.
Cyn looked at all the computers and consoles in wonder.
“I don’t know how she does it,” Cyn said to herself. “These machines are so complicated, but she makes it look easy.”
“How she does what?” said a voice from the corner of the room.
Cyn whirled around with her gun drawn in a shaky hand.
“Who’s there?” Cyn asked, her voice trembling. “Come out.”
In one of the corners of the room, a figure shifted and stepped into the light. She wore a gray sleeveless bodysuit but no holster. Two large knives were sheathed, one on each thigh. Thin sunglasses covered her eyes and a shock of white hair fell across her face as she approached Cyn.
“You’re that Hunter—the one who got kicked out of the Order,” Cyn said as she holstered her gun. “What are you doing in here?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” Sepia replied. “The gauntlet is off-limits to unsupervised trainees. At least that’s what they told me.”
Cyn remained silent as her eyes darted to one of the monitors. Sepia turned to look at the monitors and saw Jas in the gauntlet.
“What the hell is she doing down there?” asked Sepia as she moved quickly to the controls. “Goddamnit, the setting must have locked in once she started. I can’t change it.”
“What are you talking about?” Cyn asked. “Jas set it to non-lethal since she really needs to practice.”
“I was going to run it—I changed the setting,” Sepia said. “It’s on the highest setting.”
“No,” Cyn said as her hand rushed to cover her mouth. “You have to help her!”
Sepia ran for the door with Cyn on her heels.
“Is she any good?” Sepia asked as they headed to the gauntlet. “Has Jas passed the gauntlet before?”
Silence.
“Are you kidding me right now?” Sepia said with sudden anger. “Is she suicidal? Why would she try this on her own even on the lowest setting?”
“She’s good and crazy-smart,” Cyn said as the words rushed out. “But it’s the chasm. She gets stuck there.”
“You have no idea,” Sepia said as they ran down to the entrance of the gauntlet. “The floor of the chasm is covered in spikes on this setting. If she falls in there, she’s done.”
“Please help her,” Cyn pleaded as tears formed in her eyes.
“Gun,” Sepia said as she stood next to the ladder at the start of the gauntlet with an outstretched hand. “Give me your gun. Knife, too.”
Cyn nodded and undid her holster and handed it to Sepia along with her knife. Sepia adjusted the holster around her waist, sheathed the knife, and held the edges of the ladder as she slid down into the gauntlet.
“Make yourself scarce, go now,” Sepia said as she entered the first part of the gauntlet. Cyn left the training area as Sepia moved forward.
Who the hell is this Jas?
“Jas!” Sepia yelled. “If you hear my voice, stop where you are—the gauntlet is on a lethal setting. Can you hear me?”
Sepia closed her eyes and tried to pinpoint Jas using her geolocation.
No use. I don’t know her frequency.
“Can you hear me, Jas?” Sepia said as she approached the first part of the gauntlet—the shifting mines. In the distance, she saw a small crater. She slowed her pace and approached, expecting to see the worst. As she looked down, she saw it was empty.
At least she didn’t blow herself up.
She felt the slight tremor beneath her and shifted to the right as a mine occupied the space where she stood. She stepped around the mines. A section of the floor sank in as she took her next step. She dropped to the floor as steel darts fired from the walls next to her. The darts bounced off the walls and onto the floor— landing on the mines.
“Shit,” Sepia said as she jumped up and ran across the floor with a cascade of explosions behind her. The last explosion catapulted her forward and she landed in a roll, which turned into a slide as the floor dropped and became an incline. At the bottom of the ramp, several rolls of razor wire waited to skewer her. She pulled out a knife and buried it into the ground to slow her descent. She managed to pull herself into a crouch, when she heard the voice.
“Hello? Can anyone hear me?”
“Jas, is that you?” Sepia replied. “Where are you? What part of the gauntlet?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” Jas answered. “I’m at the whispering blades, but there aren’t supposed to be live blades here, it’s supposed to be shinais.”
“And you almost had your head removed,” Sepia said, actually impressed Jas had made it so far. She was almost at the chasm.
“I had it set at non-lethal,” Jas said. “I’m going to die in here. I should’ve listened to Cyn. This was stupid and crazy.”
“You’re right about the ‘stupid and crazy’ part,” Sepia said. “Are you hurt?”
“Nothing major,” Jas replied. “Dart from the minefield in my leg, but that’s about all. Surprised it wasn’t poisoned.”
Me too, thought Sepia.
This part of the gauntlet had the trainees make a sharp right turn into a narrow corridor where blades shot out of both sides of the corridor in random arcs. In the non-lethal setting, bamboo swords would strike the trainees informing them painfully of their errors in judgement. These were replaced with real swords in the current setting. It made errors fatal.
She’s either lucky or skilled. Time to find out which.
“I’m right around the corner, can you get some place safe?” Sepia said. “Or at least less deadly.”
“We’re in the middle of the gauntlet on a lethal setting,” Jas said. “Is that a joke? Who are you and where is Cyn?”
“I sent her away. My name is Sepia.”
“Wait—Sepia?” Jas answered. “You’re that Hunter they kicked out of the Order. What are you doing down here?”
“Right now?” Sepia asked. “Saving your ass, but I could just turn around and go my merry way—”
“No!” Jas answered quickly. “I mean, since you’re here already can you help me out?”
“It’s not that you need help, but you wouldn’t turn it down if offered,” Sepia said. “Do I understand this right?”
“Yes, you do—wait, what is that?”
Howls could be heard in the distance. Sepia closed her eyes and listened.
“Dreadwolves, would be my guess.”
“Dreadwolves? Are they crazy? Where did they get Dreadwolves?”
“You’re training to be an assassin and you’re wondering if unleashing Dreadwolves on you is a little over the top?”
“It’s just that—Dreadwolves? No one ever mentioned them.”
“Probably a device to keep you from staying in one spot for too long,” Sepia said. “Like we’re doing.”
That’s some motivation. Where did they get Dreadwolves?
“Fine, I’m moving,” Jas said. “I can see the chasm from here.”
“Wait, don’t—” Sepia began.
The sound of blades filled the gauntlet, followed by a grunt and the thud of impact.
“Jas?”
No response.
Sepia rounded the corner and saw the prone body of Jas at the end of the corridor. The howls were getting closer.
What I wouldn’t give to have Perdition right now.
Sepia stepped forward and ducked under the blade that slashed in the space her head had occupied moments earlier. She dove forward over another slash and rolled back to avoid two blades that crisscrossed the corridor. Leaping up and over another blade, she cartwheel
ed through three more slashes and landed near Jas. She grabbed Jas by the arm and pulled her out of the corridor. Sepia shook Jas gently, noticing she was bleeding from several wounds. None of them appeared fatal.
“Hey, hey, stay with me,” Sepia said as she sat Jas up. “We’re almost out of here.”
“Just leave me here,” Jas whispered. “There’s no way you can get us both out of here, much less across the chasm.”
“I’m not leaving you in here,” Sepia answered. “You let me worry about the chasm. Can you stand?”
Jas nodded weakly.
“Good. The chasm is just around the corner and down the next corridor.”
“This isn’t going to work unless you can fly,” Jas said. “Which you can’t do, right?”
“Last time I checked, flight was not one of my skills, no.”
“Then we’re screwed. Anna is going to kill me.”
“She just might—if you make it out of here alive, that is.”
“Wow, anyone tell you how cheerful you are?” Jas replied.
Sepia narrowed her eyes as she spoke.
“I don’t do cheerful,” Sepia said.
“I noticed,” Jas said under her breath.
She cracks wise when she’s scared. Better than crawling into a ball and crying.
“This next corridor is a bitch. Once we cross the threshold, a large block will close off the entrance,” Sepia said.
“At least that stops the Dreadwolves,” Jas said with a hint of hope in her voice. “That’s good, right?”
Sepia nodded as she undid the laces of her boots, making sure the straps around them remained tight. She fashioned a figure-eight knot and connected the two laces to make one long strand that she then attached to the hilt of the knife.
“The block will move forward until we run out of corridor and then we’re in the chasm.”
“It’s just an empty box that we can climb out of,” Jas said. “But I don’t think your laces will help us out here.”
Sepia gave her a look and shook her head. She refocused on her laces and made sure the knot was tight.
“Steel spikes on the bottom and sheer stone walls with no handholds,” Sepia answered as she coiled the laces around her fist. “This is twenty feet of pure titanium wire. It’s strong enough to hold our weight.”
Sepia Blue-Sisters: A Sepia Blue Thriller Page 2
