by Siegel, Alex
"Late again," he said. "You'd think God's special warriors would have the ability to get places quicker. We're always stuck in traffic."
"Yeah," Katie said. "We don't even get to use sirens."
Hanley parked on the street in an illegal spot, but traffic wasn't moving anyway. The two of them got out and ran towards the action.
Alternating bands of glass and white cement went around the cylindrical office building. It was part of an office park which had other oddly shaped buildings. Manicured lawns and parking lots filled the spaces in between. Hanley imagined thousands of people worked there, and he was glad he wasn't one of them. A desk job would've been slow death for him.
Reporters were already standing in front of television cameras and telling the story. He and Katie stopped to listen.
A pretty African-American woman reported, "Six men, seven women, and two children jumped to their deaths a half-hour ago. They leapt from the roof of a twelve-story building in the Gateway Complex in South San Francisco. The authorities are currently treating the incident as a suicide. A note was discovered, but its contents have not been disclosed..."
Hanley turned to Katie. "We're FBI."
She nodded.
The police were wearing dark blue uniforms. He sought out the one who seemed to be in charge, and it was a man with the stripes of a sergeant pinned to his collar. He had gray hair and a sagging face. Hanley guessed the sergeant was close to retirement age.
Hanley took out an FBI badge. "What's going on?"
The sergeant gave him a curious look. "This isn't a federal crime. What is the FBI doing here?"
"We're not trying to step on your jurisdiction. We just happened to be in the area, and we want to help."
"The situation is under control. Thanks, but no thanks."
Hanley had encountered the same kind of resistance many times when he had been a real FBI agent. Local police didn't like it when the feds muscled in on a case. He was sympathetic.
"At least let us see the note. Maybe we can offer some expert analysis."
The sergeant frowned. "I suppose that can't hurt. Go on." He pointed towards a forensics van.
Hanley and Katie hurried over to the dark blue van. Two officers were working there.
Hanley flashed his badge again. "FBI. We need to see the note. The sergeant said it was OK."
One of the officers handed over a clear plastic bag containing a sheet of paper. The note was hand-written in clear, precise letters. Hanley handled it gently and read out loud.
"We are the vanguard of those who will make the leap of faith. We will be the first of the new age to enter Heaven. Millions will follow, and we will welcome them. It is not death, but new life that we seek. Do not grieve for us. We are in a happier place."
With a feeling of gloom, Hanley gave the note to Katie.
After a moment of contemplation, she said, "It looks legit. They took the time to write neatly with proper grammar and spelling, so it wasn't a snap decision."
She returned the note to the police. The legionnaires trudged off.
"Idiots," Katie muttered.
Hanley nodded. "And this is just the start. The big day is tomorrow."
"When I get my hands on the people responsible..." She smacked her hand against her fist.
"Stand in line behind me."
* * *
Iris squealed in delight as the cable car crested a hill and went down the other side. She couldn't believe the steep angle was safe for a vehicle packed full of tourists. She heard the tow cable rattling in its guide.
The fact that people lived on the hill was even more incredible. The street was lined with three and four-story homes which shared common walls. Just the idea of climbing up the sidewalk to reach her front door made her legs feel tired. People in San Francisco were crazy.
A chime made her look to her left. Laurence was riding the car with her, and he obviously wasn't having as much fun. He rarely smiled, and when he did, it was usually for bizarre and disturbing reasons.
He took out his phone and read a message. He snorted.
"What?" Iris said.
He glanced to either side. "Not here."
They waited until the cable car reached the next stop, and then they hopped out. They found a quiet spot under a tree.
"Thirteen people just jumped off a building to their deaths," Laurence murmured. "One of our police contacts saw the suicide note. The jumpers were making a 'leap of faith'."
Iris chuckled out loud. "They couldn't even wait until tomorrow to demonstrate their stupidity. They had to beat the rush. Oh, well. At least it will give everybody else the right idea."
"How many do you think will die?"
"All I know is the authorities will be fishing bodies out of the Bay for weeks."
A chime from her own phone drew her attention to her purse. Only a handful of people were permitted to contact her directly, so it had to be important. She took out her phone and saw a special code on the display. Walfred, the leader of the Warriors of Dagda, was trying to make contact. This can't be good, she thought.
Iris found a more secluded spot in a doorway. She accepted the call, and Walfred's face appeared on her screen. It was a video conference, except he couldn't see her real face at his end. He would only see a burning eyeball instead. Her voice was also electronically masked to make it much more impressive and to conceal her identity.
"Yes?" she said.
"My goddess." Walfred bowed his head.
He had long brown hair, a beard, and a mustache. A green Celtic triad symbol hung around his neck. Loose, brown clothing looked like something a medieval hunter might wear.
"We didn't have an appointment to talk at this time," Iris said. "Is something wrong?"
"We burned out the power conversion stack during the performance at Union Square. It can be fixed, but it will take time. We have to get a replacement part from Los Angeles."
She snarled. "What about tonight's performance?"
"It won't happen at the scheduled time, my goddess," he said. "It must wait until tomorrow morning."
"But the big show is at noon tomorrow. That's too close."
"I would throw myself on a sword a hundred times if that would help. Unfortunately, we weren't prepared for this kind of equipment failure."
Iris clenched her jaw in frustration but realized she had no choice but to accept the situation. She didn't doubt Walfred was telling the truth.
"Just make sure we don't have any more problems."
"Yes, my goddess," he said.
"And don't forget, if you have any trouble at the compound, don't stand and fight. Just take all the equipment and run. I'd much rather you finish the assignment than win a meaningless battle, or even worse, lose. The show must go on."
"But..."
"Listen!" Iris said. "This enemy is more dangerous than you can imagine. Don't let pride and arrogance drag you to your doom. The assignment is the only thing that matters, and I will judge you solely on its success. Tell all your Warriors to avoid engagements. Do not fight. Am I clear?"
"Yes, my goddess."
"Carry on."
She ended the call and put away her phone.
Laurence had a troubled expression. "There is a good chance the compound will be attacked tonight, and now we have this complication."
"I'm painfully aware, but the plan is still fundamentally sound."
He grimaced. "This is a strange business. You're putting your people in grave danger on purpose."
"We have to give the Society a taste of blood." Iris patted him on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's stop worrying and find another cable car to ride."
* * *
"Ma'am!" Jia yelled. "I found it!"
Marina ran over to the hacker's workstation. Jia was looking at pictures taken by a reconnaissance drone the Society had borrowed from the U.S. Army. The images had such fine detail, Marina could make out individual blades of grass.
One picture showed an encampment in a moun
tain valley. It had a cluster of buildings made of wood, and the flimsy construction suggested they had been put up in a hurry. A tall fence with barbed wire protected the compound and looked more substantial. There were also concrete guard towers. A small fleet of identical green delivery trucks were parked inside the fence, and they were the same color as the ones Marina had seen earlier. The drone had caught a few men in brown clothing walking through the encampment.
"Where is this?"
"East of Milpitas near a peak called Black Mountain," Jia said.
The four legionnaires had already formed a group behind Marina. She turned to them and said, "Investigate immediately. Max armor and weapons. Be prepared for a serious fight."
"What are the rules of engagement, ma'am?" Ipo said.
"I want answers, and they aren't innocent bystanders. You have my permission to use extreme measures, but make that your last option."
"Yes, ma'am."
Marina watched her team scramble to get ready. She desperately wanted to go with them, but it wasn't justifiable. Four legionnaires were more than enough for an assignment of this sort. They wouldn't appreciate a commander tagging along as a babysitter. Her proper role was staying back in case her people needed rescue, but it was hard for her. She hated to just watch.
She turned and noticed Olivia standing there. The girl's black and white eyes always seemed a little surreal, and they contained wisdom far beyond her years.
"You're due for a shooting lesson," Marina said.
Olivia winced. She made no secret of the fact that she hated guns.
Marina took her hand. "Knowing how to shoot could save your life one day. Let's go."
* * *
Hanley was hiking through the Diablo Range with his teammates. It was rugged land with treacherous slopes made of loose dirt and rubble. Stunted trees and tough weeds fought for limited moisture. It had rained enough recently to turn some of the leaves green, but most of the landscape was still brown. It was hard to move silently over dead branches and other dry litter.
His hands were up, and his palms were forward. Circular pads of flesh allowed him to hear with supernatural clarity, and he was usually able to detect an enemy well before seeing him. By default, Hanley was the scout on any mission.
He only heard animals at the moment. A rabbit was sneaking through the dry brush ahead, and a red tail hawk was circling above. A family of deer was grazing on the other side of a small valley.
Hanley glanced back at his teammates. All four legionnaires were wearing advanced body armor which covered their bodies from the neck down. The fabric was made of thick, flexible fibers which could stop all but the biggest bullets. Ceramic plates reinforced critical areas. The gray and black striped camouflage pattern was standard for the Society and well suited for night operations. The sun was still up, but darkness would come in a few hours.
They had weapons, of course. Lots of weapons. Marina preached that a legionnaire should be the best armed person in every fight. Hanley was burdened with everything from pistols to grenades to a rifle. He even had a fully automatic shotgun loaded with steel deer slugs. Even though he was in great shape, carrying the extra weight was tiring.
The team was approaching the target. The enemy encampment was at the bottom of a narrow valley where the public would never see it. Only an unofficial dirt road provided access, but the Spears were coming from the other direction.
Hanley heard a rustling noise. Somebody was hiding directly ahead. Probably a sentry, he thought.
Killing the opposition would've been easy, but he was under orders to use a less violent approach if possible. Until there was proof an enemy of God was involved, the team was performing an investigation, not a mission.
Hanley made gestures to his teammates so they would know the situation. Ipo came forward to help Hanley deal with the sentry. Katie and Yang spread out to watch their flanks.
Hanley and Ipo went forward, staying low and silent. They had spent many hours practicing in the hills above headquarters and knew how to deal with thick brush. Their body armor protected them from thorns.
Hanley used his palms to triangulate the enemy position. As he moved forward, he heard the heartbeats of two men. They were in a hunting blind which hid them completely from sight.
He pointed. Ipo nodded.
The big Hawaiian dashed forward, and he was obviously using his own gift to make himself very light on his feet. He bounded over obstacles like a black and gray gazelle.
He crashed into the hunting blind. There was a brief flurry of punches and kicks which were also very quick for a man his size. When the fight was done, he whistled softly to Hanley.
Hanley hurried over and saw two men on the ground in brown hunting garb. They were breathing but unconscious. The legionnaires disarmed the enemy and tied them in hogtie positions before they had time to wake up.
Hanley checked their equipment and found standard military gear. They were armed with HK416 assault rifles which were serviceable but not fancy.
Hanley lifted his head and looked into the valley beyond. With its barbed wire fence and simple construction, the enemy base looked like an old prison camp. Men in brown clothing were wandering around. Twenty lime-green delivery trucks formed a neat line against the fence, and Hanley wondered why they were such a prominent color. There had to be a good explanation.
The brush around the fence had been thoroughly cleared, and each corner had a tower with two alert guards. Approaching unseen during the day would be impossible.
Katie and Yang joined Hanley and Ipo.
"We'll have to wait until night," Hanley whispered, "unless we want to just fight them now."
Ipo shook his head. "No. We'll wait. In the meantime, we can interrogate these two."
"Torture?" Hanley raised his eyebrows.
"We'll give them a fair chance to cooperate first."
Ipo picked up one of the unconscious men without much effort, and Hanley felt jealous of Ipo's strength. Hanley and Yang worked together to carry off the other enemy. The legionnaires went back the way they had come.
Chapter Eight
Hanley had a grim feeling as he looked down at the two men. He wasn't looking forward to what came next.
They had been stripped naked and tied to tree trunks. The ropes pulled their muscular chests hard against the rough bark. They were awake but hadn't said much so far. Hanley could see the stubborn pride in the eyes of the enemy. They intended to suffer in silence like true warriors, but Hanley knew that attitude would change soon enough.
"I suppose we should get started," he said.
He looked at Ipo, Katie, and Yang, but nobody rushed forward to begin the interrogation. Marina was the master torturer. Her legionnaires were just students of the art and not very enthusiastic ones. Hanley wished they could summon Olivia, but bringing her here was too dangerous. They would have to get the information the hard way.
"I'll do it," Ipo said in a tone of resignation. He drew a knife and stepped up to the captives. "Let's start with your names. That's not a secret."
The men glanced at each other.
"I'm Connor," one man said. Eagles were tattooed on his big biceps.
"I'm Gavin," the other said. Aside from an impressive black mustache, his entire head was shaved clean.
"Good." Ipo nodded. "That wasn't so hard. Now, who do you work for?"
Neither man answered.
Ipo sighed. "Let me explain the situation. I will make you talk. What you look like after I'm done is entirely up to you. You could walk away with hardly a scratch, or you could be turned into hamburger. You won't die though, no matter how much you beg for it. Not until you tell the truth."
They answered him with silence.
Ipo used the sharp knife to peel away the top layer of skin on their backs. He sliced off long strips as thin as a sheet of paper. Demonstrating remarkable precision, Ipo managed to avoid hitting any arteries. There were just a few drops of blood here and there. The result was broad
patches of red, exposed flesh which looked like raw meat.
Connor and Gavin squirmed but their jaws were clamped shut.
"This is where it gets painful," Ipo said.
He picked up a handful of dry dirt and rubbed it into Connor's wound. Ipo scrubbed like he was trying to clean a stain. Connor finally broke and let out a brief cry.
"Ready to talk?" Ipo said.
Connor shook his head.
Hanley turned away and looked at the green hills in the distance. They were much more pleasant viewing.
The interrogation took about an hour. Ipo wasn't at Marina's level, but he still knew how to inflict unbearable pain. Connor and Gavin were reduced to broken, bloody messes by the time they decided to tell the truth. They indeed looked like hamburger, but somehow, they were still alive.
"We are the Warriors of Dagda," Connor gasped.
"Who are they?" Ipo said.
"Pagans."
Ipo nodded to Hanley. "Check it out."
Hanley took out his phone and called Min Ho back at headquarters.
"Sir?" the hacker said.
"Tell me about a group of pagans called the Warriors of Dagda."
Hanley heard rapid typing.
"Bad men," Min Ho said after a minute. "They hate Christians, Jews, and monotheists in general. They're wanted for kidnapping and murder in several states. There are federal indictments. Somehow, they have always stayed one step ahead of the law."
"What else? Who is their leader?"
"I don't have that, but I'll keep digging."
"So will we," Hanley said. "Tell the boss that's who we're dealing with."
"Yes, sir."
Hanley put away his phone and relayed the information to his teammates.
Ipo placed the edge of his knife against Gavin's throat. "Keep talking. What is the deal with the angels?"
"Orders from the Goddess," Gavin replied in a weak voice. "She provided the equipment and gave us our instructions."
"Who is the Goddess?"
"The All-seeing Eye. The Fountain of Wisdom. Walfred talks to her with a magic mirror."
Ipo made a face. "Who is Walfred, and what's a magic mirror?"
"He's our leader. The mirror is a sacred artifact given to us by the Goddess."
