by David Kernot
"He loves animals," she said. "So the fiercer, the better."
"Well, I don't know," he said. "We must search the entire exhibition."
"We need to split up," she said.
"Is that wise?"
She shrugged.
"Ok then, you take this area." He pointed to the Taj Mahal carving. "It's well lit, and there are plenty of people around." He figured she was safer here than down near the river where it was quiet and darker.
Andrew slung the short-range depleted uranium missile launcher over his shoulder, pleased he didn't have to rely on his pistol. As much as Cobb annoyed him, the general had ordered him to take the DU weapon. The miniaturized missile system was ground-breaking design. It fired two shots and would stop a tank. But God help him if he needed to use it. His biggest fear was that Whateley would bring all the carvings to life at the same time. And as much as he wanted to warn everybody, he wouldn't have time.
The noise of the firefighting helicopter over the canal made him look up. He smiled. The Fire Chief seemed excited by such an unusual request mid-winter, but Andrew decided he needed more up his sleeve than what the General and Reed had offered.
He pulled out the sandwich from his pocket and ate it as he made his way to the largest of the exhibition's carvings down by the frozen canal. He was famished, and he was sure his stomach was growling more than the fifteen-foot brown bear at the center of the display.
A raven cried from an ice-covered tree. It flew down and landed on the path in front of him. Andrew ripped the crust from his sandwich and tossed it onto the ice, curious to see if it was the same bird. The raven hopped over to the scrap on deformed legs, and Andrew cursed. It had to be the same bird he'd seen earlier that day. He stopped and looked at the empty section of the exhibition. It was then that he noticed he stood inside a drawing of an enormous tower and a pentagon. The sign of Koth etched in the ice. The raven launched itself into the air and perched on the nearby tree. It began its sad lament and Andrew decided he needed a better position to ambush Whateley. But he couldn't move his feet. Around him, the ice bubbled and sizzled. It pooled and grew blood red. It hissed, and the ice cracked around him. He pulled at his legs, and he fought without success to move. A snake appeared from a hole in the ground, and his chest tightened. It climbed up one of his legs, twisted around it tight and his heart skipped a beat. Another appeared and did the same thing to his other leg. It squeezed tighter. More appeared. They hissed and spat and slithered over him, cold and oily, crushing him. Suffocating him. He struggled, twisted and shook his body. He could hardly breathe, and his vision narrowed. Bright lights sparked at the periphery of his view. A man chanted behind him. It had to be Whateley. "Let me go," he said. "You won't get away with this."
The man laughed. "I have already gotten away with it."
Andrew twisted to see him, but he couldn't, he was too giddy, bound too tight by the snakes. One closest to his face changed. Its head split, and as it developed tentacles, an eye formed and several mouths appeared. Andrew shuddered helplessly as razor-sharp teeth snapped. He tried to struggle free and use the DU weapon or his pistol, but he couldn't. The hovering helicopter was also useless.
Raven song grew and Whately laughed. The raven swooped him, and Andrew felt its wing brush his face. A tentacle eye loomed close and studied him. Two snapping mouths moved toward his throat. Helpless, he closed his eyes. Giselle had been right to ask him to retire early. She had her priorities in the correct order. He couldn't imagine a better place to be sharing his day with her.
He jumped and felt the raven's wing brush him again and cringed. He felt its claws dig into his shoulder. Death by raven and Cthulhu snakes did not seem honourable. But the raven didn't peck him. It screeched, and he could move his left arm. He opened his eyes and watched a snake fall, and then another as the raven ripped them from him.
He pulled out his pistol and fired Denna's bullets into the ice. He counted each one and fired the weapon until there was one round left.
The snakes fell from him, dead before they hit the ground. Andrew lifted his feet and spun around, gulping for air. He fired where Whateley had been, but there were only shadows. Whateley had gone.
Andrew staggered free from the burning sign of Koth symbol and unslung the missile launcher and ran to the three animals. The ice around the bear's feet on its pedestal groaned and cracked.
He dialled a number on his phone. He could hear the muffled helicopter rotors. "Maddern," said the Fire Chief.
"Dave, it's Andrew Stone, I'm down near the water's edge. Do you think you can cover the three largest exhibitions? A brown bear, an eagle, and a panda. Sprinkle them lightly to bond them together."
"Sure, but the exhibitors will be annoyed."
"Do it now," he said. "I'll take care of any repercussions." He hung up. If he could freeze them together, then perhaps he'd stop whatever was happening.
He rang Denna. "It's happening here, now." He hung up without another word. The claw of the eagle cracked alongside the bear. The helicopter arrived, and the pilot pointed the water cannon at the panda and sprayed it with fine-misted water from above. Snow rained down on the panda, but it shifted and broke free of the ground ice.
There wasn't time to wait and ice them up. He stood back and lined up the three animal carvings in the sights of the DU weapon. He'd take them all out with one shot.
The giant panda stepped forward. It leaned toward him and raised its arm. He took aim and fired, but not before the panda raked its claws across his arm. The launcher kicked to the left, and the missile missed the ice creations. He fell to the ground, his arm on fire where the animal's claws had sliced him. The projectile travelled along the Rideau Canal, over the Mackenzie King Bridge, and into Chateau Laurier out by the canal locks less than a kilometre away. Fortunately, the hotel had been closed for renovations the following month, but even from this distance the explosive nature of the depleted uranium was clear.
The giant bear broke the ice and stepped down. He reloaded the weapon and stood. He moved to a position where all three were in the sights, and he took aim before he lost sight of the three creatures. He swallowed, held his breath, his finger tight on the trigger. This time, it had to work.
"Andrew don't." Denna grabbed his arm. "Their power is in the sign of Koth. Fire into that." She pulled a bag of powder from her endless supply and tossed it into the center of the burning symbol. "Now," she said and waved her hands in the air. "Spirit of Earth, expel this evil… shape what should be." Other words he didn't understand seemed to twist the air around the symbol.
He didn't know what a DU shell would do to the hard icy ground, but whatever happened, the hardened depleted uranium would make a mess. He aimed at her bag of powder on the ice and fired.
The blast threw them backward onto the ice. He landed hard, and the ice shattered. Andrew lay still and wondered if he'd broken his hip. In the distance, metal groaned. It wasn't good. He stood on shaky legs and checked himself over and then helped Denna up.
"Look," she said and pointed to where the animals had stood. Now it was a pile of shattered ice.
"Goddammit! What was in that bag?"
"Magic," she said, wide-eyed and proud of what she'd done.
He nodded at what had to be the understatement of the year.
Andrew examined where the symbol of the sign of Koth had been and cringed. In its place was a vast blackened hole about twenty feet deep. If that hadn't been bad enough, where the first missile had travelled, the ground had been torn up a foot or so through the snow down to the compacted soil below. He traced the fresh scar along to the McKenzie Bridge. He ran his fingers through his hair. Most of the bridge was now missing. The left pylon had gone, and a pile of rubble lay across the canal and locks. The Fire Chief's helicopter hovered above Chateau Laurier on the other side of the road and poured water where smoke billowed from where the building's tallest spire had been. It would be interesting to see what measures they would put in place by Denna and General Cobb to control
the fallout.
Denna's phone rang. She spoke in monosyllables and looked up at him. "Talk about perfect timing," said Denna, and she smiled. "We're done."
"Done?"
"We've captured Whateley."
Andrew frowned. "We? How?"
"My team. You don't think I came down here on my own, do you?"
Andrew shrugged. He was too old for this. If he'd have known she had a team with her, he might have done things differently, but Denna was in charge, and she had run this operation her way.
She stepped away and made a call. When she had finished, she put the phone away.
"I have to go," said Denna. She threw him a smile that would melt any man's heart and held out her hand. "Cobb's sending transport to meet me at the airport."
Andrew frowned. He was uncertain if he had heard her correctly. "Now? You and General Cobb are leaving me with all of this?"
She smiled and brushed at her clothes. "I was never here."
Andrew swallowed away the lump in his throat and forced a laugh. "You weren't."
She held out her hand again, and he shook it.
"Have a safe flight," he said.
She nodded and strode away.
He stared around at the carnage and did not understand how he would explain what had happened. But whatever happened, one thing was obvious, he and the General Cobb would part ways. Andrew decided it was time for him to retire. Once he had sorted out this mess, he had a lot of vacation time owed him. It would thrill Giselle.
A raven flew down and burst into song. Another mournful song that hinted at death. Andrew recognized the disfigured bird and held out his arm. It flew up, hopped along onto Andrew's shoulder, and it continued its sorrowful lament. He let it. The raven had saved his life.
◆◆◆
Chapter III
Base Camp. Uluru. Central Australia.
General John Cobb stepped from the military helicopter in a wash of red dust. He stared out at the ground around Uluru, or Ayers Rock as it was also known. Cracks appeared, each radiating out from the giant rock. So the reports coming in from around the world, of deep cracks appearing, each emanating from ley lines was true. Even here where there was a vast emptiness.
Cobb made a secure call.
"Templars," said the Knight Commander at the other end.
"It's happening," he said.
"General? Is it as bad as I thought?"
"Worse."
"I see."
Cobb didn't think the man did. He and his sect had waited several lifetimes, preparing for this. "Call Andrew Stone and Emerson Ash. Tell them to be on the lookout for unusual activity. Get them here as quickly as you are able."
"General."
Cobb ended the call.
He strode to the military chopper and headed back to Pine Gap.
This would not end well for humankind.
◆◆◆
Chapter IV
Alice Springs, Central Australia.
Sergeant Emerson James Ash thrust his prosthetic arm deep into one of his cargo pant pockets and descended via the rear aircraft stairs. There was a knot behind his forehead that massaging his scalp hadn't removed. After landing in Darwin from Afghanistan via a military charter aircraft, it was nice to be away from the returning military and their talk about reuniting with their families and loved ones. Emerson wasn't going home. In fact, he should have been in Kandahar working, but this was also work. A request from the mysterious General Cobb, his new boss, and who needed him to return to Australia and help with something. All this time, the General and his team had been quiet. At just over a thousand kilometres south, a twelve-hour drive and he would have been home. So close and yet so far. Maybe he could hire a car when this was completed and make the trip, see how Amye was going. No. She didn't need a one-armed man to tell her how he couldn't farm her family's land. He pushed returning home aside and clambered down the rear stairs.
So close, and yet he was a lifetime away.
"Sergeant."
A woman in an American army uniform and an odd accent called out his name. He slowed, veered away from the beeline of people heading into the air-conditioned terminal. A Captain by her rank insignia. "Ma'am." He braced up straight for her and frowned.
The youthful woman smiled and held out her hand. She stepped forward. "Emerson, so nice to meet you again."
He smiled and shook her hand. "It's Denna, isn't it? We met in London. You never said you were US military. A Captain."
The woman grinned as if he'd found out her darkest secret. She shrugged. "Captain Denna Reed at your service, yes, but call me Denna, unless we are with strangers."
He raised his eyebrows. "At my service? I seriously doubt that. What's got me here?"
"Soon, Emerson." She stared toward the front of the plane. "Stone shouldn't be far behind. He's in first. Front door."
First meant Australian business. Stone had to be very important or senior. He glanced across the tarmac with their views of the distant gum trees, so different from being in Afghanistan and the Middle East. No, he corrected, the heat sheen was no different, and if he had to compare it, the temperatures were not that different. A line of people on the line started out the front of the aircraft. A thin, grey-haired man with a shock of hair glanced over. He carried an oversized briefcase, military-style green, like the type that held high-tech equipment or weapons. That had to be Stone.
◆◆◆
Colonel Andrew Stone hated flying, and a sense of relief flooded through him as he exited the stuffy aircraft after the tiresome journey from Canada. He gripped his diplomatic bag tightly and concentrated on descending the stairs. On the ground, the runway apron was like a hot grill plate. He hoped that Cobb would let him know what the issue was and why he'd brought a depleted uranium weapon halfway across the world. After everything that had happened in these past few months, all he wanted was to take some leave and spend some quality time with Giselle back home.
A woman in uniform stood alongside a man, halfway between the aircraft and the airport terminal. Cobb's people. Likely US military from the Joint US Facility at Pine Gap. He veered over in their direction, and the woman waved.
He quickened his stride, and as he approached them, he frowned. He knew them.
The woman in a US army uniform stood to attention and saluted. "Colonel."
He braced his arms by his side respectfully and then grinned. "Denna! At ease, Captain." He stepped closer, gave her an enormous hug, and kissed her cheek. "Lovely to see you again.. I didn't know you were military."
The man alongside her held out his hand. "Sergeant Emerson Ash. Australian Army."
Andrew grasped the man's hand and shook it. A confidant and firm grip. "We've met before."
"We have?"
Andrew nodded. "At the Chandos, in London."
Emerson frowned. And then nodded. "You were with a woman, and I had an Australian T-shirt on. I remember."
"Yes, I was with my wife, Giselle. But call me Andrew. Let's do away with these military formalities." He faced Denna. "Where's Cobb?"
"Waiting, in his car, waiting with the AC on. It's too hot for him. He asked me to collect you both."
Denna slowly turned around and looked around at the horizon from every direction. She pulled a pistol from her holster. "Gentlemen, if you can follow me, please."
Andrew frowned, and he scanned the horizon. He glanced over at Emerson, who shrugged. "Are we expecting trouble?"
"I'll let General Cobb explain," said Denna. She glanced at the military-grade secure briefcase in Andrew's hand, "Is that the DU weapon?"
He nodded.
The ground shook beneath them, and cracks formed in the concrete. "An earthquake?"
"Worse. Follow me."
They followed Denna and ran. He hugged the suitcase to reduce it from being shaken. He reminded himself that he'd just flown non-stop from Macdonald Cartier International Airport in Ottawa.
General Cobb's car wasn't far away. The General stood with h
is pistol aimed into the sky. The driver was doing the same with a semi-automatic weapon. Here at a public airport.
"Get in the back," Cobb yelled and stepped into the front passenger seat. The driver did the same. Andrew let Denna climb in first and followed her. Before he could clip up his seatbelt. The driver gunned the vehicle and sped up across a car park towards the exit. A boom gate was the only thing between them and the wide-open vista of the Alice. The driver slowed and thrust his hand into a pocket, fumbling for something.
"Forget the parking ticket," he barked to the driver. "Smash through the gate." He turned briefly to the three of them in the back seat. "Brace yourselves."
Andrew pushed himself into the thick leather seat against Denna. She grabbed his case and pulled it tighter against them.
Wood splintered, pieces of the thick boom flew in every direction, some rattled across the car roof. Glass headlights shattered, but the driver didn't slow. In fact, he sped up once clear of the airport gates and continued west.
Andrew peered out the rear window at the broken boom gate, and in the distance, a creature circled near the plane he'd been in. Brown liquid spewed from its fanged mouth. It looked like a giant snake with wings. "Look!"
Denna and Emerson twisted around alongside him, and they all watched the aircraft burst into flames. Andrew faced Denna. "What is that thing?"
She shrugged.
"It's the reason that you're all here," barked Cobb from the front seat. "When we get to the Factory, I'll get the Knight Commander to brief everyone."
Andrew frowned. Who in heaven's name was the Knight Commander?
"A winged serpent spewing volatile liquid so powerful it can destroy an aircraft? Really? Where did it come from?" said Emerson, but they met his question with silence.
◆◆◆
The elevator fell into the maws of the earth at rapid speed. Emerson stood silently alongside Denna, and as the elevator ticked away, different floors below the surface of the harsh Australian desert. Andrew Stone stood alongside the General. Emerson counted the seconds in his head, and he swallowed hard and clenched his right fist. It seemed like they were buried underground, and the elevator wasn't showing any sign of slowing yet. Denna slid sideways so that their hips and shoulders just touched through the fabric of their clothing. A comforting closeness. He unclenched his fist. "How much further?"
