Kneel Or Die

by Michael Anderle

  Don grabbed his briefcase and stepped out of his office. She smiled at the back of her boss. Now that, she considered, was why she busted her ass for him.

  Pudong Shanghai, China

  Chongan was head down, working on his computer when Jianguo stopped by his desk. Chongan looked up, “Yes?”

  Jianguo’s face was grave as he whispered, “Sir, I don’t have a way to prove this, but I believe we are being attacked directly.” Jianguo’s face was impassive, but Chongan knew he had to be sweating inside. To bring something like a ‘feeling’ up to his superior officer was tantamount to admitting his skills were not better than whomever was doing the attacking. That was a problem and Jianguo was going to lose face. The only way he could avoid that was if he was not only right, but no one else was able to find the attacker as well.

  Chongan knew his men, and he understood that Jianguo was his best. Both his best hacker, and the most stalwart man here. He didn’t boast and he focused on the goal, not the adulation or praise.

  Chongan shook his head, once, quickly. Dismissing Jianguo who went back to his desk.

  Now, how was he going to get all of his men on this task without pointing out Jianguo’s admission?

  Ah, an age old military practice. The surprise drill!

  Washington D.C. – USA

  It had been a long weekend and Barb was tired.

  However, the dozen donuts she had picked up from ‘Zombie Coffee and Donuts’ had made her morning, with their Fruity Pebbles laced concoctions. She figured the cereal was breakfast and the coffee a necessary pairing to stop her from sliding into a sugar-fugue.

  It had worked reasonably well until three o’clock in the afternoon. It was sliding toward seven p.m. now, and her eyes were dry and scratchy. The only reason she was pushing onward was the absolutely unbelievable evidence that she was uncovering.

  The evidence was proving that there was a nation-state level player involved. Some organization was able to go into multiple countries at will, and leave completely undetected. They were capable of taking out terrorists and leaving nothing but questions behind.

  At first, she could really get behind the idea of more terrorists being removed from the equation and she didn’t lose any sleep over that happening. It was the way these terrorists were disappearing that was bothering her.

  Her mind had finally brought a little memory to the surface. Well to be fair it had taken three cups of coffee and eight donuts to provide the necessary buzz to recall a report she had seen. Eye witnesses had claimed that a meteor had hit a valley in Turkey a few months back. It had devastated the valley, breaking windows miles away. A couple of people had come out and said they thought the explosion looked a little like a mushroom cloud. Most of the scientists said that such claims were probably a by-product of the distance, the valley walls throwing the blast up into the air and possibly memory embellishment. No radiation had been found at the site.

  Just like the attack in Libya.

  Barb was able to backtrack through a few computer systems used by different agencies to locate a military operation in that same valley during the time frame in question. Something had certainly happened in that valley right before the mysterious meteorite. Barb was convinced that it wasn’t a natural occurrence. She just didn’t have any idea what it actually was.

  Too many people had seen the track across the sky. It wasn’t a strike from any known missile, she would have been able to identify that.

  She decided to keep some of her findings out of her report. They were just too inconclusive and frankly weren’t inside her group’s area of responsibility. However, she was going to quietly see if she could find out what was going on.

  Because as sure as she was about to eat that last damned donut, something really weird was going on.

  Barb packed up her stuff and went to drop the report on Don’s desk. It would be waiting for him when he got in. She left a note saying she would be late and to not let anyone call the cops. She just needed to swing by the gym.

  She grabbed the last donut and dropped the box into the trash on her way out of the building.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  En-Route to Syria

  “It feels good going for a girl’s night out.” Gabrielle told Bethany Anne as they flew through the thermosphere. “Nothing like a little time getting to do things together to really seal a good friendship.”

  Bethany Anne cracked a smile, “You mean, nothing like traveling thousands of miles to fuck-up a terrorist together?”

  Gabrielle’s eyes flashed with excitement. “Exactly! You’re the first of my female friends to ever truly understand that.” Gabrielle put her head on Bethany Anne’s shoulder and batted her eyelashes, “See, you really do care.”

  Bethany Anne smiled, “I’m still going to razz you about your age.”

  Gabrielle pulled her head back up, “Bitch!” Then she thought about the last time she called Bethany Anne a bitch, “…Queen.”

  “Mmmhmmm.” Bethany Anne was paying more attention to the stars than Gabrielle’s comment. “From up here you don’t see the ugliness down there, it’s so different.”

  Gabrielle looked out, “Yeah, but you don’t see the ugliness of an adult when you hold them as a child either.”

  Bethany Anne looked over to Gabrielle, “Philosophizing? You are a woman of hidden talents, Gabrielle.”

  Gabrielle rolled her eyes, “In five hundred years, you get to be around a few people who say thoughtful things. There are times I wonder if I’m having an original ‘Gabrielle’ thought or is it something my subconscious is recalling from years before.”

  “So, that’s what I have to look forward to?”

  Gabrielle shrugged, “That, and a lot of sex if you ever get off your ass and start looking for men.”

  Bethany Anne smiled, “Was that with three, or was it four at a time?”

  Gabrielle slapped Bethany Anne’s arm, “Stop trying to increase the count!” Gabrielle was sure Bethany Anne hadn’t heard the comment she had mumbled to herself back in Miami months ago, had she?

  “Just getting you off the subject. My love life is as unimpressive as this view is inspiring. Not exactly a lot of guys available for a nanocyte enhanced super-human bent on saving the world from aliens and other crap-tastic people. Kind of ruins the ‘what are you doing this weekend’ question when you answer with, ‘flying to Syria to kill a terrorist mastermind who was responsible for helping kill people in France.’”

  “I don’t know, there would be a few that could handle that answer.”

  Bethany Anne turned back to Gabrielle. “Name me one.”

  “Michael.”

  Bethany Anne’s jaw dropped. She held up two fingers, “Name me two!”

  Gabrielle pursed her lips, “Other than the Bitch’s …”

  Bethany Anne interrupted, “Oh, hell no! I can’t sleep with any of those guys, that would ruin the group.”

  “How will it ruin the group? Are they going to guard you any less if they share your bed?” Gabrielle noticed the flush creeping up Bethany Anne’s neck. Holy crap! She was blushing. “Besides, John’s got a nice ass.”

  Bethany Anne retorted, “So, why haven’t you slapped that yet?”

  This time, it was Gabrielle’s turn to stutter, “Wh… Wait a minute! How did this turn on me? I wasn’t the one moaning about a non-existent love life.”

  “No? Seems to me you had plenty of options lined up. Sure you’re not secretly…”

  Gabrielle put up a hand, “Stop! I’m sorry for trying to make you squirm. You’re right, they are all off limits - to both of us.”

  “Not even a little Wechselbalg…”

  Gabrielle turned to Bethany Anne, “Oh. My… Do you have any idea the age difference?”

  Bethany Anne smiled, “As a matter of fact, I do. About 25 generations. So that would make you as old as his great, great, great…”

  “You can stop! I get the idea.”

  “Great, great, great, great, great, g
reat… Oh, fuck it. You’re an old tea-bag! You’re right, he wouldn’t be interested.”

  “Wouldn’t be interested? I’ll have you know this is one tight-ass body!”

  “One that isn’t getting any horizontal limbo lessons, either.”

  Gabrielle turned back to watch the screen, “Says the woman who has yet, in my whole experience with her, been mano-e-womano with anyone.”

  Bethany Anne laughed, “That was low. Accurate, but low!” The two women shared a laugh when they suddenly began a rapid descent to earth.

  “Well my Queen, any final words before we have our little women’s outing here?”

  “Sure, do you want to go to France after this? I feel like dining in Paris as a way to finish this trip.”

  “That sounds divine!”

  The Pod sped to an area only a couple of blocks from the distinctive minaret of the local Mosque. Bethany Anne touched a button to darken the lights then waved her hand over the screen, blanking it out. Both ladies grabbed their swords and made sure their pistols were in their holsters. For this operation, both had their shorter wakizashi swords. When the Pod was within a foot of the concrete roof, Bethany Anne popped the lock and Gabrielle stepped out first with Bethany Anne right behind her. The Pod disappeared into the night above them, ready to be called down at a moment’s notice.

  Gabrielle made sure that no one was in the vicinity and then went back to Bethany Anne who had her back to her. “Everything OK?”

  Bethany Anne’s voice was soft. “I’m just thinking about those killed in France. Those lives this individual was instrumental in ending. The terror they felt when all they wanted to do was go out for a night to eat, or see a concert. For some who survived, they will never be the same. Never have the opportunity to live their lives without looking over their shoulders or without awakening in the middle of the night with the shakes from nightmares. Some wondering why their friend was taken, and not them. How many marriages are going to fail because of this? How many more tragedies are going to come about because one group feels they have the answer?”

  Gabrielle remained quiet as it sounded like a rhetorical question.

  Bethany Anne looked out over the rooftops across the second largest city in Syria. “There are those who believe that they are beholden to words commanding them to create a nation and a ruler, a Caliphate and a Caliph. Now they are commanded by these centuries old words to enlarge this border, to enslave or kill those who are not part of their domain. They use terror to push their demands…”

  Bethany Anne turned towards Gabrielle who took an involuntary step back when she noticed the ferocious red eyes staring back at her. “The blood of the innocent calls to me, Gabrielle. The blood of the guilty shall pay. Those that offer peace, I’ll answer with peace. Those that want terror?”

  Gabrielle watched as Bethany Anne, in full vamp mode, took in everything around her, “Then I will be the embodiment of Terror!”

  Gabrielle shook her need to ‘flee’ out of her system. This was Bethany Anne, her Queen. This was the lady she gave her allegiance to.

  Gabrielle smiled into the dark as own her eyes turned red.

  Gabrielle, a Nicht over five hundred years old and head of the Queen’s Guards, stepped over to her Queen. “What is your command?”

  Bethany Anne turned to her guard. “We will hunt him down and then kill him! Let all those who see us know demons walk the night!”

  Gabrielle answered with a toothy grin, the Queen Bitch was hunting tonight!

  Dawid Zadeh had finished his night-time Isha prayers a few hours previously. He was at the mosque, having spoken with a few more of those who understood the holy scripture as it was intended, not as those who wanted ‘peace’ would make it. He considered staying through Fajr prayers, those offered between the very beginning of dawn and sunrise, but realized he was too tired. He needed to be awake for the traveling he was going to do tomorrow to join another group planning an attack.

  He stepped from the courtyard through the mosque and out the back door into the evening air. He briefly wished he’d brought a jacket because the night was brisk. It was good his room was close by.

  He had made it a block and a half when a feeling of unease settled on his shoulders. His eyes darted around, searching the shadows in the night that could hide those who might wish him ill. Right now, Al Qaeda supporters might even fire on their Muslim brethren. That was only fair he supposed, ISIS had called that group the ‘Jews of Jihad’. They might have had their feelings hurt a little.

  Right now he scanned around, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. He stepped away from the walls and walked in the street, gripping the knife under his tunic. He might not have seen any action in a while but he was not defenseless.

  “Daaaawiiiiid…” The voice was soft, on the wind. He spun around, eyes darting left and right. He turned back around, making sure no one was sneaking up on him. He pulled his knife out of his tunic, and hurried towards his apartment.

  “Daaawiiiiiddd…” This time, the voice went in his right ear, then circled around his back to where he heard it in his left. Dawid pivoted on his right leg, his left leg behind him leaving his right in front. He was prepared for an attack that didn’t come. He could feel a bead of sweat rolling down his neck in the cool night but he didn’t feel cold at all.

  “How many, Dawid?” The voice was angry, strident and accusatory. The voice spoke in French, not a language he was expecting to hear in Syria. “How… many what?” He answered, then quickly turned to see if anyone was coming behind him.

  The street was empty. The feeling of death was stronger than before, as if a blanket of terror had been laid over the block. He struggled to push himself towards his apartment. He fought though the feeling of dread that screamed at him to fall to the ground and cower in fear. He would not yield to this …. this abject fear. He would not!

  He was within twenty paces of the building’s front when two red eyes appeared in front of the entrance. This Jinn spoke in English with a different voice one both beautiful and venomous. “Welcome to Jahannam, Dawid Zadeh. It is time you answered for your apostate beliefs.”

  Dawid took a step back, waving his knife frantically in front of him. “It is not I who is apostate, Jinn!”

  The Jinn stepped down to the street, walking towards Dawid who was shocked to see that it was a female Jinn, eyes blood red and glowing in the night. He could see fangs in her mouth, and a bloodthirsty look on her face. Here was evil, certainly!

  Dawid was a devout believer, but he felt fear to his toes at that moment. Here was a true Jinn, one that was claiming he was an apostate. This could not be true! He had followed the law, followed everything he had been told.

  “Doubting so quickly Dawid?” The malevolence in the voice was unmistakable. “Do you not know that this is your last night in this plane? Tonight you will be in the flames, in the flames for those crimes you were responsible for!”

  Dawid took more steps backwards, never moving his eyes from the being in front of him, “No! I have been devout … always!”

  “How is that so?” The Jinn continued her slow walk towards him. “Is it not said, ‘There is no compulsion in religion. The right way has become distinct from error.’?”

  Dawid was confused, why was this Jinn quoting to him? This is not what he had been taught. The rules were old, old generations ago. He was sweating profusely now, his eyes desperately searching for a way he could run.

  “Jahannam is calling for you Dawid! Jahannam is CALLING!” The last word was screamed into the night. Dawid turned and fled as fast as his feet could take him. He stumbled and fell, looking behind him he saw the Jinn walking towards him. His hands were bleeding from landing on the street.

  As he scrambled back to his feet, the voice he’d first heard came to him across the wind. “Dawiiid, the blood of the innocent is on your palms!” Dawid looked towards the Mosque to see a second pair of red eyes staring at him. He stumbled again when trying to stop his momentum. The
Jinn in front of him started walking in his direction. He backed up a step, then another. He turned to see the first Jinn only half a block from him now. A sob escaped his lips, they were coming for him! He looked behind him but he couldn’t move, his body was not his to control. The Jinn had locked his muscles down, they only allowed him to turn his head.

  The voice in front of him spoke, the malevolent evil rested on his ears, “Not Jinn, Dawid. Vampires…” Gabrielle was close enough that she opened her mouth letting Dawid see her fangs in all of their magnificent glory.

  A sob escaped his lips, his eyes drawn to the death she promised. Massive pain erupted in his chest and he looked down to see the tip of a blade sticking out, the moonlight glinting off the blade that was coated in his blood. He coughed, blood escaping over his lips.