A World Darkly (Wrath of the Old Gods Book 3)

by John Triptych

  Baldwin nodded. “Yes, yes. I was there when he gave the briefing to the president and NORTHCOM a year ago. Is he still listed as missing?”

  Mary looked down. “I’m afraid so. All we can surmise is that the same outer planar creature who sent us back the president took Dr. Dane along with his police liaison Detective Mendoza. As to where they are, we do not know.”

  “I read the full reports on it,” Staley said. “Could it be possible that the so-called demon the Professor was able to call in, could it be possible that the demon exchanged him and Detective Mendoza for the president?”

  Mary clasped her hands together in a prayer gesture. “You mean the demon took the president away from his captors in Kansas and replaced him with Professor Dane? I’m afraid that’s highly unlikely. We have a number of assets operating in Kansas and they could confirm that the president was no longer held by the separatists. No sign of Dr. Dane over there either. Seems the remaining high value prisoner they have left is Admiral Zimmerman.”

  Baldwin looked at Staley. “We need Admiral Zimmerman back.”

  Staley returned his stare. “We are negotiating through backdoor channels, but the mood is pretty much that it’s a fat chance the separatists will turn him back to us. They still feel they could use the admiral as a bargaining chip to prevent us from invading them.”

  “Bastards,” Baldwin hissed. “I had to order our generals in NORTHCOM not to attack them, but I don’t know how long we can keep the military leashed up like this. We’re fighting a two-front war, what with the Aztecs down south. I’m surprised those goddamn Mexican demons haven’t pushed up even further, our southern defense line is smashed. It’s going to take months for us to reorganize and redeploy what’s left. We’ve already lost about a million men and women in uniform and we’re scrounging for replacements. I’ve been thinking about reintroducing the draft, but it’ll be too little too late- we can’t recruit, equip and train everybody in a month.”

  “We believe it’s because of their gods, sir,” Sheila said. “It seems that the Aztec armies like to blitzkrieg through our defenses, and then stop after each major offensive in order to bring their prisoners back to their cities.”

  Baldwin frowned. “Why would they do that? It doesn’t make any military sense. If I were them, I would have pushed on till they got to Washington DC. They’re giving us time to recover and set up a new defensive line. We’re scrambling, and converting all non-combatant military personnel to frontline service, but it’s still going to take awhile. At this point, I don’t even know how we’re going to equip them. We’ve got maybe less than two hundred thousand effective combat troops left.”

  “They feel it’s important to appease their gods before doing anything else,” Sheila said. “According to their beliefs, the most valuable thing in the whole universe isn’t territory or material goods. It’s blood.”

  Staley grimaced. “Blood? You mean they stopped their offensive so that they could bring American prisoners back to their temples and sacrifice them to appease their gods?”

  Mary nodded. They knew so little about the enemy. “I’m afraid so.”

  Both men sat back on their chairs, stunned.

  “We expect their celebrations to last for another month,” Sheila said. “At that point, they will renew their offensive and push up north.”

  Baldwin looked away. “Oh my god. We’ve got to stop them somehow. Please tell me you have a plan. Anything to deal with this.”

  “There may be something,” Mary said as she looked at Baldwin. She could see the tremendous strain he was under. “Sheila and I are working on an alternate plan. Though the chances are very slim.”

  “We’re all ears,” Staley said. “Right now we could use any help we could get.”

  Sheila adjusted her thick glasses before she started to talk. “Okay, based on the recordings that we took when Professor Dane summoned a demon in New York, we need to get in touch with a number of individuals who may hold or be keys to defeat these supernatural enemies we are currently up against.”

  “Yeah, I read that report and saw the video recordings,” Baldwin said. “That man Dane was actually able to conjure up a demon? I was skeptical, but now I’m close to being a full on believer.”

  “Professor Dane went on to ask quite a lot of questions to the creature he summoned,” Sheila said. “Assuming that the creature was telling the truth, it named two individuals who happen to be American citizens. We’ve researched their names. One was attached with the CIA in Iraq, another happens to be a minor. We’re getting some intel on them, but we believe they may be in the country.”

  Baldwin pursed his lips. “In the country? I thought your reports said that one of them was last seen in Iraq and the other one, the minor, was in Russia wasn’t she?”

  “We have their names. Patrick Gyle, a former Marine and current CIA officer,” Mary said. “And Tara Weiss, a fifteen year old from Phoenix, Arizona. We pulled out all the records we could based on the demon’s statements. We don’t have much information on the minor, but Patrick Gyle’s dossier is pretty interesting. He was part of the lead unit going up against the Islamic State when this whole crisis began. He disappeared at that time and was reported as missing. A few weeks later, we got a flash intel from the Green Zone in Iraq, stating Gyle had somehow made it into our embassy there just before it was overrun by the enemy. Then we received a final intel from that source in Israel which made the claim that Gyle had somehow been altered.”

  Baldwin took out a folder lying on the table and began to leaf through its pages. “Altered? What do you mean by that?”

  “Altered as in enhanced somehow,” Mary said. “His appearance has apparently changed to the point where he doesn’t look human anymore. His abilities have also been … supercharged, as in being able to move with unbelievable speed. Patrick’s strength was improved to the point where he can lift heavy objects with no strain. The source made a claim that his skin had become armored to the point where he can resist gunfire. His cellular regeneration has also increased exponentially and that means he can quickly recover from life-threatening wounds very quickly.”

  “Wow,” Staley said. “So we could use him as an asset against these gods then?”

  “We’ll need to talk to him first,” Mary said. “Assuming that he wants to be found, of course.”

  “What about the minor, this Tara Weiss?” Baldwin said. “What makes her so special?”

  “This is where it gets murky and our intel veers into pure speculation,” Sheila said. “We have unconfirmed reports we gathered from Russian radio intercepts, which some of our allies in Europe picked up and relayed over to us. It seems she showed up there somehow and was detained. A few days later, she was listed as missing in their records. We surmise she was somehow able to travel into another dimension.”

  Staley laughed a little. “Oh come on! First we’re talking about demons and stuff, and now you’re saying there are other dimensions out there?”

  “It’s the only plausible conclusion we can come up with,” Mary said. She just couldn’t believe the constant skepticism of these two men. It felt like denial. “With the disappearance of Paul Dane and Valerie Mendoza into thin air, the return of the president as if he just materialized from nowhere, and the last intel we got, we can only suspect that there are other worlds out there. We do not yet know how they travel back and forth, but we’re working on it.”

  “If we can believe that mythical creatures from our fables are real, then why not the afterlife? Or at least the existence of the abode of the gods,” Sheila said. “Since these ancient gods have been confirmed by the old myths and legends to exist, then these same stories also tell of an underworld or spirit lands. Every culture has it.”

  “Like a heaven and hell then,” Baldwin said. “You think this is where those gods came from?”

  “Professor Dane thought as much,” Mary said. “He put his theory to the test and he was successful in summoning a demon, and he got back the p
resident too.”

  “Looks like he paid for it, possibly with his life,” Staley said. “Why hasn’t your task force been able to summon this demon again?”

  Mary looked down at first, then stole a glance at Sheila.

  “We really couldn’t find any volunteers that were willing to replicate what Professor Dane did,” Sheila said sheepishly. “I must confess I did try to dabble in it a little by following the steps he took in order to summon the demon again. It didn’t work.”

  “I can understand the danger in doing it, at least you tried, and that was a brave thing to do. Nobody would want to screw up and get dragged off to hell or something,” Staley said. “Why didn’t it work when you tried it?”

  “I’m not sure,” Sheila said. “I must have either missed a crucial step, or Professor Dane did something that it wasn’t in his notes. Or maybe I was just doing it half-heartedly. Either way, I will be assembling a new team of volunteers to see if we could attempt it again.”

  Baldwin put his right palm up. “Let’s not be too hasty in trying that devil conjuring thing. Like Anthony said, one screw up and we could all end up in hell or something like that.”

  “That’s what we’re all afraid of,” Sheila said. “The last thing we would want to do is to summon something and then be unable to control it. We’re still sorting through the professor’s notes.”

  “Do not attempt anything in that regard again without my express approval,” Mary said to her. She didn’t even realize Sheila had made the attempt.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Sheila said.

  Baldwin kept scanning the reports that were laid out in front of him. “You mentioned something about having intel that both individuals are in the continental United States. What’s the story on that?”

  “Well, since we started looking into their names, we tracked down Patrick Gyle’s family,” Mary said. “His wife and children left Dallas months before the Aztecs attacked and resettled with her brother in Oregon. There were a number of survivalist enclaves staying in the forests there and that’s where we found her. We were able to get a team of Federal agents up there despite the dangers, and they were able to interview her. She claimed to have seen him a few months ago but would not divulge any additional information. We wanted to bring her to one of our Federal offices in Portland but she refused. The team of agents also started to incur casualties so they felt it best to leave her where she was and return back to civilization.”

  “Casualties? What kind of dangers were up in those forests in Oregon?” Staley asked.

  “We’re not sure,” Mary said. “Unconfirmed reports of ghosts and demons inhabiting the forests I think. A number of the prepper enclaves in the remote areas of the country have been found massacred, or everybody went missing.”

  “Jesus,” Baldwin said. “Even without the threat of those damned Aztecs, we still got monsters in our own backyard.”

  “So Patrick Gyle is here,” Staley said. “Why didn’t he report in to CIA headquarters or something?”

  “That we’re not sure about,” Mary said. “It’s possible that his loyalty to the Federal government has been compromised. The only other thing his wife told us is Patrick wants to find a way to save the country somehow, so we can be somewhat assured he is working in our best interests, at least.”

  “Well, that’s good news,” Staley said. “Why doesn’t he get in touch with us? We could help him and he could help us.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t think we’re part of the solution,” Baldwin said to him before giving Mary a worried glance. “You don’t think that he’s going over to the Kansas separatists, do you?”

  “We’re not sure at this point, but it’s unlikely,” Mary said. “From his file, Patrick Gyle wasn’t a very religious man, so we have that working in our favor, at least.”

  “I hope to god you’re right,” Staley said. “If he takes sides with the Kansas rebels, then we’ll be in real trouble.”

  Baldwin’s hands trembled a bit. So many things had already gone wrong. The last thing he needed was their only weapon going over to the enemy. “What about the kid, Tara? How do you know she’s back in the country?”

  “We were able to deploy a team of agents to Arizona,” Mary said. “We met up with her father, who happens to be a drunk living in an abandoned trailer park. Seems he is just staying put while the rest of the city was evacuated northwards before the Aztecs get there. It seems that he met up with his daughter and possibly Patrick Gyle less than a few days ago.”

  Staley’s eyes opened wide. “What? Why didn’t the agents talk to the kid and Gyle directly?”

  Mary looked away in embarrassment. “Seems they missed encountering them by only a few days. Our communications across state lines haven’t been up to par, I’m sorry. By the time the agents got there, Patrick and Tara were gone. They interviewed the father and they were willing to transport him to safety, but he insisted on staying behind. We left a surveillance team in the city just in case Tara goes back there for him. Though based on what the father told us, it’s highly improbable.”

  Baldwin was shocked at the recent news as well, but he maintained his demeanor. “Explain, please.”

  “From what the father told us, it seems Tara was extremely upset with him and that’s why she ran away months before,” Mary said. “She also has a younger brother named Timothy. The reason why Tara returned to the trailer park was because she wanted to take her brother away from him. But Timothy wasn’t there. Tara’s brother was apparently adopted by another family that set off towards Kansas.”

  Baldwin pounded the table with his fist. “Jesus H Christ!”

  “We now believe that Tara is travelling with Patrick, since the father described being manhandled by some sort of horrible creature that fits Gyle’s description,” Mary said. “Our best guess is they could be on their way towards Kansas.”

  Staley rubbed his throbbing forehead. “Okay, what can we do? Are you sure they won’t go over to the separatists?”

  “We think Tara is only trying to get her brother back,” Mary said. “Based on what we know, she doesn’t come from a religious background either. What we’re doing now is to try and use our assets in Kansas to try and locate her. If they made it to Kansas then we should be getting some intel on them soon.”

  Baldwin was taking shallow breaths now. So much information, so many things that could go wrong now. “Make sure that you tell our assets on the ground there that under no circumstances that those two individuals be allowed to go over to the separatist side. Use everything you can. If we can find her brother before they do then maybe we could have a positive outcome on this. We cannot fail in this, Mary.”

  “I understand the stakes involved, Mr. Speaker,” Mary said tersely. “We’re doing everything we can right now.”

  “Okay,” Staley said, changing the subject. “What about the president? I understand you just came over from Camp David. How is he?”

  Sheila pursed her lips. “Not much change in his condition. He alternates between Latin curses, speaking in tongues, and nonsensical English. We’ve brought in every psychologist and even had a neurologic specialist take a look at him. They are all saying he seems to be physically in good shape and there is normal brain function in his CAT scans. They seem clueless on how to treat him though. We also tried to ask a priest to exorcise him, but he failed as well- in fact the priest has been incapacitated.”

  Baldwin grimaced. “We need him back. My own doctors told me the stress of this office is getting too much for my own health to bear.”

  Staley didn’t say anything. They all knew that important decisions concerning the presidential line of succession would have to be made soon. The Secretary of State, who was currently fourth in line after Baldwin, Staley and the president, was being held in seclusion in an undisclosed location just in case Raven Rock was in any danger. None of them could think beyond the issues that were affecting them all right then and there.

  “If the president is really poss
essed by evil spirits,” Mary said softly. “Then there is only one man who could possibly help him and that’s Professor Paul Dane. The problem is that even if he isn’t dead, he’s probably trapped in his own hell right now.”

  6. Below the Mud

  Otherworld

  When she was a child, Valerie Mendoza was deathly afraid of going to hell. While her older brothers were never religious, Valerie and her sisters would always attend church with their mother, Josefina. She had grown up in a rough and tumble neighborhood, where gangs, drugs and robberies were common. The one thing that kept the girls away from the crime and the desperation was their shared conviction of Christianity. They would take turns reading the Bible to each other just before bedtime, and would discuss the finer points of avoiding eternal damnation. The apartment that they lived in was so tiny that Valerie would sometimes hang out in the nearby public library, just so she could get some peace and quiet to do her homework. She liked to browse and walk through the myriad shelves of books. The scent of old, moldy paper and leather bindings brought some pleasure to her otherwise mundane childhood. What she really liked were the paintings of Jesus and of the saints. The first time she saw the son of God on a cross, she let out a few tears after her mother told her the story. At night, after their mattresses were spread out on the floor and all the children snored away, Valerie would sometimes pray silently in the dark for minutes on end before falling asleep.

  She could remember that one day that finally changed her life. Her parents had just received word that their eldest son had been killed in a gang war. While the whole family grieved at the news, she went away by herself and took her customary cubicle in the library. Lying on the desk was a book about an early Renaissance painter from the Netherlands. The previous occupier of the cubicle had evidently forgotten to put the photobook back in its shelf. Thinking that it would be just another art book showcasing the paintings of Jesus and his disciples, Valerie started to flip through its pages. The painter’s name was Hieronymus Bosch. The strange, twisted images in the paintings both recoiled and fascinated her. It also reinforced her fear of ever being sent to a place of eternal damnation. At ten years old, Valerie made a vow that she would follow the core tenets of her religion. She would forever make sure that she would not fall prey to the temptations of the world that got her brother killed. When she came back home that night, her entire family was praying for her brother’s soul in heaven. As she knelt down beside her grieving mother, Valerie clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and made a different sort of benediction. She prayed that her brother would find a way to repent while his soul languished in hell.