by Matthew Fish
“I will,” Maddie said as she let her hand slip away from her Heart Sash.
“I won’t be able to sleep with this chuckle-fuck in the house,” Emily said as she shook her head.
“I’ll sleep outside.”
“You’ll sleep on the floor,” William said as he raised his gun to Bradley’s head and fired a quick succession of shots as loud thunderclaps filled the room and flashes of bright white light flared off.
“Have a good sleep, fire-crotch,” Emily shouted as she watched as Bradley fell to the floor. She deftly sent a lighter spiraling towards Bradley and blasted a large flame upon his crotch, igniting his pants as they quickly caught fire.
“He’s already knocked out!” William shouted as he repeatedly slammed his foot down upon Bradley’s crotch in an attempt to put out the fire. After about twenty good slams, the flame finally went out—the laughter from Mark, Emily and Maddie however…still lingered long after the fire was extinguished. “Go to bed…who knows what we will face tomorrow.”
“Alright,” Mark said as he looked to Emily and smiled as he shook his head.
“Revenge might not be your thing,” Emily said as she shrugged. “But, hurt my friends and you aren’t going to get off easily.”
“I don’t think that getting shot in the head a bunch of times is easy,” Maddie added as she looked down to Bradley’s motionless form on the Oriental rug. “Although that really did remind me of that old prank where someone leaves a bag full of flaming crap on the porch, they ring the doorbell and run away as the person who answers attempts to stomp out the crap-bag.”
“I think that fits rather perfectly,” Mark said as he put his hand on Emily’s back as the ascended the staircase.
“Not what I was really going for,” Emily said as she gave Maddie a quick glance and smiled widely. “But yeah, that makes it even funnier doesn’t it?”
Chapter 10
Morning came early. I put on a pair of black jeans and fastened my Standard around my waist. I tucked in a white buttoned-up short sleeve shirt and then wrapped the red velvet Schmied Vest around it. I picked up my ‘Death Tosser’ long coat and placed it over my shoulders. Emily reached over and adjusted the collar of the coat and smiled.
“At least we’ll look good as we march into the unknown,” Emily said as she put on a tight fitting pair of blue jeans and a low cut pink shirt with a black skull design on the front. She left the zipper open on her black hoodie, which still had old stains of blood. She pulled her long Pink hair back into a ponytail and tossed a pink and white striped purse full about a hundred lighters over her back.
As they exited the hallway, Maddie emerged from her room. Her medium curly hair hung down to her shoulders as she brushed away a bit of the long, twisted hair from her face. She was wearing her short white coat with the silver roses embroidered onto the sleeves. She had a dark blue shirt on and her black Heart Sash was draped over her chest. The familiar pure white jeans clung to her waist. There was no more bandaged arm. “Thanks for the embroidery,” Maddie added as she turned and revealed intricate silver lettering that read ‘Bitch Slayer.’
“It’s accurate, cause you know…” Emily said as she smiled. “My sister…she was pretty bitchy.”
“There’s my group,” William said as he smiled from the bottom of the staircase. He was wearing the full white suit that Caesar gave him. Complete with the gold tie and the black shirt beneath. He reached into his suit and holstered two automatic pistols. He then hung a long rifle over his back.
“Morning…” Bradley added dejectedly. He had his familiar sunglasses on. Though Mark could tell they were a little cracked. It seemed as though William had found him a new suit jacket and shirt, however he was still wearing his jeans from the night before. The crotch was burned a bit and the area darkened. He had a large green duffel bag full of guns slung over his shoulder.
Mark climbed into the driver’s seat of the black Charger as the other’s piled it. He got the car onto the highway and headed back towards Chicago.
“It’s good to see the old car again,” Bradley said as he rode in the backseat. The large man had to sit in the middle as his head bumped against the hood every time they hit a rough spot in the road.
“It’s actually Mark’s car now,” William said as he turned from the passenger seat and gave Bradley a smug look. “Caesar gave it to him.”
“Does anyone else…” Emily whispered as she raised her nose in the air. “…smell a bit of burnt sausage?”
“There’s definitely an air of a bit of burnt twig and berries,” Maddie said as she folded her leg over her knee and rested her head against the back of the seat.
“The last good pair of jeans I owned,” Bradley said as he shook his head. “Real funny—you used to be so well mannered Maddie. Looks like you’ve been around this one too much.” Bradley added as he gestured towards Emily who poked him in the ribs roughly.
“Or it could be that my dominant arm was rendered a little useless for a time because someone put a bullet into it,” Maddie said as she placed her forefinger to her chin and pondered the thought.
“Look, I apologized. I will continue to do so if that’s what is necessary, but for the time being, can we just focus on the mission?” Bradley said as he propped himself up forward in his seat and placed his head close to Mark’s. “So you’ve figured out how to kill that one I couldn’t quite place…”
“The old one,” Mark said as he nodded once and kept his eyes on the road. “That’s what he calls himself now.”
“How good is this information?” Bradley pressed.
“It’s the only clue that my father left me,” Mark said shortly. “It better be good.”
“How did you figure he came to know the age of the old one anyway?” Maddie asked. “If he knew…why didn’t he stop him?”
“Maybe he didn’t have the nail,” Mark said as he thought about it for a moment. He then turned to William. “Why didn’t he just go to Caesar and ask for it?”
“Your father turned down Caesar’s request for The Passing,” William said as he looked out the window and kept his eyes away from Mark as he spoke. “He figured he could find a solution on his own rather than force himself to go through with it.”
“A choice I never got to make…” Mark said as he let out a sigh. “Figures…”
“I still think it’s a bad idea to trust the council,” Bradley added, knowing his opinion counted for very little at the moment. “What kind of backup do we have if they decide to not keep their word—what about that girl that we used to run with back in the day, Kate?”
“Dead,” William said as he turned to Bradley and shot him a grim look. “She was killed by Grand Conductor Alexander Littcott, and…to answer your question, no backup.”
“I was afraid you’d say that,” Bradley said as he let out a sigh and pressed his back against the seat, mindful of his head as they hit another bump.
“It’s not all bad, Emily said as she smiled. “If things go terribly bad I’m going to project out with Mark and Maddie.”
“And how is that supposed to make me feel any better?” Bradley asked as he gave Emily a curious look and raised an eyebrow.
“It’s not, Toasty-nuts,” Emily said as she shrugged. “I just said it wasn’t all bad.”
“So the Perpetual Council is located in Chicago? “ Maddie asked as the skyline appeared on the horizon.
“It used to be located in Europe; then again that is where the Grand Conductors are located so they felt a large degree of separation was necessary. At one time, not long ago, they chose New York…that is, until they stopped feeling safe there. They love Chicago’s urban sprawl. Buildings and people are the new great medieval kingdoms of old…and skyscrapers are the new castles,” William said as he nodded. “Though I doubt they will feel very safe here after whatever happens today…I am sure they will be relocating again soon.”
“Good Riddance,” Maddie said as she looked out the window. “Maybe we’ll
finally have some peace—or some amount or normality.”
We drove on, headed towards the downtown area of Chicago. We arrived at The Heritage building just around eleven-thirty.
“And to think I figured we were headed to another warehouse,” Emily said as she folded her arms and looked up to the large building that reflected the sky in its curved design.
“It’s actually the building behind it…though we can only get there through the entrance of The Heritage,” William said as he slung his long rifle over his shoulder and began to approach the stone entrance. “They’re not that stupid to be so open…at least to all the Mortals.”
“Well, aren’t we making quite the scene,” Bradley added as he rested his assault rifle on his shoulder and followed behind William. A small crowd of people nearby began to scream as they ran away from the group.
“We’re with the police!” Emily shouted as she slung her purse full of lighters over her back and took Mark’s hand. “No need to worry!”
“I don’t think that’s working,” Mark said as he took in a heavy breath of air and followed the others.
“Well, we were never going for an element of surprise anyway,” Maddie added.
As they passed through a large stone archway they entered a huge rust-red door. The interior was filled with floor to ceiling black-framed windows and hard wood floors. A man behind the desk got up and handed William a large silver key. William nodded once as he led the group to an elevator nearby. He waited until everyone was in and the door shut before he placed the key into a hidden depression against the metal surface. A ding chimed as the mirrored surface of the elevator slid open, revealing a hidden entry. William took a step forward as they entered a beautiful space with lots of high arched windows, a series of stone columns rose high into the tall ceiling. Large potted trees lined the main walkway that was made of slick marble.
“Nice place,” Emily muttered. “Can’t wait to burn it down someday…”
They walked on a bit further, past a lot of empty space and more stone columns. Two water large waterfalls rested against a far brick wall and sped streams of water down in a circular pattern etched into the marble floor. As they stood atop a small bamboo bridge, a man appeared from a metal door, locking it behind him.
“Mr. Dickson,” The man spoke as he bowed to William. The man had a blue suit on with fancy black shoes and a silver tie. He had short dirty blonde hair that was spiked out to one side and a clean cut face and green eyes. “I am the speaker for the Perpetual Council, you may call me Henry.”
“Henry,” William said as he bowed in respect.
“I was told that you were here in peace,” Henry said as he looked a little displeased at all of the weaponry the group was carrying—both the guns and the Conductor suits. “You appear as though you mean to be a small invasion force.”
“We are here to kill a mutual enemy,” William said as he nodded and padded the butt of his rifle against his shoulder. “At least that’s what the agreement was.”
“It has been altered slightly,” Henry said as he stepped forward and headed to Mark. “Do you have the item to kill this ‘old one?”
“I do,” Mark said as he nodded.
“Then hand it over,” Henry said as he reached out an open hand. “Then you may all leave.”
“This is not what we agreed upon,” William spoke as he put a hand to Mark’s chest and backed away a few steps. “I would speak to Mr. Lockwood.”
“Sir Gideon Lockwood is far too busy with the messes that you have made to speak to you personally—these are his terms, if you do not like them…then we have a problem.” Henry said as he extended his hand out once more. “The item…if you please….”
“I don’t trust him,” Emily whispered.
“Neither do I,” Maddie added, in a more raised tone. “How do we know you will keep your word? We were promised that we would get our old jobs back—that we’d be pardoned by the council for our cooperation in this matter.”
“It’s Mr. Lockwood, or it’s no deal,” William said as he placed himself in front of Mark.
“Let me settle this out then,” Henry said as he pulled his cell phone from his suit pocket and pressed a button. The large windows shuttered with a resounding bang as thick metal slants came down from hidden compartments in the ceiling. Bright lights lit up overhead. A door opened from the side and about forty armed men dressed in black poured out. They took defensive positions amongst the many pillars and aimed their assault rifles at the small group on the bridge. “The terms have changed a bit…just a bit more.”
William began to back up the group as he reached for his rifle and trained its sight on Henry’s head. “What do you mean?”
“Get to cover,” Bradley said as he pointed his assault rifle to the large group of men and pushed Emily, Mark and Maddie behind a stone column.
“You may all still leave, of course,” Henry spoke as he kept a calm demeanor as William’s gun was pointed directly at his forehead. “But Gideon demands that the boy stay behind as well.”
“What do you want with him?” William asked.
“What does your ‘old one’ want with him?” Henry spoke as he took a step forward. “He is a little obsessed with the boy, is he not? Surely there must be a reason. Such obsession often turns out to be rather…dangerous. You know as well as I, the council cannot allow dangerous things to exist.”
“Annndd,” Emily said as she placed her arms around Maddie and Mark. “We’re out.” With a gust of wind she projected—however, not successfully. She crashed against a large metal fortification and sent the three to the ground.
“A nice attempt,” Henry said as he laughed. “I take it you have never come into contact with Cruach steel? It is very old…and very expensive, made from ancient swords. Enough with the history lesson though, short of it is…you can’t project through it.”
Emily wrapped her arms around Mark and Maddie and projected behind a column far away from the large group of armed men. “What the shit do we do?”
“Hand me over,” Mark said quietly as he looked at the intimidating group.
“Not happening,” Maddie said as she placed her hand to her Heart Sash. “They said you were dangerous…and dangerous things aren’t allowed to exist. You know what they mean by that.”
“It means they fucking want you dead,” Emily added as she slowly unzipped her purse and picked up a handful of lighters. “Hnnnng…I knew these assholes were full of shit.”
Bradley quickly ran over to the group and slid beside them. “I’ve got some birth dates I can name off—whenever we’re ready.”
“How adorable,” Henry said as he took another step forward and pressed William’s rifle against his forehead. “You’re going to try and fight through this…you know that there is so much more than just…this little group of armed Perpetuals.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” William said as he kept his gun to Henry’s forehead. “We can talk this out.”
Another group of ten people emerged from the door. A macabre group of individuals all dressed in different outfits stood behind the armed men out in the open. One of the men, who was wearing a long red cloak, erupted a flame on his hand allowed it to dance from one hand to the other playfully as he smirked.
“And now we have our Elementals,” Henry added with a laugh. “What do you have…one sad wind Elemental? How do you feel about your odds now? There is only one way that this all ends. You hand us the boy and you are free to leave—or you fire that rifle and all of your lives will end. That is the terms that the leader of the council is offering you, a rather kind offer—given Gideon’s usual strictness…wouldn’t you say, William?”
“We came in peace,” William said as he shook his head. “In good will…”
“And we do so appreciate it,” Henry said as he released his grip from William’s rifle.
“Can you project William back over here,” Mark whispered to Emily.
“Easy,” Emily said
with a nod. “At least we’ll all die together, right?”
“We’ll put up a hell of a fight,” Bradley whispered.
“Shoot that lying prick!” Mark exclaimed as Emily ran out from cover and tossed a handful of lighters towards the large group and created a huge barrier or roaring fire.
“Gladly,” William said as he narrowed his eyes as Henry widened his. He fired a quick succession of shots as he felt himself get pulled away as Emily wrapped her arms around him and projected his back to the group.
Henry’s body fell to the ground as huge pools of blood erupted from his forehead. The large group stood silent for a moment, before opening fire upon the columns in the far corner that the group was huddled behind.
“Anyone got a plan?” William said as fragments of stone and dust fell from above and littered the group as the kept low to the ground.
“Take Maddie to the other Column,” Bradley said as he pointed a Column close by. “Work on the Elementals—I’ll try and take care of as many of the regular guys as I can…Emily, stay by Mark’s side and keep tossing lighters and try and burn as many as though fuckers as you can.”
“Sounds like the Bradley I used to know,” William said as he looked to Mark. “Agreed?”
“Yeah,” Mark said as he nodded and placed his hand to his Standard. “Let’s do it.”
Bradley got to his feet and fired a wide barrage of bullets that spent themselves mostly into the stone walls as Maddie and William sped across a small opening to the next column. Emily stood behind Bradley and tossed another handful of lighters towards the group of men closest to them. A few of the lighters made it through the cover and set three of the armed guards ablaze.
“Closest to us,” Bradley said as he looked to Mark. “1970, 1993, 1991, 1986, 1985, another 1985—and 1993….”
Mark mindlessly worked out the coins from his Standard as he placed the small pile of eight coins in his hand as he sent them up into the air. He paused for a moment as a ball of flame erupted next to him. The heat was painful against his skin. He ignored it. With his right hand he gestured directly and sent a coin into the stone column—it went straight through and turned an armed man into dust. He visualized the multiple targets and mentally made a note of where each one was, where they could end up—and the obstacles between him and them. In his mind he could visualize the entire layout of the room. Gunfire erupted all around him, yet his mind stayed focused. Emily threw another barrage of lighters and lit another large fire in the far end of the room. Mark kept his eyes narrowed upon all the targets and with one wide gesture with his fingers spread open he launched the remaining seven coins as they all met their targets. A heavy ash filled the air.
