Eyes of the World (Gray Spear Society Book 10)

by Alex Siegel

  Eyes of the World

  Alex Siegel

  Eyes of the World

  All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2013 Alex Siegel

  ISBN: 978-1-304-22560-3

  Revision 7/12/2013

  For information about this book and others in the same series, please visit:

  http://www.grayspearsociety.com/

  The Gray Spear Society series is a long-running saga. It is recommended that the books be read in a specific order. The current list is:

  1. Apocalypse Cult

  2. Carnival of Mayhem

  3. Psychological Damage

  4. Involuntary Control

  5. Deadly Weakness

  6. The Price of Disrespect

  7. Tricks and Traps

  8. Politics of Blood

  9. Grim Reflections

  10. Eyes of the World

  11. Antisocial Media (COMING SOON!)

  Chapter One

  "What in God's name are you talking about?!" Ethel yelled. "The greatest battle of the Gray Spear Society? What does that mean?"

  Her skin was normally dark, but now a black aura made it seem like obsidian, as if the light were afraid to touch her. Her pupils had expanded until only a little white was left in her eyes. They looked like infinite holes. Gray robes with a black, silk hood left only her head and hands exposed. Her white, curly hair was the only part of her that seemed willing to accept light.

  "Finish the conversation with Neal," Wesley said. "He's still on the phone."

  The boy, known formally as the Voice of Truth, didn't react to Ethel's dangerous rage. His face was as perfect and beautiful as always. Straight, brown hair shined like silk. His skin seemed sculpted by a master artist from pink marble. The blue in his eyes sparkled like tiny, circular jewels. He was wearing a green T-shirt and green pants with a vaguely military appearance.

  "Don't tell me what to do," she said, "you disrespectful, little punk. I'm sick to death of your useless prophesies. I have a mind to put you over my knee and give you the spanking you deserve. Just tell me what's going on."

  Wesley's protection team stiffened. The four of them were arranged behind the boy in a protective formation.

  Yvonne was a short, blonde woman with the muscles of a big man. They were packed onto her small frame and looked like balloons under her red skin. She was strong enough to literally break a man in half. She renewed her strength by growing roots from her palms and sucking the juices out of her enemies.

  Atalanta was the second member of the team. She was a strikingly tall, Japanese woman. A rope of dense, black hair ran down her back. Her gift was having skin and bones as tough as high-tensile steel. She could shrug off any attack short of a large caliber bullet. She was also a phenomenal martial artist with supernatural focus. A loose, gray sweat suit probably hid many weapons including her famous katana.

  Charles had been the legate before Ethel. He was a thin man who had aged gracefully to become a very dignified gentleman. Dense, perfectly groomed hair was the color of frost. He was wearing a gray business suit that was tailored to fit his tall frame. He carried a silver cane which concealed a surprising number of deadly weapons. He was an easy man to ignore because of his unique gift which he called "psychological invisibility."

  Finally, there was Guthrum, the tallest member of the team. His white skin showed every blood vessel clearly. There wasn't a strand of hair anywhere on his body. He wore the same kind of sweat suit as Atalanta for the same reason. His gift was the ability to see a few seconds into the future. He could respond to attacks before they even occurred, and he was almost impossible to defeat in normal combat.

  Wesley's protection team was perhaps the most dangerous group of fighters on the planet, and their sole mission was to keep him safe. If Ethel laid a hand on the boy, she would regret it.

  "Not yet," he said. "First, we need to hear from Neal."

  Her glare would've made most men piss their pants, but Wesley just smiled slightly.

  She finally looked down at the phone in her hand. She seemed to remember she was having a conversation with the commander of Washington, DC. She placed the phone on the kitchen table and pressed the speaker button.

  "Everybody is listening now," Ethel said. "Repeat what you told me."

  "Yes, ma'am," Neal said.

  Aaron leaned forward so he could hear better.

  Neal continued, "President Haley was just kidnapped. He was at the Jefferson Memorial delivering a eulogy for the victims of yesterday's terrorist attack. It appears the same terrorists attacked again during the speech. Secret Service agents rushed Haley to the nearest limo and drove off. After the fact, it was discovered that the agents were fake. It was done very slickly. It's obvious now that yesterday's attack was a setup for today's kidnapping."

  "Are you tracking him?" Ethel said in an anxious tone.

  "We're still getting a signal from his phone."

  "Then go after him!"

  "There's a problem, ma'am," Neal said. "God ordered me and my legionnaires to come to Chicago today."

  "What?"

  "The Lord came to me last night. He told us to go to the Rosemont Tower Hotel. We were just trying to book a flight to Chicago when we heard about the President."

  Aaron stared at the phone in disbelief. Neal is coming here? he thought. For what possible reason?

  "That's not all," Neal said. "God told me the entire Society is coming to Chicago today. Every legionnaire, commander, and legate. Our mission is to protect the twins."

  Aaron shook his head. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. "The whole Society is coming here?"

  "Yes."

  "To my headquarters?"

  "That is my understanding," Neal said.

  Aaron was having a hard time wrapping his mind around that concept. It was too bizarre. Members of the Society hardly ever gathered in large groups. It wasn't safe. A dire emergency had caused the convention last winter, and only the teams from the North American division had attended. Neal was talking about a gathering that was unprecedented in the entire history of the Gray Spear Society.

  And it would take place in Aaron's hotel.

  He looked over at Wesley. The boy had a smug, little smile. He had known all along what would happen today, and he had kept it a secret.

  "That's why we can't save the President, ma'am," Neal said. "We're under orders to come to Chicago. We probably should've left already."

  Ethel closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was obviously also overwhelmed.

  "Are you keeping any other secrets?" Aaron asked Wesley.

  The boy nodded. "They'll be revealed at the proper time. You and Marina will get the biggest surprise of all, but it has to wait until she gets here."

  Marina? Surprise? If the whole Society is coming, then she's coming, too! Aaron realized. I'll see her today! He grinned with excitement. This news made the rest a little easier to swallow.

  "Ethel," Wesley said, "you have to make a decision. The only person who can save Roy Haley is you. You have to go to Washington to rescue him. Everybody else is coming here."

  Ethel had an expression of deep anxiety. "But I can't go! My duty is here with the rest of the Society."

  He nodded. "That's right. Your entire division is coming, and so are all the other legates. If you leave, they'll wonder what kind of leader you are. You'll be seen as irresponsible. Your reputation will suffer. You'll also miss one of the most important events ever. The twins are about to open the aperture. You can't imagine how significant that is."

  She stared at the smoked glass surface of the kitchen table. Everybody was crowded into the kitchen because it was the on
ly meeting space available. The twins' project had taken over the rest of headquarters.

  "On the other hand," Wesley said, "if you don't go, the man you love will die. He's still alive, but he won't stay that way without your help. You need to leave immediately to have even a chance of saving him."

  Ethel looked up at him. For once, she appeared old and vulnerable. "What should I do?"

  "This is your decision, not mine. Love or duty? You can't have both."

  They stared at each other. Aaron was very glad he wasn't in Ethel's position.

  Nobody else made a sound. Smythe, Odelia, Norbert, Tawni, and Sheryl also had places at the kitchen table. The legionnaires had wide eyes and tense faces.

  Ethel's bodyguard, Boreas, was standing behind her. He was a giant man with a dense, gray beard. A face full of cracks and creases made him look like an old sea captain. He was wearing a plaid shirt and loose jeans. The whites of his eyes were tinted blue. His gift was the ability to use his gaze to drain the warmth from a person's body. He didn't react to Ethel's plight, but he rarely showed emotion.

  She swallowed. "Love," she said finally in a soft voice.

  Wesley nodded. "So be it."

  She looked at the phone. "Neal, are you still there?"

  "Yes, ma'am," Neal replied.

  "I'm flying to Washington immediately. You can take my jet back to Chicago, but in return for those first-class accommodations, you have to do a little legwork. Try to find Roy before I get there. At least get the investigation started."

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "I'll see you in a couple of hours." Ethel hung up her phone and put it away.

  She stood up.

  "Wait," Wesley said. "You'll need a team with you."

  "I assumed I was going alone."

  "No." He shook his head. "You won't succeed alone. Pick three from this room."

  Ethel looked at the faces of the other people at the table.

  "I'm going," Boreas said in his raspy voice. "I'm your bodyguard. I swore I would protect you with my life, and that oath still stands."

  She turned to him. "You don't have to. I release you from your oath."

  "I'm going!" he said firmly. "I won't let a little old lady try to rescue the President of the United States by herself."

  She smiled. "Very well. Thank you."

  "I want to go!" Tawni raised her hand. "Sounds like a real adventure."

  She was a much younger and slightly taller version of Ethel. Tawni's skin was the color of chocolate and just as buttery smooth. Like Ethel, a subtle aura of darkness surrounded Tawni. Wavy, black hair went down to the middle of her back. She had the prominent cheek bones of a model. She was wearing formal gray robes, but underneath, Aaron knew her to be lean and muscular. A katana was strapped to her back.

  "I was hoping you would volunteer," Ethel said. "Thank you."

  "I wouldn't miss it, ma'am."

  Wesley looked around. "You need one more."

  "Atalanta," Tawni said, "come with us! We had fun together the last time we were in Washington."

  Atalanta furrowed her brow. "But I have to protect Wesley."

  "You don't." Wesley said. "Go if you want. Seven hundred legionnaires are about to arrive, along with their commanders and legates. I'll be safe enough without you."

  Aaron was still having a hard time with that concept. He couldn't imagine what the gathering would be like. Was he expected to play host to all those people?

  Atalanta nodded. "Then I'll join Ethel. It does indeed sound more interesting than guarding the twins." She stood up.

  "Good bye." Wesley sighed, and there was a wistful sadness in his expression.

  Ethel took a step towards the door.

  "Wait!" he said. "You're forgetting one thing."

  "What now?" She turned to him.

  "Somebody has to lead your division in your absence. Choose an acting legate."

  She raised her eyebrows. She looked around the room and studied the faces one at a time.

  Her gaze settled on Aaron. "Congratulations, acting legatus legionis. May your wisdom shine during these very interesting times."

  The room was silent, and nobody was more stunned than him. He never imagined the possibility of a promotion, even a temporary one. The weight of his responsibilities suddenly felt a hundred times heavier. All the other commanders in North America would look to him for guidance. In a matter of hours, he would be meeting the other legates for the first time and greeting them as their equal.

  "I won't disappoint you, ma'am," he croaked.

  "May I go now?" Ethel asked Wesley.

  "Yes." He nodded firmly. "Quickly. You have very little time to spare."

  Tawni gave Sheryl one last look before going, and it made Aaron wonder about their relationship. He knew Sheryl loved Tawni, but Tawni had hit on Norbert recently. Perhaps Tawni was now regretting leaving Sheryl on such a sour note.

  Sheryl had a wistful expression. "Be careful," she whispered. Her mirrored pupils reflected the gray color of the walls.

  Ethel, Boreas, Tawni, and Atalanta hurried out of the room.

  Aaron faced the boy. "Was this the secret you wouldn't tell me? That I'll become the legate?"

  "No." Wesley shook his head.

  "The real surprise is even bigger?"

  "Much, and there's more than one. The aperture will change everything. Norbert, take Atalanta's place on my protection team. That's where you belong. The first time we met, I knew that was your destiny."

  Norbert blanched. He was the beefiest member of Aaron's team and by far the strongest. He had brown, curly hair and a slightly puffy face. His brown eyes always held a very earnest expression. Nobody was more sincere than him. He was wearing a black T-shirt which was still a little damp from a recent workout.

  "But I'm not qualified," he said. "I don't have a gift. I'm not an elite fighter."

  "You're qualified in other ways," Wesley said, "and you'll get your gift soon."

  "When?"

  "When the twins open the aperture. Stand up. Join your teammates."

  Norbert hesitantly joined the group behind Wesley. He looked out of place among those legendary fighters. In Aaron's opinion, Norbert was correct. He wasn't ready for so much responsibility. It was ironic that Norbert had once tried to kill Wesley.

  Yvonne and Guthrum shook Norbert's hand and gave him a hearty pat on the back. They seemed genuinely pleased to have a new teammate. Charles remained aloof.

  Aaron realized he had just lost an important member of his team. Tawni was temporarily gone, too. Only Smythe and Sheryl were left. Odelia was on loan from Los Angeles, and as soon as her commander arrived, Aaron expected she would go back to him.

  Everything is changing too quickly, he thought. I can't keep up.

  "What happens when Atalanta comes back?" Norbert said.

  "Don't worry about that." Wesley turned and looked up at Charles. "I have bad news for you. You're off the protection team."

  "What?!" Charles said. "You're not serious."

  "I never lie. You're too grim. You never enjoy life. You don't know how to have fun. I've tried to teach you, but you still haven't learned."

  "That shouldn't matter!" Charles replied in a desperate tone. "I've dedicated my life to protecting you. It's all I think about. My duty is everything to me!"

  "Exactly. Learn from Ethel's example. She realized God doesn't value robots. Your proper place is with Aaron now. He needs to lean on your experience as a legate. Be his advisor."

  Charles was shivering. The shock on his wrinkled face would've been funny in other circumstances. A man who had once ruled all of North America had just been fired by an eleven year-old boy.

  Charles stood tall. "I refuse to be dismissed."

  "Then I'll ask Yvonne to kill you," Wesley said. "Your invisibility trick doesn't work on her. She'll pop off your head like a grape."

  Charles looked at Yvonne. She shrugged apologetically.

  With stiff legs, he walked over to Aaron.
r />   Aaron gave Charles an encouraging smile. "I'll definitely need all the advice I can get."

  He nodded dumbly.

  Wesley looked at Perry. "We haven't met."

  Perry had the pasty white skin of a man who spent all his time indoors in front of a computer. A mop of brown hair sat on his head. He was scrawny except for a bulge around the midsection. Aaron had chastised him on several occasions for eating junk food while he worked. Perry wore oversized glasses with thick, black rims. Hazel eyes stared back at Wesley with a shocked expression.

  "They told me about you," Perry said in a hushed voice. "I didn't believe it. I didn't think a kid could have so much power."

  "Look into my eyes, and you'll understand."

  Perry locked gazes with Wesley's glittering blue eyes. Perry's mouth dropped open, and his face became pale. His body started to shake. Perspiration appeared on his forehead.

  "That's enough, Wesley," Aaron said. "You made your point."

  Wesley turned away.

  Perry immediately broke down into a sobbing wreck. Tears streamed down his cheeks. His breath came in short, ragged gasps.

  "It's OK," Aaron said softly. "If you want to leave the room until you calm down, you have my permission."

  Perry hurried out of the kitchen. He banged his shoulder against the door frame on the way out.

  "Was that necessary?" Aaron said.

  "Everybody needs to see the truth about themselves," Wesley said. "It's healthy."

  Aaron frowned. "Sheryl, go with Perry. Make sure he doesn't do anything dumb."

  "Yes, sir." Sheryl left the room.

  "What's next?"

  "Many new guests are about to arrive," Wesley said. "They'll need rooms in the hotel, and the current guests need to leave immediately. Normal people can't stay here."

  "Oh, crap, that's right! I'd better talk to the hotel staff immediately. There are a million details to arrange."

  "I'll go with you. Smythe and Odelia, please, join us."

  Aaron gave the boy a wary look. Clearly, he was planning something. Wesley always had a secret agenda, which was a strange thing for the Voice of Truth.

  A large group left the kitchen. Aaron led the way with his new advisor, Charles, at his side. Smythe and Odelia held hands as they followed behind. Wesley was in back with his reformulated protection team: Norbert, Yvonne, and Guthrum. Aaron didn't like dealing with large groups. He realized it might happen often in the next few days, and he'd better get used to it.