by Alex Siegel
"This is the basement of the main building?"
"Yes, ma'am," Nancy said.
Marina walked through the space, and her footsteps echoed back and forth. Construction had begun on internal walls, but they were still just studs and frames. The overhead lights were bright.
"A little Spartan," she said, "but it will do nicely. I certainly feel safe down here."
She turned around. The rest of her group was flowing into the big room and looking around. Smythe and Odelia entered holding hands. It was good to see them being so affectionate. Marina wished Aaron was with her, but once again, circumstances had driven them apart. It wasn't fair on their marriage night.
"It's too late to unpack," she announced loudly. "We'll do that in the morning after we get some sleep. But we do need to break out the sheets, blankets, and pillows. I'm afraid the hard floor will be our mattress tonight. At least it's warm and dry."
"Wait!" Wesley yelled. "I have something important to say first. Everybody get close to me so you can hear."
The boy had a little smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eye. Marina was suddenly nervous.
After everybody had gathered around him, he said, "I can finally tell you the big secret. When the aperture opens, all of you will have an opportunity to go through it. I chose you specifically for that honor. Everybody here has the potential for lasting greatness. Those who pass through will become the new Society."
The crowd murmured and seemed confused.
Marina furrowed her brow. "The aperture is for the twins. Why would we want to use it?"
"Because it will give you immortality," Wesley said. "Nothing will ever hurt you. You won't need rest or sustenance. Even an exploding star will be nothing to you. You'll become as permanent and timeless as gravity."
There was stunned silence.
He continued, "And you'll have amazing powers, too. You'll be able to fly from galaxy to galaxy in the blink of an eye. Nothing will stand in your way. You'll be strong enough to protect all life in the universe."
"Don't you mean Earth?" Marina said cautiously.
"No. The twins are true geniuses. They came up with a solution for every planet, not just ours. You'll fan out across the stars. There will be only one Society, and it will last for an eternity, always ready to fight. No legionnaire will ever need to die again. This is the great secret." Wesley grinned, and his eyes glittered. "Isn't it wonderful?"
Her mind was slowly grasping the magnitude of what he was saying. He wasn't just talking about a new Society. He was describing a fundamental change in reality. The legionnaires would become immortal guardian angels with divine powers.
Smythe cleared his throat. "What's the catch?"
Marina smiled at his handsome face and watery blue eyes. He was a wonderful human being. She had missed him during her stay in San Francisco, and not just because of his healing abilities. He was always the voice of compassion.
Wesley faced Smythe. "The catch is you will serve Aaron and Marina. Their wishes will be your commandments. If they tell you to watch an interesting pool of slime for a million years, that's what you'll do. If they tell you to pound a mountain into dust with your bare hands, you will pound. They may order you to be a prostitute, a beggar, or a slave. It doesn't matter. Your lives will be in their hands. If you have fun at all, it will be with the kind permission of the Lord and the Lady. The price of eternal life is eternal, unwavering duty."
Smythe frowned.
Marina suddenly realized she and Aaron would be responsible for the whole universe. She couldn't imagine such a thing. Just protecting the Earth seemed almost impossible.
"Think about it," Wesley said. "It's obviously an important decision. You don't have to go through the aperture if you don't want."
"What happens if we don't?" Smythe said.
"You'll be out of the Society. You'll become normal people with normal lives. Your gifts will be taken away. For some of you, that's a fate worse than death."
Many people in the crowd nodded.
"I don't expect a lot of you to choose that option," Wesley said, "but I still want everybody to take it seriously. I should say one other thing. Eternal life is not guaranteed. Aaron and Marina can destroy you. If you disappoint them, that's what will happen."
"Won't we eventually run out of legionnaires?" Marina said.
"You two will also have the ability to make new ones out of mortals. God is expecting some turnover. Absolute power corrupts, after all. There has to be a way to deal with legionnaires who forget their purpose. There has to be fear."
She understood. It was the only way to keep the members of the new Society honest when they became tempted to abuse their powers. Without this mechanism, laziness and disinterest would eventually render the Society useless. A stick and a carrot, she thought. Aaron and I are the stick. Like good engineers, the twins had thought of everything.
"And if Aaron or I forget our purpose?" Marina said.
"God will replace you," Wesley said. "It won't be hard for Him to find loving couples eager to take your place. I think everybody understands now. The aperture will open tomorrow night. Make your choice based on your own feelings. Don't worry about what other people will think. There is no dishonor in saying 'no.' Now, let's go to sleep."
The crowd began to break up. Everybody was quiet and thoughtful.
Marina walked up to Wesley and said, "How long have you known?"
"I began to see the truth the morning after we first met," he said. "We were eating breakfast in a house by the lake."
"I remember."
"I realized the love between you and Aaron will be extremely important. You'll be married for an eternity, and some days it will feel like an eternity. You won't get along all the time. No matter how much you bicker, you can't forget you love each other. If your marriage falls apart, and the Society becomes divided, all life in the universe will suffer. Your relationship is a bond that holds everything else together."
Marina felt the terrible weight of that responsibility. She loved Aaron, but could she really love him forever?
Wesley continued, "I understood more after I met the twins. I saw the journey they would take and where it would end. I knew the Society would have to change. That's when I saw how you and Aaron would fit in. You can't just give extraordinary powers to people and hope they use them wisely. There has to be checks and balances. A sadistic bitch like you and a relentless killer like Aaron will inspire discipline."
She knew he was telling the truth, but she didn't like it. She had spent the last year trying to be a better person.
The boy yawned. "I have to go to sleep."
"Me, too... if I can. Was that finally the last of the secrets?"
He nodded. "Now you know everything."
* * *
Roy Haley was shivering, hungry, and miserable. He was lying on the dirt floor of the log cabin in the mountains. He was still chained to a pole like a dog. Smelly dog food was still on his clothes.
He sighed. Sleeping under these conditions was impossible even though he was exhausted.
The cabin was absolutely dark. Slade was snoring loudly on a nearby cot. It was a sound Haley was growing to hate.
Where are you, Ethel? he thought. Why haven't you rescued me yet?
Chapter Fifteen
Ethel squinted at a rising sun. The team was driving east, and the sunlight was directly in her eyes.
Atalanta was at the wheel of the van. She was an excellent driver even if she was too aggressive at times. Tawni was riding shotgun. Ethel and Boreas were in back as was appropriate. The legatus legionis of North America didn't drive herself.
They were passing through Potomac, Maryland which was one of the nicest suburbs of Washington, DC. Vast lawns separated impressively large, luxurious homes. Very tall windows and elegant stonework were typical. All the trees and grass gave the area a semi-rural feel even though the foliage was perfectly groomed. Ethel imagined this neighborhood had made some lucky landscapers qui
te wealthy.
"I wouldn't mind living here," Tawni said.
"My experience is wealth isn't as wonderful as you might think," Ethel said. "The rich have problems, too. For one thing, they're always worried about losing their money."
"That's a problem I've never had."
They were driving to the home of Senator Bedford Forrest, the infamous father of Nathan Forrest. Ethel wasn't exactly sure what she would do when she got there, but one fact was clear. They wouldn't leave empty-handed.
After travelling through narrow, winding roads for several minutes, they arrived at the right address. The senator lived in a true mansion. The walls were made of pink and white brick, and the roof was slate. Copper covered a dome on top of the home. Marble pillars framed the front door. Many of the windows were oval or semicircular instead of square. Smaller houses for guests or servants were off to the side, and they were big enough for another family.
Ethel automatically checked the security measures. An iron fence with spikes on top surrounded the property, but it looked easy to climb over. A sturdy front gate was closed. She spotted surveillance cameras high in the trees, and the cameras had sweeping views of the wide lawn. There were many trees behind the mansion, and that seemed the best approach if she wanted to be sneaky.
"Suggestions?" Ethel said.
"I can cut down the gate with my sword," Tawni said.
"That's a little obvious, isn't it?"
Tawni shrugged. "I don't want to mess around, ma'am. The President has been gone for a whole day. The longer this takes, the less chance we'll find him alive. Let's just bust in there like gangsters."
"I agree, ma'am," Atalanta said. "We should sweep the house and find the senator as quickly as possible. I don't expect to run into a dangerous amount of resistance."
Ethel furrowed her brow. There would be other people in the house, and this plan would entail incapacitating or killing them. Innocents might die. On the other hand, sneaking past the security would take a lot of time and wouldn't necessarily avoid bloodshed. There was no clean way to do this, and time was running short.
"Fine," she said. "Cut it open."
Tawni climbed out of the van. She drew a katana from a sheath hidden under the back of her shirt. Her shadows climbed the blade until it was solid black. She sliced through the gate with a broad stroke, cutting the iron bars cleanly. She walked to the other end and cut it the same way. The gate fell over with a loud clang.
Ethel rolled down her window and yelled, "Stay out here. Make sure nobody gets away."
"Yes, ma'am."
Atalanta drove forward and parked in front of the house. She, Ethel, and Boreas climbed out. They were wearing civilian clothes over light body armor.
With her right hand, Atalanta drew a short sword from under her shirt. With her left, she pulled out a .45 caliber semiautomatic. She apparently intended to shoot left-handed.
Ethel drew her silver-plated machetes. The blades reflected the morning sunlight like mirrors. She felt stronger and more confident with them in her hands.
Boreas took out a .50 caliber Desert Eagle pistol, but she didn't expect him to use it. His cold gaze was a far more dangerous weapon. The gun was really his backup piece.
A big man in a black business suit opened the front door of the house. He was carrying a snub-nose revolver.
He stepped out and yelled, "Who the hell are you?"
Atalanta put a bullet in the center of his forehead. A suppressor made the gunshot sound like a loud "whoosh."
"I could've knocked him out without killing him," Boreas said.
"Sorry," she said. "It was a reflex."
So it begins, Ethel thought.
They entered the house. They immediately spread out to cover all the corners of the room and to prevent being attacked from behind.
The foyer had a sweeping double staircase leading to the second floor. The walls and ceiling were made of white plaster embossed with a delicate spider web pattern. Gold leaf medallions also decorated the ceiling.
Two men ran into the room. They were also armed and wearing black suits. Boreas silently knocked them out with his cold gaze.
A third man entered near Ethel. She sliced off his gun hand and then slashed his throat before he had time to cry out.
"The senator is serious about security," Atalanta murmured.
"Let's move," Ethel said.
They ran into a formal sitting room. Antique couches and chairs were arranged on a Persian rug. The wooden floor beneath had a fishbone pattern.
A maid in a frilly, black outfit was polishing the windows. She turned and screeched. Boreas stared at her, and she dropped to the floor. She was shivering and blue with extreme hypothermia.
Another armed man entered behind the team. Atalanta struck off his head with her sword. The body fell, spurting blood from its neck.
"We need to save a few for interrogation," Ethel said.
The operation was becoming as violent as she had feared, but she was used to it. Death was a frequent companion of every legionnaire.
She led the team into a living room with more antique furniture and another large Persian rug. A chandelier seemed made of real crystal. Bright lighting had a sterile feel.
Two men in black suits were running down a staircase. Ethel sprinted across the room at supernatural speed. As the men stepped off the staircase, she came up behind them and sliced their hamstrings. They turned. She amputated their gun hands with lightning-fast slashes. The men collapsed to the floor as their legs gave way.
She held her machetes against their throats. "Quiet," she muttered. "If you yell, it will be the last noise you make. Where is the senator?"
She wasn't wearing sunglasses. They took a good look at her eyes and whimpered.
"We're not talking," one man said.
Ethel stabbed her machete into his throat and watched him choke on his own blood.
She turned to the other man. "What about you?"
"The senator will kill me if I tell you anything."
She raised her eyebrows. "And I'll kill you if you don't. Which threat is more immediate?"
The man was leaking a lot of blood from his wrist stump. The cut hamstrings weren't as messy, but they were still making a pool of blood on the beautiful hardwood floor. He had brown hair cut in a short, neat style.
"Then kill me now," he said.
"Oh? Why?"
Atalanta and Boreas were in opposite corners of the room, covering the entrances. Ethel didn't need to worry about getting attacked from behind.
"Because when the senator kills, it takes a while, and it's ugly." The injured man shuddered. "Just get it over with."
"Now I'm curious," Ethel said. "What do you mean?"
"If I tell you, will you finish me?"
"Yes. I promise you a quick, painless death."
"The senator wraps you up in silk," the man said, "injects digestive juices, and sucks out your guts."
"Like a giant spider?"
He nodded. "And he isn't home, so don't bother looking for him. That's all I'm saying. Do it."
Ethel nodded to Boreas. The whites of her bodyguard's eyes turned sky blue. The injured man shivered, sighed, and stopped breathing a few seconds later.
"Do you think he was serious?" Atalanta said.
"I don't doubt it," Ethel said. "This is very troubling information. Let's keep moving."
The team ran up the staircase.
The upper floor used ordinary drywall instead of plaster for the walls, but the delicate spider web pattern continued in the form of paint. The walls appeared covered with faint yellow strands of silk.
Ethel heard a footstep. All three of them dived through open doorways.
A moment later, she heard people walking up the hallway, and they were trying to be quiet. After they passed, she peeked out. It was three men this time. They had put Kevlar vests over their black suits, and they were carrying Heckler & Koch MP7's.
They're taking us more seriously, Ethel th
ought.
She stepped into the hall and killed two of them from behind. She slashed the backs of their necks between the first and second vertebrae, severing the spinal cord. Before the bodies had time to hit the ground, she put her machete against the throat of the third.
"Drop the gun," she whispered. "Turn around slowly."
He tried to spin and shoot her, but she was so much quicker, it was a joke. She had all the time in the world to cut off his gun hand. Then she sliced off his other hand to punish him for not following orders.
He stared at his wrist-stumps in horror. They were spurting blood with each heartbeat. He looked up at her eyes, and his expression turned to terror.
"We're looking for the senator," Ethel said. "Don't lie to me, or I'll cut off something else."
"He's not home," the man said in a shaky voice.
She believed him. He was too frightened to lie convincingly.
"I heard an interesting rumor," she said. "The senator has spider-like powers?"
The man nodded. "He spits webs. His tongue has a fang underneath."
She raised her eyebrows. "You've seen this?"
"He showed us so we would know what will happen if we don't follow orders."
Two more security guards came running down the hall. Atalanta shot them in the heads with machine-like precision. Her reflexes were almost as quick as Ethel's. Boreas would have to be faster if he wanted to use his gift.
"I may kill the senator," Ethel said to the surviving guard. "How do you feel about that?"
"Please." He pleaded with his eyes. "I have a family. They're in danger, too."
"Do you know where he went?"
He shook his head. "He took off yesterday and didn't tell anybody where he was going."
"How inconvenient." She frowned.
He was becoming pale as he lost blood. "You'd better kill me. I don't want him coming back here and finding me still alive. He'll suck out my guts and then do the same to my wife and kids."
"He sounds like quite a terrifying monster. I look forward to having a conversation with him. We have a lot to talk about. Before I end your life, is there anything else you can tell me? Any clue would be helpful."
