Eyes of the World (Gray Spear Society Book 10)

by Alex Siegel

  Aaron patted Perry on the shoulder. "Good, and get some breakfast. When things heat up, there may not be time to eat."

  "Yes, sir."

  Chapter Sixteen

  Norbert was cutting open boxes with a pair of scissors. He was being very careful not to damage the contents. The boxes held the precious components of the twins' project.

  The Chinatown headquarters was buzzing with activity. Everybody was helping put the aperture back together. The scientists were giving directions as if they were in charge, but they were the experts here. The warriors of God were just dumb labor at this point. Bethany and Leanna were sweating with the effort of trying to be everywhere at once. Their robotic faces didn't show emotion, but Norbert could see the tension in their human bodies. Progress on the project had to resume quickly. The longer it took to complete, the more lives would be lost.

  Norbert gently took a device out of a box that had the shape of a computer circuit board except that the components were made of colored crystal. The wires were silver. It was such a gorgeous piece of technology, it didn't seem like a real, working device. He looked around. He needed somebody to tell him what to do with it.

  Wesley walked up to him. The kid was wearing a white suit, a gray tie, and formal, black shoes. His hair was neatly combed.

  "You look nice," Norbert said.

  "This is a very special day," Wesley said. "Have you decided whether you want to go through the aperture?"

  Norbert looked at the aperture. It was sitting on a steel stand which Nancy had built. The surface was made of colorful components which varied in size from pebbles to grains of sand. The colors formed symmetric loops and rings.

  "Is this the monster gift you foretold?" Norbert said.

  "Yes," Wesley said. "Immortality. Invulnerability. Amazing powers. Pretty sweet, isn't it?"

  "What kinds of powers exactly?"

  "This small group has to be strong enough to protect the whole universe. The twins decided that was more efficient than having a big, unmanageable crowd of weaklings like now."

  Norbert furrowed his brow. "This concept still seems impossible. The universe is a very big place."

  "Nothing is impossible." Wesley smiled, and his blue eyes glittered. "And you're going to be my bodyguard. After you go through the aperture, one will be enough."

  "Your personal guardian angel."

  "That's right. An angel powerful enough to stop an entire army."

  Norbert wasn't entirely sure he would go through the aperture. It would take away his human life and freedoms. He would spend the next trillion years doing Aaron and Marina's bidding. Norbert would have only as much independence as the Lord and Lady permitted. Knowing Aaron, Norbert guessed it wouldn't be a lot. Aaron was a strict disciplinarian. Serving Marina was an even more intimidating concept. She had a tendency to become vindictive when she didn't get her way.

  On the other hand, Norbert would be doing the Lord's work. This was an opportunity for him to become a hero on the grandest scale possible. He would protect entire civilizations. He would witness God's plan unfold until its conclusion. That was worth dealing with a couple of overbearing bosses.

  "I'll go through," Norbert said. "Did you know I would say that?"

  "I expected it," Wesley said, "but I couldn't know for sure. You still have free will."

  "That's a funny statement coming from a kid who foretells the future."

  "I know what should happen, not what will. There's a difference. I've been surprised before."

  Smythe and Odelia walked up. The lovers were holding hands like teenagers and were wearing formal, gray robes. He needed to shave and was looking a little haggard. Few had slept well on the hard floor. Her white hair was tied back with a pink ribbon which was almost the color of her skin. The red in her eyes looked like blood in the bright lights.

  "Are you two going through the aperture?" Norbert said.

  "We were just talking about that," Smythe said. "The answer isn't obvious. The idea of a normal life isn't so bad. Can we really escape the Society?"

  Wesley nodded. "The Gray Spear Society won't exist tomorrow."

  "It's like a dream come true." Smythe kissed Odelia on the lips.

  She gazed at him lovingly.

  "You'd really walk away?" Norbert said. "Think of what you're giving up."

  "An eternity of servitude," Smythe said. "We'd also be losing the marriage and children we both want. That's a stiff price."

  "An eternity of noble service. You'd protect billions of other kids. Trillions."

  "Somebody else can do it. It sounds like Aaron and Marina can always make more legionnaires. They just have to find a willing hero with the right stuff."

  Norbert frowned. He didn't understand Smythe's attitude.

  "Do what you think is best," Wesley said.

  "You really don't care?" Smythe said.

  "Noble service comes in many forms."

  "But we'll lose our gifts."

  "You're still great doctors," Wesley said. "You don't need supernatural powers to heal people."

  "Now it sounds like you don't want us to go through the aperture."

  Wesley kept his mouth shut. Smythe raised his eyebrows.

  Bethany came over. The metal skin on her skull reflected the lights brightly. Golden structures inside her black, translucent eyeballs were just visible.

  "Why are you standing around?" she said in her computerized voice. "Help us put the project back together!"

  "Yes, ma'am," Norbert said, "but first, I have a question for you. A few days ago, you told me our relationship would continue. We can still love each other after we go through the aperture."

  She nodded. "You can visit Leanna and me outside the universe anytime you want. We can even have a form of sex. Instantaneous travel will be one of your powers. You just have to think of a place, and you'll be there. Technically, you won't have a body at all. It will actually be a projection from a separate..."

  "You don't have to explain the technical details."

  "Don't spend too much time with the girls." Wesley winked. "You're supposed to be my guardian angel."

  Norbert looked back and forth between them. He realized he was getting exactly what he had always wanted: undying love and perpetual duty. Everybody's dreams were coming true today.

  * * *

  Ethel was studying the documents the team had stolen from Senator Forrest's safe.

  The many papers were laid out on the huge table in the conference room of the Washington headquarters. The table was made of polished granite, and it probably weighed several tons. Depictions of spears had been chiseled into the edge all the way around. The room was carved out of the bedrock beneath Washington, DC. Living stone walls had quartz veins and cracks. A shelf off to the side held all three hundred books of the tabella.

  Ethel pursed her lips as she worked. Most of the documents were property deeds. The senator owned real estate throughout the United States and Europe. The collection included everything from Scottish castles to New York apartment buildings to ranches in New Mexico. Many of the deeds hadn't been signed in the senator's name, but in those cases, there was an attached contract between the legal owner and Forrest. It was his land in all but name.

  Some of the papers were so old, they were almost too fragile to handle. Ethel saw dates on contracts going all the way back to the nineteenth century.

  "This guy is supposed to be around my age," she said, "but I'm getting the impression he's a lot older."

  "Maybe sucking out people's guts keeps him young," Tawni said.

  "That's possible. Let's get focused. We're looking for mountains."

  Boreas and Atalanta were also sifting through the documents. Some were written in French or German. Ethel knew a little French, so these were passed to her, but nobody knew German.

  "I think I found something, ma'am," Tawni said.

  Ethel came over to look. Tawni had found a document entitled "Appalachian Mountains Preservation and Heritage Founda
tion." It seemed to be a corporate charter for a nonprofit organization. Ethel held the document and examined the dense, legal terminology. It mentioned forms of income, tax exemptions, and the rules of election to the board of directors. The last page was a simple map of the property owned by the foundation.

  "Forty-two thousand acres," Ethel said. "That's a lot of land. It must be where the Fraternal Order is keeping Roy."

  "How are we supposed to search that much land?" Tawni said.

  Ethel made a sour face. "That's a good question. We'll have to use a helicopter. Even then, it will take a long time. The location won't be obvious from the air. There won't be a sign out front announcing 'President inside.' Still, this is a very valuable lead. Maybe Todd can do something with it."

  She jogged through headquarters at a pace faster than a normal person could run. She entered the computer room which had stations for two hackers. Each station consisted of a ring of computer monitors around a rotating chair. Wireless keyboards and mice were attached to the chairs. The actual computers were in tall racks against the back wall. Cables ran along the ceiling and dropped down to the monitors.

  Todd and Clare were at their stations working hard. Clare was the younger and less experienced hacker, and she rarely spoke unless asked a direct question. Her shirt was decorated with hearts and rainbows, and her skirt had pink polka dots.

  Todd was wearing sweatpants, flip-flops, and no shirt at all. The bright lights weren't kind to his deathly pale skin. His bald head gleamed like a cue ball.

  "Take a look at this." Ethel handed him the corporate charter.

  He studied it for a moment. "Do you think the President is on this property, ma'am?"

  "I'm almost certain of it. I'm planning to search for him with a helicopter."

  "Then I'll start creating a search pattern for you. Actually, I was about to get you. I have great news."

  "What?" she said.

  "We found the guy who gave the order to shoot down your plane, ma'am! He's a two-star general in the Air Force. He's in his office in the Pentagon. I really think you should have a 'conversation' with him right now."

  Ethel frowned. She needed to rescue Roy. She didn't have time for other errands, no matter how important they were. Unfortunately, nobody else could do the job. She and her team were the only legionnaires not in Chicago.

  "I'll make a deal with you. We'll go to the Pentagon to have that 'conversation' now. While we're gone, you work on this." She tapped the corporate charter in his hands. "I don't want to spend days flying back and forth over mountains. Use that big brain to figure out how we can find Roy in hours instead. Have an answer by the time we get back."

  "Yes, ma'am," Todd said.

  Ethel hurried off.

  * * *

  Ethel, Tawni, Boreas, and Atalanta were marching through the tiled hallways of the Pentagon. They had dressed for the occasion in the uniforms of Air Force officers. Ethel was a colonel, Boreas and Atalanta were majors, and Tawni was a captain.

  Ethel had been in the Pentagon before, but the size of the place still amazed her. It was built from five concentric rings, each in the shape of a pentagon. There were seven floors, two below ground and five above. Six million square feet of floor space made it the largest office building in the world. It was practically a city unto itself.

  The lack of windows was a little depressing though. Only senior officials enjoyed the privilege of seeing the outside world. The rest of the thirty thousand employees had to live without sunlight.

  The team arrived at the office of General Holt. Ethel opened the door and went inside.

  She entered a small waiting area. A lieutenant was seated behind a blue desk. There was a blue couch, a wooden chair, and a fake bush in the corner. Promotional posters celebrating the Air Force decorated the walls.

  The rest of the team entered. Tawni closed the door and locked it.

  "Is the general here?" Ethel said.

  "Yes, but..." the lieutenant said.

  Boreas stared at him. The officer fell off his chair, hit the floor, and remained still.

  Ethel went through the only other door.

  Holt was seated behind a wooden desk in front of a window. He was a skinny, old man. His patches of gray hair were neatly trimmed but otherwise pathetic. His skull was a little too large for the rest of his face, and his ears stuck out. An impressive block of colorful ribbons decorated his neat, blue uniform.

  Ethel drew her machetes from under her jacket, ran forward, jumped, flipped, and landed next to him.

  She pressed a blade against his throat. "Why did you shoot down my plane?" she growled.

  Ethel was wearing sunglasses. She took them off and let him look into her eyes. He shrank back in terror.

  "What plane?" Holt swallowed.

  "A black and gray B-1B Lancer was shot down yesterday morning by two Black Owl drones. The attack happened near Chicago. I was told you gave the order. Do you remember now?"

  "That's classified..."

  She shoved the desk out of the way, grabbed him by the hair, and threw him to the floor. She stomped on his guts. He squealed and curled up into a fetal position.

  "I'm a major general," he gasped. "This is the Pentagon. You'll never get away with this!"

  "I don't care if you're the King of England, and this is Buckingham Palace. You're going to talk. Tawni and Boreas, prepare him for interrogation."

  Ethel stepped back. Tawni came forward with a smile while black shadows swirled around her hands. She put her hand over Holt's mouth and sent shadows down his throat. He was instantly quiet.

  Boreas grabbed the general's right wrist and kicked his arm, snapping the elbow joint like a dry twig. Boreas broke his other three limbs as easily. Then Boreas dropped a knee on the general's ribs and crunched a few of those. Boreas nodded and backed off.

  Tawni let Holt take a few ragged breaths. When he began to yell, she silenced him again.

  Ethel put the tip of her machete against his throat. "That airplane was more than just a means of transport," she murmured. "It was my home in the sky. My loyal pilots were flying it. My brave warriors were onboard. That attack was aimed at me personally, and I'm not a forgiving woman. Not in the least. I'll ask you again. Why did you shoot it down?"

  Tawni pulled back her shadows so Holt could talk. He coughed, and it wasn't a healthy sound.

  "I won't reveal that information," he said finally.

  Ethel sighed.

  She put her machetes on the desk. She pulled out a knife and cut open Holt's shirt. His injuries made him unable to resist. She sliced his belly, but it was a very shallow cut and not dangerous. Blood oozed out. He moaned.

  "Tawni," she said, "send your shadows there."

  Tawni put her hand over the wound, and her shadows slipped into his guts. Holt's entire body clenched as her dark gift ravaged his organs. He was in so much pain he couldn't even scream. He could only flop on the ground like a fish out of water.

  "That sensation is the Lord's rage," Ethel said. "You have taken up arms against Him, and He is even less forgiving than me. There is no limit to the suffering you'll experience if you continue to resist. I will cut you apart and play your nerves like piano keys. I will destroy your body one millimeter at time. I will make you pray for final release. Now talk!"

  Tawni released Holt. He gasped with wide open eyes. Then he coughed again, long and loud, like he was dying. The wound on his belly had turned withered and gray.

  Finally, he said, "I didn't give the order. I'm just a mouthpiece. I sign the paperwork so my boss can stay out of sight."

  "And who is your boss?" Ethel said.

  Holt clenched his jaw.

  "Tawni, the testicles."

  "Yes, ma'am." Tawni unzipped his pants.

  "No!" he cried. "It's General Walker, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. He's the one you want. He calls the shots. Blame him for the attack on your plane."

  "Why are you loyal to him?" Ethel said.

  Hol
t coughed again. "He knows... things about me. He could ruin me. He could take away a lifetime of honor."

  "You clearly have little honor to lose. Tell me about him."

  "I can't. He's a cipher. He came to me a couple of months ago and told me he needed a high-ranking mole to relay his orders. Then he showed me pictures." He shuddered. "I had to do it. The reputations of me and my family were at stake."

  "You must be hiding quite a nasty little secret," she said. "I don't care. You didn't try to learn more about your blackmailer?"

  "I asked around, but the guy lives in his own world of secret agents and double-agents. I'm just an old-fashioned military man. I don't have access to those people. It was easier to just go along. I was planning on retiring in a month anyway. Besides, he seemed like a good, loyal American."

  "He's a cancer. Where do I find him?"

  Holt shook his head. "He disappeared six weeks ago. Officially, he took a leave of absence for personal reasons. Nobody knows where he is."

  "Then how does he communicate with you?" Ethel said.

  "I get phone calls from him, untraceable phone calls. He has some kind of private communications network. I wish I could help you. It's not like he's my friend."

  "You want him dead?"

  "That would be great," he said, "but I don't think it will happen. Busting up an old man like me is one thing. Getting to General Walker will be a hundred times harder. He has powerful friends. He can make bad things happen. He ran the Defense Intelligence Agency like his own personal kingdom. I still have no idea how he got his hands on a couple of Black Owls. Those things aren't even approved for field use."

  "I'll kill his powerful friends, too." She narrowed her eyes. "Tawni, finish him, and make it hurt."

  Tawni leaned over Holt and put her hands over his ears. She sent her shadows into his skull. His whole body shook as if he were having a seizure. He bit his lip so hard it bled. The torment went on for a full minute before he finally died. His eyes remained open and full of pain.

  Ethel took out her phone and called Aaron.

  "Todd told me you went off to interrogate a general," he said.

  "That's right, sir," she said. "It turned out he was just a lackey, but he gave me the name of the next guy up the food chain. General Walker, Defense Intelligence Agency. I'm guessing he's either one of the Pythagoreans or is good friends with them. He dropped out of sight six weeks ago. He won't be easy to find. Now, if you don't mind, I need to get back to saving my lover."