by T. G. Ayer
Maybe it was for the best. What would they have been able to do anyway, two people against an unseen enemy?
Just as blackness began to claim her, something nudged hard against her elbow. Grabbing for it, her fingers sank deep into a bristly carpet.
More flotsam from the yacht?
She grabbed hold as it rose, lifting her higher.
Not wreckage. An animal.
Though Allegra was blind in the water, she knew it was Xales, come to save her.
The boar lifted her to the surface where she spent a few moments, coughing up water, Xenia frantic beside her.
Allegra wasn’t sure what had frightened her friend more. The fact that Allegra had almost drowned, or that she’d been saved by a giant boar.
“Allegra? What in Apollo's name is that?” Xenia shivered and pointed her slim finger, a cracked nail hanging by a strip of bloody skin.
“I’ll explain later. Grab on tight. He’s going to get us to safety.”
Xenia hesitated, staring in horror at the creature who seemed to float serenely while the girls were in danger of being swallowed whole by the black sea.
“Zee,” Allegra screamed.
Xenia blinked, stared at Allegra, then grabbed onto Xales's side.
The girls held onto each other, shivering, trying to share their own dwindling warmth, as well as absorb some of Xales’s body heat. What seemed like forever later, they crawled up onto the beach, completely exhausted.
They lay against the wet sand shivering, relieved, and in shock.
Allegra was in the middle of a fit of coughing when a voice whispered in her mind. Female again, but a different voice entirely.
“Stay out of the water, my child. The seas are unfavorable to your quest.”
Then the voice was gone, lost in the roar of the waves.
Allegra frowned, lifting her head to look out at the dark roiling ocean. A strange light glowed from beneath the surface and a low rumbling echoed deep into her bones.
“What in Apollo’s name is that?” asked Xenia, through chattering teeth.
Allegra shook her head. She didn’t want to voice the truth. She knew exactly what it meant.
It was a threat. Stay out of the sea.
Stay out or die.
Chapter 20
Allegra closed the blinds that looked out onto her drive, suppressing a soft sigh.
After the near-drowning incident, Max had insisted on placing guards around the property, claiming that until FAPA ascertained the cause of the sinking of Xenia’s yacht, they had to regard it as an attempt on Allegra’s life.
Little did they know that it probably was.
But not by anyone that they could possibly keep her safe from. What power could mere human guards pit against the ill-will of a god?
Everyone knew that Poseidon's wrath rose from the depths of the oceans, culminating in tsunamis and volcanic eruptions and deep-sea earthquakes that rocked countries all over the world.
Death, destruction and mayhem in the wake of a god who saw humanity as a curse on the Earth. Until now, Allegra had always thought such fears were foolish superstition based on a dire lack of education.
Now, she knew better.
The guards had positioned themselves discreetly around her home. Max had taken up residence within the house, insisting he needed to ensure her safety more than ever. Allegra hadn’t had the energy, or the inclination, to deny him.
She envied Xenia, who’d simply hired a top-notch security company to provide her with around-the-clock protection. The Silanyos had taken the destruction of the Qurux in their stride, and Xenia had calmly narrated a story of insurance payouts and a hunt for a new, and bigger, yacht.
Captain Flecht’s death weighed heavily on both girls though, and Allegra made a note to ask if he’d left family behind.
Being that close to death would certainly put things into perspective for anyone. More so for Allegra, considering the responsibility she bore on her shoulders.
The door shut as Max finally left the house. Allegra had managed to convince him to go out and buy groceries for lunch. They had plenty of additional mouths to feed.
She had no intention of starving the men who were protecting her, even though Max had declared it wasn’t her problem what, or when, they ate.
Allegra returned to the computer and browsed through the elektroweb while the machine continued its humming. The constant noise and vibration against the table had given her a mild headache, but she forced herself to ignore it as she researched the histories of the previous Pythias.
One article she found had claimed that the Pythias could sometimes hear the voices of their predecessors, dispensing advice.
Another hinted at mystic links to the Pythias of the past. Both claims were considered to have been debunked, but Allegra sat back and gave the idea careful consideration.
She’d heard voices twice now, and they had been undeniably female.
Was that who she’d heard when she’d been submerged in her pool? And when she’d escaped the fury of the ocean?
Had they been the voices of her ancestors?
She closed her eyes. “Help me,” she whispered, leaving her computer and closing her eyes wearily as she leaned against the window. “How do I do this?”
Not that she truly expected a response, but Allegra was disappointed when no voices came to her.
Shutting the computer down, Allegra paced restlessly before deciding fresh air was in order. She moved slowly through the silent house. She’d forgone her music these past few days. Even the classical symphonies she loved couldn’t help calm her tumultuous thoughts.
Allegra entered the back garden and nodded at the shadow that was one of her guards. The roses were blooming so beautifully this time of year, and she’d been shamefully neglecting them.
Allegra grabbed a set of pruning-shears from the basket on the patio and strolled along, snipping off a few deadheads, picking off dried leaves.
A row of red and orange roses had been planted near the cliff’s edge. Her mother had complained they were too close and were a danger, but Allegra’s father had laughed her worries off and insisted the bushes were barrier enough.
As Allegra bent to prune the first one, the sound of someone crashing through the tree-line had her spinning around, shears at the ready.
Four armed men, dressed head-to-toe in black, faces masked, dashed across the garden. One shot at the guard stationed near the edge of the garden, and Allegra’s stomach twinged as she heard her protector hit the ground.
A second intruder headed straight for Allegra, while the third pointed a machine gun at the guard in the bushes beside her. They’d come so fast the FAPA agent hadn’t had time to raise his own, smaller weapon.
The thug heading for Allegra reached for her waist but she feinted right, kicking hard at his shin. He howled as a loud crack echoed across the garden. Allegra sped off toward the house, but a second thug crashed into her, taking her down.
They hit the ground hard but Allegra rolled over and was on her feet within seconds. Her martial arts training had not been for naught.
Jujitsu, Capoeira and Jeet Kun Do. Three of the most effective forms of martial arts known to the modern world.
She was as light as a cat on her feet as she spun and kicked. But her size was, and always had been, her disadvantage and since there were three brutes left who were intent on taking her down, she had no illusions about her odds.
One thug grabbed at her and Allegra saw her opening. She landed a solid kick to his balls, taking him down in a squealing mess, but it didn’t last. A second thug shoved her to the ground and pressed his knee between her shoulders. His weight held her down and there was nothing she could do but struggle.
It seemed like it was all hopeless, when Xales finally decided to show up.
Hoofbeats resounded on the ground and then her captor went flying across the garden. The boar hadn’t done more than stun the thug, because the man landed and rolled and was on his f
eet, his beady eyes staring through the slit in his mask. His confused expression told Allegra he was wondering what had hit him.
When he caught sight of the huge boar at Allegra's side, he took a wary step back. Xales then ran at the thug who was holding a gun on the bodyguard, taking him down within seconds. The guard finally pulled his gun free and began to shoot.
The thugs left in a mass exodus of blood, broken bones and bullet wounds. As much as her guards wished to follow the attackers, they chose instead to stay with Allegra.
In her opinion, it was a mistake since she had Xales for protection, but they must have had strict orders because they refused to leave her.
Just as she entered the kitchen, Max walked through the front door, bags bulging with shopping weighing both his hands down. He took one look at Allegra’s face and dropped the groceries on the counter, running to her side.
“Are you okay? What happened?”
When Allegra gave him a quick rundown he grunted. “I knew I shouldn't have left you alone.”
“What could you have done against a band of armed thugs?” asked Allegra. “I only escaped because I had Xales with me.”
Max shook his head and grabbed the phone, calling the attack in and requesting reinforcements.
Ignacio Felix, the security detail team leader entered the house with a wallet one of the thugs had dropped during the attack. “Definitely unprofessional to have his identification on him. Rachel managed to grab it while they fought. At least she was thinking smart.” He handed the wallet to Max who relayed the information to headquarters. Max waited while they searched the man’s details then rang off.
At last, he said, “He’s a local thug-for-hire.”
“Which explains his stupidity.” Ignacio's voice was cold.
Max grunted, then glanced at Allegra. She’d taken a seat by the window. Xales had disappeared and her heartbeat had at last returned to normal.
“The local police are on their way. It’s their jurisdiction, so let's just let them do their thing and keep the details to a minimum. As far as they need to know, we’re just protecting Allegra because we heard chatter that implied she was on a target-list for abduction.”
Ignacio nodded and left to take up his post again.
Allegra didn’t speak. She watched in silence as Max made himself at home in her kitchen and prepared beef patties, got the grill out on the patio fired and proceeded to serve them with freshly barbecued burgers.
There were no complaints, either about the menu or to the quality of the meal.
Chapter 21
Lord Langcourt could barely contain his fury. “What do you mean you failed?”
“I apologize, my Lord. Everything went according to plan. We were well prepared, my Lord.”
“If you were so well prepared then why did you fail?” Langcourt spat the words out, his fingers gripping the phone so tight he could hear his knuckles pop.
“It was the boar, my Lord,” whined his agent. What was his name again . . . Pedro or something. Not that it mattered. Failures had no future in their organization.
“A boar?” Langcourt spoke so softly that the agent would have barely heard him.
The Pythia’s familiar had arrived. So it was confirmed that the girl was the new Pythia. Langcourt slammed his fist into the wall beside him.
“Indeed, a boar, my Lord. A giant boar appearing out of nowhere, standing up on its hind legs for Hades' sake. I was sure the men were hallucinating, but they all swore to it.”
Langcourt smiled, all teeth, no humor. “Don’t worry. Sit tight. I’m sending a specialist out to direct your next attempt.” Langcourt was already paging through his Rolodex. “He knows a way to deal with such creatures.”
Langcourt stabbed the cradle to disconnect the call, then pressed the button for his secretary. Roquefort answered a second later. “Get in here.”
He dropped the phone and began to pace in front of the window. When Roquefort entered Langcourt faced the taller man, to see a grin spreading across his face.
“Good news, my Lord?”
“Yes and no, my boy. We were on the right trail after all. The team in Las Suertes came close to capturing the one and only Pythia in the world, only to be foiled by her familiar. Eternal wealth may be the reward of success and no mangy animal, no matter how ancient or sacred, is going to stop us.”
Langcourt shook his fist, making Roquefort flinch, though the man remained where he stood.
His master paid little attention. “Call Citizen Norris immediately. We have need of his expertise.”
Roquefort quit the room leaving Langcourt alone to enjoy the thrill of the chase.
They were so close.
He’d have the Pythia at all costs.
Whatever it took.
Chapter 22
After leaving her to recuperate for a few hours, Max suggested Allegra attempt the trance again. They were going to run out of time if her visions didn’t reveal something helpful very soon.
She was sitting out in the sunshine, enjoying the view of the ocean. After her near-drowning yesterday she’d been a little pre-occupied—not surprising considering her life seemed to be in permanent jeopardy these days.
The attacker this morning had made things even worse and Max had asked if she was having second thoughts.
If she were, how could he blame her?
But none of them could afford to waste time feeling sorry for themselves. Despite his facade of unaffected calm, Allegra’s confirmation that Max too would suffer an agonizing death from this epidemic must have hit him hard.
He’d shrugged it off, probably reluctant to reveal his shock, and no doubt determined not to upset Allegra.
But facing the confirmation of one’s death must be trying, and Allegra hoped that the sudden distance he’d put between them would only be temporary.
She looked away from the view and smiled at him as he walked out onto the patio, the sun blazing down on his dark head. “If you want to try the trance, I’m ready when you are.”
Max nodded and paused beside her. “Here or inside?”
“Under the shade if you don’t mind. I’d prefer not to get burned in the sun if we go on too long.” She got off the chair and headed to the covered patio, taking a seat on one of the loungers.
While she settled, Max disappeared inside, returning quickly with his auto-quill - one that came with an inbuilt well of ink - and notebook. He placed them on a small stone table beside the lounger and sat beside Allegra.
Reaching out, he placed his fingers on her temples and repeated the process he’d used at the Apollo temple. Once again, she fell into a trance with ease.
Allegra inhaled slowly and blinked, staring at her patio, at the sea before her. Everything had lost color, the view composed entirely of shades of gray.
Max’s voice filtered through to her and he began to run through random questions that made no sense to her, about robberies and assassination attempts, even a bar-fight gone wrong.
Just as Allegra was beginning to grow tired of what sounded like unrelated, inane questions, Max asked, “Will the pathogen arise spontaneously?”
Allegra felt a bubbling of energy within her and she nodded.
“From natural causes?”
Another nod.
Max paused. “Will the disease arise in Brittania?”
No.
“Latin Continent?”
Allegra shook her head this time.
“Now we’re getting something.” Max leaned closer. “What about-"
But before he could voice the question, the doorbell rang, pulling Allegra out of her trance in an instant. Her ears rang, pain licking at her eardrums as she blinked against the noon sunlight.
Max looked disappointed but they both knew what had happened the last time. He wasn’t about to pressure Allegra for a second trance.
She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or frustrated.
Chapter 23
Max grabbed his cellphone from his case,
while Allegra went to answer the door. He often wished the phone wasn’t as heavy as a damned gold brick, or as large as a milk carton. But he shouldn’t complain.
Only his position as head of a governmental department allowed him to use the device when he was out on missions. It was more than the normal population had.
The general answered on the third ring. “Maximus. What do you have for me?”
Max bristled at the question. It made it sound as if the general had a personal stake in Allegra’s visions. “Sir, we’ve made progress. The Pythia has confirmed that the pathogen will not arise within the New Germanic States.”
The general took a breath. “Excellent, Maximus.” Max was dismayed at his superior’s reaction. Before Max could respond, the General said, “This means I can authorize the Bioweapons Program to be resumed, effective immediately. The other partners to the agreement will still remain in suspension, so it gives us a comfortable head start.”
“Sir.” Max shook his head as he attempted to respond but the general didn’t allow him to get a word in.
“Vissarion. The time is ripe for you to make your move.”
“Make my move, Sir?”
“Your mission, Vissarion. Convince the Pythia that she needs to remain loyal to us. Seduce her. Tie her to you, body, mind and heart. I care little what you do, how you go about it, just that you do whatever it takes to ensure the girl remains loyal to the States and nobody else. The quickest route will be to satisfy her in bed, whatever kinks she may prefer. I trust you’ll be up to the challenge.”
Maximus could hardly believe his ears. This took crudeness to a new level. With effort, he kept his voice calm. “Sir. I don’t believe I can come up with anything more counterproductive than that.”
The general grunted, but only paused for a second. “You have your orders, Vissarion.” There was a dangerous edge to his voice.
Tread lightly, Maximus.
But Max refused to be used. “I apologize, Sir. But I’ll be damned before I whore myself out as a means to an end that would only benefit the government and FAPA.”
