by J. C. Diem
Violet’s scowl deepened. “Believe it or not, I’ve been in a sewer on my world, too.”
“The experience doesn’t improve with repetition,” Nat said gravely and the kid actually cracked a smile. Maybe she wasn’t that bad after all. She was beginning to grow on Nat a little.
At Natalie’s command, vampires split off each time they came to a new tunnel. They worked their way beneath Vegas until they formed a rough circle around the Glitter Strip. While the vamps were small in number, their strength, speed and ferocity would make up for it. Human soldiers were currently moving into position. The zombies would also be taking part in the battle. Mark had expanded on his plan to attack from two sides. They now had enough troops to surround their enemies. If the Grimgorg hadn’t been magic users, this battle would have been almost too easy. Unfortunately, they would have to contend with their sorcery.
Violet was keeping track of the time to make sure they didn’t move in too early. Sound carried in the sewers and the vampires had excellent hearing. They would all hear her when she gave the signal. Standing beneath the manhole Nat had chosen, she counted down the seconds until it was time for them to act. “Move out!” she yelled.
All through the sewers, the undead surged up rusty ladders. Manhole covers were stealthily shifted aside and they slipped out into the open. Moving like silent death, they converged on the heart of Vegas.
Violet stayed close to Nat as they ran swiftly through the streets towards their destination. The heat was being sucked out of the ground and the air was fairly cool. Winter was coming, but they would be long gone before it arrived.
Boots squelching noisily, they were the only ones who made any noise. Violet made a sound of disgust and stopped. “I have to empty my boots,” she said. “There’s something floating around in there and I’m afraid it might be nasty.”
Nat hated to delay, but she nodded her agreement. Seeing a hose in a nearby yard, she vaulted over the low fence and pulled her boots off. Wrinkling her nose at the brown liquid that poured out of them, she quickly washed her pants, feet and boots. The water didn’t do her leather pants any favors, but it was better than being stinky.
Violet was relieved when the stub of a cigar fell out of her boot when she upended it. “Whew,” she said. “I was worried it was a tampon.”
Nat sniggered and handed her the hose. “It looks like this is your lucky day.”
Violet felt a lot better when she put her boots back on. They still squelched when she ran, but at least they were clean now. She wished she had the talent to magically clean and repair her clothing, but it was a skill she lacked in this dimension.
They were nearing the casinos when a shadow appeared right in front of them. Violet called on her axe, but Nat put out her hand to stop her from swinging it. “It’s just Zeus,” she said quietly.
Violet patted the Rottweiler on the head. “Did Lexi send you after us to watch our backs?” she asked.
The dog wagged his stumpy tail in response, then turned towards the sounds of humans who were screaming in panic. He growled low in his throat and it sounded hollow and strange. He was looking forward to this battle just as much as they were. They were finally going to see him in action and something told Violet it was going to be memorable.
~~~
Chapter Thirty-Nine
~~~ Lexi’s World ~~~
Getting his bearings, Mark spied a large group of soldiers standing near the dome only a short distance away. He crossed to the man in charge with Ava, Elijah and their undead escorts following him.
In his early sixties, the colonel’s face was set with purpose. He raked his eyes over the six people who had just appeared from out of nowhere. Noting Mark’s dark suit, starched white shirt and neat haircut, he zeroed in on him. “Agent Steel?” he said and offered his hand. “I’m Colonel Ortiz.”
Mark nodded and shook with him. “I’m glad to meet you, Colonel.” He didn’t waste any time and got straight to the point. “Are your men in position?”
“We’re ready when you are,” the colonel confirmed. He examined the agent’s companions and did a double-take when he realized three of them weren’t breathing. He’d been warned that zombies would be playing a part in this war. Seeing them up close was unexpectedly creepy.
“This is Ava and Elijah,” Mark said. The undead who had accompanied them were agents who had died long ago. He didn’t know their names and they didn’t seem to care that he didn’t ask. “Elijah is a warlock. He will be creating the breaches in the dome.”
Ortiz nodded his understanding and gestured at the two thousand or so troops who were lined up behind him. “I have twelve groups this size waiting to infiltrate Vegas, with more men arriving soon. The streets are clogged with vehicles, so we’re going in on foot to get as close as we can. When everyone is in position, we’re going to hit these Grimgorg aliens hard.”
His soldiers carried riot shields, but they probably weren’t going to be very effective against magic. Each trooper was decked out with assault rifles. The little green invaders could die just as easily from a bullet as a human could. They would hopefully be decimated quickly beneath a barrage of gunfire.
Almost as if reading his mind, one of the zombies spoke. “More Grimgorg have just appeared in Las Vegas.” His voice was bland and his eyes were expressionless as he relayed the message that had come from Lexi. She was most likely looking through one of her spy’s eyes right now.
“How many more?” Mark asked.
“There seem to be over a hundred thousand invaders now.”
The colonel swore beneath his breath at the zombie’s reply, but he was committed to this mission. Knowing he and his men would most likely die, Ortiz gestured at the terrified wizard. “Time is wasting. Once you’ve made a hole in the dome, one of my men will take you to the next group of soldiers.”
“That will not be necessary,” Elijah’s zombie said tonelessly. “I will escort the warlock to each destination.”
Elijah wasn’t happy at the prospect of being carried beneath the soil so many times, but he didn’t voice his fears. Instead, he concentrated on the spells that were interwoven together to create the magical silver barrier. He made a hole large enough for several men to run through side by side. It would be easier for him to maintain smaller breaches. Ortiz nodded his approval and Elijah turned to Mark and Ava. “I guess I’ll see you when this is all over.”
Mark clapped the warlock on the shoulder. “That you will.” He wanted to reiterate how important it was to get all the soldiers inside the city, but Elijah knew what was at stake here. The fact that he’d left the safety of their headquarters proved he was committed to helping them. Turning to the zombie, Elijah grimaced even before they sank into the ground.
Each time Elijah created a new breach in the dome, the colonel’s men reported in. In less time than they’d expected, all twelve holes had been created. Ortiz spoke into his radio, giving the order they’d all been waiting for. “Move in.” Stealth was important, so he spoke quietly rather than bellowing. They needed to be as close to the action as they could get before they engaged their enemies.
Mark, Ava and their two zombies trotted behind Ortiz. The colonel didn’t speak much as they made their way towards the Glitter Strip. Most of the humans had been rounded up by now. Only a few hundred thousand were left uncaptured. Homes and buildings had been searched and the occupants had been ousted. They’d been sent through portals to other worlds and rescuing them wasn’t going to be a possibility.
Sensing Mark’s anguish, Ava took his hand. She couldn’t read his mind, but she knew he was feeling for the civilians who had been collared and kidnapped. Those poor people were lost and his task was to destroy the threat before another city could be attacked.
They maintained a fast jog until they heard terrified, pleading humans and harsh alien voices. When they were a few blocks from the center of Vegas, a group of twelve Grimgorg warriors turned the corner just ahead. At Ortiz’s signal, six of his men d
ropped to their knees and shouldered rifles that had suppressors. All twelve invaders went down with barely any sound when the men opened fire.
Impressed with their efficiency, Mark still wished his team was with him. The Shifter Squad were even more skilled than these men. If they’d been dealing with anyone other than Loki, either Philip or Lexi would have been the ones to shoot their enemies down. Both father and daughter were talented enough to have been able to decimate the entire gaggle of Grimgorg by themselves.
They eliminated several more small groups of aliens before they reached the area where their enemies had congregated. Peering through binoculars, Mark found Loki standing near one of the opulent casinos. He was surrounded by thousands of shapeshifters of all descriptions. The Asgardian was peering around, clearly searching for danger. One of his wereleopards stiffened as she picked up a scent. Her head turned until she was staring directly at the soldiers.
“They know we’re here,” Ortiz said as he watched through his own binoculars. His men had reported in that most of them were in position. He couldn’t wait for the last two groups to arrive. They needed to begin the assault now. “Open fire!” he barked into his radio.
Ava winced and covered her ears when gunfire erupted. Mark drew her aside as Grimgorg shamans immediately retaliated. They sent fire, ice, wind and other magic their way.
Mark didn’t need to order Lexi to send in her zombies. She was watching through her lone minion who stood on a rooftop and she knew the moment had come to act. She’d ordered her army of zombies to wait just beneath the soil underneath the shifters. At her mental command, they went into action.
~~~
Chapter Forty
~~~ Alpha World ~~~
Loki spent most of the day roaming around Dallas as he checked on the progress his allies were making towards capturing the humans. A sense of unease began to rise inside him by late afternoon. Since the droids, robots and Grimgorg soldiers had things under control, he left them to it.
When he returned to the penthouse, he instinctively knew Bianca was gone even before he opened the door. The place was ominously quiet. Although his spell to lock the door had still been in place, she’d somehow managed to disappear. He expected Fate to materialize and berate him for losing his charge, but she remained absent.
Drawing on the link he’d created between them with his magic, he couldn’t sense Bianca anywhere in the immediate area. He left the building and began searching for the errant girl. Feeling a faint tug deep inside, he followed it on foot until he came to what appeared to be a sports arena.
A wide set of doors stood open as if they were waiting for him. Knowing better than to accept the obvious invitation, he wandered around the building. Finding a small door that had a sign that said ‘Staff Only’, he used his magic to unlock it, then entered.
He found himself in a long hallway and sensed a large number of humans hunkering inside the rooms as he quietly made his way through the corridors. Finding a set of stairs, he climbed up to the top until he came to an exit. He cloaked himself in shadow and cautiously stepped outside.
From here, he had a perfect view of the platform that had been hastily erected in the middle of the grassy stadium. A pole stood in the center of the stage. A lone female stood on the platform with her back to the pole. His eyesight was sharp enough to recognize Bianca and their link confirmed it.
His instincts told him that this was a trap. The only question was whether Bianca was in on it or not. She stood with her head bowed and her shoulders slumped. Was her distress due to guilt, or terror? There was only one way to find out. He made his way down to the bottom ring of stairs, then vaulted over a chain link fence to the grass below.
Bianca saw movement from the corner of her eye and lifted her head. She watched in silence as Loki gracefully sauntered towards her. His expression was serene rather than enraged as he climbed the stairs and came to a stop in front of her.
“I thought I told you to stay in the apartment,” he chided her in a falsely jolly tone.
His serenity was just a sham. Up this close, she could see he was furious and she flinched back from his accusing eyes. “You have to know this is a trap,” she said.
“I am well aware,” he replied. “And it is a very poor one at that.” He sneered at the humans that he could sense in the shadows of the stadium. They undoubtedly had the platform under surveillance. They would surely move in for the kill shortly. “Do they really think they can destroy me?”
“They’re going to try,” she said bleakly. Unfortunately, she was going to be a casualty in whatever their plan was.
“Why do they not fire their puny weapons at me?” Loki asked. He turned in a circle, waiting for the soldiers to spring out of hiding and unleash a barrage of bullets and missiles at them.
Hearing a beeping sound beneath their feet, understanding dawned on them both. Loki glanced down at the boards where explosives were hidden and went into action. Using magic to increase his speed, he tore open the plastic ties that bound Bianca to the pole. He swung her into his arms and sprinted to safety a moment before the small stage exploded.
Bianca expected to be blown to bits and instead found herself cradled in Loki’s arms a safe distance away from the wreckage. He cloaked them in illusion and they watched as orange fire billowed towards the sky. The sun had set and the flames and smoke rapidly drew the Viltarans to investigate.
Loki smiled in satisfaction when he heard the inhuman roars of Uldar and his kin as they converged on the stadium. He set Bianca on her feet, but he kept a tight hold of her wrist. He wasn’t about to let her slip away from him again.
Bianca was still shaking at how close she’d just come to dying. Loki’s expression was stern when she glanced at his face. He ignored her as the Viltarans raced through the open doors and burst into the rooms where the humans were hiding. Soldiers spilled out onto the field and were pursued by Uldar and his kin. Their guns were zapped to nothingness by bright violet rays from the aliens’ strange weapons. They were then shot with yellow darts that turned them into the very creatures they’d been determined to destroy.
Turning his back on the clones and their hideous masters, Loki dragged Bianca after him. She had to trot to keep up with his longer stride as he strode back to the penthouse. She avoided his eyes and shakily made her way to the kitchen to make coffee.
His gaze strayed to the dining table and the two untouched mugs of coffee. It was damning evidence that someone else had been inside the apartment. There were no signs of a struggle, so that could mean only one thing. “Did you willingly accompany the soldiers to the arena?” he asked her accusingly.
Closing her eyes, Bianca didn’t want to answer him. He grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. His hands dug into her flesh and she bit back a moan of pain.
“Answer me!” he commanded.
“They didn’t have to drag me away in chains,” she said, which was as good as admitting she’d been a willing accomplice. Her eyes had turned green, which he was certain meant she was afraid.
“I’d forgotten how treacherous humans could be,” he said, staring over her head. “You’re rather like me in that respect.” He looked down and caught her in his stare. “Did you know that they were going to kill you along with me?”
“No,” she replied. “But I’d willingly sacrifice my life if it meant I could save humanity from being enslaved by you.”
Her admission stunned him and he took a step back. Unaccountably hurt that she would rather die than see him rule, rage swelled inside him and he forgot about Fate’s warning. “If you value your life so little, then consider it forfeited,” he said tightly.
Anger emanated from the demi-god in waves and Bianca was sure he was going to kill her. She closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see the end coming. His hand clamped around her wrist and she staggered when he dragged her along behind him. Opening her eyes, she didn’t try to fight him as he left the building again.
Finding the closes
t transport ship, Loki shoved Bianca towards a group of her fellow humans. They were already wearing collars and were placidly waiting to be taken to the mothership. “Have a pleasant life on whichever planet the Viltarans send you to, Bianca Caldwell,” he said with a sarcastic wave as she was prodded forward by a Grimgorg soldier.
Turning on his heel, he returned to the penthouse. He crossed to the balcony and watched as the ship that carried Bianca zoomed upwards and out of sight. He waited for Fate to appear, but the apartment remained empty.
Pacing around the living room, he was restless and he didn’t know why. He was thirsty, so he entered the kitchen and painstakingly added coffee beans and water to the coffee machine. He turned to see the telltale mugs still sitting on the dining table and rage flared again. Reaching the table in a few long strides, he snatched up one of the mugs and hurled it at the wall. It shattered, splashing cold coffee all over the wall and pristine carpet.
He should have expected Bianca to turn against him. Yet he was surprised by how much it stung that she had. He’d done his best to keep her safe, yet she’d willingly allowed herself to be used as bait so the soldiers could attempt to kill him.
The red light came on the machine, advising him that the coffee was ready. He filled a mug, added cream and sugar, then considered throwing the mug at the wall again. Fighting for control, he sat on the couch, turned on the TV and calmly sipped the hot liquid.
A news story came on and he relived the explosion in the arena that had been meant to eradicate him. A chilly smile settled on his mouth when the news presenter lamented the failed attempt to destroy him and to save their country. They’d done their best and they now realized that they were doomed to serve him. Usually, the thought would have brought him some cheer. This time, he was left feeling strangely empty and alone.
