by Barry Reese
Lycos stood in the front room of the house, watching the airfield from the window. “There’s no need for such preparations. We’re ready now.”
“But…”
Lycos raised his left hand, gesturing dramatically. A cloud of thick gray smoke momentarily appeared in his palm, swirling like a miniature hurricane. “Do you know what this is?”
“No,” Smitty replied, a cold chill running down the length of his spine.
“It’s the Gasping Death. I made it. I carry it inside me now and I can project it outwards whenever I want.”
“How are you able to do that stuff?” Smitty asked, hoping that it would prove to be some new invention of the professor’s. Somehow he knew that wouldn’t be the case… but the thought of magic, for that’s what it appeared to be, was almost too much for the crook’s fragile mind to bear.
“I’m not the same man I was before,” Lycos said. “I have new friends now. Powerful friends. And they’ve promised me even more power if I kill the man who’s traveling with the Moon Man. So we’re not going to run away, Smitty. We’re going to wait for the Peregrine to show himself and then we’re going to kill him.”
“So this isn’t about the money anymore?”
The professor laughed coldly. “No. It’s not about the money anymore.” He looked over at Smitty, his eyes narrowing to dark points behind his mask. “Is that a problem?”
“Of course not, boss. Not at all.”
Lycos whipped his head around, sniffing at the air. “They’re here.”
“But I didn’t hear anything…”
“That’s because there’s nothing to hear, simpleton!” Lycos strode towards the interior of the house. “Keep them busy, Smitty. If you get lucky and manage to kill one of them, there’ll be a bonus for you!”
Smitty watched his master retreat from the scene, swallowing hard to choke down the fear that now gripped him. He couldn’t betray the professor—not if he wanted to live—but he harbored doubts about his ability to hold off the Moon Man and the Peregrine. He drew a small automatic from the interior of his jacket and checked the number of bullets it held. I shoulda listened to my momma, he mused, and became a furniture mover like Uncle Sal.
* * *
“Amazing vehicle,” Steve said as he stepped out of the Peregrine’s specially modified roadster. “It purrs like a kitten!”
“Makes it easy to sneak up on my enemies,” the Peregrine agreed. “If you like, I’ll do some work on your own car and give it the same abilities. You’ll be able to get a hundred miles to a gallon, too.”
“Incredible,” the Moon Man murmured. He was glad that his face was hidden behind the Argus glass because he was feeling woefully out of his depth. The Peregrine was a master of several disciplines… Reign in the low self-esteem, he reminded himself. You’re a highly decorated police officer and you’re marrying the most beautiful girl in Great City. You have plenty to be proud of.
The Moon Man put up a hand to stop Angel in his tracks. “I want you to stay with the car,” the Moon Man said. He’d held off on giving his friends this last order because he’d known what the reaction was going to be. Before Angel could bluster out a response, Steve leaned closer and whispered, “If something happens to me, I want you to look out for Sue.”
Angel hesitated, warring between his natural desire to take part in the conflict and his loyalty to Steve. Finally, he relented, muttering under his breath. He moved to stand on the other side of the vehicle, trying in vain to look like he wasn’t disappointed.
Evelyn and Max were a few feet away, looking over the debris-strewn airfield. Evelyn reached up to make sure that her own mask was still in place. “When we get a chance, love, I need to speak to you about something.”
“What is it?”
“Now’s not the time.” Evelyn gave him a soft smile that made Max’s heart skip a beat. “Trust me. It’s nothing terrible.”
The Peregrine accepted her words at face value. He did trust her… with all his heart. “Too bad McKenzie’s not here,” he said, changing the subject. “He’d love this.”
Evelyn laughed, thinking about their enthusiastic friend back home. “Next time, we’ll make sure he comes along.”
The Moon Man’s approach made the young lovers pause. Though the Argus Glass, the vigilante said “I think we should get a move on.”
The Peregrine murmured an agreement, leading his wife and his new friend through the shadows. A house, boarded up and showing no signs of recent use, lay a short distance away. The trio had reached it in no time, splitting up so that the Peregrine ascended the front steps while his partners each went to a separate side of the house to check for a means inside. To Max’s surprise, the front door swung open at his approach. Keeping his voice low, he barked “Forget about sneaking around back! The door’s open!”
The Moon Man peered around the side of the house. “A trap?” he hissed.
“No doubt,” Max answered. “But if they’ve worked this hard to set something up, we shouldn’t keep them waiting.” As soon as the others were at his side, the Peregrine entered the building, prepared for the worst.
CHAPTER XVI
The Devil’s Snare
“Look out!” the Moon Man yelled as the trio stepped into the foyer. The Peregrine looked around quickly, spotting a gunman peering around the corner of the next room. The fellow fired his revolver at Evelyn, but the nimble actress threw herself to the side as soon as the Moon Man had spoken. The gun blast narrowly missed her, tearing a chunk out of the front door instead.
The Peregrine sprang into action. He jumped for their attacker, knocking the man to the floor and sending his pistol flying away. The Peregrine backhanded the gunman harshly, eliciting a cry of pain from the man. “Where’s Lycos?” the Peregrine demanded.
“Upstairs,” Smitty coughed. “Please… I thought we were just in it for the cash! But he’s changed and… I don’t want any part of this anymore!”
The Moon Man stepped forward, holding out a pair of police issue handcuffs. “I’ll truss him up,” he offered. “You two go on ahead and I’ll catch up.”
Evelyn followed her husband up the stairs, glancing around in confusion. “What do you think that meant? ‘He’s changed.’”
“I talked to my father,” Max answered. “He said that Lycos had become a servant of Nyarlathotep. He also told me I wouldn’t be seeing him again.”
“What? My god, Max, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Max whispered, but the words lacked conviction. He was sorry, too.
Sounds of movement up ahead made them both pause and the Peregrine gestured for her to arm her own pistol. Like his, it was modified so that it could unleash a steady torrent of bullets without need of reloading.
From inside one of the bedrooms a voice rang out. Its tone was taunting and full of scorn. “Mr. Davies. That is you, isn’t it? You’ve become quite the nuisance as of late. My employer says you’ve taken to sticking your nose into situations that do not concern you… and I quite agree. Great City was going to be mine—and then you had to take a vacation!”
The Peregrine paused outside the door and then spun inside, scanning quickly for his opponent. He directed his gun at the professor, who stood calmly in the center of the room. He wore a brown trench coat and a gas mask that hid his face. Tendrils of gas moved about the professor’s legs and arms, coiling about his limbs like trained snakes.
The room contained only a small cot and one open window, but the place smelled like a tomb. Something about the place made Max’s hand ache terribly.
“You shouldn’t have listened to Nyarlathotep, Lycos.” Max glanced at Evelyn, who moved to stand near him. “You’ll never be anything to him except a tool, one to be used and discarded at his whim!”
“That’s a chance I’ll have to take, Mr. Davies. You see, not all of us are lucky enough to have a private fortune, a beautiful wife and heavenly powers. Some of us have lost things… opportunities, our appearance, even our soul! A
ll Nyarlathotep did was give me the power that should have been mine to begin with!” To prove his point, the madman pointed both hands at his enemies. The Gasping Death solution that roiled about him was like a living thing and it responded to his command. The gas rocketed through the air, wrapping around both the Peregrine and Evelyn’s heads. They wore small breathing devices that were pushed high into their nostrils but the demonic gas seemed to push and pull at the plugs, hoping to gain access to their victims’ lungs.
Evelyn tried to ignore the cloud enveloping her. She squinted and made out the slim form of Lycos, walking towards them with obvious glee. She kicked her leg high, catching the villain under the chin with the heel of her foot. The blow caught him off-guards and he tumbled backwards, his head smashing against the wall. The living gas broke off its attack in confusion, no longer having the professor’s consciousness directing it.
The Peregrine moved forward, trying to capitalize on his wife’s success. He grabbed hold of the professor’s gas mask, hoping to pull him to the floor, but the aged leather straps gave way and the mask tumbled free in the hero’s hand.
The Moon Man entered just as Lycos’ face came into view. The professor’s face was misshapen and almost inhuman. His nose had been pushed to the side so that the left nostril appeared to have melted into the skin of his face. The bottom of his chin had partially sloughed away, leaving white to shine through. The man’s eyes were the worst, though: they appeared to be popping out of their sockets, each fleshy orb looked heavily bloodshot and crazed.
“Good lord,” the Moon Man gasped.
His words caught the professor’s attention, for the villain suddenly threw his hands up over his face and staggered back. “Stop looking at me!” Lycos screeched. Evelyn tried to grab hold of the flailing arms, but Lycos knocked her hands away. He lost his footing and careened towards the open window. Before any of the heroes could reach him, the professor had tumbled out into space. He screamed as he flew through the air, landing hard in the grass below. From the way his neck tilted dangerously to one side, the Peregrine knew that one thing was certain: Professor Lycos and the Gasping Death were threats no more.
CHAPTER XVII
Final Battle!
“Great City’s a nice place, but I wouldn’t want to live here.” Evelyn squeezed her husband’s hand as they sat together in the back of the First United Church of God. Stephen Thatcher looked handsome and proper in his tuxedo, standing at the front of the church. Angel was there, serving as his best man, but Gill McEwen was the one who caught Evelyn’s eye. The father of the bride looked proud as could be, even as he handed off his daughter’s hand to his future son-in-law.
“I agree. I’m looking to getting back,” Max murmured. “Heard from McKenzie. Says he wants me to look into a new mystery back in Atlanta.”
“Wonderful,” Evelyn said, cracking a grin.
“You know… you never told me what it was you wanted to talk about before we fought Lycos.”
“Oh…” Evelyn paused, wondering if now would be the right time to bring it up. She elected to do so, keeping in mind how busy they both were. Who knew when they’d have the opportunity to really talk things through? As everyone in the church watched the long-awaited wedding, she leaned close to her husband and said, “Well, you and I are going to be pare—”
Max stood up, his face a mask of fury. “Evelyn. Wait here.”
“But…”
Max moved towards the rear of the church, stepping out into the late afternoon light. He hated to run out on Evelyn when she was obviously telling him something important but he’d been expecting something like this… his father had said a final battle was coming with Nyarlathotep and yet the ancient killer hadn’t been present during the confrontation with Lycos.
But here he was now, having walked through the back of the church before leaving again, making sure that Max had seen him.
Nyarlathotep was crossing the street and Max followed, keeping pace even when the Dark Man entered an alley and began ascending a fire escape. When Max joined the villain on the rooftop facing the church, he yelled “Is this going to be the end? Because I’m sick and tired of chasing you and your pawns across the globe!”
Nyarlathotep smiled coldly. “Yes. This is an ending… of a sort. You see, there are cycles to all things. For the past few years, the barriers between the worlds of life and death have been thinning… I tried to take advantage of this so that my masters might rise again. But now I see that there is something at work here… something empowering the champions of humanity. There are too many of you now, too many fighting against the encroachment of darkness.”
“So you’re just giving up?”
“Our agents will always be present, Mr. Davies.” The swarthy-faced man smiled coldly, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. “Rest assured you will have plenty to keep you busy. But as for myself… no, the time has come for me to rest.”
Just like my father, Max thought. Some of the spiritual powers are going into hibernation… but for how long?
“You will live a long time, my friend. My gift to you will make sure of that.” Nyarlathotep gestured towards the Peregrine’s hand. “You will outlive everyone you love… and you will see the rise of a darkness that you will scarcely comprehend.”
“Sounds like a lot of talk to me.” The Peregrine reached into his suit jacket and retrieved his golden dagger. It gleamed in the afternoon sun. “I assume we’re going to fight?”
“Oh, yes.” Nyarlathotep laughed heartily. “One last tussle between us… before I go to sleep. And when I awaken, I’ll hunt down your heirs and kill them, one by one. I curse you and your line, Mr. Davies. You shall know only madness and despair.”
The Peregrine didn’t bother replying. He moved forward, slashing and cutting with the blade, while his opponent parried with his claws. Blood ran freely from both combatants, as each moved so quickly that they appeared to each other as blurs.
When Nyarlathotep tried to rip open the Peregrine’s stomach, the vigilante spun out of the way and struck home with his golden dagger. The blade dug deep into the villain’s neck, sending a red gush of fluid into the air. Nyarlathotep put a hand over the wound, trying to staunch the bleeding, but to no avail. He stumbled backwards a few steps, trying to speak, but his words were lost in the burbling of fluid.
The Peregrine paused before performing the final stroke. Was there truth to the words of this monster? Would his family really be cursed from here on? Doesn’t matter, he thought to himself. I can’t worry about what might come down the line. All I can concentrate on is doing the right thing when I can.
A burst of clarity came to him, then… and he wondered if his father had felt the same way, when he’d made the decision to transform Max into what would eventually become the Peregrine. Don’t worry about the future… Worry about what’s right and wrong—right now.
Carrying those thoughts in his head, the Peregrine struck again and again, each blow of his blade leaving behind more wet red flesh in the body of Nyarlathotep. When the messenger of the chaos gods finally collapsed, the Peregrine crouched over him, panting hard. The demon stared up into the Peregrine’s eyes and his lips, stained red with his life’s blood, mouthed words that seemed to sear themselves straight into the Peregrine’s brain. Though they seemed to make little sense to him, they would never be forgotten: When the good is swallowed by the dark, there the Peregrine shall plant his Mark!”
A sudden hissing sound made the Peregrine fall back from the corpse. Heat was rising from the dead man’s heart and before Max’s frightened eyes, the clothing covering the skin there blackened and burned away. Pushing up from beneath the flesh was a lump of metal, one shaped like the Peregrine silhouette that Max used on his trademark playing cards. Max reached out tentatively, plucking it up with careful fingers. It was small enough to be set atop a ring, making it an excellent stamp or brand. An idea ran through Max’s head then… a way of harshly punishing criminals without killing them as he once h
ad. And it fit very well with whatever nonsense Nyarlathotep had said at the very end… Plenty of time to think about that, he mused. He rose to a standing position, casting one last glance at the entity before him.
“Whenever you come back,” Max whispered, “I’ll be waiting for you.”
* * *
That evening Max and Evelyn sat side-by-side in a private train car, heading back towards Atlanta. Saying goodbye to the Moon Man and his new bride had been somewhat bittersweet, but Max felt certain that Great City was being left in good hands.
Evelyn sat staring out the window, her lips drawn tight.
“Something bothering you?” Max asked, wincing as he moved his left shoulder. Nyarlathotep had scratched him badly there and the wound was seemingly prone to infection.
“You didn’t even bother asking me to finish what I’d started telling you back at the church.”
“Oh.” Max leaned back in his seat, waiting for Evelyn to turn and face him. When she didn’t, he asked softly “What were you going to tell me?”
“I’m pregnant.”
Max didn’t speak for a moment, lost as he was in the full meaning of her words. When at last he found his voice, he said “I’m going to spoil that child rotten.”
Evelyn turned then, her eyes alight.
The Peregrine’s Nest was about to get a bit more crowded.
THE END
THE BLACK MASS
An adventure starring the Peregrine
By Barry Reese
—::—
They called it the Black Mass Barrier. No one really knew where the name came from or what it truly meant… but the media seemed to agree that it fit. The Barrier was a cloud of darkness that enveloped the Earth, casting it into eternal twilight and giving the daylight skies an odd pink cast. Even worse were the changes you couldn’t see right away: the spreading of magic, subtle and dangerous, into every corner of humanity. Creatures from myth appeared in full bloom, walking side by side with the citizens of the world. 2006 was the dawn of a new age, one that had become almost commonplace only a few years later… when heroes were reawakened.
