The Peregrine Omnibus Volume One

by Barry Reese

  “I hope you don’t think I’m going to let you get away,” Max hissed.

  Satan glanced skywards, where a dark bird-like shape was hurtling through the clouds, aiming directly towards them. The villain shoved the Peregrine away, acting surprisingly quickly. “I have bigger fish to fry at the moment, Peregrine—but I’m sure we’ll cross paths again soon.”

  The Peregrine saw it now: a solid black creature that looked like it was carved from pure shadow. The horror seemed to grow in size as it approached and a claw jerked out to grip Satan by the wrist, lifting him bodily into the air.

  The Peregrine drew his pistols, firing with unerring aim. The bullets tore through Doctor Satan’s cloak but did no real damage.

  As he was carried away by the monster he’d summoned, Doctor Satan laughed mockingly. “You’ll never be my match, Peregrine! The sooner you learn that, the better off we’ll both be!”

  Max cursed under his breath when Satan disappeared behind the clouds. He didn’t bother holstering his guns when Nathaniel and Rachel approached. “You know,” he began, “I was actually on your side.”

  Nathaniel sighed, looking a bit uneasy about the situation. He was a handsome young man, but his shaggy hair and the dark rings about his eyes made him look far older than he should have. “I’m sorry. I hope your… wife, was it?… wasn’t too badly hurt by what I did.”

  Max silently hoped for the same. As he pushed past them and began examining Evelyn for any new injuries, he asked “So… mind filling me in on what’s going on here? I have half the story but I’m sure there’s lots I’m missing out on.”

  Rachel spoke up, allowing Nathaniel to collect his thoughts. She told the Peregrine about the dangers in destroying the Un-Earth, about their conflicts with the strange triplets who belonged to Lamar Bane and their desires to end the entire affair by toppling Bane.

  The Peregrine, who lifted Evelyn into his arms, carried her out to his waiting car. With the others following, he mused aloud “You couldn’t have been the only one powering that thing… if you were, it shouldn’t still be functioning as well as it is. There have to be other living batteries out there. We need to find them. At least one, to start.”

  “I think I can do that,” Nathaniel said.

  “The Peregrine placed Evelyn on the back seat of the roadster, looking over at Catalyst. “You sure?”

  “No,” Nathaniel admitted. “But I think… I think I might just be able to do nearly anything, if I tried hard enough.”

  The Peregrine nodded towards the warehouse. “There will be more men coming, I guarantee it. We need to get out of here.”

  Rachel slid into the car, pulling Nathaniel in with her. “Let’s go, then. I can find them while you’re driving. And… thanks for agreeing to help us.”

  The Peregrine smiled at them both, his sincerity making Nathaniel feel even guiltier about his earlier actions. “It’s what I do.”

  “Why?”

  The Peregrine’s smile faltered at her question. Nathaniel recognized what he saw in the man’s eyes, for he had felt it often enough himself: it was raw pain at a never-to-be-forgotten memory. “My father was killed in front of me when I was 8 years old,” Max admitted, sharing more than he usually did with strangers… but knowing that they needed to trust him. “I swore then and there that I wouldn’t let anyone else suffer the way I did. My powers… well, it’s a little complicated. But even without them, I’d still do this. I’d still help people.”

  Catalyst was silent but he knew that he’d learned something valuable: that he could take the pain of what he’d lost and use it as a vehicle for self-improvement… rather than for useless hatred of those responsible.

  CHAPTER XI

  The Black Zeppelin

  Lamar Bane stood next to the young boy who was locked away in his battery tank, the youth’s mental energy serving as a gateway key between worlds. Bane felt no pity for the boy—he was a tool to be exploited and used. For a Jew like this young man, it was an honor to serve the Reich in some fashion.

  Theodora was nearby, talking with several Nazi scientists. Bane ignored her for the most part. Like the imprisoned youth, she was simply another tool in Bane’s arsenal. For the last decade, Bane had been a hardcore devotee of Hitler’s agenda… he had adopted the Fuehrer’s philosophy as his own. In the late 1930s Hitler had sent out the call for volunteers to become members of his new occult program, agents who would push the Nazi agenda around the world, sparring frequently with men and women such as the Peregrine, Dan Daring and the Domino Lady.

  Bane had been one of those volunteers. While Werner Richter had become the Grim Reaper and Kirsten Bauer had been trained as the Iron Maiden… but both of them had proven to be failures, in one sense or another. But Lamar Bane had become the Black Zeppelin… and he would be the one to bring the Fuehrer his ultimate victory: by controlling the Un-Earth, Hitler would become God.

  The Black Zeppelin now wore a black button-up shirt and dark jodhpurs. A long black cloak and a small mask that left his mouth and hair exposed completed the attire. His leather boots sounded loud against the floor as he moved out of the room and into an adjoining one. This base was in Cardiff, just a few miles from one of the housing units where all those refugees displaced from London during the Blitz were housed. Many of them, children mostly, were sent to stay with people in the countryside, but some of the unluckier ones were placed together in large open-interior buildings filled with cots. Bane had hated seeing London destroyed so—he still loved his homeland and wanted to see it flourish as a Nazi state—but he was also involved in the Un-Earth project and knew that the perfect, pristine London would live again on that world.

  The Zeppelin saw two men standing over a table, looking over photographs of dozens of men and women. The two men wore German military uniforms but they were physically very different. One was a portly man with thinning hair, in his late fifties. The other was young and firm, with blond hair and green eyes. They were Helmut and Johann, two of the military scientists associated with the Un-Earth project.

  “We have a problem,” Bane said, speaking in fluent German.

  His unexpected arrival made both men jump. They stood at attention, fully aware that despite the fact that they were both decorated officers and Bane was an English civilian, he had been given special powers as the Black Zeppelin and had the Fuehrer’s ear.

  “Herr Bane,” Helmut said, giving the traditional Heil Hitler salute. “We did not expect you so soon.”

  “Obviously,” the Black Zeppelin said, looking at the mess that lay on the various tables. “The prophecies seem to be true. The One is loose.”

  Johann tried to hide his disbelief but the Zeppelin saw it clear enough. “If you’re speaking about the London police officer who freed Rachel Winters… there’s no proof that he’s anything more than a powerful Gifted.”

  “He wears the uniform,” Bane pointed out. “In every century, one Gifted appears who wears some variation on it. Winters is wearing something that makes it clear she’s his chosen mate. We need to find them… bring them in and keep them drugged. Let them reproduce if possible… it could be the beginning of the true Aryan Ubermensch.”

  Helmut looked like he was giving the Zeppelin’s more credence than the younger man at his side. “Can Theodora find them?” he asked. “If so, we can mobilize a strike force and bring them back here, kicking and screaming.”

  On cue, Theodora Sturm entered the room. She regarded the two soldiers with thinly disguised disdain. She felt that most of those around the Zeppelin were beneath him and she hated that he had to drag himself through their slime. She loved and worshipped the Zeppelin, having offered him her body and soul. “I believe I can, gentlemen. But we have to prepare ourselves for the possibility that he has help.”

  “What do you mean?” Johann asked.

  The Black Zeppelin moved around the table, looking at a few photographs tacked on the wall. They showed a variety of well-known figures, all of whom were regarded as pot
ential enemies of the Reich. Some of them were known members of the Gifted, others only suspected. He tapped a photo showing a bird-masked man wearing a long overcoat. “The Peregrine.”

  That brought a look of surprise even from Theodora. She glanced back at Helmut and Johann, explaining “We had prepared a trap for Nathaniel Caine and Rachel Winters on Un-Earth but they were saved by a dimensional portal. We don’t believe that either of them opened the gateway—it was opened by someone on this side.” She stepped up next to the Zeppelin, lowering her voice. “What makes you suspect the Peregrine?”

  “A hunch, more than anything else. He was involved in both the Iron Maiden affair and the recent death of the Grim Reaper. It only makes sense for him to come after me next. He’s obviously moving up the food chain.”

  “If that were the case, there are others he would go after before he got to you. You’re the most powerful of the Fuehrer’s soldiers.”

  The Zeppelin smiled, sensing that Theodora was playing to his ego. “You should begin your attempts at finding Caine and Winters.” Theodora started to turn but was stopped by the Zeppelin’s hand on her arm. “I have faith in you, Theodora. Don’t let me down.”

  * * *

  The Black Zeppelin watched Theodora lean back against the wall, letting her head rest so that her eyes stared up at the ceiling. She was an attractive girl, with a shapely form and perpetually pouting lips, but there was something about her that kept her from being truly lovely. The Zeppelin thought it was the fawning need that shone constantly in her eyes. She desired Bane not only because he was attractive but because he was powerful… and that power made her feel special, in turn. She was a weak woman at the core, drawn like a moth to the flame.

  The Zeppelin saw her breathing slow as she slid into the active phase of her mental abilities. The Reich had early on decided to locate and tap into the many occultists that existed around the world. Those with telepathy or the capacity for magic were approached first but soon others were brought into the fold. Bane himself had no natural abilities but a series of painful treatments had left him with the power of silent flight, as well as dense flesh and the strength of three men.

  Theodora’s body began to thrash somewhat, as if she were having a seizure. Small cuts and bruises appeared on her flesh and Bane watched her with renewed interest. She was able to make contact with denizens from another plane, demonic things that none but she could see. They would reveal information to her but at an awful price… they did things to her spirit, a sort of astral rape that left her violated and afraid. But Bane kept pushing for more, knowing that the information she received was useful… and because he was secretly titillated by her agony.

  Theodora gasped aloud and staggered away from the wall, clutching at her chest. She panted and looked terrified, allowing the Zeppelin to pull her against him.

  “What did they tell you?” he pressed. “Where are they?”

  Theodora looked up at him and opened her mouth to speak. Her words were lost in a loud explosion that rocked the entire complex and sent men and women fleeing to safety as pieces of the ceiling collapsed all around them.

  “What the hell…?” Bane wondered aloud.

  Theodora clutched at his arm, bringing his face round to hers. “They’re here.”

  “What? He shouted, as the complex was rocked by a second explosion and the sound of gunfire now filled the air.

  “They’re here! The Peregrine and the others—they’re here!”

  CHAPTER XII

  Where Evil Dwells

  One hour before the attack in Cardiff, Evelyn Davies slowly came to. She was lying on the front seat of her husband’s car, her head resting against his leg. Max was steering the heavily modified vehicle through the city streets, while Nathaniel and Rachel sat in the back, talking softly to each other.

  Evelyn rubbed her eyes, the pain mostly having gone, but her vision left more than a bit blurry. “Where are we?” she asked, sitting up and looking around. When she saw Rachel looking back at her, she forced a wan smile and looked back at her husband.

  “Doctor Satan got away… and these two came through the rift. Nathaniel is that police officer’s friend.” The Peregrine glanced over his shoulder. “Nathaniel, Rachel… this is my wife, Evelyn.”

  After pleasantries were exchanged, Evelyn whispered to Max. “And we’re going where?”

  “No idea,” Max admitted. “I’ll let you know as soon as I figure it out. How are you feeling?”

  “Woozy. Everyone looks like I’m staring through water at them.”

  “When we get a moment, I’ll examine your eyes. I don’t think there’s going to be any permanent damage but I haven’t a clue as to what that powder was.”

  Evelyn nodded, looking out at London as it passed by. “I want to see that man punished, Max. I know I don’t usually go down the path of vengeance but this time… I won’t complain one bit when you brand Doctor Satan’s forehead and beat him to a pulp. He’s pure evil.”

  “I agree… but he’s remarkably slippery. It’s almost as if he made a deal with his namesake. Sold his soul in exchange for being impossible to catch.”

  Evelyn sighed. “Poor Ascott,” she said, mentioning their friend, who had spent more than a decade battling Doctor Satan throughout the world. “As much as Satan’s hurt us, just imagine the hell he’s put Ascott through.”

  “I hate to interrupt, but do you think we could have silence for Rachel?”

  Max looked back at Nathaniel, who had his arm around Rachel. The red haired beauty looked deep in concentration, staring forward into nothingness. Now and again her eyes seemed to glow and a small halo of light surrounded her head.

  “What is she trying to do?” Evelyn asked.

  “She’s a telepath,” Max answered. “She’s trying to find others like herself who are being used to power the Un-Earth. We need to bring this entire affair to a close and by finding where they have the others, we can get back on track.”

  Evelyn fell silent, watching as Rachel lost herself. The girl was reaching out with her mind, doing something different than what Max had tried earlier. Her spirit was not leaving her body… she was merely opening her mind so wide that she could sense others like herself. It was an incredibly daunting task but one that she was certain she could accomplish.

  Rachel tried not to think about what Satan had said… about her being Nathaniel’s chosen mate. It was a thrilling thought but scary, too. Despite how passionate they felt about each other and the intimate nature of their psychic link, it was all still so fresh…

  Suddenly, on the outermost periphery of her senses, Rachel felt contact. It was another mind like her own, tortured by the drain on their spirit but still burning brightly, like a newly dawning day. “I feel him,” she said aloud. “In Cardiff. I have the address. His name is Brian. He’s hurting. And… I think they’re preparing to open a gate. Someone’s going to be coming through from the other side soon.”

  “Bane,” Nathaniel said. “He’s coming through, looking for us.”

  Max pulled off the main road, taking them down a bumpy garden path. Nathaniel recognized the area as being one on the outskirts of the city, with many homes.

  “We have to get to Cardiff,” Rachel murmured, shaking her head to clear it.

  “I’m way ahead of you,” the Peregrine said. He stopped the car next to a plane that was parked in the center of a large clearing. He flipped a switch near the steering wheel, which sent a signal to the plane. A ramp lowered slowly from the rear of the plane and the Peregrine drove up into the belly of the air vehicle. “Welcome onboard the most sophisticated plane in existence. The quarters will be a bit cramped with the four of us onboard but I think we’ll all get by.”

  As the quartet stepped from the car, Nathaniel stared around in amazement. The plane seemed uniquely built for speed but as a non-pilot, he had no idea what he was looking at. Somehow, he doubted that most airmen would have, either. “How did you get this into the country without being shot d
own? There would have been a dozen air raid sirens going off when you flew over London!”

  “I’m good at hiding,” was the Peregrine’s only reply. He moved to the cockpit and settled in, starting up the pre-flight sequence. He was just about finished and ready to start the engines when Evelyn touched his shoulder.

  “We have a problem,” she said in the tone of one who just had the rug pulled out from under them.

  The Peregrine looked out the window and saw Doctor Satan standing in the grass before them. His red cloak was pulled tight around his arms as they were crossed over his chest.

  Satan smiled and began to speak, his words mystically carried into the Peregrine’s plane. “I realize you’re about to go and save the world again but I simply have to say… you’re beginning to annoy me. Let’s stop the silly games and put our cards on the table, shall we?”

  The Peregrine stood up, facing his foe through the viewport. He let his fingers linger near the Knife of Elohim, sheathed at his waist. The golden dagger had once been bathed in the blood of Christ and dealt especially harsh damage to demonic entities. The Peregrine wondered what it would to do the man before him. “Go on.”

  “If I haven’t made it clear before… I plan to kill you and your entire family if you don’t stay out of my way.” Satan opened his arms, spreading his hands in a gesture of mocking sincerity. “I don’t want to have to do that. I’m not fool enough to expect you to join me and conquer the world at my side, though I’d welcome you if you chose to do so…” Satan shrugged as if he knew what the response within the plane would be. “Instead, I offer you this one chance: swear to leave me and my people alone and I’ll do the same for you. Refuse… and I’ll bathe in the blood of your wife and son.”