Hammer of the Gods

by B. D. MacCallum

Martin fired a series of grenades into two small groups, giving Thor a fighting chance in case the boy made it out of the car alive. He rushed for the castle door, slicing the throats of two more men without slowing; wishing Thor was at his side for a bet that he could find Sorina before the last body fell. He was Superman, after all!

  He found Sorina moving down the servant’s stairs, struggling with one of Vince’s men. Cleaver girl! He fired into the man’s forehead, then swept her up, and continued on her original path without stopping. By the way she clung onto his neck with both arms, strangling the life out of him, she must’ve sensed it was him come to save her. Who else would be rushing through this place at the speed of sound?

  Part of him wondered what this experience was doing to him at a molecular level; people weren’t meant to move this fast. And what happens after three minutes and forty-three seconds? Then he saw Ton and Jerry ahead of him in the corridor, whacking each other with oversized wooden mallets, and suddenly the effects on his mid became more important. Happy, fucking thoughts!

  Martin had no idea why, but he envisioned Thor Odinsson making it out of the car, and kicking the shit out of that goddamned monster. Then he laughed out loud. Now, that’s a fucking happy-ass thought!

  The kitchen was empty, but going out the back door wasn’t an option now that everyone was headed south. He ran through the hall past the dining room, his steps not nearly as sure as they had been minutes before. He hoped his strength held out long enough to get them to safety. That steak he wished for was turning into a side of beef.

  Sorina was slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and he was running across the courtyard with the last of his energy. He stumbled twice, nearly dumping Sorina to the ground, gritted his teeth, forcing memories of Sarah Ramsey – the first girl he kissed. He tried to remember everything about that night, under the bleachers during the homecoming game. He’d start screaming like a little girl, if he thought it would help. It would probably make matters worse!

  Behind him, the night sky was lit up like the Fourth of July, but he dared not take the time to see how Thor was fairing, he was having his own problems. He raised his rifle, surprised at the amount of strength it took, fired several running-shots into the two men rushing down the stairs from the top of the wall. He almost dropped Sorina a third time climbing over the twisted gate, cursing his failing energy. Maybe he should’ve eaten more cannoli; he cleared the gate with ease just moments before.

  Nwabudike and the others were on the other side of the gate, rushing – He guessed rushing, it was difficult to tell anything at this point – toward him. Martin nearly collapsed as he set Sorina onto her feet. I was wrong, he thought, glancing at the glowing sky over the wall, there’s still one more to save!

  Martin turned, willing himself to move faster. The tank was empty, ad he was running on fumes, but his body obeyed. Those deep-blue eyes of Bryndis flooded into his thought, forcing a smile to his face. It seemed a crazy thought, but he suddenly had the urge to sing. Before he realized what he was doing, the words from Higher and Higher flowed from his lips. Because, if Jackie Wilson couldn’t lift your heart from the deepest pit, nothing could!

  Though he could never do justice to the late-great sinner, the words continued to fill the night air, and he smiled uncontrollably. He cleared the ruined gate for the last time, fired at more men, emptying one magazine after another as headed for the burning car at the center of it all.

  I am superman! He told himself, smiling. “Your love…”

  Chapter 46

  Relying on a Dog’s Wisdom

  Nwabudike Adeyemi crept through the field of tall grass on his belly, covered head to toe in a thick, thatched sniper-cover. He was a blade of grass among many blades; the only difference, he moved, undetected, closer and closer to the castle’s defensive wall.

  The thought had crossed his mind – a half-mile back – that whoever occupied the castle at the moment, may have their own surveillance satellite, and he and his men may be slowly crawling into an ambush. There was nothing to indicate that was the case, beyond Nwabudike’s natural paranoia. Bonchance had already made it to the wall, scaled it, ad reported virtually no activity: an odd thing for a group of men currently within the monster’s hunting-ground.

  That may be part of their trap as well: giving the illusion that they were not expecting an attack. They had managed to destroy a base and kill an entire company, so, they were not complete fools.

  Mio Cane crouched low, pinning his ears back to his skull, and Nwabudike froze in his tracks, not moving a hair. They had been following the dog’s lead for some time, and, so far, it paid off. Twice, the dog pointed out a pack of wolves that come out of nowhere, nothing that could not have been easily taken care of, but it would have definitely drawn unwanted attention.

  This time, Mio bared his teeth, emitting a low, guttural growl that told Nwabudike something far worse than a pack of wolves grew closer. The captain scanned the darkness, seeing only the old fortress looming in the night.

  Nwabudike reached out a hand, stroking the dog behind the ears. “Easy, boy, it’s alright,” he whispered into the dog’s ear. The dog shifted, putting himself between Nwabudike and whatever was out there in the darkness; though Nwabudike had the sneaking suspicion it was the beast, come to kill them all.

  Nwabudike chided himself. This was definitely the most foolish thing he had ever done; crawling across a field, full moon as bright as the morning sun, and following a dog. I think I’m ready for one of those retirement homes. I’ve obviously lost my mind!

  Signal flares shot into the sky from the south east side of the castle. The way they shot off one after another, the creature was approaching very fast, and did not care who knew. Thor’s plan seemed to be working too well!

  Nwabudike checked his watch. 8:49. You’ve proven yourself one-hell-of-a-man, Thor Odinsson!

  “They are all moving to the southern wall,” Bonchance’s voice said through his earpiece.

  “Do we move now?” Abiodun asked.

  “No,” Nwabudike answered quickly.

  It was going to be a very long two minutes; the gunfire was relentless, the sounds of grenades and rockets grew more frequent, and there were the screams… lots of screams. So, what was his team’s role in this mess, kill anyone trying to flee? If so, what happens after the monster finishes off the men inside? The beast won’t care which side of this little side-war we’re on; only that we aren’t on his!

  The unmistakable sound of an armor-piercing grenade exploding nearby made Nwabudike jump, and the iron-gate shook with a sudden shudder; a second strike left it in a ruined heap of twisted metal, and a large section crashed to the ground. It was difficult to tell, but Nwabudike swore he saw something moving toward them at unbelievable speed in the rising dust cloud. Nwabudike raised his rifle, prepared to fire at whatever it was.

  Then he saw Mio rushing forward, panting and wagging his tail furiously.

  “Hold your fire!” Nwabudike shouted.

  The blur stopped, and Bryndis Angantýrsdóttir was there, Mio nearly tackling her to the ground.

  If that were not enough to make Nwabudike’s jaw drop open, Martin LeMay was next to her, just a second, then he disappeared in the streak that headed back through the gate.

  Nwabudike checked his watch. 8:51 on the dot.

  “Maurice, get her out of here,” Nwabudike said. “Don’t stop until you cross the river.” He shed his cumbersome suit; it had served its purpose. Now came the time of reckoning. The man Mikki referred to as “The Ferry Man” thought of that chestnut-haired girl as he glared at the wall, making a silent vow to help as many of the enemy as could cross to the other side… free of charge! “The rest of you, with me!” He darted for the gate as fast as he could, his men fanning out in a well-practiced column; promising death to all in their path.

  Nwabudike kept a keen eye on the ruined gate. He wasn’t sure exactly why, but he knew he’d be seeing Martin LeMay rushing back through; this tim
e with Sorina Lazarovici.

  You do have a great deal of your grandfather in you, as well, Thor Odinsson!

  * * *

  Else Obermeijer was tired of flying around like a prepubescent- school girl, twiddling her thumbs, while the others were in danger; it went against every fiber of her being. The goddamned creature was bearing down on the castle like a runaway freight train, and there had to be something she could do to help.

  Nwabudike Adeyemi and his men were creeping up to the castle wall at a snail’s pace. They would make to the wall… just in time. How the hell were they getting in without being seen? Bonchance had made it, but he was a single man, and he had to sneak around like a thief to avoid capture.

  She had no idea how Thor’s plan worked, only that he gave strict instructions not to jump the gun. She wondered if the creature got that memo; it was moving faster than her first boyfriend’s hands down her pants. Else had the feeling this creature wouldn’t be satisfied with a hand job, the way Gunther was.

  She checked the time. 8:49. I’ll be damned if Thor hadn’t timed this out – almost to the second – but the creature was going to be early!

  Don’t jump the gun! Else gritted her teeth, and continued to monitor the goddamned thing’s movement. Her trigger-finger was itching like mad. It was growing more and more difficult to just sit by and do nothing. Surely Thor would understand if she fired a few missiles Fenrir’s way, just to slow the damned thing down.

  The wall’s gate erupted into a ball of flames, spewing shrapnel far and wide; another fireball a split second later blew the thing off its mounts. Oh, god, Thor! How the hell did you manage that, you glorious hurensohn!

  Signal flares announced the beast arrival, seconds before it cleared the wall with ease, tearing into those men on the ground like chew toys. She could send a flurry of missals down, even if it meant putting those worthless men out of their misery; the last thing in the world she wished to do at the moment.

  Else shook with fury. Bryndis and Sorina are down there! And I’m just supposed to let them die?

  Nwabudike and his men were rushing toward the gate. Two figures were moving toward the river; Else focused the image better. The one with the rifle was doing his best to drag the other – a woman – to safety. The woman pushed with both hands on Nwabudike’s man, knocking him to the ground and trailed behind Nwabudike. That has to be Bryndis! But how the hell did she get there?

  Else banked the helicopter around for a better look. Sorina had to be down there, somewhere. The cursed beast fought its way to the courtyard with ease, tearing into the men firing rifles into its flesh. Good luck with that, we’ve done that and more. The beast pounced on two men fleeing their posts, ripping one in half with its claws and biting the head off the other, while Else frantically search for Sorina.

  8:50: almost time to rain-down death; and everything seemed to be falling apart!

  Men started to swarm to the south wall, firing at the monster that was cutting through their ranks with incredible ease. Several appeared to encircle the Fenrir, firing blasts at the beast, trying to force it into the giant cage in the center of the courtyard, and still the monster killed men like they were a mere nuisance.

  Men rushed from the stable bearing long catchpoles. Oh God, these fools really are trying to catch the thing! The beast tore through most of them in a single swipe, like a combine through a wheat field. Then it lunged at a small group, flinging one man like a doll, and ripping into another man’s throat of the only man with enough sense to have a grenade launcher. He still didn’t have enough sense to run when he had the chance, though.

  “Oh my God!” she gasped, seeing Ann speeding directly for the beast. She screamed with horror as the grenade fired into the car, flipping it end over end in a fireball that crashed into the castle wall. Her heart sank; it was doubtful Thor survived the blast, let alone the crash.

  The creature continued its murderous rampage, and several grenades tore through two groups of men, helping the monster’s cause. These men really were inept soldiers. How the hell did they take the base in Durrës?

  Nwabudike and his men came to an abrupt stop, and another seemed to suddenly appear from nowhere. Sorina!” Else shouted with joy. At least most of Thor’s plan worked. But this was far from over; she was armed to the teeth, and she was going to use every one of them on Fenrir.

  Nwabudike and his began to rush the gate, chasing after something that moved faster than anything she’d ever seen before. This night just keeps getting stranger by the second!

  She banked the Blackhawk hard, arming the missiles and bringing the mini-gun online, a wicked smile covering her face. “Come dance with me.” Shadow dancer emerged from the clouds, ready to unleash Hell.

  8:51!

  Else pointed the nose of the Blackhawk at the ground, her finger poised over the trigger.

  “It’s alright,” she whispered. “Mama’s here to help you sleep.”

  She only hoped not to need her own medicine to sleep, when this was over.

  Chapter 47

  She That Has Tamed the Dragon

  Thor was back in Lynn Beck’s Boston apartment, lying on a sweat-soaked sheet, gasping for breath. He felt as though he had run a marathon… Hel, two; back to back, carrying a Sherman tank on his shoulders every inch of the way. The song Fire and ice played softly on the radio. He brought himself to one elbow, despite the massive protests from his spinning head.

  Lynn stood in front of the window, the street lights below shimmering off her sweat-sheened body. A trickle of sweat glided down between her shoulder blades to her perfect ass, down her shapely leg, and pooled on the floor at her foot.

  She trembled, her arms straining to keep her from falling as she held tightly onto the windowsill. The window glass reflected her well-rounded breasts heaving as she gasped for breath, shaking from hours of exertion.

  Slowly she turned, the woman whom his lust for had been all-consuming, her bright-blue eyes locked onto his, as if peering into his soul. Could she see deep regret? Did she sense the stabbing pain ripping the heart from his chest?

  A slim hand swept damp blonde hair from her face; that beautiful face that made him forget something so important. She smiled, but nothing like he had ever seen before. There was neither tenderness, nor warmth, only a cruel mocking.

  “Tell me, Thor,” she said in that musical voice that rivaled songbirds. “Was I worth it?”

  Thor sat quietly on the edge of the bed. He had been asking himself that for years.

  He thought he traced everything that had gone wrong in his life to this one night. He was right… and he was wrong.

  If not for his being here, who knows what may have become of him, where he would be, what – and whom – would be in his life. Life was good, despite the hurt and pain. He had friends as close as any family could be. Chelsea had provided proof of an afterlife. He met the love of his life. Most importantly, he broke a thousand year cycle, and now knew how to end all the suffering.

  What happens next will be linked to this single night, as well. It was also linked to the thousand nights before this one, and the thousand after. His life was not the creation of a single night, but the culmination of every miniscule event from birth to the present. He told Martin LeMay he was not responsible for Mikki’s death. It was about time his listened to his own advice, when it came to Chelsea’s death.

  He rose from the bed, crossed the room, then cupped Lynn’s chin in his hand. “He kissed her tenderly on the lips. “Yes… you were worth every minute… Goodbye, Lynn.”

  The blonde woman’s smile was warm and tender. “It took you long enough. Goodbye, Thor.”

  She faded from view. Then there was a bright flash of fiery light.

  Thor rolled along the ground, for what seemed an hour, crashing into the wooden wall of the laundry, splintering boards with his spine. It may just have been the other way around, judging by the wave of pain washing over him. He tentatively wiggled his fingers and toes, surprised when th
ey moved. At least, his spine was intact. As for anything else, only time would tell.

  Every bone, muscle, and joint was on fire. He ached deep inside, as if something that had struggled to hold him together snapped under the strain, and was burning away to ashes. He struggled to breathe, spitting blood, and praying it was from gash in his lip or the several loose teeth he could move with his tongue. The sharp pain in his chest, however, told him a broken rib may have punctured a lung. In which case, this entire journey was for naught; he was going to be dead long before he reached the goddamned beast.

  He forced himself to his knees, trying to clear the cobwebs from his brain, and tears from his eyes. Focusing on any one thing was near impossible with the spots floating before his eyes like a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors. Blood trickled down his chin at a steady pace, the droplets spattering as they collided with the hard-packed soil.

  He stared at the slow chaos around him, his vision returning slowly, wondering how Martin had coped with his own moment of great power. He did well, I know he did!

  Thor rose to his feet, wincing in pain. Half of his shirt was gone, the rest hung in tatters from his neck and one shoulder. He freed the useless strip of cotton with a yank, flinging it aside. Cuts and scrapes covered his torso, soaking the waistband of his trousers in blood, more oozed from the long tear down the length of his right leg.

  He was surrounded by death; men were dead and dying, all in vain. He could hear the low-pitched rumble of gunfire and screams, see the excruciatingly long, bright flashes erupting from dozens of rifle muzzles. How any of them hoped to survive was utter foolishness?

  At the center of it all, Hróðvitnir writhed in his glory, bathing himself in their blood. Thor knew the beast would lay into these men with a vengeance, believing them to be Thor’s private army. At least, that part of the plan lived up to Thor’s expectations, if a little too well. Not that it upsets me, mind you. I was just hoping for a distraction, not to have my car shot out from under me, that’s all.