“Would you like me to relay your words to him?” said Onyx.
Marks paused and became subdued.
“My apologies, I am letting the situation get the best of me. Please deliver your message.”
“My master has met with some, complications. It would greatly facilitate your mutual goals if you managed to debilitate the wards further,” said Onyx.
“How am I supposed to do that? The knowledge of the wards has been lost for centuries,” said Marks.
“You have a repository of knowledge here, an archive? I would start there,” said Onyx.
“Wait, are you saying he needs help?” Marks’s mind began to turn. There was an advantage to be had here.
“I think help is a strong word. The choice is yours after all. You can do as instructed or wait and do nothing,” said Onyx.
Marks knew what the outcome would be if he chose to do nothing.
“I will find a way to weaken the wards,” said Marks.
“I think that is the right choice,” said Onyx.
Onyx stood to leave and paused. He picked off some of the lint from his suit. “Overseer, don’t underestimate this hunter. She has powerful allies. Powerful enough to inconvenience my master. The measure of an enemy can be seen in who stands with them in times of adversity,” said Onyx as he left the office.
*********
“How are we going to get into Home? The place is a fortress,” said Cade. They were in a conference room with blueprints spread out across the table.
“Two things help us. One, the place is huge, so getting in past certain areas shouldn’t be too hard. Two, it’s the last place they would expect us to be,” said Gan.
“That doesn’t sound easy,” said Sepia.” It doesn’t help that I’m blacklisted.”
“Home isn’t the problem, it’s the Archives,” said Gan. He turned one of the pages over and began to trace a line.
“What’s that?” said Sepia.
“This is an old, unused sewer line. It was shut down when this wing was erected because the foundation cut right into it.”
Sepia looked down and traced the line with her finger. The line led from the Home main structure to deep within the park.
“This line goes into the park pretty deep,” she said. She looked to see if there were any other options and found none.
Cade put his finger on the blueprints and followed another line out.
“How about this one? It leads out to a large flat area not too far from Home.” Gan looked down at the blueprints and shook his head.
“That won’t work. That flat area is now a lake,” said Gan.
“I don’t like it, Gan. This puts us in a bad situation if we get spotted in the park,” said Sepia.
“I know, but we don’t have a choice. That is the only way in and out.”
“How many are we taking in with us?” said Cade.
“It’s going to be us. A small team has a better chance with this,” said Gan.
We have to approach from the park,” said Cade.
“I’m not looking forward to going in there again,” said Sepia. Gan grew quiet and she realized he was thinking of Calisto.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to,” she said.
“I know and it’s okay. I’m going to call in some favors and see if we can get dropped in,” said Gan.
Sepia looked at Cade. “Dropped in, into the park?” she said.
“It’s the safest way in,” said Gan.
“This sounds crazy. Hell, if I’m going to die, this would be the way to go,” said Cade.
He had a wide grin on his face as he left the conference room headed for the armory. Sepia began to look at the blueprints again and taking notes.
“What are you doing?” said Gan. He peered over her shoulder at the notes.
“Making sure I know these tunnels. Last thing I want is to get lost while some Nightmare is chasing me from the park.”
“Make sure Cade knows them too,” said Gan.
“How soon are we leaving?” asked Sepia.
“You have a few hours still. We need to get out there by nightfall. Try and get some rest before we leave,” said Gan.
“Because doing this during the day would be too safe?”
“Because doing this during the day would get us killed, if the Sisters are looking for us.”
“You never said how we were getting into the Archives --what is the security down there?”
“Leave that to me, I’ll get us in. You’ll get us out,” said Gan.
**********
Marks called in Benson to his office.
“How much of the Archives are on the network?” said Marks.
“All of it, sir,” said Benson. Marks sighed with relief. This is going to be easier than I thought.
“I need information on the wards, how they function and why,” said Marks.
“That information is going to be a little harder to get, sir.”
“You just told me all of the Archives are on the network.”
“I know, but that only applies to the last hundred years. The wards are several hundred years old.” I should have known that. Ignorance is weakness. I must not appear weak, thought Marks.
“Is there a way to access the information remotely?” said Marks.
“No, that information is sealed away and pretty old. To access that will require going down into the Archives,” said Benson.
Marks cursed under his breath.
“How soon can I go there?” said Marks.
“The Archive locks are on timers. No one can open them before they are set to open and I mean no one. The door down there makes a bank vault look like a screen door,” said Benson.
“When are they set to open Benson?” His ignorance of this matter made him feel off balance.
“They are set to open every night, sir, at midnight, about two hours from now.”
“Is there any special clearance required, or do I have to call Regional?” I really hope that isn’t necessary.
“Only to access the most dangerous places do you need Regional to be informed, then they send one of their people if the request is made. We won’t need that for the Antiquities section. Besides, you’re an Overseer, sir. You can go there anytime you like,” said Benson.
“How do you know all of this, Benson? This isn’t in the Order agent training,” said Marks.
“I try to learn everything about the Order, and it was also my post before I was promoted to field work, sir,” said Benson. This one has ambition. I will have to keep my eye on him and keep him close, thought Marks.
“Can we go down earlier?” It wouldn’t be nightfall for several hours yet, but he wanted to get this information as soon as possible.
“Yes, sir, we can head down we just can’t enter the Archive proper until midnight,” said Benson.
“Let’s head down, then. I need to get some information on the wards and why they are failing. We need to keep our city safe and those wards are our first line of defense,” said Marks.
They made their way to an elevator that was reserved for the use of the Overseer and his second in command. It had small benches affixed to the sides to provide seating. Marks put his hand on the panel that was devoid of buttons and the elevator doors closed with a rush of air. After a few seconds the elevator began its descent.
“I have never had a need to travel to the Archives. You worked there, so you would know this. How far down are we headed?” said Marks.
“The Archives are located roughly five hundred feet below the surface, sir.”
“Why so deep? The subways aren’t even that deep,” said Marks. Being that far below ground made Marks uncomfortable. “It feels like entering a tomb.”
“Yes, sir. It was placed that deep as a security measure. Some of the items in the Archive have been deemed extremely volatile,” said Benson.
“Which items?” said Marks.
“I’m not at liberty to say, sir. I was never cleared for that area of the Arc
hives,” said Benson.
The whirr of the air conditioner kicked in as they kept descending. Even with it going on the highest setting, the elevator was getting warm.
“It gets hot down there, sir. You may want to take off the tie and jacket,” said Benson.
Marks kept his jacket on but loosened his tie. He could feel the sweat form under his arms and running in rivulets down his back.
“How long does this ride take?” said Marks as he took off his tie and unbuttoned the top shirt buttons. He didn’t know if it was the heat or being in such a small elevator. It felt confining.
“It’s because of the pressure, sir. As the elevator goes down its equalizing the pressure so we can adjust to the depth,” said Benson.
“That is not a time, Benson. I asked how long?” said Marks.
“About an hour and a half sir,” said Benson. He could see the discomfort of the Overseer wash across his face.
“It would seem we have a long ride before us then,” said Marks. He sat down on one of the benches and took some calming breaths. I must not show weakness.
TWENTY
Sepia and Cade were in the conference room going over the plans one last time when Gan entered.
“Let’s go our ride is up top,” said Gan.
“What do you mean up top? If we hit street level we are pretty much done,” said Cade.
“I didn’t say anything about street level, now let’s go,” said Gan. He headed down a corridor. At the end of the corridor was a set of doors that were done in an ornate art deco style.
“What are we under?” said Sepia.
Gan pressed his hand to the panel beside the doors and they opened. It was an elevator.
“We are now below the San Remo. This elevator will take us to the top of the South Tower, where our ride will pick us up,” said Gan. He entered the elevator, waited for Sepia and Cade and pressed his hand on a panel closing the doors. They ascended to the top several minutes later. The doors opened on a penthouse balcony with a stunning view of Manhattan.
Over the Park Sepia could see the air shimmer with energy. The wards completely enveloped the park creating a large dome-like roof.
“How is the Grey connected to the architecture of the city? It seems that you know a lot about the city that most don’t, not to mention access to things like this,” Sepia said as she pointed to the elevator.
“One of the assistant architects of this building was in the Order. When construction began in 1929, the Order made sure they had access to it,” said Gan.
“How old exactly is the Order?” said Cade.
“Understand that the Order predates this city. Most of the founders were hunters who fought the Unholy not just here but all over the world,” said Gan.
“Why contain them in the park, couldn’t we just drive them out?” said Sepia.
“The Unholy first appeared in the park. It seems they originate there. The park itself goes back to the 1800s. That is when the original treaty was created with the Unholy giving them that land. Calvert Vaux was one of the first Overseers of the Order,” said Gan.
“So they conceded to giving them that land? Instead of what?” asked Sepia.
“By that time the war had been raging for decades. Hunters, men, and women back then were dying every day. The Unholy were taking losses too, just not nearly as much as we were. We were winning the battles, but losing the war. The Unholy didn’t know that due to their command structure. We bluffed them into a truce,” said Gan.
“And now they are calling our bluff,” said Sepia.
“You could say that, yes,” said Gan.
They could hear the sound of a helicopter approaching them.
“That sounds like a UH-60, a Black Hawk.” Cade peered into the night using his night vision goggles. “It looks a little small, though,” said Cade.
“That’s our ride,” said Gan. It made one pass and then circled around the tower. Once the helicopter drew close to the building, it grew silent.
“You know your birds. It’s a Black Hawk design but modified by the Order for urban warfare,” said Gan.
“The stealth mode was nice touch,” said Cade.
The helicopter drew close and hovered over the balcony. It was a black silhouette against the sky. The co-pilot waved his arm in a circular motion.
“That’s our cue. Get on,” said Gan. They boarded the helicopter and shut the cargo door. Inside, the helicopter was quiet with amber night running lights bathing the cockpit in their glow.
“Welcome aboard, sir. Is this all of you?” said the pilot.
“Yes, let’s get over the park, we need to execute a LALO right over this location,” said Gan. He pointed to a location on the map he held. The pilot looked at the location and then looked up at Gan.
“Are you sure, sir? That is going to be dicey,” said the pilot.
“What’s your name pilot?” said Gan.
“People call me Bear, sir.” The name fits. Bear was a large man that filled up his side of the helicopter.
“Okay, Bear, this isn’t my first jump in the pool. You keep the bird moving, get us over this location and I will take care of the rest,” said Gan.
“The EMP activity is strong in that area. We couldn’t stop if we wanted to. We won’t be able to extract you, sir. This is one way, so are you sure?” Bear said as he looked at the map.
“I’m sure. That is our drop zone. How soon before we get there?” said Gan.
The pilot looked at the map again as he checked his watch.
“ETA is ten minutes, sir,” said Bear.
“Sounds good. Let me know when we are one minute out,” said Gan.
“Yes, sir,” said Bear. He moved back into his seat and took over the controls. Putting on his headset he told the co-pilot where they were headed. The co-pilot shook his head as he looked back at the trio, his face impassive, and adjusted his instruments.
“Cade and I will use low opening chutes, you will just drop in. You should be able to recover fairly quickly from the jump,” said Gan.
Sepia nodded and looked at the map.
“We’re going to be exposed when we land,” said Sepia.
“Yes, that’s the edge of the Great Lawn. See that manhole cover? That’s our entrance. It works on an old tumbler system so I’m going to need a few minutes to open it. Those few minutes means we may have company,” said Gan.
“Why not just blow it?” said Cade.
“Why don’t I just send out invitations to all the Unholy that we are coming too?” Gan said.
Cade grunted. He didn’t like the idea of just standing around while Gan opened a door. It meant sitting there, waiting. Might as well paint red circles on our backs, he thought.
“One minute, sir,” said Bear.
Gan and Cade adjusted their chutes while Sepia made sure her blade was tight in its scabbard. The last thing she needed was losing her blade in the middle of the park.
“Remember the coms will only work on burst transmissions in the park. Factor in the lag time,” said Gan.
“It’s time to go, sir!” said Bear. The co-pilot had opened the side door and Sepia could see the ground racing beneath them. Cade jumped out followed by Gan. She could see the instrument panel light up with warnings in every section. The EMP effect of the park was getting through the shielding.
“Thank you,” said Sepia as she headed out of the helicopter. The co-pilot nodded and then she was airborne. Sepia loved jumps. The first few seconds felt like freedom. The air rushed around and it felt like flight. Seconds later gravity kicks in and the realization hits: This isn’t flying --it’s falling, and fast.
She could see the chutes as they made their way to the landing zone. She would get there before them. She tucked her arms and angled her body as she saw the great lawn. She braced her body for the impact as she extended her arms. She hit the ground and executed several rolls to dissipate the energy of the fall. From the rolls she began to run. Her ink flared in her arms and legs, mitigati
ng any damage the fall had done. She drew her blade as she heard the footfalls behind her.
“We have company,” she said into her com.
“We’re almost down. Keep them away from the LZ,” said Gan.
She ran parallel to the landing zone hoping to draw off whatever was following her. As she veered off she heard the footfalls turning as they continued following her.
“Shit-- it’s me they’re after,” said Sepia. “Sounds like a group of Unholy coming our way.”
“You’re going to have to keep them busy Sepia. Intercept and engage,” said Gan.
Sepia changed her direction and ran toward the footsteps. Whatever creatures made that noise they were not being subtle. It seemed like a large group and it was moving fast. Blade in hand, she managed to get a glimpse of it. It wasn’t a group, it was one large creature.
“Gan, we have trouble. What is larger than a Brute and moves just as fast as a Nightmare?”
“Does it look like a Brute but just extra-large?” said Gan.
“This thing left extra-large several sizes ago. It makes Brutes look practically tiny,” said Sepia. She led the large creature away from the others, cutting a path through the park.
“How can something so large be so fast?” Sepia said to herself.
“Sepia, bring it here. Don’t attempt to stop it alone-- that thing is a behemoth. Do not engage it alone,” said Gan.
“You may as well tell her to attack it. She can’t resist a challenge like that,” said Cade. Gan and Cade had landed near the entrance to the tunnel. Cade began looking for higher ground while Gan started working on the door.
“I got them. They just ran over that outcropping of boulders. By all that’s holy, what the hell is that?” said Cade.
He perched himself in a tree and was looking through his scope.
“That thing is huge. Even with its size, I don’t think I can hit it from here, they’re moving around too much,” said Cade.
“It wouldn’t do much good even if you could. I can’t believe they would let a behemoth out,” said Gan.
Sepia had gotten its attention and it was angry.
“Does this thing have any weaknesses?” said Sepia.
“Yes, but you’re not going to like it.”
“The head again, right? What is it with Nightmares and decapitations?” said Sepia.
Rise of the Night (Sepia Blue Book 1) Page 12
