“We not from Shadow,” Mayzhl interrupted. “We live in Shadow.”
Gabriel considered that. If the trolls were capable of living in the sun, how many other creatures might survive the change? Mayzhl’s plan made a lot of sense from one perspective: the Shadowlords wouldn’t like it. It would ruin their plans and demolish their army. But if Gabriel did what Mayzhl wanted him to and brought the worlds back together, what would it mean for humanity?
“I can’t,” Gabriel said. “My world… it’s different now. There’s no magic there. The way you live… humans don’t live like that anymore. They wouldn’t understand it. If the world became whole again, I don’t think they’d survive the change.”
Mayzhl released a deep sigh and then began walking back down the path. Gabriel watched her until she disappeared in the shadows under the trees. He could tell that he was a terrible disappointment, but what could he do? It was one thing to fight the Shadow, to protect the world that way, but how could he justify doing what Mayzhl asked? How could he justify changing the entire world? Finally, he hurried after her.
It was almost an hour later when they returned to the village. The elders murmured in low voices as they saw Gabriel and Mayzhl. Then they fell silent and exchanged worried glances over the fire. “Qwe hwesha?” Mayzhl said in her native tongue. Several trolls answered at once, speaking so quickly that it sounded like nothing but gibberish to Gabriel. He could tell a lot from their faces, though. The color had drained from their skin and their eyes were wide and alert. Something had frightened them.
Finally, Mayzhl raised her head and said, “It has begun. War is upon us.”
Chapter 34
It took five minutes for Pete, Reeves, and Commander Starling to get back to the Tech Sector. They arrived by way of an adjoining tunnel that allowed them access to the rear of the sector. The defense system had automatically dimmed the lights and activated the infrared lighting system, giving the entire sector a strange unearthly glow. The workers had evacuated, leaving the place eerily quiet. Pete could hear the distant sounds of gunfire echoing through the tunnels.
Reeves grabbed the edge of a desk and started pushing it towards the doors. “Help me block the entrance,” he said. “Grab anything that will slow them down.”
“Hold on a second,” Starling said. She activated the robot arm in the middle of the room. She used it to lift a Hummer from the testing area, and placed it directly in front of the doors. Then they piled two desks on top of each other and put those in front of the vehicle. “That should buy us a few minutes,” Starling said.
Reeves nodded approvingly. “All right, now for the machine.”
They rushed to the back of the sector, to the room containing the clockwork machine. “Pete, get in there,” Reeves said. “Make sure they don’t activate it if they get in.”
“You need me out here,” Pete said. “Just give me a gun, Reeves.”
“Not a chance,” Reeves said with a grimace.
“Here, take this,” said Starling. She handed Pete a pistol-shaped device. It looked like something out of a science fiction movie.
“What is it?”
“We call at an EP3. It’s kind of like a stun gun. Aim and pull the trigger. It’ll knock shadowfriends off their feet, and it’ll knock shadowcreatures right back into their own world.”
Reeves raised his eyebrows. “Not bad,” he said. “How many of those do you have?”
“Three thousand,” said Starling. “Only they’re all in the sub-basement armory.”
Reeves rolled his eyes. “I guess it’s a good thing I brought my own.” He pulled his .45, cocked the slide, and released the safety.
“Are you loaded for humans or shadowkind?”
“Shadowkind,” said Reeves. “But don’t worry, these slugs still hurt. Nobody sticks around for a second shot.”
At that moment, there was a small explosion at the far end of the room as the shadowfriends tried to blow open the doors. A cloud of smoke crawled across the ceiling and the automatic sprinklers went off. Sparks went up here and there as the water rained down over the computer systems and other machinery. There was a screeching sound as the shadowfriends began trying to push their way past the barricade.
“Get in the room, Pete!” Reeves ordered. “Starling, you and I will hold them off. Take cover behind these desks.”
Pete started to protest, but clamped his mouth shut at a stern look from Reeves. He walked into the room and locked the door behind him. Then he stared helplessly through the window as an explosion went off at the far end of the sector and shadowcreatures began pouring in. The first few that appeared were winged creatures. They whooshed up along the ceiling, circling the sector as their companions squeezed through the opening in the doors. Reeves and Starling started firing.
Pete only heard occasional popping sounds as Reeves and Starling fought the shadowkind, because the room he was in was nearly soundproof. He just hoped that the glass window was bulletproof. He held the EP3 blaster in a white-knuckled grip, ready to fire at the slightest sign of trouble. Pete was not about to let another Shadowlord get the drop on him.
The battle raged on for several minutes, with Reeves and Starling taking shots at the shadowcreatures that circled overhead like vultures. After a few successful hits, the shadowkind pulled back, lurking just of reach of their weapons. Then the shadowfriends finally managed to break through the barricade with their vehicles, and the bright lights of Hummers and army trucks flashed in the darkness. The diesel engines growled as they plowed over the cubicles and crushed the engineering tables under their massive tires. Finally, a dozen yards from Pete and the others, the shadowfriends pulled to a halt and crawled out of their trucks.
They were dressed in black fatigues and wearing body armor and helmets. They were armed with fully automatic machine guns. They opened fire, and Reeves and Starling hit the deck. Pete saw what was happening, and he too, leapt to the floor. The burst of machine gun fire ripped through the walls and shattered the glass windows. The shards came raining down around Pete, crashing across the floor.
So much for bulletproof glass, he thought. The clockwork machine stood there in the middle of the room, clicking and whirring like always. Apparently, none of the bullets had hit it.
“You idiots!” a familiar voice shouted. Pete crept up to the window and peeked out as Hank appeared among the shadowfriends. “I told you no live fire!” He reached out and grabbed one of the shadowfriends by the throat. He lifted the man off the ground and tossed him halfway across the sector.
“Sorry, sir!” one of the other Shadowfriends said. He was dressed like the others, but a patch on his shoulder indicated that he was some sort of officer, possibly a commander.
“You will be if that happens again,” Hank said. He turned his back on the shadowfriends and walked towards the group. As he walked, his visage had changed. He skin grew pale, his face lengthened, and his eyes became dark and sunken. His pupils began to glow with an eerie red light. Starling gasped and shot Reeves a terrified look.
“What’s going on?” she muttered. “What did they do to Hank?”
“I am not Hank,” the Shadowlord said. “My name is Baal. The one you called Hank died months ago.”
Reeves rose to his feet. He stepped away from the desk and casually pointed his pistol at the clockwork machine. “It seems we have a stalemate,” he said. “You touch us and I’ll destroy your precious machine.”
Baal laughed quietly. “I think we’ll manage,” he said. He waved his arm, and Reeves’ pistol flew from his hand. Then the Shadowlord made another gesture, ripping Pete and Starling’s weapons out of their hands. The guns flew through the air and clattered to the ground in the distance, lost in the maze of computers and workstations.
“And now I’ll kill you,” Baal said. He reached out, grasping the air with his fist. Reeves doubled over clutching his chest. Starling jumped forward to help him, but the Shadowlord swatted her away like a fly. An invisible force smashed into
her, knocking Starling back against the wall. She slumped to the ground unconscious.
Reeves grunted, blood trickling from his lips. “Go ahead,” he said breathlessly. “Get it over with.”
The Shadowlord released his grip. “No, not yet Mr. Reeves. I’m afraid you won’t be that lucky.”
Reeves toppled to the floor, clutching at his chest, coughing and gasping for breath.
Pete watched the entire thing helplessly. His mind raced, searching for something –anything- he could do to help. He felt sick watching Baal torment Reeves, but Pete knew he couldn’t stop the Shadowlord. What could he do? Pete had no powers. All he had was… he scanned the room, looking for a computer outlet or a networking interface.
If I could just get into the network, he thought. Maybe I could do something…
At that moment, a chorus of shouts rose in the distance and Pete heard what sounded like barking dogs. Shadows flitted back and forth in front of the vehicles’ lights. Flashes illuminated the ceiling as the sound of scattered gunfire filled his ears.
“What is this?” said Baal, turning towards the noise. “I said no gunfire, fools!”
A scream came from the darkness, and then another. In a moment, the air was ringing with the sound. The shadowfriends fell back, firing indiscriminately into the darkness. Baal shouted for them to stop, to pull together, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of gunfire and human screams. He shook his head hopelessly.
For a strange, surreal moment, it was just the two of them, Pete and the Shadowlord, eyes scanning the darkness in confusion. Then the room went quiet, and the Shadowlord turned his gaze on Pete. Pete took a nervous step back, licking his lips. Baal raised his arm.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said a voice in the shadows.
Pete’s jaw dropped as Jodi stepped into the light. She strode forward confidently, followed by half a dozen very large and very angry looking wolves. Jodi looked strange. She walked differently, confidently, as if she was in control of the entire situation. Her eyes flashed with a bright yellow color. A faint smile flickered across her face, and Pete saw fangs glistening under her lips.
Baal made a sweeping gesture, and Pete felt himself lifted in the air and tossed aside like a rag doll. He landed hard, bouncing across a desk, and slammed into the wall of a cubicle. The air filled with the sound of snapping teeth and low, rumbling growls. Pete heard a crash in the distance and another, this time closer. One of the wolves let out a yelp like a hurt puppy.
Pete pushed up to his feet and climbed over the rubble. He saw the Shadowlord fighting the wolves, picking them up and tossing around them like playthings, but then he realized that every time a wolf went down, another took its place. Not only that, they seemed to be toying with him. The wolves were attacking the Shadowlord from all directions. Baal spun wildly, reaching out, striking at the beasts as they lunged toward him, but he couldn’t possibly keep up with them.
Then, Pete saw something else. Behind the chaos, Reeves appeared. He lumbered slowly back towards Pete and climbed through the broken window. He paused momentarily as the glass cut his hands, and Pete’s stomach churned as he saw blood covering Reeve’s clothes. The older man pressed on, fighting the pain as he climbed into the window and went to stand next to the machine.
“That’s enough!” Reeves called out in a hoarse, cracking voice.
A wolf yelped as Baal tossed it aside and then the room went quiet. All eyes turned to Reeves. He was standing right next to the machine, his .45 raised at point blank range. “Don’t even think about it,” Reeves said. “It’s live ammo this time. Explosive hollow-points. If I even think you’re about to pull something, I’ll shoot.”
For the first time, the Shadowlord seemed at a loss. He eyed Reeves nervously. “Do it!” Pete said. “If you destroy the machine, they’ll never succeed at their plan!”
A shimmering light appeared suddenly next to them, and Gabriel materialized in a bluish glow near the doorway. He was dressed all in black, with a hooded cloak draped over his shoulders. “No, Reeves,” he said.
“Gabriel?” Reeves said in surprise. “Where did you come from? What are you doing here?”
“I can’t let you do it, Reeves,” Gabriel said. “We need that machine.”
“No, Pete’s right,” Reeves said. “If we destroy it now, then this is all over. I don’t know why the Shadow wants this machine, but I know they want it. Think about it, son.”
Pete watched breathlessly as the grizzled old veteran and Gabriel stared at each other. “Gabriel,” Pete said. “Please listen to Reeves. This is the only way to stop them. If we destroy the machine, they’ll never complete their plan. It’s the only way.”
Gabriel turned his gaze towards Pete. “I’m sorry,” he said.
With that, he reached out and touched the machine. The air around him seemed to waver like a mirror flexing back and forth. Then, with a sharp snapping sound, Gabriel and the machine both disappeared.
“Now it’s mine!” Baal said in a menacing voice. He waved his hand through the air and vanished.
Chapter 35
Pete heard footsteps and turned to see Jodi stepping out of the rubble. She had a gash on her cheek and a trail of fresh blood dripping down her jaw. She wiped it away and nonchalantly strode forward. Pete glanced around and realized that all of the wolves seemed to have vanished. At the back of the room, the shadowfriends scrambled back down the tunnel and disappeared, leaving their vehicles still idling in the middle of the room. Reeves didn’t move to go after them. Instead, he simply watched them flee with a dark look in his eyes.
Starling stirred and made a moaning sound. Jodi and Pete checked on her and then helped her to her feet. She groggily asked what had happened and they did their best to explain. “I don’t understand it,” Starling said when they told her about Gabriel taking the machine. “What was Gabriel trying to do?”
“What’s to understand?” Reeves said. “He betrayed us.”
“No!” said Pete. “He wouldn’t! I know Gabriel has had some issues lately, but he wouldn’t have done this.”
“He smelled like the Shadow,” Jodi said. “He smelled just like one of them.”
“Maybe they brainwashed him,” Starling said. “That’s what they did to you, isn’t it Pete?”
Pete nodded. Reeves took a deep breath. “One way or the other, it’s done,” he said. “The machine’s gone. The Shadowlords won.”
“No they didn’t,” Pete said hopefully. Reeves and Starling both stared at him. “According to the legends, there should be one more statue. That’s what I was going to tell you before we got attacked. If we can find the last statue before they do, and destroy it, then everything they’ve done will be for nothing.”
“How do you know they don’t have it already?” said Reeves.
“I checked! The temple where it’s located has never been excavated, and according to satellite images, it looks like everything’s still there.”
“Let’s do it then.” Reeves gave Starling a look. “Are you coming with us?”
“Where are we going?”
“Bolivia,” Pete said. “Tiahuanaco.”
“All right, lets go!”
“My Hummer’s downstairs,” said Reeves. “Let’s get moving. It’ll take a few hours to get to my plane at the airport.”
“No, it won’t,” said Starling. “I can get us there in less then twenty minutes.”
Reeves frowned and said, “How is that possible?”
Pete let out a chuckle. “You haven’t seen their subway system?” he said. Reeves just shrugged. Pete turned around. “Hey, Jodi-” he broke off midsentence as he realized she was no longer standing there. “Jodi?” he said, turning in a slow circle.
Reeves put a hand on his shoulder. “She’s gone,” he said softly.
Pete frowned. “Gone? What do you mean? We can’t just let her take off!”
“I’m afraid we can’t stop her,” he said. “Pete, did you notice anything diffe
rent about Jodi?”
Pete’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah,” he said.
“Is there anything you’d like to tell me?”
Pete took a deep breath. “I suppose I should start at the beginning,” he said.
“Hold on,” Starling interrupted. “Save it for the trip. We don’t have time to talk.” Pete nodded, and they all headed for the elevator.
Chapter 36
As Jodi raced through the maze of passages inside Black Mountain, she hardly made a sound except for the pads of her feet whooshing across the concrete floor. She was a shadow, a dark lupine shape flying down the tunnels so quickly that scarcely anyone even noticed her. The few humans that did see her blinked uncertainly, doubting their own eyes. By the time they’d decided she was real, she was already gone.
Jodi had a sense in her mind of where she was going, but it wasn’t something she could consciously place. It was a collage of images and thoughts sent to her by her brothers and sisters, the wolves in her pack. And it was more than that. It was a feeling deep inside of her, maybe a hunch or perhaps some sort of extrasensory perception. It was Gabriel she was chasing, and somehow she knew he was there. She couldn’t see him or even smell him, but she could sense him. He was moving through the mountain, winding back and forth through the tunnels, making his way towards… what?
Jodi couldn’t imagine where Gabriel was going or why. She only knew that somehow, he’d managed to go into the Shadow world, and he had taken the machine with him. At the moment, she couldn’t worry about that. Her human mind was gone and it was hard enough just to keep the wolf mind under her control. She focused her thoughts on one singular goal. Follow the images, the thoughts; find Gabriel. When she caught up with him -when she could turn back into a human and think like a human- then Jodi would worry about why Gabriel had done what he had done. For now, she just had to catch him.
Jodi flew down the tunnels, whirling around corners and flitting through the shadows until at last she came to a place that smelled familiar. She recognized their apartment, the scents of Pete and Gabriel and the orphans. It looked different through her wolfen eyes, but there was no mistaking the smell of the place.
Shadow Rising (Shadow Born Trilogy Book 2) Page 18
