Council of Peacocks

by M Joseph Murphy

Wisdom bent forward and kissed her on the forehead. On his face was a smile.

  “You’re going to be fine. Don’t worry.”

  Then Wisdom stepped through the portal. Garnet felt the last of her strength fade away. Normally, it was hard to read Wisdom but, for that instant, he had been exceeding clear. And she knew he had just told her a lie.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Fifty feet beneath Thessaloniki, Wisdom stepped out of the portal onto concrete. ‘Here we go,’ he thought. He chose a different entrance spot this time, hoping it would not set off alarms. A quick scan of the area suggested it had worked: no loud sirens, no gunfire, no buzz of panic in the minds around him. It was a definite improvement. The first time he’d been through these events, he had dropped the Anomalies right in the Vulture Antechamber. Edimmu had swarmed them in seconds just as his father had made an appearance.

  “Is this Greece?” David asked. “I expected the Mediterranean to be warmer than this.”

  “Are you brain dead?” Jessica shook her head. “Seriously. We’re underground, dummy. Kind of hard for the sun to get down here.”

  Todd smiled. “It is also conceivable they have air conditioning. You know, being a building and not a beach.”

  “Smart ass,” David said. He looked around. They were in a storage room lined with industrial-sized plastic containers of chemical cleaners, large open boxes of sponges and paper towels and various other supplies. The air smelled of ammonia and pine. “It’s just not what I was expecting. Where are the big baddies?”

  Wisdom pointed at a blue-green door to the left of a stack of brooms.

  “Oh,” Josh said.

  At a motion from Wisdom, Elaine went to the door. She pressed her ear to the door and closed her eyes. Everyone held their breath. Then she stood, looked at Wisdom and shook her head. Wisdom nodded once, a sign for her to continue. She crouched down, un-holstered her pistol and opened the door. It opened smoothly to a brightly-lit stairwell. Everyone exhaled.

  “Remember, Edimmu can sense your EFHBs,” Wisdom whispered. “So can Propates. Avoid power usage until we engage the Council. If you need to communicate, talk before using telepathy. If you meet resistance, be creative. Move quick and quiet, but no PK and no fires until I give the word. The more we can take out before the alarm goes off, the easier the final battle will be. Understand?”

  Everyone nodded except Echo. When Wisdom looked at her, she squared off her shoulders.

  “Don’t even think of taking that tone with me, Wisdom,” she said. “I’m not a child.”

  Wisdom opened his mouth, then shook his head and turned away. He motioned Elaine to head down the stairs. She raised her gun and moved downwards. One by one, the Anomalies followed her. Wisdom took Josh aside.

  “Let me know if you see your friend with the gold ring,” he whispered.

  For a moment Josh said nothing. Then, a fierce glow in his eyes, he nodded.

  The stairwell was lit by bare fluorescent bulbs in the ceiling. The stairs themselves were well-worn stone with a thin layer of dust, implying this entrance had not been used for some time. The bottom of the stairwell was an open archway into darkness. Wisdom used a sliver of his own power to dampen the sound of their footsteps, so the descent was silent. They traveled downwards for almost five minutes before Garnet stopped.

  “Hold it,” she whispered. “Two men at the bottom. Humans. Must be Council members.”

  Elaine looked back at Wisdom. She mouthed the word ‘mine’ and moved forward. It was too bright to warrant creeping, so Elaine moved quickly, descending the staircase. Everyone else froze in place while she crouched at the foot of the stairs. She holstered her gun and drew out her custom-made blade. Faster than Josh’s eyes could follow, she flung herself forward. Josh heard nothing, but moments later, Garnet sighed.

  “Done. She took them out.”

  One by one, they left the stairs and gathered in the small reception area at the base. Wisdom knew this to be a secondary reception area, nowhere near the apartment complex Propates used. Instead, Wisdom’s team was almost directly below the White Tower.

  The reception area was banal. Colorful prints of peacocks with inspirational sayings were propped up on three of the four walls. Although there was a sign-in book, there were no magazines. Nor were there any armed guards. A set of elevators was embedded in a nearby wall. There was only one other exit from the reception area: a dark metal door with a large glass window that showed the area beyond. A quick glance revealed rough dirt walls, high ceilings and a turquoise carpet.

  Josh walked in as Garnet dropped the first dead body behind a large metal desk. Jessica made a choking sound when Elaine pulled her knife from the man’s skull. Echo moved to the other body, a twenty-something man with a broken neck.

  “Get ready,” Wisdom said. “Edimmu were once revered as bringers of dead souls to the afterlife. They will have felt these deaths.”

  “What kind of resistance are we expecting?” Garnet asked.

  “There will be Edimmu – perhaps hundreds of them – and men with guns. Just in case we have to split up, I’m putting you in teams. Josh, you go with David and Elaine. Jessica, stick by me and Echo. Todd and Garnet, you two team up as well.”

  “What’s our mission, Wisdom?” Jessica asked. “Search and destroy?”

  Wisdom gave a toothy smile. “Heavy on the destroy. The Council is up to something. We may not be able to completely destroy them in one day, but I want to hurt them. In fact, we need to hurt them, damage them so much that they’ll be too focused on rebuilding to follow through with whatever they have been planning. But, whatever you do, avoid contact with Propates. That means you too, Echo. Leave him to me. He’s too powerful for you and I need to ask him some very specific questions before I kill him. Everyone and everything else is fair game.”

  The Anomalies gathered together in the groups Wisdom had assigned. Josh rubbed the tension from his neck muscles and forced himself to take deep breaths.

  “Are you going to be okay?” Elaine asked as she wiped blood from her knife against the white robes of one of the dead men.

  Josh nodded. “Just the jitters. This is a first for me – invasion.”

  “I thought you knew how to take care of yourself,” David said with a look of grim satisfaction on his face.”

  “This is a little different than taking care of yourself now, isn’t it?” Josh took a deep breath and looked behind him. Jessica adjusted the elastic keeping her hair in a ponytail while Todd mumbled something and crossed himself in prayer. “My dad never taught me this stuff. He taught me how to get out of bad situations, not how to throw myself into one. Back in Quebec, dealing with those psychos, that was easy. Self-preservation is a natural instinct.”

  “A proactive strike can be self-preservation,” Elaine said, sheathing her knife.

  “I’m sure that’s the logic you used when you shot my mother. No, don’t give me that look. I’m doing my best to put it behind me… at least for now. I may be new to this, but I know enough to realize we don’t have time for vendettas. You and I can have a nice long conversation when this is all over.”

  Elaine smiled. “Fine by me. Looks like Wisdom is ready to head out. How about you, David? How are the nerves?”

  David said nothing. He rubbed his sweaty palms off on his pants. Clenching his fists, he took two steps toward a closed door and grabbed the knob.

  The lights went out.

  David squealed. The sound, far too much like a pig being butchered, threatened to drown the resolve he was just finding. He turned in a tight circle but it was no help. Everywhere he turned was only the pitch black void of absolute darkness.

  “Wisdom, what is this?”

  No answer.

  His voice sounded very weak to his ears, as if his ears were blocked. Then he realized it was not his voice or his ears to blame. It was the darkness. It consumed his words, ate them like nourishment. In response it became all the more dark.

  “Wisdom?”

/>   This time there was a response.

  A sound like the call of a crow mixed with a long squeal of tires.

  ***

  Todd felt sticks of ice jabbing into his skin.

  “Where the hell did David go?”

  Everyone turned quickly, searching the reception area. David was gone.

  “Where did he go? There wasn’t even a flash of light, so it couldn’t be one of those portals.”

  “Shh.” Garnet moved to Todd and put a firm hand on his shoulder. “No need to yell. Remember, we’re supposed to be sneaking in here.”

  “I think we can forget about the sneaking-in part.” Echo crouched down, the fingertips of her right hand resting on the ground. “Somebody obviously knows we’re here. Wisdom, can you…”

  Her voice disappeared a moment before she did. Todd felt his face going limp as Echo slipped away. It was sudden, quiet, like the image from a projector after the plug was pulled. He took a step back, distancing himself from the others. His head shook in small spasms of denial. He was halfway through his second step when the darkness came to him. And he was gone.

  ***

  Jessica pulled at her ponytail, her hands moving erratically. Josh worried she would pull her hair out but he didn’t dare take a step toward her to stop her.

  “Stay still,” Josh said as he squared his shoulders. “The last three people to move disappeared.

  Elaine leaned towards Wisdom. “Is this Propates? Can he do this sort of thing?”

  Wisdom shook his head. “No. This smells more like my father. He’s early. Earlier than expected, I mean. Josh, this settles it for me. Our friend with the gold ring is playing ‘I spy’. Expect him to show up any time now.”

  “Do we stay on mission, Wisdom?” Elaine shifted her shotgun. Josh noticed for the first time that her forehead was glistening with sweat although the room was far from warm.

  For a moment, Wisdom was silent. He took a deep breath and then the muscles in his jaw relaxed. “We don’t run. The more times I try, the more I try to manipulate, the more complicated this thing gets. One way or another, this ends today. Change of plans. Elaine, take the others through that door and head left at the third intersection. It’s a processing room, a place where the Council conducts their experiments. Don’t worry about my father snatching you away. I’ve just altered your auras slightly. It should be enough to shield you from his eyes, at least for a little while. Smash as much equipment as possible and kill anyone that looks like a scientist. Scratch that. Kill anyone that gets in your way. If you see any of the captured Anomalies, try not to kill them. Just remember they may not be themselves anymore. Also remember, do not engage Propates. You see him, you run. I’m going to look for our mysterious friend and then it’s off to deal with my father. Don’t go any further than the processing room until you hear my signal. After that, get heavy with the death and destruction. Start down here and make your way up to the apartment complex. Try to stick together. You’re stronger that way. If you get separated, stay with your teams.”

  Elaine shook her head. “Wisdom, you can’t…”

  Wisdom raised his left eyebrow.

  “Oh, grow up,” she spat. “You know, despite your age, you still act like every other man I’ve ever known. Always about the ego. I saw what happened the last time you fought your father. We all did. He’s too powerful to take on alone. And remember, he’s got help now. This is no time for macho bull crap.”

  Wisdom smiled. “You’re quite the woman, Elaine Radiq. The whole reason I’m going after that man with the gold ring is to make sure my father is alone for our final conversation. That, and I have about a billion questions that need answers. There’s something else going on here, something I know nothing about. I’m not comfortable with ignorance. Have a little faith in me. I’m not exactly walking into this blind.”

  Elaine stared at Wisdom, her lips set in a firm frown. After a moment, she nodded.

  “Fine,” she said. “What’s the signal?”

  Wisdom’s face lit up, a shrewd smile spread across his face. “I think you’ll recognize it when you hear it.” Then, Wisdom opened a portal and was gone.

  “Well, at least we’re off to a good start,” Josh said. He yelped a second later when Jessica punched him in his thigh. “Nice to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor, Jessica.”

  “Excuse me for not laughing in the face of certain death.”

  “Hey, it always works for Spider-man.” Josh ran his fingers through his blond hair. They came back damp. He shook the sweat free. “And since when do you lose faith in yourself? I thought you were supposed to be the baddest of the bad.”

  Jessica crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. “You know, you are nearly as annoying as David. I think I liked you better when you were shivering and twitching over your screwed-up family.”

  Josh smiled, nodding as she spoke. “Ah, there’s the little fighter we know and love. Maybe tomorrow we can go find a pet store and make fun of the puppies that can't get adopted.”

  Jessica’s lips turned up slightly. “Yeah. Tomorrow. It helps to remember there just might be a tomorrow.”

  Elaine opened the dark metal door and led the way forward. The tunnel, carved roughly out of earth, measured at least fifteen feet wide and nearly twice as tall. It seemed to go on forever. Glowing crystal orbs, nearly identical to the ones in Echo’s underground apartment, filled the space with a soft but pervasive light. The air smelled of fresh mud and earthworms even though the floor was covered in pristine tiles. The only sound was the soft click of their footsteps.

  Josh felt his body tense, ready for a fight. Sweat dripped down his forehead, nearly blinding him as it slid into his eyes. By the time they reached the first intersection, he was panting.

  Elaine held up a hand, signaling them all to stop.

  Silence.

  Josh strained his ears, listening for a sign of whatever Elaine had heard. There it was – the mumble of distant voices. Jessica bit the side of her left index finger to keep her teeth from chattering. Garnet looked down at her and smiled weakly. Jessica threw her hand forcefully to her side and squared her shoulders. Elaine knelt down, lifted her Mariner shotgun and braced for fire.

  Then the lights flickered. An invisible power hissed through the air and the glowing orbs dimmed. Darkness poured out over the floor, seeping like sewer water through the cracks in the wall. Shadows dripped from the ceiling, filling the air. Josh ignored it. His attention was focused on five tall figures ahead of them.

  He bit into his lower lip as they turned a corner and walked slowly and deliberately toward the Anomalies.

  As the shadows grew, the approaching figures spread their wings.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  David was alone in a dark place. His sense of balance faltered. Tiny slithering things crawled over his skin, but he knew they were not really there.

  ‘Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it! Is this where the crazy people go?’ As the thought echoed in his mind, he found he was no longer alone. He opened his eyes and saw a young man in a light blue t-shirt and faded jeans. His hair was nearly the same shade of red as David’s, his eyes luminous yellow like candlelight from a jack-o’-lantern. All over his body, orange and blue flames danced without consuming flesh. Dane Houghton, his third murder.

  “Still haven’t taken that shower, have you?” Dane had a smile on his pale face.

  “Go away!” David screamed as loud as he could. The sound hit his ears muffled and distant, like someone else’s voice in a neighboring room.

  “Or what? You’ll kill me? That only works once, even for a monster like you.”

  David closed his eyes and covered his face with his forearms. “Not real! Not real!”

  Even with his eyes closed, there was no escaping. David could feel the heat from the flames more than ever. Flames crackled and he listened to sizzling sounds like bacon on the grill.

  “What’s the matter, David? Can’t deal with what you are? A monster. T
hat’s what you are. Monster. Deny it all you want. Avoid it as long as you can. You can run away to Toronto, Hong Kong or Greece. It won’t change what you are.”

  “No.”

  “A loser.” The air grew hotter.

  “Get away from me.”

  “A murderer.”

  David felt pain on his arms and face. The crackling of the flames seemed very close to his head now, as if Dane was leaning down.

  “I. Am. Not.” David shook his head. The smell of burning hair and fat hit his nostrils like a hammer. He knew it was human flesh.

  “Of course you are. Three strikes, you’re out, bud. It’s time you just admit what you are. You, David Ross, are a cold-blooded murderer and a monster to boot. I mean, you set me on fire for saying you smelled bad. Over-reaction, much? Made you see a part of yourself you don’t want to deal with. Well, you are dirty, Mr. Ross, filthy dirty, and no amount of showers or running away is going to change that. It might best for everyone if you just stayed in this little corner of hell.”

  “Hell?” David opened his eyes and let his hands fall down to his side. Only a few inches away from his face was a burning cadaver, raw flesh over off-white bone. The only thing human about it now was the way the eyes glistened with hatred. “You just took one step too far. You’re right about one thing, though. I have been a loser. All this time wasted feeling sorry for myself. No more. If I’m damned for what I am, so be it. You think this is hell? Let me show you what HELL REALLY IS!”

  David backhanded the burning skull. As the corpse fell to its knees, David stretched his arms out above his head. Thin streams of white and blue flame cascaded from his palms, twisting in the air like whirlpools, and swam in curved lines toward Dane. Even though the body was already on fire, the wave of flame that came from David created a new level of consumption. Within seconds, the whole body had been consumed, little but pale ashes left in the shape of a skeleton.

  Then the darkness returned.

  David felt the grin that had settled on his face slip away. He lowered his arms and stared at his palms. For a moment he felt absolutely nothing. Then he remembered. He thought back on each of the lives he had taken and remembered how much he had enjoyed it. Murder and destruction came to him easily. It was the after-effects he had the difficulty with.