by John Corwin
Alexia groaned and rolled over. She gasped. Jerked upright. "Lucas, where are we?" She jerked around as she scanned the room.
"We're at my place. We're back in Normal."
She bolted for the bathroom sink and gulped water straight from the faucet. Lucas touched his tongue to cracked lips and remembered just how thirsty and starved he was. He put his face under the kitchen faucet, turned it on, and gulped. The bathroom door shut. The shower started running. Lucas dried his face then pulled a couple cans of tuna fish and vegetables from the pantry. He dumped the canned veggies in a bowl. After heating them up, he fixed a plate for Alexia. She emerged from the bathroom wearing the same clothes, but looking markedly improved.
"Food," Lucas said, thrusting a plate at her.
She gobbled it down using her fingers. Lucas followed suite and marveled at how amazing it tasted. After washing the meal down with a glass of water, Alexia dropped into the computer chair and stared at Lucas. "I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like I've sold my soul to the Devil and it's too late to back out."
"At least you had a choice."
"My God. I'm sorry, Lucas. We chased you down like an animal and for what?"
"I'm a murderer."
"You were coerced. Even from the little time we spent together in that hellhole, I can tell you're not a bad person. I don't need my FBI training to figure that out."
Strength trickled into Lucas's limbs as his system digested the food. Even without total control over his abilities, he could tell how different it felt in Normal relative to the dead world. Had the mynas prevented him from accessing his abilities or helped him to find them? Whose bright idea was it to put myna birds in charge of all this? God? A dancing leprechaun? None of it made sense. Those mynas had an evil sense of humor considering what they'd made him go through before showing him how to open a scar.
"I wonder if spirits can be rescued from that place," Alexia said.
Lucas shook his head sadly. "The only sort of rescue would be oblivion."
"If someone figured out the mechanics, they might be able to live forever. I wonder if the ghouls' spirits just happened to be in the same relative location when the stones were active, or if there are other factors that drew them back from there."
Lucas shuddered. He had maybe five years left before joining the spirits in that forsaken place. Anxiety clawed up his throat and settled in the back like a rock. Dying was bad enough. He'd join his parents and never see them. The dead world wouldn't be so terrible if the spirits could see each other. Then again, it might be worse. To see but never touch would be even more tortuous.
"What are you thinking?" Alexia asked. She leaned toward him.
Lucas tried to speak, but sorrow choked his words. He shook his head and took a deep breath. The effort hurt his lungs.
She came over and placed a hand on his chest. Her large green eyes looked almost liquid. A single tear trickled down her cheek. "I'm so sorry. I know you don't have much time left. But maybe enough time to find a solution."
A sob broke from Lucas's mouth. He leaned against the wall and slid to the floor as hot tears ran down his face. "I—". He took a deep breath. "I don't know where to start."
She knelt beside him and hugged his face to her shoulder. "We'll figure it out. Can you open a scar back to the dead world?"
"I don't want to try."
Alexia walked to the window and parted the blinds enough to view the parking lot. "The factions probably have someone watching this place. It's not safe to stay here."
"Where else can I go?"
"I don't know."
A ragged scar split the air. Four ghouls and an old man exited the Blight. Lucas's stomach churned. Before he could overcome the raging nausea, two ghouls grabbed Alexia. Lucas charged them. The other two ghouls rammed him. His feet left the ground and an intense shock of pain rattled his senses. He tried to shift into the Blight but his mind wouldn't respond. The black ghoul secured his arms and a female pressed his shoulders to prevent him from rising.
The old man approached. Lucas found him somehow familiar.
"Lucas Fowler. We've known each other for some time, you and me, but we've never physically met. I'm Arbiter Martin."
"What do you want with us?" Lucas asked.
"Savior-Creator, we have found you," said the black ghoul.
Martin nodded. "I think it best we take them elsewhere before continuing our conversation."
Chapter 34
Andre sat alone in the conference room. His mind searched for the one person he most needed to speak with. The person he desperately needed to locate. If Mikhail reached that person first—Andre pushed the frightening thought away. Unfortunately, the person he sought was adept at hiding himself. He should have insisted on mutual attachment. Once attached, an arbiter could locate a person rapidly if desired. All Andre could do at this point was probe and hope.
A mental knock stirred him from the search. He withdrew his probes and gave Marissa permission to enter. She stormed inside, Thomas and Whitney in tow.
"Where is Lucinda?" Andre asked.
"I don't know. She has help. Probably more help than we realized."
"I hope you understand the gravity of the situation." Andre hardened his gaze. He raked his eyes over Thomas and Whitney. "This is a problem we can't afford. Every minute I have you spending on this is another minute we could be locating the rogue arbiter."
"I understand, sir."
Andre slammed his fist on the table. "Do you?"
Marissa flinched. "She's got the faction in an uproar. She claims Lucas holds the key to the Mystery."
"The Mystery? She's a confused girl. How long has she been active? Less than five years?"
"I don't know."
"She's responsible for leaking delicate information to the enemy."
"The enemy?"
Andre hadn't meant to use such harsh terms. But it was time for the others to realize how high the stakes were. "Yes. Mikhail and his ilk want to take over the world, or had you forgotten?"
"But the Covenant prevents—"
"It prevents nothing. I need the three of you actively hunting for the rogues, not pissing around with Lucinda. Unfortunately, you're the only ones I can trust to bring her in."
"We may need more help," Thomas said. "Her executor, Vish, is keeping a close watch. He almost started a fight in front of chum."
"Are you people capable or not?" Andre stood up, shoving his chair into the wall behind him. He braced his hands against the table and leaned toward them. "I can't believe I have to point out the logistics to two seekers. If I'd known the Atlanta compound was so incapable, I would have brought people with me from headquarters."
Marissa's face darkened. "We already considered a Blight hop and snatch."
"What's the problem?"
"There are too many Scions helping her now. We'd never get away."
Andre released his grip on the table and stared at the wall. This couldn't be happening. Not on his watch. Not this way. He formed a list of his shock troops and wished they were on hand. Most were still on the West coast but en route. For now he'd have to do with Marissa's people. Every compound had a squad of emergency troops and now it was time to activate them.
"What if she's right?" Marissa asked, interrupting his thoughts.
He bit back a curse. "About the Mystery? You can't possibly believe that."
"Her argument makes some sense. If Lucas is capable of accessing so many core abilities, he might contain the answer."
"Do I have to remind you that you lost Adam to this monster?" Marissa seemed to have regained reason since Adam's death.
She blanched. "The ghouls took him." She swallowed with difficulty. "If he has the answer to the Mystery, we should capture rather than execute him."
"You're siding with Lucinda?"
"I'm on our side, the Transcendists. You speak of Mikhail as the enemy. What better way to put him in his place than to prove that we're right?"
Rage
flooded Andre. How dare she question him? "If Mikhail gets his hands on Lucas or any of the rogues first, we won't have that chance. He'll use them as weapons against us. He'll try to figure out how to make all his people work the same way. Just because Lucas breaks boundaries as a Scion doesn't mean whatever defect he has would translate to chum. Mikhail is an old-school Russian. Do you think he doesn't still have any cold-war mentality left in him? Do you think he means to play by the rules?"
Marissa backed away a step and gave a sideways glance at Thomas. "We've discussed some other solutions to this problem. Even if you don't agree with Lucinda, perhaps we should tell them we do. That might bring her back into alignment and we can redouble our efforts to capture Lucas."
"The three of you discussed this?"
They nodded.
"It would be for the best, sir," Thomas said.
Sweat broke out in Andre's armpits. Cold sweat. He clenched his fists tight enough to make his bones ache. First Lucinda, now Marissa and his most trusted people. Were they going insane? Was he? Lucas and the rogues had to be in his custody or die. If anyone else found out the truth, it would destroy everything he'd worked for. He paced and held a hand to his chin as if considering their proposal. He needed a moment to think.
"Are you okay, sir?" Marissa asked.
Andre stopped and glared at her. "There was a time when I could count on loyalty. Unquestioned loyalty. Since when does a grand arbiter have to mollify his subordinates? Justify his position? I don't think any of you realize just how these events have distracted everyone."
He sent out a probe to Kate. This hadn't been part of his plan. He'd wanted to take care of certain business quietly. Now he had to make an example. A moment passed. Phillip and Kate entered. Between them they held a male seeker. Kate had mind-locked him to prevent escape.
"Who's this?" Thomas asked.
"That's a good question," Andre said. "Here's a better one. Who's in charge of faction security?"
Thomas and Marissa looked at each other.
Andre forced a tight smile. "That's right. You are." Andre circled behind the seeker. The man was middle-aged by chum standards, but probably in his last few years of life by any Scion measure. "Thankfully, Kate and Phillip have come through on their assignment to root out spies."
Marissa's eyes widened. "Spies? Impossible."
"Impossible?" Andre put his hand atop the seeker's head. "This man has been working for Mikhail the past few days. He claimed to be an independent looking to join a faction. His paperwork was processed but a thorough security review was never done."
"We've been shorthanded," Thomas said. "This mess with Lucinda and the ghouls has made things difficult."
Andre laughed sardonically. "This seeker's mission was to make the mess worse. Why do you think Lucinda has such a following? Why do you think things have ballooned so quickly?" Rage flooded his body like a wave of heat. These idiots questioned his judgment? Mikhail and his spies were making a mockery of everything. He blasted a message to Kate to hold the seeker's mind open.
"We'll conduct an immediate review," Marissa said. "But just because this man has been spreading innuendo doesn't discount Lucas's worth. It doesn't make Lucinda's theory any less valid."
"Enough." Andre focused a probe into a solid burst. It ripped into the captured seeker's mind. Memories, thoughts, and identity scattered into random neural pulses. Part of the man's life flashed through Andre's mind.
"Arbiter!" Kate said in a sharp note of disbelief.
Andre withdrew. The seeker's head slumped forward. Phillip grasped the man's hair and pulled the head upright. Empty eyes gazed blankly. A thin stream of drool formed at the corner of the man's mouth. The foul smell of feces and urine perfumed the air. Andre backed away from the stench but kept his glare focused on Marissa.
"Grand Arbiter, what have you done?" Marissa said.
Thomas's gaze drifted from the stricken seeker to Andre. His mouth opened and closed as if he couldn't find the words to speak. Whitney's face shaded a hue of green.
Andre tried to swallow, but his mouth and throat were dry. This was risky but necessary. He took a moment to compose himself. "Consider this an example. I expect Lucinda to be back in line by the end of the week. I expect at least one of the rogues to be captured by that time. Do you think yourselves capable?"
Marissa looked at the others. Nodded.
"Assemble your shock troops."
After Marissa, Thomas and Whitney filed out of the room, Andre turned to Kate. "Do what you can to patch him up. Drop him in an alley somewhere. I don't want this traced back to us."
"Immediately, Grand Arbiter." Kate and Phillip dragged the defunct seeker through the door.
Andre sent probes to locate the troops he wanted to assign to Marissa. He had two executors and three seekers that would obey without question. Unfortunately those types were generally not thinkers. They were excellent in tactical situations, however. Right now he needed people who would act. Not think. Not question. He gave them each instructions on how he wished things to proceed and what orders they could ignore should Marissa change her mind. Lucinda had to be handled. The sooner the better.
Chapter 35
Mikhail stood atop a twelve-story office building and surveyed the surrounding area. The ghouls and their corrupted methodology for opening the Blight folds had left gaping scars that were easy to track long after they'd been used. He emitted a mind burst toward the scar. After a moment, Swain and Anne-Marie emerged from the Blight.
"I'm worried, Mikhail," Anne-Marie said. "The scars these creatures have left are not closing as they should."
"Are you able to enter them?"
"No. The quantum membranes appear to have closed. That hides the scars in Normal, but your mind bursts show how large they still are. I find it unsettling."
"I think it's intriguing," Swain said. "Imagine opening permanent portals from one long-distance location to another."
Anne-Marie's face paled. "It would probably tear our reality apart or merge it with the Blight."
"Not important," Mikhail said. He opened his mouth to continue but felt an incoming communication tickle his defenses. After receiving the information, a smile curled his lips. "The Transcendists are tearing themselves apart."
"What's happening?" Anne-Marie asked.
"Andre has backed himself into a corner. His stance on executing the rogues does not sit well with some in his faction."
"Why does he want to execute the rogues? If, as they say, Lucas might hold the key to the Mystery—"
"Doubtful." Mikhail touched a finger to his chin and considered the possibilities. "Andre is intent on hiding something. His stance has been harsh from the start."
"The only thing Andre concerns himself with is holding onto power."
"No. Something more." But what?
"If Lucas holds the key to the Mystery and chum could become Scions, that would dilute Andre's power," Swain said. "We'd all be equal."
Anne-Marie shuddered. "Even if the Mystery is not a myth, it would be a terrible mistake to convert chum into Scions."
"Some chum would be a boon to our community," Mikhail said. "Others not so much."
"It's not like we're perfect anyway," Swain said. "But I don't want to see the day chum become Scions."
"Agreed. This is why we need rogues for our side."
"Shall we move on?" Anne-Marie asked. "I've already computed the course, direction, and distance of the Blight scars we've been following." She pulled a miniature laptop from her backpack and traced the route they'd come then added a few more dots in the current direction. "There's an abandoned warehouse complex on our current heading."
Swain peered at the screen. "Looks like a perfect place for the ghouls."
"Proceed," Mikhail said, taking Anne-Marie's hand.
She took them in a series of long hops. They halted in a wooded area with a clear view of the facility. Three large warehouses populated several acres in an industrial sector just off th
e freeway. Other office and warehousing complexes jutted above the tree lines to either side. The windowless, rectangular buildings had loading docks with steel shutters. Metal doors with padlocks guarded whatever was inside. Mikhail and the others scanned for lights or other signs of life as dusk settled on the complex.
"This would be a prime squatting ground for the homeless," Swain said after a moment. "But I don't see any fires or lights."
"Nothing stands out in the Blight either," said Anne-Marie.
The hazy orange light of the Blight never varied or dimmed. If the ghouls were staying in the Blight, it would be difficult to surprise them. That was not what Mikhail had in mind. Still, he did not wish to be surprised by them or to lose Swain to them. Extreme caution would be necessary. He had also prepared for an emergency that should allow for escape if need be.
"We do this old-fashioned way," Mikhail said, and started for the nearest warehouse.
They reached the metal door. The thick padlock was intact. Mikhail led them to the next warehouse which sat further back than the other two. The front entrance was secured by a thick bar with locks. They circled to the back. The rear entrance had no door. Just inside the dark opening Mikhail could make out a crumpled door embedded in the drywall.
"Bingo," Swain said. A note of nervousness colored his tone.
Anne-Marie looked around, her eyes black. "I will continue to monitor the Blight."
Mikhail stepped toward the door. Swain held out a protective arm and shook his head. Mikhail waved him ahead. Five ghouls, each with the strength of an executor would make short work of any of them. If they attacked Swain first, it would give Mikhail time to react. Perhaps time to save his people. Old furniture and scattered fabric littered the interior of the warehouse. Low walls divided the space into showcase rooms. Swain shined a flashlight in each as they passed. Reflective eyes stared back from one room. A startled possum raced away.
Near the center of the warehouse, an odor prickled at Mikhail's nose. He recognized it immediately. Swain, too, had noticed. He took a left down one of the cross-corridors. Shined the light back and forth. He halted outside one of the showcases and waved the others over. Anne-Marie gasped and looked away. Inside, a woman's corpse lay on its back. Stones rested atop the eyes and mouth.
