by R G Peterson
“All of you will be instrumental in our realm. Those of you from America will be crucial to our controlling the West. Those of you who have come from other parts of the world will be sent back and take your place besides the other Elements I have put there to rule Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Together we will repair the damage done to the earth.
“Unfortunately, not everyone will share our vision and our goals. We will deal with these people the way they have dealt with our planet. We will show them no mercy. There is so much to do and so little time to do it, we must be willing to destroy all of those who do not readily join our cause.”
No one moved or spoke, but the mood swing in the room was palpable. Most of the members sat up straighter and leaned in toward Thanatos. Eager. The blood lust apparent in their demeanor. A few involuntarily shuddered, but nodded in agreement with Thanatos’ words, afraid they would be the first martyrs in Thanatos’ war.
Satisfied, Thanatos smiled at everyone’s reaction. “But first things first. There is a group of teenagers who hold undue influence on Terry Warrington. We must eradicate their influence. Some of those young people have parents here in this chamber.”
Thanatos paused as the Inner Sanctum members looked surreptitiously about. He laid his gaze on each of those he spoke of before he continued.
“To those I say, we wish no harm to any of your children. They know no better. But the responsibility to convert them to our way of thinking has fallen upon you, otherwise…”
No one dared to turn and look at Mei Huang, Daniel Clearwater or Calvin Robinson. As Thanatos moved his gaze from one guardian to the other, they nodded in agreement.
“Good. You are all dismissed.”
When Thanatos and Ligeia were the only two left, Thomas Wade stepped out of the shadows.
Thanatos addressed him. “Keep a close eye on the youngsters and their parents. At the first sign of resistance eliminate them…all.”
Chapter 23
“Have you finished your homework, yet?”
The members silently strode to their cars, refusing to acknowledge one another. Mei Huang lowered herself into the seat of her car and adjusted all of the mirrors. She started it and moved out of the parking lot. She never once thought of turning on her cell phone. As she drove she kept her eyes forward and headed for home. She parked her car in the driveway, backing in so she would have a clear view of the street when she left for work the next day.
“Hi Miriam, I’m home.”
“Oh, hi mom,” Miriam called from her room. She stood up from her desk and went to find her mother. As Miriam walked into the kitchen, her mom gave her a quick shake of her head.
“Have you finished your homework, yet?”
“Yeah, I finished it yesterday,” she answered, but shrugged her shoulders and raised her hands asking silently – what’s going on?
Mei shook her head again signaling she couldn’t answer her question at that moment.
“That’s good. I’m going to read for a while and then go to bed. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.”
“Okay, mom.”
The two of them walked around the house and set the timers for the lights to turn off in fifteen minutes to make it appear they had gone to bed. Once they had finished their task, they headed for the backdoor. As they stepped into the darkness, they transformed into black cats and left, scurrying through the alley.
Calvin Robinson watched as Miriam adjusted her mirrors in her car before leaving. He went directly home.
“Hey, buddy, you here?”
“Yeah, dad. I’m in my room.”
“Did you get in your workout in today?”
“Yeah, I finished about an hour ago.”
Hearing the code, Anthony left his room. His father waited in the kitchen and gave his dad a what’s-up shrug. Calvin, as Mei had with Miriam, gave him a quick shake of the head. They talked casually for the next fifteen minutes before wishing each other good night. They went about the house and turned off all of the lights. They dressed in dark clothes and made their way out the back. They morphed into blackbirds and flew off into the quarter moon sky.
Daniel Clearwater, after watching Mei adjust her mirrors, also went directly home. When he arrived there he called out for Maddy, “Hey, Darlin’, have yeh done that project for school, yet.”
“I finished it two days ago,” she called back.
They also met in the kitchen and through a series of hand signals, put the prearranged plan into action. A half hour later they left their house, setting the timers to turn off their lights within the next half-hour. They scurried across their yard and made their way through their neighbor’s backyard and on to the next street. From there they headed for the prearranged spot.
A sleepy Red sat in the mansion’s kitchen making a late snack of peanut butter toast and poured himself a half-cup of coffee. He felt his phone vibrate then stop. It vibrated once more and went still. On edge he waited before it went off a third time. He threw the snack away, but topped off the coffee and downed it, speculating it might be a long night. He placed the empty cup in the sink and went to his room. Once inside he locked the door and a few minutes later turned on his white noise machine. After turning off the light, he pulled a second device out of a hidden compartment in his nightstand and turned it on. Sounds of him snoring filled the room.
He marched over to his fireplace, hit an obscure lever and stepped back as it swung silently open. He turned on a small flashlight and made his way down the stairs to a passageway leading outside. A few steps from the copse of trees bordering the property, he morphed into a Newfoundland dog and made his way to downtown Manitowoc and the alley behind the Lone Star Bar and Grill, where he switched back into his human form. He walked through the gangway that separated a string of shops just off of Main Street and walked into the bar where the others were anxiously waiting.
Chapter 24
“We have a problem”
“Hi GG, is Grandpa Henry here?”
Gayle didn’t attempt to hide her surprise that Grace had shown up at their front door after ten o’clock at night. “Yes, dear, but it’s a little late, don’t you think? He’s getting ready for bed.”
“Sorry, GG. But my dad said one of our pipes burst and he could use a second pair of seasoned hands.”
GG patted her on the arm and yelled upstairs, “Henry, the Walkers need your help.”
“Be right down,” they heard Henry answer.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs Grace immediately apologized, “Sorry, my dad said he needs someone to help him fix a broken pipe. Can you help?”
“Sure, dear. Let me grab my tools.”
Within a minute he returned with a doublewide toolbox, carrying it as if it weighed but a few ounces.
“Maybe you’d like to join us, GG. My mom could use some company.”
“I’d be glad to, dear. Let me grab my coat.”
As they walked the four doors down to the Walkers’ house, Grace, after surreptitiously looking around, whispered, “Sorry, about the deception, but I was told not to say anything while I was in your house. We think all of our places are bugged or being watched.”
GG started to react, but Henry grabbed her arm, silencing her.
When they walked into the Walkers’ house a room full of people greeted them. Six of the seven Clan members were there, including Nick, but minus Terry. Mei Huang, Calvin Robinson and Red sat on the couch. Even AJ’s parents, Arthur Sr. and Andrea, were there as well. The Janikowskis were overwhelmed by what they were seeing, especially Gabriella hovering in the dining room drawing what little light there was toward her.
“What’s going on?” Henry asked as he scanned the room. His eyes gave off a flicker of anger when he saw Gabriella.
“We have a problem,” Red answered. Henry’s eyes darted toward his old friend, showing much of the distrust and indignation he felt toward him. Red ignored it and co
ntinued, “There is a man, Alastor Thanatos…”
Red paused to make sure Henry and Gayle knew whom he was talking about. When they both nodded, he went on.
“Thanatos believes he has turned Terry to his side. He wants to use the remaining members of Warrington’s Inner Sanctum,” he swept his hands toward Mei, Daniel and Calvin, “to turn our children as well. And if they can’t be turned, he will have them killed.”
Mrs. Janikowski gave a little squeal hearing Red’s words. Mr. Janikowski, embarrassed by his wife’s reaction, rolled his eyes and leaned away from her.
Red glanced at Andrea Janikowski then added, “After the meeting, Miriam, Calvin, Daniel and me met up at the Lone Star, we decided it would be best if we came here and brought all of the parents into this.”
“But why is that thing here?” Henry asked pointing at Gabriella. “She works for him.”
“I work for no human. Especially not Alastor Thanatos.”
“You could have surprised me,” Henry shot back. “You’ve done Warrington’s bidding from the start. And now I suspect you’ve aligned yourself with Thanatos.”
“It may have appeared so, but I assure you that everything I did was done to help fulfill the desires of a much higher power and purpose.”
“Harrumph,” Henry said before turning back to Red. “So what does Thanatos have planned?”
Mei spoke up, “He sees the world as being on the brink of extinction. He feels that the only way to save it and mankind is to destroy everyone who is in his way. He’s grooming Terry to be he One Spoken of in the Ancient Mayan Prophecy. Once his enemies have been defeated, he sees Terry as the person who will set the earth on its proper path: The One who restores the natural balance to everything. We, the members of Warrington’s old Inner Sanctum, are to be prefects in various parts of the world, much like the Roman prefects who kept things in line for the Roman Emperors.”
“That’s crazy talk,” Henry said dismissing Mei’s words.
Calvin Robinson spoke up, “Is it? The prophecy states that twins separated at birth will be rivals, with one surpassing the other. Surely, you know Nick holds multiple elements, as does Terry? By now one of them should possess all four.”
Everyone turned their attention toward Nick. He looked as if he wanted to run and hide. As the silence permeated the room, everyone began to shift in their seats growing progressively more uncomfortable.
Nick mumbled, “I don’t have them anymore. Well at least not all of them. I lost them all, but recently I got Water back.”
Grace spoke up, “I believe he’s suppressed them. He’s been telling me for over a year now that he doesn’t want to be The One. Unfortunately, Terry does. And he has all four powers. Nick has started to make some progress in convincing him that there is a better way than what his adoptive father – and now Thanatos – have been teaching him. But I get the feeling Terry is slowly pulling away from us. He seems like he’s fighting some kind of inner battle.”
Red spoke up again, “Warrington assured Terry everyday of his life that he, and not Nick, was The One. He stressed that Terry had to be ready when his time came, and declared that he knew better than anyone, including Thanatos, how to best guide Terry on how to rule the world when it did.”
“Misguided, if you ask me,” Henry countered. “That boy had no manners the first time we met him. I sense a maliciousness about him.” Henry thought about what he said, then added. “Not maliciousness, more of a ruthlessness.”
“But he’s not like that deep down,” Nick jumped in to defend his brother.
Henry turned to his grandson and gave a pitiful shake of his head.
Grace spoke up again, “Grandpa Henry, we’ve all seen a change in him for the better ever since Nick made him that potion that helped control his bipolar disorder. It’s only since his sixteenth birthday and his acquiring of all four Elements that he appears to be fighting himself once more.”
The Janikowskis’ mouths were agape as they turned from one speaker to the other – powers, prophecy, The One. None of it made any sense to them. Their surprise turned to concern.
“What does any of this have to do with our AJ?” Mrs. Janikowski asked when there was a break in the conversation.
“AJ’s Nick’s best friend, as yeh well know,” Maddy answered. “And ‘though he doesn’ possess an element, he has been o big part o’ everythin’ the Clan, the seven o’ us including Terry, have been doin’ since the beginnin’. In many ways he’s been a big part in findin’ solutions ta many o’ the clues that allowed us ta move forward and find answers ta the path ta the Minoan archives and the elixir o’ youth and, o’ course, the Holy Grail.”
AJ’s parents turned and stared at their son, seeing him in a whole new light, yet not quite believing the fantastic story being told to them. Arthur senior, a huge fan of the old Candid Camera TV show, began looking around the room for hidden cameras, sure that at any moment someone would step into the room and declare this all one big joke.
Gabriella misunderstanding his furtive looks, assured him, “Although Thanatos has eyes and ears everywhere, we are safe to talk about this here…at least for the moment.”
Calvin Robinson spoke up, “I know this is a lot to grasp. Let me try to explain it in the simplest of terms. Thousands of years ago a civilization arose in Minoa that was centuries more advanced than other civilizations on earth. We refer to it as The First Civilization. Eventually, their scientists were able to genetically alter man’s genes, giving them the ability to control the elements of water, wind, earth and fire. The first element they were successful at controlling was water. Years later they discovered a way to control wind and earth. Many years after that, they discovered a way to alter the genome to control energy, or as they referred to it, fire.
“Over time these people sailed the world in ships that made the journey to other areas both safe and fast. When they arrived at any new land they learned the native language and shared with them their knowledge of all things. They taught them science, mathematics, astronomy, sailing and many other phenomena.”
Despite the Jankowski’s having great difficulty grasping what Calvin Robinson was saying, he pressed on, “Unfortunately, most of what they tried to teach others was beyond their comprehension. Often times the new culture would seize on to those things that were most relevant to their needs and culture. Thus people like the Norse, picked up on sailing. The Aztecs and Incas, astronomy and agriculture. The Chinese, gunpowder and explosives.
“The Minoans sailed to every corner of the earth. They were also a very tall people. The men averaged close to seven feet in height. The women a shade under that. And, as with most exploring nations, often times members of the traveling parties stayed behind, eventually taking wives and having children. Some of whom inherited the elemental trait.”
When Robinson paused, the Jankowskis looked to the others for reassurance. Each person they laid their eyes upon nodded to acknowledge what they were hearing was the truth. Eventually their gaze shifted back to Calvin Robinson and he continued with his story.
“When it was seen how poorly the knowledge had been received by people around the world and how little it did to change their cultural ways, a group of people, headed by the Earth Elements, decided it might be best to no longer try to help others. Instead they wanted to conquer the world and force the Minoan ideas and ways upon these people. A great conflict arose and soon those who opposed the Earth Elements left the island and scattered around the globe, often traveling back to the parts of the world they had visited earlier.
“Also, during this time a great earthquake took place in Minoa and a large portion of the island broke apart and sank into the ocean. The stories that followed this destruction were the basis for the Atlantis tales that were told in every corner of the world.”
When Calvin Robinson had finished a silence fell over the room again, allowing the Janikowskis a chance to try and absorb everything they had just heard.
Two minutes later, Ar
thur Sr. asked, “So, all of you are these Elements?”
“Not us,” John Walker answered.
“But your daughter is?” Andrea Janikowski inquired, as if she was afraid of asking some deep, dark family secret.
“I’m adopted.” Grace informed them. “From the Lacandon region of Mexico. My real father was from the last of the Mayan kings. The Kawiil dynasty. He was also Tristan Warrington’s brother.”
Andrea Janikowski gasped in surprise.
“Yeah. Think how I felt knowing I was related to such an evil person? Anyway, my parents adopted me and everyday I’m more grateful than the previous that they have.”
She looked lovingly upon her mom and dad, then a moment later, offered the same expression to Nick, who blushed and turned away.
Arthur Janikowski began to shake his head, a smile creasing his lips. “This is all too fantastic to believe. You’re kidding us, right? She’s some kind of magic trick, isn’t she?” He pointed at Gabriella floating in the next room.
“No, Mr. Janikowski, I’m afraid it’s all true,” said Calvin Robinson.
Arthur eyed him and said, “Prove it.”
Calvin morphed into a canary and began to fly around the room. When he returned to his seat and changed back, he smiled at the Janikowskis. Andrea fainted.
Chapter 25
