Sword of Order (Warrior of Souls Book 0)

by S Mays

  Jessica had no response to the woman’s inappropriate words. Following Adrianna, she soon arrived at a large metal gate. Her grandfather, Sam, and Alberto were waiting for her.

  “You look every inch the warrior,” her grandfather said, noting her determined look.

  “Ya gonna ace this piece o’ cake, Peach,” Sam said, patting her on the back.

  “Please stop calling me that,” Jessica complained.

  “You can’t lose focus so easily,” came a familiar voice from behind her. Jessica whirled around to see Faith.

  “Faith! I…am surprised to see you,” Jessica said, reining in her enthusiasm.

  “Of course I would not miss my star pupil’s Stalker Test. Plus, I’m not going to miss a free trip to Italy.”

  “I am glad you are here,” Jessica said, feeling comforted that her mentor was in attendance.

  “Remember our lessons. Do not be so anxious to attack. Let your opponent expose his weakness,” Faith said. She’d spent years hammering these concepts into Jessica’s head. Sometimes, literally hammering.

  Adrianna stepped between them, interrupting the reunion.

  “The test awaits. Please step through the scanner,” Adrianna instructed.

  “You will do fine. You are as prepared as your mother and father were, although they were older than you are now. You also have Casca. Your father worked very hard to finish the God Particle program so you would have an edge during your test,” Bilford said. Faith nodded in agreement.

  “Thank you, Grandfather,” Jessica said, then stepped through a device that looked like a metal detector. Immediately, an alarm sounded. Adrianna stepped around to the console as the technician indicated something to her on his screen. She walked over to Jessica, bending over to point at Casca.

  “What is this?” she asked.

  “That is my sword,” Jessica said, unsure of what was happening.

  “May I see it?” Adrianna asked. Jessica looked to her grandfather, who nodded. She unsheathed the sword and handed it to Adrianna.

  “I see no sword. How does it work?” Adrianna asked. She tossed the weapon back to Jessica. Jessica uttered her command phrase. Adrianna’s eyes flickered when she saw the sword take shape. “A very interesting weapon. I have not seen technology like this before. However, I will be taking it.”

  “What? You can’t take Casca!” Jessica objected. An alarmed look crossed her grandfather’s face.

  “Do not fear. It is only for a moment. I will keep it with your clothing and other possessions in the changing room. You see, there is a no-weapon rule in effect for your test.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The semi truck crossed through the guard station at the airfield. Jake had fully expected an attack during the trek from the docks, but none had come. Whoever had been stealing his technology must have been scared off by a squad of Order agents and an Overseer’s presence, especially a warrior of his caliber. Shaking his head, he chastised himself. Vanity is a sin and leads to carelessness, he reminded himself. Shifting gears, he pulled the truck closer to the airfield. He could see the cargo plane they would be using. It was taxiing into position to be loaded. A man was standing down the road, waving two orange-cone-tipped lights. His face was obscured by a cap that was pulled low. He was directing them toward the first hangar on the left. Unusual. Why would we park in the hangar?

  He pulled the truck into the hangar as instructed. The hangar door closed. A man jumped up onto the side step of the big rig.

  “Hello, Overseer Luvkrafft. I trust you had a safe trip?” the man asked.

  “Yes. Why are we in the hangar? We need to ready this shipment for immediate transport. I am not storing anything overnight.”

  “Ah, yes. There was a technical difficulty with the plane, and we are working on it. We wanted the shipment to be under cover and hidden while our mechanics look into the issue.”

  “I…see,” Jake said, looking around the room from the window of the truck. Something was wrong. “Would you mind if I inspect this area and secure it myself?”

  The man looked nervously around the room before answering, “I-I see no reason to do that. We’ve already secured the room.”

  “Stand aside,” Jake said, flinging open the door. The man hopped down, stumbling backward.

  “P-Please, Overseer Luvkrafft, do not trouble yourself. You’ve had a long trip. The plane will be ready shortly.”

  Jake ignored the man as he moved around the giant hangar. His warrior instincts cried out that it was a trap. He looked behind the truck. The chase vehicle was not with them. “All units, report in.”

  “R4 here, sir,” the man in the cab answered, waving to him. There were no other responses. Jake rushed to the trailer, searching for the men who were supposed to be stationed there. It was empty.

  “Base command, we have a situation. I have several missing units and need backup immediately. Base command, are you reading me?”

  The man who had greeted him suddenly turned to run and disappeared behind a pile of crates. “R4, back me up. It’s a trap,” Jake said, chasing the fleeing man. A large form stepped out from behind a piece of machinery that was covered with a tarp. Its yellow eyes glowed in the shadows. The werewolf growled. Another appeared several feet behind the first. Jake took several steps back.

  “Overseer Luvkrafft, please do not do anything that would jeopardize your safety. We are here to escort you and your cargo…elsewhere,” a velvety female voice announced from above him. The accent was perhaps Austrian or Hungarian.

  “I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere with you. Return my stolen cargo, and I will see that you are not tortured.”

  The voice from above laughed. “You are in no position to make demands. We are aware of your legendary combat prowess, and we have prepared extensively for your capture. Please, there is no need for violence. My name is Elizabeth. Accompany us willingly, and you will enjoy a life of luxury and decadence that you cannot imagine.”

  “Why have you stolen my shipments? It will do you no good,” Jake said, scanning the upper area of the hangar. There were catwalks above. He was trying to determine how many foes he was facing.

  “We stole your shipments to lure you here. We knew you would eventually get involved yourself. The legendary Creator cannot stay in his laboratory too long without the need to fulfill his bloodlust. We knew you would appear eventually.”

  “And what do you want with me? You know where my allegiance lies,” he said.

  “Because we want your God Particle research. Such technology could render all modern weapons obsolete. The particles could be as devastating as nuclear weapons, but without any of the nasty side effects. Now, if you would be so kind, please drop your weapons.”

  Jake shifted his vision into the spectral realm and searched the walkways above him until he finally located the source of the voice. She had a dim, dark aura, which indicated the undead. Beside her stood the hulking outline of a man. He surmised that they were most likely vampires. The two werewolves approached. He could see one more aura in the distance, up high. It was kneeling, holding something in its hands. He ducked at the last instant as the sniper fired. A dart appeared in a wooden crate behind him, followed by several more.

  “Blast it,” Elizabeth hissed.

  A man clad in full combat armor stepped out in front of Jake, launching a Taser. The armor was suspiciously similar to the AUG armor. Jake’s own suit was insulated, rendering the electrical barbs useless. A gas grenade landed behind him. He leapt forward as the anesthetic gas filled the area. He pulled his sidearm from its holster and fired two rounds that struck the visor of the armored man in front of him. His opponent staggered back, sparks exploding from his helmet. Jake pulled his battle axe from its holster on his back. “Fang: bite,” he commanded, swinging the materializing weapon at the man. His foe paused before his head rolled free. Jake saw a reflection in the tumbling head’s visor and turned to swing Fang from the floor up, aiming behind him. One of the two werewol
ves fell to its knees. A line appeared down the center of its body. The line widened as the werewolf split in two, cleaved through the center of its body.

  Another armored man appeared on top of a stack of crates, launching a net from a weapon. Jake cut diagonally through the net, firing at the man until his gun was empty. He retrieved the assault rifle from the decapitated man at his feet and fired precise shots at the armor, striking it in the inner elbows and neck. The armor fractured, sending the man tumbling to the floor.

  An older armor design, but definitely stolen from the AUG program. Those weak points were fixed in version two. How were our designs leaked?

  A flashbang grenade exploded to his left, partially blinding and deafening him. A blow from behind knocked him to the floor. The second werewolf. Sometimes he forgot how quickly they could move. The werewolf stunned him with a stun baton, causing him to cry out involuntarily. He could smell some of the lingering gas, which meant it could be affecting him.

  “Please, no more resistance. We do not want to harm you,” Elizabeth called down.

  The room spun around for a moment, and he feared he was losing consciousness. The werewolf’s massive clawed hand reached down to secure him. He thought of Abigail. He thought of Jessica.

  “NO!” he yelled, swinging Fang wildly. The severed arm of the werewolf sailed through the air. The beast howled in pain but swung at Jake again with its remaining arm. He brought up his axe, causing the second arm to fly free. The werewolf took a few steps backward, looking back and forth between the wiggling stumps which used to house its muscular arms. Its gaze returned to Jake just in time to see Fang land between its eyes.

  Jake leaned on his knees, waiting for his vision to clear. The air turned frigid. He felt an icy grip grasp him from behind and fling him into the wing of a plane. He rolled on the ground, holding his ribs. Again, Jessica flashed into his mind. Ignoring the pain, he rose, shifting his vision again. The ghastly specter approached from his front, reaching out to him. It was a female ghost, completely nude. Her lower jaw was missing, and her exposed tongue flailed as she floated through the air. He focused his chi into Fang, swinging it through the woman. The ghost’s form shimmered as its energy collided with Jake’s channeled chi. She howled in pain, her eyes going wide with fright. She sank into the hangar floor, writhing.

  Jake turned to find two more armored men approaching. Again, a net launcher was fired at him. He rolled to the side as the net collided with a wooden crate behind him. It enveloped the crate, small hooks emerging from each strand, digging into the wood. A faint buzzing sound indicated it was charged with electricity.

  Jake dashed forward, striking at the man on the left, who pulled out a stun baton to block the blow. But the axe continued through the weapon and into the man, who fell to the floor screaming. A second blow ended his suffering. The other man pulled out a submachine gun and fired a burst at Jake’s back. He attempted to dodge, but several of the bullets struck home. His suit held, but the force of the projectiles traveled through the protective layers. It was like getting hit with a baseball bat three times. He fell to the floor in pain and crawled away from his assailant.

  “R4…where…are you?” he asked.

  The armored man reloaded his weapon and took aim.

  “Do not shoot him!” Elizabeth screamed. A grenade rolled across the floor and stopped at the feet of Jake’s foe, where it exploded in a shower of sparks. Several pieces of armor bounced off the contents of the hangar as the man was blown away.

  “About…time,” Jake said, breathing heavily and rising to his feet.

  The Order soldier appeared from around the landing gear of a plane. “Sorry, sir. I had my hands full,” R4 said.

  “Welcome to the club,” Jake said, rubbing his back.

  “It looks like we will have to get involved,” Elizabeth said to an unseen companion. “Take him.”

  A large figure plummeted from the catwalk and landed on a wooden crate, which exploded in a shower of splinters and metal parts. A behemoth of a man emerged from the shadows. He stood close to eight feet tall. His bald head glistened in the light. From the neck down, he was clad in the same armor as the others. A scar ran down his forehead and cheek through a clouded eye.

  “I am named Iceberg. Please to be coming with me,” he said in a thick Russian accent. He was carrying a metallic club that looked as if it weighed two hundred pounds. “I do not want to be hurting you.”

  Jake looked to the Order soldier beside him. The man looked as if he was frozen in fear. “R4. R4! Stay alert!” Jake said, shaking the soldier.

  R4 snapped out of his trance. “I-I don’t know what we can do against that, sir.”

  “We fight. That’s what we do,” Jake replied, bending down to retrieve the gun from the enemy who had been blown apart by the grenade. He nodded to R4, and both men leveled their weapons at the giant. They fired simultaneously, unleashing a barrage of bullets.

  Iceberg raised his club, which shielded his face. Sparks flared where each bullet struck his armor and the club. Jake and R4 split up and circled around him in an attempt at a head shot. Iceberg ducked down as he swung his weapon, sending a volley of aircraft parts and wood at R4. The man went tumbling over a crate and did not rise. Jake leapt at the colossal man, attempting to strike him in the head, but was swatted away by the giant’s free hand. He slid across the floor.

  “Be careful, Iceberg. If you are too forceful, you may injure him,” Elizabeth warned.

  Iceberg grunted, moving to Jake’s prone form. “Fight is over.”

  “Not while I yet breathe,” Jake said, flipping over and swinging Fang at the giant’s leg. The mammoth vampire leapt back, unharmed. His speed is unbelievable. He must weigh seven hundred pounds with that armor and the weapon.

  “No fair, pretending hurt,” Iceberg said, raising his club.

  Jake infused himself with chi, jumped to his feet and rushed the vampire as he swung Fang repeatedly. Iceberg dodged and jumped, finally bringing his weapon around to block the blows. Fang sliced through the club several times, leaving Iceberg with nothing but a handle as huge chunks of the weapon fell to the ground with loud clangs. He threw the remaining piece at Jake, who ducked. It looked like the handle might have weighed twenty pounds. Jake pressed forward, trying to land a crippling blow, but a single phrase blasted his senses.

  “STOP!” Elizabeth said. Her voice crashed into his mind like a train.

  He couldn’t move. Only extremely old and powerful vampires had control over the will of humans like this. Most of them could implant a few suggestions, but to take utter control of an Order agent trained to fight their mind control took a rare specimen. After a moment, she emerged into his view.

  “That is enough. I cannot believe you decimated my agents like this. The legends surrounding you do not compare to seeing you in person,” she said, slowly walking around Jake’s immobile form. She slid her hand across his neck and cradled his face. “And you are so much more attractive in person.”

  Jake almost gasped at the beauty in front of him. Elizabeth’s skin was alabaster white, completely smooth. Long black hair flowed around her like silk. Her face was utter perfection and serenity. She smiled at his reaction.

  “See? This does not have to be unpleasant. We can work together, yes? If you work with me, you will be…rewarded.”

  “The rewards you offer are not worth my soul,” Jake spat.

  “You have no choice in the matter. We will take you and this shipment, and you will build the God Particles for us. We have already begun some of the preliminary research, but your assistance will move progress ahead by a decade or more.”

  Jake laughed. “You know I would rather die than help your kind. There is no way you can force me to work for you.”

  “Oh, but there is. You have loved ones? I am truly sorry for what happened to dear Abigail, but Jessica remains. I am sure we will be able to retrieve her at some point. Would that motivate you? Would you trade the research for Jessica’s l
ife? You cannot imagine our resources and reach.”

  Jake’s face twisted in fury. “You will not touch her. Soon, she will be a Stalker, and she will hunt down vermin like you, you disgusting, soulless abomination.” His willpower strained against the mental command, and sweat beaded on his scalp. “I…will…stop...you,” he growled.

  Suddenly, he could move again. He swung Fang at the startled female vampire’s skull.

  Iceberg’s arm lashed out, shoving her twenty feet away. She crashed into the side of a plane, caving in the metal. Fang continued its path, slicing through Iceberg’s arm at the wrist. The large vampire’s hand fell to the ground. Iceberg screamed, holding the gushing stump. Suddenly, a burst of gunfire struck Jake’s legs, sending him sprawling to the ground. R4 walked up from behind him, smiling.

  “Sorry…sir.”

  “You traitor!” Jake gasped, trying to stand.

  Iceberg kicked him in the face, sending him tumbling across the floor.

  “You…dare?” Elizabeth whispered, wiping away a spot of blood from her mouth. In a split second, she joined Jake and lifted him from the ground with one arm. Jake flopped lifelessly in her grip, only partially conscious. Fang clattered to the ground, the blade retracting into its haft.

  “There is one way to make you cooperate without question. You will be my eternal slave, doing my bidding until the sun darkens in the sky. I will take part of your soul into me, giving me complete control over you. You will kill for me. You will ravish me. I will be your god,” she said, tilting Jake’s head to the side. She sank her fangs deep into his neck. Blood flowed freely into her mouth. Jake could feel his very life essence ebbing. To be turned by a vampire of this magnitude meant she would steal his soul, or at least a portion of it. He would become a servant of evil, a shell of his previous self.