by Jake Bible
Elisa began to shake and had to deep-breathe at least twenty times before she could get her voice back. It was a struggle not to let out all the intense anger she felt at that moment.
“I’ve been here for years and never knew Gs could feel us leave the grounds,” Elisa said. Geffe started to respond, but she held a hand up and he closed his mouth with a snap. “I also didn’t know that Gil was extorting drugs from Highlander, let alone that the teens know some way off the grounds without anyone seeing them leave.”
“Oh, some of the stationary Gs see them leave,” Geffe said. “Surprised none of them ever said anything to you. You know how the capitals and corbels like to gossip. They can’t move their bodies so they move their mouths. Man, I got caught by Huggleston for forty-five minutes while he explained in great detail how that one girl, you know, the redhead, and that one guy, the boy with the red patch on his cheek, spent like an hour with their clothes off down in the tunnels you use and—”
“Tunnels I use?” Elisa interrupted. “What tunnels? I didn’t know this building has tunnels.”
“Are you joking?” Geffe asked. Elisa didn’t reply. “You heard me when I said that we Gs feel it when wards leave, yeah? You heard that?”
“I heard that,” Elisa said.
“You’re a ward, Elisa,” Geffe said. “We know when you take off, too.”
“Don’t change the subject,” Elisa replied. “The kids are going in and out of this building and not one of you Gs thought we should know? The security issues alone meant you should have said something!”
“Why?” Geffe asked. “The tunnels fall under the sanctuary’s protection. None of the possessed can get in through them.”
“But what if the kids left the door open?” Elisa yelled.
“How do you know there’s a door if you don’t know about the tunnels?” Geffe laughed. The laughter died away and his ears flattened. “Okay. Sorry. I changed the subject again. Hey, calm down, the door can be wide open, but the protection still holds.”
“Calm down?” Elisa growled. Fists clenched, she started to sputter with anger.
Geffe held up his hands and backed away. “Hey, listen, you’re upset. I’ll speak with you later when you’ve calmed—Never mind. I just wanted a little detail as to what went down with Highlander and Gil. I like Highlander. That rotten weirdness in him don’t mean he’s a bad kid. The guy is a hoot. Just making sure he was all right, is all. But, I can see you ain’t in the mood for a chat no more.”
He turned on his heels and was halfway down the corridor before Elisa could gather enough composure to form words again. He was lost from sight around the corner before those words could become coherent sentences in her head.
Elisa started to walk to the infirmary, but stopped. That wasn’t the way to go. The whole situation with Gil and Highlander was way worse than a single fight and teenagers stealing drugs. The kids were off the grounds. They were out in the countryside where any one of the possessed could get hold of them. If that happened, then it was all over. Those kids knew as much about the sanctuary as any of the wards did. That info would be in the hands of the demons instantly.
She began to jog, then all-out sprint as she decided what had to be done.
“Hey,” Coins called from the gallery as he waited by the front doors “Where ya going?”
Elisa didn’t bother responding as she hurried past the gallery and into the nave, her eyes locked onto the courtyard beyond where Hannah still stood in deep conversation with Artus.
3
HANNAH WASN’T SURE what to say as Elisa finished telling her and Artus about Geffe’s revelation regarding the kids. She wrung her hands together for a couple of seconds then looked up at the gargoyle. “Can we go after them?” she asked.
“We cannot protect you when you leave the sanctuary grounds,” Artus said. “You will be exposed and could easily die or be possessed. Just like them.”
“Then send some Gs with us,” Elisa said. “We can’t let the kids stay out there on their own. Not now.”
“It sounds to me as if they have been doing this for some time,” Artus replied. “They are in no more danger now than they were on previous excursions.”
“That’s bullshit,” Elisa said. “You Gs had a meeting last night about how things are getting worse out there. Don’t deny it; you creatures aren’t exactly quiet when you talk in a group. New York fell and the end is here. We could be the last humans left, right?”
“It is possible,” Artus said. “All the more reason for no more of you to leave.”
“But if they’re caught, then they’ll lead the demons to the tunnels,” Elisa said.
“The tunnels are protected,” Artus replied.
“Forget the tunnels. They’re children,” Hannah said. “It is our responsibility to protect them. Even if it is from themselves.”
“That is a human concern,” Artus said. “It does not involve Gs.”
“So, you won’t help us?” Elisa snapped.
“We will help you all we can,” Artus said, “if you remain within the sanctuary grounds. My power does not extend beyond that. If you leave, I cannot help you.”
“Then I ask that you send some of the Gs with us,” Hannah said, repeating Elisa’s request. “Please, Artus. We can find the children and bring them back safely.”
“They are hardly children,” Artus said.
“Yes, they are,” Hannah said. “Stupid, stupid children. Like all teenagers.” She sighed and rubbed her face. “I knew something was going on. I just knew it.”
“I thought it was only about sex,” Elisa said. “I even offered to get a pregnancy test for Kimmy. Her period is late, and the way she and that Brian boy have been doing it every chance they get, I knew it was only a matter of time.”
“Oh, they’ve been fucking hard,” Nissa said as she and Tessa walked into the courtyard. “Downright disgusting.”
“I think it’s hot,” Tessa said. “All that sweat and grunting and moaning, then bam, it’s all over. Good thing Kimmy gets off fast, because Brian has no stamina.”
“What do you know about human sexual stamina?” Nissa asked.
“Not much,” Tessa said. “Neither does Brian.”
That sent the conjoined Gs into peals of laughter.
“Is there something I can help you with?” Artus asked the faerie grotesques. “Perhaps you could share what you need, instead of sharing your profane humor.”
“What I need is certainly under the category of profane humor,” Nissa said. “If you catch my meaning.”
“Wink wink and all that,” Tessa added.
Artus sighed. Even his patience was tried by the faeries and their mouths.
“Okay, okay. Deek sent us to tell you that six possessed joined Todd, or Todd’s body, at the bar outside the gates,” Tessa said.
“They brought guns,” Nissa added. “Lots of guns.”
“Guns? Why bring guns?” Hannah asked. “They can’t shoot us. Everything is protected on the grounds.”
“Don’t ask us,” Nissa said.
“We’re the messengers,” Tessa said.
“We passed on our message,” Nissa added.
“Using our profane mouths,” Tessa said.
“Now we get to go take a nap,” Nissa continued.
“Because being profane is tiring work,” Tessa said and smiled. Her teeth were sharp and looked very dangerous. Hannah shivered.
“Thank you,” Artus said. “I will have Xue or Olivia go see what is transpiring.”
“Olivia is solid,” Nissa said.
“She was stressed out from her watch,” Tessa said. “Whatever demon was on duty in Todd last night certainly knew how to push her buttons.”
“That Valac guy?” Elisa asked.
“Valac? Nah, he left when Morty got off work,” Nissa replied. “It was Gorb. Real foul-mouthed brute.”
“We’re sorry we didn’t get to talk to him,” Tessa said. “We could have learned some new curse words.”
“Upped our profane game,” Nissa explained.
“Would you mind informing Xue of the development?” Artus asked, cutting in before the Gs could get going once again. “His presence at the gates may be useful.”
“Sure,” Nissa and Tessa said.
“Hey,” Elisa called as the two started to walk away. “Where are the tunnels that lead out of here?”
“Like you don’t know,” Nissa said.
Elisa glared at the faeries as Hannah gave her a pointed look.
“More wink wink?” Tessa asked.
Hannah looked away from Elisa, who was busy trying to ignore her, and frowned at the faeries. “Where are the tunnels?”
“Down,” Nissa and Tessa replied, then started laughing hysterically. They left without giving any more explanation.
“Should we be worried about possessed having guns at the gates?” Hannah asked Artus once the faeries were gone. She began wringing her hands again. “Morty mentioned the possibility of a siege. Is this the siege?”
“Siege?” Elisa cried. “What the hell, people! How’d I not know about a siege either?”
“Morty told me last night before he went solid,” Hannah said. “I promised to stay quiet about it if he promised to find some new books for the kids to read.”
“Books? What are books gonna do?” Elisa asked.
“I thought they would help occupy the teenagers’ time and keep them from getting into trouble,” Hannah said. She sighed. “Yes, I hear how stupid that sounds now. If they are already having sex, stealing drugs, and sneaking off the sanctuary grounds, then a moldy copy of Twilight probably won’t mean much.”
“Ya think?” Elisa said, but not unkindly. She looked glad the subject was back on the kids and not on the tunnels. “Hey, you were trying. That counts for more than ninety percent of the wards living here. Most of them sit on their cots and stare at the walls, waiting for it all to be over.”
“Which could be sooner than later,” Hannah said soberly.
“You are welcome to ask any of the Gs if they will go with you to search for the children,” Artus stated. “But I recommend against it. The possessed presence is increasing around us. The more of you out there, the more attention you draw. If the children are experienced in sneaking away and coming safely back, then it is my opinion that you let them do just that. After all, they have nowhere else to go.”
“Uh, hey, Elisa and Hannah? You two got a second?” Birchstein asked from the courtyard’s archway, Parsons a few steps behind him. “The Gs are acting weird and there are a lot more possessed down by the gates than usual.”
“Cat’s out of the bag,” Hannah said.
“Cat? What cat?” Parsons asked. “Don’t like cats.”
“I’m going to take a look,” Elisa said, plucking the sunglasses from her shirt front. She pointed at Birch and Parsons. “You two lovebirds should help Hannah find the tunnels and wait for the kids to get back.”
“What?” Birchstein exclaimed.
“Tunnels? What tunnels?” Parsons asked.
Hannah gave Elisa a surprised look. “Lovebirds?”
“I’ll let them explain,” Elisa said as she took off from the courtyard, her fingers twirling the sunglasses by a stem, around and around.
“Uh . . .” was all Hannah could say for a moment as Birchstein stared at her with wide, fearful eyes while Parsons shuffled his feet behind him.
“What’s this about tunnels?” Birchstein asked, clearing his throat in a way obviously meant to deflect the lovebirds comment Elisa had made.
“Yes, tunnels,” Hannah said. “Below the cathedral.” She watched Elisa run through the nave then looked back up to Artus. “Where are they?”
“There are several entrances to them,” Artus said. “But the main one is in the library. If you look to the left of the eighteenth century literature case, you will find a brass sconce that hangs slightly askew. Pull it, and the bookcase will click open. Follow the stairway to the tunnels below.”
“How do you know there’s a sconce that does that?” Parsons asked. “You never leave that spot. How the heck you gonna know what’s behind a bookcase?”
“I know everything about this building,” Artus said. “I am the building, in a way.”
“That don’t make no sense,” Parsons said.
“Doesn’t have to,” Birchstein responded. He smiled at Hannah. “I suppose we are accompanying you to the library.”
“I suppose so,” Hannah said. “Better now than never.”
They said their goodbyes to Artus and walked in uncomfortable silence out of the courtyard, through the nave, and into the south avenue which led to the library. Hannah tried not to shoot furtive glances at the two men who walked with her, but she couldn’t help it.
“I don’t know what she’s talking about,” Birchstein said.
“It doesn’t matter,” Hannah said.
“What don’t? Us being queer?” Parsons asked. Birchstein gasped then closed his mouth and shook his head. “What? I ain’t been in no closet for a long time. Everyone in my holler knew I like the other menfolk. I told you keeping it a secret was just plain dumb.”
“Yes, well, some of us haven’t quite led the open lifestyle you have,” Birchstein said.
“Wait, you’re ashamed of it while Parsons is all right with being gay?” Hannah asked. “That is not what I expected.”
“What’s wrong with being queer?” Parsons asked.
“Keep your voice down,” Birchstein said.
“Oh, get off your high horse, Birchy,” Parsons said. “That thinky tank you worked for don’t exist no more. Ain’t no need to hide what you are. Damn, man, if we’re all going to die, then we might as well die out in the open.”
Hannah looked at Parsons with new awareness. She’d always considered the man to be some dumb yokel who didn’t stop complaining or bitching about others’ business. At no point had she ever suspected he was gay, let alone had the mental capacity to express any of the deep concepts he’d offered up a few seconds ago.
“Besides, it could be worse,” Parson continued. “We could be colored folks. That’d be ten times worse.”
Hannah was shocked by his word.
“Please be quiet,” Birchstein muttered to Parsons.
They reached the library and Hannah hurried inside.
“That’s the bookcase,” Hannah said, steering their attention to the task of finding the tunnel, and far away from their disturbing conversation in the south avenue. “Look for the sconce.”
“What the hell’s a sconce anyways?” Parsons asked.
“A light fixture on the wall,” Birchstein answered. “Like those there.”
He pointed to the various wall sconces that hung throughout the moderate-sized library. There were hundreds of books on the shelves, but not one of them was newer than the turn of the twentieth century. The society that had restored the cathedral had decided it was more cultured to have only old books on the shelves, not any of the newer literature. And certainly no paperbacks.
“Smells like mold,” Parsons said. “Stinks.”
“Books rot,” Birchstein said. “Especially in the South when there’s no air conditioning.”
“Pull that one,” Hannah said as Birchstein approached the sconce Artus had said would reveal the tunnel’s entrance.
Birchstein nodded and reached for the sconce. He was about to pull it when he stopped and looked at the bookcase.
“No need,” Birchstein said. “They left it ajar.”
His fingers disappeared
behind the bookcase and he gave a hard tug, nearly falling over as the case swung wide open without a sound.
“They’ve been oiling the hinges,” Parsons said, studying the way the bookcase was connected to the wall. He rubbed his fingers down one of the hinges and sniffed. “Beeswax. Good idea. Ain’t gonna go rancid and stink like grease.”
The three of them stood at the opening and looked at the set of narrow, stone steps that descended into the darkness below.
“I’ll fetch some torches,” Birchstein said.
“How far you think they go?” Parsons asked as he and Hannah waited for Birchstein to return.
“Far,” Hannah said, doing some quick calculations in her head of the position of the library in relation to the edge of the sanctuary grounds. “Too far.”
4
GIL HELD UP A hand and the group of teens came to an immediate stop. They crouched down low, keeping their bodies hidden behind a row of hedges that hadn’t seen a trim in a very long time. Two full minutes went by before Gil gave the signal to stand and get moving.
“More than usual today,” Brian, a chubby teen boy of about sixteen said. “What are they up to?”
Gil shrugged. “Who cares. As long we stay out of sight and they don’t stop us from our mission, doesn’t matter to me what the possessed do.”
“Brian? Can I have a sip of your water?” Kimmy asked, the second oldest of the bunch behind Gil. “I’m so thirsty.”
“It’s because we need a hit,” Brian said. He took off his pack and fished out a water bottle, handing it to the girl. “Don’t worry, Kimmy, Gil knows how to find the stuff. He’s like a bloodhound when it comes to pills.”
The two others behind them, Joanie and Rider, a boy of fifteen, chuckled and giggled at that. Gil gave them a wink and motioned to keep going.
“What’s on the menu today, Gil?” Rider asked. “We ain’t had Valium in a while.”
