"How deep do ya think this valley is?" I asked.
"Fifty, maybe sixty feet," Brighton answered.
"So what if we put a dam on the mouth and let this Gate be at the bottom of a lake?"
"They have to have some sort of system to let them know the Gate is blocked," Lyrica said, "It might just work."
"So how do you make a dam that will hold?" Rostov asked.
"We call Jack," I said, "He's an engineer. Who's got the sat phone?"
As everybody pointed at each other, I sighed.
"Did we leave it on the plane?"
Silence.
"Damnit."
"We'll just do the best we can," Lyrica said, "Then after we kill the rest of the bastards, we'll come back and make sure it holds."
"I guess so. Let's get to it then."
We jogged toward the mouth of the valley. The opening was about a thousand feet across.
"Lyr, you build a wall and plant it deep, maybe forty feet. I'll build a sloped back and do the same. Then we'll connect em."
"Sounds good."
It took a little while. But once we planted the walls, we met in the middle with the feeders.
"I sure hope this doesn't blow up," I said, looking at the parts we had planted in the ground.
"It's a construct, it won't blow up," Reyna said, "What blew up was when you filled the empty spot between the shield walls with the Source. Let's not do that here."
Everyone backed up and raised their personal shields anyway.
"You first," I said to Lyrica, "Then me."
She pushed her twenty four inch feeder into the ground and the Source poured into the construct. I watched as the dam took shape and as the power poured up the feeder I was connected to, I pushed it into the Source and cut my connection. The power fluctuated and the construct was finished.
The water from the river began to whitewater where it hit the shield and I could already see it start to rise.
"Let's hope it's strong enough to do the job," I said, "Now it's time to keep a promise I made that Kresh. We pursue and kill any that we can get ahold of. Maybe we can keep em movin fast enough to miss some people."
"If we're lucky," Trent said, "More than likely, they'll all turn around and dogpile us."
"Target rich environment," I said.
"You may be a nutbar," Trent said, "but I kinda like ya. So let's get on with it."
"Damn right."
We started north at a run. Lyrica ran right by my side and I was remembering days spent running through the hills of Montana. I think that may have been when I really fell in love with her. I'm not certain. I just knew at some point that I could not imagine a life without her. It really came to the fore when I had thought the Shak'Tar had killed her. I was deep in thought and I almost missed the group of Soulguards coming from the east, toward us.
"Halt," I said over coms and our group slowed down and came to rest.
"What is it, boss?" Rostov asked.
"We've got company inbound," I said, "It looks like the group from the Academy. We'll wait here for em."
"They must have seen the ruckus at the Gate," Adaya said.
I Pulled and sent a fiery blast into the sky for them to home in on. Lyrica and I could see Souls. No one else I had ever met could do that.
The group turned their path toward us. We didn't have to wait long before they cleared the hills and closed with us.
Ekene Dakarai stopped in front of me. I had never actually met him and he was tall. Nearly seven feet tall. He wasn't huge like Kharl, but tall like a basketball player. I had to look up at him.
"Rourke," he said with his huge hand outstretched.
"Good to meet ya, Dakarai," I said and shook hands.
"We saw the fireworks down at the Gate and figured it might be you," he said, "Malcolm has told us many stories of the Soullord since he came back."
"He was a good man," I said, "It saddened me to see him and his men fall."
"Me, as well," he said, "What are your plans?"
"I intend to attack their rear and drive them north. Hopefully we can push em faster and they'll start missin people. The countries above us are being evacuated for the most part but there will be people still there. Some wouldn't have left or were just plain missed. If we keep pushin they me yet survive this."
"How do you know they will run?"
"Because every time we get within range, we're gonna drop the sky on em. They don't like that. If we get lucky we'll find the Farrara'Ti and really piss em off. If that happens, we run north and they follow. That's about as much planning as I have."
"Simple but it should be effective," he said.
"Fall in with us," I said, "We're makin a stop at the Academy, first and sending any wounded out with Lyrica on the planes. How many of your guys are hurt?"
"We have a camp in the hills over there," he said, "There are nearly a hundred wounded there and some of our men are wounded, here but I couldn't get them to stay."
"Here's what we'll do," I said, "Lyr, I need you to take a couple of our squads and get those wounded to the planes at the Academy. We'll send some of Dakarai's wounded with you so you can find the camp. As soon as you can, do your thing. We need healthy warriors. Get em to Cairo and tell them what we're doin."
"You be careful, down here," she said, "Who do you want me to take?"
"Take Reyna," I said, "She's got the best shield."
"Then you should keep her," Lyrica said, "You'll be fighting, I won't. Use your head here, not your heart."
She was right, I wanted her protected and that was influencing my choices. I could use Reyna's Shield.
"If I might make a suggestion," Dakarai said, "My injured are mostly Guards. The Mages are harder to kill. Keep all of the Mages and send the Guards with her. What we are about to do is infinitely more dangerous for them."
"That would be the smartest thing," I said, "Ok, that's the plan. Round em up and let em all know. We're headin north in ten minutes."
Lyrica moved close and we kissed. The whole world was gone for a moment. The war, the Kresh, all the worries.
We parted and it all came back.
Ten minutes later, I started running north with seventy three Mages and three hundred and ninety Mageguards. When we caught up with them there would be hell to pay and my beast was in the forefront of my mind, reveling in the hunt.
I poured on the speed. There wasn't much risk of running off from the group, they were all Mage strength and we could run like the wind.
Chapter 32
We caught up to the rear of their forces as they crossed into Ethiopia.
"What do you suggest?" I asked Dakarai, "A Juggernaut run before an Alpha, or just drop an Alpha from nowhere on em?"
"It depends on what message you want to send," he said, "If you want to just kill them, Alpha. If you want them to know who did it, get up inside them and make it personal. I've been waiting for the chance to do that from the moment we evacuated the Academy. My opinion may be biased."
"You’re a man after my own heart, Dakarai," I said, "Let's do it. We want em to know who's back here so everyone get as personal as you can and lets rip em a new one."
"Yes Sir," Dakarai said with a savage grin.
"Juggernaut armor," I ordered over the com, "Form up in diamonds, We go in til I give the signal. If we see a Farrara'Ti, it's mine. Anything else is fair game. When I signal we reverse course and return to the back of the pack. Then Reyna raises a shield and we go Alpha. Any questions?"
There was silence as everyone assumed diamond formations. Each formation had fifty men. Ten per side and one at each point. Then six Mages in the center who would be using launchers on anything that came within range. There were nine formations.
"Pick an entry point and hit it." I said.
I opened my juggernaut shield and began running toward the horde of Kresh before us, my rage boiling through my consciousness. As I slammed into the rear of the Kresh, I roared my battle cry and Lashed with the sam
e.
RASH'TOR'RI! Ripped through their minds and the area in front of me erupted in blood as my shields carved a path through them as if they weren't even there. The rearmost Kresh were the lowest forms, both Kresh and Kresh'Far. Kresh'Far in numbers can harm a Soulguard but Mageguards plowed through them.
I wanted to drop my shields and rip them apart with my bare hands and my monster was pounding at the walls of my mind. This wasn't the time for him. If I let him out, I wouldn't stop and reverse as I had directed. I had to keep him in check for now.
My inner struggle may have been the reason I missed the Ma'Nar that came up on our left. He was moving fast and he hit our flank.
I felt him as he slammed through our formation and ripped through the shield of one of our Mageguards. Simon Marko had never Pulled before but when the Kresh'Ma'Nar hit him, something in his chest cracked and his breath was gone. He latched onto the Ma'Nar and dragged himself against the beast and Pulled. Fire erupted from his body and the Ma'Nar ran back out of our formation roaring in pain.
There was a huge explosion to our right and we were thrown outward into the mass of Kresh.
"Reform!" I yelled, "Everyone else reverse course and get ready for the Alpha. We'll be there in a minute.
I should have been watching more closely when the Kresh'Ma'Nar had been inbound. Another Soul to add to those who had died for me. And the rage came out.
I Pulled and jumped lashed out with power at the horde of Kresh I had landed in. With glowing hands I ripped and tore them apart. An inhuman roar escaped my throat and I reveled in the death of my enemies.
The beast was out for only a minute, before I beat it back down and reformed my Juggernaut shield. I was covered in blood and I could feel the beast screaming inside me. I glanced back to see a path of body parts growing smaller as the horde closed in the hole I had left. My Squad had reformed as I had ordered and I returned to the spot I had vacated.
"Sorry," I said, "Got a little carried away."
"Ya think?" Prada asked.
"Let's join the others and give Simon a great big road paved with Kresh Souls for his trip home."
"Let's do it," Rostov said.
Our formation burst clear of the rear Kresh. We converged on the rest of our forces.
"Reyna," I said and she raised a shield.
"Code Alpha," I ordered, "Mageguards, link up Mages Pull on my mark."
I waited long enough for the links to my Mageguards to open up.
"Pull!"
I closed my eyes and used my Sight to target. I could see their Souls ahead of us and I could see their thoughts. Then Seventy Mages Pulled and I snatched that enormous reservoir of power. Fire gathered in the sky as the power grew and I began ripping gouts of fire down amongst them.
As I focused, the world slowed as it does when I fight with weapons. I saw the stronger Souls ahead of us and dropped gouts of fire on them.
RASH'TOR'RI!! Rang through their minds as four Kresh'Ma'Nar were incinerated by the dropping fire. I saw no more of them within range so I began dropping the gouts all over the horde that we had just gutted.
SCREAM FOR ME!!! My mental lash rolled through them.
I felt the fear in horde and it was contagious. It spread and they ran faster.
BUUURN!!
"Cease," I ordered and took what was left in the sky and slammed it down in a single blast that shook the ground.
There was silence.
"I hope there were enough of em for you to get home, Simon," I said softly.
I turned to find Dakarai looking at me. His soul showed fear, but it also showed much more. Perhaps Lyrica had been right. I always focused on the fear and never looked to see what else there was. There was satisfaction, there was hope, respect. If I just stopped with fear, I would have been wrong.
Just as I have probably been wrong for so many years. Sure, the fear is there and it hurts. But there is much more to people than that.
"I have heard of this Code Alpha," he said, "But to see it is truly beyond words."
"It's an experience," I said, "How many losses did we take?"
"Three," he said, "The Demon Mage hit two other formations before hitting yours. It killed two men before your man took it."
"I shoulda seen it," I said.
"You can't see everything, Rourke," he said, "None of us can. We just do our best and make our deaths honorable deaths."
"We bled them," Rostov said, "We lost three. They lost five Ma'Nar and thousands of soldiers and Kresh. Now we should go do it again and again. We will bleed them until they reach Cairo. Then we will show them what Hell looks like."
"You're right," I said, "Let's go do what we do best. Kill Kresh."
I saw nods from those who were close by.
"The juggernauts showed them one death," said Dakarai, "The Alpha showed them another. Let us show them a death that we are all well suited for. We should do as you did. Let them see it up close and personal."
"Ok," I said, "but you'll have to call it, this time. When I let the beast out, I can't be the rational one."
"The Beast?"
"You saw a little of him back there," I said, "When I let it free it's hard to get the control back."
"He isn't lying," Prada said, "And those of us who're near him are the same."
"The Kresh DNA?"
I nodded. At least he knew about it and I wouldn't have to explain it again. Most of the higher ranks knew since my episode in Kansas where I tortured a Farrara'Ti's Soul after I ripped it from his body.
"Then I'll call it when we need to turn back and prepare for the Alpha," he said.
"Thank you," I said.
I hadn't done this since first Kansas. I had a hundred and ten men and women with me in my Squad. I would be projecting and we would move as a single entity. One seriously bloodthirsty entity.
We headed north again to catch up with the horde of Kresh, once more.
As we hit their rear, I let the beast out of its cage once more. Rage flooded my consciousness again and I was amongst them.
My emotions were projecting toward those with me and we all roared our fury. I let the beast run on autopilot and I watched with my Sight. This time, I saw the Kresh'Ma'Nar long before he reached us. He was surrounded by twenty Wraiths.
The second I saw them, everyone know they were there through the link we shared. Ten Mages and a Soullord Pulled and discs exploded into the midst of the Wraiths, ripping them apart.
I continued forward and, before the Ma'Nar could launch its own fireballs at us, ripped its Soul from its body. Contact for that split second with their Source made me erupt with rage and hate. I had to stop doing that.
We continued our path of destruction through the center of the horde and I Lashed with my mind, as well.
I AM DEATH! DEVOURER OF SOULS!
My mental attacks served to add to the terror, I hoped. Otherwise I was just sounding corny quoting old sayings. Along with the fact I had just ripped the Soul from one of their "Cherished Ones", I think it was working.
"Reverse course, prepare for Code Alpha," Dakarai said through coms.
I began the struggle with the beast to push it back in the box I kept for it in my mind. It took a few moments to push it back down. It was harder than before. My dark side was getting stronger every time I touched their Source.
I managed to reestablish control and turned our group toward the rear again. There were more Kresh between us and the clearing but they scattered when they saw us coming. They had already gone through one of our passes and they didn't want anything to do with another.
Scattered or not, when we did the Code Alpha, hearing my telepathic lashes in their minds, they burned.
Chapter 33
Forty two times, we hit them over the day and a half it took to cross Ethiopia and the first half of Sudan. The Kresh had chosen the Nile River for their landmark, it seemed and they followed it north. After the fifteenth attack, we began seeing survivors behind the horde. They were feeling the pre
ssure we were putting on their rear units.
"Sir," Dakarai said, "I understand the need for the Psychological impact you have on the enemy. Have you considered the impact it may be having on our own men? What is that horrible noise?"
"That, my friend," I said, "is heavy metal."
I had taken out my mp3 player about four runs in and mounted it on my neck with a small shield. I put the earbud in on the side that I didn't wear coms. And I was projecting the music instead of threats by this time. It seemed to work as well as the telepathic taunts so I had continued. I didn't have to create a playlist, I love all of it.
"Drowning Pool, to be exact," I said, "What could be more appropriate than Bodies at a time like this?"
My group burst out the rear of the horde of Kresh we had just hit with juggernaut shields.
"But think of our men," he said, "the sheer emotional damage they must be suffering."
"That's funny, Ekene," I said, "Your daughter was singin along, a few minutes ago."
"Is this true, Adanna?"
"It might be," she said with a grin.
"A son," he said miserably, "It was all I asked for and I receive another crazy daughter."
She laughed and continued toward her spot in the formation.
"I can't believe he brought that stupid thing," Prada said, "At least the battery should die soon and we'll have a little piece and quiet."
"Then you get to hear my jumbled versions as I try to remember all the words," I said.
"Good God," Brighton said, "Does anyone have a charger? We can use one of the cars to charge it. Anyone? Please?"
"It's not that bad," I said.
"My ears bleed to even think about it," Adaya said.
"Hmmph, no appreciation for good music in the crowd."
"Pull!"
They Pulled and I grasped the power and thundered it down on the running Kresh. It just happened to accompany a scream from the song on the player. It was glorious. I may have giggled.
We can strive for peace as much as we want, but this is what I was made for. Despite the losses we had taken, the sheer death toll from all the civilians, all of it, I was having more fun than I had ever had.
Bloodlord (Soulguard Book 3) Page 15
