And that's why I'm a monster. I feel the losses and they eat at me but I was still having the time of my life as we killed them as fast as we could catch them.
Here we stood, covered in blood and dirt, looking at a plain littered with the twisted and burned bodies of the Kresh and I was grinning like a fool. What the Hell does that say about me?
My player shut down.
"Shit!" Adaya swore. Adaya never swore.
Adanna Dakarai stepped forward and handed me a charger for a car.
"Why would you bring charger?" I asked.
"Why would you bring an mp3 player?" she asked with a shrug.
"Touche," I said.
"Traitorous woman," her father mumbled, "A son would never have done this to me."
She laughed and returned to the formation.
***
"They don't retreat," Hicks said, "You can say that much for em."
"Yeah," Bill Tanner agreed, "I'll never understand the bastards. After the losses they took when they hit the Israelis, how do they keep coming? It's like something is driving them. Those Farrara'Ti must have some serious mojo to keep them coming this strong."
Bill Tanner was a Soulguard who had been assigned to Hicks' squad, along with twenty others. They were to keep the snipers safe while they pick off Kresh. There were four snipers and four of what Hicks had discovered were called support Mages. They charged the ends of the barrels with their energy and the bullets would absorb that energy.
He'd seen Corn take out one of the big bastards a few hours earlier. The rest of his Marines had set up a perimeter along with the group of Guards.
"Corn," Hicks said, "Two o'clock."
"I see it," Corn answered and his rifle boomed.
"Good shot," Hicks said, "One less Wraith in there."
"Oo-rah!"
"Wait a minute," Tanner said, "Did you see that?"
"Yeah, I did," Hicks said, "They all just turned west. What do ya think caused that? I know it wasn't Corn. He's a good shot but that was thousands that just looked like they panicked."
Corn's head popped up.
"What the Hell?" he asked, "Is that Five Finger Death Punch?"
They were all hearing it. Hicks could swear they were all hearing 'House of the Rising Sun' in their heads.
"Check your nine o'clock," Corn said, "That looks like a group of ours. Jesus, those boys look rough.
"Holy Shit!" he continued, "It's that Rourke guy. Your girlfriend's with em."
"She's not my girlfriend," Hicks said.
"Never say no to a woman who can bench press a truck, Sir. Corn's rule, number one."
"I thought number one was just never say no to a woman."
"That was before I saw one that could bench press a truck."
"They all just headed west, Sir," Santos said, "Is it possible they were runnin from them."
He was pointing toward the group of incoming Soulguards.
"Hard to believe they were runnin from a couple a hundred guys," Hicks said.
"I was at Second Kansas, Mister Hicks," Bill Tanner said, "They were running from him."
Hicks looked at him with a doubtful expression.
"Imagine what you saw in that valley you told me about. Then imagine it on a scale where the earth beneath the battlefield was turned to molten slag, and there were hundreds of thousands of Kresh burnt to ash."
Hicks nodded.
"They were running from him," Tanner said.
"Meanest son of a bitch on the planet," Hicks muttered to himself with a smile.
"What do you mean?"
"I told Rourke it's our job to be the meanest sons of bitches on the planet, once."
"He is," Tanner said.
"For a mean son of a bitch, he's a Hell of a nice guy."
***
I saw their Souls on top of a building that looked like a steel plant or something. There were quite a few of them and one had just sniped a Wraith. I smiled as the imbued bullet hit the Wraith at the base of the skull.
"Prada," I said, "Your boyfriend is on top of that building."
"Oh, no," she said.
"You'd think she'd be happy," Rostov said.
"Look at us, Alexei," Reyna said.
"We're covered in blood and dirt," Adaya said, "What kind of impression would that make?"
"We're about to see," I said, "Hicks and a couple more are on their way down to meet us."
Hicks walked toward them with a Soulguard that I recognized. He was from California and was at Second Kansas.
"Hicks," I said, "Tanner, is it?"
There was a fear in Tanner I was well familiar with. I see it in a lot of the ones who were at Second Kansas.
"Yes Sir," Tanner said.
"Looks like you been busy, Rourke," Hicks said. He was looking past me and I could see what he was looking at in his mind.
Prada was hiding behind Samuel Drake, one of her Mageguards.
"Excuse me a minute, Rourke," Hicks said and walked straight toward Drake, who stepped aside.
Hicks walked up to Prada and planted a kiss on her dirt and blood smeared lips.
"You said something about comparing scars," Hicks said, "I'm holdin ya to that."
He turned back around and grinned. Then he came back to the front of our group where I stood. Prada was like a deer in the headlights. Standing with her mouth hanging open.
"You seem to have taken my words to heart," he said, "They're runnin from you?"
"Well, they're runnin from us, actually," I said.
"I am going to say they are running from him," a seven foot tall black man said, "Or more accurately, what he calls music. I have never been so happy to reach a war zone in my life."
"It wasn't so bad," one of the women behind him said.
"Silence! O treacherous daughter."
She laughed.
"What's our situation up here?" I asked.
"They tried for the bridge across the canal," Hicks said, "But they hit the Israelis instead. Those Source Weapons ripped em up pretty bad."
"I had hopes for em," I said.
"The Egyptians came in from above the Israelis and hit em as well. Then the warships in the Red Sea opened up on em. We took huge losses because they wouldn't retreat. But they took worse."
I winced, "We may have had something to do with that."
"The Brits hit the scene about that time and the Chinese too. It was a Hell of a dust up. They were about to retreat and blow the bridge when the Kresh suddenly headed west into Cairo."
"Maybe we were a little too rough on em," I said, "We've been hittin their rear from Ethiopia to the upper Sudan. There we took off east and headed up to join the forces up here. Where's our main base set up?"
"Our main command is in Israel but the local command is across the canal and north of the bridge. The Kresh don't swim, it seems."
"Their planet is mostly land mass," I said, "Kil'Sin'Deres told me they have about as much land as we have water and they aren't used to the restrictions it puts on em. That's why they stayed in Manhattan Island when they hit New York."
"That explains a lot."
"I think I should head to the local command and see what the whole situation is and then we'll see where they want me to hit em."
"We'll accompany you," Hicks said, "It seems our area has a lack of targets."
Chapter 34
"You look terrible," Paige said when I walked into the building, "And you smell worse."
"No, really," I said, "tell me what you really think."
She laughed, "It's good to see you."
"How bout a hug?"
"I think not."
"So how's our situation?" I asked.
"They're in Cairo," she said, "I don't know why, exactly. They were on the verge of breaking through when they just stopped and ran west. Did you have anything to do with that?"
"Maybe," I said, "I heard they wouldn't retreat. They took huge losses but wouldn’t retreat. I'm afraid I may have been part of the reason. W
e've been hitting the rear for days and I've been Lashing them with the telepathy. We were hoping we could drive em fast enough that they wouldn't have time to kill everyone in the towns along the way."
"It worked," I said, "We found a lot of survivors and sent em west. Unfortunately it cost a lot of soldiers' lives here. Maybe if we hadn't driven em so hard..."
"When we have a choice of soldiers or civilians, we have to choose civilians, Colin," Gregor said.
"Do we have enough forces to assault Cairo?" I asked.
"No way," Gregor said, "We were about to have to fall back across the channel and blow the bridge."
"Then we need to drop a Code Alpha on em in Cairo."
"We've been informed that 'under no circumstances are we to destroy Cairo as we did in New York.'"
"It wouldn't be anything like New York," I said, "Probably level the whole city."
"Therefore, not an option."
"Do the Egyptians have the forces to remove several million Kresh from Cairo?" I asked.
"No they don't," Paige said.
"What, exactly, do they want?" I asked.
"What they really want is the Kresh gone with no damage to their city. That's probably not going to happen."
"Yeah, that's not gonna happen."
"Have you got any ideas?" she asked.
"I've got one," I said, "I go kill a Farrar'Ti and lure the Kresh out of Cairo."
"And how the Hell are you going to do that?" she asked.
"In short," I said, "We drop in from above as soon as I locate the Farrara'Ti. I kill it. We run like Hell."
"Colin," Gregor said, "This isn't a thousand Kresh, not even a hundred thousand Kresh. There are millions."
"I know," I said, "and I would rather drop an Alpha on their heads. But we have to try to do as they ask. If it fails, we drop the Alpha wherever we have to. It would be easier to sneak in alone but if I have to Alpha, I need the troops. I'll take twenty Mages."
"No, you'll take a full load," Paige said, "You can fit a hundred and ten on the plane. Take a hundred and ten. Don't even argue with me, there are over four million Kresh in there."
"Then that's what I'll do," I said, "Now I'm goin to clean some of this shit off me and go see Lyr. Then I'll gather the troops."
This whole thing grated at me. Buildings can be replaced as long as the people survive. Everything depended on whether the damn things would chase me anyway. I'd chased them for two and a half days. Would they be angry enough to chase me after I killed their Farrara'Ti?
Maybe. If not, then I would blow up Cairo.
I left the office that Paige and Gregor had been using for the last few days, whenever they weren't out on the lines with the other Mages.
If not for the Source weapons, the lines would have collapsed. There weren't enough Mages to have stopped what the Kresh threw at them.
Prada was outside, waiting.
"How bad is it?" she asked.
"Looks like we get to jump out of a plane again," I said.
She sighed.
"We got our mission," I said, "Get cleaned up, go jump Hicks' bones, then meet back here in three hours. We're about to start a ruckus."
"Oh, goody," she said, "I was gettin bored."
"Tell the others as you go," I said, "I gotta go tell Lyr I need her to stay behind, again."
"Good luck with that," she said.
I nodded and headed toward the tents to the north. All the wounded were being evacuated to Jerusalem but I knew Lyr would be there, healing any she could as they waited for their rides.
"Boss!" I heard from my left.
I turned to find Trent, "We got a temporary barracks over here to get cleaned up and re-armored."
"Not much point," I said, "but I can use a few hours of clean before we head back out."
"Where we goin?"
"You're with Lyr," I said, "I'm takin Mages only on this one. We're gonna kill a Farrara'Ti and kick the hornets' nest."
"She's gonna be pissed if ya leave her behind again."
"I know, but I need someone to save our asses if this all goes to Hell."
"Hmmm."
I followed Trent inside where I found the most wonderful thing, a shower and a whole new set of combat armor.
After the refreshing shower and some clean clothes, I continued my trek to the tents of injured. I felt her Pulling before I reached the tents. She was bent over a man and holding his leg.
I could see the flow of life force as it focused right on the spot where his leg had been broken.
As she finished, I stepped into the tent and she saw me. A huge smile crossed her face and she was in my arms.
"I've got good news and bad news," I said, "Good news is that we're back, the bad news is we have to go back out again."
"When do we go?"
"Here's the thing..."
"Don't say it if it’s a lie." She said.
"I really may need you to come save our asses," I said.
"That wasn't even a lie," she said, "What the Hell are you about to do?"
"Gonna kick a hornets' nest and see if we can lure em outta Cairo for an Alpha."
"If we could only do an Alpha in Cairo," she said.
"You saw em, too?" I asked.
"Yes, and I was still tempted to do the Alpha."
"I was, too."
I told her of the Egyptians' demands. I would have ignored them if it wasn't for the Souls I saw as I looked toward Cairo. They had a group of prisoners on the northwest end of the city. Perhaps ten thousand souls.
"We have to try to pull em out away from those people," I said, "If it doesn't work, it doesn't work but we gotta try."
"What do you need me to do?"
"Gather all the Mages and Mageguards. Have em ready for an Alpha. When we reach a certain point, be ready to initiate it."
"Ok," she said, "but I still wish we could just hit it from outside and let them rebuild."
"I do, too," I said, "We'll try to save their city if we can but as soon as we get far enough away from those people, do it. Meanwhile, is there anything I can do to help you, here?"
"There's a lot of wounded," she said, "Start anywhere. If it's too severe, holler and I'll make sure we can do it."
"Will do," I said.
***
"Where's he at?" Gregor asked Paige.
"Down in the tents," she answered, "helping Lyrica heal the wounded."
"Not so much of a monster as he thinks," he said.
"He never was as much of a monster as he thinks he is," she said, "and never will be what he thinks he is."
"We should tell the Egyptians to piss up a rope and burn the whole place down," Kharl said from behind them.
"I know we should," Gregor said, "But Colin has a point. We have to at least try to meet their demands. It is their country."
"He's tryin to do the 'right' thing," Kharl said.
"He always tries," Paige said, "And I guess I'll show him my support. I'll be going with him."
"As will I," Gregor said.
"Can we afford to have all three of you out there in that at once?" Kharl asked.
"He needs the strongest Mages with him and we are the strongest Mages," Paige said.
"Just as well," Kharl said, "I'm goin with about half the Jaeghernauts. I've been through the classes, I just prefer usin the Mageguard skills. Doesn't mean I can't Pull, if necessary."
Chapter 35
The plane ride would be short but necessary. I needed to get high up and look down to see if I could find the Soul of the Farrara'Ti.
"Do you see it?" Paige asked.
"Yeah," I said, "it's in the northwest."
It was near the prisoners. I hadn't told anyone about the prisoners. If this didn't work, I didn't want my people carrying the guilt with them about the loss. If we couldn't get the Kresh far enough away from the prisoners to hit them, that would be on me. Not them.
I pulled the street map of Cairo out and lay it on the floor.
"This building
," I said as I pointed at a large structure a short distance from the Nile, "This is our target. We jump and use shield chutes. Quiet landing. I'll go down inside the building and kill the Farrara'Ti. When all hell breaks loose I'm coming out on the south east end and we meet there.
"Then we juggernaut shield up and head south east as fast as we can."
"Sounds like a plan," Prada said, "What are we gonna do if something goes wrong?"
"Same as we always do."
"Make some shit up," Rostov said.
"Oh, dear," Paige said with a sad shake of her head, "This is what you call normal?"
"The life of a Soullord's Guard is an exciting life, Ma'am," Brighton said, "Full of adventure, full of surprises."
"Full of shit," Kharl said.
"That, too, Mate," Brighton said with a grin.
"I'm so glad you made it in time for this, Daphne," Kharl said, "We were hopin ya might lose yer cloths again. You wearin a thong?"
"Bite me," Daphne Cavanaugh said, "Dream on. You keep runnin your mouth and I'll tell Ky. I hear she has a stream bigger than yours and can throw you through walls."
"Speakin of that," he said, "Ya really screwed me on that one, Son. I thought ya had my back."
"It was the only way she'd do it," I said, "She said I couldn't stop till she was stronger than you."
"Traitor," he said.
"Comin up on our drop point, Sir," the pilot's voice came over coms.
"Roger," I said and the back door began to lower.
"Everybody ready?" I asked.
"Ready as I'll eve..."
I threw Prada out of the plane.
"Did you just...?" Paige started.
"Yep," I said, "you need help?"
"No, thank you," she said and jumped with Gregor right behind her.
Rostov went by laughing. It never gets old, throwing Prada out of a plane.
I jumped and dove down to the same level as Paige. She hadn't done many chute drops and I thought I might need to help. She handled it like a professional and looked at me with one eyebrow raised as I flew past. I opened the portal on my chute and my plummet turned into a slow glide.
This was probably the slowest I had jumped out of one of the planes. But we were on a secret mission. It wouldn't do to land in an explosion of fire and death, now, would it?
Bloodlord (Soulguard Book 3) Page 16
