Laughter filled the room. Stephen was right though. Darian had sunk into a very dark place, especially after putting the Csökkent on metal rods for their brethren to see. Mikel hadn’t seen it. According to rumors, their Watcher staked three men and left them to die in their own home. Mikel didn’t approve, but he understood. The Csökkent were killing hundreds of innocent woman and children, and Darian blamed himself for their deaths, regardless of how untrue it was. The killing stopped for a short time, but it could never last. The Overlords demanded a Sentinel. The Csökkent had no choice.
“I’ll talk to Darian when we’re done here, but I agree that we should send teams to work with the military,” Mikel stated. “Those who are not in North America should continue to look for resistance forces and survivors elsewhere.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Adalina said cheerfully. “I’ll collect volunteers and meet you at the arena. Hopefully by then, our Watcher and Sentinel will have put their clothes back on.”
Mikel rolled his eyes but smiled at her comment. The group broke up, and he headed for the arena.
Sara’s back was against the farthest weapon rack, and her dark eyes scanned the area in front of her. Sweat rolled across her skin, and Mikel noticed several hand-shaped welts on her bare arms. He suspected she had more beneath her blue jeans and t-shirt.
She took a deep breath and wiggled her nose. He noticed her eyes dart to the right, but she turned her head to the left. She looked at the ground, and her lips twitched. Mikel noticed the slight imprints from Darian’s boots. Apparently, Sara saw them too.
She took two steps to her left, then twisted to the right. Her arm snapped out and a long, white rope wrapped around Darian’s invisible legs. She pulled on the rope and stumbled backwards into the rack behind her. Darian’s concealment vanished as he fell, the air rushing from his lungs as he landed on his back.
“Another point for the Sentinel!” Sara called out, her weapon disappearing with her excitement.
Darian raised himself onto his elbows and chuckled. “You’re getting good at waiting until the last second to decide your attack. I knew you saw me, but I couldn’t anticipate your next move.”
“Oh, my! Was that a compliment?” she asked.
“Not at all,” Darian replied. “But next time, I’m pairing you with Eva.”
“Are you two about done?” Mikel asked, startling them both.
Darian rolled to his feet, dusting his hands on his dirty blue jeans. “Yep, I still have two points over her. It’s a good place to stop.”
Mikel noticed the mischievous grin on both their faces and smiled. They needed this; they all needed this, not just Darian and Seraphina.
“Good!” Mikel replied. “Claud has a plan in the works that requires your input.”
“Claud is brilliant on his own,” Darian said. “He doesn’t require my permission for anything.”
“He’d love to hear it coming from you,” Mikel responded. “Get cleaned up and pack a bag. Adalina’s team will be meeting you here shortly.”
Darian raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t argue. “Come on, Lady Sara,” he said, motioning towards his Sentinel. “Mikel says we can’t go into public smelling like we do.”
“Do the barracks have hot water?” she asked as she strode towards him. “I’d love a really hot shower.”
“Nope, not for you,” he replied.
“Not for me, or not for anyone?”
“Not for you.”
“I bet David would say otherwise,” she quipped.
“David’s not in charge of my scouts,” Darian retorted.
“I’m not one of your scouts!”
Mikel shook his head as they walked away, still bickering.
Stephen strolled up to Mikel’s side. “Yep, he’s definitely in trouble.”
“It’s good to see him smile,” Mikel agreed.
Stephen nodded. “The scouts will be here soon.”
“You took Darian’s gem?” Mikel asked with surprise.
“No, he gave it to Claud when he and Sara started spending so much time training.”
“Ah, well, I’m glad he hasn’t ignored all of his responsibilities.”
“I think he realizes he’ll have to give up his leadership over us,” Stephen said. “And Claud’s the best one to take over for him.”
Mikel turned to look at Stephen. His beard was already growing back, but it wouldn’t cover the scar along his chin. Mikel hadn’t thought of Darian giving up his place as the scout’s leader, but Darian obviously had. He suspected a lot more would change now their Watcher and Sentinel spent more of their time together. Mikel would have to adjust his own demands. He relied on Darian to do things the others either could not or would not, but now Mikel would need to reevaluate his priorities and look more closely at his other scouts. Adalina would no longer be able to rely on Darian either.
Yes, things would definitely be changing.
Chapter 43
Darian
Darian and Sara went with Claud’s group to Camp Guernsey, Wyoming, while Adalina joined Stephen’s group headed to Minot, North Dakota. Both locations had a military presence protecting the refugees. And somehow, both had narrowly avoided the demons ravaging the areas.
“Captain Mills.” A man in his late thirties extended his hand to Darian, who accepted the firm handshake.
“Darian Schmidt,” he replied.
“German?” the captain asked.
“Austrian,” Darian responded with a polite smile, “But most Austrians speak a German dialect.” He wouldn’t go into his history. While he was technically born in Austria, his hometown was now part of Germany thanks to centuries of war and shifting borders.
“Welcome to America.” The captain smiled. “Claud says you’re in charge, so let me give you a rundown of what we have.”
Darian smirked at the captain’s assumption he’d never been to the US.
“Actually, Claud will be in charge of this group,” Darian said, ignoring his scout’s surprised expression. “He’s just as capable as I am and likely better at strategic planning. But please, continue. I’d like to know what our role will be.”
The captain looked at him with surprised approval. Darian meant every word; Claud was the perfect choice for his replacement.
“Follow me,” the captain said, leading them away from the front gate where they arrived on foot. “Claud impressed me with his leadership abilities when we met a few days ago. I never would’ve believed anyone could defeat those monsters. We’ve managed to outrun them most of the time, and even then, not always successfully.” Mills glanced at Claud and nodded. “But he proved me wrong. His small group protected our convoy, saving dozens of civilians and my soldiers.”
Claud’s face flushed, and Darian watched the interaction with pride.
“This area is called the Cantonment,” the captain continued, pointing at the large facility in front them. “It contains a 200-person dining facility, billeting for up to 1500 soldiers, our fuel supply point, and maintenance facility. We’re currently housing five hundred military personnel and eight hundred civilians.”
He stopped in front of a long, concrete building with a sign out front that read ‘Administrative Personnel Only.’
“At the rate the civilians are pouring in, we’ll probably need to set up large tents to house them.” He rubbed his jaw and looked at Darian. “Several families are already sharing rooms that are meant for two soldiers, but those accommodations are not ideal.”
“It’s better than being dead,” Darian pointed out.
“I suppose you’re right.” He opened the metal door, its hinges squealing. Florescent lights flickered on as they entered a narrow conference room. “Come on in. I’ll show you our latest intel.”
“You have power?” Darian asked.
“Yeah, we’re running generators for the dining facility and command center, but that’s it. We’re not sure how much longer we’ll be able to get fuel. The facility runs off its own wate
r supply, so we aren’t depending on any of the local water companies, which are no longer available.”
He motioned towards the metal folding chairs, and Darian’s group sat. The captain pulled a cord on the wall and a map unrolled from the ceiling. It reminded Darian of Mikel’s map, and he suppressed a grin. Red lines and Xs covered Wyoming and the surrounding states. A thick green line connected Camp Guernsey to the Air Force Base—and Adalina’s team—in Minot, North Dakota.
“The Xs are enemy sightings and the red lines are their movements as we know them. We’ve lost several scouting teams, so the information is patchy at best.”
Darian looked at Claud. He’d agreed to step back and let his second lead, so he did.
“Did you find your teams, or did they disappear?” Claud asked.
“They just vanished,” the captain replied.
Claud turned back to Darian. “Replenishing their forces?”
“Let’s hope not,” Darian said, frowning.
“Are you suggesting my men would join these monsters?” His face reddened at the assumed accusation.
“No, Captain Mills,” Darian replied, shaking his head. “I’m suggesting they were used to summon more of those monsters.”
The captain’s red face paled. “What exactly is that supposed to mean?”
Darian leaned forward in his chair and rested his forearms on the table. How much should he tell the captain?
I think he needs to know everything. Sara’s voice interrupted his thoughts. He’s going to be the one to help us fight them, he needs to know the risks.
He looked over at her and nodded. She was right, of course.
“A group of cultists, men who serve the demon’s masters, use human sacrifices to summon the demons,” Darian started. “If you didn’t find the bodies of your scouts, I would assume we now have another group of demons to fight.”
The captain collapsed into one of the metal chairs.
“Have you had to engage them yet?” Darian asked, trying to draw the man back into the conversation.
“Only once,” the captain said, his voice shaking. “We’ve avoided them ever since.”
“Were your weapons not effective against them?” Darian pressed on. So much for letting Claud take charge.
“Not really. We were able to wound them and slow them down, but that was it.”
“What type of firepower were you using?” Darian continued to push for information.
“M4s and M60s were all we had on us at the time.”
“Do you think the demons know your location?”
“I’m sure of it,” the captain replied. “They pursued us for miles before we finally outran them. They’re fast for their size but not as fast as our vehicles. If we’d been on foot, we wouldn’t be here.” He rose again and pointed at two purple marks just north of the camp. “Our scouts disappeared here at the base of the mountains. You can see by the enemy movements, they’ve nearly surrounded us.”
A discreet cough from Claud drew Darian’s attention. A tinge of guilt swept over him. Could he really let this go?
“We should lure them in on our terms, boss,” Claud began. “We can go out and harass them, control their movements, and lead them into a trap.”
“Show me,” Darian said, pointing at the map.
Claud stood and moved around the front of the room. “The southwest border seems to be quiet. I suggest ignoring it for the time being. If the scouts disappeared to the north, at the base of the mountains, I’d say the Csökkent are there, hiding in whatever caves they found. All the activity in the northeast is just to corral the humans to this location.” He scratched his chin, then pointed at the purple marks. “If I had to guess, they’ll regroup here and attack. Unless they have a lieutenant in that group, their orders must be coming from the Csökkent.”
Darian looked over at Captain Mills. The man needed to be involved in the strategy, and he couldn’t have made it to captain without some skills.
“Captain, do you agree?” Darian asked.
“Now that he explains it, yes,” he replied. “It’s what I would do.”
“Good! Then our scouts will go out and wreak some havoc,” Darian replied. “In the meantime, your men need to set up some fierce firepower to greet the pissed off demons that will be marching this way. A line of explosives would be the perfect welcome.”
~~~~~~~~
Darian’s group followed the captain to the handful of rooms reserved for them in the barracks.
“We won’t need more than two or three,” Darian said as Mills pointed out six rooms. “We’ll rotate sleeping shifts so we don’t take up more space than necessary.”
“Are you sure?” Captain Mills asked.
“Absolutely. Save the rooms for the civilians we know are coming,” Darian replied. He stepped into a square room with two sets of bunk beds on opposite walls. A series of lockers covered the wall between them, filling up the space. They could always go back to Santuario, but the civilians couldn’t.
“Thank you.” Mills voice broke off, and Darian turned to him. The captain wore a haunted expression, one that said he’d already given up.
“We’ll do everything we can to stop this threat,” Darian said. “You aren’t alone in this.”
“I was pretty certain we were all dead until Claud showed up,” he mumbled. “We’re not fighting those things. This facility isn’t designed to defend against that.”
“Hope, courage, and the will to live. Make sure your men focus on that. We’ll do the rest,” Darian stated.
The captain nodded and walked away with his shoulders slumped.
“Wow,” Sara whispered.
“I can’t blame him for feeling defeated,” Darian said, dropping his bag on the nearest bunk.
“I was thinking of my neighbors,” she continued, sinking down onto the bed across from him. “They’ll be no better off.”
He didn’t miss the accusation. She wanted to find her friends and make sure they were safe, and he didn’t blame her. He sat on the edge of his bunk, resting his elbows on his knees and giving her full attention.
“Your farm isn’t far from here,” he said. “The demons are gathering resources and pushing this way for a reason. If your neighbors stay hidden, I think the demons will assume the area is abandoned and keep moving.” She lifted her face to meet his gaze, and it was impossible to miss her skepticism. “It’s just like the people at my home in Germany,” he continued. “As long as they stay hidden for a little while, they might be okay. It’s the best I can hope for.”
She turned away from him, but he saw the tears pooling in her eyes. He wanted to reach out and comfort her but knew he couldn’t. They straddled a very weak fence, and he didn’t want to push her off the wrong side.
“So, what will you and I be doing while the others play chicken with the demons?” she asked, standing and walking towards the door.
“You and I are going to check out the Csökkent in the mountains,” he replied.
“Are you sure we should do that?” she asked, hesitation lacing her voice.
“Absolutely. We’ve learned a lot since our last encounter with them.” He reached into his bag and retrieved the leather harness for his daggers. A thick leather strap wrapped around his waist and another looped over his left shoulder. The scabbards were positioned so that he could pull the left from the bottom and the right from the top.
He tugged the strap over his shoulder, watching Sara from the corner of his eyes. She bit her bottom lip in thought, and her never-ending thought process amazed him. It seemed like her mind was never idle, and he was grateful he couldn’t hear everything running through her head.
“David and his warriors are way too excited about playing with explosives,” Sara said.
His eyebrow raised at her sudden change of subject. “That’s because Adalina never lets them,” he replied, trying to buckle the bottom strap around his waist. For some reason, it was too short. “The newness will wear off eventually.”
“Do you need help with that?” she asked.
The humor in her voice made him look at her. She already moved from the door to his side. “No, I’ve managed to do it hundreds of times without you.” He grabbed the shoulder strap and slipped it halfway off before she stopped him. Her fingers slid between the straps and his back, sending shivers down his spine.
“Well, this time the strap is twisted, which is making it too tight to fit around your waist.” She huffed and pushed his hand out the way as if he were a child. She smoothed out the leather, and he pulled it around buckling it.
“Are you done?” he asked, tamping down his own emotions. Every moment with her made it harder. He didn’t want to push her away, but she insisted on getting in his space, which made him want to close the space entirely. He sighed and took a deep breath. Enjoy the moment, idiot.
“I’m sure I can find something else wrong with your wardrobe if I look hard enough,” she replied, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
“Well, not all of us have the luxury of creating our weapons, my lady,” he countered, the banter she fell into so easily.
“Lord Darian, I would say something sarcastic, but we’re about to have company.”
David and Captain Mills appeared in the open doorway a moment later. The captain looked at Sara, and she smiled.
“Claud’s team left a few minutes ago,” David said. “I assume you two are going after the Csökkent?”
“You assume correctly,” Darian replied, appreciating he didn’t have to explain his plan. “How are the explosives?”
A wide grin spread across the warrior’s face. “They have everything. There won’t be much of the demons left to fight once we’re done.”
“Try not to blow everything up at once,” Darian said, not trying to hide his amusement. “We might need some of that firepower later.”
“I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right.” Disappointment replaced some of the warrior’s enthusiasm.
“It’s always more fun the second time, David,” Darian said.
Sentinel's Rise: Book 1 - The Watcher and the Sentinel Series Page 27
