by Ben Hale
He caught sight of her and rose to his feet. "Shut the door, would you?"
She did, not surprised by the lack of greeting. Once they were out of sight he sank into his chair, allowing the previous weeks of weariness to show through.
"How's your day?" Kate asked.
"You don't want to know," he said, and then his blue eyes zeroed in on her. "You look worried. What's going on? Are you cleared for duty again?"
"Of course, but Tess called," she said.
Jack's eyebrows shot up. "We haven't gotten intel from the city in days. The Harbingers seem to be controlling communications somehow. Without Iris we'd have nothing."
"Tess has decided to start practicing in secret—and recruiting her friends."
"Like an army? That doesn't sound wise."
"Of course it's not," Kate said, "but it's not like I could talk her out of it." Her chest felt like it was being crushed, so she had to force the next words out. "But she has a valid reason. She can't just wait for Alice to come to her."
"With their children as captives, the mages will not stand against her,” Jack replied. "It does nothing to stop the kids from resisting."
"Tryton's students start at sixteen," she reminded him. "They're hardly children. I still view Tess like that, but she's acting more like a soldier every day. I don't know whether I should be terrified, or proud."
"Does this change come from us . . . or her heritage?" Jack asked.
"I don't know," Kate said with a sigh. "I just wish we could get her out of there."
"Is Tess in danger from Alice?"
"For the moment, I don't think so," she said honestly. "She wouldn't have sent in Iris's mother if she wanted to go after Tess. But once Alice has consolidated her power within Auroraq . . ."
"She'll turn her attention to other matters."
A knock at the door interrupted them, and Jack phased from father to agent. His blue eyes lightened with intensity, and his exhaustion was replaced with resolve. Kate doubted anyone but her would notice that it was a façade meant to maintain confidence among his team.
"Come," he said.
The door opened and a large man poked his head inside. "Sir, you should take a look at this." Then he spotted Kate, and nodded in greeting. "Hey, Kate."
She nodded in turn, but the urgency of his expression kept her from speaking. Jack rose to his feet and joined him at the door. "What's the situation?"
He threw Kate a look, but Jack gestured impatiently. "She has the proper clearance, Terry."
"The asset is in place," Terry said. "We should be live in five minutes."
Jack flicked his eyes to her, and she rose to follow him. Without a word he swept them from the office and strode down the hall to a large, open room at the end. Filled to the brim with screens, computers, and digital equipment, the Mage Investigation Office could have passed for any other agency's control center. Unseen, numerous alterations set it apart.
Embedded in the walls was a full faraday cage to block the intrusion by foreign government and techno mage alike. On top of that, a host of enchantments had been placed by Hawk's people. Collectively, the protections ensured that no Harbinger could infiltrate their network.
Jack came to a halt. "Give me a sit-rep."
Terry slid into a seat next to a skinny woman with large glasses. "The asset has just arrived in Odessa, Ukraine. The leading edge of the cloud is visible from his position. He is attempting to get a clear line of sight. Sat feed will be coming on in . . . three minutes."
"Meagan, tell me about the asset," Jack said.
The dark haired woman spun in her chair. "James Bracken is a former lieutenant in the Army Ranger program. We recruited him from the military eight years ago due to his multiple language skills in the Baltic area. His missions are exemplary. The classified ones I was able to read are even more so. Expert in pistols, hand to hand combat, small blades, and a dozen other fields. He's done everything from intelligence gathering to wet work, and the director considers him one of the best assets we have in Europe."
"Excellent," Jack said, and then turned to another of his team. "Walker, any news from the Armenian consulate?"
A bald man threw him a backwards glance, and jerked his head in the negative. "Audio only from the marines stationed there, but it's pretty garbled. The White House had already evacuated the ambassador and all non-military staff. A handful of marines volunteered to remain behind. We monitored the feed until we lost contact."
"What about Georgia?" Kate asked.
Another woman shook her head. "It went dark a few hours ago. Azerbaijan is gone too."
A tremor swept through Kate. "What's the population of those countries?"
Terry answered. "Georgia, 4.5 million. Azerbaijan had twice that. Armenia had about three million. Turkey, Iran, and Russia are all reporting missing. The total surpassed forty million this morning."
Kate passed a hand over her face, but couldn't bring herself to voice it out loud. How had forty million already died?
"Why are they not evacuating?" Jack demanded. "We've sent advisories to every government and city in advance of the Dark. More should be leaving."
Meagan answered without turning. "We're issuing the warnings, but the cloud is moving faster than officials can get organized. On top of that, indecision among the national leaders has caused the entire effort to bog down. Most of those that are evacuating are doing so because they believe the media."
Jack folded his arms, his forehead lined with worry. "Then start giving the media more. We need to get ahead of this thing."
"The asset is in position," Terry interrupted.
Jack motioned to the screens. "Give me the best amateur videos of the cloud on the secondary and tertiary screens. I'd like to have a comparison when the asset is linked."
Several of the screens changed from reports and maps to shaky videos that had obviously been uploaded by camera phones. People screamed in the background as they fled from the advancing cloud. One camera jarred to the ground, cracking the lens as its bearer was knocked sprawling into the concrete. Gunshots erupted from the second video as a uniformed officer began firing. Undeterred, the darkness advanced. One by one the screens went black. The screams became shrieks as the people were caught in its grasp. Then everything fell silent, and the videos cut to static.
"Has anything electronic survived exposure?" Jack asked.
Terry pulled his shirt down over his large belly, a nervous habit. "Nothing yet, but reports are difficult to confirm."
The large center screen flickered to life, revealing the grizzled face of a CIA operative. "We're live," Terry said, and bent to his computer.
"Skywatch, this is Eagle Eye, do you copy?" Walker said into a mike.
"I hear you, Eagle Eye," the man said, and moved out of view. A moment later the camera shifted. "Instruments should be coming online now."
Terry nodded. "I have atmospheric and barometric sensors. Radar, Geiger, and temperature gauges are connected too. I just need—ok, electrical and the portable mass spec are up." His hands buzzed on the keys. "Getting readings . . . now."
"Alright people," Jack said. "This is our first solid chance to get a measure of what we're up against. Let's get this done right. Walker, tell the asset to get the secondary camera online, and then observe as long as he can. We need to cross-check his personal observations with the data."
Walker passed on the order, and a moment later Skywatch confirmed it through the camera. Then Bracken said, "Passing control of the camera now."
"I've got it," Terry said, and the camera wiggled left and right. "Enhancing resolution on the cloud now."
The storm cloud in the distance leapt into perspective as Terry manipulated the camera—and it was immediately apparent it was not a storm. Advancing across the surface of the Black Sea, it engulfed a pair of fishing vessels without pause.
"Zoom it back, Terry," Jack said. "And estimate the time until it reaches Odessa."
"On it," Terry said, and
the screen shifted back. "It's moving at . . . forty-three miles an hour, and measures almost twenty thousand feet high. I'd say the asset has an hour until it reaches the city."
There was a collective gasp. When the Dark had first come down from Mt. Elbrus, it had been moving at a couple of miles per hour. Kate guessed they were all thinking the same thing. How was it expanding so fast?
"What's happening?" Kate murmured to Jack.
He threw her a look. "This is the first time we have gotten someone in position to see the Dark's expanse. Up until now we’ve had only amateur video of the cloud, and very little as far as what it's made of. Hopefully this will give us more information as to what it is and how it works—and its effect on our physiology."
Kate nodded and fell silent. Standing at her husband's side, she watched the Dark advance. The sounds of panic began long before the Dark arrived.
And quickly got louder.
Chapter: 31 The Face Within
James Bracken finished the instrument hookups and waited for confirmation from Eagle Eye. Once he'd confirmed they were operational he grabbed his other gear and retreated from the rooftop.
He'd chosen the apartment building for its height. At nine stories, it was one of the higher points in Odessa. Descending past the door where he'd picked the lock, he relocked it and then jammed a scrap of wood under the door. He doubted anyone would want access to the roof in the next hour, but if someone wanted a smoke break and got curious with the equipment it could destroy their readings. Once he'd reached the ground floor he exited out the rear and onto the streets of the city.
Situated at the southern tip of Ukraine, Odessa abutted the Black Sea. As the third largest city in Ukraine, Odessa also boasted fishing and tourist industries. Like most Ukrainians, the people were friendly with the vodka, and small bars dotted the downtown area.
James passed several until he found one that suited his purposes. Placing his computer bag down he chose a chair outside, despite the cold. February was one of the coldest months of the year, and snow and ice were the norm. Piles of gray slush lined the streets, splattering unlucky pedestrians whenever cars passed. Yet the traffic was light. The normally bustling city had emptied in a matter of days as people heeded the advice to evacuate.
A girl with large blue eyes came out and asked in Ukrainian if he wanted vodka. He responded in the same language, asking for a bottle. She flitted back inside without offering a name, obviously reluctant to linger in the cold. It was well below freezing even with the clock showing it was just after noon. The sun shined onto him, but its warmth failed to penetrate the icy blanket that covered the city. Deep in his specially made coat, he still shivered.
The bottle came and he poured himself a glass. Downing it, he poured another. While the first burned a fire through him, he pulled out a flat camera and attached it to the outside of his coat. Then he raised the sound on his earbud so he could listen. He sent a quick text to indicate the secondary camera's readiness. Then he settled in to wait.
His vantage point gave an unobstructed view into the harbor south of the city. On both sides of the road the buildings displayed an architecture that predated the great patriotic war. The traffic was light, but would clog by the end of the workday once the shipping warehouses closed. With the Dark approaching a growing number of citizens had left. Now less than a quarter of the population remained. Most of those that had stayed scoffed at the reports of a killer cloud.
He'd seen the reports and videos, so Bracken was stunned to see so many still here. At first he'd thought the idea that magic existed was absurd. Now he couldn't deny the satellite pictures that showed several hundred miles of Earth completely dark—in broad daylight. Privately he hoped it would prove to be some sort of weapon.
He downed another glass of vodka as the cold seeped into his joints, his attention divided. As always, a portion of his mind monitored potential threats. On many occasions his situational awareness had saved his life, and he trusted his instincts. If someone or something felt out of place, he would notice.
Most of his attention was focused on the people in the streets. In open defiance of the bitter cold, many walked or sat outside. He still wasn't sure if this was cultural or just a genetic stubbornness. Either way the old men sat and drank while the women stood and drank. In this part of the world, vodka was more common than water.
Even though they had refused to leave, an undercurrent of anxiety prevailed. Noticeable in the hurried gait of a pedestrian or the chain smoking of a man that was supposed to be working, an air of tension had seeped into the city. He'd noticed it on the train ride in, but it was worse here. Even if they had refused to evacuate, on some level they sensed what was coming.
Many had abandoned normal tasks to watch television, their eyes glued to the news channels. Reports regarding the Dark had eclipsed all other stories. Whether they believed or not, these people were afraid.
As the hour passed more and more of Bracken's attention was drawn to the cloud in the distance. Huge and forbidding, it stretched from the eastern horizon to the western, and reached high enough that the white clouds were absorbed within it. It was a wall of black that advanced with a relentlessness that implied intent, and sent a tremor of fear through him.
He shook it off, and reminded himself of all the missions he'd completed. The six months he'd been a POW to terrorists had been particularly harrowing. He'd learned long ago how to control his fear, but the sight of this cloud seemed to strip that away. Layer by layer his resolve weakened as the cloud neared the city.
He growled under his breath and looked away. Draining another glass, he left the bar and retreated up the slope for a better vantage point. Within a minute he heard his first scream. Turning, he saw a woman running north. He caught a glimpse of what had made her panic. A shipping tanker, long and bulky, had been engulfed. One second it was there, the next it was gone. Faint shrieks of pain could be heard even from a mile away, and James swallowed.
The sound echoed through the morning streets of the city, striking a chord of hysteria among the people. One person began to run to his vehicle, then another, and then it was a flood. The ones already in cars gunned their engines and tried to pass the slower traffic. The crunch of metal from the various impacts served to heighten the mounting fear.
James was forced to the side as a knot of people raced past him. One of them slipped and was nearly trampled. He caught the woman's arm and pulled her to her feet. She threw him a grateful look and then fled. The terror in her eyes seared into his memory.
James turned back to the harbor, and watched the ships swerve to shore in a desperate attempt to escape. One by one they were swallowed. More shouts and screams joined those of the people already caught in the cloud. A handful of boats made it to shore. Several rammed the docks in their haste. Wood crunched and steel scraped, but the men dived off the boat and raced away. One boat ran aground and capsized with a colossal groan of metal.
Then the Dark reached the shore. In seconds it overtook the fleeing sailors. Even with the distance James could see naked fear on their faces as the opaque cloud swallowed them.
Terror swept the city, and the rising swell of sound became deafening. Sensing the approaching doom, the fleeing people picked up the pace. James joined them. He turned and sprinted up the street. Three blocks up he dodged into an alley and removed a pile of rags to reveal a motorcycle. With practiced motions he kicked the machine to life. The tire squealed, sending him speeding into the street.
Dodging runners and abandoned cars, he struggled to keep his speed. He threw a look back, and saw that the cloud was gaining. Buildings, cars, people—it engulfed them all. Blotting out the sun, it cast an expanding shadow on the city. Like a warning of intent, the shadow darkened the already chaotic scene.
Accelerating in response, James turned down an alley and went up a smaller road, less packed than the main. He revved the engine as his path opened up. The shrieks and cries of pain became a cacophony of desperation that
drowned the sound of his engine. Swerving to avoid a pair of men just exiting a building, he streaked away. A look back ensured that he was beginning to pull ahead.
Then he saw motion in the cloud.
Startled, he clipped a parked car and skidded. He managed to keep his seat until he reached a patch of ice. Controlling his fall, he grunted as he slammed into the road. Bracing his legs, he slid with the bike into a crashed truck. He climbed to his feet, ignoring his own bruises. At a glance he saw that the damage to the bike was severe.
With the cloud just a few hundred yards away, he wrenched the truck door open and yanked the service panel off. Pulling out the wire to the starter, he sparked it until the engine caught. Then he threw himself into the seat and stomped on the accelerator. Panicked people climbed into the bed of the truck, screaming in Russian and Ukrainian.
Metal screeched against metal as the smashed fender of the truck scraped across a crunched car. Then it broke free. He swerved around his bike and then smashed through another wreck. Bits of metal and bumper trailed behind him as he kept going. Slowing to negotiate a gap, he felt the rear of the truck shudder as more runners climbed on. He threw a look back, and saw that half a dozen people were clinging to the truck, desperation and fear showing clearly on their faces.
He gunned it when he reached a clear patch, and the truck leapt forward. Even with the additional speed the air around him faded, and he knew the Dark was upon him. He passed people gasping for air as they ran, and some tried to get onto the truck. He couldn't spare them a second glance, and devoted his whole attention to escaping the congested road.
The truck bounced over a curb as he avoided a flipped vehicle. Someone cursed as they fell off the truck, but there wasn't time to see who. The tires squealed as he cut across the entire road and bumped onto the opposite sidewalk. Then he jerked the wheel to bring them into the center of the road, clipping a crunched car.
He threw a glance back and saw that the Dark had reached the rear of his truck. Men and women crowded close to the front, screaming for him to go faster. One of the men reached around and tried to climb into the cab. James spared one hand to knock him back. Then he heard a howl that caused his blood to run cold.
