by Kip Hartzell
“But, how will I know who to trust?”
Rhe-A brought over a computer, and set it in front of her.
“A laptop?”
“Laptop,” John said, “They come up with the best names for things. This, ‘laptop,’ will allow you to access our data, and communicate with us. The computer will only interact with you. Start at the beginning. It will answer all your questions.”
“What about security?”
“You have nothing that will penetrate its defenses,” Rhe-A explained. “But, you must be careful of a Destroyer. They might have something that could.”
“How will I know the difference?”
“The computer will help you with all your questions,” Rhe-A answered. “Now, this new insignia will help you remotely interact with the laptop and communicate independently.” She pinned the eagle back on her collar.
“You want me to be a spy?”
“That would imply learning something we don’t already know. Observe.” Rhe-A swished a hand around, and a 3-D image of her office came into view. Her boss was scrambling around trying to locate her, using all his resources. “Would you like to know what the President is doing, right now?”
“No...no, that’s alright. Will Shell be coming back with me?”
John got her attention. “The Destroyers, and Hagha’Kyum Priests know who she is. I think she would be safer with us.”
She looked worried. “It’s okay, Mama. I’ll be safe here with Jay.”
“Now, we must get you back,” Jay said. “Hop in.”
The black SUV stopped in front of her office building. She got out with her new laptop, said goodbye to her daughter and Jay, while doing a double take at a different car than the one she had gotten into.
“Any progress?” John asked Jay.
He flicked over another page. “No, not really, most of this is like a diary. What happened on trips around the world? Complaints about costs, rude, or nice people, architecture, or the weather.” Jay turned another page. Bottom right corner had a hand drawn picture, circular in nature, with a picture of a dragon spewing fire. He perked up. “Do you know what this symbol means?”
John studied it. “I have seen it before.” He looked up. “Maya, would you come here for a moment?” She was there in a flash. Jay jumped out of habit. “Do you recognize this drawing?”
“It is very crude. You don’t recognize it from when you brought me back to Chrysalis.”
“I’ve died a few times since then,” John sarcastically said.
“Thestor and Despin-A Hermes, made medallions for my children.”
“I remember,” Jay said. “When you and Anataka were migrating to Chichen Itza, and you ran across Maya and her band of-”
“Band of...what?” She glared at him.
“-children. Uh, I think we need to go to Chichen Itza, and find this medallion.”
“And then what?” John asked.
“I don’t know, maybe when we find it, it will lead us to the skull.”
“Alright, so far it’s all we have to go on,” John surmised.
Rhe-A walked up to a lone console. Apollo followed. Shelly was on a computer and was oblivious to their conversation. Aidan saw the gathering and joined. “Is Xen-Acrates still out of the TSD?”
“Last reports, put him here,” Apollo pointed at the phantom map. “Central America. He was trying to quell a Lycan outbreak.”
“If anyone can sniff out a vampire medallion, he can,” John said.
“No pun intended, right?” Jay added.
“A pun?”
“You know werewolf-sniff out?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Wow, you people need a sense of humor, never mind.”
“Can we contact Xen?” John asked, putting his hands on the battle table.
“Comm signal is inoperative, but his tracking device is still active,” Apollo informed.
“Good, Aidan, set a course for Xen.”
“Understood.” He stopped and snorted a laugh. “Wolf-sniff out-I get it,” the bull man remarked, shaking his head as he made his way to the flight deck.
Jay shook his head, and then went back to the book.
The shuttle eased its way down in a clearing. The Central American weather was, as it always was, warm and humid. The side door opened and deposited John, Athene-A, Apollo, Rhe-A, and Jay. Shelly stood in the doorway, pouting. She had to be excessively convinced to stay behind. For her own safety. Which she doubted, since Maya was inside the ship with her.
They marched into the darkness. Jay felt better after his rest, and after he designed his own weapon. He wore the modified pistol on his hip, as if he were in the old American West.
“He shouldn’t be far. Besides, he has probably smelled us coming, already.” Apollo said, watching the ping on his handheld. He gave Jay a sideways look.
He caught on, smiled, and followed.
It was only a short time before Jay was starting to work up a sweat, when John said, “Strange, my readings are staying the exact same distance, no matter how close we get.” He stopped in a small clearing, adjusting his handheld that was wrapped around his forearm. “I’ve lost the signal.”
Suddenly, the alarms quietly went off, as multiple reading were approaching their location. The dots encircled them, ten in all stopped, and then began slowly advancing.
“Did anyone check to see what day it was?” Jay asked, as the clouds separated to reveal a very large moon.
Glowing eyes lit up at the jungles edge. They brazenly stepped out into the open. Jay’s heart raced faster, mostly because of the sheer size of them. He slowly took out his pistol, and then thumbed through the settings until he reached his desired selection.
“Alright everyone,” John started, “Let’s not provoke them. We don’t want to hurt them.”
“So, we’re just going to give them a doggie treat and tell them to play dead.”
John gave Jay a wry look. “We should be fine as long as they don’t all charge at once.”
No sooner said, when they all charged the group. The largest one, appeared to be the leader, went for John. The group made a quick back-to-back circle. The snarling roared louder as the beasts closed the gap.
“Try not to kill them,” John urged.
“Tell that to them,” Jay replied, as he took aim and fired at the nearest one to him. The werewolf howled and tumbled, when the projectile pierced its shoulder.
Rhe-A, Apollo, Athene-A, and John, held up a hand, and began to chant. The wolves were stopped in their tracks. But they refused to give up. They dug in and clawed at the ground. Jay was horrified to watch them make progress against the invisible force. Inch by inch, they howled and pulled themselves forward. The mental barrier was not working. Jay moved up next to John and raised his weapon.
“No, Jay,” he struggled to say.
The sudden lack of concentration allowed the large leader to advance uncomfortably close. Jay lowered his weapon slightly. “I want you to know, I will not allow it to harm you. You better think of something fast, or I will kill it.”
There was a bead of sweat forming on John’s forehead. He was about to order everyone to levitate out of harm’s way, but wasn’t sure if he could get to Jay in time. His options were dwindling, in order to save everyone. This was supposed to be a simple search and ask questions mission. They were not equipped for this kind of fight. Jay waited for the expulsion of mental energy that would blast these creatures. I didn’t come. The large wolf was only feet away from John. Jay raised the weapon and took aim. From out of the blackness, a large figure tackled the big wolf. Then, one by one, the others were wrested to the ground by other dark figures. John, and the others, let go, some of them putting their hands on their knees.
The newcomer wolves were in complete control, except for the larger. The even bigger one had it pinned down, but it refused to submit, and squirmed out of the bigger one’s grasp. The battle ensued, while the others howled in support of one or the othe
r. The slightly smaller one was tenacious, and fast. They spared, but was no match for the bigger one. He reached out and grabbed the smaller one, and with a gaping mouth of saber teeth, bit down on its neck. The sickening crunch, and the spewing of blood, made Jay gag. The victor dropped the carcass to the ground, while its followers howled a sad song. He dropped down on all fours and menacingly approached John, who, held his ground.
“Xen, you’re looking strong,” John casually spoke.
The creature stood, twisting and bending its shape. Bones cracked, as skin stretched and retracted. A very tall, and naked man, stood in front of John, with only blood as covering. “John, why are you here?” Xen angrily asked.
“We apologies for interfering with your work.” John looked around Xen at the dead animal on the ground. “But, did you have to kill him?”
“He was...un-trainable. He would’ve never conformed to the modern era. There was no choice. Besides, no need to apologies. I’ve been tracking this rogue pack for weeks. your group made the perfect bait.”
“Uh, well, glad we could help.”
Bones cracking, and skin stretching, could be heard all around. The vanquished wolf transformed back into a man. His eyes open and fixed. Xen noticed. “He was trying to start an unauthorized pack. He was spreading the Lycanthrope virus to boost his ranks. Probably to take over the world like all the rest. If you kill the leader, the followers are free to think on their own.”
“What will happen to them?”
“They’ll have to be trained, or retrained, on the rules of civilized conduct. You haven’t been reading my reports.”
“I’ve only been out of the TSD for couple of months.”
“What kind of help to need?” Xen testily asked.
“Do you recognize this?” John pulled up a holographic image of the vampire medallion.
“Oh, yes, the Draken Sigil. Why?”
“We need one to solve a puzzle that could possibly lead us to one of the tracker skulls.”
“How?”
“It’s a really long story. Will you help us?”
“Does it have anything to do with the Cousin over there?”
“It has everything to do with him.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I need to read these reports.”
They heard a painful howl echo in the darkness, as Rhe-A removed the silver slug from the wolf’s shoulder. She injected him, and watched the wound heal. “Yes, I know where one is.”
“Good, tell me, and I’ll leave you to your business.”
“No need, because I’m going along. I believe you have a ship nearby.”
“Uh, alright.” John looked away. “Aidan, come pick us up.”
Xen stepped away and motioned to a large werewolf. He galloped over. “I don’t know how long I’ll be away, my Son. You are pack leader until I return. Take the new one’s home and start their training.” He looked at the dead pack leader. “Take him home to his family for burial.”
The wolf stood on hind legs and nuzzled Xen. He howled, sending the pack into a frenzy. One grabbed the dead man, and they quickly scampered into the jungle. The shuttle materialized above them, and quietly sank to the ground.
“Xen, Maya is helping us with this mission,” John informed him. A low growl came from deep in his chest. “Now’s your chance to back out.”
He calmed himself. “For the sake of this world, I will control myself, but do I have to be-nice?”
John smiled. “Thank you.” He motioned with his hand toward the shuttle opening.
The well-lit bay had everyone aboard. John stepped in to make sure he was between Maya and Xen. Maya had been warned about Xen’s arrival, and remained calm. They stood across the bay from each other, and silently stared.
“Oooh, who’s this?” said, approaching, and looking the giant blood soaked, naked man, up and down. Breaking the awkwardness of the situation with another awkward situation.
“Shelly Masters,” John said, grateful for her interruption for a change, “this is Xen-Acrates. One of my oldest and most trusted friends.”
She moved forward, holding up her hand. He took it gently and leaned down and sniffed. She pulled back with a giddy smile.
“And this is Jay Rodgers.”
Jay moved up and held out his hand.
“How did you know to use silver?”
“Most legends, and myths, are based in fact. Besides, I watch a lot of TV.”
Xen smiled for the first time. His old friends crowded around, welcoming him, and trying to speak at once. Maya stayed aloof at her computer terminal, and pretended to be busy.
The crowd soon quieted down. “I have information that might help,” Xen said. “Let me get cleaned up and dressed, and we’ll discuss it.” He made his way around the car and passed Shelly, who, couldn’t help but take a last glance. “Maya,” he stopped and said, “you look...small.”
She made eye contact. “Xen, you look...dirty.”
He smiled, and then went to the clean room.
They were all sitting at the round table, when Xen stepped in. Shelly’s eyes popped, when she saw him the size of an average Cousin. His E-suit was the shape of cargo pants, and what she thought was a lumberjack’s shirt. She shifted chairs, and patted the one she vacated. He sat down between Shelly and Athene-A, and gave both a friendly smile.
“Xen, Rhe-A will catch you up on current events,” John said.
“That’s quite alright. I’ve read the reports.” Jay looked surprised. “Leave it to you, John, to make finding the tracker skull difficult, therefore, making it impossible for the Destroyers to find. May I see the book?”
Jay slid it over to him. He flicked through the pages quickly. “This seems as cryptic as most everything Atlantean. I recognize some commonalities. I believe I know our next destination. Aidan, set a course for Chichen Itza, please.”
Aidan scrolled through the holograph controls. “We’ll arrive in ten minutes.”
“Why Chichen Itza?” John asked.
“I have an acquaintance there that can help. He’s an expert on all vampire artifacts, and may know where we can get a medallion.”
“Good,” Jay said. “Finally, a solid lead.”
“So, how long have you been a Werewolf?” Shelly bluntly asked, while batting her eyes at him.
The table got quiet. “Please excuse her. She is very new to this situation,” Maya said, trying to ease the tension, but only making it worse.
“Why don’t you ask the one who caused it?” Xen said, staring Maya down.
“Xen,” John said calmly, “Maya has changed. We need to get passed this, and work together for all our sakes.”
“Understood.”
“We’ve arrived,” Aidan said.
“Thank the Great Creator,” John said under his breath. “Alright, let’s go meet this expert.”
The darkness hid the group as they exited the shuttle from the Chichen Itza ancient compound. Two square miles had been excavated, with even more residential area further out. They quietly walked along a dense network of paved causeways that extended in all directions. The area was closed from the public at night, so no tourist to impede their progress. Jay had never been here, except in his memory feedback link, when the area was nothing but jungle. He recognized the architectural styles, like Puuc and Chenes. The buildings were grouped in a series of architectonic sets, separated by long missing walls.
In the distance, Jay marveled at the Osario pyramid, and the Temple of Xtoloc in the center of the building groupings. Xen led them north by the monument of El Castillo, and the Great Ball Court, until they came to the Temple of Warriors. Jay and Shelly gave each other a doubtful look, and started climbing the steep staircase of the pyramid, well behind the others. Everyone moved quickly, except Jay and Shelly. They were falling behind. He took her arm to help as they huffed and puffed. She didn’t pull away, but held on tighter.
“I... don’t...suppose we could’ve parked a little closer,” Jay said, between breaths.
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“Just a little further, Cousin,” Xen said from the front.
About two-thirds of the way up, Xen stopped, examined the step-in front of him. He reached out, took a large square bottom corner stone and pulled it out, turned it to the right and put it back in its slot. A portion of the steps folded down to reveal a passageway about the same time Shelly and Jay caught up.
“Whoa, I would’ve never guessed that one,” Jay said, taking in more air.
After they had all entered, the stairs slowly sprang back into place. The complete blackness caused Jay and Shelly’s helmets to ooze over the back of their heads and come down to only cover their eyes. The lenses formed to give them perfect night vision.
Shelly held Jay’s hand tight during the process. “I still can’t get used to that,” she said, drawing Rhe-A’s attention to their closeness.
“Follow me closely, and do what I say, or else it might be painful,” Xen echoed from the lead.
They stayed close, single file, as they started down the corridor. They came to a downward stone staircase and stopped.
“For those of you who can’t levitate, I suggest you get a partner to help you down to the landing.” Xen explained. “If you step on a number combination of steps, you will drop into a hundred wooden spikes. Not good for vampires either.” He glanced at Maya.
John took hold of Aidan and glided down with ease. Rhe-A reached for Jay, but was intercepted by Shelly. Rhe-A gave her a wry look, grabbed her tight, and floated down. Shelly let go and pulled away quickly once they reached the landing. She struggles to recover her breath from being squeezed. Apollo held out a hand to Maya, who could’ve done it herself, but took his hand anyway. Jay stared down the tunnel.
“Don’t be afraid,” Athene-A calmly said.
“I’m not afraid. I always feel safe with you, Grandma.”
She smiled. “Shall we dance on air?” She took his hand and put her other on his shoulder. He put his other on her waist.
He felt weightless as they lifted up and out over the others. She floated slowly down like a leaf falling from a tree, and then set them into a slow spin. Jay felt like a kid again, letting out a laugh as she snickered in delight. She set them down lightly on the large landing. He stepped back and gave her a deep gentleman’s bow. She countered with the most difficult curtsey.
