by Kip Hartzell
“May we continue, now?” Xen remarked.
“Lead on, my good Man-wolf,” Jay said, in a very bad British accent.
Xen shrugged it off, looked at John, who just lifted his shoulders. He then continued to lead them down a sloped passage.
A few minutes, and he stopped them again, and said, “If you have to walk, walk on the red blocks, only.”
Jay was last. He looked down at the checkerboard floor. He wasn’t sure if the color was paint, or blood. Taking in a deep breath, he stepped on red all the way across. A little further down, and the passage led to a small room.
Xen stood next to a wall with a small square hole in it. “I know you’re there. Open up!” They waited in silence. “Open up. You know I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t important. Hey! Open up. It’s world saving important.”
Silence. Xen held up his hand. “Don’t worry, he’s just being rude.”
A loud metallic latch clanked. A huge section of wall slowly opened with a chalkboard scraping grind. Xen strolled in as if he owned the place. The others followed close behind. For some, the helmets retreated as the light grew brighter.
“I thought I told you never to show your dogface here again,” a deep voice said in American English, with a slight Spanish accent.
“Have I told you, your hospitality...sucks.”
Jay snorted at the comment.
“And I told you not to bring guests, unless they were here for lunch,” the voice said, stepping out of the shadows to reveal a vampiric appearance.
Jay stopped smiling.
Maya stepped out from behind the group. “Draco?”
“Queen Mother,” he said, kneeling and bowing.
She approached him, and put her hand on his dark-haired head. “Rise, my elusive Son.” He did so. “Have you not forgiven me?”
“It was difficult the first few centuries, but now...I understand why you did what you did, I have forgiven you.”
“Thank you, my Son.” She reached out and hugged his neck.
Jay slid up close to John. “Why the tension?”
“You might know him by another name, Vlad Dracul.” Jay’s eyes widened, as Shelly took in a deep breath. “His family was murdered, he lost all of his rationality, and decided to take control of the world so he could stop the destruction and violence. He fell prey to the very thing he was fighting against. It took some time, but Maya put an end to his Tyranny.”
“Ohhh,” Shelly and Jay quietly said at the same time, like kids hearing a bedtime story.
Xen reached into a pant pocket, and said, “I didn’t come here empty handed.” He tossed a flask at him, which he caught easily. “This isn’t wolf’s blood, is it?”
“No, it’s the real thing.”
“Good, it takes decades to get that taste out of my mouth.” Jay snickered again, drawing attention.
“How do you know each other?” Maya asked.
“We have an understanding,” Draco said. “If I find rogue werewolves, I inform him, instead of killing them, he in return, does the same of vampires.”
“An agreement, amazing,” Maya looked back and forth.
“Come, sit, make yourselves comfortable,” Draco instructed, as he led them to a large rectangular wooden table straight out of the middle ages. They mingled and sat down. The extravagant cathedral-like chandelier held dozens of lit candles. Candelabras sat on shelves all though the large room of tapestries depicting medieval battles, coats of arms, and paintings. Red thin rugs covered the floor. Decoration, and artifacts, filled the room. Jay swiveled his head thinking he could spend half a career in this room, alone.
“I must admit, I wasn’t expecting guests. I have little to offer in way of refreshments.”
“That’s quite alright, Draco. We hope to not take up too much of your time,” John said, while sitting near the head of the table.
“I have nothing but time.” He slowly strolled around the table, as if stalking prey. “John, it is good to see you again.” John wasn’t sure how he meant that. “Athene-A, lovely as ever. Apollo, it has been a long time.” He passed Jay up, like he was a left over in the refrigerator. Draco leaned between Jay and Shelly. She looked into his eyes, his voice soothing and comforting. “What have we here,” he softly cooed. She stared intently. “Your hair is like a long-awaited sunrise.” He reached out and took a strand. “Skin soft as silk and the fragrance of...lilac.” Shelly was almost lost in his mesmerizing stare. Jay squirmed, wondering how long they were going to let this go on. “Come, come with me to my chambers, my angle of light.”
She started to move, suddenly, she blinked a few times and was back in reality. “You’re very cute, and all, but I prefer dinner and a movie before I drop my pants.”
He stood up straight, as if shocked, while the others snickered and giggled. “How is this possible? No Cousin has ever been able to resist.”
“We believe,” Rhe-A started, “that Cousins are adapting. Perhaps more Atlantean genes are dominating.”
“Ah, Rhe-A, the ever technically correct one,” he said, as he moved around the table to his seat at the head.
“Now, I must hear what is so important that would bring most of the Council of Chrysalis to my doorstep.”
“Draco,” Maya blurted, “do you still have the medallion Thestor and Despin-A made for you?”
Draco looked confused. “What use could that old relic has?”
“We’re not sure, but we think it could lead us to a tracker skull,” John revealed.
Draco got up, and walked to a wall with a fake fireplace. He leaned on the outcropping stones. He took the flask out and took a savoring drink. “Do you know who I really am? I’m impressed with myself. You didn’t know I was here.”
“There was no indication of immoral action from you, since you disappeared. There was no reason to track you,” Rhe-A dictated.
“Ha, ha, ha. I am a businessman now. I use a lot of pseudo names, but I have a stake, no pun intended, in almost every major company in the world. I could be considered the wealthiest man on the planet.”
Jay stood up angrily. “Do you have one these damn medallions, or not?”
If Draco was angry, he didn’t show it. “A businessman, what’s in it for me?”
“Have you not learned anything over the millennia,” Maya said, rising.
“Oh, but I have learned a great deal.”
Jay moved away from the table. “Looks to me like you’ve learned to live in a hole. No family, no friends, no loyalty, and alone, body and soul.” Draco started to look angry. his pupils dilated a ruby red. “You have all the wealth, and all the gifts, and this is what you do. You’re pathetic.”
That set Draco off. He moved with lightning speed, and had his hand around Jay’s throat. The others jumped up, knowing it was too late to do anything. “What do you know of me, human?”
“I... know...enough,” Jay struggled to say.
Draco looked down to see the SP-10 pressed against his chest. “You can’t kill me.”
“No... but these ash wood tipped bullets are going to sting like hell.”
Draco looked deep into his eyes and saw he meant it. His eyes faded back to normal. He loosened his grip, tilted his head back and laughed. He let go and stepped back. “Well done, human. I haven’t had this much excitement in a very long time.”
Jay still had the gun leveled on him, while he rubbed his throat. “You may have all the time in the world, but we don’t.” The group rallied around Jay. Maya gently put her hand on his gun and slowly pushed it down, with mercy on her face. He put the weapon away.
“I saw something in your eyes, a tenacity, something I saw two decades ago. At that time, I was a mere relics dealer in Mexico City. A man, who looked much like John, came to me with a picture of a medallion. He didn’t know what he had, but, he knew it was valuable. It was odd, he didn’t want to sell it, he wanted to hide it. He surmised it was dangerous because he had lost his wife finding it.” Athene-A and John looked at each ot
her. Jay glanced their way. “He paid me a large sum of money, I gave him some coordinates. He wanted to dispose of it to keep his family, and anyone else important to him, safe.”
“What was his name?” Jay asked.
“In that business, you never exchange real names.”
“So, you went and got the relic, later.”
“The coordinates I gave him is high in iron ore, and other minerals that thwart all kinds of detection. Did you know there is only twenty-one of these medallions? Only seven of us remain, Mother.” Maya obviously looked hurt. “Xen, has collected a few, at my request. Over time, some of us, simply go mad. I showed them kindness by ending their tortured lives. Human hunters aren’t so merciful.” He gave Jay and Shelly a hateful look.
Shelly spoke up. “Why didn’t you try to get the medallion?”
“I thought keeping them hidden would protect them against the Destroyers, who, have showed interest over the last few hundred years. Besides, I can find them anytime I want.” He reached into his evening coat pocket, and produced a palm sized medallion.
“You have one,” she responded, and everyone moved in closer.
“The agoam crystal content, combined with Atlantean metallurgy, can produce a power source. They feed off of one another, and were a great gift during the stone age.”
“What do you mean?” Shelly asked.
“He means,” John answered, “that one medallion can detect another.”
“True, but they have a limited range. The more you have, the greater the range.”
Jay stepped even closer. “Can these things detect tracker skulls?”
“The tracker skulls were saturated with radiation by the original key. I would say, yes.”
“That’s what he did,” Jay said, and then paced the blood red carpet. “Gramps had both a medallion, and a skull. He must’ve figured out that the medallion would point to it, so, he hid both, leaving us bread crumbs, that only we could follow. Genius!”
Beep...beep...beep...
All instruments went off at the same time. Draco went to an old metal desk and pressed a button under the main drawer. A less sophisticated hologram popped up. The others were looking at theirs.
“I have multiple threats converging on our location,” Draco said.
“There is Destroyer influence detected,” Apollo added.
“It is the Hagha’Kyum, again, fifty-three of them,” Rhe-A told the group.
“With Destroyer tech, too many,” John said above the noise. “Since they are on their way here from the main entrance, we can go out on the landing, and catch them in a crossfire. But the chances of casualties are high.”
“You fools, how could you let them follow you here?” Draco calmed himself and sighed. “I really did like this place. Very well, shall we go?” He moved close to the faux fireplace. “An exit strategy.” He pulled a rock sideways and turned it. The whole fireplace cracked open and swung wide. Noises of dying men could be heard outside the main chamber as the enemy found the traps.
They ran down a long hallway wide enough for two. It led straight through the complex. Motion detecting lights lit up as they ran. Draco deactivated traps as he went. They came to a three-way intersection.
“Aidan, do you copy?” John said.
Static. “Barely...being jammed.”
“We’re being jammed, also,” Rhe-A said, trying to make her handheld work.
“Which way?” John asked.
“This way.” Draco pointed straight ahead.
They advanced quickly down the tunnel. Up some steps, down and another corridor.”
“Aidan, north side of the temple. Cover us.”
“Understo...”
“Alright, same box formation. Draco, Cousins, in the center, Atlanteans on the perimeter. They may have counter-measures for our tech, so use your mental shields. Aidan, are you in position?”
“Affirmative, cloak...down...lots of attention.”
“Understood, here we come.” John gave Draco a nod and he pulled a lever.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Blood
The temple stairs dropped down on their position. The group ran out in their formation and was immediately met with a borage of bullets. The mental shielding deflected the projectiles. The shuttle was returning fire, lighting up the whole sky. Small drones dispersed and tracked their targets. More black clad assailants began pouring in. The bay door was open as the shuttle hovered close to the ground. Rocket propelled grenades splashed all around them. Some hit the shuttle, but did little damage. They were getting close, when a lightning bolt came from the top of the temple. The mental shielding only lasted seconds. Rhe-A was blasted to the ground, unconscious, and her E-suit smoldering. The rest ran on board.
Jay and Apollo, jumped back out of the shuttle and ran for Rhe-A. Jay saw the enemy closing in. He fired his pistol, taking down several of the closest ones. Whether he killed any of them, or not, he didn’t care. It was payback time for his Aunt. He fired with accuracy until he reached Rhe-A. He pulled her up on his shoulders in a fireman’s carry, as Apollo fired back. Jay ran shooting, as Apollo fired his stun weapon and mentally threw people in all directions. The drones were becoming overwhelmed. Jay made it onboard, just as Apollo was blasted with the lightning weapon. His defenses were burned through in a fraction of a second. He, and some body parts landed in the shuttle. The blast knocked everyone off their feet. The bay door was closing, while they were being hit by another, much weaker, blast of lightning. The drones retreated with the shuttle. Aidan lost temporary control of the shuttle, and cut off the tops of dozens of trees. RPG’s streaked by as tracer rounds subsided. Soon, he was out of jamming range and the shuttle disappeared, alone in the night sky.
John and Athene-A raced for Apollo. Maya went to Rhe-A and Jay. Draco held on to a piece of ship conduit, trying to get himself under control from the smell of so much Atlantean blood. Shelly curled up in a corner and whimpered.
Apollo was burned over most of his body. The suit could only discharge so much energy. His right arm and right leg below the knee, was in opposite corners of the bay. Nanites had the blood flow almost stopped. John grabbed a medical kit while Athene-A cradled his head in her lap. John injected him with stimulants and pain killers, and sprayed the stumps with a closing element. “Jay, how’s Rhe-A?”
Jay felt Rhe-A’s neck. “Pulse weak, but she’s alive, badly burned, though.”
“She’ll be fine. Maya, you’re the next doctor. I need you.” Maya looked up at Jay, gave a nod, and took off in a blur.
She took the equipment from John, examined it quickly, and then injected him again. The bleeding stopped and the stumps began to heal over. Apollo’s eyes flicked open, and focused on Maya. “You really do have pretty eyes.”
She smiled, and then saw John and Athene-A watching the exchange. “Alright, Romeo, we’ve got to get you into the stasis regenerator.”
“By the Great Creator, I hate that thing, and Shakespeare was an amateur.”
Shelly came out of her hiding spot and grabbed Jay by the arm, crying on his shoulder. “Shell, get a hold of yourself.”
“I almost died, again.”
“We all almost died. Now, get off of me and go see if you can help Draco.”
“Okay,” she timidly said, letting go. She slowly walked over to him. He had his back to her and was obviously shaking. She put a hand on his shoulder. He whipped around so fast it caused her to squeak. His eyes were blood red and fangs stuck out. He was trying to get the twist cap off of the flask. She put her hand on his and twisted the cap off. He stuck a fang in the flask and tilted it back. Like a junkie getting a fix. He stopped shaking and calmed down.
Shelly put a hand on his holding the flask, and pulled it away. “Not so much at once, slowly,” she said, as if talking to a child. He focused on her. His eyes went back to normal, and his fangs retreated slowly. He went to take another drink when she put a hand over it. He gave her an, ‘it’s okay,’ look. “A small sip,” she ordered, wit
h an index finger up.
“As you wish,” Miss Masters.”
Jay looked from the unconscious woman to see Athene-A and John lifting Apollo with an invisible force. They went by giving him a nod. Maya was by him immediately, startling Jay, again.
Maya injected her with something. “Alright, Rhe-A, quit faking and wake up.” No motion. Maya slapped the unburned side of her face.
Her eyes popped open, and she half raised up, before she fell back into Jay’s lap. “Damn you, Maya, and you talk about my bedside manner.”
A smile grew across Maya’s dirt and blood smudged face. “Get her to the stasis pod. It will accelerate the healing.” She got up to go check on Draco.
Jay helped her up, and put her arm over his shoulders and an arm around her waist. She winced, as he helped her passed Draco, Shelly, and Maya. He helped her to the med chamber, where, Apollo was being prepped, cracked one last joke before the capsule was closed and he went unconscious. John turned to help Jay, but Athene-A took his hand. She gave him a knowing glance, John got the message, and they strolled out of the chamber.
“Help me with this suit,” Rhe-A softly said.
Jay ran a hand down the unburned portion of the suit. It peeled away, hanging on, only by the melted portion of the skin. Rhe-A began pulling it off, taking layers of skin as she went. Jay coughed and gagged a little. She smiled a partially burned and dirt smudged face. “Don’t worry, mental control is body control, and drugs, of course. I don’t feel any pain.”
“Good, because I’m feeling enough for the both of us.”
“Are you hurt?” She became alert, and stood up straighter.
“No, no, just a figure of speech. Meaning I’m feeling your pain for you.”
She relaxed and pulled off the rest of her suit. It made a splat sound as it hit the floor. Jay picked her up gently, and laid her in the capsule. He reached over and pulled the silver thermal, healing blanket up to her neck. She looked at him with her one good blue eye.
