Zero II

by Jonathan Yanez

  Danielle crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “Don’t worry, they aren’t going to lynch you or make you pay everything back. Sure, they would rather you started to use your gifts for something constructive but as long as your thieving ways are behind you, you’ll be fine.”

  Alan nodded and continued to pack. He was reminded of the voices in his head that would speak up when he was about to steal. The whispers telling him he knew deep down he was using his gift for self-gain when he could be helping others. “These years they were watching me, they wanted me to make the right choice. They wanted me to stop stealing and look deeper into why I was given my gifts.”

  Danielle’s face was solemn. It was clear she did not enjoy the topic. “I don’t want to beat you up about it but, yes. They were giving you a chance to make the right decision before they stepped in and nudged you along. Who knows? They might have given you a few more years to find your why if it hadn’t been for all the recent demonic activity. But you’re here now and that’s what’s important.”

  15

  Present Day

  “No way, this is it?”

  “Sure is.”

  “And you’re sure there is no way we could have just used my penthouse?”

  “Nope, trust me it’s not much to look at but it’s safe and wait till you see the inside.”

  Alan was trying to imagine living in a warehouse as Danielle pulled to a stop. The building looked like it would fall apart during the next storm. Rust covered the steel outside paneling from warped roof to bent door.

  Danielle had taken him to the city’s warehouse district outside of town. “It’s perfect,” she said. “With your speed the distance from the city won’t be an issue.”

  Alan shouldered his duffle bag as he followed Danielle to the door. “Am I being punished?”

  “What? No.”

  “This feels like some kind of punishment.”

  “Easy there, give it a minute.”

  Danielle walked right to the corroded front door. From what Alan could see it was a ordinary looking door with a rusty knob and a worn place for a key. Danielle looked up to the roof. Alan followed her gaze but saw nothing. “Agent Danielle Turner, code name Valkyrie.”

  There was a brief pause before the door slid open with a puff of steam. Alan jumped back surprised by the motion and steam rising from the door.

  “Welcome to your new home,” Danielle smirked and walked inside.

  Alan coughed, embarrassed. He gathered himself and slowly walked inside. Danielle was right. The inside of the place was nothing like the outside.

  The warehouse was huge with a high-domed ceiling and intense bright lights spread all around. Alan steadied himself so he didn’t jump as the steel door hissed close behind him. The warehouse walls that looked like they were ready to crumble at a moment’s notice from the outside were actually camouflaged. Thick steel paneling met his gaze on all sides.

  “Come on, roomie,” Danielle said, “I’ll give you a tour of the place.”

  Alan followed her through the large building as she pointed out specific rooms and areas on the way to his own living quarters. “So, this is the training room. You’ll be spending a lot of time in there. Over here is the communication room, that’s where I do the bulk of my work. Kitchen is on the left, conference room on the right and you’ll have your own private bathroom attached to your room.”

  Alan nodded, taking in the scene. The inside of the warehouse is what he imagined the future to be. Everything was brightly lit with very little decoration and large amounts of free space in every room. White mats covered the training room floor; the conference room was one large area with an oval table and chairs and a monitor on one side of the room.

  “And here you go,”

  Alan nearly ran into Danielle, still looking over his shoulder at the spotless kitchen area. He stepped through a door into a mid-size room furnished with a bed, dresser, closet and a door leading to his bathroom. “Ange—I mean our organization isn’t too fond of decorations, are they?”

  “Nope, but there aren’t any rules on what you can or can’t put up.” Alan threw his bag on the bed and turned. Danielle was smiling to herself looking around the room. “I don’t know. I kind of like the look. There’s something about simplicity. I think a lot of people trade the idea for material things they don’t really need.”

  Alan nodded thinking about her statement. “So, what’s first?”

  Danielle snapped back to reality from wherever her mind was traveling. “Oh right. After you settle in, you start your training.”

  “Right, training.” Alan crossed his large arms and looked Danielle up and down. “I don’t want to seem rude. I mean you can heal people so who knows maybe you can do all kinds of other things too, but how are you going to train me? And in what?”

  Danielle adjusted her glasses and looked down on her slender but not necessarily athletic frame. “Hey, what are you trying to say? I’m tough.”

  Alan opened his mouth to apologize but Danielle threw a punch that glanced off Alan’s shoulder. Her fist was half the size of Alan’s and felt like someone was tapping him more than trying to hit him.

  “Just kidding,” Danielle laughed. “I’m not the one that is going to train you.”

  Before Alan could ask another question, the sound of the warehouse’s front door sliding open met his ears. Danielle looked at Alan with a smile as he squinted over her shoulder to see who was walking towards them. All he could see was a group of massive figures, descending down the hall.

  Danielle threw a casual thumb over her shoulder clearly enjoying the moment. “They’re going to train you. Good luck.”

  16

  Present Day

  Dominic Drencher

  “And you left him alive?” Her voice was smooth. She had a way of talking that was silky to the ears while still being intimidating to anything that lived. It was one of her many traits Dominic admired.

  Dominic Drencher rocked back and forth in his new slippers, heel to toes. “Yes, your excellence, as was instructed.”

  “Good.”

  The room was dark, too dark for Dominic to see more than a figure hugged in shadows. She sat in a tall chair covered in darkness at the far side of the room. “What shall I do next? We have more than enough followers. Alan Price is nowhere near able to compete with me, much less our superior numbers. Maybe, I should have killed him altogether and just ended the possibility of his future meddling.” Dominic paused thinking about his brief interaction with the young man. “He didn’t even appreciate my cooking. Everyone likes my cooking.”

  The woman spoke, clearly not amused with Dominic’s ramblings. “No, let him train and prepare. Michael needs somewhere to direct his attention. I will allow him to have his pet. I need you on something else.”

  Dominic smiled ear to ear. “Oh, does someone else need killing?”

  “No, not this time.”

  “Oh,” Dominic could hear the disappointment in his own voice. “Killing is my favorite. What then?”

  “Dominic, are you aware of our heritage? Of how the Fallen were first condemned to earth?”

  Dominic was aware that she already knew the answer to her own question. Of course he knew, she had told him herself many times before. He hated when she did that but he had no choice but to humor her anyway. “Yes, your excellence. After the war in Heaven the Fallen were cast out to await their punishment on earth. An understanding was met between the Fallen and the angels to abstain from physical confrontation. And that’s why you have people like me to do your bidding.”

  Dominic’s tone took on an air of disdain. He couldn’t help but fill a lip rise in disgust. “And that is why Michael has people like Danielle Turner and Alan Price.”

  “Very good Dominic. You are correct. My Fallen brothers and sisters are unwilling to engage the angels. Not only do they have superior numbers but the strength they possess is hard for even us to rival. However, what if I were to tell you that
I’ve discovered something to tip those scales. Something to even the odds that have been so unfairly stacked against us?”

  Dominic licked his lips. He squinted trying to cut through the darkness. In vain he sought to see her. “What is it your excellence? What have you found?”

  “Weapons, Dominic. After the great fight in Heaven all the celestial weapons were ordered destroyed to ensure nothing like that could ever happen again. The knowledge of celestial weapon-making has been lost for millennia, until now.”

  Dominic dared to shuffle his slippered feet forward just a few inches. He had to see her, just a glimpse would be enough.

  She continued with a silky voice from the dark that practically corrupted men with a sound. “A book may be in the possession of a mortal, abook that I have spent my entire earthly life tracking down. We need that book, Dominic.”

  He would do anything for her. He took another step forward consumed with her voice. “Whatever you command, your excellence. You will have your book. You will have your weapons. Heaven and earth will belong to you.”

  Alan Price, Danielle Turner and Dominic Drencher will be back in Zero III coming March 2014.

  Jonathan Yanez is the author of The Elite Series, Bad Land and Thrive. His books have been optioned for film and are available in kindle, print and audio book. He would love for you to leave a comment after you finish reading Zero. If you want to know more about him or his current projects you can visit him at www.jonathan-yanez.com