by Barry Reese
Trevor spied it, not realizing what it was but desperate for a weapon of some kind. He ducked and grabbed for it, bringing the remnants of the blade upwards. It sliced into Catalyst’s leg, opening a horrid gash that bled profusely.
Nathaniel cried out and fell to one knee, trying to see through the pain so that he could heal himself. The move caused the other prize—the map—to also come free and Trevor snatched it up in a hurry. He whirled about and ran for freedom, the dagger still held in one hand. His enthusiasm for battle was ebbing now and he had to hope that the map was something important… important enough for Dee not to hold another failure against him.
Catalyst found the pain in his leg increasing. Something in the quality of the blade was unnatural and was causing a burning sensation to spread throughout his body. Nathaniel looked down to see necrosis setting in already and he knew he only had seconds to act before his leg was lost forever. He looked up at Trevor and whispered a brief spell that “marked” the man, making it easy for Catalyst to track him later. Then he pushed all thoughts of Trevor away from his mind as he tried to calm himself and find a spell that could stem the damage to his system.
Muttering under his breath, Nathaniel worked his magic and his leg began to glow as a healing spell took root. It warred with the evil that was now inside him, but he could feel an improvement almost immediately.
Catalyst stood up slowly, testing the strength in his leg. He was still shaking all over but he was sure that the worst had been averted. Now that he no longer feared for his life, he felt a dull sense of anger beginning to well up within him. He’d lost both of the artifacts and he’d have to explain how that had happened to the rest of the team.
A moan from one of the men he’d captured jolted him back to reality. There was still one thug on the floor who was unconscious but the two men he’d bound to the wall were now on their knees, holding their heads. Like his shield, their bonds had evaporated when Nathaniel’s concentration had been broken.
Catalyst raised one gloved hand and reasserted the bondage spell, tying them up even tighter than before. “You blokes are going to keep me from looking like a total idiot. I want to know everything about what you’re up to. And if I think you’re holding out on me…” Catalyst increased the tightness of their bonds, eliciting squeaks of pain from each.
One of the men was squat with a thick moustache, and it was this one who eventually spoke up. “My name is Thomas… we all work with Trevor. He’s the man who got away. We’re Fifth Columnists. Trevor was supposed to be getting us in tight with a Nazi named Mr. Dee. He wanted us to steal a box for him but it wasn’t where it was supposed to be, so Trevor traced it here.”
Catalyst listened intently, using his powers to tell if the man was lying. He wasn’t. “Can you tell me anything else about this Dee fellow?”
Thomas hesitated and then nodded. “Yes. I can tell you that he’s not human. There’s something really weird about him… sometimes his face bursts into flame and becomes a skull. And he’s inhumanly fast and strong.”
Catalyst blinked in surprise. He hadn’t realized they were dealing with a superhuman, but given all that he’d encountered since becoming a mage he should have learned to never make assumptions about what he was facing.
“Thanks for the information, Thomas. Now sleep.” Catalyst quickly put all three of his prisoners into a very deep slumber. He imagined that once the police ran background checks on them, they would find lengthy rap sheets.
“Nathaniel?”
Catalyst jumped as Rachel’s “voice” resounded in his head. He caught a glimpse of fear from her as the Claws team moved through the broken front door. “I’m fine,” he shouted. “But I’ve got some bad news.” Moving to join the others in the foyer, he related what had happened, showing them his wound. It was still discolored and bleeding but his leg no longer looked like it was going to fall off.
“What you learned dovetailed with our own results,” the Peregrine said. “We were going to have you come with us to Dee’s residence, but I’d bet my last dollar we won’t get there in time to stop them. As soon as this Trevor shows him the map, they’re headed to Louisiana.”
Revenant nodded in agreement. “That’s why we’re headed out of state. Makeeda is willing to come with us and she can lead us back to where Cummings was last. Dee’s possession of the map only tells him that that’s where the ancients went to after they fled Africa. But Cummings is the only one who knows the formula for immortality and he’s the only one who might know where the ancients really are, if they’re still around.” Sally put a hand on Max’s arm. “Why don’t you go to the Trinity address just in case? We’ll go on ahead and then report back to you.”
“You’re saying you want me to stay here?”
“Yes.”
Revenant held his gaze, hoping that he’d understand that she wanted this to be a Claws mission. It involved the murder of his friend, that was true… but it was time for the team to spread its own wings if they were ever going to truly exist on their own.
The Peregrine sighed. “Go. But stay in contact with me.”
Sally smiled and turned to the others. “As soon as we’ve got Nathaniel cleaned up, we’re going on our first road trip.”
Max cleared his throat. “That brings something up. I never showed you the garage.”
“We’ve got our own car?” Vincent asked.
“Better. You’ve got a car… and a mini-plane capable of carrying the four of you.”
Sally’s eyes twinkled. “Mr. Davies, if you weren’t already married…”
CHAPTER VIII
The Rage of Mr. Dee
The flames danced around Mr. Dee’s skull and the deep pits where his eyes had once been burned with an inner glow. He sat beside Trevor in their black sedan, which was racing from the city. “Because of your incompetence, I’m forced to leave most of my belongings at the house,” he said, anger lacing his words. “The Peregrine and his allies will use them to find out things about me, things will put us at risk even after I return to Germany.”
“The Peregrine wasn’t there,” Trevor said, keeping his eyes on the road. “Maybe that guy in the green wasn’t even a friend of his…”
“That was Catalyst,” Dee snapped. “He worked with the Peregrine in dealing with the Un-Earth project nearly two years ago. If Catalyst was there, guarding the map, you can bet it was the Peregrine who told him to do it.”
“But the map’s going to help us, right?”
“Yes. You weren’t a complete failure, I’ll grant you that.” Dee forced himself to calm down, the flames slowly dying out. His skin and hair were restored, but there remained a faint barbecue-like odor in the car. Dee pulled forth the broken dagger and studied it closely. “You said this hurt the magician?”
“Pretty badly. He was bleeding like crazy… and the skin around the wound started looking awful right away.”
“I’m not sure what metal this made from… it’s not steel.” Dee ran a finger along the side of the blade. “And the map confirms my suspicions that Cummings was looking for the ancients in America. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find them.”
Trevor glanced over at Dee. “And these ancients are going to make you immortal?”
“The immortality isn’t for me, actually. My own powers will lengthen my lifespan considerably… and anything beyond that, I don’t want. Immortality isn’t always the blessing it might seem. But the Fuehrer wants to attain it. He’s afraid the war is headed towards a bad end for us and he not only needs additional protection for himself, but he wants to make sure that he can live long enough to restore the Reich when the time comes.”
Trevor let out a long whistle. “So we’re gonna make Hitler immortal? I’m gonna get a medal for sure!”
Dee laughed aloud, making Trevor blush furiously. “That’s what all this is about for you, isn’t it? Becoming a hero in the eyes of Germany?”
“Sure. Don’t you want that, too?”
Dee shook his head.
“No. The world is a sick and wicked place. It requires men of true faith to rise above it and punish the sinners. Adolf Hitler is a great man with vision and attention to detail, but he is morally weak, as well. He doesn’t realize that he allows moral corruption within the ranks of the Reich and that this will rot it all out from the core.”
“Then why are you doing this? If you think the Reich is doomed to fail and that the Fuehrer isn’t worthy of immortality…”
“I never said that. I said that he was morally weak. I do think he has potential. I believe that the Reich will fail but that Hitler can learn from his mistakes and be a stronger leader the next time.” Dee put away the dagger and began drumming his fingers on the passenger side door. “You were useful to me for a time, Trevor. I was afraid that my… dramatic appearance and abilities would be likely to attract the Peregrine’s attention. I thought you would take your childish desire for approval and allow that to give you the impetus to do your tasks well. But all you’ve done is disappoint me, the map notwithstanding. I think I’ve had quite enough of you. And stop calling me Klein. That’s not my name!”
Trevor pulled off the road and turned to face Mr. Dee. The brown-haired man’s eyes were cold as ice but Trevor refused to back down. “What the hell are you talking about? I’ve never called you by that name… I don’t even know why you’d think I would. Who’s Klein? And I’ve tried to do everything you’ve asked of me, Mr. Dee. It’s not my fault that I’ve had run-ins with guys who can fling around magical energy!”
Mr. Dee shook his upper body, as if casting off an unclean blanket. “You’re quite right, Trevor. You should never have been in that situation. I should have realized that if I wanted something done right, I should have done it myself. Besides, you’re a criminal with no higher moral ground than wanting to prove your own superiority.”
Trevor started to reach for his gun but it was far too late. Dee’s tongue whipped out, the barbed end embedding itself in Trevor’s throat. With a jerking motion, Dee summoned the appendage back into his mouth, taking a hunk of flesh with it. Blood gushed from Trevor’s throat and Dee calmly leaned over him to unlock the door. With a heave, he shoved Trevor’s thrashing body out onto the street.
After sliding over behind the wheel, Dee put the car into motion once more and drove away, leaving his former ally to a slow and painful death. He thought back to what he had said to Trevor, about calling him by that other name. He wasn’t sure where that had come from and in that he shared the confusion that Trevor had expressed.
Dee drove all through the night, stopping only to refuel his car and to place a call to his remaining Nazi sympathizers in the area. He instructed them to watch the airports and major roads leading into the town. Should they spot the Peregrine and his allies, they were to kill them if possible. Dee suspected they would fail, but it might buy him some additional time.
Dee arrived in the city before lunch and grabbed something to eat at a Cajun restaurant. The food was very good and Dee had listened to the radio that had been playing with intense interest. The American propaganda said that the war was heading towards it inevitable resolution, and unfortunately Dee agreed with them. It was only a matter of time before the Axis fell to pieces and Dee had to make sure that Hitler’s survival was ensured. Dee himself lacked the ability to inspire the fervor of the masses… but Hitler, with proper direction, could instigate a tremendous change in the world. He could give them hope and inspire them to eradicate the perversions that threatened to ruin Western civilization.
After lunch, Dee drove into the countryside and parked next to a pathway leading into the dangerous swamplands. The map only gave the general location that the ancients had gone to but lacked any real landmark markers—not to mention the fact that the ancients had left Ethiopia long ago. Would they even still be here?
Dee had traced Cummings and Makeeda to Louisiana but at the time he’d thought the man was simply in hiding, working on the immortality serum. He had no idea that the ancients themselves might be in the area… all that time wasted in Atlanta, when Dee should have simply stayed in the swamps and continued his research there.
Dee trudged off the path, moving through ankle-deep brackish water. The sounds of insects buzzing all around him lulled him into a false sense of ease and he jumped when he heard a sudden movement in the water. He looked towards the source of the sound and saw a large alligator that had had slipped into the swamp from a nearby embankment.
Dee called upon his powers, letting his flesh burn away. The flames were a deterrent for the predators in the swamp, all of whom began to give him a large amount of leeway.
He felt somewhat foolish, wandering about with no real plan, but he wanted to see the terrain firsthand and get a feel for it. Besides, since becoming more than human, he had acquired a unique knack for being in the right place at the right time.
Dee walked until his legs grew weary of pushing his body through the sludge and he stood there panting, his skull face covered by a bright orange glow. Up ahead he saw a small house, resting on stilts to keep it free of the swamp. It was the home that Cummings had shared with Makeeda. Dee had never been here himself but he recognized it from the photographs his men had taken. Somehow he’d wandered straight to it.
“There is no coincidence. Not in this lifetime.”
Dee froze in place. The voice sounded directly behind him, no more than a foot away. It was male, very deep, and filled with a weariness that was nearly heartbreaking to hear.
“You may turn and face me. But I would suggest that you not call upon your powers and attack. That would not go well for you.”
Dee slowly moved about so that he was facing the man, and his eyes widened at what he saw. The stranger was well over six feet in height, with an elongated forehead that seemed to swell outwards. His mouth hung downwards and sharpened teeth gleamed in the dull sunlight. The man’s skin was a grayish-blue in color, giving him an unhealthy appearance. His eyes were cat-like and a bright green in color. He wore a long African-style robe and a gold bracelet on one wrist. Despite the fact that he stood in the brackish water, all of the stranger’s clothing and skin looking perfectly dry.
“Who are you?” Dee asked.
“I am of the Murganbesser, those whom you would call ancients. It was we who fled the dying city, coming here to this strange land, for its energies were conducive to our experiments and studies. You may call me Breen.”
Dee’s mouth opened and closed wordlessly in surprise. The flames around his head deepened in color. “I didn’t expect you to just… appear.”
“The one named Cummings has discovered our immortality serum and he now roams these swamps. He has Evolved. And now you come here, seeking the same. I am tired of hiding in the shadows. I am ready to present my knowledge to those of you who seek it.”
“Are you the last of your kind?”
“I am. The rest grew weary of life and ended their own. Our quest for immortality was not for ourselves, for our lifespans are millennia long… we had hoped to raise up our humans, be they slaves or beloved pets.”
Dee didn’t care for that but he tried to maintain focus. “Where is Cummings? He’s still wandering in the swamp?”
Breen gestured to a mound of dirt and grass that rose up from the water. As Dee watched in shock, the mass began to move about, slowing rising up and unfolding itself. When it was done, a creature composed of flesh and swampy mud stood before him. It was hideous to behold, but a gleam of intelligence could be recognized in its eyes.
“There,” the ancient declared, “look upon the face of immortality! Look upon the face of Daniel Cummings!”
CHAPTER IX
Ambushed!
Revenant slowly piloted the team’s aircraft, keeping her eyes on the various instruments. She had been given a crash course in how to fly the plane before leaving Atlanta but she was grateful that the airship was virtually idiot-proof, with a serious autopilot.
Vincent sat next to her, a book of poetry held in his
hands. He had read in silence for most of the trip.
“Is that one of your favorites?” she asked as the plane began to taxi down the runway to a landing.
“It is,” Vincent admitted, closing the book but keeping a finger inside to mark his place. “I was reading Ulysses by Tennyson. Have you read it?”
“Afraid I haven’t. My dad exposed me to a lot of the classics but I never wrapped my head around poetry, to be honest.”
“A poet’s heart is the mirror by which humanity sees itself.”
Sally felt the plane’s movement slow to a stop. The Peregrine had called ahead to help make sure that the Claws wouldn’t be troubled by airport security, but Revenant knew they would attract plenty of attention when they exited the plan regardless. “Read me a little,” she said, unbuckling her belt.
Vincent seemed surprised by pleased. “All right. This is just a snippet, but it is a passage that speaks to me:
“I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known,—cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honor’d of them all,—
And drunk delight of battle with my peers,
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
I am a part of all that I have met.”
Vincent stopped reading and looked at Sally, who was watching him with a wistful expression on her face. “Do you like it?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I do. You read it with such passion that it’s hard not to picture you like that, roaming the world with a—what did you call it?—a hungry heart?”
Vincent’s eyes softened and for a moment Sally thought his face wasn’t so horrible after all… it was a twisted version of his creator’s, but there was a sense of nobility to him that was undeniable. When she’d first heard his story, discovering that he was the true Frankenstein’s monster that Mary Shelley had fictionalized into her classic novel, she’d wondered how anyone would ever feel safe around such a creature, but Vincent had an easy manner about him that belied the danger inherent in his mighty limbs.
