by Barry Reese
“My existence has been a lonely one,” Vincent admitted. “My creator never knew what to do with me… he feared me, just as everyone else has always done.”
“Maybe you were just with the wrong sorts of people. Look at us… Nathaniel’s a wizard, Rachel’s a telepath and I’m… well, I’m not sure what I am, other than a girl who dresses in leather and runs around in the jungle.”
“You’re beautiful.”
Sally blinked at Vincent’s unexpected words. Sure, he had asked her to have coffee, but she hadn’t realized exactly what that meant. Seeing the smoldering look in his eyes now, though, there was no doubt about his intentions. She started to reply, though she wasn’t quite sure what she was about to say. She liked Vincent but she wasn’t sure about being involved with anyone right now. The only man who’d really stirred her emotions lately was a married man.
As if on cue, Nathaniel stepped into the cockpit, looking handsome in his emerald garments. “Rachel’s already off the plane, but I figured I should see what was holding the two of you up.”
Vincent set down his book and stood up. “We were just talking.”
Sally sensed that Vincent’s good mood had passed and she wondered how much of her inner turmoil could have been read on his face. Sighing, she rose and moved past Nathaniel, who realized that he had interrupted something.
Revenant stepped past the curtain that separated the pilot’s area from the passenger seats. Her keen sense of smell, honed by a lifetime in the jungles of Africa, caught the distinct odor of sex in the air. She stopped in shock, wondering if Nathaniel and Rachel really engaged in sexual relations while their teammates were literally only a few feet away. They’d been married for almost two years now, so it wasn’t like they were still in that giddy honeymoon phase.
Don’t be jealous, she mused. Just feel good about Vincent taking a liking to you and move on.
Those thoughts didn’t take the pang of hurt from her heart, however. No matter how sweet Vincent might be, he wasn’t the one that she had her eye on.
A few moments later, the four heroes and Makeeda were walking towards a waiting car, having locked up the plane. Max had made sure that a car would be made available to them and it looked like a fast, durable vehicle.
“Do you mind if I drive?” Nathaniel asked.
Rachel looked at him with a devious grin. “I’m fine with it, as long as you remember what side of the road you’re supposed to drive on this time.”
“I can’t help it if Americans are backwards,” he said.
Rachel stopped just outside the car, looking around as her teammates opened their doors. “I’m picking up something… hostile thoughts. I think we’re about to—”
Several gunshots rang out and a bullet missed Rachel’s arm by inches, smashing through the passenger side car window. Another bullet struck Vincent in the midsection, the bullet stopping just inside the skin, repelled somewhat by the denseness of his flesh. The big man grabbed the screaming Makeeda and threw her into the car for protection.
Revenant sprang forward like a jungle cat, stepping on the back bumper of the car and jumping into the air, drawing both her pistols. She spotted several men dressed in dark suits crouching behind trash barrels, firing upon them. She returned the favor, only her accuracy was far superior to theirs. She fired four shots before she landed in crouch, and three of those bullets found homes. Two embedded themselves in the skull of a man holding a rifle and another passed through the eye of a machine gun-wielding Nazi.
Vincent snarled like an angered bull elephant and charged forward, ignoring the bullets that tore through his shirt and upper body. He reached the trash barrels and tore through them, catching one of the men by the neck in a clothesline maneuver. The man’s neck shot forward and then back, shattering under the blow.
Esper caught hold of one of their attacker’s minds and compelled him to turn and open fire on the man next to him. The surprise attack brought about a nearly instantaneous death and Esper then had the man toss aside his weapon, lying down on the ground to wait for the heroes to pick him up.
The final thugs realized they were outmatched and started to flee, but they came face-to-face with Catalyst, who descended from the air and landed in their path. Without bothering to speak to them, the mage raised both hands and a wave of concussive force slammed into the men, breaking several of their bones and driving them both into unconsciousness.
Revenant holstered her weapon, glancing towards the airport terminal. A security guard was on the phone, calling for additional help. She cast one look towards their car, which was riddled with bullet holes. “We can’t go anywhere in that. Nathaniel, please lift us out of here… and let’s take that one with us,” she said, gesturing to the man on the ground, hands over his head. He rose up, his eyes vacant, and moved to join them.
Esper smiled as she watched him, an emerald glow surrounding her head. “I’ve got a good grip on him. His mind’s pretty weak.”
After Makeeda was with them, Catalyst cast another spell, allowing him to carry everyone through the air, as if an invisible hand had scooped them up. He set everyone down a few blocks away, in a small park.
As soon as they had landed, Nathaniel moved over to Vincent, who was still bleeding. “Let me help,” he said, laying hands on the big man.
“It’s okay. I heal quickly.”
Catalyst ignored him and channeled healing energy through Frankenstein’s creation. He smiled up at Vincent when he was done. “Isn’t that better?”
The creature nodded gratefully. “Thank you. I just didn’t want you to expend your energy when you didn’t have to.”
“It’s no problem, mate. That’s what friends are for.”
Vincent hesitated for a moment, realizing that for the first time in his tortured existence, he actually had multiple people in his life who considered him worthy of that title: ‘friend.’
Sally stared at the mind-controlled thug. The man’s eyes were rolled up into his skull. “Does he know anything that could help us?”
Rachel shrugged. “Not really. He works for Mr. Dee and they got the phone call earlier today to watch over the airport. There are other groups of Fifth Columnists stationed at the major highways and ports, too.” Esper closed her eyes for a moment, projecting an image of Mr. Dee into the minds of her teammates. They all saw a healthy, fit young man with brown hair and dark eyes. “That’s him. Good looking bloke, I’ve got to admit.”
Makeeda shivered. “He is diabolical, that one. From what I have learned of the Axis, can you imagine what they could do with the secrets of immortality at their command?”
“We’re going to stop that from happening,” Nathaniel said. “I think it might be best if Rachel took the locations from you about where the lab in the swamp was. You can stay out of the way in a hotel or something.”
“No!” the woman hissed and she drew up to her full height, looking very stern. “I will help Daniel. I am not some frightened female who can be locked away.”
Catalyst looked at Revenant, obviously hoping she would back him up on this. To his disappointment, she said, “I wouldn’t dream of keeping you away from this, Makeeda. He’s your man. I understand.”
Vincent ran a hand through his long straggly hair. “We don’t have a car,” he pointed out. “And I don’t think Nathaniel can fly us all that way.”
“He won’t have to,” Esper said. “We can take turns carrying the rest of you. My telekinesis can let me fly for short stretches, and it’s not much more of a strain to have you guys with me.”
“That’s a bloody lie,” Catalyst said, his eyes narrowed. “You’ll be useless once we get there. It tires you out just to fly yourself.”
“I think I know my limits, Nat,” Esper responded hotly. “Don’t try to baby me. I can do this.”
“Fine. But I’ll carry everyone first, for as long as I can.”
“Suit yourself. Just don’t blame me if you’re the one crying that you’re exhausted when the next fir
efight comes ’round.”
Sally sighed, hoping that having a married couple on the team wouldn’t be too stressful. She caught Vincent’s appraising stare and noted how he looked away quickly. There’s a whole lot of sexual tension on this squad, she thought. I wonder if Max knew what he was doing when he brought all of us together.
CHAPTER X
A Sinister Twist
Evelyn Davies stepped into the kitchen, the Georgia heat bringing a reddish tinge to her skin. She wore denim shorts and a white blouse, her auburn hair pulled into a bun. The children were outside playing in the sandbox, and the family’s yard man, Josh, was watching over them.
Since Nettie was in town buying groceries and Max was attending a charity event, the house should have been empty, but Evelyn recognized immediately that something was wrong as she let the screen door close behind her. She’d lived with Max long enough now that she’d developed a sixth sense about danger, and at times her intuition rivaled that of her husband.
At thirty-four years of age, ten years younger than Max, Evelyn retained the vitality of a woman five years younger. Though her acting career had been forced to the backburner because of marriage and her children, she was still in high demand in certain circles—as long as those circles were of the B-movie variety.
Thus, when she automatically dropped into a fighting stance, she cut a fearsome figure, hands outstretched before her in proper karate fashion. “Who’s here?” she demanded, using the no-nonsense tone of voice she used on burglars and small children alike.
A woman stepped around the corner, moving into Evelyn’s line of sight. She was amazingly lovely, making even Evelyn blink in awe. Her dark hair fell over one eye, in the style of Veronica Lake, and she wore tight white jodhpurs and a green blouse that was left unbuttoned so far down the front that the creamy white sides of her voluptuous breasts were exposed, and Evelyn wondered what kept the rest of them from spilling out. The woman was the epitome of the modern female figure, with curves in all the right places and a wispy waist.
“What are you doing in my home?” Evelyn asked, shaking off her surprise and remaining in a fighting stance.
“I am looking for the man who calls himself the Peregrine,” the woman said with faintest hint of a German accent. She swayed somewhat unsteadily on her feet and had to reach out and grab hold of the countertop avoid tumbling to the floor.
Evelyn relaxed and moved forward with concern. “I… don’t know why you think he’d be here,” she stammered, taking the woman by the arm and helping her to a chair. It was painfully obvious that the woman was in no shape to pose an immediate threat to her or anyone else.
“Because Max Davies was suspected of being the Peregrine in Boston… when he briefly went to Colorado, the Peregrine followed him… and when he moved to Atlanta in the late 1930s, the Peregrine came with him, again.” The dark-haired beauty looked up into Evelyn’s face, as if daring her to deny these facts. “It stands to reason that even if Max Davies isn’t the Peregrine, that he knows him very well.”
Evelyn said nothing for a moment, knowing that her husband’s secret was not hard to decipher. The authorities had quit their attempts to tie him to the Peregrine after a man named Benson had used his connections to silence the higher-ups in law enforcement, and McKenzie’s installation as the city’s police chief had certainly aided things locally.
Finally deciding that playing stupid would only waste her time, Evelyn simply nodded and returned to the back door. She stuck her head outside and yelled at Josh, telling the big black man to watch the kids for a few minutes. Josh smiled reassuringly from his vantage point near the sandbox, waving to her.
When Evelyn turned back, the woman was lighting a cigarette and slowly exhaling a long line of smoke. “Can you tell me your name?” Evelyn asked.
“My codename is Hjörþrimul, an Old Norse name for one of the Valkyries. It means ‘sword warrioress’ and is very difficult to pronounce, as you might guess. You may simply call me Eva. Until very recently I was part of Hitler’s Occult Forces Project. The OFP was responsible for the creation of superhuman agents, many of whom were eventually encountered by the Peregrine. You are his wife?”
“Yes.”
“I have seen some of your movies. They were very popular in the Fatherland until they were banned for their unsavory elements.”
Evelyn watched as Eva closed her eyes and took a deep breath on the cigarette. It seemed that the woman was regaining her composure, and when she next looked at Evelyn, her hands were no longer shaking.
“Can you contact your husband for me? It is very important.”
“I will… but first you’re going to tell me why you want to see him.”
The sound of a car door slamming shut made both women look up. Evelyn recognized the sound and knew that Max had come back early. She could hear him opening the front door and his voice rang out quite clearly. “Evelyn! Whose motorcycle is that in the yard?”
Evelyn looked at Eva, who arched an eyebrow and smiled coolly. “It looks like I don’t have to answer your questions, after all.”
“The hell you don’t,” Evelyn said. “Max! There’s some half-dressed tart here to see you!”
The strident tones in his wife’s voice made Max move quickly, and he entered the kitchen with a look of concern on his face. He stopped dead in his tracks as Eva turned to look at him, her ample cleavage catching his eye. He quickly pulled his eyes up to her face, well aware that Evelyn was watching with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
“Eva. What are you doing here?”
“You know this woman?” Evelyn asked in disbelief.
“We’ve never met in person, but… yes. She contacted Leonid Kaslov last year about potentially defecting to America. He put her in touch with me since we’d helped out with the Iron Maiden.” Max chose not to mention that the Maiden had ended up marrying McKenzie—he wasn’t sure how much Eva knew about that and wasn’t about to spill someone else’s secrets. “I’ve been helping her with my contacts in the justice department… but I didn’t expect you to show up here.”
“And especially not dressed like that,” Evelyn added hopefully. “Want me to fetch you a jacket or something? You’re going to catch a cold or something.”
“In the middle of a Georgia summer?” Eva asked. “No thank you, Mrs. Davies. I am quite comfortable with my body and my clothing.” She stood up, her cigarette still clutching in one hand. “I fled Germany over a week ago. A man named Mr. Dee is loose in America and he’s very dangerous. You have to…”
Max held up a hand. “That name’s coming up a lot all of a sudden. I know about Dee. He was behind the murder of a friend of mine. He’s trying to find the secret of immortality that was invented by a bunch of ancient beings in Africa. Those beings fled to Louisiana here in the United States and a group of associates are there now, trying to find this secret before Dee does.”
Eva stared at him for a moment, smirking as she took another drag on her smoke. There was something innately sexy about her and it had nothing to do with how she was dressed… she smoldered far more than the lit end of her cigarette. “Meine freunde, you are so very wrong. About everything. The man you are chasing is named Robert Klein, born 1919. He was, like me, a graduate of the Occult Forces Projects.”
Evelyn moved to get herself a glass of water. “Okay, I’m thoroughly confused.”
Eva ignored her, keeping her eyes on Max. She had seen photographs of him but in person, she found him far more attractive. Well-built, with dark wavy hair and a Mediterranean complexion, he was a remarkably good-looking man. “Mr. Dee took over the OFP shortly after the Grim Reaper debacle. He was one of the geniuses who first mixed together science and the occult, helping create many of the OFP’s finest agents… and after you defeated the Reaper, he was granted total control of the project. It took him some time to begin producing new agents, but both Klein and myself were among the first he produced in the revived OFP.”
“But why is this Kle
in pretending to be Mr. Dee?” Max asked.
“He’s not pretending. He thinks he really is Dee. Klein suffers from a range of psychiatric problems, and thinks he’s the chosen one who’s going to punish all the sinners in the world. He developed those issues after he was bonded to a fire demon. You probably don’t know it yet, but he can summon part of the demon’s powers, giving him a flaming skull for a face and a whip-like tongue.”
“Lovely,” Evelyn said, sipping her water. She still wasn’t sure what kept Eva’s breasts from slipping free of the blouse. Maybe that’s her occult power, she thought wryly.
Eva continued her spiel, leaning back against the kitchen table. Her pert bottom rested easily on the edge. “After he went nuts, he started believing that he was Dee. He worshipped the OFP chief and before he could be reined in, he took off on some crazy scheme to find immortality. Mr. Dee had been working on that already, and Klein appropriated the scheme, coming here to the United States. That’s why he’s working with Fifth Columnists and not legitimate Nazis.”
“So the Claws team is chasing a faker,” Max mused, rubbing his chin. “I should call them.”
“Well, make no mistake about it… Klein’s dangerous enough and needs to be stopped. But you have bigger problems. Mr. Dee is coming here. Hitler hasn’t forgotten how you humiliated him last September. He wants you brought back to Berlin and executed for crimes against the state.”
Evelyn shrank back a bit, thinking about last fall. That was when she’d accompanied Baron Gustav to Germany, her own mind submerged beneath that of her ancestor’s. She’d cheated on Max during that period but they had reconciled, realizing that she hadn’t been in control of her body. Max had ended up facing the Fuehrer face-to-face, both men barely escaping with their lives intact.
