by Barry Reese
“You’re a good man, Max Davies,” Benson said. “Too many men in your position, with your wealth, would focus on personal happiness to the extent that they wouldn’t apply themselves to helping make the world a better place. Most men don’t apply themselves to bettering their surroundings until they’ve suffered a terrible loss, one that makes them view things differently.”
Max swallowed, knowing some of Benson’s back-story. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
Benson dropped his hand and moved towards his desk, picking up the handset of his phone. “Miss Grey. Get me the President, please.”
Max gave a wave as he exited the office, grateful beyond words. Sometimes it paid to have friends in high places.
* * *
Evelyn unlocked the doorway to her husband’s private lair and, after making sure no one was watching, she descended the steps into The Peregrine’s Nest. The name was a bit overly dramatic for a secret hideout hidden in a storm cellar, she had always thought. Then again, given the wide variety of equipment stored inside, it probably did deserve a better name than “the basement.”
The Peregrine’s Nest was where Max did his tinkering on gadgets, his scientific experiments and updated his files on criminals both great and small. There were details here that could sink political aspirations and ruin marriages, amongst other, even darker, things.
Evelyn had been somewhat soothed by a brief call from Max, who had told her all was well and that he was almost finished with his business. She’d known he was lying from the start. He had that vague quality to his speech that he always gained when he was concerned about worrying her. It was insulting, she mused, that he continued to sometimes treat her like she was too fragile to handle the truth.
Of course, if he had been totally upfront about his troubles, he’d probably have assumed that Evelyn would go off and do something foolish in an attempt to aid him.
Which, of course, was exactly what she was going to do.
Evelyn walked past a mannequin that wore her own adventuring clothes. She had a small domino mask similar to Max’s and set of padded clothes that helped her resist the blows and small-arms fire that inevitably came her way when she helped her husband on his nocturnal adventures. She had found it an interesting way of bonding with him early in their relationship and she’d definitely gotten a rush out of it from time to time. But she’d also realized how foolhardy it was to put her life on the line again and again. It was only a matter of time before someone snuffed out her candle, so to speak. She wasn’t like Max—he’d trained for this almost his entire life. Being a flexible young girl who watched what she ate didn’t really prepare her for dodging bullets.
Evelyn sat down in front of Max’s filing cabinet, unlocking with one of only two keys in the world that would do so. The locks were rigged with acid, so that if anyone attempted to pick them or otherwise force them open, the contents of the cabinet would be dissolved before they could be read. The other key was, of course, in Max’s own possession.
Inside she found folder after folder detailing the many criminals that The Peregrine had encountered over the years. Many of them were amongst the worst the world had ever produced: The Warlike Manchu, Doctor Satan, Jacob Trench, Rasputin and Prof. Lycos. Those were just a small taste of the madmen that The Peregrine had faced and Evelyn had been at his side for most of them.
A much smaller, though still quite detailed, set of papers lay beyond those. These listed other mystery men and vigilantes that The Peregrine considered allies in his war on crime. Men and women like Leonid Kaslov, Ascott Keane, The Domino Lady and The Black Bat were included in these pages, which listed not only their contact information but also their observed strengths and weaknesses. That was something that Max naturally did—looking at human beings and sizing them up, breaking them down into strengths and weaknesses. AT first, Evleyn had been slightly disturbed to discover that about her husband but in the end, she knew that it was simply how he saw the world, always preparing for potential threats.
Evelyn ignored all of those, instead choosing a small manila folder that lay flat on the back of the cabinet. It was completely unmarked and was sealed with packaging tape. She felt along the tape and quickly realized that she would never be able to tear it open with just her fingernails. She looked around and spotted a small cutting knife and quickly used it to slice open the envelope. She emptied the contents of the folder into her right hand, her eyes glittering when a single object dropped heavily into her palm.
It was a crucifix, dating back to the 13th century. Made of iron, it was quite heavy when worn. A plain chain link necklace was fitted through the crucifix. The Peregrine had picked it up a few years back, lifting it from a criminal aptly dubbed The Mad Monk. It was part of a paired set, the other piece being a much smaller version that Max now sometimes wore in one of his coat pockets. It wasn’t that Max was particularly religious—it was simply that the mystical qualities of the crucifix sets were too powerful to ignore. Whoever held the larger of the two could be teleported to the side of the person carrying the smaller. The Mad Monk had used them to keep track of his mistress, whom he frequently accused of straying. Max had told given the larger of the two crucifixes to Evelyn as a way of placating her, so that she could always find him in an emergency. But she didn’t carry it around with her because of its weight… and because the device carried a taint of its own, making it a bit dangerous.
Anyone who used the crucifix had to pass through another plane of reality, one that was not the kindest of realms. Evelyn had never been through it herself but Max had done so, as part of his testing of the artifact. Evelyn knew that Max was not in mortal danger at this moment… but she also knew that he was going forward alone, without Keane or Kaslov to back him up.
There was no way in heaven or hell that she was going to let the love of her life do such a thing.
Evelyn closed the filing cabinet, locking it up tight. She then donned her adventuring gear, placing the mask on at the last moment. She always felt a bit silly wearing the thing but she tried to tell herself that it was just another role for her to play. During her acting career, she’d handled every part conceivable, save for action-adventure hero. So these excursions were an excuse to indulge in a new genre for her.
Picking up the crucifix, she studied its heavy weight for a moment before closing her eyes and concentrating, visualizing her husband. A sudden gust of wind picked up her auburn hair and sent it flying, causing her to open her eyes. What she saw in her surroundings was enough to cause her to gasp in shock.
Gone was The Raven’s Nest… in its place, she was now standing in the middle of a large lake of blood. Off in the distance she could see land, with what appeared to be a herd of skinned elk dipping their crimson heads to sip from the bloody waters. A black crow flew overhead, its beady eyes seeming to examine Evelyn as it passed.
There was no clear direction for her to go in and Evelyn tried to remember what Max had said about the place: The dimension belongs to a blood god named D’lham, he had told her. He isn’t evil, per se, but he does require sacrifices from his followers. They have to regularly provide blood and flesh that he uses to build up his kingdom. When I was there, I had to swim to shore and cut my wrist. After making my offering, D’lahm himself appeared and let me pass. For a second there, I thought he wasn’t going to… and that second was an awful one. Evelyn remembered the look in Max’s eyes as he recounted his experience… it had contained something that was almost never found in there: fear.
Evelyn began swimming to shore, angling her progress so that she wouldn’t end up too close to the animal herd. Several of them were standing still, their heads raised so that they could better see her. She tried to ignore the revulsion she felt about her surroundings but it was hard. The blood felt thick and syrupy and several times she thought she felt something moving against her legs. She shuddered to imagine what sort of fish could live in this environment. When she reached land, she pulled herself up and out of the w
ater with a grunt, laying on her back on the rocky ground. She stared up into the sky, which, like everything else in this realm, was a reddish color. Thick, brownish-tinged clouds were hanging low in the sky and Evelyn had a clear vision of crimson rain falling from their bloated interiors. She hoped to be gone before that happened.
After fishing out a small knife from one of her pockets, Evelyn moved into a crouching position and extended her left arm. She placed the blade against her wrist and was about to press downwards when a silky male voice stopped her.
“Such a shame to mar such beautiful flesh.”
Evelyn turned her head, spotting an entity that could only be D’lahm. The demon was over seven feet tall and crimson-skinned, with a small brown beard and large obsidian horns that protruded from the front of his skull. His legs bent backwards and ended in hooves, a forked tail swishing behind them. He was completely nude and his sex organ hung low and heavy between his thighs.
“I’m… just going to make an offering so can pass through,” Evelyn said, finding her voice after a moment of surprise.
D’lahm turned his head slightly, examining her. “Why are you here? You are no occultist. I do not smell their powders or protective spells about you.”
“I’m trying to get to my husband. I think he needs my help.” Evelyn held up the crucifix. “I have this and it’s supposed to take me to him.”
D’lahm stared at the artifact and something came over his face, though Evelyn wasn’t sure if the sight repelled or attracted him. “Yes, it does open a portal through my realm. An odd thing, isn’t it? A Christian symbol that takes you into a realm where that God has no power?”
“I hadn’t really given it much thought,” Evelyn admitted.
“The men who created those trinkets were my followers, though they wore the mantles of Christians to avoid detection,” D’lahm explained.
“I see. So may I pass through?”
“I must have my payment.”
“That’s what I was trying to do when you interrupted me.”
“I can take payment in other ways, in ways that will not require you to spill a single drop of blood.”
Involuntarily, Evelyn’s eyes drifted quickly down to the demon’s penis, which swayed a bit as he shifted his weight. She looked away quickly. “I’m a married woman,” she pointed out coolly.
D’lahm threw back his head and laughed so loudly that it seemed to echo throughout the land, sending the herd bounding away in fear. When he had regained control of himself, he stared at Evelyn with obvious amusement. “You think highly of yourself, don’t you, girl? If I wanted sex, I have hundreds of desirable women who would gladly do anything that I asked of them. No, I have other wishes for you. Amongst my servants on Earth are the vampires, a group that you have had dealings with.”
“Unfortunately,” Evelyn muttered. She felt strangely insulted by D’lahm’s dismissal of her, though she was glad that he wasn’t looking to force himself upon her.
“You are bound by threads that you do not realize,” D’lahm said, his voice growing quiet. “In the days to come, you will be reunited with one of my servants. As a gift to him, I would like to weaken the barriers that hold your memories in check, so that you might remember fully who and what you are.”
“I don’t understand,” Evelyn said.
“You will… in time. All I need is for you to agree to allow me to place a spell upon you, one that will ensure that you remember all that you should… when the time is right.”
“All you want is to… give me my memories back?”
“Yes. Don’t fear—I will not tamper with your mind in any other way. And you will not remember anything differently at this point. Only should you cross paths with my champion will you remember those things that have been lost.”
Evelyn remained confused but she didn’t see the harm in allowing someone to help her remember something. “Fine. But then I want to be allowed passage through your realm.”
“Agreed.” D’lahm reached out and ran a hand through the air above her head. He whispered something that Evelyn couldn’t make out and then he stepped, gesturing towards a fiery doorway that had appeared in the air. “Step through… and know that you are welcome to return.”
Evelyn stared at the doorway, amazed that it had been so simple 3. She moved quickly, afraid that D’lahm would change his mind. She jumped through the opening, afraid that the flames would singe her on the way through, but aside from brief warmth against her skin, she felt nothing.
The doorway closed tightly behind her, leaving D’lahm with a knowing smile upon his face.
CHAPTER XII
Death in the Skies!
“Elsa? How are you?”
Elsa Mayen was in the river, her clothes left behind in the grass. She had been in the water for nearly an hour now and she was beginning to shiver terribly. Käthe and Akemi had been watching her for the past several minutes and after much discussion they’d decided they needed to do something. The rape of the previous night had obviously had a terrible effect on Elsa as the girl had not slept a wink. She’d simply sat in the midst of the camp, hugging her knees against her chest.
“Elsa?” Käthe repeated. The German woman sighed and began kicking off her leather boots. She tossed aside her cap and gloves, as well, before rolling up the legs of her pants.
“Are you going in after her?” Akemi asked.
“Somebody needs to.”
“Imelda says she doesn’t trust her to fly us safely.”
“The girl was raped. She’s traumatized but she’s strong. She’ll bounce back.”
Akemi watched as her friend dipped her legs into the water, slowly wading out to Elsa’s side. She admired many things about Käthe but it was her incredible ability to believe in the strength of her friends that was most impressive. Käthe could somehow make you stronger simply by showing you that she knew you could do it. That was one of the things that made Käthe such an incredible leader.
Elsa didn’t seem to notice Käthe’s presence until the blonde woman touched her shoulder. The girl then jumped, her head whipping about. She relaxed immediately but her eyes remained wide and frightened.
“Elsa… it’s time to get dressed. Sun Koh’s going to want to get a little closer to the city.”
“What happened to his body?”
“Grin? We burned it.”
“I think it should have been left in the woods, for the animals.”
Käthe nodded, putting an arm around Elsa’s shoulders and drawing her close. “You’re freezing. Let’s get you dressed.”
“Have you ever been raped?”
The question made Käthe pause. “No. I’ve had men try to force themselves on me but they never succeeded. I was trained to fight early on. Most men who tried that with me ended up regretting it.”
“Can you teach me?”
Käthe smiled. “Yes. Would you like to become one of The Furies?”
Elsa looked quite solemn as she responded. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because then there would be two Germans. Imelda would want another Italian added to keep things fair.”
Käthe blinked and then laughed long and hard. Elsa joined in after a few seconds and Akemi watched them both in amazement from the shore. “You seem to be doing okay,” Käthe said at last. “Why aren’t you sleeping? Why soak yourself for an hour out here?”
Elsa shrugged her slim shoulders. “I want to wash his stink off me. I can still smell him. And sleeping… I didn’t want to sleep. I wanted to think about things. About how I should have reacted… and how Sun Koh punished him.”
“I’m glad Sun did that,” Käthe said. “Grin deserved even worse.”
“Me too.” Elsa leaned close and whispered, “It sounds so gross but after watching that, I wanted Sun Koh to lay with me. To make me a real woman, not like what Grin did to me. Isn’t that awful? I’d just been raped and there I was, thinking about sex. I must be a whore.”
“No�
�� You were just wishing the first time had been different. Every girl thinks that way. Besides, Sun has a way of making women feel differently than they normally would.”
They stepped onto the grass and Akemi helped Elsa get dressed, while Käthe rolled down her pants legs and slipped on her boots.
“Are you going to be okay?” Akemi asked in German.
“Yes. I think so,” Elsa replied.
Käthe sauntered over, a smile on her face. “She’s going to join us. We’re going to train her to be a Fury.”
Akemi glanced at Elsa. “That’s true?”
“I’d like to be, yes. Do you have to get permission from your superiors?”
“They might like for me to… but no, I don’t think so. Sun Koh told me that by remaining with him, we might become temporary enemies of the state. Hitler himself has targeted him for assassination. We might as well start making our own decisions.”
Akemi put her hands on her hips and sighed. “Imelda isn’t going to like that. She won’t care about Elsa joining—I think she’d be fine with that—but she’s not going to like becoming a traitor, even if we have Germany’s best interests at heart.”
“Once Sun is in charge, things will go back to the way they should be,” Käthe pointed out, though she didn’t sound all that convinced herself.
“Maybe… but I know Imelda views her loyalty as being to her government, not yours. She’s not prepared to be an outcast so we can foster a revolution in Germany.”
Käthe was about to answer when Elsa grabbed her arm. “What’s wrong?”
Elsa was staring skyward. “Don’t you hear that? A plane is coming.”
“I don’t hear anything.”
“Neither do I,” Akemi said.
“I do. It’s a plane with silencers on its engines, just like on my dad’s aircraft.” Elsa finished pulling on her shirt and then she bolted towards their camp. She ran past a surprised Imelda, who was busy cleaning her guns, and bounded onto her plane. A moment later, the engines began to whirr to life and Imelda stood up as Käthe and Akemi entered the camp. Elsa leaned out the open door, waving at Käthe. “I’ll be right back!”
