“He did this,” Callista said, “he took our son from us. We’ll never have him back.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Elijah said. "This is my fault. I thought they might come for me, but never our son.” He began to sob.
“You don’t understand,” she said, “Michael will never stop. As long as we try to stop him, he’ll hurt us. You can’t hide from him; I can’t hide from him. None of us can.” She paused as the gripped the cloth in both her hands. “Now he’s taken our boy. Our little boy.” She cried more, wailing into the blanket.
“Who is Michael?” Elijah said, “and how do you know who took him? Is he one of the High Council?” She just gripped the blanket tighter, crying. “Callie, why won’t you talk to me? Why won’t you tell me what you know?”
She wouldn’t answer him. She never answered him.
29
Elijah quietly watched his friend Luke as they waited in the alley. Civic Protection had made several passes with their patrol cars, but they were hidden in the alley. It was dark, although Elijah had a small flashlight on his belt if they needed it.
“Who are we waiting for again?” Luke said.
“Me,” James said. They both jumped as they heard him speak. Although they couldn’t see him clearly in the dark, they could easily see his silhouette. Beside him were two smaller figures. It only took a moment for Luke’s daughters to recognize him in the darkness, and then they rushed to him. He knelt down and embraced them. He was crying, holding them with his hands on their heads. After a few moments, he stood again and looked at James.
“Thank you,” Luke said. “I’m sorry for what I did to you.”
“I understand,” James said, “and you don’t need to explain. You were backed into a corner. You did what you thought you had to. Now we will do what we have to.” James moved closer to them, his eyes caught light in the darkness, glowing. The metallic jacket shimmered with the collar unfolded and pointed high.
“So how did you find us?” Luke asked.
“I can see people on another plane of existence,” James said. “There is a hidden world, a world of shadows and darkness where people stand out like lights. In this world people exist in their true forms, their true souls. I can see into that realm with what I’ve called my mind’s eye. It’s basically a sublevel to our own realm.”
“Well,” Luke said, “if it weren’t for your results, I wouldn’t have believed what you just said. You’re going to have to tell more about this ‘mind’s eye’ realm.”
“That can be later,” Elijah said. "What are you planning now?”
“Well, first off,” James said, “we need to find a safe place. A central base for us to act from.”
“Do you have any place in mind?” Luke said.
“Yes actually." James began walking down the alley, stopping at a manhole. He pulled the lid off of it and began climbing down. “Come with me.” They all jumped up and began to follow him down into the sewer.
They followed him for probably half an hour. James seemed to guide himself down the darkness, not needing any light or point of reference at all. The others had to rely on Elijah’s flashlight so they could see.
As they walked deeper into the sewer, the tunnels began to change. They started as concrete and rock that eventually became walls and floor made out of metal. Much of it was old, and rusted. Elijah realized they’d long ago left the area where normal city maintenance worked, and were in an area that was probably abandoned years before. He also knew that if they lost sight of James, they’d be lost for hours down there without the proper guidance.
“I’m sure none of you can remember the way we’ve come here,” James said, “but don’t worry, you’ll be able to memorize it soon enough. Once you know the way, it’s not too complicated. I’ve also hidden markers throughout at different turns and tunnels, which I’ll show you later. We’re pretty deep underground. It’s a giant maze down here. Most people are afraid to go this deep because they get lost, and will end up starving to death.” James turned to Elijah. "Let me see the flashlight and I’ll show you where to go from here.”
Elijah handed James the flashlight, who aimed it at the nearby wall. About four feet from the ground was a small ‘v’ that was engraved into the metal tile. James held the light on it. “Remember this tile, the one with the mark.”
He then pushed down on the tile with the mark. It rotated inward on a hidden hinge. With the light they could all see that there was a lever behind it which James pulled. There was a quiet whir of machinery and few of the metal tiles above that one moved inward and slid inside the wall, revealing a data screen. Hidden lights activated in the hallway as the small data screen became visible.
The data screen looked to be in good condition. Characters started appearing on it, flashing quickly across like text. Elijah watched it and realized that it was a text in some other language, a language he’d never seen. James was focused on the screen, his eyes following the characters as they flashed across. After a moment he realized that James was reading it. He could somehow understand it this language. Icons appeared on the screen, little squares with characters on them. James began tapping his fingers to the screen quickly, entering in some sort of pass code. After a short time a large square appeared on the screen. James pressed his hand to it, and the data screen read his hand print. It beeped positively, and a green light flashed over it.
Another whir of machinery came from behind them which stopped as suddenly as it began. James then moved away from the screen, which sealed itself away in the metal tiles. The tile with the ‘v’ turned back around to the closed position, hiding the lever.
He turned around, followed by the others. James was the only one who seemed to be unsurprised by the doorway that had opened up in the wall. He walked through it, with the others following him once again. They were now walking down another hallway, one that was lined with walls and floors of polished metal. There was a little bit of dust, but not much.
The hallway itself seemed to reflect a more intelligent and automated technology than what was present in most of Dirge. Automatic lights activated above them and ahead of them as they slowly walked through. All of the lights worked and were in good condition. Elijah looked around, but couldn’t see any sensors on the walls detecting their movement. There were several doors lining both walls, all of which had data screen keypads that probably required codes to enter.
“What’s in all of these rooms?” Elijah asked as he touched one of the doorways. His touch streaked what seemed to be a perfect metal sheen. James looked back without stopping.
“Mostly labs,” James said, “some storage facilities too. A few offices. You’ll see them soon enough.”
“What is this place, James?” Elijah said.
“A hidden facility, a safety compound of sorts.”
James continued walking, leading them down to the end of the hallway. The metal double doors looked strong, but they opened automatically as James approached them. They stopped as they realized they were in a relatively large lobby.
“Welcome to the resistance headquarters,” James said.
The lobby was large, with gleaming metal walls and a ceiling that seemed to go up nearly ten yards. The span of the room was impressive, especially for being hidden underground. The floors were a flat gray, non-reflective. This contrasted the silver walls with metallic artwork and symbols lining them. The lobby could fit the entirety of Elijah’s old apartment where he and Callista had lived until her death. Near the double doors where they entered was a large black metal desk that was shaped like a half-circle. The desk had dozens of vid screen displays on it, all of them showing different camera feeds. There was even a vid screen that fed in the networks from the surface in Dirge.
There were several hallways and doors that connected to the lobby, leading to other areas of the facility. Most had easy-to-read indicators of where the doors and
hallways led.
“What went on here?” Elijah said. He was at a loss.
“This was once both a research facility and a hide-out. There were actually two resistances. This second, smaller resistance had a few intended purposes that were very secretive. They were led by Dr. Derek Shepherd. When they finished with their plan, they left it to us. It was never abandoned. If you look around, all the equipment is still here. We inherited it from them.”
“How did you find this place?” Luke said while staring around in awe.
“I guess you can say I was guided here,” James said, “but you don’t need to worry. This place is safe. With the exception of probably one or two more people in Dirge, we’re the only ones who know of its existence.”
“Are you sure?” Luke had fear in his voice.
“Look,” James said, “you can trust me. I know I can trust you, but you need to give me a chance. Give me a chance the way Elijah is giving you another one.” He pointed to one of the doors, which was labeled ‘Barracks.' “You all can stay there for now. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of food and room enough for quite a few more people.”
Luke had a guilty expression on his face, but it went away as he stared into another doorway. The word above the door said ‘armory.' He walked over to that door slowly, expecting it to slide open. It didn’t respond to him, however. James walked next to him, near the door.
“This room, for obvious reasons, has to have a special pass code to enter,” James said as he tapped a small screen next to the door. A number combination popped up on the screen. James said the numbers aloud as he typed them into the pad so the others could hear him.
“Wait a minute,” Elijah said, “why can we read this keypad, as well as the words on the walls in here, but not what was on that data screen outside?”
“That language was intended for me. Only I can read it.”
“What?”
“Yeah," James said, “the resistance couldn’t have just anyone strolling in here.” The data screen made the familiar positive beep and the door slid open. He pointed into the room and said, “We have plenty of weapons in there, and there’s also a small firing range in a separate room at the back of the armory. We can use that to train new recruits, although I’m not sure how much time we’ll have to give them the adequate training they need. You could actually equip a small army with what’s in here.” James then pointed to another door that had the words “Limited Access” on them, and a small screen next to the door like the armory. “That door leads to an elevator, which takes you to the fortress.” Elijah and Luke both looked startled.
“There’s a fortress underneath us?” Elijah said.
“A fortress and an abandoned city,” James said, “there’s a series of tunnels and caverns that make up a city roughly the size of Old District. A little bit smaller. All the tunnels and roads lead to a central cavern that has a plaza and a large fortress. People used to live there, a long time ago. They were attacked and brought up to Dirge somehow. Maybe not all of them, but a portion. Somehow their memories were erased. That was what the collapse was fifty years ago.” Elijah recalled a conversation he had with his father years ago, when Isaac had first told him of the collapse. He didn’t say anything, but kept it to himself. “There are still a lot of secrets Dirge has hidden,” James said, “most I’ve yet to uncover.”
James let the xeno cover his arms and neck, allowing them to see it in a well-lit area. “The one who calls himself Father,” James said, “he controlled these creatures that he named xenos. He could control them, and he ordered them to attack the underground city during the collapse. This xeno on my body is one of those that was used in the attacks. It was made to be symbiotic, enhancing both itself and its human host. I have recovered parts of its memories from that event.”
“Do you know what caused everyone to lose their memories?” Elijah asked. "No one was able to remember anything before waking up in Dirge, anything beyond skills and learned abilities. My father told me about it when I was just a child. I was fifteen when he was found dead, murdered.” James quietly stared at the ground for a moment.
“Somehow everyone was incapacitated,” James said, “including your father Isaac Vanguard. Your mother, Charlotte, died fighting them off. They were all stopped by some sort of energy weapon. I remember a shockwave rippling through the air; it was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Everyone fell over, unconscious. The same energy must have somehow removed parts of people’s memories. The xenos were then used to move them to the city. Eventually the High Council commissioned scientists to alter a xeno, reverse engineer and recreate it in a way that it could be combined with a human. They form a symbiotic relationship.”
“It can make anyone a soldier,” Luke said, “anyone like you. Civic Protection would be unstoppable if each soldier had one of those. There would be no chance for us.”
“That’s why we have so little time,” James said. "We have to build a literal army to fight Civic Protection. I will do what I can, but it will lead to an all-out war.”
“Why don’t we just kidnap Dante,” Luke said, “and the rest of the High Council? Make them tell us who Father is. I’m sure they know. We could stop it all if we stopped him.”
“It’s not that easy,” James said, “Dante and the others in the High Council, they can hide from my abilities. Even if we defeated them, Civic Protection will still be around. What’s to stop a general from taking control of the army?” James was pacing, thinking it over as he spoke. “We will need to either defeat them, or convince them.”
“Convince them of what?" Luke asked.
“That what they’re doing,” Elijah said with a sigh, “is wrong. How can you reason with soldiers conditioned to obey?”
“I don’t know,” James said.
“Either way,” Luke said, “you need to build an army.”
“I can’t do it alone,” James said. “That’s why I’ve brought you here. You both need to pool your resources. We need everyone you know, who is an ally, involved. This is happening, for real. It’s happening now. We need their help, but also the city’s help. We need to send a message to bring the city hope.”
“That’s what I am the most worried about,” Luke said. “I’ve seen what Civic Protection does to people who fight back. Everyone has seen what they do. People get detained and beaten on the streets, and no one does anything. Civic Protection is for all intents an unstoppable force that will kill all who oppose them. What would inspire them to fight against the unstoppable?"
“I can,” James said. “With your help, I’ll be the face of the resistance as the Hunter. I have no doubt that CP will come at me hard, but I can take it. I will show the city that I can take it, and that they can’t silence everyone. I can take them, and with your help I can inspire them.”
Both Luke and Elijah stepped back instinctively when they saw him disguised at the Hunter in the full light. The xeno covered half his face, and the rest of his body in the scaly silver metal. His eyes were now completely covered in silver, with a menacing look that made him appears as a wild animal. He looked threatening. He looked unstoppable.
30
Dante sat in his car, waiting. He was parked on the side of the street, in a quiet section of East District. No one would be out now due to the curfew, but he still liked to be hidden. It was early morning, still dark out. He stared off into the sky through his side window, watching muted stars twinkle slightly. It was calm out, but he felt agitated. The xeno’s host had appeared again after two weeks of silence. He called himself the Hunter, and he severely injured several soldiers. Worse yet, the rumors of his attack had already begun to spread. He wasn’t sure how to quell this rumor, but it was enough. Drastic measures had already begun.
There was a knock on his window; he shifted his eyes over to see her. He knew she was coming, but it had been years since he had seen his sister, Medea. She looked exac
tly the same. She was tall, and striking. She wore a dark Civic Protection uniform with no insignia, but with a more stylish brown jacket over the dark blue and black uniform. The clothes contrasted her fair skin and her white hair with the amber highlights. Her hair was pulled back so as to not get in her way, although Dante knew she would prefer to wear it down. Her face was beautiful, but sharp. Her eyes betrayed very little emotion except when she wanted to. Right now they looked happy. He motioned for her to come around to the passenger seat side of his car.
She grinned slightly, walking slowly around. She pulled the door open and sat in one motion, gracefully. She then sat there quietly for a moment with her arms crossed, looking out the side window.
“Well,” Dante said, “it’s been a long time. How has the factory been?” She looked at him and sighed, rolling her eyes.
“Boring,” Medea said. "All I’m doing is watching automated robots construct ships. Still, the view is better out there.”
“Yeah,” Dante said, “I bet it is. I’ve actually imagined going there myself.” She looked at him, half grinning.
“What,” she said, “does the life of a Civic Protection office grow wearisome for Dante, the good son?” There was a slight snap in her tone.
“I thought Ares was the good one,” Dante said, “at least since we lost Will.” He looked down for a moment, remembering his brother. William was the one they all looked up to. He had been the smartest, and the best of them.
“Don’t talk about him,” Medea said. "I was in a good mood. I don’t want to change that. I was so excited when Ares called me to let me know that I was to come back to the city to help you, my brother, hunt the Vanguards.” Dante sighed this time. Medea chuckled when she heard him. “I take it there’s still no love lost between you two,” she said. She knew how Dante detested Ares.
City of Twilight: Rise of the Hunter (The Vanguard Chronicles Book 1) Page 14
