by Tom Keller
Chapter 15
Running blind didn't mean I was deaf. I threw myself to the ground as soon as I heard the rustle of wings coming up from behind me. Reaching for my sword, I rolled, but not fast enough to prevent the Demon from bending down and knocking the sword from my hands before lifting me up by the neck with a scaly claw. At least I knew who she was. Whether it was the heat generated by her body, or just some magic she possessed, the mist cleared in front of me as she lifted me some 10 feet up into the air.
"Hello, Paige," I croaked as she pulled me closer. Feeling her hot breath on my face, I pressed my dagger into her chest as I spoke, having pulled it as soon as she grabbed me. "You sure you want this dance?" The last time I'd seen her she was in human form, hitting on me at a Demon nightclub back home. But I doubt it was the comment that got her attention. More likely it was the point of my dagger as it bit into her chest.
"I do not know your name but you are a fool," she hissed. "Even if your blade did manage to kill me, my Master would avenge me before the pale horse could arrive to carry me away.
"You sure about that?" I replied, twisting the blade ever so slightly. "How do you think Rael's gonna feel when she finds out you let a Knight slip into town and park herself just outside her backyard? Especially now, with everything that's going on."
"Balderdash!" she yelled, and then threw me to the desert floor. She raised her sword and swung it downward.
Having barely enough time to react, I grabbed my sword from the ground where it had fallen and blocked her strike, the force of her blow driving me down to my knees. "You might want to rethink that," I said, scrambling back a foot as she raised her sword to strike again. I'd traded my own sword for the Devil's grenade I'd stuck in my pocket, glad now that I'd brought it along. I held it up in front of me, the black clouds within swirling as bolts of red lightning struck the barrier that contained them. At the same time, I pulled the hood from my face."
"I know you," she said, cautiously. She hadn’t lowered her sword but the grenade appeared to give her pause. "You are the one that was kissed by the Keres. But since when do the police attack their own?"
"What?" I replied, innocently. "The guy back there? Not one of mine. But that's what they get for trying to operate in my town without a heads up. Besides, who sticks their gun out a door when they can't see what's on the other side? Just a dumb ass, if you ask me. Must have skipped class the day they were teaching defensive tactics. Anyway, he's still alive, isn’t he?" I got up to my feet and held out my palm, tossing the grenade up and down where she could see it. "Look, sorry about the fog, but I 've got places I need to be. The way I figure it, you owe me one for taking care of the Knight. How about we call this a draw and forget we ever met? I won’t tell if you won't."
"You lie," she said, the sword in her hands moving back as if to strike again. "There is no Knight!"
"Not anymore," I agreed, raising the grenade as if ready to throw it. "Like I said, I took care of that for you. She's already been removed from the area. You can go check yourself. I'm sure we left traces behind that'll prove she was there. As to any other threats that might still be out there, they're your problem to deal with. I've done my part. Now please, reconsider my offer. I really don’t want to have to use this."
"You are bluffing," she said, eyeing the grenade in my hands. "The magic within that weapon would kill us both."
"You obviously haven’t seen me play poker," I replied, pulling my hand back even further. I looked her straight in the eye before continuing. "I never bluff. I have no problem with where I'm going in the afterlife. Can you say the same?" For the briefest moment, I thought that I was going to have to use the grenade after all, but instead, she dropped her sword to her side. Then she threw her head back and began to laugh.
"Ha!" she said, still chuckling. "I understand now what the Keres saw in you."
"Yeah?" I replied, dropping my arm as well. "And if I was 20 years younger, I'd take you dancing too. So do we have a deal?"
"We have an accord," she said, bowing her head. "Assuming you are telling the truth, that is. I will have to see for myself if it is true."
You can say what you want about Demons, but being one of Rael's followers, I knew she would stay true to her word. "Trust, but verify," I replied, holding my arms out before slowly putting the grenade away. "I can live with that. Go about 50 yards south of the garage. There's a pile of debris next to the wash. She was set up next to that. You know where to find me if you need me to locate it for you, but I doubt that's gonna be necessary."
Without a word, her black wings unfurled and she was gone. Only the mists that scattered in the wind she generated gave any clue that she had ever been here. Well, that was fun, I thought as I continued my way up the hill.
Even with the fog lightening up the higher I climbed, it took a while to reach the base of the foothills. Thankfully, having the slope increase dramatically made finding the path possible. The duffel was where I left it, but Livia was nowhere to be seen. Making that my next priority, and using the hill as a guide, I started backtracking toward where I'd last seen her. I didn’t have to travel far. I found her about a hundred yards further down the trail. She was on her knees, two rifles slung on her back. She was breathing heavily when I reached her.
"You alright?" I asked as I knelt down beside her.
"I will live," she replied, glancing through the fog at the body lying next to her. "She did not give up without a fight. But I do not believe we were discovered. I have seen or heard no one else since I dragged her up the hill."
I moved over to the Knight. She was trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey and had a bag over her head. Lifting it to see her face, I confirmed it was Belina, just like before. Her eyes were shut and she was out cold. There was a nasty bruise on her head but she was breathing normally. I took that as a good sign.
"I cannot guarantee she does not have a concussion," Livia said, rising to her feet.
"Shit happens," I said, picking the Knight up in a fireman's carry. "You leave anything behind?"
"Just her camouflaged blanket," she replied, tossing me a leather bundle. "It was too bulky to carry with her on my back."
"No worries then. Let's go. We need to be out of here before the fog clears."
Livia followed me as we headed back around the mountain. Picking up the duffel, she placed the rifles inside and slung the bag on her back. Then we slowly made our way back to the Jeep. By now the fog was dissipating rapidly and we could see the lights of police cars in the neighborhood where I'd set off the grenades. Fortunately, between Mal's misdirection, and my little altercation with the Fed, nobody was looking for us this far up the hill. Paige must have been satisfied as well. Finding the Knight's ghillie suit would have proven my claim and the sky above me remained clear.
When we reached the Willy's, I laid the still unconscious Knight in the back next to the duffel and patted her down for weapons. She was clean. She looked a bit worse for wear, but after checking her pulse and finding a strong beat, I rolled her on her side for transport. Livia was looking a little haggard as well, but with her assurance that she would live, we got underway. Figuring that we had accomplished what we came for, I put it in gear and began our trek. A half hour later, I made the left onto Owens and headed toward town. A few minutes after that, I picked up my pac-set and radioed Mal.
"Mal, it's Robert. You clear to talk," I asked, keying the mic.
"Stand by one, LT, " he replied. It was a minute later before he got back to me. "Sorry, had to answer the other radio. Things are starting to clear up but we still have half the neighborhoods calling in to say the sky is falling. Your EAB friends are running in circles. I don’t think you have to worry too much about which direction they're looking. You about done or do I need to worry about something else going down?"
"It's all good. Meet me at Owens and Lamb, southeast corner. I've got that package ready for pick up. I'll be in the alley behind the business in a green Jeep."
"
Be there in five," he radioed back.
I double clicked the mic and turned into the complex on the corner. I made my way to the rear alley, pulling over near the back fence and parking. Livia had nodded off, so I let her sleep as I got out and went to check on my errant Knight. She was awake now and struggled to sit up when I opened the rear hatch. Livia had used several pairs of flex-cuffs to bind her hands and legs which severely limited her movement. I checked to make sure they were secure, but not too tight to cause further injury. Then I sat down beside her. I lifted the hood and she tried to speak, but the gag made it impossible to understand her. Knowing that whatever she said wouldn't make a difference, I left her that way. I slid my clothes over the Fae armor and then picked up the bundle I'd gotten from Livia and unwrapped it. Along with a handgun, the various documents and religious artifacts were something to look at later, I turned back to her.
"I don’t think you'll be needing these for a while," I said, then pulled the small bible from its pouch and thumbed through it, making sure nothing else was hidden inside. I held it out as I rolled the bundle back up. "Except maybe this. I'll make sure someone gives it to you when you get settled in."
She struggled against her bonds again, a look of pure hatred on her face.
"We'll talk later," I said, glancing back as headlights appeared in the alley behind us. "Looks like your ride is here."
Mal's car pulled up beside us and I hopped off the back as he opened his car door and got out. "Where'd you get the Willy's?"
"Long story. I'll tell you all about it another time."
"That my package?" Mal asked, spying the Knight squirming again in the back of the Jeep. "I assume that was what the Feds missed."
"Yep," I replied, pointing my thumb back at her. "She slipped through their lines. Found her set up on someone they were supposed to be keeping an eye on. Decided it was better to get her out of there than deal with the problems it would cause if they knew what she was up to. She's a Knight from the Brothers and Sisters of the Sword. Should be a banishment order on file for all members. We'll charge her with that to keep it simple. I don’t have a last name yet, but her first is Belina. Book her as a John Doe until we get a positive ID and place a detainer on her for my signature prior to release. I don’t want anyone to know she's there until I say so. She's got the tattoo so that's sufficient to prove her association. Oh, and have the nurse check her when you get there. She took a blow to the head when she was taken down."
I helped him carry her to his car, leaving her legs cuffed to limit her movement. I was not going to give her an excuse to try and escape. We placed her in the back seat and strapped her in before I removed the gag.
"Anything else I missed up there?" I asked, closing the door before she could speak. I really didn’t want to get into a conversation with her at the moment. There was plenty of time for that later, after she stewed in a jail cell for a few days.
"I'm not even going to ask what you used to make the fog appear. But whatever it was, it worked like a charm," Mal said as I handed him the Bible and the rest of her things, telling him she could keep the Bible. He shook his head as he took the sniper rifle, looking it over before placing it in the trunk with the rest of her things. "They got pretty excited, but they'd be off the deep end if they saw that. They were worked up enough over one of their agents getting his ass kicked. They're still trying to figure out what happened there. Got any thoughts on that one?"
"Don’t look at me," I said, raising my hands in mock surrender. "I guess they should have listened to the Captain. He tried to warn them that things worked differently here. Live and learn."
"Their mistake," Mal agreed, nodding his head as he opened the driver side door. "I've still got a few guys up there clearing calls. You going to need anything else from us tonight?"
"I think I've wreaked enough havoc for one evening," I said, grinning as I closed the rear hatch of the Jeep. "I'm gonna call it a night. Thanks for all your help."
"You haven't seen the bill yet," he said with a chuckle. Then he got into the car and took off down the alley.
I knew something was wrong as soon as I opened the door. Her eyes closed, and skin pale, Livia was slumped over the dash. I called out her name but she didn’t answer. I jumped out and ran around the car. I opened the door and pulled her back into the seat, feeling her skin hot and burning with fever. Then her hand fell away from the seat. "Damnit," I said, seeing the pool of blood from the knife wound on her side. "Why didn’t you say something?"
I reached into the back and pulled out a shirt, using it as a bandage to stem the blood still flowing from the wound. Since the Willy's Jeep was too old for seat belts, I grabbed another and wrapped it around her, holding her firmly to the seat while keeping the makeshift bandage in place. Slamming the door and getting back in on the driver's side, I picked up my radio to call for help. Then stopped as I realized that was a bad idea. There was no way I could call an ambulance without revealing who and what we were. The risk of discovery was as dangerous to her as the wound was. I had to find another way to get her help.
Damn Gaea for taking away all my powers! I could have really used my bident right about now. I laid the radio down and started the Jeep, putting it in gear and heading out of the parking lot toward Lamb. Missing the extensive Fae network I had available back home, there was only one place I could think of to go.
Chapter 16
Speed was one thing the Willy's wasn't designed for, the gears grinding as I pressed down on the accelerator. The only positive thing about that was that I probably wouldn’t be stopped for speeding. Not that I cared about that, but I was still on the east side of town. I was a little concerned about running into any Feds that may still be around. With that said, I only had to blow two stoplights before I made it into the parking lot of Gaea's temple.
Stopping as close to the temple as possible, my wheels bounced on the curb as I jumped out of the driver's side and ran around the Jeep. Throwing open her door, I removed the shirt that held her in the seat and lifted her as gently as possible before taking off across the grass to the temple, carrying her in my arms. Bounding up the stairs until I reached the top, I turned and ran around the corner, kicking at the doors that I knew were offices and yelling for help. A moment later, a door opened and two figures stepped out.
"High Priestess," I said, relief in my voice when I saw who it was. "She has a knife wound. I need your help." They stepped aside as I carried the wounded Livia through the doorway. Pushing aside the few items on the table inside, I laid her down and pressed against the bandage that covered her wound.
"Thalia," the High Priestess said, coming over and checking on the injured woman. "Fetch Maia. Then run to the residence and call an ambulance."
"No ambulance," I replied, grabbing her by the arm before she could leave the room. "Go to the Fae instead. Ask the Dryads to send a Healer."
"That will not be necessary," the High Priestess replied, taking my hand from Thalia's arm. She glanced over at her and nodded. "Maia will be sufficient. Go."
"But…" I started to say when the High Priestess interrupted me.
"Maia is both a priestess and a Healer," she said, removing the makeshift bandage as she spoke. She replaced it a moment later, then slid Livia's Fae armor aside revealing more bruises and redness. "She was not here the night you were injured. Please, trust me to know what I am doing."
"Of course," I replied.
"Was this a Heroes' quest or a personal matter?" she asked, moving over to a cabinet and pulling out a bowl before handing it to me. She glanced over at the nearby sink. "Water."
"It wasn't personal," I replied, filling it as I spoke. I saw no reason to hide what we were doing from her. Especially if I was asking for help. "But I'm not sure if this is Gaea's fight, either. Strange as it may sound, we were trying to stop a crusader from killing a Fallen Angel and starting a holy war in the process. It's complicated. But it involves our Government and several Christian sects. I can't say I know h
ow Gaea would feel about it. It's just something I had to do."
"And did you?" she asked as I handed her the bowl. She placed it down on the table and then pulled a cloth from her garments, gently wiping Livia's face with it. "Stop them, I mean."
"For now," I replied, just as the other priestess returned with the Healer in tow.
"Ah. Maia," the High Priestess said, turning to her and pointing to Livia's side. "Thank you for coming. This human female needs your attention. She has a penetrating trauma to the lateral lower right side of her abdomen. There is an eight-centimeter laceration above the hip. I cannot tell for certain how deep the wound is, but it is still hemorrhaging. The Lieutenant believes it was caused by a knife. I concur with his opinion."
"Do you have the weapon?" the Healer asked, moving the High Priestess aside to examine the wound. The High Priestess looked over at me to answer.
"No," I replied. "I wasn't with her when it happened. I didn’t even know she was hurt until after I turned her opponent over to my people. But there was no knife in her possessions, I checked. I can go back and look for it if it's important."
"That will not be necessary," Maia said, her hands glowing as she held them over the wound. "I sense no poisons or remnants of dark magic. Now, leave us. I need quiet if I am to heal this human properly."
"We should step outside and let her tend to her duties," the High Priestess said, leading me to the door.
"Thank you," I said as I followed. "I know it's not your fight, but I didn't know where else to take her."
"Gaea's temple is sanctuary to all. You of all people should know that, Lieutenant," she said, leading me around the corner. We stopped as she pushed open the large doors that marked the entrance to the temple. They looked the same as they had the first time I'd seen them, the damage from my last visit already repaired. "Perhaps it would be best if you wait inside. I will return when Maia has finished tending to her wounds. We can continue this conversation then."