The Awakening

by Tony Mazzarella

  “No, you son of a bitch! You leave my family alone!” sobbed Antonio desperately.

  “It’s all in your hands now,” said the man as the window went up and the car drove away. Antonio dropped to his knees still suffering from the pain of his warning. Gene crawled back out of sight and swiftly climbed back to the top of the hangar roof. He motioned for Don to follow, and they both quickly descended the ladder. They could see the others approaching to see what they’d found out.

  “We have a major problem, and I only have a few minutes before he comes back.”

  “What is it, Gino? What did you hear?” asked Don.

  “He met somebody in a black car. From the sound of it, it was probably the same man Drew told me about, Valente’s brother.”

  “Corrado?” asked Cait as her body went cold from the memory of her contact with him.

  “I think so. Antonio’s being forced to give him information. I heard Corrado threaten his family. Apparently he’s under the impression he and his family will be spared. I assume he was referring to the awakening.”

  “That goddamn fool! Does he really think these bastards will spare them?” Drew said, banging his hand off of the Raptor’s roll bar.

  “It’s okay, Drew. He’s only looking out for his family. Would you do any less if it was my Cait?” asked Kirby, trying to keep him from reacting emotionally.

  “Kirby, you can’t be defending him!” cried Don in a high-pitched voice.

  “I’m simply suggesting we find a way to continue on without him.”

  “I agree,” said Gene “Now that we know he’s compromised, maybe we can use him to our advantage.”

  Cait spoke up, trying to suggest a way to reach Antonio. She’d known him the longest and was devastated that he’d betrayed them—and her especially. “Maybe we can let him know we know and…”

  “That won’t work,” said Gene, interrupting Cait abruptly. “He’d do anything to protect his family, and let’s face it. There is no assurance we can give him that any of this has a chance. The poor bastard is playing the best hand he can.”

  “So what do we do?” asked Drew.

  “I’m not sure yet,” said Gene. “I know what we’d do to him in wartime. Just act normal for now. We can’t give him any information we don’t want passed on.”

  “Look, Gene,” said Cait. “Antonio is a good man; you have to trust me on that. We can’t leave him at the mercy of Corrado. Whatever we come up with, we have to protect him.”

  “I’m sorry. I honestly don’t know if we can. Not at the risk of jeopardizing this operation. And let’s face it. This operation basically could determine the fate of our species.”

  “Good men have already died. Why should we risk anything for him?” said Don, becoming more agitated than normal. “He made his bed, and he sure as hell isn’t going to make mine!”

  “Donnie, please,” Gene barked.

  “No, I’m not sure what they expect us to do. He’s making a deal with the devil, literally! And I’m supposed to care about what happens to him?”

  Gene could see that the stress of the situation was taking a heavy toll on his friend. He knew Don had a big heart and would help anyone under normal circumstances.

  “Okay, maybe we’ve done enough for tonight. We should get some sleep; it’s been a hell of a long day. I would suggest that we meet here in the morning.”

  “No, not here.” said Kirby. “I’ll make arrangements for another location, and I’ll send Antonio to the catacombs on some busywork assignment. He still has access, but we obviously can’t trust anything he tells us going forward.”

  “Gene, what if Corrado already knows what we’re planning to do?”

  “I don’t think that he does, Cait. I heard him chastise Antonio for not giving him details of any plans. I think your friend is trying hard not to give him too much, but I don’t know how long he’ll be able to resist.”

  “Are you sure of that?” she asked.

  “Yes. I heard it clearly. He waved his hand and did something to him as a warning. I couldn’t see exactly, but I could tell it hurt.”

  “We have to leave tomorrow,” said Kirby somberly.

  “Are you serious? We aren’t ready for this yet!” said Don.

  “Maybe he’s right,” said Gene reluctantly. “This plan hinges on the information he’s given us on operations at the entrance to the catacombs. If he’s not totally compromised, then we can trust what we have so far. Once he gives up the plan, we’re dead. Trust me, it won’t be long. I felt his fear. He’s terrified for him and his family. If we’re going to do this, we have to leave tomorrow as we planned, at noon.”

  “I’ll see to getting everything in place. Drew has arranged for you two to stay with him, and you need to get some sleep. I’ll be in touch in the morning, and we can make final preparations,” said Kirby assuredly.

  “What have I missed?” asked Antonio as he appeared suddenly behind them.

  “Nothing. We’re calling it a night,” said Kirby.

  “But we so have much to do. Shouldn’t we continue on?”

  “No. Gene thinks we need to rethink some things, so we’re going to have to stop for now.”

  “What things, Gene?” asked Antonio with an air of desperation in his voice.

  “Well, the timing for one thing. I think we should wait until next week, which will give us time to train.”

  “In any case, my boy, let’s go into the office. I have something I need you to do.”

  Kirby put his arm around Antonio and walked him into the office and out of sight of the others.

  Chapter 13

  Sad, lonely, afraid. Those were the words that Cait would use to define the past three years of her life. Distant, removed, and angry were also probably accurate descriptions at times. She wondered how things could have turned around so quickly. Here, at what seemed like such a wonderful new beginning, it was ironic, she thought, that it all might end in a few days. At least I felt love again, she thought to herself. But there was one overriding emotion that dwarfed all of the others—guilt. She’d kept it suppressed until that point. Guilt over her feelings for Drew, but especially over her behavior the last few weeks in her connections with Adrian.

  Now is the time to account for my actions; I have to make my peace with him before the end, she thought to herself.

  Cait stood looking over the grave as she pulled her coat tight. The granite stone still looked as new as the day she’d buried Tom. It was a glaring reminder of the short time it had stood in this lonely place. Dark shadows stretched along the ground like giant fingers as the large monuments pointed toward the night sky and deflected the moonlight. She was sure the others were trying to find a way to sleep for the night—a night that might be their last.

  “I’m sorry, Tom,” she said as she kneeled on the soft grass and pushed the leaves from the small flower bed that bordered the marble headstone.

  “I’ve tried to live my life for your memory. It’s just…I’ve become so lonely these last few months. Drew is a good man, Tom; I hope you can forgive me. You’ll always be a part of me.”

  Her eyes filled with tears as she pushed a small wooden cross that had fallen over back into the loose dirt at the base of the stone. As she wiped the tears from her cheeks, she looked up the rolling hill to see a man staring down at her through the dull moonlight. He wore a dark coat, and she couldn’t make out his face. She immediately stood up, feeling self-conscious that someone was intruding on her personal moment. She composed herself, still looking up at the man who seemed to be staring back at her. She took one last glance at Tom’s grave and said a silent prayer, knowing in her heart she might soon be with him. A cold chill ran through her like the winter wind in Colorado as a young girl. But this was Italy in summer, and while it was a colder-than-normal night, she knew something wasn’t right.

  Th
e stranger turned and began to walk deliberately up the grassy path that led to a large group of mausoleums. Darkness cascaded like eerie black spider webs as the tombs cast large shadows across the path, making it difficult to make out the man’s features. He looked back and motioned for Cait to follow. There was something familiar about the way the man carried himself as she walked toward him. Her mind denied what her eyes knew to be true, but she followed anyway. It was him. She was sure of it. The man entered the opened wrought-iron gates that led into a large mausoleum. Cait followed him in, staring at the shadowy figure as he turned, allowing his face to remain hidden in darkness. Cait spoke softly, knowing it was impossible.

  “Tom?”

  The man stepped forward, allowing the moonlight that filtered in through the open door to illuminate his face.

  “Yes, Cait. It’s me. Tom.”

  She studied him carefully, knowing it wasn’t possible. She ran her fingers across his face, feeling every pore and allowing her soul to believe, if only for a few seconds, that her lost love had returned.

  “How can it be you Tom? It’s not possible,” said Cait, crying.

  “I’ve come back to warn you, Cait. You’re in great danger. I know what you’re planning to do.”

  “If it truly is you, Tom, then you know I have to do it. For humanity’s sake, it must be done.”

  Cait stepped back from the person that appeared to be Tom as her mind overrode her heart, telling her this couldn’t be him. Tom appeared puzzled at her cautiousness, once again stepping closer to her.

  “How will you do it, Cait? How do you expect to destroy him? His power is too great.”

  Cait once again stepped back, realizing he stood between her and the exit.

  “Don’t you know, Tom? You said you know what I’m planning. Don’t you know how I plan to destroy him?” she asked.

  She could see the confused look on his face, as if he was struggling against his true nature to play the part of the man she knew.

  “I care about you, Cait. I just want to make sure you stay safe. Tell me, what will you do?”

  “You haven’t answered the question, my love. If you know what I’m planning, you should know what I’m going to do, shouldn’t you?” responded Cait sarcastically.

  She could see the frustration and anger in his face as he searched for an answer. Whoever she was dealing with wasn’t used to being challenged, and the ruse was now at an end. The image of Tom morphed into a devilish creature like she’d seen many times in her dreams. This one was much more hideous, and she couldn’t hide the terror she felt inside as the horned beast took its form. It was Corrado; she was sure of it.

  “Now, you meddling bitch. You will tell me what you are planning. Your fool of a friend Antonio is useless, and I will deal with him next. How pathetically naive you are to think you can stop the inevitable. My brother has become weak, and you will no longer poison his mind. When I’m done with you, he’ll never know what happened because there won’t be anything left to find. But I promise you. It will be slow, and you’ll enjoy it for a while.”

  “No!” she screamed as she fell to the ground, trying desperately to crawl away from the approaching horror. The cold stone floor was a reminder that she was literally entombed and there would be no escape. As he walked toward her, he ran his claws along the marble wall, ripping the rock into dust. Cait tried to block her ears since the scraping sound was unbearable. She was helpless as her body was thrown against the wall by some invisible force.

  “No! Your brother will destroy you for this! You know he will!” pleaded Cait desperately, knowing there would be no reasoning with him but hoping to buy a few more seconds of life.

  “With you out of the way, he’ll think clearly again and do what needs to be done. I took care of his last obsession in much the same way, and he never found out. Your death will be no different.”

  “You killed Khaheet?” she asked. “You bastard.”

  “Your flesh is so fragile. It was simple, and he was a fool for allowing it to go that far. I took care of it for his sake, as I will take care of you. Do you even know what we are? What do you see when you look at the sun? I’ll tell you what I see: a prison, full of fools that serve his will. Adrian and I left long ago to make a world for us to rule, but his influence continues to haunt us even now. You and your kind are an abomination created by him. He’s sent many different forms to us, and I have to say, you are the worst of them.”

  “Look, I don’t know who you’re talking about, but…”

  “No, of course you don’t. We escaped from our Father long ago, and he tries to get us back to serve his will. My brother is considering it; I can feel it. Because of you! He controls the timing of everything, but I have allies he knows nothing about. Allies that will serve me alone. I will never go back!” screamed Corrado like an angry child as he smashed his hand ferociously through a stone pillar. Shards of shattered marble sprayed across Cait’s face, stunning her for a moment.

  “Please! If you don’t want to go back, then don’t! Why do you care what Adrian is going to do?” She knew her words would have little meaning as she desperately tried to find a way to reason with him.

  “Because my brother was given the power…”

  She could see Corrado catch himself as if he knew he was divulging too much to something he saw as unworthy of his presence.

  “My father was clever to create creatures such as you. You have the ability to try and confuse us, as if you were from that place. I see now why my fool brother was taken in so easily. The time for talk is over now.”

  Cait turned and tried to turn away as he ran his pointed tongue across her lips and up her cheek. He laughed loudly as the sound echoed off of the stone walls. He took his giant claws and ripped her shirt down the middle, exposing her skin to the glistening moonlight filtering through the front entrance. He ignored her screams as he transformed once again into the man she knew as Corrado. He stood naked before her with the same angry expression he’d shown in the car when he forced himself upon her mind.

  “No! Help me!” she screamed, but there would be no one in the graveyard at this late hour. She knew it was hopeless, but she had to try.

  “I think it will be much more pleasing in this form, don’t you? Now perform for me as you do for my brother. Please me before you die, and maybe I’ll kill you a bit quicker. Either way, you will suffer to your last breath.”

  “He’ll know! He can see my mind when I let him. You won’t get away with this.”

  His sinister smile told her he didn’t care what she was saying, and he continued toward her.

  “My brother’s essence is deep within the core of the earth. Don’t you see? He is still making preparations. I’m going to make sure he follows through, and eliminating you is the first step. His range cannot reach your mind there, and you can’t reach him.

  She cringed as he ran his hands upon her flesh. She screamed, but her voice was silenced with a wave of his hand. His presence put a feeling of dread in her heart that erased all hope, and she wished she was dead already. A strange numbness fell over her, and she wondered if she was dead. She neither felt his touch nor the fear she’d felt a moment before. A bright light blinded her as she felt nothing. Was this heaven? Would she see Tom? Was she worthy of heaven? All of these questions ran through her mind, and then she heard the voice. There was a comfort in the sound that was like nothing she’d ever heard. She felt as if she was an infant wrapped in a warm blanket being comforted and held tightly.

  “You will be saved; fear not.”

  After a few seconds she regained her senses, and regardless of the voice, the fear returned. The light was still blinding her, and she heard voices shouting in the distance. They sounded like distant echoes bouncing off of the stone structures all around her. The force that had held her paralyzed had released her, sending her falling down hard to the ground. As the
light subsided, she watched a dark shadow flee quickly from the building. She could feel his agony at the sight of this pristine light. She assumed the agony was that of Corrado, but she couldn’t see the source of the light that freed her from her certain death. The light filled her heart once again with hope and more than that. It was love in its purest form, as if her soul was being fed by this strange light until it could hold no more. She once again questioned if she was alive, but her instincts told her that she was.

  “Who’s there?” she called tentatively to the figures that ran toward her through the diminishing light, afraid to know if there were horrors worse than Corrado on the other side. As the brilliant light faded, Cait’s eyes fought to adjust themselves to the dim moonlit tomb. She saw someone approaching and heard a voice calling to her.

  “Are you okay? Cait, can you stand? What did he do to you?” said Drew as he pulled her to her feet. He pulled off his jacket and put it around Cait’s torn shirt. He held her tight, and she returned the embrace and began to sob softly for several minutes.

  “Is she okay?” shouted Gene, holding his small automatic weapon while scanning the surrounding landscape.

  “I think so,” said Drew.

  “We have to get the hell out of here.”

  “Can you walk?” asked Drew softly, still holding Cait up.

  “Yes, I can. How did you know I was here?” she asked, still confused and shaken.

  “I figured there were only a few places you’d go when you weren’t at your apartment. Lucky I saw your truck, and we got up here just in time. We did get here in time, Cait, didn’t we?” asked Drew, looking at her torn shirt.

  “Yes. Thank God,” responded Cait, knowing the implication of his question.

  Drew had never seen Cait so distraught and vulnerable. She always presented herself with confidence and control even in the worst of circumstances, but things were starting to take their toll on her. He knew in his heart that one way or another, this all had to come to a head for her sake, and quickly. They walked back through the graveyard, and she took one last look at Tom’s stone as they passed. Gene led them cautiously, as if they were on a military mission, peering around every turn through the scope of his weapon. A small blue car waited for them, and she immediately recognized it and its driver.