Memory Hunter

by Frank Morin

  “Either they’re enforcers or heka.”

  “Then why would you want to hang around?” Sarah demanded. He had proven he possessed remarkable fighting skills, but this didn’t seem like a smart place to plan a showdown.

  “To see which group it is,” Tomas explained. “If it’s the enforcers, that means my cover’s been blown and the council’s assigned a strike team to remove me.”

  He said it with such calm acceptance. Sarah admired that, wished she shared his unbreakable calm, and wanted to slap him to get more of a reaction.

  “If it’s heka,” Tomas continued. “Then Mai Luan’s coming after us.”

  “What if it’s both?” Sarah hated asking the question. Why suggest things could get worse?

  “I doubt it,” he said. “She’s playing them, and no doubt they’ve convinced themselves that they’re using her. They won’t work together, not for something like this.”

  “So what happens when they show up?” Sarah asked. “Did you bring a gun?”

  “A couple,” he admitted. “But I don’t want to confront them yet, just gather intel.”

  “Did you bring a scope?” Sarah asked. “That way we could gather intel from farther away.”

  He chuckled. “Good idea, but no, I left the scopes at home.”

  A white passenger van stopped in the same place their taxi had moments ago. Several figures jumped out and jogged across the piazza.

  Sarah’s pulse quickened and every muscle tensed as she pressed herself against a nearby column. She tried to breathe, but found it hard to get any air.

  The shadowy figures passed not far from their hiding place without slowing. When they reached the road on the far side, they spread out. A moment later, the same van stopped and they all jumped back in.

  After the van sped away, Tomas said, “Heka.”

  “How can you tell?” Sarah asked. “I couldn’t see any details.”

  “Didn’t need to,” he said. “Enforcers train as a team. They’d have moved through a place like this in a more organized formation. Those guys moved like a gang. No discipline, no cover. Heka for sure.”

  “What does that mean?” Sarah asked.

  “Mai Luan’s on to us. We’ll have to be careful, and probably move our base as soon as Gregorios and Eirene return.”

  Mai Luan was chasing them. Sarah crossed to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He held her, his head leaning against hers, his gaze locked on the piazza. She suddenly wished Gregorios and Eirene hadn’t left. She felt vulnerable.

  There had to be a way to change that.

  “How do we fight her?” she asked.

  Tomas turned to face her. She couldn’t see his expression, but his arms tightened around her shoulders. “If it comes to that, we’ll pick the time and place. She’s dangerous, but not immortal. We’ve defeated Cui Dashi before.”

  “Good.” She embraced the anger she felt at Mai Luan for so casually destroying so many lives. Hopefully the shared resolve to defeat her would provide enough motivation for the hunters to help.

  They needed all the help they could get.

  Tomas waited in the shadows ten more minutes. Sarah remained close beside him and they silently held each other in the darkness. It wasn’t the romantic moment she might have hoped for, but it was the best they could manage.

  Eventually he led her back out to where the taxi had dropped them off and flagged another one. The entire time they stood exposed at the curb, Sarah scanned nearby shadows, jumping at every sound. A gray van passed, and she clutched Tomas’ hand nervously until it faded into the night.

  Tomas ordered the taxi to take them to St. Peter’s. There they mingled with the crowd while he watched for anyone following them. Sarah scanned the crowds and spotted several suspicious people, but none of them seemed to worry Tomas.

  They took four more taxis, each to a different popular attraction, and repeated the process of blending and scanning.

  Finally Tomas said, “I don’t see anyone. If they’re still on to us, they’re better than any heka I’ve faced in decades.”

  “How many decades?”

  Tomas sighed. “Please not now.”

  “Fine, but don’t avoid it forever.”

  “I won’t. I promise. I need to show you something first. Then we’ll talk.”

  She could handle that.

  When they returned to the safe house, it didn’t feel so safe. What if they’d been followed, despite all Tomas’ efforts to confuse any trackers?

  Tomas shared her concern, insisting on monitoring the perimeter through a bank of security camera feeds.

  Sarah found some pie in the fridge and served up a couple slices. She sat with him for a mind-numbing hour watching the images flip past, and chatting about little things. She realized she’d never just hung out with him. She asked him about places he’d visited, and got more than she’d planned. He’d traveled just about everywhere, and talked easily about different cultures and countries and peoples. He spoke eighteen languages. That was a little intimidating.

  He asked her about her family. She didn’t like talking about her past, but found herself telling him about her insanely religious parents, their condemnation of any lifestyle that didn’t include marriage and as many children as she could handle, all while living on a modest, lower middle class budget.

  Tomas gave her an appraising look. “And you overcame that upbringing to become one of the top five body models at Alterego?”

  “I got into modeling as a form of rebellion,” Sarah admitted. “I wanted to prove to them that I could make my own choices.” She tried not to think about the fact that her choices had nearly lost her the only body she’d ever owned. She hated to think anything her parents had browbeaten into her might have had a seed of truth.

  So she told Tomas about her three brothers. The two older ones with their large families and blue-collar jobs, and the younger one who was a priest in a protestant church.

  “Do you speak with them often?” Tomas asked.

  “Not much,” Sarah admitted. “I sent money a couple of times. I felt bad to hear about all their bills with those kids. But mom and dad found out and got real angry. They asked me to stop.”

  “When this is over, you should call them,” Tomas urged.

  “Why? They don’t understand me.”

  “They’re family,” he said softly, his expression growing intense. “You won’t always have them.”

  The conversation turned to Eirene and Gregorios. Tomas revealed that Eirene had taken up SCUBA diving and was planning extensive ocean exploration expeditions.

  “I’ve never been diving,” Sarah said. “Sounds like fun.”

  “It is,” he said. “Eirene’s traveled the globe many times, but she’s never set foot on the bottom of the ocean. The thought appeals to her.”

  “What about Gregorios?”

  “He loves technology,” Tomas said with a chuckle. “He’s like a little kid with new gadgets. He’s getting into mobile app development.”

  “Really?” Sarah laughed. “He wants to develop the next Angry Birds or something?”

  “No, he’s got bigger plans than that,” Tomas said, but wouldn’t elaborate.

  Sarah enjoyed the conversation as it turned to less meaningful topics. Spending time with Tomas like this was really nice, but as the night wore on, the stress of the day caught up with her and her eyes started to droop.

  Tomas noticed. He kissed her forehead. “I’m glad dinner wasn’t ruined at least.”

  “I enjoyed it. Thank you,” she said, cupping one of his cheeks in her hand and kissing him lightly on the lips. He might not be her boyfriend yet, but he was a good friend, and that left the door open to all sorts of possibilities.

  For tonight, that was enough.

  I’m not afraid of death; I just don’t want to be there when it happens.

  ~Meryem, facetaker council member

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Gregorios walked up to a fortified
gatehouse in front of a walled compound on the outskirts of Jerusalem. He wore a wide-brimmed hat, a black T-shirt, and commando pants over a powerful young body that had just arrived via special air freight from Sweden. That proved far more efficient than traveling all the way across Europe to pick it up personally.

  The wall that stretched away to either side reared over ten feet, made of thick blocks of stone topped with razor wire. He spotted several cameras monitoring the outside. Melek was as paranoid as ever. One of the reasons Gregorios liked him more than most of his ancestors.

  The two armed guards at the gate eyed him suspiciously as he approached and one stepped forward to meet him while the second stayed back to cover him. When they demanded identification, he simply extended both hands, palms up, to display tattoos on his forearms.

  The man stared in shock. “Reuben?”

  Gregorios tipped the brim of his hat up to reveal his face. “I’m here to see Melek.”

  The guard stumbled back and both he and his companion snapped weapons up to the ready position but didn’t fire. Gregorios allowed himself a slightly deeper breath.

  First hurdle crossed.

  The second guard spoke quickly into his throat mike in Hebrew, but the barrel of his rifle never wavered.

  Seconds later the outer gates swung open and two dozen heavily armed men swarmed out to surround Gregorios, military carbines ready. He stood unmoving in the middle of the kill zone. He suppressed the urge to cough. The sudden noise might just trigger a hail of bullets even his enhanced body couldn’t absorb.

  Eirene spoke into his earpiece. “I can’t shoot all of them if they decide to become hostile, love.”

  He said nothing, but the twitch of his lips into a half smile triggered a chorus of shouted commands to stay where he was. The creaking of leather sounded loud in the night air as the men leaned into their rifles, ready to fire. They were as touchy as he expected.

  A solidly built man wearing camouflaged khakis stepped through the crowd. His salt-and-pepper hair was cut military short and although he had to be pushing fifty, he still radiated strength.

  “Hello, Melek,” Gregorios said.

  Melek stopped three paces away, his expression calm but his eyes burning with hatred. He spoke in an angry growl. “How dare you come here?”

  “I want to make a deal.”

  “Then why do you wear the body of my son?” Melek demanded, leaning forward as if on the verge of lunging. “Where have you kept it hidden, demon?”

  “In a safe place. It would’ve been a huge waste to destroy such an excellent specimen.”

  He hated the idea of handing the body back over to the hunters. It was his favorite battle suit, branded with twelve beautifully customized runes. It was simply one of the most completely enhanced forms Gregorios had ever experienced.

  Of course, getting attacked by it had been singularly unpleasant. He wondered if Melek understood just how close his son had come to accomplishing his mission. No one had come that close in almost two thousand years.

  With his own body critically injured in the fight, he had taken Reuben’s and been thrilled with how well it performed. Since then it became his go-to battle suit, kept in cold storage in Sweden when not in use, concealed in a facility he owned.

  “What crimes have you committed while posing as my son?”

  “I’ve taken excellent care of this body,” Gregorios protested. “I should bill you for the maintenance.”

  “And now you come here to taunt me.” Melek drew a pistol. “Did you really think I would allow you to escape, especially while desecrating my son?”

  Eirene’s voice spoke into his ear, “Not looking good, love. Try something different.”

  “Listen, we can stand here threatening each other, or I can restore your son. Up to you.”

  Melek hesitated, pistol by his side. “Why would you offer this after leaving my son in purgatory for so long?”

  “In my defense, Reuben attacked me. I spared his life.”

  “Better to die,” Melek said softly.

  “I offered him a chance to back down, but he refused.”

  “Don’t you lie to me!” Melek raised the pistol.

  “You don’t have to believe my version of what happened that day, but believe me when I tell you I didn’t come here to fight. I come in good faith, with an honest offer to restore Reuben if you agree to give me a few minutes of your time.”

  That surprised Melek enough to lower the gun again. “What new devilry is this?”

  The man was getting repetitive. “Listen, if I wanted you dead I could’ve just strapped a bomb to my chest and taken all of you with me.”

  That triggered a nervous shuffling among the surrounding men.

  He continued. “But clearly I didn’t do that. We have a bigger problem now. Time to move past the old hates.”

  “Easy for you to say.”

  “You think it’s easy for me to walk up to this gate and let you surround me?” He smiled. “I appreciate your faith in me.”

  “Enough of your lies,” Melek hissed.

  Before Melek could again raise his pistol, Gregorios advanced a step and leaned close to Melek. The man did an impressive job of not retreating but couldn’t hide the flicker of fear in his eyes. All the surrounding men leaned forward, fingers on triggers.

  “Stop wasting my time,” Gregorios growled. “You have a choice to make. Restore your son or kill your enemy. What’s it going to be?”

  Melek’s expression mirrored his internal struggle as reason battled intellect. Thankfully, reason won.

  He spoke through clenched teeth. “Come then. Restore my son.” He motioned toward the open gate.

  Just then, a young man rushed out through the gate, still donning his jacket. He looked to be in his mid-twenties. Tall, dark haired and in excellent condition. “Let me kill him father!”

  Eirene’s voice whispered into Gregorios’ ear, “So much like his great grandfather.”

  “Not yet, Alter,” Melek said without turning.

  Alter raised a pistol he carried in his right hand. “Why not? He’s right there! I’ll do it.”

  “He’s wearing Reuben’s body.”

  Alter gasped, then snarled with rage, “He’s mocking us and you stand there doing nothing? Kill him!”

  “Son, wait—”

  Alter settled into a shooting stance, pistol aimed at Gregorios head, finger already pulling the trigger.

  The gun snapped out of his hand and he yelped in pain, clutching his bleeding hand to his chest. They never heard the report from Eirene’s suppressed rifle.

  Gregorios said, “I would’ve expected a son of yours to show a little more discipline, Melek.”

  Alter took an angry step forward, but Melek motioned him back. “Stand down, Son.” Then he turned to Gregorios, “I trust there will be no other injuries.”

  “That’s up to you.”

  Alter approached Melek. “Father, why don’t you kill him?”

  “He’s going to restore your brother.”

  “He’s a liar, Father. Don’t believe him.”

  “He claims to have come in good faith. We will prove him.” Melek gestured to Gregorios, “Come, I’ll take you to my son.”

  Gregorios chuckled. “Not like this.”

  “I told you,” Alter cried. “Give me a gun.”

  “You will keep your word,” Melek said angrily, “or you will die right now.”

  “I always keep my word, but I cannot restore your son to this body unless I have another available to transfer to, can I?”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “Like I said earlier. I’m here because we have a greater threat to deal with.”

  “Like what?”

  “When’s the last time you faced a Cui Dashi?”

  Another murmur rippled through the crowd. “Those demons were exterminated.”

  “Apparently not. And this one is more dangerous than most.”

  “Why is this our prob
lem?” Melek asked.

  “You’re hunters. It’s what you do.”

  “And your council fields teams of enforcers. Or are they too busy still hunting you?”

  “There are other complications. I need your help.”

  That generated more whispers, and hunters exchanged incredulous looks.

  Gregorios cautiously pulled a bundle of photos from his pocket and extended them. Melek accepted them and risked a glance. Then he looked again.

  “Where did you get these?”

  “They’re inscribed on a machine.”

  “What machine?”

  “Like I said, complications. I’ll give you the details when we meet to restore Reuben.”

  “Meet?”

  “You’re a man of honor, but I think it prudent to meet at a more neutral location. I restore Reuben and you tell me about those runes.”

  Alter interrupted. “Don’t let him go, Father. We’ll never see him again.”

  Melek looked torn. He glanced from Gregorios to the photos again. “When?”

  “Tonight. Northeast side of the city. Near the Hebrew University is a cozy little garden.” He extended another piece of paper. “Specific directions. Come alone.”

  Melek took the paper. “If you betray me in this, every resource we possess will be dedicated to the single task of destroying you and everyone you love.”

  “Get your homework done. I’ll see you tonight.”

  He winked at Alter. The young man snarled, hands balled into fists, but a warning look from his father kept him in his place. Gregorios walked away. The circle parted and he forced himself to move confidently, despite all the rifles pointing at his back.

  In his ear, Eirene whispered, “You think they’ll try to double cross us tonight?”

  “I’d be disappointed if they didn’t.”

  A growing worry has been plaguing my sleep these past months. We have stood against the tide of evil threatening to consume the world for forty centuries. Yet still I fear we may not be enough to keep the world from tipping over the brink. A new evil lurks in the shadows, a threat laughed away for decades.

  I cannot shake the chill certainty that we have allowed it to grow until it is too strong to stop. We will fight it with the strength of our very souls, but will it be enough?