Dread

by J G Jerome

  “I understand,” I say as I pat him on the shoulder. “Your help will be involuntary.”

  I step away from him and lift him with my mind. I tell him, “Hold your arms out to your side.” Then I ‘fly’ him around the front of the superstructure as I follow the catwalk around. Frannie follows me. There is a stairway down to the lower deck and a door, or portal since it’s a ship, that is labeled ‘Bridge.’

  The young Marine hoots and hollers as he flies through the air. I look up to find Tiphanae. She dives down and hovers in front of me, “Yes, Lord?”

  “Leave the rifle here. Fly around front and act like you’re playing tag with the Marine,” I tell her.

  She unslings the rifle and hands it to me with a grin. Then she flies up and over the superstructure. I sling the rifle as I hear the Marine Corporal yell, “This is so cool!”

  I laugh. Frannie says, “You’re gonna have a terrible headache, my Lord!”

  She’s right, but it’s fun at the moment. Then a sailor barges out the door and leans forward over the railing yelling, “Mancjiec! What the hell are you doing? Get in here!” I fly Corporal Mancjiec towards the officer. Once he gets his hands on the rail, I let him go with my mind. I smile despite the headache. I can feel Eliana feeding energy to me to minimize it.

  I clap a hand on the officer’s shoulder as I watch the Corporal climb over the railing. “You have to admit, uh...Commander. That did look like fun.” Frannie, Eileen, and Jessica all step inside the bridge on either side of the portal.

  Just inside the bridge a large Marine Sergeant is standing guard. Before he moves, Frannie grins and wraps the big Marine Sergeant in a hug. She says in her best ‘Golum’ voice, “Don’t move, my Precious,” as she leans in with her tusks right under the poor Marine’s eye.

  “Ye-ye-yes ma’am,” he says as he stays locked in the position of attention. Jessie slinks onto the bridge behind Frannie.

  I think the very pretty young female ensign at the chart table mouths the word “Drow” before she snaps her mouth shut.

  I guide the Commander, I’m assuming the XO, back onto the bridge. I tell the Corporal, “Go back down to the main deck and report to the male goblin with the red hat.” He snaps a salute at me, and I reflexively answer it. He looks at me funny, and runs down the stairs outside.

  I look at the tough Asian matron wearing what I know as Colonel’s rank. I take in her name tag and translate her rank to Navy, “Hello Captain Wei, I’m Jack Jerome. My family and I were vacationing on that island you’re steaming towards. A US Government assassin tried to shoot me, his flight crew blew up my plane, and then he divulged under interrogation there is a Navy SEAL Team on this ship coming to finish off my family and the staff of the resort. As you might expect, as an old soldier and US taxpayer, I’m rather upset. Do you understand my position?”

  She says with steely regard and a gravelly voice, “I believe I do, Mr. Jerome.”

  I introduce the ladies, “My team, Captain. Jessica, Frannie, and Tiphanae Jerome and Eileen Brock.”

  Eileen pulls a credential and shows it to the Captain, “DoD, Captain Wei. I’ll be happy to debrief you once we have Mr. Jerome’s family and staff cared for.”

  “Thank you, Agent Brock,” the Captain says icily.

  I continue, “Captain, I recommend full stop until we have agreement on what to do next. I have an armed security team, including a former army sniper and bigger versions of my friend Frannie with orders that anyone other than family that gets on the dock doesn’t leave. I left the permanency of their solutions to their discretion. They are rather pissed about being attacked. Would you agree to anchor here while we chat?”

  Captain Wei calls out “Helm, full stop. Drop anchor.”

  A skinny male helmsman responds, “Full stop, aye. Drop anchor, aye.”

  A Lieutenant Commander with a familiar watch band says, “Ma’am. With respect, our orders are very clear.”

  I murmur to Jessica, “Get Lili in here, please.”

  She answers, “Yes, Lord,” before disappearing as Captain Wei turns her steely gaze to the Lieutenant Commander, “Three, I am well aware of our orders. I also know that the other two missions that person sent us on were nothing but trouble, and the last one nearly landed us all in the brig. Sending SEALS after US Citizens is not a lawful order. I will listen to Mr. Jerome.” She looks at me. “Lord of what?”

  “My own little insignificant fiefdom, Captain Wei. Here’s what I think is important. I have thirty-two family members, six of the resort’s staff, and the crew of our aircraft all stranded on this island due to lack of aircraft and a usable runway. The supply boat is docked here, but the carburetor is in pieces at the moment and it couldn’t carry everyone on it through the coming weather regardless. I need to get everyone out of here. I’m hesitant to go to Miami because I suspect the Lieutenant’s friend has more resources there. Can you get us to Nassau?”

  Tiphanae pulls the door open and L’liana and Jessica come in. Each hooks one of my arms. I look at L’liana, “See it?”

  “Yes, husband,” she murmurs.

  I look at each of them. “Take it.” Both blink. L’liana appears in front of ‘Three’ as he exclaims “ouch” and throws his left arm forward. L’liana grabs it and arm bars him to the ground. A blade flashes out of thin air and his wrist separates. He screams. I blink over, and grab his stump and will it to stop bleeding and heal over. Then I blink back to my original position.

  The pretty ensign asks in awe, “What are you?”

  I wink at her before answering, “I’m the Green Lord. Husband to not only Lili, but the Queen of the Fae.” Then I demonstrate the little trick that Myra and Christie have been working with me to perfect. It’s nothing special.

  I call dappled light into a dancing winged fae in my left palm and twister of shadows in my right. “The Queen wields the powers of Winter and Summer. I have those, plus my own.” I let my eyes flame green, “The powers of creation.”

  The Ensign gasps. Interestingly enough, so does a short bosun’s mate in the corner. No one else gets it. L’liana puts her little Elf-tech device away and nods to me to indicate the watchband is deactivated.

  The Captain asks, “So what the hell does that mean?” Jessica picks up the watch, still attached to the wrist, and tosses it to me.

  “It means the man that is handing these out,” I wave the grisly trophy, “is damned scared of me. It means that he has suborned officials within our government to hunt me down and kill me. It means he’s hired foreign assassins to do the job. He has infiltrated organizations around the world to sow dissent, fear, and to kill as many people as he can.”

  “Nooo,” gasps the maimed Lieutenant.

  I tell him, “Stop. You need to know that the last person that told me about the Dread Chain was killed by your lord. Don’t say anything until I can get some protection for you.”

  He sobs, “You can’t save me. If he comes for me, I’m lost.”

  “Buck up, Commander. He’s going down. You have my commitment,” I tell him.

  L’liana says, “Lord, I have the jammer ready.”

  “Not yet, Sweetheart. Let’s get everyone to safety. Secure this,” I reply. I hand her the severed hand. “Jessica, please check with the other group. Ensure the SEALS are secured. Turn the Marines back over to their Corporal. Tell them to stack arms. They’ll know what that means.”

  I look to the Captain, “Will you help me get everyone off the island?”

  She nods, “Helm, ahead slow. Take us in to dock.”

  The helmsman responds, “Ahead slow, aye. Take us in, aye.”

  She calls out, “XO prepare to dock.”

  I tell Tiphanae, “Let Louis, Sherrine, and Trinity know to hold their fire. We’re going to dock. Then let Myra and Arista know, the US Navy is going to take us all to Nassau. They’ll need to cart everyone over to the Sunset dock. Check to ensure we don’t need to leave guards for the supply boat.”

  “Yes, Lord,” she acknowled
ges her mission with a quick kiss. She slides the rifle off my shoulder before stepping out the door. We see her flying low over the water to land on the beach just off the dock. She circles her arm in the air, and the three Goblins run forward to meet her. She gives them their orders and takes off in the dwindling twilight. Louis talks to the ladies for a moment. Sherrine points to the edge of the forest twice before she and Trinity run off to resume overwatch positions at the forest’s edge.

  Jessica blinks in, “Jack! Come quick. We have a complication.”

  Captain Wei calls out, “Ensign Miller, turn the floods on the landing deck. XO has the bridge.” She comes to stand in front of me. “I’m coming with you.”

  “Okay,” I tell her as I step outside. There is a commotion on the back deck. I wave her to me and grasp her upper left arm. I look down at her, “We’re essentially jumping into a hot drop zone. In or out?”

  She frowns at me, “In. Don’t be…” I blink.

  8 - Meeting the opposition

  “...a moron. Ah Jesus!” she exclaims as we blink in.

  Cholley says, “I’ve got him, Lord.”

  The SEAL Lieutenant is struggling against his ropes. I can see Cholley already dislocated his knee, but the guy is still going. I know SEALs are crazy tough, but something doesn’t seem right.

  “At ease, Lieutenant!” The Captain barks.

  The Lieutenant stops struggling and stands on his good leg looking a the short Captain. His eyes are roiling black like when the Dread Lord took over Selene. His lips are flecked with foam. He sneers at the Captain.

  I call out, “As-Salaam-Alaikum, Alrahbat Alrabu.” (Peace upon you, Dread Lord.) I switch back to English, “What trouble are you making today, Dread Lord?”

  He answers in Arabic, “I am slowly picking away at you, Green Lord. I will slowly destroy you and all those misguided fools aligned with you. I would likely have killed them all anyway, but this is more entertaining.” I look at L’liana as he talks. I give her a single nod. “I will kill your women one at a time, raping...wha…” I wave goodbye to him as the darkness fades from the possessed sailor.

  L’liana is grinning as she watches her Rube Goldberg construction work.

  Corporal Mancjiec barks, “Jeez! What the hell got into the Lieutenant?” He turns to look at me. “How many women do you have, sir?”

  I laugh as I clap him on the back, “You understood him, and that’s what you latched onto?”

  The Marine Corporal gives me a rueful smile, “No, sir. He made it sound like he’d be killing and raping a lot of women. I’m glad he stopped talking...was the Lieutenant possessed, sir?”

  I nod my affirmation as the SEAL Lieutenant falls to his knees and face plants. He rolls over using his good leg and looks up at the Captain and I. “Jesus!” he exclaims. “What was that?”

  I kneel down next to him and grin, “That, Lieutenant, is what you pledged your loyalty to when you put on that watch band.”

  He looks down horrified at his stump. He says, “So it really wasn’t a bad dream. You did cut off my arm.” He looks around at my team. Looking at Cholley he says, “Damn, you’re just as ugly as I dreamed.” Then he looks at Karla, “Somehow it works on you, though.” Then he looks at Frannie, “But green skin - no. Just no.”

  “That’s okay,” Frannie says. “My Master loves me just the way I am, and he fucks me way better than you could ever do with that tiny little cock.” He smirks until she says, “And yes, my kind can see through clothing.”

  He frowns at that, but I interrupt the games. “I take it your introduction to your master was not to your liking?”

  I laughs, “Master? I don’t have a master.”

  “Oh really? Hey, Lili! Turn that thing off,” I tell her.

  “Whoa, hold on there!” he cries out, “Let’s don’t get hasty.”

  I hold a hand up to L’liana, and she winks as she pulls her hands back.

  I reach down and straighten his leg, then I trickle in healing energy into it as curious sailors run to the stern to throw ropes to the dock.

  “Ah!” the Lieutenant says. “That’s much better.”

  “No spinning kicks, or American Ninja competitions for a couple of weeks. After that you should be able to strengthen it back to full health,” I tell him. “I’m going to leave you with a stump for now.”

  “You can fix this?” he asks extending the 4-inch upper arm.

  “Oh yeah! Easy peasy. Takes about ten minutes,” I tell him dismissively as I get up and put him to sleep. I turn to the Captain. “I suppose on a ship this size you don’t have a brig.”

  She shakes her head, “Nope. But we have plenty of rope and chains. Also, we do have a small wardroom we can use for interviews. Through that portal, on the left,” she indicates a door in the center of the superstructure on the same level as this deck.

  I ask, “How about we tie each one of them to a chair? Torso, arms, and feet. We can interview them separately in your wardroom.”

  “Works,” Captain Wei says emphatically as we step away from the group on the deck. Then she turns to the Marines, “Corporal Mancjiec, take your detail to bring seven sturdy chairs from the mess and enough rope to tie these guys up.”

  He snaps to attention, “Aye, Captain.” He turns to the other two Marines, “Sling arms, and follow me.” They snatch their rifles up, run the slings across their bodies, and dash off in the direction the Captain indicated earlier.

  At that point, the small ship is gliding up to the dock, and I see Louis appear in human guise. He stumbles as he catches the rope but manages to keep his feet. I yell at him, “Louis, go Goblin. I don’t want an accident as you adjust your balance.”

  Everyone turns to see the generic looking, slightly muscular, 6’4” human morph into a 7’ tall hulking Goblin that makes Conan look like a child. He deftly ties off the rope around a cleat on the dock.

  He snaps to attention and roars, “Permission to come aboard, Captain.”

  Captain Wei looks at him like he’s a piece of candy for a five count before she gets her act together, “Permission granted!”

  Louis bounds aboard, and the sailors scramble back. Louis smiles, which the sailors probably find terrifying. He sticks out his ham-sized hand and says, “Hi! I’m Louis!” They shake. He makes small talk for a moment before they break away to return to their stations. I notice the short Bosun’s Mate stays to chat a bit longer. Louis gently shakes his hand again, and the short sailor runs off to join his crew.

  The Captain asks me, “Do you change to look like that, too?” I think I hear a note of yearning in her voice.

  I chuckle quietly, “Afraid not, Captain. What you see is what you get with me.”

  She scrutinizes my face for a moment and then gives me a frank appraisal from head to toe with a hungry gleam in her eye. She ends with a shrug, “You’ll do.”

  I laugh and ask quietly, “Long cruise, Sailor?”

  She laughs before murmering her response, “You have no idea.” She extends her hand, “I’m Jane.”

  I shake and reply, “Jack.” Then it hits me, “Captain Jane Wei?”

  She grimaces and then points a finger up into my face, “If you make a Star Trek joke, I WILL have you keelhauled.”

  I snap to attention, “Aye, Captain.” We both laugh.

  The Marines return with a different bosun’s mate, seven chairs, and rope.

  L’liana joins us, “Jack, that power supply is going to be good for about four hours. If it’s going to take us longer than that to interrogate them, I should get it connected to another power supply. I’d hate for your alter-ego to reach out and scramble their brains before we get everyone’s story.”

  “Can we do anything to protect them longer term?” I ask.

  She wraps her arms around me and looks up at my face as she considers her answer. She starts with, “Remember what Chelsea said, Husband. You can’t save them all.”

  I nod, “I know. But I can make the effort. I suspect if I can’t save t
hem it’s from a lack of will on their part, or they are too far gone.”

  My Elven wife nods, “Or, they’re just naturally inclined towards evil. Most of us are mix. There are some that aren’t. If any of the amputees will denounce their Lord and take a blood oath to you, that would probably do the job just like it did for the Ravens and the Winter Queen. It would be even better if you can find the connection to the Dread Lord and remove it. Then you won’t have to deal with them afterward.”

  I nod as I caress her svelte torso and tight bum. “I guess I better figure out how to find that psychic link.”

  She adds, “With time I could probably make a talisman they could wear, but I would need to spend some time in my lab working with a couple of subjects. It could take a month or two to figure out.”

  “Okay, Baby. I love you,” I tell her.

  “Hmmmm,” she glows. “I love you too, my Lord Husband.” She turns her regard to Captain Wei, who is unsuccessfully trying to ignore us. “Captain, may I work with your crew to get my jammer connected to power? It will draw five volts DC at 3.7 amps.”

  Captain Wei ponders for a moment before answering, “Talk to the XO. He’s on the bridge. The XO will likely refer you to the Bosun or our Communications officer. Is that interfering with any of our communications?”

  “No, Ma’am,” L’liana responds. “It’s generating psychic waves. That’s a completely different spectrum than communications, avionics, nav, etcetera. Humans have nothing operating in that range. If you have a strong psychic on your crew, they might get a headache.” Jane nods as L’liana looks up at me. “We need to ensure Georgia doesn’t have any issues. I’m less concerned about Christie, but we should check. Maybe Arista, too.”

  I didn’t know about Arista, but I respond, “Okay, Lili. Maybe see if Karla will intercept them before they get to the dock to warn them. I don’t know what we can do if they have issues though. We can’t let the jammer down until we have them interviewed and protected.”

  “Oh! That’s easy,” she says. “We wrap aluminum foil around their head like a balaclava.”