"THE WALLS BETWEEN THE WORLDS II: Azalin"
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dochermesTHE WALLS BETWEEN THE WORLDS - Azalin
1/14/2012
I.
Char lit a cigarette by looking at it. At low power, the beams from his eyes were barely visible, just two faint reddish threads in the air. As the end of the cigarette began to smolder, the beams cut off. He put the filter end in his mouth and took a drag. "What are you looking at me like that for? I'm down to two or three cigs a day."
Standing by his car, Jeremy Bane studied the man thoughtfully. He had not seen "Char"- Charles Lee Hopewell- in a few years. Char had not changed much. He was still just under six feet tall, thin and unimposing in a light blue work shirt with a name patch ripped off, dark slacks and beat-up sneakers. Char had lanky black hair that had not been cut in a while and which could use some shampoo as well. His face was long and sullen, with a pointed nose and either the beginning of a beard or the result of not shaving in a week or more.
It was the eyes that caught one's attention. Deepset under heavy black brows, the eyes had amber irises. Now they glared up at Bane with characteristic testiness.
"I never started smoking," Bane said. "So I never had to quit. I can't criticize." Bane was a little taller than Char, just as thin, but with him it looked intimidating. It was the gauntness of a wild animal. Dressed in his inevitable all-black outfit of slacks, turtleneck and sport jacket, Bane looked much the same at fifty as he had at twenty. There was a grey strand or two in the short black hair and faint lines at the corners of the mouth, but those cold grey eyes still stared out at the world as they always had.
"Glad I found you," Bane said. He stepped away from his dark green Subaru Outback and glanced over at the rundown house where Char seemed to be living. It needed repairs and a paint job, the Dodge pick-up truck had its hood up and assorted parts scattered on the ground in front of it. Two empty Budweiser bottles stood side by side, as well as a piece of waxed paper with part of a meatball sub wrapped in it. Turning back to Char, the Dire Wolf said, "Last I heard, you were in Florida. I went to Miami once and spent a day picking up your trail."
"Yeah, well, I got to move now and then. I get restless." He pointed at the truck. "I don't suppose you know how to put in a new water pump?"
"Not a clue," Bane said. "I'm useless at car repair, I'm afraid."
"Figured it was worth asking. Nice car you got there but it's Jap, innit? I try to buy American if I can."
The Dire Wolf watched Char take one more puff before tossing the stub to the gravel. "You remember, I offered you membership in the Kenneth Dred Foundation. Your heat beams are a great power. You would have added a lot to the team."
"Aw, that ain't for me," Char said. He kicked at the gravel. "I'm a loner. You'd have me in one of those field suits looking stupid, following orders from that little Sable gal. Training, exercising, being on call. I can't live that way." Char smiled crookedly. "This here is a miserable shack and a broken down Dodge but they're mine."
"You have to live the way you choose," Bane agreed. "Do you remember that time in Tampa when we cleaned up that nest of Ghouls?"
"Hell yes. That made me happy. When you showed me what they had done to those little kids, I was furious. And when they attacked us, thinking we was harmless tourists, I was glad to cut them down."
"They deserved it," Bane said. "I've come to ask you to join me on another case like that one. Right here in this county. The stakes are high. I'm not exaggerating when I say the threat this time could affect every living person in the world, and we will be coming up against vicious killers trying to stop us. I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to risk it."
Charles Lee Hopewell burst out in laughter. "Damn, Jeremy, you know how to push my buttons. Warning me I might be too scared to along with you- why, that's like a double dare. Of course I'm interested. But first, I get the usual compensation?"
"Yes. As long as this case lasts, you'll be listed as a reserve member of the KDF. Five thousand dollars flat as payment, any medical care you'll need will be covered as well as expenses like meals and motels." Bane smiled so faintly it was only noticeable if one looked for it. "Are you in?"
Char shot out a grimy hand and Bane shook it firmly. "I'm in," the man said. "Do I have time to take a quick shower and get into better clothes?"
"Sure. I'll wait out here." As the man strode quickly through the screen door into his home, Bane looked around. Leaning up against a tree was a flat board that had an American flag crudely burned into its surface. Char trying to refine his control, he supposed. It was just getting dark outside of Wilkinson, North Carolina and the air was cold but above freezing. There had not been much snow so far this year and the ground was clear. The Dire Wolf recognized that the gentle blue mountains and the meadows and trees were beautiful, but he was a city boy and it was wasted on him. In any case, he had too much on his mind to enjoy nature.
Ten minutes went by, and he started to pace. He was impatient at best. The same enhanced metabolism that gave him his superior reflexes also made him restless. Soon, though, he heard the door slam and turned to see Char emerging. The man was freshly scrubbed and shaved, his wet hair slicked back. He wore a red flannel shirt, new denim jeans and tan work boots. Over one shoulder was slung a small knapsack. As Bane watched, Char finished examining a Colt 45 automatic and tucked it away in a side pocket of the knapsack.
"Won't you need a coat? It IS February, you know."
"Nah, I'm fine," Char said. "Side effect of my powers. I can generate enough heat in my body to be comfortable in a blizzard. Good to go, Jeremy!"
"I'm glad to have you with me," the Dire Wolf said. As he opened the driver's door of his Subaru, he added, "I'll fill you in as we head west."
II.
As they made their way through back roads and got out on the highway, Bane explained the situation. Two weeks earlier, he and a few friends had fought a cult of assassins known as the Gelengim who were looking for something or someone called Ugamesh. It had turned out that Ugamesh was a immensely powerful gralic being covered in blue metal armor. The being had disappeared in a gralic gate and not been seen since. In Kenneth Dred's records, Bane had found that Ugamesh was one of a trinity of such beings from the Darthan Age thirty thousand years ago. The prophecy warned that when the Three Sleepers- Ugamesh, Azalin and Vendigor awoke and clasped hands, 'the walls between the worlds' would come down.
"Awright, that sounds pretty but what the hell does it mean?" interrupted Char. "What walls between what worlds?"
Bane considered as he sped along. "You know about the adjacent realms. We were in Perjena that one time."
"Sure, the guys with skulls for faces. You told me those are places that can't be reached except by magic. I figure they're other dimensions, like in science-fiction movies."
"That's a good way to look at it. The adjacent realms are separated from us by barriers that can only be crossed by gralic gates, magic is a good enough word for it. If the Three Sleepers bring down the walls between the worlds, all the monsters and maniacs and armies of assorted creatures will come charging down on the Human world. And we will be unprepared for it."
Char whistled. "Sounds serious. Pearl Harbor times a million, eh?"
"Yes," Bane said. "The worst attackers will come from Fanedral. The Lord of Fanedral is a sort of god named Draldros. He's so bad he would have Hitler and Stalin and Mao working for him as his lieutenants."
"GodDAMN, Jeremy. I know you don't exaggerate. This sounds like it's time to do or die. Hey! Where's the rest of your KDF? Sable, Argent, that Unicorn girl?"
"They are trying to track down the third Sleeper, Vendigor. Half of them, anyway. The other three are looking for any sign of what happened to Ugamesh." Bane passed a road sign that said WELCOME TO FRIENDLY WILKINSON -Speed Limits Strictly Enforced. They were driving down a pleasant country road with white wooden houses scattered on either side at intervals. Soon they were entering the town itself, with the usual hardware stores, clothing shops, restaurants. There was a movie theatre showing two Hollywood blockbusters and a video game arcade next to it.
Going a little further, they spotted a diner, FAT CHARLIE'S with a grinning obese face in neon tubing. Two cars and three trucks circled the chrome and white stone building. Bane pulled into the parking lot and glanced around. "You know, I think you could get answers better than I can. I've got a New York City sort of accent, you've lived in this area for years."
Char laughed. "That's for sure. You can't pass for a good old boy, Jeremy. What am I asking about?"
"Strangers in town. Foreigners. Probably moving around in groups of two and three. Tell them you're looking for a family member you think ran away with foreigners."
"My sweet little teen sister Emmy Lou." Char started to get out of the car. "I really do have a sister but she's 38 and in California raising five kids," he added as he got out of the car and strolled toward the diner.
Watching Char go in, Bane was glad he had located the man. They needed all the hands they could find. Sable had the entire KDF on the job. Bane had tried to reach Sulak, Ted Wright, Garrison Nebel, Gornak... all without success. All he could do was leave messages and hope they would contact him. The Dire Wolf shifted uneasily behind the wheel.
Watching the diner, Bane saw two men in neat business suits step down the concrete ramp to the parking lot. They wore opaque sunglasses even in the dusk and looked nearly identical. All of the Dire Wolf's instincts for danger kicked into life. Something about the way they moved, their balance, their posture was all wrong. His Kumundu training warned him about them. The men went over behind the diner. As they went out of sight, Bane jumped from his car and raced across the parking lot faster than any Olympic athlete who ever competed. He hurtled over to the opposite side of the diner and flattened against its rough wall, out of the line of sight of any window. Directly behind the diner was a big propane tank and he took cover behind it to peer out. One of the men was standing with his back to Bane, watching around the corner. He could not see the other one. Ten feet away from the man with the sunglasses was a battered dumpster and Bane plunged behind it, peering cautiously around its edge close to the ground. From here he could see one of the men was still standing right behind the diner, but the other was waiting by the concrete ramp. There was a small window in the foundation of the dinner, maybe for the kitchen, but he couldn't see anyone in there.
Bane figured the one by the ramp was going to meet Char when he came out, lure him toward the back of the diner with some promise of information and then both men would threaten or kill him. Or try to, the Dire Wolf thought wryly. They had no idea what they were dealing with when they faced Char. He was tempted to let the two thugs suffer the consequences but he wanted at least one of them alive to answer some questions. A minute later, he spotted Char being stopped by the other thug, they talked for a second and then both of them started walking toward the back of the diner.
As the man hiding behind the diner shifted his weight, Bane suddenly recognized what he really was. Of course! He should have identified them instantly. In a dark blur of sudden motion, the Dire Wolf lunged for the man, spun him around and launched a barrage of left-right combination blows to the body and face. In a few seconds, twenty full power punches crashed home and the man dropped face down without even trying to catch himself. Even as that one sagged to the ground, Bane swung around in time to see the other man pull a gun on Char. Big mistake, thought Bane.
As the man opened his mouth to speak, two pencil-thin red beams shot from the firestarter's eyes to burn straight through the hand holding the gun. Instead of screaming, the man hissed loudly. Another instant and Jeremy Bane was upon him, bringing the edge of his stiffened across the base of the man's neck with a sound like an axe biting into wood. The man sagged to his knees and Bane blasted a hooking punch to the side of the head that flung the limp body three feet away.
"Damn, you're still quick as bad news," said Char quietly. "I didn't know you were even back here."
Bane straightened up, watching the unconscious men. "Char, things are worse than I thought. Here's the keys. I want you to bring my car back here, okay?"
"Sure thing," the firestarter answered, heading quickly back across the parking lot. Standing over the two bodies, the Dire Wolf reached into an inner pocket and brought out a plastic case holding five small syringes. He knelt and injected each man in the wrist with the enervation serum the Trom had devised for the KDF long ago. Replacing the empty syringes in the case, he searched the men and tossed two pistols, a switchblade and a lead-filled sap into the dumpster. The wounds in the one man's hand weren't bleeding, they had been cauterized by the heat. He turned back just as Char brought the Subaru to a sudden halt not three feet away from him.
"These guys are going in the back seat," Bane said. With Char's help, he shoved them roughly into the cramped back area. "Keep an eye on them, right?"
As Bane got behind the wheel, Char smirked. "When I keep an eye on someone, it means business!"
III.
The Subaru pulled out into sparse traffic and sped down the highway back the way they had come. Char kept quiet as long as he could manage but finally he blurted, "Hey, Mr Dire Wolf! Throw me some explanations, okay?"
"Sure," Bane answered. "I'm looking for an isolated place to interrogate these Snake men. I remember passing a narrow lane before. I think it's coming up now."
"Next question... SNAKE MEN?! What are you talking about?" Char almost yelled.
"Snake men, sometimes known as Gamadim. Not many real Humans have heard of them. They're a very old Race. Once, they had a worldwide organization more influential and more insidious than any cabal run by true Humans. They were the most evil conspiracy in history." He glanced over at Char. "You follow me so far? Then, I led the KDF and all our allies in a campaign to break their organization. It was a nightmare. We killed hundreds of them at their headquarters outside Rome. There are still isolated packets of Snake men scattered around the world, still working for the Mafia or the Triads or the White Web. But their organization was broken up and they're not the worldwide threat they once were."
The firestarter had been twisted around in his seat, keeping watch on the prisoners in the back. "They're starting to wiggle a mite, Jeremy."
"Good, we're here." Bane pulled off the road and stopped under an ancient apple tree. There were a few bushes nearby. The Dire Wolf got out, seized a Snake man under the arms and flung him out of the car. Char hauled the other one out and dragged him across the ground. They set the Snake men leaning up against the side of the tree away from the road in case a car went by. The Dire Wolf went to the trunk of his car and got a pair of pliers from the tool box inside.
As the creatures groaned and stirred feebly, Bane stood over them with folded arms. He waited until their eyes were open and focussed before speaking. "Finally," he said. "I didn't hit you guys THAT hard. You're wondering why you can't move your arms and legs, aren't you?"
One of the Snake men hissed, "Dire Wolf...!"
"Nice to be recognized," Bane answered. "Don't start swearing vengeance on me. We don't have much time. Tell me about Azalin."
The Snake man spat and snarled, but could not rise. Neither one could do more than twitch their limbs. Bane did not tell them the enervation drug would wear off the next day, give or take a few hours. He used it to kept enemies harmless when he could not turn them over to the police and because he could not bring himself to kill in cold blood.
As the creatures fumed helplessly, their canine teeth extended to become sharp fangs more than an inch long. Char gasped at the sight.
"Now you see why they're called Snake men," Bane said quietly. "They are not even true mammals, but advanced reptiles mimicking mammalian traits. A CAT scan would show a lot of details exposing them." He stepped forward. "Here's the situation. None of your kindred know we have captured you. They won't know if you talk."
"Never! Never!" howled one of the creatures.
"See, I've fought your kind many times. I even beat some of your Amraths. Remember Cir'willa Shar, the one you called Venom? So I know about you guys. You don't feel much pain, so torture is useless. You can't be hypnotized. Truth serum is unreliable with you. And I can't even bribe you, because money is not important to Snake men. What you care about most- maybe the only thing you care about- is your status within your Race."
Crouching closer, Bane held out the pair of pliers. "Now, I happen to know the one thing that will make your kin lose all respect for you. You will be ridiculed and humiliated. If the other Snake men allow you to associate with them at all, it will be as the lowest of slaves doing the filthiest chores." He clicked the pliers open and shut. "If you don't talk, I will turn you loose after pulling out your fangs..."
The Snake men howled and cried and twisted their heads weakly from side to side. They begged Bane not to mutilate them that way, they offered him wealth, beautiful kidnapped Human women, forbidden drugs, whatever he might want.
"No dice," said the Dire Wolf. "Tell me about Azalin. Last chance. All right, let's get this over with." Getting down on one knee, he grabbed the nearer Snake man by the jaw and roughly forced his mouth open. "That's it," he said, "I'll keep these fangs in my trophy room..."
"Wait, wait." The other creature was sobbing loudly, without tears. "Mi'Shuga, he will do it. This is the Dire Wolf. He will send us back in disgrace. I will talk. Let go of my brother."
Bane straightened up slightly. "I'm listening."
"We do not know where Azalin is. A Human sorceror hired us to search for the Second Sleeper. All that we know is that the Blue Guide named Drum was in this area fifty years ago. He clashed with Azalin, and the Sleeper was never seen again. Drum returned north to his home. Sorcerors believe Drum confined Azalin somewhere, hidden so well no one has ever found the golden one."
"Mark Drum. Again!" Bane said. "Who is the sorceror who hired you two?"
"He calls himself the Sphinx. Let us go, or let us die unmutilated. I have told you all we know."
The Dire Wolf was silent for a long moment. He put the pliers in the side pocket of his jacket and turned to Char. "Help me haul these two deeper in the woods, will you?" They dragged the two Snake men behind a clump of trees, out of sight from the road.
"It's not cold enough to kill your kind," Bane told them. "You will not be able to move your arms and legs for another day. If I find out you have lied to me, I will come back here and yank your fangs out and send you to your brethren as untouchables." With that, he turned and strode back to where his Subaru was parked.
"That's.. that's a lot to digest," Char said as he got in the passenger seat. "Men with fangs like rattlesnakes. I felt sick just looking at them."
"You're tough," replied Bane as he started up the car and made a U-turn to head back toward the highway. "I know you. You can adjust to all kinds of weirdness."
"I reckon you're right," Char said as he pulled a pack of Winstons from his breast pocket.
"No smoking in the car. I need my sense of smell. Sometimes it's how I spot a trap."
"Oh, all right," Char agreed sourly. "What was that about the Sphinx? Are we going to Egypt?"
Bane scoffed. "No. This Sphinx is a warlock and international criminal. I've fought him twice already. This time is going to be the last!"
IV.
Seeing a 24 convenience mart with gas pumps, the Dire Wolf pulled in. As he was filling the tank and checking the tires and cleaning the windows, Char went around the side of the building and had a cigarette. Starving as always, Bane went inside and bought a premade ham and cheese sandwich, a bag of cashews and a bottle of apple juice. Char was content with a large coffee.
As they got back in the car, Bane devoured the last of the sandwich and said, "What did you learn in the diner, by the way?"
"Oh. We've been so busy I didn't say. The people were eager to talk. There've been a lot of strangers in town lately, none from around here. The worst is a big guy in an expensive suit. He has dark skin, not a black man but maybe an Ay-rab. He scares everyone. He took a room at the Rest-EZ Motel on the other side of town and he's been seen poking around."
"That's our boy," said Bane. He headed west again, past a short mini-mall that consisted of a liquor store, pharmacy and walk-in dentist office. Signs warned them they were approaching the interstate and sure enough, conveniently near the maze of entrance and exit ramps was the Rest-EZ. It was a row of a dozen rooms, all identical with the same curtained picture window and same pine door. At one end was a slightly bigger addition with the sign MANAGER in the window. There was an ice machine and a Pepsi vending machine in the middle of the row, and that was it.
The gravel parking lot held a white Ford Taurus, a red Jeep Forester and two gleaming black Lincoln sedans parked next to each other. Those new shiny cars gave away the Sphinx as much as a big sign would.
"Quite a comedown for the Sphinx. He's used to four star hotels. Well, I guess he has to put up with the commoners for a while." Bane pulled in far to one side, as much out of sight as he could manage, and turned off the engine.
"The Sphinx not only knows me, he has a serious grudge," Bane said to Char. "But not you. He's never seen you, and you were never a Tel Shai knight or KDF member. I doubt if he'll notice you."
The firestarter asked, "What's the plan, then?"
Bane took out a billfold and handed Char two hundred dollars. "Register for the night. Here, put this earpiece in. Good, your hair covers it. You don't have to tap it or anything, just talk in a normal voice. Keep an eye out. The Sphinx is five foot eleven, two hundred and fifty pounds. Dark skin, head usually shaven, he has a flat nose like a lion."
"Sounds easy to spot," Char said. He reached in the back seat for his knapsack. "So, am I supposed to knock on each door and say, 'Pardon me, I'm looking for an evil warlock?'"
The Dire Wolf smiled just enough to be visible if you were watching for it. "No, I want you to check in. I'll see which room you get and then I'm going to prowl the back. I'll tell you over the earpiece when to let me in." He clicked open a concealed niche on the side of the dashboard and pulled out a leather case. "I've got some driver's licenses here under various names. We're the same height, we both have black hair and light eyes. In a place like this, I bet the manager will hardly glance at your ID."
"Okay so far," the firestarter muttered as he studied the card. He climbed out of the car and strutted across the parking lot to the manager's office, knocked and was let in. Bane saw a curtain move in the window where one of the black Lincolns was parked. A few minutes later, Char emerged and went to Room Number Three, unlocked the door and went in.
Putting an identical earpiece in, Bane clicked it and said quietly, "Stand by, Char. I'm going to do a quick recon." With that, the Dire Wolf was out of the car and gliding around the corner of the building. Dressed all in black, he was hard to spot in the gloom and long years of training had left him able to move silently on any surface. As he rounded the corner and looked down the back wall of the motel, he spotted movement. There. Standing halfway down the length of the building was a sentry. The man was not leaning on the wall, but standing alert. Each room had a small back window and yellow light came from several of these. Now he spotted the posture and inner balance and slightly unhuman proportions that gave the sentry away as a Snake men.
He wished he could use the anesthetic darts now. They were silent and effective, and they left the victim alive for questioning. But they could not be counted on to penetrate the heavy coat or tough corduroy pants the sentry was wearing. At this distance, he certainly couldn't expect to hit the Snake man in the neck or hands. Bane was a good shot but he had his limits.
Drawing back around the corner, Bane whispered, "Char. Tap a few times on the back window of your room." With the last word, the Dire Wolf swung around the corner and started for the sentry. The Snake man heard tapping on the window where Char was and went to investigate. Bane rushed toward the creature while his back was turned. A second later, the Snake man snapped his head around and went for something inside his coat but even as his hand came out with a pistol in it, Bane crashed into him. The silver dagger flashed twice, and the creature staggered back to fall face down.
Verifying that the sentry was dead, Bane carefully cleaned his dagger on the creature's clothing before sheathing it. He could not take any chances with them. Snake men were faster than normal Humans, fast enough to be a real threat to even him. With their venomous fangs as well, they were enemies he took seriously. Bending down, he grabbed the corpse and dragged it well into the bushes. The ground was hard enough to leave no traces when he did this.
"You there, Char?" he said just above a whisper.
"Standing by, chief," came the voice in his earpiece.
"Good." Bane crept up to the nearer lit window. He calculated it was a room that had a black Lincoln parked in front. Rising up over the lower edge, he took a split-second peek and lowered down again. Two Snake men. One resting or sleeping on the bed, one sitting in a chair with folded hands. He was sure the window would be locked. This meant that the Sphinx was in the adjoining room, mostly likely with a servant. Better not to risk taking a look.
Heading around to the front of the motel, Bane stopped at door number 3 and said quietly, "Come on out, Char." As the firestarter opened the door, the Dire Wolf put a finger to his lips and whispered, "Two of those guys with fangs in Room 6. We need to take them out."
"Alive?"
"No. They're too dangerous to take chances with. Char, they're as quick as I am and they have fangs as poisonous as a cobra."
Char said, "Gotcha, let me handle this." He rubbed his hands together and moved down the walkway to Door 6, glancing at the polished black Lincoln parked in front of it. Bane watched. It had been years since he had seen the firestarter in action and he needed to be sure Char was still capable.
Standing close, Char stared at the doorknob. The red beams from his eyes were brighter this time, enough to be seen from a few feet away. They cut through the lock instantly and he twisted the doorknob and stepped inside. Standing behind the firestarter, Bane saw the two Snake men leap to their feet, guns swinging up and taking aim. Fast as they were, they were hopelessly outmatched. All Char had to do was look at what he wanted to destroy. At full power, his beams were bright enough to cast shadows. One Snake man fell straight down, his head rolling away from his twitching body. The other creature sagged to the floor with a hole seared through his torso where his heart had been.
The beams snapped off and Char turned around. Despite himself, Bane flinched as he met the gaze of those amber eyes that just a second earlier had been deadly weapons. "Whadaya think, chief?" asked the firestarter.
"Good work," Bane said. "Let's close the door. What a stink. It smells like burnt meat in there." He stepped away and motioned for Char to come with him to the next door. "I figure the Sphinx is in here. He doesn't have energy powers but he does use alchemical potions as weapons and he's a tough fighter. Ready?"
"Wait, you want to keep this joker alive to answer questions, right?"
"If we can." Bane adjusted the hilts of the silver daggers on his forearms beneath the jacket sleeves. "He may have information on where to find Azalin. That's our primary goal, after all, the Sphinx is not as important. You want to melt the lock on this door?"
V.
The Sphinx had aged badly. It had only been seven years since they had last clashed, but the Khebir warlock had lost too much weight to look imposing anymore. The wide face was sunken beneath the cheekbones, the sleek black hair had turned a dingy grey. He still dressed well, in a dark brown suit with a tan shirt and tie, but the clothes hung loosely off him. The Sphinx stood with his empty hands in plain sight, trying to look harmless.
"You have killed my servants in the next room," the Sphinx said bluntly. "The stench is abominable. You have also killed the servant standing guard outside, of course."
"Of course," Bane replied. "You sure look the worse for wear."
"Heh. Well, aside from the excessive beating you gave me- and the deportation to Egypt where the authorities also treated me roughly- then the three years in prison before my disciples freed me- Oh, and then fighting my way back to my rightful place in the hierarchy of crime.. well, the years have been hard."
The Dire Wolf scoffed. "When you want to be an international crimelord, you have to expect setbacks. You sure murdered a lot of innocent people on the way up."
"True. I do not deny it. It's a desperate game. Mr Bane, I was hoping you would turn up. My agents reported that you had been active in the search for Ugamesh two weeks ago. I assumed you next would show up here, in North Carolina, trying to locate Azalin."
By now, Bane was aware there was someone in the bathroom. His Kumundu training had sharpened his hearing and the Sphinx's body language indicated it as well. Char was standing slightly behind Bane, ready to use his heat beams if needed. "Before anything else," the Dire Wolf said, "let's bring out whoever you're hiding in the bathroom."
The Sphinx turned and called, "Jocelyn, come on out." A thin young girl, not more than five feet one, dressed in jeans, a white T-shirt and sneakers emerged. She had smooth dark brown skin, straight glossy black hair and huge dark eyes that glared angrily at the two intruders.
An Aborigine from Australia, thought Bane, the bone structure is distinctive. Almost certainly older than she looks. Although he saw no signs of weapons on the girl, the confidence in her attitude hinted that she was in some way very dangerous. He met her stare evenly, without hostility.
"This is Jocelyn Garimara, my bodyguard," said the Sphinx.
"What, that little gal? You're pulling my leg," Char scoffed.
"No," said Bane. "She has some gralic power, doesn't she?"
"Exactly. I know you have encountered a Gammon or two in your career, Mr Bane. Jocelyn here is possessed by a Red Spectre of unusual potency. You can imagine what a help she has been to me."
All this time, Bane had been waiting for an attack. His senses were keyed up, he was standing in a loose stance which would enable him to defend from any angle, and he had Char right by his side. But he was becoming convinced that the Sphinx was not immediate threat.
"I think I get it," he said. "You're looking for Azalin, too. Why do you want to free a being like that?"
"I do not want to free Azalin!" rumbled the Sphinx in a voice reminiscent of his former imposing self. "On the contrary. I want Azalin destroyed before those idiotic Gelengim can set him free or before Ugamesh finds him."
The Dire Wolf did not budge. "What do you care?"
Suddenly, the Sphinx went over to one of the two easy chairs in the hotel room and dropped down. His true age was beginning to show as alchemy reached its limits. "Think for a minute. Stop regarding me as a cardboard villain out to wreak havoc no matter what. If the Walls Between the Worlds come down, the invasions from Maroch and Ulgor and Fanedral will throw this real world into apocalypse. Modern civilization will fall apart. The slaughter will be unprecedented. Maybe the Humans in their desperation will unleash their nuclear weapons. Do you think I want that?"
"No." Bane hesitated for the barest instant. "I don't think you do."
"I like the world as it is," growled the Sphinx. "Fine cuisine. Classical music. Museums and art galleries. Paris in the Spring, the Grand Canyon, Tahiti. All gone if the Sleepers unite."
Char spoke up, "Chief, you can't believe anything this joker says."
"I don't trust the Sphinx," Bane answered. "But so far he's telling the truth. He has as much to lose from a cataclysm as any of us."
"I'm glad to see some sense enter your brain," the Sphinx rumbled. "We both have good reason to find where Azalin is before the Gelengi do. Have you ever made a truce with an enemy?"
"Once or twice. As long as both sides have something to gain from it. Tell me, what do I need you for?"
The Sphinx smiled. "Because I have researched this for months. I know where Mark Drum was in this area in 1957. I think I know where Azalin is imprisoned."
"Okay," said Bane. "Now, looking at it from the other angle, what do you need me for?"
"To keep you from interfering. With you in this area searching for Azalin, I would have to either hide and skulk about, or else be forced to waste time fighting you once again. We have the same goal. There is no reason we cannot work together this one time. War makes unlikely allies."
Bane glanced over at Char. The firestarter said, "You're the boss. But I don't trust this joker any further than I could throw him."
"We don't need trust, just common self-interest." The Dire Wolf turned back to the Sphinx. "We'll give it a try. What have you found out about Mark Drum and what he did?"
"The answers are in a park on the outskirts of town," said the Sphinx. "We have to leave soon anyway, the Snake men will be sending a team to check on the ones I hired."
"No hard feelings about those guys?" Char asked. "They're slightly dead."
"No. Those Snake men would have been useful in a fight with Gelengim. But they are unreliable by nature. Sooner or later, they would turn on me and I would have had to order Jocelyn to slay them. Come. We are already packed. You two follow us, I will drive the Lincoln."
Bane shook his head. "Better than that. For security, we'll switch partners. Char will go with you and your sidekick will ride with me. Less chance of friendly fire that way."
"An exchange of hostages... I like it. You are more devious than I thought, Mr Bane. Very well."
VI.
Bundled in a parka with a fur-lined hood, Jocelyn Garmara made no attempt at conversation. She buckled herself in the passenger seat, folded her arms and sat back to endure the ride. Bane watched the Sphinx load two suitcases in one of the Lincolns, then get behind the wheel as Char climbed into the passenger seat. As the black car pulled out of the parking lot, Bane followed.
After a few minutes, the Dire Wolf said, "I fought a Red Spectre about ten years ago, with some friends of mine."
Her voice was scornful. "There is no way to fight a Gammon."
"Oh, everything has a weakness. We broke the Gammon up with wet strips of aluminum that short-circuited it. After a while, it re-formed itself. One of my friends took the host body and got it outside the range where the Gammon could follow. The Spectre fell apart after being separated for too long
The girl had a slight accent, just noticeable. "I suppose that might work. My Gammon is too quick to be caught that way, she is lightning itself."
"It's a rare ability," Bane said, following the Sphinx's car at a distance. "Did you have a teacher?"
"Ha! Not bleeding likely. My family was afraid of me. After I was seen sending my Gammon out, they called me a witch and a devil. There was talk of cutting my head off, but no one dared raise a hand to me."
"What happened?" asked Bane.
"The man called the Sphinx arrived. Somehow he knew what was happening. He intimidated the village and took me away to safety."
"Hmm," Bane said vaguely. "And now you're working for him."
"Why not? Where else do I have to go? Who would take me in? The Sphinx treats me well, more or less. I have a warm dry place to sleep every night and enough to eat... better than I had back home, actually. The whites hated me because I'm Abo and my own people were scared of me because of my gift."
"The crimes don't bother you? The stealing, the killing?"
She laughed. "I haven't killed anyone! All I've done is take valuables from people too rich to notice. What do you care? You have no idea what I've been through."
"No," Bane said. "I think you're better than this. But I'm not going to preach to you. Hold on, he's turning into a park. I think we're there."
Late on a winter night, Seamon Park was closed and empty. There was a paved parking lot with a few picnic tables and benches and wire trash bins. On one side of the parking lot was a ramp for skateboards and a basketball hoop nailed to a tree. The Sphinx and Char emerged from the Lincoln, and the firestarter walked a few feet away to light a cigarette. Bane and Jocelyn walked from their car to where the Sphinx stood waiting.
"Here is where I found Mark Drum had been in July of 1957. In a letter he wrote to a mystic, he mentioned it. I obtained the letter in an estate sale. Drum mostly was concerned about his wife Sonia, who was due to deliver a baby in October..."
As the Sphinx trailed off, Bane snapped, "What?"
"You know, Mr Bane, you resemble Mark Drum. The hair, the grey eyes, the narrow face. I believe you were born about the same time Drum's child was due. It's an interesting train of thought..."
The Dire Wolf said angrily, "Forget it. There's nothing to that. Let's concentrate on the job at hand, all right?" He pointed up at a telephone pole nearby. "Security camera, Char."
The firestarter looked up and destroyed the camera with his eye beams. "Got it!"
For some reason, Jocelyn had remained near to Bane, looking up at him with curiosity. She glanced over at the Sphinx and asked, "What do we do now, master?"
"I believe Drum concealed the inert form of Azalin somewhere in this park. Somewhere safe from discovery. We must-"
"Hold it!" Bane snapped, drawing his dart gun. "I heard something. We're not alone."
From the trees nearby, from bushes where they had crouched, twenty men in long coats and wide-brimmed hats emerged silently to surround them. Most had a gun in hand. They made no noise, just slowly formed a circle around the four.
Char made a slight chuckling sound. "Whattaya say, boss? Should I burn them?"
"No." Bane turned to look down at Jocelyn Garmara. "Let's see what the Gammon can do."
"Fine," she said. She sagged and almost fell, but Bane caught her by the shoulder and one arm as a crackling burst of energy left her body. The Gammon shot through the air, too fast to be clearly seen as anything more than a dark red blur glowing in the dark. Like lightning striking, it smashed through four of the assassins in quick succession. The Gelengim convulsed and died, falling to the ground with smoke rising from their bodies.
The horrified assassins stood frozen in unthinking terror. Landing lightly before them, the Gammon could now be discerned. It was a vaguely humanoid shape five feet high, dark red with a flickering outline of white fire. The Red Spectre. The figure raised an arm and pointed, indicating the Gelengim should flee.
After a few seconds in which the assassins did not move, Char said, "Oh, for the love of Pete! Can't you guys take a hint?" Thick red beams shot from his eyes to cut a Gelengi neatly in half. The firestarter swept the beams back and forth in front of the assassins, burning a trench in the ground at their feet. That did it. The remaining Gelengim spun around and ran in blind panic into the night.
Char snapped off the beams and grinned wickedly. "Maybe I should have just burned them all down but I couldn't resist makin' them run."
"Bah! Now they may return in greater numbers, better armed!" The Sphinx adjusted the collar of his long coat and tugged at his thin leather gloves. "Mercy is a luxury we can ill afford."
As the Gammon shot back into her body, Jocelyn shuddered, straightened up and gave Bane a funny look. "Thanks for catching me," she muttered before walking over to the Sphinx. "Now we have shown off for each other."
"Indeed," said the ancient warlock. "Mr Bane, you look like you have something to say."
The Dire Wolf snapped his fingers. "Wait. Look over there. That statue."
Standing at the end of a short walkway was a life size statue of a man in full military regalia, hand resting on the hilt of a sabre. The statue stood on a marble block five feet to a side, with a bronze plaque that read COLONEL WILLARD M WILKINS, 1798-1872. Bane walked over and inspected the monument. "This was the guy who founded this town, I suppose."
"You don't think Drum somehow imprisoned Azalin inside there...?" sputtered the Sphinx.
"Could be. From what I've read of Mark Drum, he did a lot of seemingly impossible things." Bane knew that Drum's ally, Chen Lee Sun, had possessed the Dragon Pendant which allowed its weilder to walk through solid walls like a ghost. That pendant had been passed down to the son, Chen Wong-Lai, who had left it to his lover, Tang Ming. Bane had seen Ming pass through barriers of all sorts without resistance. If Drum had Chen Lee Sun with him when he was trying to secure Azalin...
"I think he could have done it," the Dire Wolf said without explanation. "Sphinx, was there any mention of a Chinese man in Drum's letter?"
"Yes. He wrote, 'Chen must go back to the city tonight.' That was all."
"It's enough. Chen Lee Sun, the Dragon of Midnight! I think there's a good chance Azalin is inside the base of that statue." Bane turned to the young Australian girl. "Jocelyn, can your Gammon fly through that base and take a look?"
"Wait, what? No. It's not a ghost. Maybe it could blow the base up with a few strikes, is that what you want?" Her eyes looked white in the gloom.
Bane quickly said, "No. Why do more damage than necessary? Char, what do you think?"
"I can do it. I'll be careful." The firestarter walked around the statue and selected a side. Standing casually, he shot out two red beams that grew thicker and brighter. The marble surface cracked and fell off in shards and chips. Char increased the power, until the beams caused new shadows to flicker as they burned into the marble.
"Easy, buddy. Let's stop and take a look," Bane said.
As the beams snapped off, Char wiped sweat from his forehead and stepped back. "Whew. I'm outta practice."
"I see something!" blurted the Sphinx. He had watched in silence since the attack by the Gelengim. "Look. There!" He stepped forward and broke off a piece of hot rubble. In the opening was a glint of gold. The warlock turned toward the others. "It IS Azalin!"
"Good work so far," Bane said. "Okay, Char, you might want to take it slow."
As the Sphinx stepped reluctantly aside, the firestarter moved closer and fired his eye beams again. More carefully, he burned away the marble in small bits as a figure in gold armor was gradually revealed. Bane kept glancing around.
"Nervous?" asked Jocelyn with a touch of sarcasm.
"Watching for the Gelengim coming back. Or Snake men searching for who killed their brethren. Or even the local police. I'd like to avoid any more confrontations. I don't want to have to tranquilize cops. You might want to keep an eye open yourself."
The Australian girl smiled, barely visible in the night. "You're not at all like I thought you were."
Bane smiled back, more obviously than usual for him. "I can imagine what the Sphinx has been telling you."
"That will be enough of that!" growled the Sphinx. He dropped a heavy hand on Jocelyn's thin shoulder. "This man is playing a role to mislead you. Come away."
As she walked with the ancient sorceror over to the crumbling marble block, the eye beams faded and died down. Char wiped his eyes. "I need a break for a minute. Usually I just fire short bursts." He stepped away and fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette.
"Look," Jocelyn said in a wondering voice. "It's female. Azalin is a woman."
The armored upper body revealed in the burned away marble block had small but distinct breasts. The body was smaller and thinner than Ugamesh had been. In the dim light of a distant streetlamp, the armor gleamed bright gold in color.
"Watch out," Bane warned. "Ugamesh woke up as soon as he was exposed to air." He moved closer and gently moved the helmeted head an inch. The fingers of one gauntleted hand twitched. "She's definitely alive."
"Lemme do a little more," said Char. He fired the red beams again, noticeably weaker than before. Bit by bit, he burned away the marble until the armored figure sagged loose and Bane caught it. The Dire Wolf hauled the limp body out of the marble block and laid it down on the cold ground. "She weighs a ton," he said.
"Damn, my head hurts. My beams are exhausted," Char complained. "They'll come back after I get some sleep, though."
"I am so glad to hear that," said the Sphinx. The warlock pointed a Parabellum directly at Bane. "Don't move, Dire Wolf. Fast as you are, the Red Spectre is faster. Jocelyn, stand by with your Gammon."
VII.
"Boy, you betrayed us sooner than I expected," said Bane. He remained crouched by the golden figure of Azalin. As always, he was wearing the flexible Trom armor under his clothes but his head was exposed and the Sphinx was aiming at it.
"You have outlived your usefulness," the Sphinx gloated. The ancient sorceror chuckled unpleasantly. "Leaving loose ends just leads to trouble."
Bane looked at Jocelyn. "See what you have to look forward to? As soon as you're not needed any more, you'll be discarded."
The slim Australian girl nodded. "I have been wondering about that, myself."
"There's no time for that!" The Sphinx's gunhand never wavered but his voice was unsteady with anger. "We must be going before the Gelengim come back. Bane and his firestarter knew our truce was only temporary. They've served their purpose."
"What about me? When I've served my purpose?" asked Jocelyn. "Will I get a bullet in the back of the head some night?"
"Of course not! He's just trying to turn you against me. Remember, I saved your life."
"I remember," Jocelyn said. "But you've sure gotten a lot of use out of me since then."
At that moment, Char lunged for the warlock. He knew he could not possibly reach the man before he would be shot, but he leaped at him anyway. The Sphinx swung his gun around and, in that split-second, Jeremy Bane acted with the precision of hundreds of hours of practice. A silver dagger thumped hard into the left side of the Sphinx's chest, striking hard as a punch. The warlock made a strange sighing noise, fell to his knees and then rolled over on his side.
"Master...?" said Jocelyn faintly.
The Dire Wolf retrieved his knife and cleaned its blade thoroughly on the Sphinx's coat before returning it to its sheath beneath his sleeve. "He's gone, Jocelyn. You're free now."
"Free? FREE? You fool, where am I to go? How will I live? I don't know anyone in this country. I'm here illegally." Her voice cracked. "What have you done to me?"
"Steady there. We'll take care of you. If you want, we can take you back to Australia and you can start a new life in a different city."
She started to cry, then broke into full weeping as all the repressed emotion poured out.
Bane took her by the shoulders and led her over to his car, opening the door and pushing her down onto the passenger seat. "Take your time," he said. "Think it over. There's no rush."
Leaving her in the car with the door open, the Dire Wolf stalked back to where Char was standing over the corpse of the Sphinx. "Well, that took courage," he said. "You knew he'd shoot you before you reached him."
"Aw, wasn't much of a risk," said Char. "I seen you in action. I knew you'd put your toothpick in him before he could pull the trigger."
Bane looked down at the body. "I can't say I'm sorry he had to be killed. He ran one crime ring after another, smuggling and sex trafficking and extortion. Okay then, back to business. We need to get Azalin out of here. God knows what the police are going to make of this in the morning, that big hole in the statue and a dead Egyptian criminal. What do you think... how about we load Azalin in the Sphinx's car and you drive her back to your house while I follow in my car?"
"Huh? What about that Aborigine girl?"
Bane glanced back at where Jocelyn had gotten to her feet and was wiping her face.
"I heard all that," she said, walking over. "I guess I don't have much choice. Have I just traded one master for another?"
"No. Not at all. You figure out what you want to do. Working for him, you'd end up dead or in prison sooner or later anyway."
Jocelyn went over and prodded the corpse with her foot. "I was thinking of killing him myself. I couldn't take much more. You have no idea the dirty things he made me do. Perverted sex things."
"Whoa," said Bane. "We don't need to know the details. It's all over now. Listen, come with us for the moment back to Char's house and at least we'll be inside where it's warm to talk things over."
"I got bacon and eggs and coffee, you're welcome to some," Char put in.
"All right. Sounds good. What about her?" she pointed at the golden figure.
Bane walked over and tried to lift the armored being. "Jeez, she's heavy. Maybe you two can lend a hand and we'll take her with us..."
The explosion of white light took them by surprise. A shock wave of air flung all three of them off their feet to skid on the ground. As their ears rang and their eyes tried to focus, they dimly were aware of a huge figure looming over them.
Ugamesh.
The red armor glinted as he strode over to where Bane was trying to rise. Effortlessly, Ugamesh lifted Azalin in his arms and cradled her. The featureless helmet swung around to regard the Dire Wolf. Everyone heard a booming voice echo in their heads, "Thank you for freeing my mate. I could not locate her until you brought her into the open air. Perhaps we shall meet again."
In another soundless detonation, they were gone. Bane struggled to his feet, shaking his head and blinking. Decades of tagra diet had raised his healing capacity beyond what medical science could explain, but even so he was dazed. Long minutes passed before Char and Jocelyn recovered. As soon as he was able, Bane helped them into his car, putting the Australian girl in the back and Char in the passenger seat. The Dire Wolf got behind the wheel and gingerly drove away from the park at barely thirty miles an hour. As he felt more capable, he sped up a little and eventually pulled into the parking lot of a gas station and parked on the side.
"Whoa. What the hell?" asked Char. "Did a bomb go off? Where are we?"
As soon as the two were focused enough, Bane explained what had happened. "So I threw you two in here and drove away. By now, someone must have reported strange explosions. The park will be crawling with police. God only knows what they will think about the bodies and the ruined statue, but then, the Sphinx has a criminal record and the FBI will glad to see his file closed." He sighed. "But we led Ugamesh to us. He said he could not locate Azalin until she was put out in the open air and that's exactly what we did. There's one Sleeper left. Vendigor. Now it's more urgent than ever that we find the third Sleeper and keep the Gelengi from claiming him and leading both Ugamesh and Azalin there."
"I'm with you, Jeremy," Char said.
"So am I," added Jocelyn. "If you'll have me, I'll join you."
"Glad to have you both." Bane started up the car and pulled out onto the highway. "We haven't done too well so far but the game isn't over yet!"
1/7/2014
1/14/2012
I.
Char lit a cigarette by looking at it. At low power, the beams from his eyes were barely visible, just two faint reddish threads in the air. As the end of the cigarette began to smolder, the beams cut off. He put the filter end in his mouth and took a drag. "What are you looking at me like that for? I'm down to two or three cigs a day."
Standing by his car, Jeremy Bane studied the man thoughtfully. He had not seen "Char"- Charles Lee Hopewell- in a few years. Char had not changed much. He was still just under six feet tall, thin and unimposing in a light blue work shirt with a name patch ripped off, dark slacks and beat-up sneakers. Char had lanky black hair that had not been cut in a while and which could use some shampoo as well. His face was long and sullen, with a pointed nose and either the beginning of a beard or the result of not shaving in a week or more.
It was the eyes that caught one's attention. Deepset under heavy black brows, the eyes had amber irises. Now they glared up at Bane with characteristic testiness.
"I never started smoking," Bane said. "So I never had to quit. I can't criticize." Bane was a little taller than Char, just as thin, but with him it looked intimidating. It was the gauntness of a wild animal. Dressed in his inevitable all-black outfit of slacks, turtleneck and sport jacket, Bane looked much the same at fifty as he had at twenty. There was a grey strand or two in the short black hair and faint lines at the corners of the mouth, but those cold grey eyes still stared out at the world as they always had.
"Glad I found you," Bane said. He stepped away from his dark green Subaru Outback and glanced over at the rundown house where Char seemed to be living. It needed repairs and a paint job, the Dodge pick-up truck had its hood up and assorted parts scattered on the ground in front of it. Two empty Budweiser bottles stood side by side, as well as a piece of waxed paper with part of a meatball sub wrapped in it. Turning back to Char, the Dire Wolf said, "Last I heard, you were in Florida. I went to Miami once and spent a day picking up your trail."
"Yeah, well, I got to move now and then. I get restless." He pointed at the truck. "I don't suppose you know how to put in a new water pump?"
"Not a clue," Bane said. "I'm useless at car repair, I'm afraid."
"Figured it was worth asking. Nice car you got there but it's Jap, innit? I try to buy American if I can."
The Dire Wolf watched Char take one more puff before tossing the stub to the gravel. "You remember, I offered you membership in the Kenneth Dred Foundation. Your heat beams are a great power. You would have added a lot to the team."
"Aw, that ain't for me," Char said. He kicked at the gravel. "I'm a loner. You'd have me in one of those field suits looking stupid, following orders from that little Sable gal. Training, exercising, being on call. I can't live that way." Char smiled crookedly. "This here is a miserable shack and a broken down Dodge but they're mine."
"You have to live the way you choose," Bane agreed. "Do you remember that time in Tampa when we cleaned up that nest of Ghouls?"
"Hell yes. That made me happy. When you showed me what they had done to those little kids, I was furious. And when they attacked us, thinking we was harmless tourists, I was glad to cut them down."
"They deserved it," Bane said. "I've come to ask you to join me on another case like that one. Right here in this county. The stakes are high. I'm not exaggerating when I say the threat this time could affect every living person in the world, and we will be coming up against vicious killers trying to stop us. I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to risk it."
Charles Lee Hopewell burst out in laughter. "Damn, Jeremy, you know how to push my buttons. Warning me I might be too scared to along with you- why, that's like a double dare. Of course I'm interested. But first, I get the usual compensation?"
"Yes. As long as this case lasts, you'll be listed as a reserve member of the KDF. Five thousand dollars flat as payment, any medical care you'll need will be covered as well as expenses like meals and motels." Bane smiled so faintly it was only noticeable if one looked for it. "Are you in?"
Char shot out a grimy hand and Bane shook it firmly. "I'm in," the man said. "Do I have time to take a quick shower and get into better clothes?"
"Sure. I'll wait out here." As the man strode quickly through the screen door into his home, Bane looked around. Leaning up against a tree was a flat board that had an American flag crudely burned into its surface. Char trying to refine his control, he supposed. It was just getting dark outside of Wilkinson, North Carolina and the air was cold but above freezing. There had not been much snow so far this year and the ground was clear. The Dire Wolf recognized that the gentle blue mountains and the meadows and trees were beautiful, but he was a city boy and it was wasted on him. In any case, he had too much on his mind to enjoy nature.
Ten minutes went by, and he started to pace. He was impatient at best. The same enhanced metabolism that gave him his superior reflexes also made him restless. Soon, though, he heard the door slam and turned to see Char emerging. The man was freshly scrubbed and shaved, his wet hair slicked back. He wore a red flannel shirt, new denim jeans and tan work boots. Over one shoulder was slung a small knapsack. As Bane watched, Char finished examining a Colt 45 automatic and tucked it away in a side pocket of the knapsack.
"Won't you need a coat? It IS February, you know."
"Nah, I'm fine," Char said. "Side effect of my powers. I can generate enough heat in my body to be comfortable in a blizzard. Good to go, Jeremy!"
"I'm glad to have you with me," the Dire Wolf said. As he opened the driver's door of his Subaru, he added, "I'll fill you in as we head west."
II.
As they made their way through back roads and got out on the highway, Bane explained the situation. Two weeks earlier, he and a few friends had fought a cult of assassins known as the Gelengim who were looking for something or someone called Ugamesh. It had turned out that Ugamesh was a immensely powerful gralic being covered in blue metal armor. The being had disappeared in a gralic gate and not been seen since. In Kenneth Dred's records, Bane had found that Ugamesh was one of a trinity of such beings from the Darthan Age thirty thousand years ago. The prophecy warned that when the Three Sleepers- Ugamesh, Azalin and Vendigor awoke and clasped hands, 'the walls between the worlds' would come down.
"Awright, that sounds pretty but what the hell does it mean?" interrupted Char. "What walls between what worlds?"
Bane considered as he sped along. "You know about the adjacent realms. We were in Perjena that one time."
"Sure, the guys with skulls for faces. You told me those are places that can't be reached except by magic. I figure they're other dimensions, like in science-fiction movies."
"That's a good way to look at it. The adjacent realms are separated from us by barriers that can only be crossed by gralic gates, magic is a good enough word for it. If the Three Sleepers bring down the walls between the worlds, all the monsters and maniacs and armies of assorted creatures will come charging down on the Human world. And we will be unprepared for it."
Char whistled. "Sounds serious. Pearl Harbor times a million, eh?"
"Yes," Bane said. "The worst attackers will come from Fanedral. The Lord of Fanedral is a sort of god named Draldros. He's so bad he would have Hitler and Stalin and Mao working for him as his lieutenants."
"GodDAMN, Jeremy. I know you don't exaggerate. This sounds like it's time to do or die. Hey! Where's the rest of your KDF? Sable, Argent, that Unicorn girl?"
"They are trying to track down the third Sleeper, Vendigor. Half of them, anyway. The other three are looking for any sign of what happened to Ugamesh." Bane passed a road sign that said WELCOME TO FRIENDLY WILKINSON -Speed Limits Strictly Enforced. They were driving down a pleasant country road with white wooden houses scattered on either side at intervals. Soon they were entering the town itself, with the usual hardware stores, clothing shops, restaurants. There was a movie theatre showing two Hollywood blockbusters and a video game arcade next to it.
Going a little further, they spotted a diner, FAT CHARLIE'S with a grinning obese face in neon tubing. Two cars and three trucks circled the chrome and white stone building. Bane pulled into the parking lot and glanced around. "You know, I think you could get answers better than I can. I've got a New York City sort of accent, you've lived in this area for years."
Char laughed. "That's for sure. You can't pass for a good old boy, Jeremy. What am I asking about?"
"Strangers in town. Foreigners. Probably moving around in groups of two and three. Tell them you're looking for a family member you think ran away with foreigners."
"My sweet little teen sister Emmy Lou." Char started to get out of the car. "I really do have a sister but she's 38 and in California raising five kids," he added as he got out of the car and strolled toward the diner.
Watching Char go in, Bane was glad he had located the man. They needed all the hands they could find. Sable had the entire KDF on the job. Bane had tried to reach Sulak, Ted Wright, Garrison Nebel, Gornak... all without success. All he could do was leave messages and hope they would contact him. The Dire Wolf shifted uneasily behind the wheel.
Watching the diner, Bane saw two men in neat business suits step down the concrete ramp to the parking lot. They wore opaque sunglasses even in the dusk and looked nearly identical. All of the Dire Wolf's instincts for danger kicked into life. Something about the way they moved, their balance, their posture was all wrong. His Kumundu training warned him about them. The men went over behind the diner. As they went out of sight, Bane jumped from his car and raced across the parking lot faster than any Olympic athlete who ever competed. He hurtled over to the opposite side of the diner and flattened against its rough wall, out of the line of sight of any window. Directly behind the diner was a big propane tank and he took cover behind it to peer out. One of the men was standing with his back to Bane, watching around the corner. He could not see the other one. Ten feet away from the man with the sunglasses was a battered dumpster and Bane plunged behind it, peering cautiously around its edge close to the ground. From here he could see one of the men was still standing right behind the diner, but the other was waiting by the concrete ramp. There was a small window in the foundation of the dinner, maybe for the kitchen, but he couldn't see anyone in there.
Bane figured the one by the ramp was going to meet Char when he came out, lure him toward the back of the diner with some promise of information and then both men would threaten or kill him. Or try to, the Dire Wolf thought wryly. They had no idea what they were dealing with when they faced Char. He was tempted to let the two thugs suffer the consequences but he wanted at least one of them alive to answer some questions. A minute later, he spotted Char being stopped by the other thug, they talked for a second and then both of them started walking toward the back of the diner.
As the man hiding behind the diner shifted his weight, Bane suddenly recognized what he really was. Of course! He should have identified them instantly. In a dark blur of sudden motion, the Dire Wolf lunged for the man, spun him around and launched a barrage of left-right combination blows to the body and face. In a few seconds, twenty full power punches crashed home and the man dropped face down without even trying to catch himself. Even as that one sagged to the ground, Bane swung around in time to see the other man pull a gun on Char. Big mistake, thought Bane.
As the man opened his mouth to speak, two pencil-thin red beams shot from the firestarter's eyes to burn straight through the hand holding the gun. Instead of screaming, the man hissed loudly. Another instant and Jeremy Bane was upon him, bringing the edge of his stiffened across the base of the man's neck with a sound like an axe biting into wood. The man sagged to his knees and Bane blasted a hooking punch to the side of the head that flung the limp body three feet away.
"Damn, you're still quick as bad news," said Char quietly. "I didn't know you were even back here."
Bane straightened up, watching the unconscious men. "Char, things are worse than I thought. Here's the keys. I want you to bring my car back here, okay?"
"Sure thing," the firestarter answered, heading quickly back across the parking lot. Standing over the two bodies, the Dire Wolf reached into an inner pocket and brought out a plastic case holding five small syringes. He knelt and injected each man in the wrist with the enervation serum the Trom had devised for the KDF long ago. Replacing the empty syringes in the case, he searched the men and tossed two pistols, a switchblade and a lead-filled sap into the dumpster. The wounds in the one man's hand weren't bleeding, they had been cauterized by the heat. He turned back just as Char brought the Subaru to a sudden halt not three feet away from him.
"These guys are going in the back seat," Bane said. With Char's help, he shoved them roughly into the cramped back area. "Keep an eye on them, right?"
As Bane got behind the wheel, Char smirked. "When I keep an eye on someone, it means business!"
III.
The Subaru pulled out into sparse traffic and sped down the highway back the way they had come. Char kept quiet as long as he could manage but finally he blurted, "Hey, Mr Dire Wolf! Throw me some explanations, okay?"
"Sure," Bane answered. "I'm looking for an isolated place to interrogate these Snake men. I remember passing a narrow lane before. I think it's coming up now."
"Next question... SNAKE MEN?! What are you talking about?" Char almost yelled.
"Snake men, sometimes known as Gamadim. Not many real Humans have heard of them. They're a very old Race. Once, they had a worldwide organization more influential and more insidious than any cabal run by true Humans. They were the most evil conspiracy in history." He glanced over at Char. "You follow me so far? Then, I led the KDF and all our allies in a campaign to break their organization. It was a nightmare. We killed hundreds of them at their headquarters outside Rome. There are still isolated packets of Snake men scattered around the world, still working for the Mafia or the Triads or the White Web. But their organization was broken up and they're not the worldwide threat they once were."
The firestarter had been twisted around in his seat, keeping watch on the prisoners in the back. "They're starting to wiggle a mite, Jeremy."
"Good, we're here." Bane pulled off the road and stopped under an ancient apple tree. There were a few bushes nearby. The Dire Wolf got out, seized a Snake man under the arms and flung him out of the car. Char hauled the other one out and dragged him across the ground. They set the Snake men leaning up against the side of the tree away from the road in case a car went by. The Dire Wolf went to the trunk of his car and got a pair of pliers from the tool box inside.
As the creatures groaned and stirred feebly, Bane stood over them with folded arms. He waited until their eyes were open and focussed before speaking. "Finally," he said. "I didn't hit you guys THAT hard. You're wondering why you can't move your arms and legs, aren't you?"
One of the Snake men hissed, "Dire Wolf...!"
"Nice to be recognized," Bane answered. "Don't start swearing vengeance on me. We don't have much time. Tell me about Azalin."
The Snake man spat and snarled, but could not rise. Neither one could do more than twitch their limbs. Bane did not tell them the enervation drug would wear off the next day, give or take a few hours. He used it to kept enemies harmless when he could not turn them over to the police and because he could not bring himself to kill in cold blood.
As the creatures fumed helplessly, their canine teeth extended to become sharp fangs more than an inch long. Char gasped at the sight.
"Now you see why they're called Snake men," Bane said quietly. "They are not even true mammals, but advanced reptiles mimicking mammalian traits. A CAT scan would show a lot of details exposing them." He stepped forward. "Here's the situation. None of your kindred know we have captured you. They won't know if you talk."
"Never! Never!" howled one of the creatures.
"See, I've fought your kind many times. I even beat some of your Amraths. Remember Cir'willa Shar, the one you called Venom? So I know about you guys. You don't feel much pain, so torture is useless. You can't be hypnotized. Truth serum is unreliable with you. And I can't even bribe you, because money is not important to Snake men. What you care about most- maybe the only thing you care about- is your status within your Race."
Crouching closer, Bane held out the pair of pliers. "Now, I happen to know the one thing that will make your kin lose all respect for you. You will be ridiculed and humiliated. If the other Snake men allow you to associate with them at all, it will be as the lowest of slaves doing the filthiest chores." He clicked the pliers open and shut. "If you don't talk, I will turn you loose after pulling out your fangs..."
The Snake men howled and cried and twisted their heads weakly from side to side. They begged Bane not to mutilate them that way, they offered him wealth, beautiful kidnapped Human women, forbidden drugs, whatever he might want.
"No dice," said the Dire Wolf. "Tell me about Azalin. Last chance. All right, let's get this over with." Getting down on one knee, he grabbed the nearer Snake man by the jaw and roughly forced his mouth open. "That's it," he said, "I'll keep these fangs in my trophy room..."
"Wait, wait." The other creature was sobbing loudly, without tears. "Mi'Shuga, he will do it. This is the Dire Wolf. He will send us back in disgrace. I will talk. Let go of my brother."
Bane straightened up slightly. "I'm listening."
"We do not know where Azalin is. A Human sorceror hired us to search for the Second Sleeper. All that we know is that the Blue Guide named Drum was in this area fifty years ago. He clashed with Azalin, and the Sleeper was never seen again. Drum returned north to his home. Sorcerors believe Drum confined Azalin somewhere, hidden so well no one has ever found the golden one."
"Mark Drum. Again!" Bane said. "Who is the sorceror who hired you two?"
"He calls himself the Sphinx. Let us go, or let us die unmutilated. I have told you all we know."
The Dire Wolf was silent for a long moment. He put the pliers in the side pocket of his jacket and turned to Char. "Help me haul these two deeper in the woods, will you?" They dragged the two Snake men behind a clump of trees, out of sight from the road.
"It's not cold enough to kill your kind," Bane told them. "You will not be able to move your arms and legs for another day. If I find out you have lied to me, I will come back here and yank your fangs out and send you to your brethren as untouchables." With that, he turned and strode back to where his Subaru was parked.
"That's.. that's a lot to digest," Char said as he got in the passenger seat. "Men with fangs like rattlesnakes. I felt sick just looking at them."
"You're tough," replied Bane as he started up the car and made a U-turn to head back toward the highway. "I know you. You can adjust to all kinds of weirdness."
"I reckon you're right," Char said as he pulled a pack of Winstons from his breast pocket.
"No smoking in the car. I need my sense of smell. Sometimes it's how I spot a trap."
"Oh, all right," Char agreed sourly. "What was that about the Sphinx? Are we going to Egypt?"
Bane scoffed. "No. This Sphinx is a warlock and international criminal. I've fought him twice already. This time is going to be the last!"
IV.
Seeing a 24 convenience mart with gas pumps, the Dire Wolf pulled in. As he was filling the tank and checking the tires and cleaning the windows, Char went around the side of the building and had a cigarette. Starving as always, Bane went inside and bought a premade ham and cheese sandwich, a bag of cashews and a bottle of apple juice. Char was content with a large coffee.
As they got back in the car, Bane devoured the last of the sandwich and said, "What did you learn in the diner, by the way?"
"Oh. We've been so busy I didn't say. The people were eager to talk. There've been a lot of strangers in town lately, none from around here. The worst is a big guy in an expensive suit. He has dark skin, not a black man but maybe an Ay-rab. He scares everyone. He took a room at the Rest-EZ Motel on the other side of town and he's been seen poking around."
"That's our boy," said Bane. He headed west again, past a short mini-mall that consisted of a liquor store, pharmacy and walk-in dentist office. Signs warned them they were approaching the interstate and sure enough, conveniently near the maze of entrance and exit ramps was the Rest-EZ. It was a row of a dozen rooms, all identical with the same curtained picture window and same pine door. At one end was a slightly bigger addition with the sign MANAGER in the window. There was an ice machine and a Pepsi vending machine in the middle of the row, and that was it.
The gravel parking lot held a white Ford Taurus, a red Jeep Forester and two gleaming black Lincoln sedans parked next to each other. Those new shiny cars gave away the Sphinx as much as a big sign would.
"Quite a comedown for the Sphinx. He's used to four star hotels. Well, I guess he has to put up with the commoners for a while." Bane pulled in far to one side, as much out of sight as he could manage, and turned off the engine.
"The Sphinx not only knows me, he has a serious grudge," Bane said to Char. "But not you. He's never seen you, and you were never a Tel Shai knight or KDF member. I doubt if he'll notice you."
The firestarter asked, "What's the plan, then?"
Bane took out a billfold and handed Char two hundred dollars. "Register for the night. Here, put this earpiece in. Good, your hair covers it. You don't have to tap it or anything, just talk in a normal voice. Keep an eye out. The Sphinx is five foot eleven, two hundred and fifty pounds. Dark skin, head usually shaven, he has a flat nose like a lion."
"Sounds easy to spot," Char said. He reached in the back seat for his knapsack. "So, am I supposed to knock on each door and say, 'Pardon me, I'm looking for an evil warlock?'"
The Dire Wolf smiled just enough to be visible if you were watching for it. "No, I want you to check in. I'll see which room you get and then I'm going to prowl the back. I'll tell you over the earpiece when to let me in." He clicked open a concealed niche on the side of the dashboard and pulled out a leather case. "I've got some driver's licenses here under various names. We're the same height, we both have black hair and light eyes. In a place like this, I bet the manager will hardly glance at your ID."
"Okay so far," the firestarter muttered as he studied the card. He climbed out of the car and strutted across the parking lot to the manager's office, knocked and was let in. Bane saw a curtain move in the window where one of the black Lincolns was parked. A few minutes later, Char emerged and went to Room Number Three, unlocked the door and went in.
Putting an identical earpiece in, Bane clicked it and said quietly, "Stand by, Char. I'm going to do a quick recon." With that, the Dire Wolf was out of the car and gliding around the corner of the building. Dressed all in black, he was hard to spot in the gloom and long years of training had left him able to move silently on any surface. As he rounded the corner and looked down the back wall of the motel, he spotted movement. There. Standing halfway down the length of the building was a sentry. The man was not leaning on the wall, but standing alert. Each room had a small back window and yellow light came from several of these. Now he spotted the posture and inner balance and slightly unhuman proportions that gave the sentry away as a Snake men.
He wished he could use the anesthetic darts now. They were silent and effective, and they left the victim alive for questioning. But they could not be counted on to penetrate the heavy coat or tough corduroy pants the sentry was wearing. At this distance, he certainly couldn't expect to hit the Snake man in the neck or hands. Bane was a good shot but he had his limits.
Drawing back around the corner, Bane whispered, "Char. Tap a few times on the back window of your room." With the last word, the Dire Wolf swung around the corner and started for the sentry. The Snake man heard tapping on the window where Char was and went to investigate. Bane rushed toward the creature while his back was turned. A second later, the Snake man snapped his head around and went for something inside his coat but even as his hand came out with a pistol in it, Bane crashed into him. The silver dagger flashed twice, and the creature staggered back to fall face down.
Verifying that the sentry was dead, Bane carefully cleaned his dagger on the creature's clothing before sheathing it. He could not take any chances with them. Snake men were faster than normal Humans, fast enough to be a real threat to even him. With their venomous fangs as well, they were enemies he took seriously. Bending down, he grabbed the corpse and dragged it well into the bushes. The ground was hard enough to leave no traces when he did this.
"You there, Char?" he said just above a whisper.
"Standing by, chief," came the voice in his earpiece.
"Good." Bane crept up to the nearer lit window. He calculated it was a room that had a black Lincoln parked in front. Rising up over the lower edge, he took a split-second peek and lowered down again. Two Snake men. One resting or sleeping on the bed, one sitting in a chair with folded hands. He was sure the window would be locked. This meant that the Sphinx was in the adjoining room, mostly likely with a servant. Better not to risk taking a look.
Heading around to the front of the motel, Bane stopped at door number 3 and said quietly, "Come on out, Char." As the firestarter opened the door, the Dire Wolf put a finger to his lips and whispered, "Two of those guys with fangs in Room 6. We need to take them out."
"Alive?"
"No. They're too dangerous to take chances with. Char, they're as quick as I am and they have fangs as poisonous as a cobra."
Char said, "Gotcha, let me handle this." He rubbed his hands together and moved down the walkway to Door 6, glancing at the polished black Lincoln parked in front of it. Bane watched. It had been years since he had seen the firestarter in action and he needed to be sure Char was still capable.
Standing close, Char stared at the doorknob. The red beams from his eyes were brighter this time, enough to be seen from a few feet away. They cut through the lock instantly and he twisted the doorknob and stepped inside. Standing behind the firestarter, Bane saw the two Snake men leap to their feet, guns swinging up and taking aim. Fast as they were, they were hopelessly outmatched. All Char had to do was look at what he wanted to destroy. At full power, his beams were bright enough to cast shadows. One Snake man fell straight down, his head rolling away from his twitching body. The other creature sagged to the floor with a hole seared through his torso where his heart had been.
The beams snapped off and Char turned around. Despite himself, Bane flinched as he met the gaze of those amber eyes that just a second earlier had been deadly weapons. "Whadaya think, chief?" asked the firestarter.
"Good work," Bane said. "Let's close the door. What a stink. It smells like burnt meat in there." He stepped away and motioned for Char to come with him to the next door. "I figure the Sphinx is in here. He doesn't have energy powers but he does use alchemical potions as weapons and he's a tough fighter. Ready?"
"Wait, you want to keep this joker alive to answer questions, right?"
"If we can." Bane adjusted the hilts of the silver daggers on his forearms beneath the jacket sleeves. "He may have information on where to find Azalin. That's our primary goal, after all, the Sphinx is not as important. You want to melt the lock on this door?"
V.
The Sphinx had aged badly. It had only been seven years since they had last clashed, but the Khebir warlock had lost too much weight to look imposing anymore. The wide face was sunken beneath the cheekbones, the sleek black hair had turned a dingy grey. He still dressed well, in a dark brown suit with a tan shirt and tie, but the clothes hung loosely off him. The Sphinx stood with his empty hands in plain sight, trying to look harmless.
"You have killed my servants in the next room," the Sphinx said bluntly. "The stench is abominable. You have also killed the servant standing guard outside, of course."
"Of course," Bane replied. "You sure look the worse for wear."
"Heh. Well, aside from the excessive beating you gave me- and the deportation to Egypt where the authorities also treated me roughly- then the three years in prison before my disciples freed me- Oh, and then fighting my way back to my rightful place in the hierarchy of crime.. well, the years have been hard."
The Dire Wolf scoffed. "When you want to be an international crimelord, you have to expect setbacks. You sure murdered a lot of innocent people on the way up."
"True. I do not deny it. It's a desperate game. Mr Bane, I was hoping you would turn up. My agents reported that you had been active in the search for Ugamesh two weeks ago. I assumed you next would show up here, in North Carolina, trying to locate Azalin."
By now, Bane was aware there was someone in the bathroom. His Kumundu training had sharpened his hearing and the Sphinx's body language indicated it as well. Char was standing slightly behind Bane, ready to use his heat beams if needed. "Before anything else," the Dire Wolf said, "let's bring out whoever you're hiding in the bathroom."
The Sphinx turned and called, "Jocelyn, come on out." A thin young girl, not more than five feet one, dressed in jeans, a white T-shirt and sneakers emerged. She had smooth dark brown skin, straight glossy black hair and huge dark eyes that glared angrily at the two intruders.
An Aborigine from Australia, thought Bane, the bone structure is distinctive. Almost certainly older than she looks. Although he saw no signs of weapons on the girl, the confidence in her attitude hinted that she was in some way very dangerous. He met her stare evenly, without hostility.
"This is Jocelyn Garimara, my bodyguard," said the Sphinx.
"What, that little gal? You're pulling my leg," Char scoffed.
"No," said Bane. "She has some gralic power, doesn't she?"
"Exactly. I know you have encountered a Gammon or two in your career, Mr Bane. Jocelyn here is possessed by a Red Spectre of unusual potency. You can imagine what a help she has been to me."
All this time, Bane had been waiting for an attack. His senses were keyed up, he was standing in a loose stance which would enable him to defend from any angle, and he had Char right by his side. But he was becoming convinced that the Sphinx was not immediate threat.
"I think I get it," he said. "You're looking for Azalin, too. Why do you want to free a being like that?"
"I do not want to free Azalin!" rumbled the Sphinx in a voice reminiscent of his former imposing self. "On the contrary. I want Azalin destroyed before those idiotic Gelengim can set him free or before Ugamesh finds him."
The Dire Wolf did not budge. "What do you care?"
Suddenly, the Sphinx went over to one of the two easy chairs in the hotel room and dropped down. His true age was beginning to show as alchemy reached its limits. "Think for a minute. Stop regarding me as a cardboard villain out to wreak havoc no matter what. If the Walls Between the Worlds come down, the invasions from Maroch and Ulgor and Fanedral will throw this real world into apocalypse. Modern civilization will fall apart. The slaughter will be unprecedented. Maybe the Humans in their desperation will unleash their nuclear weapons. Do you think I want that?"
"No." Bane hesitated for the barest instant. "I don't think you do."
"I like the world as it is," growled the Sphinx. "Fine cuisine. Classical music. Museums and art galleries. Paris in the Spring, the Grand Canyon, Tahiti. All gone if the Sleepers unite."
Char spoke up, "Chief, you can't believe anything this joker says."
"I don't trust the Sphinx," Bane answered. "But so far he's telling the truth. He has as much to lose from a cataclysm as any of us."
"I'm glad to see some sense enter your brain," the Sphinx rumbled. "We both have good reason to find where Azalin is before the Gelengi do. Have you ever made a truce with an enemy?"
"Once or twice. As long as both sides have something to gain from it. Tell me, what do I need you for?"
The Sphinx smiled. "Because I have researched this for months. I know where Mark Drum was in this area in 1957. I think I know where Azalin is imprisoned."
"Okay," said Bane. "Now, looking at it from the other angle, what do you need me for?"
"To keep you from interfering. With you in this area searching for Azalin, I would have to either hide and skulk about, or else be forced to waste time fighting you once again. We have the same goal. There is no reason we cannot work together this one time. War makes unlikely allies."
Bane glanced over at Char. The firestarter said, "You're the boss. But I don't trust this joker any further than I could throw him."
"We don't need trust, just common self-interest." The Dire Wolf turned back to the Sphinx. "We'll give it a try. What have you found out about Mark Drum and what he did?"
"The answers are in a park on the outskirts of town," said the Sphinx. "We have to leave soon anyway, the Snake men will be sending a team to check on the ones I hired."
"No hard feelings about those guys?" Char asked. "They're slightly dead."
"No. Those Snake men would have been useful in a fight with Gelengim. But they are unreliable by nature. Sooner or later, they would turn on me and I would have had to order Jocelyn to slay them. Come. We are already packed. You two follow us, I will drive the Lincoln."
Bane shook his head. "Better than that. For security, we'll switch partners. Char will go with you and your sidekick will ride with me. Less chance of friendly fire that way."
"An exchange of hostages... I like it. You are more devious than I thought, Mr Bane. Very well."
VI.
Bundled in a parka with a fur-lined hood, Jocelyn Garmara made no attempt at conversation. She buckled herself in the passenger seat, folded her arms and sat back to endure the ride. Bane watched the Sphinx load two suitcases in one of the Lincolns, then get behind the wheel as Char climbed into the passenger seat. As the black car pulled out of the parking lot, Bane followed.
After a few minutes, the Dire Wolf said, "I fought a Red Spectre about ten years ago, with some friends of mine."
Her voice was scornful. "There is no way to fight a Gammon."
"Oh, everything has a weakness. We broke the Gammon up with wet strips of aluminum that short-circuited it. After a while, it re-formed itself. One of my friends took the host body and got it outside the range where the Gammon could follow. The Spectre fell apart after being separated for too long
The girl had a slight accent, just noticeable. "I suppose that might work. My Gammon is too quick to be caught that way, she is lightning itself."
"It's a rare ability," Bane said, following the Sphinx's car at a distance. "Did you have a teacher?"
"Ha! Not bleeding likely. My family was afraid of me. After I was seen sending my Gammon out, they called me a witch and a devil. There was talk of cutting my head off, but no one dared raise a hand to me."
"What happened?" asked Bane.
"The man called the Sphinx arrived. Somehow he knew what was happening. He intimidated the village and took me away to safety."
"Hmm," Bane said vaguely. "And now you're working for him."
"Why not? Where else do I have to go? Who would take me in? The Sphinx treats me well, more or less. I have a warm dry place to sleep every night and enough to eat... better than I had back home, actually. The whites hated me because I'm Abo and my own people were scared of me because of my gift."
"The crimes don't bother you? The stealing, the killing?"
She laughed. "I haven't killed anyone! All I've done is take valuables from people too rich to notice. What do you care? You have no idea what I've been through."
"No," Bane said. "I think you're better than this. But I'm not going to preach to you. Hold on, he's turning into a park. I think we're there."
Late on a winter night, Seamon Park was closed and empty. There was a paved parking lot with a few picnic tables and benches and wire trash bins. On one side of the parking lot was a ramp for skateboards and a basketball hoop nailed to a tree. The Sphinx and Char emerged from the Lincoln, and the firestarter walked a few feet away to light a cigarette. Bane and Jocelyn walked from their car to where the Sphinx stood waiting.
"Here is where I found Mark Drum had been in July of 1957. In a letter he wrote to a mystic, he mentioned it. I obtained the letter in an estate sale. Drum mostly was concerned about his wife Sonia, who was due to deliver a baby in October..."
As the Sphinx trailed off, Bane snapped, "What?"
"You know, Mr Bane, you resemble Mark Drum. The hair, the grey eyes, the narrow face. I believe you were born about the same time Drum's child was due. It's an interesting train of thought..."
The Dire Wolf said angrily, "Forget it. There's nothing to that. Let's concentrate on the job at hand, all right?" He pointed up at a telephone pole nearby. "Security camera, Char."
The firestarter looked up and destroyed the camera with his eye beams. "Got it!"
For some reason, Jocelyn had remained near to Bane, looking up at him with curiosity. She glanced over at the Sphinx and asked, "What do we do now, master?"
"I believe Drum concealed the inert form of Azalin somewhere in this park. Somewhere safe from discovery. We must-"
"Hold it!" Bane snapped, drawing his dart gun. "I heard something. We're not alone."
From the trees nearby, from bushes where they had crouched, twenty men in long coats and wide-brimmed hats emerged silently to surround them. Most had a gun in hand. They made no noise, just slowly formed a circle around the four.
Char made a slight chuckling sound. "Whattaya say, boss? Should I burn them?"
"No." Bane turned to look down at Jocelyn Garmara. "Let's see what the Gammon can do."
"Fine," she said. She sagged and almost fell, but Bane caught her by the shoulder and one arm as a crackling burst of energy left her body. The Gammon shot through the air, too fast to be clearly seen as anything more than a dark red blur glowing in the dark. Like lightning striking, it smashed through four of the assassins in quick succession. The Gelengim convulsed and died, falling to the ground with smoke rising from their bodies.
The horrified assassins stood frozen in unthinking terror. Landing lightly before them, the Gammon could now be discerned. It was a vaguely humanoid shape five feet high, dark red with a flickering outline of white fire. The Red Spectre. The figure raised an arm and pointed, indicating the Gelengim should flee.
After a few seconds in which the assassins did not move, Char said, "Oh, for the love of Pete! Can't you guys take a hint?" Thick red beams shot from his eyes to cut a Gelengi neatly in half. The firestarter swept the beams back and forth in front of the assassins, burning a trench in the ground at their feet. That did it. The remaining Gelengim spun around and ran in blind panic into the night.
Char snapped off the beams and grinned wickedly. "Maybe I should have just burned them all down but I couldn't resist makin' them run."
"Bah! Now they may return in greater numbers, better armed!" The Sphinx adjusted the collar of his long coat and tugged at his thin leather gloves. "Mercy is a luxury we can ill afford."
As the Gammon shot back into her body, Jocelyn shuddered, straightened up and gave Bane a funny look. "Thanks for catching me," she muttered before walking over to the Sphinx. "Now we have shown off for each other."
"Indeed," said the ancient warlock. "Mr Bane, you look like you have something to say."
The Dire Wolf snapped his fingers. "Wait. Look over there. That statue."
Standing at the end of a short walkway was a life size statue of a man in full military regalia, hand resting on the hilt of a sabre. The statue stood on a marble block five feet to a side, with a bronze plaque that read COLONEL WILLARD M WILKINS, 1798-1872. Bane walked over and inspected the monument. "This was the guy who founded this town, I suppose."
"You don't think Drum somehow imprisoned Azalin inside there...?" sputtered the Sphinx.
"Could be. From what I've read of Mark Drum, he did a lot of seemingly impossible things." Bane knew that Drum's ally, Chen Lee Sun, had possessed the Dragon Pendant which allowed its weilder to walk through solid walls like a ghost. That pendant had been passed down to the son, Chen Wong-Lai, who had left it to his lover, Tang Ming. Bane had seen Ming pass through barriers of all sorts without resistance. If Drum had Chen Lee Sun with him when he was trying to secure Azalin...
"I think he could have done it," the Dire Wolf said without explanation. "Sphinx, was there any mention of a Chinese man in Drum's letter?"
"Yes. He wrote, 'Chen must go back to the city tonight.' That was all."
"It's enough. Chen Lee Sun, the Dragon of Midnight! I think there's a good chance Azalin is inside the base of that statue." Bane turned to the young Australian girl. "Jocelyn, can your Gammon fly through that base and take a look?"
"Wait, what? No. It's not a ghost. Maybe it could blow the base up with a few strikes, is that what you want?" Her eyes looked white in the gloom.
Bane quickly said, "No. Why do more damage than necessary? Char, what do you think?"
"I can do it. I'll be careful." The firestarter walked around the statue and selected a side. Standing casually, he shot out two red beams that grew thicker and brighter. The marble surface cracked and fell off in shards and chips. Char increased the power, until the beams caused new shadows to flicker as they burned into the marble.
"Easy, buddy. Let's stop and take a look," Bane said.
As the beams snapped off, Char wiped sweat from his forehead and stepped back. "Whew. I'm outta practice."
"I see something!" blurted the Sphinx. He had watched in silence since the attack by the Gelengim. "Look. There!" He stepped forward and broke off a piece of hot rubble. In the opening was a glint of gold. The warlock turned toward the others. "It IS Azalin!"
"Good work so far," Bane said. "Okay, Char, you might want to take it slow."
As the Sphinx stepped reluctantly aside, the firestarter moved closer and fired his eye beams again. More carefully, he burned away the marble in small bits as a figure in gold armor was gradually revealed. Bane kept glancing around.
"Nervous?" asked Jocelyn with a touch of sarcasm.
"Watching for the Gelengim coming back. Or Snake men searching for who killed their brethren. Or even the local police. I'd like to avoid any more confrontations. I don't want to have to tranquilize cops. You might want to keep an eye open yourself."
The Australian girl smiled, barely visible in the night. "You're not at all like I thought you were."
Bane smiled back, more obviously than usual for him. "I can imagine what the Sphinx has been telling you."
"That will be enough of that!" growled the Sphinx. He dropped a heavy hand on Jocelyn's thin shoulder. "This man is playing a role to mislead you. Come away."
As she walked with the ancient sorceror over to the crumbling marble block, the eye beams faded and died down. Char wiped his eyes. "I need a break for a minute. Usually I just fire short bursts." He stepped away and fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette.
"Look," Jocelyn said in a wondering voice. "It's female. Azalin is a woman."
The armored upper body revealed in the burned away marble block had small but distinct breasts. The body was smaller and thinner than Ugamesh had been. In the dim light of a distant streetlamp, the armor gleamed bright gold in color.
"Watch out," Bane warned. "Ugamesh woke up as soon as he was exposed to air." He moved closer and gently moved the helmeted head an inch. The fingers of one gauntleted hand twitched. "She's definitely alive."
"Lemme do a little more," said Char. He fired the red beams again, noticeably weaker than before. Bit by bit, he burned away the marble until the armored figure sagged loose and Bane caught it. The Dire Wolf hauled the limp body out of the marble block and laid it down on the cold ground. "She weighs a ton," he said.
"Damn, my head hurts. My beams are exhausted," Char complained. "They'll come back after I get some sleep, though."
"I am so glad to hear that," said the Sphinx. The warlock pointed a Parabellum directly at Bane. "Don't move, Dire Wolf. Fast as you are, the Red Spectre is faster. Jocelyn, stand by with your Gammon."
VII.
"Boy, you betrayed us sooner than I expected," said Bane. He remained crouched by the golden figure of Azalin. As always, he was wearing the flexible Trom armor under his clothes but his head was exposed and the Sphinx was aiming at it.
"You have outlived your usefulness," the Sphinx gloated. The ancient sorceror chuckled unpleasantly. "Leaving loose ends just leads to trouble."
Bane looked at Jocelyn. "See what you have to look forward to? As soon as you're not needed any more, you'll be discarded."
The slim Australian girl nodded. "I have been wondering about that, myself."
"There's no time for that!" The Sphinx's gunhand never wavered but his voice was unsteady with anger. "We must be going before the Gelengim come back. Bane and his firestarter knew our truce was only temporary. They've served their purpose."
"What about me? When I've served my purpose?" asked Jocelyn. "Will I get a bullet in the back of the head some night?"
"Of course not! He's just trying to turn you against me. Remember, I saved your life."
"I remember," Jocelyn said. "But you've sure gotten a lot of use out of me since then."
At that moment, Char lunged for the warlock. He knew he could not possibly reach the man before he would be shot, but he leaped at him anyway. The Sphinx swung his gun around and, in that split-second, Jeremy Bane acted with the precision of hundreds of hours of practice. A silver dagger thumped hard into the left side of the Sphinx's chest, striking hard as a punch. The warlock made a strange sighing noise, fell to his knees and then rolled over on his side.
"Master...?" said Jocelyn faintly.
The Dire Wolf retrieved his knife and cleaned its blade thoroughly on the Sphinx's coat before returning it to its sheath beneath his sleeve. "He's gone, Jocelyn. You're free now."
"Free? FREE? You fool, where am I to go? How will I live? I don't know anyone in this country. I'm here illegally." Her voice cracked. "What have you done to me?"
"Steady there. We'll take care of you. If you want, we can take you back to Australia and you can start a new life in a different city."
She started to cry, then broke into full weeping as all the repressed emotion poured out.
Bane took her by the shoulders and led her over to his car, opening the door and pushing her down onto the passenger seat. "Take your time," he said. "Think it over. There's no rush."
Leaving her in the car with the door open, the Dire Wolf stalked back to where Char was standing over the corpse of the Sphinx. "Well, that took courage," he said. "You knew he'd shoot you before you reached him."
"Aw, wasn't much of a risk," said Char. "I seen you in action. I knew you'd put your toothpick in him before he could pull the trigger."
Bane looked down at the body. "I can't say I'm sorry he had to be killed. He ran one crime ring after another, smuggling and sex trafficking and extortion. Okay then, back to business. We need to get Azalin out of here. God knows what the police are going to make of this in the morning, that big hole in the statue and a dead Egyptian criminal. What do you think... how about we load Azalin in the Sphinx's car and you drive her back to your house while I follow in my car?"
"Huh? What about that Aborigine girl?"
Bane glanced back at where Jocelyn had gotten to her feet and was wiping her face.
"I heard all that," she said, walking over. "I guess I don't have much choice. Have I just traded one master for another?"
"No. Not at all. You figure out what you want to do. Working for him, you'd end up dead or in prison sooner or later anyway."
Jocelyn went over and prodded the corpse with her foot. "I was thinking of killing him myself. I couldn't take much more. You have no idea the dirty things he made me do. Perverted sex things."
"Whoa," said Bane. "We don't need to know the details. It's all over now. Listen, come with us for the moment back to Char's house and at least we'll be inside where it's warm to talk things over."
"I got bacon and eggs and coffee, you're welcome to some," Char put in.
"All right. Sounds good. What about her?" she pointed at the golden figure.
Bane walked over and tried to lift the armored being. "Jeez, she's heavy. Maybe you two can lend a hand and we'll take her with us..."
The explosion of white light took them by surprise. A shock wave of air flung all three of them off their feet to skid on the ground. As their ears rang and their eyes tried to focus, they dimly were aware of a huge figure looming over them.
Ugamesh.
The red armor glinted as he strode over to where Bane was trying to rise. Effortlessly, Ugamesh lifted Azalin in his arms and cradled her. The featureless helmet swung around to regard the Dire Wolf. Everyone heard a booming voice echo in their heads, "Thank you for freeing my mate. I could not locate her until you brought her into the open air. Perhaps we shall meet again."
In another soundless detonation, they were gone. Bane struggled to his feet, shaking his head and blinking. Decades of tagra diet had raised his healing capacity beyond what medical science could explain, but even so he was dazed. Long minutes passed before Char and Jocelyn recovered. As soon as he was able, Bane helped them into his car, putting the Australian girl in the back and Char in the passenger seat. The Dire Wolf got behind the wheel and gingerly drove away from the park at barely thirty miles an hour. As he felt more capable, he sped up a little and eventually pulled into the parking lot of a gas station and parked on the side.
"Whoa. What the hell?" asked Char. "Did a bomb go off? Where are we?"
As soon as the two were focused enough, Bane explained what had happened. "So I threw you two in here and drove away. By now, someone must have reported strange explosions. The park will be crawling with police. God only knows what they will think about the bodies and the ruined statue, but then, the Sphinx has a criminal record and the FBI will glad to see his file closed." He sighed. "But we led Ugamesh to us. He said he could not locate Azalin until she was put out in the open air and that's exactly what we did. There's one Sleeper left. Vendigor. Now it's more urgent than ever that we find the third Sleeper and keep the Gelengi from claiming him and leading both Ugamesh and Azalin there."
"I'm with you, Jeremy," Char said.
"So am I," added Jocelyn. "If you'll have me, I'll join you."
"Glad to have you both." Bane started up the car and pulled out onto the highway. "We haven't done too well so far but the game isn't over yet!"
1/7/2014
