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"THE WALLS BETWEEN THE WORLDS III: Vendgor"
"The Walls Between the Worlds III - Vendigor"
3/2/2012
I.
On the trip up from Manhattan, Unicorn and Jocelyn had started off stiffly formal but had soon warmed up to each other. Ashley Whitaker was so chatty and genuinely interested in people that Jocelyn responded to her questions about Australia with a candor she had not shown before. Behind the wheel of the rented Ford van, Jeremy Bane relaxed a tiny bit. If they had not gotten along, the mission would have been more difficult than it already was.
The last two weeks had been excrutiating for Bane. He was impatient and restless at best, and spending long days searching through Kenneth Dred's letters and notes and journals for possible clues went against his basic nature. It was maddening that they had so little to go on. In his head, he went over the basic problem as he had a thousand times. Three enigmatic beings from the Darthan Age had turned up in the summer of 1957. Ugamesh, Azalin and Vendigor. They were powerful but almost nothing was known about them. Mark Drum had apparently managed to imprison all three beings in different spots shortly before he himself was killed. There was a prophecy that when "the Three Sleepers joined hands, the Walls Between the Worlds would come down." This was interpreted as meaning a virtual apocalypse as the armies and creatures from the adjacent realms would be able to enter the real world...
"Hey, Jocelyn, let me ask you something," Unicorn said, turning around in the passenger seat to face the Aborigine girl in the back. "Did you ever hear that Australia used to have a huge inland sea?"
Jocelyn Garmara frowned. Still a teenager, she was the same size and general build as Ashley, a little over five feet tall and thin. But where Unicorn had platinum hair, light blue eyes and pale skin, Jocelyn was dark brown with straight black hair and eyes so dark they might as well be black too. When they first met, Ashley said the two of them looked like a Yin-yang symbol. "No," she said after a moment. "I don't think I've ever heard that."
"Just wondering, I read it somewhere." Her voice suddenly became that of a whiny six-year-old, "Are we almost THERE?"
"Another half hour," Bane said patiently. "We're getting off at Exit 19." The Dire Wolf was dressed as always all in black. Slacks, long-sleeved turtleneck and sport jacket. Just under six feet tall, he had the lean physique of a runner. There were a few grey strands now in the black as he near fifty, but he otherwise had not changed much since he had been twenty. Under heavy brows, his cold grey eyes moved constantly, checking other cars as if he expected to be attacked at any second
"Hey, Jeremy," Unicorn continued in her normal voice. "When are we going to hear from Sable's team?"
"That depends on how things go for them. We are really clutching at straws. Mr Dred's notes mentioned that Mark Drum had been in Kingston that summer, with the pencilled p.s. 'Port Ewen bridge.' Then we found a newspaper clipping that said Drum had turned up in Florida around the same time. That's all we have to go on. Sable and I picked who would go on our teams and here we are."
"You picked ME because I'm your favorite KDF member, right? Tell me I'm right," the little blonde said.
"Yes. Of course. Also, your Unicorn horn can take away the gralic powers of any enemy. We don't know enough about Azalin or Ugamesh to know what would work against them." He passed an 18-wheeler and got back in the right lane. "Maybe Jocelyn's ability will be effective. A Red Spectre is a potent force."
"I haven't had the Spectre all that long," the Australian girl said doubtfully. "I'm not really sure of its limits. The Sphinx just used it as a weapon. As he used me."
"Well, you're with friends now," Ashley told her. "Look, look, Exit 19! We made it without a bathroom stop!"
As they pulled off the Thruway and went around a traffic circle, Bane headed for Broadway. He had been in Kingston a few times before, in that case with the Group Mind so long ago, and he remembered the basic geography. It was just getting dark as he went down a long hill to the part of town called the Strand.
"Look, the Hudson River! It's so small compared to the way it is in Manhattan," Ashley blurted.
"That's not the Hudson," Bane corrected her. This area had a lot of restaurants and boutiques. He turned right into a municipal parking lot. "That's just the Esopus Creek if I remember right." Stopping the van, he unbuckled his seat belt and hopped out gratefully.
The Dire Wolf stretched and paced back and forth for a minute as the two girls got out. Ashley was wearing white jeans and bright blue pullover with a dark blue jacket. Jocelyn had on dark pants, a white sweater with a windbreaker over it. They both looked around curiously. About a block away to their left, the bridge to Port Ewen stretched overhead across the Esopus.
"Kind of weird to be looking up at the underside of a bridge," Ashley said. "Awful rusted and beat-up, to be honest."
"Never mind that. Check out the clothing stores. Oh, I so need new boots...." Jocelyn sighed and turned back to the others. "Maybe we can stay a day or so and do some shopping after the mission?"
Bane acted like he had not heard her. He gestured for Unicorn and Jocelyn to join him at the knee-high retaining wall at which the water lapped. "If we're on the right trail, assassins are on their way here now. And somewhere down there is Vendigor."
II.
By the time it was dark, a cold wind had started blowing and a few small snowflakes swirled in the air. The cars in the parking lot thinned out. Ashley had gone over to a bistro down the block to use the bathroom and come back with hot meatball subs, french fries and two bottles of Pepsi. Bane had left Jocelyn on watch while he climbed into the back of the van and changed into his field suit. By the time he got out, the girls had half their subs eaten and were discussing the boats tied up along the retaining wall.
The Dire Wolf was now wearing the boots, pants and waist-length jacket of the field suit, with its inner armor and hidden weapons. He tugged on gloves and fastened them to the sleeves, then checked all the seals. The field suits were designed to be able to seal water-tight, although this was seldom used. Bane put his helmet on the metal bench where the girls were sitting and started eating his sub.
"Pretty good, huh?" Ashley said. "It was these or a pizza. Listen, captain. I brought my field suit, it's in that carrying case. You want me to go down with you?"
Bane finished the sub and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I don't think so, Unicorn. I feel you and Jocelyn should be here on guard. She's seen the Gelengim, but you haven't. To be honest, I don't think they're the greatest assassins in the world, but they are murderous and armed. If they start turning up, you two protect yourselves."
"Wait, wait," Ashley said as she threw her wrappers in a metal bin. "I'm getting in my field suit before you go in the water. I want to be ready for action." Nimble as a gymnast, she jumped into the back of the van and closed the rear door.
Bane turned to Jocelyn. "I'm sorry we don't have a suit of the Trom armor for you. It might interfere with the release of your Spectre from your body."
"That's okay, I let my Red Spectre do the fighting. Is it all right if I call you captain?"
The Dire Wolf gave one of his barely visible smiles. "Sure. You're not a KDF member. But it's gotten to the point where I answer to captain quicker than my name. Sable showed you how to use our dart guns but I understand you don't have any target training?"
"No, sorry."
"That's okay." He glanced at the van where Unicorn was changing. "Don't let Ashley's bubbly behavior mislead you. She was raised by her mother to be an adventurer and she's been a knight of Tel Shai for six years. When action starts, she's entirely competent. I trust her as I trust only a handful of people."
"Good to know," the Australian girl said. "So. What does it take to join your KDF? I already have what you might call a super-power."
Before he could answer, Ashley popped out of the rear of the van, now wearing a black field suit identical to Bane's. She had an anesthetic dart gun holstered at her right hip. As the two watched her, she slung a three-foot leather tube to her back with a strap that went diagonally across her chest. "My Unicorn horn," she explained to Jocelyn. "From a real Unicorn!"
Bane glanced around. An occasional car went by, one or two people walked from shop to shop, but it was as quiet as he could reasonably expect. As Ashley came over to stand beside Jocelyn, she handed him a thick metal cylinder as thick as his arm. Bane fastened it on his back, then lowered his helmet into place and attached a hose from the tank to the back of the helmet.
"I've got oxygen for thirty minutes," he said. He did not explain that the helmet had a Trom membrane in its filters that could separate enough oxygen from water to keep him alive in an emergency. The drawback to the oxygen filters was that they did not provide enough for vigorous activity; they were meant as life-saving back-ups.
The Dire Wolf lowered the visor of his helmet and clicked it into place, then unceremoniously stepped up on the retaining wall and dove into the Esopus. Ashley glanced around but spotted no one who would have seen this. The little blonde tied her hair up in a bun with a twist of silk and put on her own helmet, leaving the visor up.
"You look like the world's cutest commando," Jocelyn said.
"Thanks. I guess. Now we wait, and watch. This is the part I hate the most."
III.
Swimming down in the freezing water, Bane was completely comfortable. The field suits worked fine under worse conditions than these but the light enhancers in his visor were not enough to let him see clearly. He clicked a patch on the helmet and the built-in light on the top ridge blazed into life. The water was not too bad, clearer than he had expected.
Reaching the bottom, the Dire Wolf began searching. He was not optimistic. Swimming back and forth, looking for something out place, he mulled over the situation. Two of the Sleepers had already awoken and joined forces. They turned out to be covered entirely in metal plate armor, so still no one knew what they looked like. Ugamesh was a man in red armor, Azalin a woman in gold armor. What Vendigor would look like was anyone's guess. When Azalin had been freed, Ugamesh had showed up to take her, helpfully explaining that he could not locate her until she was in the open air.
So, Bane thought sourly, not only do we have to locate this Vendigor, we have to make sure that the cult of assassins on the trail don't claim the Sleeper and expose him to air. That would draw Ugamesh and Azalin and disaster would follow. He supposed the best they could do would be to take the comatose Vendigor back to Manhattan and seal him up in the vault in the KDF headquarters and guard him for the forseeable future. What a mess.
A buzzer sounded in his helmet. He had five minutes oxygen left. Bane stroked up to the surface to get his bearings and headed to the spot where he had entered the water. He could see Ashley and Jocelyn standing by the van. Seizing the retaining wall with both hands, he vaulted up out of the water and swung over the wall to stand up. Not bad, he thought. As far as he could tell, he had not lost any agility or flexibility as the years had gone by.
As he walked over to his teammates, he unhooked the oxygen tank and slid the visor up to take a breath of fresh air. "No luck," he said. "Give me a few minutes and I'll go in again with a fresh tank."
"Captain," Ashley said, "there's a guy over by that lamppost watching us. About eighty feet away. See him?"
"Yes. How long has he been there?"
"Maybe three minutes," Jocelyn put in. "He was walking down the street and he stopped there. I don't know if he's an enemy or just checking us out because we're two good-looking young women." She shrugged apologetically. "Well, we ARE, let's be honest."
Bane studied the man. "Unicorn, what does your Kumundu training tell you?"
She thought for a second. "Not a threat. His body language is all wrong. I don't see any hostile posture." She looked up at Bane. "That's all. He wants to come over and talk to us but he has no confidence. Now he sees you. He gives up, he's walking past us."
The Dire Wolf took a fresh oxygen tank from the van and Ashley helped him strap it on his back. Jocelyn had been staring at the water, arms folded. Without turning around, she said, "My Spectre could search faster."
"Underwater? Wouldn't it short-circuit?"
"A Gammon is not electricity. It's pure gralic force. I've sent my Red Spectre to the bottom of a lake back home." She looked over her shoulder at Bane. "It would be quicker."
"You're right," the Dire Wolf said. "I'm too used to doing everything by myself. Go ahead."
Jocelyn went to the metal bench and sat down, leaning back. With startling quickness, the bolt of dark red energy left her body with a crackle and shot through the air to plunge into the water. Standing next to the Australian girl, Ashley said, "Can she hear us when she's like this?"
"She says she can, but everything seems far away. We did a few tests on her, Sable found that her vital signs are lower but within safe limits when the Gammon leaves her." Bane glanced around the area. "Let's keep our guard up. That car slowed down when it went past but I couldn't get a look at the driver."
Unicorn's head snapped around and she glared at the van. Seeing her reaction, Bane rushed around to the other side and there were two sharp cracking noises. A second later, he threw a limp form to the cold paving. "A Gelengi!" he said. The man was wrapped in a long black coat and had been wearing a wide-brimmed hat which Bane tossed to one side. Bane held up the man's arm, showing the tattoo of a four-pointed star on the inner wrist.
"I thought I heard something, but I wasn't sure," Ashley told him. "He couldn't have been there long."
"No. The guy by the lamppost was a distraction. While we were watching him, this one snuck up on the other side of the van." Bane sounded disgusted. "No use questioning him. They work in small cells and only the cell leaders know the whole picture. This one doesn't have any useful information to give us."
"We can't just leave him there, a police car will go by sooner or later and spot him."
Bane lifted the man and dragged him up onto the bench, on the end away from Jocelyn. As he stepped back, a blur of energy rushed past him to dive into the girl's body. She gasped and sat up straight, then got to her feet.
"My Gammon found something. Almost at the base of the retaining wall, there is a flat rock on the bottom that doesn't belong there. The Gammon feels it was put there."
"You talk as if the Spectre is a separate entity?" Ashley said.
"It's hard to explain. I don't have the words for it. Captain, I can have my Gammon split the rock with a blast and you can see what's under it."
"Good. We need to hurry. The Gelengi will be closing in." He hooked the oxygen tank to the back of his helmet. "Go ahead, Jocelyn."
Again, the vague shape of dark energy left her body and plunged into the black waters. A second later, there was a flash of light beneath the surface and a muffled thumping noise. The water erupted in a small spout. The Red Spectre emerged from the Esopus Creek and paused for a second. As it hovered in mid-air, it could be seen more clearly. The Gammon was the same size and general shape of Jocelyn Garmara herself, with no visible features. It was dark red with a thin white outline around its edges. The Spectre seemed to be looking at Bane and Unicorn before heading back into the Australian girl's body.
Jocelyn shuddered. "All set. The rock is broken into pieces and there was something under it." As she spoke, Bane clicked his visor shut and swung over the retaining wall into the water. He was not under for more than a few minutes before emerging again.
"Ashley, back the van up here. Close as you can."
The Unicorn ran to start the engine and threw the van into reverse. Looking out the driver's window, she backed up until she was almost touching the retaining wall. The rear door was still open. Moving quickly, Bane thrust a bundle of wet canvas the size of a small person up over the wall, climbed over himself and flung the thing inside the van. As he closed the rear door, he snapped, "Jocelyn, get in the back!" and then leaped into the passenger seat. Without waiting to be told, Ashley pulled out of the parking lot and made a right to go back up the hill.
"How could Mark Drum set that up?" Unicorn asked.
"I think he had help. He worked with Sulak and the Sting. Where are you going?"
"How would I know?" Ashley answered. "I've never been here before. Give me some directions."
Bane checked the rearview mirror. "Just drive around for a while. Make random turns. I'll look for anyone following."
"Roger," she said and went left at the next corner, then left again. At a red light, she yanked her helmet off and let her hair down.
"Jocelyn, you okay?" Bane asked as he watched traffic behind them.
"I'm fine. I could get to like this life."
IV.
Fifteen minutes later, Bane instructed Unicorn to pull into the parking lot of a Holiday Inn. Taking out his Link, he contacted the other team. "Sable? What's your situation?"
"We found something you'll be interested in," came her voice. "Not Vendigor. But something related. How are you guys doing?"
"I think we've retrieved Vendigor. There's something wrapped in canvas, about three feet long and a foot wide, we got it from the bottom of the Esopus Creek. Gelengi assassins are in the area but I'm convinced we've shaken them off for the moment." Bane glanced around the parking lot suspiciously. "What were you going to tell me?"
"We're following some Gelengi ourselves. I might have to hang up. Trom Girl has been getting into old newspaper files. Don't ask me how she can read microfilm not online through her super-computer hookups. Do you know where the Benedictine Hospital is?"
"Sure."
"At the bottom of the hill where the hospital sits is a cemetery. Look for a gravestone four rows back from the entrance. They're pulling guns, I have to go." The connection broke off.
Bane replaced his Link. "Sounds like they're about to wipe out some assassins. Ashley, I want you to make the next right. You'll be back on Broadway. Turn left and head back the way we came."
"Okay, captain. This town doesn't impress me much, I have to say."
"It's gone downhill since I was last here," Bane admitted. "Turn right. Go to the end of this street. There's the cemetery."
The street came to a dead end and Unicorn pulled over. To their left, a hospital could be seen on top of a hill. Before them was the open gate of a large cemetery. "Who thought this was a good idea?" she demanded. "You're in the hospital and you look out your window to see a big old graveyard?!"
Jocelyn chuckled from the back seat. "It sure wouldn't give you confidence about the doctors."
Bane opened his door. "You two stay here and guard our guest in the back. I'm going to see what Sable was talking about." He walked through the open gate and into the cemetery. At the fourth row back, he lowered his visor and the light enhancers cut in. Before him was a row of simple white gravestones and the inscription on one jumped out at him. SONIA PETROV DRUM 1931-1957. Next to it was a smaller stone which read PAUL DRUM 1957. Bane stood staring at the stones with uncertain emotions. Finally, he tore himself away and went back to the van.
As he got in and slammed the door shut, he was aware the girls were watching him anxiously. "What's the matter?"
"You were standing there for the longest time," Ashley said. "We were about to call you."
"Was I? There's a stone there for Mark Drum's wife Sonia. She died the same year he did, and next to her is a stone for their son Paul. It seems mother and son both died during childbirth." He exhaled. "I'm relieved. The past month, everyone has been trying to convince me that I'm Mark Drum's son somehow. I never believed it."
"I was thinking that myself," Unicorn told him. "There was so much pointing that way. You look like him, the same hair and eyes. You were born the same time his wife was due to give birth. Even your enhanced speed could be an effect of Drum's gralic powers affecting you as a fetus. And you don't know who your parents were."
"Well, the son is buried up there. Case closed. Back to work, we need to get that Sleeper in the back down to Manhattan safely."
From the seat behind them, Jocelyn said, "That car went past us and turned around. It's coming back."
V.
Silently, Bane tucked the anesthetic dart gun under his seat and reached behind him. Held to the back of his seat with duct tape was a long-barrelled .38 Colt. He spun the chamber and thumbed the safety off and started to open his door.
"Wait, shouldn't we try to get away?"
"This is a rental car," the Dire Wolf said. "I don't want to bring it back all shot up." As he stepped out onto the cold dark sidewalk, the Camry skidded to a stop sideways, blocking their exit and the rear doors swung open. Two men in long coats and slouch hats jumped out, swinging rifles up. From the front passenger seat, another Gelengi slid the double barrels of a shotgun over the roof of the car at Bane.
Three sharp cracking shots rang out and the three Gelengi fell dead at almost the same time. Two were hit in the center of the chest, but the man with the shotgun was more covered by the car and he got a bullet in the center of his forehead. Bane had hardly seemed to take aim. The driver threw the car in reverse, obviously intending to get out of there. A fourth bullet splintered the window and drove a tunnel through his head.
With the dead man's foot still on the gas, the Camry backed up and smacked into the cemetery wall. Calmly, Bane stepped forward and leaned in through the smashed window to turn the car off. Now there was room for their van to pass. Lights were going on in every house. He went back and climbed into the passenger seat and Unicorn peeled out without waiting for instructions. She turned right and roared up the hill toward where the hospital said.
"Captain," she said quickly, "I wonder if we should get out of this town."
Bane was reloading his gun. "Yes. We have Vendigor. Shootouts with Gelengim don't get us anywhere. Turn left up here. Down the hill and then right. We'll skip the Thruway and head home on back roads."
Turning onto Rt 32, they headed south in silence. Finally, Jocelyn said from the back, "Just how many of these Gelengim ARE there anyway? We must have snuffed twenty by now."
"No one knows," Bane answered. "We're coming up on New Paltz. Are you two getting tired?"
"Yeah, and hungry," said Unicorn. "It's been a busy day."
"I could use a meal and a nap and a quick shower," put in Jocelyn. "But I suppose we need to keep moving."
Bane had been studying the traffic and seemed satisfied no one was tailing them. "I guess we can take a break. Look for a small roadside motel."
The first two motels were rejected by Bane because he didn't like their layout. The third, HAVEAREST, caught his eye and he told Unicorn to pull up the driveway to it. It was on top of a small hill, a long row of rooms with an office at one end. The VACANCY light was on. Without being told to, Ashley swung around and backed the van up so they could escape in a hurry. "Whew," she breathed. "I didn't realize it but I AM a bit beat."
Jeremy Bane had jumped out and glared searchingly in all directions. "Looks okay. Unicorn, do you have your fake IDs?"
"Two of them. And a hundred dollars in cash."
"Here," he handed her more money. "Get any room that's available for the night. I doubt there's room service but we do have lunches packed in our gear and there's a drink machine halfway down the walkway."
Jocelyn was tugging her small overnight bag from the back of the van and she paused. "Aren't you coming in with us?"
"No. I'll stand guard out here. I don't need much sleep." He handed Unicorn her knapsack and examined the canvas-wrapped form. "Vendigor shows no signs of waking, I want to keep him that way."
Heading for the manager's office, Unicorn said, "You're the boss, Jeremy. But if you want, I can relieve you in a few hours."
"Thanks. I'll let you know." Bane saw them knock on the office door and be admitted, then paced the courtyard. There were two other cars parked there and a pick-up truck. None were new and the truck had extensive rust. He was fairly sure they were okay. Gelengi rented or stole new cars because they knew nothing about repair of maintenance, but he inspected them anyway. A light went on in one room and the curtain was pulled back for a second to reveal Ashley Whitaker giving him a saucy wink. Bane raised a hand in acknowledgement.
After circling the motel, finding it backed on a steep hill with loose rocks that would be difficult to climb quietly, Bane went back to the van and got a mixed sub from his knapsack and a bottle of water. He had picked a flat rock at the top of the hill to sit. It gave him a tree by one side, in which shadow he would be mostly hidden and he could see both the van and the the front of the motel clearly. Before settling down, he unscrewed the barrel of his revolver and buried it deep in the dumpster beside the motel. He had brought a different barrel which he now attached before holstering the weapon.
Digging into the sub, Jeremy Bane tried to focus on one thought at a time. Despite what he had said, he knew very well that a good private investigator would not be satisfied with just a gravestone which might or might not have anyone buried under it. If he were working for a client, he would have investigated deeper, checked out local death notices from that year, maybe even tried to get an exhumation. But he wasn't going to. Bane was beginning to worry about his own rejection of the idea of being Mark Drum's son. His mind drew away sharply from the thought and he didn't know why. That in itself was worrisome.
No time for that now. His urgent problem was identifying who was sending these Gelengi after the Three Sleepers. Most of the really big masterminds were long dead. Wu Lung, Karl Eldritch, Arem Kamende, Simon Cohen. He didn't know of anyone active now who had the knowledge and the ambition for a project like this. And who would benefit from having the world invaded by armies and monsters from other realms? What would be the point? Temur Kasten had mentioned a "Master..."
Bane wriggled a little and got comfortable. He didn't feel the cold, long ago his body had adapted to extremes. Watching the scene, slowing his breathing to bring out his hearing, the Dire Wolf kept watch. He hadn't heard from Sable's team, but he wasn't worried. They were as good as his own original KDF team had been so many years ago. Bane realized that Jocelyn Garmara would soon be asking to join the team, to be a Tel Shai knight. He couldn't really see a good reason against her trying out. But she would have to stand before the questioning of the Teachers and against Cindy's telepathy first. The KDF had not had a mole or double agent in its membership yet, but nothing was impossible.
Four hours went by. Sitting quietly was torture for him and finally he got up and prowled the area suspiciously but spotted nothing. In two hours, it would be dawn. Taking out his Link, he buzzed Ashley and a drowsy voice answered after only a few seconds. "Unicorn on duty," she mumbled.
"We're going to have to move on soon. Get rousted."
"I hear and obey," she grumbled and broke the connection. Ten minutes went by. Bane returned to the van and checked Vendigor again, but there had been no change. At fifteen minutes, the door to the room opened and Jocelyn hurried out, carrying her overnight bag.
"Morning, captain."
"You awake?" he asked.
"I'm fine. I ate a little and went right to sleep. Ashley should be over in a minute, she's checking out." As she said this, the little blonde emerged from the manager's office and trotted over. "Here we go again!" she chirped. "Am I driving?"
"I'll take over for awhile," he said. He started up the van and pulled out onto 32. Traffic was almost nonexistent at this hour. "You guys feel better?"
"I took the hottest shower I ever had and got out of my armor for a few hours," Unicorn said. "I'm ready for anything."
Bane did not answer. Half an hour later, he stopped to put gas in the van and to watch for vehicles. Apparently the Gelengi were not on their trail. He kept going south, changing to side roads for ten or fifteen miles before returning to 32. As they neared the outskirts of the city, it was still quite dark and a cold drizzle had started. Good. Bane entered Manhattan and drove down the west side, by 11th Avenue.
"Hey," Unicorn cut in suddenly. "That was 38th Street. Aren't we going to KDF headquarters?"
"I don't think so. Nor my office. Their addresses are too well known."
"Well, go on, don't keep us in suspense."
Bane sighed. "I think we are best off going where they won't think to look for us. You two are going to see my secret hideout."
"Cool," said Unicorn with a wide grin.
VI.
Heading to Chinatown, he stopped at Mott Street and pulled over. A taxi went by and kept going. Bane scanned the area warily. "Jocelyn. Here, take this key with the black rubber ring around its handle." ,
"Right."
"When I say so, open that wooden door between the restaurant and the gift shop, and head up the stairs. Ashley, park this van a few blocks away from here and leave it. Come straight here and be alert."
"Okay, captain."
Bane got out and went around to the back of the van. "Let's be quick." He opened the back of the van and yanked the canvas bundle out over one shoulder. "Jocelyn, get the door. Ashley, take off." He closed the van door and leaped across the sidewalk through the wooden door into the building. He was only in sight for a second, not even two. As soon as he was inside, he closed the door behind him but left it ajar, and just glimpsed the van pulling away. There was a faint twinge at sending Ashley off on her own, but he suppressed it. She WAS a Tel Shai knight with six years experience and could take care of herself. Carrying the bundle as if it were weightless, he rushed up the stairs and met Jocelyn at the second floor landing.
Taking the key ring from her, he unlocked a door that said 2B in tarnished metal figures and stepped into a dark cold room. Thumbing a light switch by the door, he closed the door behind him. They were standing in a big, high-ceiling room that was almost empty. The wooden floor was open enough for a dozen people to stand comfortably. Bane crossed over and lowered the three-foot bundle as if it were weightless, then stood up and looked around.
On the back wall was the door to a closet, and a sink and toilet with a mirror over it. One wall had a window covered with opaque curtains fastened in place. The other wall had a row of jugs of water, cans and packages of non-perishable food. Sitting on the floor was a microwave and a box of plastic utensils. On the wall behind them, next to the door, was a beat-up old couch with blankets and pillows piled up on it. A radio sat on the floor next to the couch. That was it.
Jocelyn took everything in and looked up at Bane. Before he could say anything, light footsteps rapped on the stairs outside. He recognized them and opened the door to admit Unicorn. The little blonde had her dart gun in hand. "I didn't see anyone, captain. Say... what is this? Your secret cave or something?"
The Dire Wolf unfastened his helmet and placed it on top of the pile of canned food. "Exactly. I've used this place when the cops were looking for me or I was wounded too badly to keep going. Only one other person knew about it.. and now you two."
Jocelyn said, "Can we turn up the thermostat? It's freezing in here."
"Sure. It's by the door. Ashley, where's the van?"
"Municipal parking lot on Canal Street. I ran over." She glanced around. "My God, you could at least put a curtain around the toilet."
Bane smiled faintly and sat down on the couch, dumping the blankets in a pile. "No one was supposed to ever come here," he said.
The Unicorn took off her own helmet and carried it in the crook of her arm. She had holstered her dart gun and now she unbuckled the strap across her chest to remove the Unicorn horn she had been wearing. Carefully, she propped it up against the wall and stretched her arms overhead.
"I asked you about that horn before," Jocelyn said. "It takes away gralic abilities?"
"You bet. I yell my mantra, 'with this horn I remove thy power' while holding it, and everything from a warlock to a demon goes all powerless. It's what makes me useful to the team."
"Could it take away my Gammon?" she asked.
Ashley gave her a smile. "Sure. If I had to. But it wouldn't kill your Red Spectre, you just wouldn't be able to use it for a day or two."
Seated on the couch, Bane unzipped his field jacket and seemed about to kick off his heavy boots, but stopped himself. Taking the Link from its holder on his belt, he pressed a button. A few seconds later, the voice of Sable came from the speaker. "Yes, captain?"
"What's the situation, Sable?"
"We've been fighting Gelingim in a series of skirmishes. Right now, we're searching the house where Mark Drim was seen in 1957. It was remodeled and is up for sale, no one here now. I'm using my enhanced perception to look for clues. How are you three?"
"We've got what I'm sure is Vendigor, inert, wrapped in canvas. We're secured in my hideaway. Hopefully we can stay here undisturbed until your team returns."
Sable's voice hesitated. "I've been thinking, Jeremy. Someone is sending these Gelingim to find the Three Sleepers. Not one of their own cult leaders. You told me Temur Kasten is dead. I can't think of any mastermind who would benefit from having the world overrun by things from beyond. Can you?"
"Not so far," Bane admitted. "I've been wracking my brain over it, too. Temur Kasten mentioned a 'Master.' Maybe if nothing turns up soon, your team should return to New York."
"Got it. Another half hour and I will have covered the house. We'll fly the CORBY back north and return it to Headquarters and contact you. Take care."
The connection stopped and Bane returned the Link to his belt. "Now we wait."
Unicorn sniffed. "No TV. Just a crummy AM/FM radio."
Bane did not comment. He got up and took a swig from a water bottle. "You two eat whatever you want. Canned ravioli and stew, fruit cocktail, peaches, lots of soup. Apple juice. Crackers. This is an emergency hideaway, not much luxury."
Ashley went over and crouched over the canvas form. "You know, this thing feels warm to the touch. It IS warm."
"It wasn't a minute ago," Bane said, rushing over.
VII.
Tendrils of steam began to rise from the bundle. Bane scowled. "Unicorn,get your talisman out. Jocelyn, stand by. We're working without enough information here but this looks bad." He lightly touched the canvas. "It's getting hot."
Unsheathing her main sigil, Ashley drew out a three-foot length of ivory which tapered to a sharp point. The flat base at the other end was capped with silver. Holding it with both hands, she went over to stand by the Dire Wolf. Jocelyn Garmara instinctively took a place on the opposite side of the group.
As they watched, bits of the canvas became brittle and dropped off. Slowly, shreds fell to the sides. A glimpse of bright blue metal became visible. The three of them stood motionless, waiting. More of the canvas steamed and dried and fell apart. Soon, a body in metal armor was being revealed. The size and proportions were those of a child maybe seven or eight years old, completely covered in metal plate from head to foot. The helmet was featureless, without eyeholes or any openings for breath.
"Should I use the Horn?" Unicorn said anxiously.
"Wait. We may need it more when the other two---" Bane was cut off by a soundless blast of gralic force that turned the room blinding white for an instant and knocked them off their feet. Two figures in metal armor, a big man in red and a slim woman in gold, had appeared against the far wall. Ugamesh and Azalin.
"We thank you," said Ugamesh in a bodiless voice that echoed from the air.
"Yes, now our son is returned to us," added the woman in gold armor. "Too long have we been separated."
Stepping between the newcomers and the armored child on the floor, Bane said firmly, "If we have helped you, then you owe us at least a few answers. Who are you three? What are your intentions?"
Ugamesh tilted the blank plate of his helmet down at the Dire Wolf. "We are survivors of the earliest moments of the Dawn. Before the Seven Races, before the Darthan Age. We lived when the Sulla Chun spawned, when the Halarin and Halarim clashed."
"When Jordyn reshaped the world, we were cast in deep slumber for ages. Briefly, we awoke, only to be imprisoned again by a mortal of great knowledge. Now we will not be chained a third time." Azalin raised a gauntleted hand. "Come, my husband. Let us take Vendigor and leave this world."
Bane did not step aside, but his heart was pounding. He had not experienced the same feeling of being in the presence of great power since he had met Khang. "What of the prophecy? That you three will bring down the Walls Between the Worlds?"
Ugamesh snorted. "What is that to us? Your lives are but a flicker of light in the unending darkness. We will go on." He reached out and took the hand of Azalin.
"They're going to do it!" Jocelyn screamed. She sagged face down to the floor as the Red Spectre crackled from her body and rushed through the air to crash into Ugamesh like a thunderbolt. The big figure in red armor barely took a step backward from the impact. The dark energy form whirled in a loop and came at him again and Ugamesh held out his open palm. A burst of the white light flared up and the Gammon broke into segments and dropped to the floor.
As Bane and Unicorn watched in horror, the dark shimmering fragments tried to reform, slid across the wood and seeped back into the Australian girl's body. Jocelyn moaned and stirred feebly.
Ashley Whitaker was standing near to Azalin. Raising the ivory horn overhead, she yelled, "With this horn, I-" and the golden armored woman backhanded her with a smack that sounded like a rifle shot. The little blonde spun wildly to crash against the empty wall, falling to a seated position from which she slumped to her side. The Unicorn horn was been sent flying.
And with a quick step to the side, the Dire Wolf caught the talisman in one hand. Both Ugamesh and Azalin had raised their palms to blast him but in that split-second he acted. Jeremy Bane held the Unicorn sigil overhead and shouted, "With this horn I remove thy power!"
Two empty suits of armor clattered to the floor and rolled apart. No bodies were seen. Bane took a few steps back and dropped to the couch. To his surprise, he found his hands were shaking. Getting hold of himself, keeping the Unicorn horn in his grasp, he went over to where red and gold armor lay scattered. Tentatively, he prodded the Ugamesh helmet with his toe and watched it turn over. Nothing but black dust was inside. He found the same with Azalin. Barely allowing himself to feel relief, the Dire Wolf checked the third Sleeper and found the child in blue armor had also left nothing but powder behind. The pieces of armor themselves had lost their sheen and looked dull and shabby now.
Exhaling sharply, Bane went to check on his friends. Jocelyn was breathing steadily and moaned as she started to stir. He knelt before Unicorn, took her pulse and unfastened her helmet. Her eyes were open but unfocused. Bane touched her cheek and it was warm. "Ashley? Ashley, can you understand me?"
"Ummm. Hi, captain. Why does my chest hurt?"
"You got smacked by Azalin. Your Trom armor kept you from having a broken sternum."
She tried to stir but fell back down. "What- what's the situation?"
"They're gone. All Three Sleepers are dead. Only their gralic powers held them together." He got her in a more comfortable position. "The threat is over. We're all safe now."
The little blonde came back to full awareness and smiled weakly. "Great. Glad to hear it. Hey, what are you doing with my horn?"
"I had to use it," Bane explained. "It was the only way to beat them. I yelled your mantra and the Eldar magick worked against them."
Ashley pouted. "With my horn?! You got a nerve."
1/15/2014
3/2/2012
I.
On the trip up from Manhattan, Unicorn and Jocelyn had started off stiffly formal but had soon warmed up to each other. Ashley Whitaker was so chatty and genuinely interested in people that Jocelyn responded to her questions about Australia with a candor she had not shown before. Behind the wheel of the rented Ford van, Jeremy Bane relaxed a tiny bit. If they had not gotten along, the mission would have been more difficult than it already was.
The last two weeks had been excrutiating for Bane. He was impatient and restless at best, and spending long days searching through Kenneth Dred's letters and notes and journals for possible clues went against his basic nature. It was maddening that they had so little to go on. In his head, he went over the basic problem as he had a thousand times. Three enigmatic beings from the Darthan Age had turned up in the summer of 1957. Ugamesh, Azalin and Vendigor. They were powerful but almost nothing was known about them. Mark Drum had apparently managed to imprison all three beings in different spots shortly before he himself was killed. There was a prophecy that when "the Three Sleepers joined hands, the Walls Between the Worlds would come down." This was interpreted as meaning a virtual apocalypse as the armies and creatures from the adjacent realms would be able to enter the real world...
"Hey, Jocelyn, let me ask you something," Unicorn said, turning around in the passenger seat to face the Aborigine girl in the back. "Did you ever hear that Australia used to have a huge inland sea?"
Jocelyn Garmara frowned. Still a teenager, she was the same size and general build as Ashley, a little over five feet tall and thin. But where Unicorn had platinum hair, light blue eyes and pale skin, Jocelyn was dark brown with straight black hair and eyes so dark they might as well be black too. When they first met, Ashley said the two of them looked like a Yin-yang symbol. "No," she said after a moment. "I don't think I've ever heard that."
"Just wondering, I read it somewhere." Her voice suddenly became that of a whiny six-year-old, "Are we almost THERE?"
"Another half hour," Bane said patiently. "We're getting off at Exit 19." The Dire Wolf was dressed as always all in black. Slacks, long-sleeved turtleneck and sport jacket. Just under six feet tall, he had the lean physique of a runner. There were a few grey strands now in the black as he near fifty, but he otherwise had not changed much since he had been twenty. Under heavy brows, his cold grey eyes moved constantly, checking other cars as if he expected to be attacked at any second
"Hey, Jeremy," Unicorn continued in her normal voice. "When are we going to hear from Sable's team?"
"That depends on how things go for them. We are really clutching at straws. Mr Dred's notes mentioned that Mark Drum had been in Kingston that summer, with the pencilled p.s. 'Port Ewen bridge.' Then we found a newspaper clipping that said Drum had turned up in Florida around the same time. That's all we have to go on. Sable and I picked who would go on our teams and here we are."
"You picked ME because I'm your favorite KDF member, right? Tell me I'm right," the little blonde said.
"Yes. Of course. Also, your Unicorn horn can take away the gralic powers of any enemy. We don't know enough about Azalin or Ugamesh to know what would work against them." He passed an 18-wheeler and got back in the right lane. "Maybe Jocelyn's ability will be effective. A Red Spectre is a potent force."
"I haven't had the Spectre all that long," the Australian girl said doubtfully. "I'm not really sure of its limits. The Sphinx just used it as a weapon. As he used me."
"Well, you're with friends now," Ashley told her. "Look, look, Exit 19! We made it without a bathroom stop!"
As they pulled off the Thruway and went around a traffic circle, Bane headed for Broadway. He had been in Kingston a few times before, in that case with the Group Mind so long ago, and he remembered the basic geography. It was just getting dark as he went down a long hill to the part of town called the Strand.
"Look, the Hudson River! It's so small compared to the way it is in Manhattan," Ashley blurted.
"That's not the Hudson," Bane corrected her. This area had a lot of restaurants and boutiques. He turned right into a municipal parking lot. "That's just the Esopus Creek if I remember right." Stopping the van, he unbuckled his seat belt and hopped out gratefully.
The Dire Wolf stretched and paced back and forth for a minute as the two girls got out. Ashley was wearing white jeans and bright blue pullover with a dark blue jacket. Jocelyn had on dark pants, a white sweater with a windbreaker over it. They both looked around curiously. About a block away to their left, the bridge to Port Ewen stretched overhead across the Esopus.
"Kind of weird to be looking up at the underside of a bridge," Ashley said. "Awful rusted and beat-up, to be honest."
"Never mind that. Check out the clothing stores. Oh, I so need new boots...." Jocelyn sighed and turned back to the others. "Maybe we can stay a day or so and do some shopping after the mission?"
Bane acted like he had not heard her. He gestured for Unicorn and Jocelyn to join him at the knee-high retaining wall at which the water lapped. "If we're on the right trail, assassins are on their way here now. And somewhere down there is Vendigor."
II.
By the time it was dark, a cold wind had started blowing and a few small snowflakes swirled in the air. The cars in the parking lot thinned out. Ashley had gone over to a bistro down the block to use the bathroom and come back with hot meatball subs, french fries and two bottles of Pepsi. Bane had left Jocelyn on watch while he climbed into the back of the van and changed into his field suit. By the time he got out, the girls had half their subs eaten and were discussing the boats tied up along the retaining wall.
The Dire Wolf was now wearing the boots, pants and waist-length jacket of the field suit, with its inner armor and hidden weapons. He tugged on gloves and fastened them to the sleeves, then checked all the seals. The field suits were designed to be able to seal water-tight, although this was seldom used. Bane put his helmet on the metal bench where the girls were sitting and started eating his sub.
"Pretty good, huh?" Ashley said. "It was these or a pizza. Listen, captain. I brought my field suit, it's in that carrying case. You want me to go down with you?"
Bane finished the sub and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I don't think so, Unicorn. I feel you and Jocelyn should be here on guard. She's seen the Gelengim, but you haven't. To be honest, I don't think they're the greatest assassins in the world, but they are murderous and armed. If they start turning up, you two protect yourselves."
"Wait, wait," Ashley said as she threw her wrappers in a metal bin. "I'm getting in my field suit before you go in the water. I want to be ready for action." Nimble as a gymnast, she jumped into the back of the van and closed the rear door.
Bane turned to Jocelyn. "I'm sorry we don't have a suit of the Trom armor for you. It might interfere with the release of your Spectre from your body."
"That's okay, I let my Red Spectre do the fighting. Is it all right if I call you captain?"
The Dire Wolf gave one of his barely visible smiles. "Sure. You're not a KDF member. But it's gotten to the point where I answer to captain quicker than my name. Sable showed you how to use our dart guns but I understand you don't have any target training?"
"No, sorry."
"That's okay." He glanced at the van where Unicorn was changing. "Don't let Ashley's bubbly behavior mislead you. She was raised by her mother to be an adventurer and she's been a knight of Tel Shai for six years. When action starts, she's entirely competent. I trust her as I trust only a handful of people."
"Good to know," the Australian girl said. "So. What does it take to join your KDF? I already have what you might call a super-power."
Before he could answer, Ashley popped out of the rear of the van, now wearing a black field suit identical to Bane's. She had an anesthetic dart gun holstered at her right hip. As the two watched her, she slung a three-foot leather tube to her back with a strap that went diagonally across her chest. "My Unicorn horn," she explained to Jocelyn. "From a real Unicorn!"
Bane glanced around. An occasional car went by, one or two people walked from shop to shop, but it was as quiet as he could reasonably expect. As Ashley came over to stand beside Jocelyn, she handed him a thick metal cylinder as thick as his arm. Bane fastened it on his back, then lowered his helmet into place and attached a hose from the tank to the back of the helmet.
"I've got oxygen for thirty minutes," he said. He did not explain that the helmet had a Trom membrane in its filters that could separate enough oxygen from water to keep him alive in an emergency. The drawback to the oxygen filters was that they did not provide enough for vigorous activity; they were meant as life-saving back-ups.
The Dire Wolf lowered the visor of his helmet and clicked it into place, then unceremoniously stepped up on the retaining wall and dove into the Esopus. Ashley glanced around but spotted no one who would have seen this. The little blonde tied her hair up in a bun with a twist of silk and put on her own helmet, leaving the visor up.
"You look like the world's cutest commando," Jocelyn said.
"Thanks. I guess. Now we wait, and watch. This is the part I hate the most."
III.
Swimming down in the freezing water, Bane was completely comfortable. The field suits worked fine under worse conditions than these but the light enhancers in his visor were not enough to let him see clearly. He clicked a patch on the helmet and the built-in light on the top ridge blazed into life. The water was not too bad, clearer than he had expected.
Reaching the bottom, the Dire Wolf began searching. He was not optimistic. Swimming back and forth, looking for something out place, he mulled over the situation. Two of the Sleepers had already awoken and joined forces. They turned out to be covered entirely in metal plate armor, so still no one knew what they looked like. Ugamesh was a man in red armor, Azalin a woman in gold armor. What Vendigor would look like was anyone's guess. When Azalin had been freed, Ugamesh had showed up to take her, helpfully explaining that he could not locate her until she was in the open air.
So, Bane thought sourly, not only do we have to locate this Vendigor, we have to make sure that the cult of assassins on the trail don't claim the Sleeper and expose him to air. That would draw Ugamesh and Azalin and disaster would follow. He supposed the best they could do would be to take the comatose Vendigor back to Manhattan and seal him up in the vault in the KDF headquarters and guard him for the forseeable future. What a mess.
A buzzer sounded in his helmet. He had five minutes oxygen left. Bane stroked up to the surface to get his bearings and headed to the spot where he had entered the water. He could see Ashley and Jocelyn standing by the van. Seizing the retaining wall with both hands, he vaulted up out of the water and swung over the wall to stand up. Not bad, he thought. As far as he could tell, he had not lost any agility or flexibility as the years had gone by.
As he walked over to his teammates, he unhooked the oxygen tank and slid the visor up to take a breath of fresh air. "No luck," he said. "Give me a few minutes and I'll go in again with a fresh tank."
"Captain," Ashley said, "there's a guy over by that lamppost watching us. About eighty feet away. See him?"
"Yes. How long has he been there?"
"Maybe three minutes," Jocelyn put in. "He was walking down the street and he stopped there. I don't know if he's an enemy or just checking us out because we're two good-looking young women." She shrugged apologetically. "Well, we ARE, let's be honest."
Bane studied the man. "Unicorn, what does your Kumundu training tell you?"
She thought for a second. "Not a threat. His body language is all wrong. I don't see any hostile posture." She looked up at Bane. "That's all. He wants to come over and talk to us but he has no confidence. Now he sees you. He gives up, he's walking past us."
The Dire Wolf took a fresh oxygen tank from the van and Ashley helped him strap it on his back. Jocelyn had been staring at the water, arms folded. Without turning around, she said, "My Spectre could search faster."
"Underwater? Wouldn't it short-circuit?"
"A Gammon is not electricity. It's pure gralic force. I've sent my Red Spectre to the bottom of a lake back home." She looked over her shoulder at Bane. "It would be quicker."
"You're right," the Dire Wolf said. "I'm too used to doing everything by myself. Go ahead."
Jocelyn went to the metal bench and sat down, leaning back. With startling quickness, the bolt of dark red energy left her body with a crackle and shot through the air to plunge into the water. Standing next to the Australian girl, Ashley said, "Can she hear us when she's like this?"
"She says she can, but everything seems far away. We did a few tests on her, Sable found that her vital signs are lower but within safe limits when the Gammon leaves her." Bane glanced around the area. "Let's keep our guard up. That car slowed down when it went past but I couldn't get a look at the driver."
Unicorn's head snapped around and she glared at the van. Seeing her reaction, Bane rushed around to the other side and there were two sharp cracking noises. A second later, he threw a limp form to the cold paving. "A Gelengi!" he said. The man was wrapped in a long black coat and had been wearing a wide-brimmed hat which Bane tossed to one side. Bane held up the man's arm, showing the tattoo of a four-pointed star on the inner wrist.
"I thought I heard something, but I wasn't sure," Ashley told him. "He couldn't have been there long."
"No. The guy by the lamppost was a distraction. While we were watching him, this one snuck up on the other side of the van." Bane sounded disgusted. "No use questioning him. They work in small cells and only the cell leaders know the whole picture. This one doesn't have any useful information to give us."
"We can't just leave him there, a police car will go by sooner or later and spot him."
Bane lifted the man and dragged him up onto the bench, on the end away from Jocelyn. As he stepped back, a blur of energy rushed past him to dive into the girl's body. She gasped and sat up straight, then got to her feet.
"My Gammon found something. Almost at the base of the retaining wall, there is a flat rock on the bottom that doesn't belong there. The Gammon feels it was put there."
"You talk as if the Spectre is a separate entity?" Ashley said.
"It's hard to explain. I don't have the words for it. Captain, I can have my Gammon split the rock with a blast and you can see what's under it."
"Good. We need to hurry. The Gelengi will be closing in." He hooked the oxygen tank to the back of his helmet. "Go ahead, Jocelyn."
Again, the vague shape of dark energy left her body and plunged into the black waters. A second later, there was a flash of light beneath the surface and a muffled thumping noise. The water erupted in a small spout. The Red Spectre emerged from the Esopus Creek and paused for a second. As it hovered in mid-air, it could be seen more clearly. The Gammon was the same size and general shape of Jocelyn Garmara herself, with no visible features. It was dark red with a thin white outline around its edges. The Spectre seemed to be looking at Bane and Unicorn before heading back into the Australian girl's body.
Jocelyn shuddered. "All set. The rock is broken into pieces and there was something under it." As she spoke, Bane clicked his visor shut and swung over the retaining wall into the water. He was not under for more than a few minutes before emerging again.
"Ashley, back the van up here. Close as you can."
The Unicorn ran to start the engine and threw the van into reverse. Looking out the driver's window, she backed up until she was almost touching the retaining wall. The rear door was still open. Moving quickly, Bane thrust a bundle of wet canvas the size of a small person up over the wall, climbed over himself and flung the thing inside the van. As he closed the rear door, he snapped, "Jocelyn, get in the back!" and then leaped into the passenger seat. Without waiting to be told, Ashley pulled out of the parking lot and made a right to go back up the hill.
"How could Mark Drum set that up?" Unicorn asked.
"I think he had help. He worked with Sulak and the Sting. Where are you going?"
"How would I know?" Ashley answered. "I've never been here before. Give me some directions."
Bane checked the rearview mirror. "Just drive around for a while. Make random turns. I'll look for anyone following."
"Roger," she said and went left at the next corner, then left again. At a red light, she yanked her helmet off and let her hair down.
"Jocelyn, you okay?" Bane asked as he watched traffic behind them.
"I'm fine. I could get to like this life."
IV.
Fifteen minutes later, Bane instructed Unicorn to pull into the parking lot of a Holiday Inn. Taking out his Link, he contacted the other team. "Sable? What's your situation?"
"We found something you'll be interested in," came her voice. "Not Vendigor. But something related. How are you guys doing?"
"I think we've retrieved Vendigor. There's something wrapped in canvas, about three feet long and a foot wide, we got it from the bottom of the Esopus Creek. Gelengi assassins are in the area but I'm convinced we've shaken them off for the moment." Bane glanced around the parking lot suspiciously. "What were you going to tell me?"
"We're following some Gelengi ourselves. I might have to hang up. Trom Girl has been getting into old newspaper files. Don't ask me how she can read microfilm not online through her super-computer hookups. Do you know where the Benedictine Hospital is?"
"Sure."
"At the bottom of the hill where the hospital sits is a cemetery. Look for a gravestone four rows back from the entrance. They're pulling guns, I have to go." The connection broke off.
Bane replaced his Link. "Sounds like they're about to wipe out some assassins. Ashley, I want you to make the next right. You'll be back on Broadway. Turn left and head back the way we came."
"Okay, captain. This town doesn't impress me much, I have to say."
"It's gone downhill since I was last here," Bane admitted. "Turn right. Go to the end of this street. There's the cemetery."
The street came to a dead end and Unicorn pulled over. To their left, a hospital could be seen on top of a hill. Before them was the open gate of a large cemetery. "Who thought this was a good idea?" she demanded. "You're in the hospital and you look out your window to see a big old graveyard?!"
Jocelyn chuckled from the back seat. "It sure wouldn't give you confidence about the doctors."
Bane opened his door. "You two stay here and guard our guest in the back. I'm going to see what Sable was talking about." He walked through the open gate and into the cemetery. At the fourth row back, he lowered his visor and the light enhancers cut in. Before him was a row of simple white gravestones and the inscription on one jumped out at him. SONIA PETROV DRUM 1931-1957. Next to it was a smaller stone which read PAUL DRUM 1957. Bane stood staring at the stones with uncertain emotions. Finally, he tore himself away and went back to the van.
As he got in and slammed the door shut, he was aware the girls were watching him anxiously. "What's the matter?"
"You were standing there for the longest time," Ashley said. "We were about to call you."
"Was I? There's a stone there for Mark Drum's wife Sonia. She died the same year he did, and next to her is a stone for their son Paul. It seems mother and son both died during childbirth." He exhaled. "I'm relieved. The past month, everyone has been trying to convince me that I'm Mark Drum's son somehow. I never believed it."
"I was thinking that myself," Unicorn told him. "There was so much pointing that way. You look like him, the same hair and eyes. You were born the same time his wife was due to give birth. Even your enhanced speed could be an effect of Drum's gralic powers affecting you as a fetus. And you don't know who your parents were."
"Well, the son is buried up there. Case closed. Back to work, we need to get that Sleeper in the back down to Manhattan safely."
From the seat behind them, Jocelyn said, "That car went past us and turned around. It's coming back."
V.
Silently, Bane tucked the anesthetic dart gun under his seat and reached behind him. Held to the back of his seat with duct tape was a long-barrelled .38 Colt. He spun the chamber and thumbed the safety off and started to open his door.
"Wait, shouldn't we try to get away?"
"This is a rental car," the Dire Wolf said. "I don't want to bring it back all shot up." As he stepped out onto the cold dark sidewalk, the Camry skidded to a stop sideways, blocking their exit and the rear doors swung open. Two men in long coats and slouch hats jumped out, swinging rifles up. From the front passenger seat, another Gelengi slid the double barrels of a shotgun over the roof of the car at Bane.
Three sharp cracking shots rang out and the three Gelengi fell dead at almost the same time. Two were hit in the center of the chest, but the man with the shotgun was more covered by the car and he got a bullet in the center of his forehead. Bane had hardly seemed to take aim. The driver threw the car in reverse, obviously intending to get out of there. A fourth bullet splintered the window and drove a tunnel through his head.
With the dead man's foot still on the gas, the Camry backed up and smacked into the cemetery wall. Calmly, Bane stepped forward and leaned in through the smashed window to turn the car off. Now there was room for their van to pass. Lights were going on in every house. He went back and climbed into the passenger seat and Unicorn peeled out without waiting for instructions. She turned right and roared up the hill toward where the hospital said.
"Captain," she said quickly, "I wonder if we should get out of this town."
Bane was reloading his gun. "Yes. We have Vendigor. Shootouts with Gelengim don't get us anywhere. Turn left up here. Down the hill and then right. We'll skip the Thruway and head home on back roads."
Turning onto Rt 32, they headed south in silence. Finally, Jocelyn said from the back, "Just how many of these Gelengim ARE there anyway? We must have snuffed twenty by now."
"No one knows," Bane answered. "We're coming up on New Paltz. Are you two getting tired?"
"Yeah, and hungry," said Unicorn. "It's been a busy day."
"I could use a meal and a nap and a quick shower," put in Jocelyn. "But I suppose we need to keep moving."
Bane had been studying the traffic and seemed satisfied no one was tailing them. "I guess we can take a break. Look for a small roadside motel."
The first two motels were rejected by Bane because he didn't like their layout. The third, HAVEAREST, caught his eye and he told Unicorn to pull up the driveway to it. It was on top of a small hill, a long row of rooms with an office at one end. The VACANCY light was on. Without being told to, Ashley swung around and backed the van up so they could escape in a hurry. "Whew," she breathed. "I didn't realize it but I AM a bit beat."
Jeremy Bane had jumped out and glared searchingly in all directions. "Looks okay. Unicorn, do you have your fake IDs?"
"Two of them. And a hundred dollars in cash."
"Here," he handed her more money. "Get any room that's available for the night. I doubt there's room service but we do have lunches packed in our gear and there's a drink machine halfway down the walkway."
Jocelyn was tugging her small overnight bag from the back of the van and she paused. "Aren't you coming in with us?"
"No. I'll stand guard out here. I don't need much sleep." He handed Unicorn her knapsack and examined the canvas-wrapped form. "Vendigor shows no signs of waking, I want to keep him that way."
Heading for the manager's office, Unicorn said, "You're the boss, Jeremy. But if you want, I can relieve you in a few hours."
"Thanks. I'll let you know." Bane saw them knock on the office door and be admitted, then paced the courtyard. There were two other cars parked there and a pick-up truck. None were new and the truck had extensive rust. He was fairly sure they were okay. Gelengi rented or stole new cars because they knew nothing about repair of maintenance, but he inspected them anyway. A light went on in one room and the curtain was pulled back for a second to reveal Ashley Whitaker giving him a saucy wink. Bane raised a hand in acknowledgement.
After circling the motel, finding it backed on a steep hill with loose rocks that would be difficult to climb quietly, Bane went back to the van and got a mixed sub from his knapsack and a bottle of water. He had picked a flat rock at the top of the hill to sit. It gave him a tree by one side, in which shadow he would be mostly hidden and he could see both the van and the the front of the motel clearly. Before settling down, he unscrewed the barrel of his revolver and buried it deep in the dumpster beside the motel. He had brought a different barrel which he now attached before holstering the weapon.
Digging into the sub, Jeremy Bane tried to focus on one thought at a time. Despite what he had said, he knew very well that a good private investigator would not be satisfied with just a gravestone which might or might not have anyone buried under it. If he were working for a client, he would have investigated deeper, checked out local death notices from that year, maybe even tried to get an exhumation. But he wasn't going to. Bane was beginning to worry about his own rejection of the idea of being Mark Drum's son. His mind drew away sharply from the thought and he didn't know why. That in itself was worrisome.
No time for that now. His urgent problem was identifying who was sending these Gelengi after the Three Sleepers. Most of the really big masterminds were long dead. Wu Lung, Karl Eldritch, Arem Kamende, Simon Cohen. He didn't know of anyone active now who had the knowledge and the ambition for a project like this. And who would benefit from having the world invaded by armies and monsters from other realms? What would be the point? Temur Kasten had mentioned a "Master..."
Bane wriggled a little and got comfortable. He didn't feel the cold, long ago his body had adapted to extremes. Watching the scene, slowing his breathing to bring out his hearing, the Dire Wolf kept watch. He hadn't heard from Sable's team, but he wasn't worried. They were as good as his own original KDF team had been so many years ago. Bane realized that Jocelyn Garmara would soon be asking to join the team, to be a Tel Shai knight. He couldn't really see a good reason against her trying out. But she would have to stand before the questioning of the Teachers and against Cindy's telepathy first. The KDF had not had a mole or double agent in its membership yet, but nothing was impossible.
Four hours went by. Sitting quietly was torture for him and finally he got up and prowled the area suspiciously but spotted nothing. In two hours, it would be dawn. Taking out his Link, he buzzed Ashley and a drowsy voice answered after only a few seconds. "Unicorn on duty," she mumbled.
"We're going to have to move on soon. Get rousted."
"I hear and obey," she grumbled and broke the connection. Ten minutes went by. Bane returned to the van and checked Vendigor again, but there had been no change. At fifteen minutes, the door to the room opened and Jocelyn hurried out, carrying her overnight bag.
"Morning, captain."
"You awake?" he asked.
"I'm fine. I ate a little and went right to sleep. Ashley should be over in a minute, she's checking out." As she said this, the little blonde emerged from the manager's office and trotted over. "Here we go again!" she chirped. "Am I driving?"
"I'll take over for awhile," he said. He started up the van and pulled out onto 32. Traffic was almost nonexistent at this hour. "You guys feel better?"
"I took the hottest shower I ever had and got out of my armor for a few hours," Unicorn said. "I'm ready for anything."
Bane did not answer. Half an hour later, he stopped to put gas in the van and to watch for vehicles. Apparently the Gelengi were not on their trail. He kept going south, changing to side roads for ten or fifteen miles before returning to 32. As they neared the outskirts of the city, it was still quite dark and a cold drizzle had started. Good. Bane entered Manhattan and drove down the west side, by 11th Avenue.
"Hey," Unicorn cut in suddenly. "That was 38th Street. Aren't we going to KDF headquarters?"
"I don't think so. Nor my office. Their addresses are too well known."
"Well, go on, don't keep us in suspense."
Bane sighed. "I think we are best off going where they won't think to look for us. You two are going to see my secret hideout."
"Cool," said Unicorn with a wide grin.
VI.
Heading to Chinatown, he stopped at Mott Street and pulled over. A taxi went by and kept going. Bane scanned the area warily. "Jocelyn. Here, take this key with the black rubber ring around its handle." ,
"Right."
"When I say so, open that wooden door between the restaurant and the gift shop, and head up the stairs. Ashley, park this van a few blocks away from here and leave it. Come straight here and be alert."
"Okay, captain."
Bane got out and went around to the back of the van. "Let's be quick." He opened the back of the van and yanked the canvas bundle out over one shoulder. "Jocelyn, get the door. Ashley, take off." He closed the van door and leaped across the sidewalk through the wooden door into the building. He was only in sight for a second, not even two. As soon as he was inside, he closed the door behind him but left it ajar, and just glimpsed the van pulling away. There was a faint twinge at sending Ashley off on her own, but he suppressed it. She WAS a Tel Shai knight with six years experience and could take care of herself. Carrying the bundle as if it were weightless, he rushed up the stairs and met Jocelyn at the second floor landing.
Taking the key ring from her, he unlocked a door that said 2B in tarnished metal figures and stepped into a dark cold room. Thumbing a light switch by the door, he closed the door behind him. They were standing in a big, high-ceiling room that was almost empty. The wooden floor was open enough for a dozen people to stand comfortably. Bane crossed over and lowered the three-foot bundle as if it were weightless, then stood up and looked around.
On the back wall was the door to a closet, and a sink and toilet with a mirror over it. One wall had a window covered with opaque curtains fastened in place. The other wall had a row of jugs of water, cans and packages of non-perishable food. Sitting on the floor was a microwave and a box of plastic utensils. On the wall behind them, next to the door, was a beat-up old couch with blankets and pillows piled up on it. A radio sat on the floor next to the couch. That was it.
Jocelyn took everything in and looked up at Bane. Before he could say anything, light footsteps rapped on the stairs outside. He recognized them and opened the door to admit Unicorn. The little blonde had her dart gun in hand. "I didn't see anyone, captain. Say... what is this? Your secret cave or something?"
The Dire Wolf unfastened his helmet and placed it on top of the pile of canned food. "Exactly. I've used this place when the cops were looking for me or I was wounded too badly to keep going. Only one other person knew about it.. and now you two."
Jocelyn said, "Can we turn up the thermostat? It's freezing in here."
"Sure. It's by the door. Ashley, where's the van?"
"Municipal parking lot on Canal Street. I ran over." She glanced around. "My God, you could at least put a curtain around the toilet."
Bane smiled faintly and sat down on the couch, dumping the blankets in a pile. "No one was supposed to ever come here," he said.
The Unicorn took off her own helmet and carried it in the crook of her arm. She had holstered her dart gun and now she unbuckled the strap across her chest to remove the Unicorn horn she had been wearing. Carefully, she propped it up against the wall and stretched her arms overhead.
"I asked you about that horn before," Jocelyn said. "It takes away gralic abilities?"
"You bet. I yell my mantra, 'with this horn I remove thy power' while holding it, and everything from a warlock to a demon goes all powerless. It's what makes me useful to the team."
"Could it take away my Gammon?" she asked.
Ashley gave her a smile. "Sure. If I had to. But it wouldn't kill your Red Spectre, you just wouldn't be able to use it for a day or two."
Seated on the couch, Bane unzipped his field jacket and seemed about to kick off his heavy boots, but stopped himself. Taking the Link from its holder on his belt, he pressed a button. A few seconds later, the voice of Sable came from the speaker. "Yes, captain?"
"What's the situation, Sable?"
"We've been fighting Gelingim in a series of skirmishes. Right now, we're searching the house where Mark Drim was seen in 1957. It was remodeled and is up for sale, no one here now. I'm using my enhanced perception to look for clues. How are you three?"
"We've got what I'm sure is Vendigor, inert, wrapped in canvas. We're secured in my hideaway. Hopefully we can stay here undisturbed until your team returns."
Sable's voice hesitated. "I've been thinking, Jeremy. Someone is sending these Gelingim to find the Three Sleepers. Not one of their own cult leaders. You told me Temur Kasten is dead. I can't think of any mastermind who would benefit from having the world overrun by things from beyond. Can you?"
"Not so far," Bane admitted. "I've been wracking my brain over it, too. Temur Kasten mentioned a 'Master.' Maybe if nothing turns up soon, your team should return to New York."
"Got it. Another half hour and I will have covered the house. We'll fly the CORBY back north and return it to Headquarters and contact you. Take care."
The connection stopped and Bane returned the Link to his belt. "Now we wait."
Unicorn sniffed. "No TV. Just a crummy AM/FM radio."
Bane did not comment. He got up and took a swig from a water bottle. "You two eat whatever you want. Canned ravioli and stew, fruit cocktail, peaches, lots of soup. Apple juice. Crackers. This is an emergency hideaway, not much luxury."
Ashley went over and crouched over the canvas form. "You know, this thing feels warm to the touch. It IS warm."
"It wasn't a minute ago," Bane said, rushing over.
VII.
Tendrils of steam began to rise from the bundle. Bane scowled. "Unicorn,get your talisman out. Jocelyn, stand by. We're working without enough information here but this looks bad." He lightly touched the canvas. "It's getting hot."
Unsheathing her main sigil, Ashley drew out a three-foot length of ivory which tapered to a sharp point. The flat base at the other end was capped with silver. Holding it with both hands, she went over to stand by the Dire Wolf. Jocelyn Garmara instinctively took a place on the opposite side of the group.
As they watched, bits of the canvas became brittle and dropped off. Slowly, shreds fell to the sides. A glimpse of bright blue metal became visible. The three of them stood motionless, waiting. More of the canvas steamed and dried and fell apart. Soon, a body in metal armor was being revealed. The size and proportions were those of a child maybe seven or eight years old, completely covered in metal plate from head to foot. The helmet was featureless, without eyeholes or any openings for breath.
"Should I use the Horn?" Unicorn said anxiously.
"Wait. We may need it more when the other two---" Bane was cut off by a soundless blast of gralic force that turned the room blinding white for an instant and knocked them off their feet. Two figures in metal armor, a big man in red and a slim woman in gold, had appeared against the far wall. Ugamesh and Azalin.
"We thank you," said Ugamesh in a bodiless voice that echoed from the air.
"Yes, now our son is returned to us," added the woman in gold armor. "Too long have we been separated."
Stepping between the newcomers and the armored child on the floor, Bane said firmly, "If we have helped you, then you owe us at least a few answers. Who are you three? What are your intentions?"
Ugamesh tilted the blank plate of his helmet down at the Dire Wolf. "We are survivors of the earliest moments of the Dawn. Before the Seven Races, before the Darthan Age. We lived when the Sulla Chun spawned, when the Halarin and Halarim clashed."
"When Jordyn reshaped the world, we were cast in deep slumber for ages. Briefly, we awoke, only to be imprisoned again by a mortal of great knowledge. Now we will not be chained a third time." Azalin raised a gauntleted hand. "Come, my husband. Let us take Vendigor and leave this world."
Bane did not step aside, but his heart was pounding. He had not experienced the same feeling of being in the presence of great power since he had met Khang. "What of the prophecy? That you three will bring down the Walls Between the Worlds?"
Ugamesh snorted. "What is that to us? Your lives are but a flicker of light in the unending darkness. We will go on." He reached out and took the hand of Azalin.
"They're going to do it!" Jocelyn screamed. She sagged face down to the floor as the Red Spectre crackled from her body and rushed through the air to crash into Ugamesh like a thunderbolt. The big figure in red armor barely took a step backward from the impact. The dark energy form whirled in a loop and came at him again and Ugamesh held out his open palm. A burst of the white light flared up and the Gammon broke into segments and dropped to the floor.
As Bane and Unicorn watched in horror, the dark shimmering fragments tried to reform, slid across the wood and seeped back into the Australian girl's body. Jocelyn moaned and stirred feebly.
Ashley Whitaker was standing near to Azalin. Raising the ivory horn overhead, she yelled, "With this horn, I-" and the golden armored woman backhanded her with a smack that sounded like a rifle shot. The little blonde spun wildly to crash against the empty wall, falling to a seated position from which she slumped to her side. The Unicorn horn was been sent flying.
And with a quick step to the side, the Dire Wolf caught the talisman in one hand. Both Ugamesh and Azalin had raised their palms to blast him but in that split-second he acted. Jeremy Bane held the Unicorn sigil overhead and shouted, "With this horn I remove thy power!"
Two empty suits of armor clattered to the floor and rolled apart. No bodies were seen. Bane took a few steps back and dropped to the couch. To his surprise, he found his hands were shaking. Getting hold of himself, keeping the Unicorn horn in his grasp, he went over to where red and gold armor lay scattered. Tentatively, he prodded the Ugamesh helmet with his toe and watched it turn over. Nothing but black dust was inside. He found the same with Azalin. Barely allowing himself to feel relief, the Dire Wolf checked the third Sleeper and found the child in blue armor had also left nothing but powder behind. The pieces of armor themselves had lost their sheen and looked dull and shabby now.
Exhaling sharply, Bane went to check on his friends. Jocelyn was breathing steadily and moaned as she started to stir. He knelt before Unicorn, took her pulse and unfastened her helmet. Her eyes were open but unfocused. Bane touched her cheek and it was warm. "Ashley? Ashley, can you understand me?"
"Ummm. Hi, captain. Why does my chest hurt?"
"You got smacked by Azalin. Your Trom armor kept you from having a broken sternum."
She tried to stir but fell back down. "What- what's the situation?"
"They're gone. All Three Sleepers are dead. Only their gralic powers held them together." He got her in a more comfortable position. "The threat is over. We're all safe now."
The little blonde came back to full awareness and smiled weakly. "Great. Glad to hear it. Hey, what are you doing with my horn?"
"I had to use it," Bane explained. "It was the only way to beat them. I yelled your mantra and the Eldar magick worked against them."
Ashley pouted. "With my horn?! You got a nerve."
1/15/2014