"Secret of the Golden Shield"
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dochermes"Secret of the Golden Shield"
2/23/2005
I.
The holding cell in the 20th Street police station was old. The concrete floor was stained, the wooden benches were chipped and marked, the toilet bowl had a permanent discoloration. Keeping it pretty was apparently not high on the list of priorities. On a cold evening in late February, Jeremy Bane was led by Lt Montez to the holding cell. They were quite the opposites, visually. Bane was six feet tall, gaunt, no more than a hundred and seventy pounds. He wore a black turtleneck, sport jacket and slacks; he had black hair with a few scattered grey strands, and he had pale grey eyes under heavy brows. Montez on the other hand was a few inches shorter and a hundred pounds heavier. He wore a white dress shirt with the cuffs rolled back, dress trousers with the snap unfastened behind the belt, and he had wavy black hair and dark eyes. If he could have kept his weight down, he would be quite handsome.
"Guy's being held as a material witness," Montez explained. They walked down a hallway with frosted-glass windowed doors on every side, past detectives drinking coffee and complaining, with a constant ringing of telephones. "He was found with the decapitated body, he's got no ID and he won't give answers. Says he will only talk to you."
"Did he give a name?" asked Bane.
"Yeah. Pagan, Christopher Pagan. Guy's well dressed and seems coherent."
The Dire Wolf shook his head slightly as they approached the holding cell. Behind the bars, four big, tough thugs were sitting as far away from a blonde man as they could without climbing up on each other. The man watched them with a predatory smile that was remarkably sinister.
"One other thing," Montez whispered. "Our boys tried to search him but couldn't get their hands in his pockets. They got upset when I asked them why. They said- get this- his clothes feel like hot leather." Bane said nothing. They reached the holding cell and the man calling himself Pagan stepped forward with a grin. Before he could speak, Bane said, "Nugash, Gornak. Nugash."
Pagan gripped the bars and thrust his head forward.
"Gornak, semba gathrak-- brazo il tumbor. Sim?"
The blonde man nodded and stepped back. Again, the tough guys in the cell cringed away from him.
"That's another funny thing," Montez said. "He hasn't made any threatening moves at all, he's not a big guy but those goons are afraid to get near him. All right, Bane. Who is he? What were you saying?"
"It's a little-known language," the Dire Wolf answered. "I thought he might know it but he didn't answer and it seemed like he didn't recognize it."
"Says you. He seems to know you. Give me a name."
Bane stepped back. "Wish I could help."
"Well, THERE'S a comment that is useless. Come on, Bane, give me something to work with."
The Dire Wolf folded his arms and looked thoughtful. "I'll do some digging. He looks Central European. Has anyone come to post his bail?"
"Nope. He hasn't even made a phone call, he just asked that we get you."
"I see. Well, my name has gotten around in the underworld, I'm afraid." Bane turned and started for the door. "This is one I don't think I can be any help with. Sorry, lieutenant, but I don't know the answer to every mystery."
Montez snorted. "If you ask me, you know more than you ever tell. Okay, I don't have anything to hold YOU on! Did I tell you that this guy can't be fingerprinted? The ink just smudges, they tried all day."
"That's a new one," Bane admitted as he headed down the hall to the front desk.
Montez accompanied him, saying, "You know something about law. What are the statutes regarding suppression of evidence in a murder case?" but got no answers. Bane remarked again that he didn't know anything that could help the police, said he wished them good luck, and headed across 7th Avenue.
Now he had to move fast. He got in his silver Toyota Matrix and headed uptown. At 40th Street, he crossed over to 3rd Avenue and left his car at the Imperial Garage. He trotted north another four blocks and circled a small Golden brick building that had a walk-in emergency clinic, some doctor's offices and the Dire Wolf Agency. Bane went into the dead end alley between his building and the building next to it, which was a Thai restaurant closed at this hour.To his right was a metal door that said EXIT ONLY. He glanced at his watch. 11:24. This was going to be interesting. After five more minutes passed, the Dire Wolf broke several laws by taking a small device from an inner pocket and pushing a button. The device chirped and two dull clicks came from the door. The alarms and the lock had been undone. One of his KDF teammates had made the neutralizer with Trom technology advanced beyond Human knowledge.
From overhead, there was a loud flapping noise and a dark manlike figure dropped down out of the black sky. Bane took it by one leathery arm, "In here, quick." He tugged the Kulan in through the door, closing it behind them and reactivated the alarms and lock. They were in a very short hallway with the side of a staircase to the left. With his key, Bane unlocked a plain door with a brass plate DIRE WOLF AGENCY and ushered Gornak through. Only after he had closed the hall door behind them and it locked automatically did Bane let out a deep breath.
He turned to face a nightmarish figure, a manlike creature close to seven feet tall, with red leathery hide. it had batlike wings which were now folded, talons on fingers and toes, and a ropy tail that whipped back and forth. The creature's head was that of an enormous hound with upright ears and a long muzzle. As Bane looked up at that face, the creature said in perfectly clear English, "Thank you, captain, I had no idea what to do."
The Dire Wolf unlocked the door to the inner office and led Gornak in, thumbing on the overhead lights. He was not worried about being seen from the street. The wide window over the leather couch on the wall facing them had curtains as opaque as he could manage. "Okay, Gornak, first tell me about the escape."
The Kulan demon went to the center of the room and sat down crosslegged on the floor. With his wings and proportions, it was more comfortable than any chair. Unhesitating, Bane did the same and say down facing him a few feet away.
"I watched the clock on the wall over the desk, as you said. When the hands meant Eleven Thirty, I dropped my Veil and was revealed in my true form. From the time I ripped the cell bars free and tossed them aside, then flew down the hallway and out the front door could not have been more than three or four seconds. I rose up out of sight of those Humans on the street and flew north. When I caught your distinctive scent- all Humans have different odors as much as different faces, I dropped down beside you."
Bane whistled. "Whoa. I seriously doubt if any of the prisoners or the cop at the desk will be able to produce a clear story, much less any two of them matching up. When you released your gralic force, the security cameras as well as cell phones and computers would be frozen. They may be ruined. So I don't think there is much chance of a dragnet going out for a red Kulan. Your human guise, though, that's a different matter."
The phone on the desk rang. Bane glanced at it and ignored it. "Got to be Montez. Let it ring. No light shows under the hall door or the window.. I've checked. Even if he gets officers pounding on the door, he can't know we're here." The Dire Wolf looked back at Gornak. "He's going to be sore. Ah, not the first time."
The Kulan threw his head back and yawned, an unsettling sight considering his fangs. "Let me tell you what brought me here, captain--"
"Not just yet. I don't think Montez has grounds to get a search warrant but I wouldn't put it past him to try." The Dire Wolf jumped up. "I thought I was being way too paranoid but it seems like I was just paranoid enough." He unslung a laptop from where it hung charging in a satchel beside the desk and put it by the Kulan. Bane looked over his desk thoughtfully. The check book, the ledger, the correspondence were all innocent.. just normal accounts of the mundane murder cases he had handled. The few references to Midnight War events were on his laptop. Bane had been careful to leave as little trail as possible. He looked in the closet. Nothing there, just clothes and a cardboard box of newspaper clippings. The bathroom was also unincriminating. There was nothing in there that could not have been purchased at CVS.
Only one thing remained. Bane knelt beside the three-shelf bookcase on otherwise bare wall facing his desk. He knelt and undid a latch and then swung the case around on hidden casters. A shallow pit was revealed, chiseled out of the concrete by Bane himself quite against the terms of anyone's lease. Within it was a steamer trunk, black with Golden metal corners and a big old-fashioned lock. The Wolf lifted it up and slid it over the carpet to Gornak, then swung the bookcase back and locked it in place. The average police search would not find those latches and the pit was now empty anyway.
"We need to get moving," Bane said as he unlocked the trunk. The big padlock was a decoy, the real lock was hidden in the trim. Inside was his field suit and an assortment of weapons and tools. On top of the packed items was an oval packet wrapped in tissue paper. Bane took this and locked the trunk again.
"I need you to carry this," he said. The demon picked up the heavy trunk with one hand and held it at chest height. Bane hardly noticed, he knew Kulan were strong. Unwrapping the tissue paper revealed a beautiful pale blue faceted gem in a silver frame. This was rare indeed, less than a dozen were known to exist. Standing up, Bane crossed over to turn off the lights and walked back from memory to where the winged demon sat on the carpet. The room was almost completely dark, the only light being the faint red bulb of the cordless phone on the desk. Sitting down next to the demon, the Wolf asked, "You got that trunk?" Getting a grunt in reply, Bane placed one hand on Gornak's thick arm and his other hand on the travel crystal. "This is going to be rough," he muttered.
A brilliant flare of pure blue light swirled and was gone. When it faded, the room was empty.
II.
An identical silent burst of light flashed and died down, leaving Bane and Gornak in a shabby apartment. The Dire Wolf gasped and fell over on one side before forcing himself up again. Opening a god-gate even for just himself was a strain. Bringing along the great bulk of the demon and a steamer trunk was difficult enough that he needed a minute to catch his breath.
"Get the light- by the door, okay?"
The winged demon rose and stalked through the gloom, guided by eyes with their own lambent Golden glimmer. He threw the switch and a light bulb up by the ceiling flashed on; it had a simple shade. They were in a shabby one-room apartment, with a wood plank floor and walls with faded wallpaper. The one window looked out on a brick wall and the Venetian blinds were drawn.
Gornak looked around while Bane sat up and got shakily to his feet. The only furnishings were a long beat-up couch with blankets and a pillow on it, and an easy chair. One corner had a partition that hid a sink and toilet. There was no refrigerator or stove, but along one wall were stacks of canned food and jugs of water. An expensive medical kit sat at one end of the couch, and there was a radio on the floor. No TV. An open closet door revealed lots of clothes.
The Kulan tried to keep his voice even. "Captain, this... is your home?"
"What? Oh, hell no." Bane plopped down on the couch. "This is a hideout. I rent it under a false name. The rent is paid every month and no one in this neighborhood cares that the tenant is never seen. Whenever I come here, I either use the travel crystal or try to sneak in without anyone catching sight of me."
"Why are we here?" Gornak said, going over to the piles of food packages. "No raw meat here, I suppose?"
"No, sorry. I may not be here for weeks or months, I can't keep fresh food here. If Montez is trying to find me, he'll have men at my apartment on 47th Steet. We're down in Chinatown right now, on Canal Street. As far can I could manage it, no one knows about this place.. but now you do, of course," He dug through the boxes and cans and came up with a big bag of fruit and nut granola. "I don't know, maybe you'll like this," he said as he handed it to the demon.
Returning to the couch, Bane stretched out. It was rare for him to be this informal. "Gornak, you are still a knight of Tel Shai and a reserve member of the Kenneth Dred Foundation on retainer. Am I your boss?"
"Absolutely. This is not bad," Gornak growled as he dug through the granola. "Yes, Jeremy, I swore loyalty when I was given sanctuary in this realm. Whatever lawful orders you give me, I will obey."
"Fair enough, tell me what brought you here and why you were arrested. Take your time."
Gornak finished the bag and got a gallon jug of water, chugging nearly half of it. "Where do I start? It was two weeks ago. I was roaming the Adirondacks in my true form, flying under the moon. I had feasted on a whitetail and drunk from a stream. Life was good, but then I spotted a black SUV pulling up a trail. Humans in the territory I liked to think of as mine. I followed with some annoyance and saw them come to a stop near a camp. More people in the wilderness, what next, factories and highways? I landed behind some trees and watched. Two men came out of the tent, they were not unusual. But the man who stepped out of the car was unmistakable."
The Kulan paused and Bane said, "What, are you trying to be dramatic? Who was it?"
"Zemu."
Bane sat up straighter. "Him again! Haven't heard of him in years now. I thought he was retired, he has to be in his sixties by now. Go on."
"The Stray Dog, Zemu Watura of Chyl! I know his scent- bitter, sour, strong enough to be detected from a hundred yards away. He wore his sword at his side. The three men argued. Their voices were loud. And before you could snap your fingers, he cut off both their heads. One, two, just like that. He went into the tent and was in there a long time before going back to his SUV and driving away."
"Yep, that's Zemu," said the Dire Wolf. "Nothing he likes better than lopping off heads. Then what happened?"
"I went into the tent to see what I could learn. There was nothing in there but two knapsacks and two sleeping bags. On the ground was a ripped up envelope. There was nothing in it. On the front was written Golden SHIELD. Does that mean anything?"
"Yes," Bane said. "Go on."
"I remembered Zemu from my time in the KDF and I wanted to tell you about him. So I got in the Jeep you had provided me with and drove down to the city. I had a hard time and got lost several times, I'm sorry to admit. I was wearing the Human illusion. When I got to Manhattan, I went to our old Headquarters on 38th Street but no one was there."
"They were probably on a case."
"Just so. But I heard you were working on your own and had a detective agency. Finding it was not easy, because I did not know it was called Dire Wolf. I spent two days looking, sleeping in my Jeep. Then, yesterday I was walking in Times Square wondering if I would recognize anyone when I scented Zemu. He is unmistakable, not Human at all. On 36th Street is a travel agency but on the second floor is somthing called GENUINE CHINESE BARBER SHOP. The door was open and the scent was strong. I went up the stairs and found a dead man. Asian, I believe you Humans call them. His head had been severed as neatly as you could wish and I stood there looking at him. No one else was there. The body was fresh! I am a hunter, I know the smell of blood just spilled. Then your New York Police came up the stairs."
"That's just bad luck," Bane interrupted. "Zemu had probably just left before you got there."
"What should I have done? I did not understand most of what they said. They pointed their guns at me and, as you know, I cannot be hurt by those things but I wanted to find you. So I went with them and asked them to call you to come see me."
The Dire Wolf got up. "Zemu again. He's always bad news. You know he's a Yugen swordsman from Chyl, but you may not know he's an outcast. He broke every law they have and they banished him, so for the past forty years he has gone from realm to realm as a killer for hire." He broke off. "His sword might be able to slice you, Gornak. I know your hide is tough, but Chyl swords are masterpieces. If you confront him, don't assume his blade will just bounce off your skin."
"If you say so, Jeremy. Tell me of this Golden Shield."
Always restless and hyper-active, Bane moved back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back. "Here's what I remember reading in Mr Dred's notes. In 1971, John Robert Chase tried to make five outlaws into heroes. He assembled them, gave them a mansion to live in and sent them on missions he selected. The Golden Shield itself was a metal plate, five-sided, maybe ten feet to a side. When the five stood at its points, the Shield transported them and protected them from attack. I guess it had a force field, I don't really know. Zemu was one of the Golden Shield five, he was young and still little-known in those days. The Hangman was another, he carried the Seeking Noose. Who else? Dr Kobal. I can't remember the other two offhand."
The Wolf stood in front of Gornak. "The Golden Shield was an experiment that failed. Chase meant well, but the bad guys he chose were just too bad to be reformed. They were betrayed by one of their own in an attempt to turn a bodyguard mission into a kidnapping. The Hangman was killed and the Golden Shield project was abandoned."
"So what is going on now?" Gornak asked, finishing the water.
"Could be a couple of things. Zemu could be trying to retrieve the Shield itself, he could be looking for loot that was hidden while he was a member, or he could just be killing people connected because he enjoys it. I think our next step is to go to that barber shop and see if we can spot any clues the police missed."
Gornak rose to where his houndlike ears grazed the ceiling and as his batwings spread wide, he said, "I cannot walk city streets like this, captain."
Bane looked at him. "Yeah. Could be a problem. Although, with your wings folded... let me see." He went into the closet and came out with a clear bag of clothes. "These were Khang's and he was taller than you. We measured him at seven feet six inches. His raincoat would fit you. The shirt, the trousers, maybe not the boots, but he did have huge feet. We had boots made special for him."
Obediently, Gornak tried struggling into the oversized clothes. He got the heavy wool trousers on, and managed to jam his feet into the boots, although he had to leave them unlaced. The white dress shirt was a problem. Bane took one of his daggers and sliced vertical slits in the back so Gornak's wings could get through. The tan raincoat and fedora were next.
The Kulan was a ludicrous sight, with fanged muzzle extending seven inches out past the hat brim. "With the best luck in the world, this is the most hopeless disguise ever," he grumbled.
"Ah, we're not done yet. Cast your Human illusion."
Cold flame crackled over Gornak for an instant. This was a power granted to him, not available to other Kulan. His body did not change, Christopher Pagan was just an illusion that moved and spoke as he did. This was why the prisoners in the holding cell had been so afraid of Pagan.. when they got too near or tried to push him around, they sensed fangs and talons they could not see. Now, the shape of a Human man with dark blonde hair and dark eyes appeared but he was wearing Khang's clothes and he was almost seven feet tall.
"This is a surprise," Gornak said, looking down at himself.
"I wasn't sure it would work. The Veil is a tricky illusion and it's not my area." Bane stepped back. "Eh. You're conspicuous but you sure don't look like the prisoner that Lt Montez saw. Good enough."
The Dire Wolf dropped his sport jacket on the couch and got the field jacket from the trunk they had brought. This was a waist-length garment of a tough leatherlike material, with pouches and flaps holding various gimmicks. Bane was already wearing the flexible Trom armor under his street clothes, but the field jacket had its own inner layer of the armor and its cuffs were further stiffened for blocking blows. Bane changed the anesthetic dart clip in his air gun for some resonance caps. "We're ready. Let's see if anyone is in the hall." He turned off the lights and went over to the door.
Peeking out with the old pocket mirror trick, Bane saw the coast was clear and got down the stairs to the tiny foyer, with Gornak as Pagan looming over him. As far as he could tell, no one had seen them as they stepped out onto Mott Street. On a cold night after midnight, the streets were thinning out but there were people hurrying along, bundled in their coats and scarfs.
"We've got a three mile walk." Bane zipped up his jacket. "And no, you can't fly carrying me."
III.
They stopped before the doorway and stared up at the neon sign that read GENUINE CHINESE BARBER SHOP. It was off. Golden Police tape stretched in an X across the door and Bane reached to detach it when Gornak, "Wait." The disguised demon sniffed the frigid air. "I can pick up the scent. It hasn't rained, and his odor is so strong a Kulan pup could follow it."
Bane stepped away from the door. "We each bring our talents to the team. Lead on."
As Gornak loped away down the street audibly snuffling, Bane trotted close behind. He could not repress a faint smile. Over his long career, he worked with some unusual teammates but Gornak was unique. A Kulan demon from Fanedral, a species bred for thousands of years to be savage killers, and the Red Slashers were the most vicious of all. And yet, in exchange for refuge, Gornak had given it all up and lived here without taking Human life. The Dire Wolf watched the Kulan with a warm feeling. He himself had been a thief and hired bodyguard before being hired by Kenneth Dred. Everyone had told Dred that this strange young man with the hostile eyes was going to be nothing but trouble, but Dred had seen something worth saving. Bane still thought of the man with near reverence. Not only had Dred left him a vast fortune and a life work, he had believed in a lonely orphan. Watching Gornak now made Bane think back and remember Kenneth Dred.
Lost in those thoughts, he was surprised when they reached 11th Avenue, within sight of the river. It was after one and bitter cold, and no one was out. An occasional car rolled past with loud music booming and racuous laughter coming from it. Gornak came to a stop at a flophouse, once a ritzy family home a century ago but now a cheap hotel that rented rooms by the week or the hour. The Kulan went past the hotel, came back and sniffed loudly. A faded sign over the front door said LUCKY STAR - CLEAN AND COMFORTABLE. Gornak turned to Bane and muttered, "He is in here. There is no doubt."
The Dire Wolf took in the scene. The building on the other side seemed boarded up and deserted. He went into the alley between that building and hotel, stepping around garbage and wrinkling his nose at the smell of urine. Only two windows on this side were lit. Motioning Gornak to come closer, Bane said in a low voice, "I want you to get rid of those clothes and drop the illusion. Then, quietly get up by those windows and have a look."
In a few seconds, Khang's clothes had been folded and placed on a clean windowsill. Golden flame crackled and Gornak stretched his wings their full width. with just a slow flapping, he rose up to the lighted window on the first floor and then sidled over to the window on the third floor. Then he descended and whispered to his captain, "I don't see Zemu."
Bane said,"Anything interesting?"
"A dead man with his head cut off. On the second floor."
The Dire Wolf took a deep breath. "I have to get a good look. Keep watch." With that, Bane drew back a few feet and lunged forward and up, landing on the ledge of the window on the first floor, leaping straight up to grab the ledge on the second floor. He pulled himself up to eye level. The room had a floor lamp on, showing a beheaded corpse. It was another Asian, thin and middle-aged. The head was several feet away. Bane stared for a few more minutes, memorizing what he saw. Then he let go and dropped lightly to the alley.
"Not as easy as it used to be," he said, flexing his aching fingers. "I'm getting old. Gornak, if our boy isn't in there, there should be a trail leading away from here, right?"
The Kulan was wrestling with the oversized clothes and not getting too far. Bane helped him. As the disguise was more or less in place, Gornak put up his human illusion and there stood the image called Christopher Pagan again. "I'm sorry, Jeremy. The spoor ends at the sidewalk."
"He probably got in a car." Bane looked back at the window on the second floor. "I have to check. It's a risk but we need something to go on. Gornak, I want you to stand guard." With that, the Dire Wolf repeated his run and leap, got to the second floor and managed to hang on with one hand long enough to pry the window open. He got up on his elbows and wriggled in. The whole process took longer and was more difficult than he remembered such activities as being. Once he got inside the room, he needed a few seconds to stretch and get back to normal. Then he started searching but was not rewarded with anything substantial. There were take-out containers and beer cans, but nothing useful. The dead man had the usual debris in his pockets, including a wallet with more than a hundred dollars and some credit cards. He had hoped for something more interesting. Skimming over the rest of the room, he found nothing identifying Zemu other than the headless corpse.
Annoyed and getting impatient, Bane finally found something on the dresser. There were two crumbled up receipts and as he picked them up, flashing blue and red lights showed outside. The Dire Wolf leaped to the window and dove through, coming down on the alley floor with more impact than he would have liked. A police cruiser was at the front door of the hotel and another one was pulling up from the other direction. Grabbing Gornak by the arm, he pulled the Kulan out of the other side of the alley and across the street into a doorway.
IV.
"Stand by," Bane said. He ran two blocks to the east, turned and approached the crime scene at a brisk walk. One of the cops by the front door of the hotel recognized him. "You again. Well this is right up your alley, Mr Dire Wolf. Montez said to let you in if you showed up at one of these gruesome murders." He waved Bane through.
The lobby was about what you would expect, dead plants in pots in the corner, a calendar that had the previous month still showing. Behind the desk was a scrawny old man in his t-shirt, glasses down on the end of his nose. He made no protest as Bane strode through and up the creaky stairs. One door was open, light streaming out, and he knocked sharply on the wall before sticking his head in. One uniformed officer was taking notes as Lt Montez squatted near the body.
"Oh, hiya," Montez said sourly. "What brings you to this neighborhood at 3 am?"
"I own a scanner," Bane said. "I was up anyway." He took one step inside the room. "Forensics on their way?"
"Yeah, don't move stuff around. I'm disappointed, I thought the Dire Wolf would have something for me."
"I think I know who's doing this beheading. It's a guy with no nose."
That stopped Montez. He stood up and turned to face Bane. "He got his nose cut off?"
"No, he was born that way. Freaky looking guy, he has skin kind of a tawny color, like a lion."
"You got a name for this cutie?"
"Zemu. Z-E-M-U. Last name is Watura, he's not American."
"Doesn't sound like it. Tell me more."
"My feeling is he's looking for something. Zemu is a career criminal, you might say, a mercenary. He doesn't use guns but he uses his sword whenever he gets an excuse."
"I love my job. It gets better and better. What about your pal that kicked open the holding cell and ran out the door?"
"Wish I could help. I'm trying to catch Zemu, he's dangerous." Bane looked around the room. "Any connection between this poor soul and the one in the barber shop?"
"Nothing so far," Montez rubbed his stubble drowsily. "Both Chinese, one from Taiwan. Names Lau Sing-Tao and Cheung Tsu-Wing. No records."
"I see. I'll be by later today, I have some informers to question. But, lieutenant, I think your men should realize Zemu is a genuine threat even to an armed officer. He's skilled and he's fast and he likes to kill."
"I know, I know, I seen them samurai movies. We'll be careful."
Bane turned to go. "Never a dull night in this town."
Going back down to the street, the Dire Wolf watched as the forensics squad arrived with their carload of equipment. He knew it would be an hour or more before they would be ready to make a statement. He went up the next block where Gornak still lurked, filling a darkened doorway from top to bottom. "Everything good?" he asked.
"Nothing has happened here," Gornak growled. "Smelling that blood has me hungry, though."
"Don't say things like that to outsiders, my friend. Come on, we'll head to my place and stop somewhere to get you something." They headed east and found a 24-hour convenient shop. Bane bought Gornak two packs of all-beef hot dogs and got a ham and cheese sandwich for himself. They ate as they walked and got over to 3rd Avenue. It was almost four by now, a freezing wind had come up and Manhattan looked deserted. Somewhere out there is Zemu, Bane thought, and I have no idea what he's up to. At 47th Street, they stepped up the stoop to Bane's apartment building and went up one flight of stairs.
Bane's apartment was modest and neat, not luxurious. As he turned on the lights, he realized the place was chilly and he went to the thermostat. "You Kulan are desert dwellers," he said. "This must be rough on you."
"We are taught to bear hardship. What now, captain?"
"Now? I think a few hours sleep is on the agenda. Will you be comfortable out here?"
"Of course. To be honest, I am getting tired myself."
"All right. The refrigerator's in the corner there, help yourself to anything in it. I will be getting up in maybe four hours or so." With that the Dire Wolf went into his bedroom. Gornak wriggled out of the clothing, assumed his real form. He flapped his wings to stretch them after being folded for too long. Then he got down on the rug, curled up like a dog, and went to sleep with a satisfied sigh.
V.
At nine, Bane sat up fully awake. He still slept soundly and woke up refreshed, ravenous and ready to go. Peeking out his bedroom door, he saw Gornak snoring peacefully on the floor. The Dire Wolf ran into the bathroom adjoining his bedroom, shaved while in the shower, and toweled himself dry. He dressed in his usual outfit of black slacks and turtleneck, with steeled-capped boots but he paused before putting on one of the sport jackets. He still had the heavier field jacket with him from the night before. He put this on and remembered the trunk with his other gear was still at his Canal Street hideout. He'd have to retrieve that first thing.
Brushing his still damp hair with his fingers, Bane went out into the living room. Waking up a seven foot demon with fangs, talons and fighting hooks on its elbows was nothing to be done carelessly. He went to the refrigerator, opened a package of hamburger and waved it in the air. Gornak sniffed. One Golden eye snapped open and he sat up. "Ah, good morning, captain."
"Morning, Gornak. I've got some sausage and four eggs."
"Excellent. What will you have?"
Bane smiled. "Corn flakes and a banana, I guess." He put all the meat on a plate and handed it to the Kulan, and got his cold cereal and ate as he listened to the gobbling noises. When they both were done, Bane did the dishes and said, "I think we will make some progress today. I remember the names of the victims, Lau and Leung. I want to get the rest of their names from Montez but they were two lieutenants of Wu Lung stationed in the New York area. Montez wouldn't know about that. The NYPD didn't handle Wu Lung, he mostly operated around Asia. So we know something the cops don't."
"Wu Lung. How long as he been dead now?"
"Twenty-five years. Since his final tournament. His empire fragmented after his death and no one managed to reorganize it. It broken into smaller rackets. I don't know why Zemu is killing Wu Lung stooges when he is after the Golden Shield.. unless, of course, Wu got hold of the shield at some early time. Bane started brewing tagra tea. "That's my first theory. Of course, I'm a better fighter than detective."
He came over to offer Gornak a cup. Seeing the ferocious demon delicately sipping hot tea from a mug that said DAYTONA BEACH was a surreal sight. Bane sipped his own cup. Tagra was extinct in the real world, only available at Tel Shai. It gave enhanced healing and resistance to injury, as well as a calmer spirit. Bane figured a diet of tagra had helped Gornak function without going berserk. "And I have remembered a little more about the Golden Shield. Zemu was one of the five. The Hangman was another, he was killed in the big showdown. Dr Kobal retired and lives in Okali. Another member was called Sea King, and the more I think about it, the more I think it was our old friend Atron Ke under an alias."
"I remember Atron," growled Gornak. "He struck Valera and I thrashed him like a pup."
"Yep. The final member was a character called Victory Eagle. He was a veteran of World War Two, wore a patriotic red, white and blue costume with a mask. I don't remember anything else about him."
Gornak got to his feet. "What is our plan, captain?"
"Find the remaining Wu Lung lieutenants, hopefully before Zemu does." He pulled out his cell phone and punched a number. "Bleak? Yeah, Dire Wolf here. You been following the beheadings? Yes, I hoped you would. You know who they used to work for, right? The Dragon of War. I think someone bad from outside the world has been killing them and I want to intercept him before the next strike. Two names would be fine, yes. A thousand each? Okay, I suppose. Stop by my office in a few days. Give me the addresses. Got it. Okay, thanks, Bleak. I'll have the cash for you."
Hanging up, Bane said, "He's reliable. He was hurt badly by the Midnight War and now he wants to help rein in the bad boys. Not for free, though." He got into the field jacket and threaded the air pistol holster through his belt. "Okay, buddy, one more time into those clothes." He picked up Khang's woolen trousers as Gornak muttered unhappily.
Once Gornak was dressed and in his Human guise again, although still seven feet tall, Bane led him from the apartment and down to the street. It was still freezing out but at least the sun was shining. They walked down to the office building on 44th Street, where Bane stopped to get his business mail from the row of boxes. Going into his office, the Dire Wolf said, "This might be a slack day. Zemu has done his killing at night, he always has. I will have to drive down to police headquarters and listen to Lt Montez give me a hard time for not already ending this case instantly. What do you want to do?"
"I want to go hunting. But I know that's not going to happen." He shrugged. "I have not been in the city for years. My former teammates are all gone, sad to say. Maybe I will go see a movie. Or just eat and sleep, I can do that easily enough."
"Just be back here by dusk." Bane took a spare key from his desk and handed it to the Kulan. "Here. You have money?"
"Yes. My weekly stipend as a reserve member is generous. I have a debit card with me."
"Fine. You know, I would recommend you walk a few blocks over to the deli on Lexington and buy tons of meat and bring it back here. It wouldn't kill you to eat some vegetables and fruit once in a while."
Gornak rumbled deep in his chest, "I suppose. I still have my Link if you need to reach me."
"Sounds like a plan. I'm sorry there's no TV here but there is a radio on that shelf next to the police scanner." Bane went over to the cordless phone on his desk and checked his messages. "Nothing that can't wait."
Gornak accompanied him to the street and started heading for the deli. He stood out in the crowd, but then this was Manhattan and he was by no means the strangest sight walking around. Bane headed south a few blocks and retrieved his car from Imperial Garage. He was dying to see the damage Gornak had done escaping, but the holding cell was on the other side of the building from Montez' office. The next two and a half hours were spent swapping questions and answers. Over the years, Montez had come to accept that Bane was useful in situations outside normal police expertise. Like Inspector Klein before him, he had even come to rely on the Dire Wolf when the weird and inexplicable happened in his domain. Shortly before noon, the two men ran dry of things to say and Bane left.
Standing outside, he remembered the two receipts he had taken and looked at them but didn't see anything useful about them. His next stop was the rundown building where his Mott Street hideaway was, but there were too many people walking around to suit him. If he could, he did not want to be spotted near the place. Once its secret got out, he would have to relocate. Reluctantly, he decided to come back after dark.
Leaving his car at the garage, he went back to his office and found Gornak was not there. The wastepaper basket was filled with butcher paper and wrappers and bones. So at least the Kulan had been there. Bane went over to his desk and returned a few phone calls, then went through his mail. It was only one-thirty. Bane surprised himself by kicking off his boots and stretching out on the leather couch. He seldom took a nap, usually a few hours sleep a night was enough but he dozed off in seconds. Just before five o'clock, he stirred and sat up. Now he felt back to normal. An afternoon sitting around the office with nothing to do would have been unbearable. Bane went to the tiny bathroom and washed up. This time of year, it was already getting dark outside.
Just as he was getting ready to go, the front door unlocked and Gornak came in. The Kulan looked happy, although it was hard to tell. "Have fun today?" he asked the demon.
"Very much so. I went to the Museum of Natural History. And I thought Fanedral had some strange life forms! I want to relocate to Australia, Jeremy."
"That's up to you. I don't see why not." He slipped on the field jacket and fastened its front. "You ready to go on duty?"
"Absolutely." The demon's image flickered for a second. Bane thought, maybe he was holding the illusion too long?
Bane led the Kulan back to the 40th Street garage. He had first thought it would be more convenient to pay for a reserved spot in the office building's parking lot, but the garage was not open to the elements and it had a security guard on duty 24 hours. The Matrix was roomy enough with Gornak in the back seat and with the front passenger seat slid up as far as it would go. They pulled out just as a few flakes began to fall. Heading south, Bane stopped at Mott Street. He gave Gornak the key to the secret hideout and had him run up the stairs and come down with the trunk, stowing it in the back of the Matrix. Bane felt relieved. If anyone asked who they had seen going in that apartment, the description would certainly not match him.
They rolled south a few more blocks and turned west, almost to the river. Once you got to Chinatown, the near geometric layout of Manhattan dissolved into a maze of short streets and random intersections. Bane found a parking spot two blocks away from a big house with grey aluminum siding. There was a sign on a post, LUCKY STAR TRAVELS. From under his seat, the Dire Wolf took a pair of binoculars and studied the house. Every light seemed to be on but he spotted no one moving. "Gornak, listen. You see that house with the LUCKY STAR sign?"
"Yes."
"I want you to walk past it and see if you can smell Zemu. Go past the house, circle the block and come back here."
"I understand," said the demon, getting gratefully out of the back seat and stretching before heading up the street. Bane watched him, saw the Kulan hesitate for a second before the house and then continue on. He went left, around the block and came back to get back in the car. "Nothing, Jeremy. He has not been there."
"All right, we'll have to wait."
An hour went by. Gornak asked why Bane had stepped down as leader of the new KDF team. Bane explained the new team was ready to work on their own, Sable being a fine leader. If he had stayed there, they would have continued to rely on him. But he still owned the building, he rented it to them and if for any reason the team disbanded, he would go back to living there. As it was, he lived and worked not far away. Gornak asked what had happened to Cindy, and was told she had accepted the post as Teacher at Tel Shai after the death of Anulka. Bane still visited her and she was going to be allowed to return to the world soon for a brief hiatus... a first for a Teacher. Then Gornak asked what had Bane been doing since he opened the Dire Wolf agency and got a rundown of the various cases. The Sisterhood of the All-Seeing Eye, the Pumpkin Face Murders, the Hunchback of Hollywood. By now, it was ten-thirty and the streets were emptying
A black Chrysler Touring eased up in front of the house and turned off its lights. As Bane watched through the binoculars, four men got out and marched up to the front door. Three of them were unremarkable men in winter coats, but the leader was unmistakable. No Human had a face like that. One of the men went to the back of the house, but the leader and two thugs knocked on the door and were admitted. "Here we go," said Bane. "We can't give Zemu time. Cheung can't tell him where the Golden Shield is and he'll lose his head." He got out from behind the wheel and motioned for Gornak to follow him.
A block away, he saw the red flash of a cigarette flare up. That was the lookout man. It was a long shot for the airgun. Bane walked closer, the weapon in his hand and safety off. When he saw the sentry had spotted him, the Dire Wolf extended his arm full length and fired three times. The anesthetic darts were long-barbed and hit with a real punch, but they would not pentrate a heavy down-filled coat. One of the darts snagged the man in the throat, he twitched at the sudden sting and dropped face down. Bane said quietly, "Go to the back and force the door. Be ready when the action starts."
The demon loped forward in the darkness, and Bane walked up to the front of the house after checking to make sure there was no one left in the SUV. He strode up to the door, found it unlocked and walked in as a sword blade hissed at his neck.
VI.
Faster than an untrained eye could follow, the Dire Wolf flashed his left arm up in a outward block. The sword rebounded off the double layer of Trom armor and Bane blasted a front snap kick to the face that caught Zemu on the side of the jaw. They both drew back.
Zemu twirled her sword in a defensive pattern. "You!"
"Nice to be recognized," Bane said. "I know something you don't, Stray Dog. That man can't tell you where the Golden Shield is because he doesn't know."
"And you do, therefore." In the bright lights of a hallway with office doors on either side, Zemu Watura was a bizarre sight. Bundled in a topcoat, scarf and wide-brimmed slouch hat, he still could not pass for Human. There was no hair on his head, as Bane had said he had tawny skin like a lion, and pointed ears. Under a protruding brow ledge were eyes with black sclera and red irises. But what marked him most was that he had no nose at all, just a bulge between eyes and mouth. The Stray Dog slowly brought his sword to rest with point on the carpet.
"I know," Bane said. "But it's out of your reach, Zemu. You can't steal it."
"Steal? Oh no, I am the last surviving member of the Five, it is rightfully mine."
Bane took in the scene as he spoke. On a bench to his right sat a terrified Chinese man well past middle age. On either side of him were two goons, not distinguishable from any score of thugs available for hire. Zemu would need normal-looking people to act as his agents. He caught all this without taking his attention off Zemu long enough for an attack. Now he said, "Wrong again. The shield was the property of John Robert Chase. He did not give it to you. The Golden Shield was an experiment that failed, it ended in betrayal and murder. Let me guess which member was the traitor!"
The Stray Dog lowered his brow ledges until his eyes could hardly be seen. "Even you dare not speak such accusation."
"Watch me. Stray Dog! You were exiled from your homeland for your crimes. The Zoku-ya struck your name from their rolls. You lost all honor. I think nothing is beneath you now."
Zemu spoke over his shoulder. "You two, take the prisoner into another room. This man and I have words to speak to each other." As he spoke, before the goons could obey, Bane attacked. This caught Zemu offguard, and he brought his sword up an instant too late. The Dire Wolf got in close and threw a barrage of short straight punches to the chest and ribs, so fast and so hard they sounded like machine-gun fire. Zemu stepped back, and Bane brought both hands up to clap hard on the Stray Dog's ears-- a killing blow. Still in the same attack, the Wolf hopped back and threw a high side kick that caught Zemu in the throat. Any normal Human would be dead but although Zemu reeled back in pain, he kept his feet. Bane got in close, yanked out the Stray Dog's sword hand and wrested the weapon loose, kicking it far to one side just as a tawny fist crashed like a hammer against the back of his head.
Bane rolled and managed to land on top of the sword. At least he had managed to get it away. He saw Zemu knot his powerful fists and start to stalk toward him... and he saw Gornak in his true form looming up behind the Stray Dog.
"Gornak! Take him!" yelled Bane. The Kulan roared, deafeningly loud in the enclosed space and pounced. Zemu had half turned before the demon was on top of him. They thrashed about for a few seconds. Zemu was powerful and skilled, but he was no match for a Kulan of Fanedral. Yanking the Stray Dog to his feet with a taloned paw grasping his coat, Gornak brought his free hand around like an axe. The impact was crisp and decisive, and Zemu fell limp as a sack of laundry to the floor.
Cautiously, the Kulan knelt and inspected the stunned warrior. "He will live. I have kept my oath. I have not killed anyone."
"I'm glad to hear that," Bane said as he got up. "And I'm glad you were here." he inspected his left sleeve, with the jacket material sliced to expose the armor beneath. "You know, I was all set to punch it out with him for five or ten minutes. I can take him, not without a few days of limping and groaning myself. But I thought, what's the point? I'm tired of slugfests. I don't have to prove anything." He stepped over to clap Gornak on the shoulder. "And not with a teammate like you available."
The back door slammed and a few seconds later, the Chrysler out front roared away. Bane watched its tailights whip away through the window of the house. "Zemu's henchmen. With him defeated, they have no reason to stick around." He went to the office next door where Cheung stood trembling. "It's all over," Bane told him in passable Cantonese. "The monster has been defeated. We will take him away. You are safe." With that, Bane asked Gornak to pick the limp Zemu up. As the Kulan threw the Stray Dog over one arm, Bane took his pulse and checked that he was in fact alive.
"It's tempting to just execute him," Bane said. "After all, I never took an oath not to take life. But we'll send him back to Chyl like this. There's a death sentence on his head, let his own people deal with him." He went to bring the Toyota Matrix to the front of the house from where it had been parked, and Gornak dumped the unconscious Zemu in the passenger seat. They judged he would not be reviving anytime soon.
After a few more encouraging words to Cheung, who was starting to breathe normally, Bane got in the driver's seat and pulled away. He headed to East 38th Street and stopped in front of a familiar 10-story building. "KDF headquarters," he said. "Mr Dred bought the building from Dr Vitarius in 1937. He spent the rest of his life collecting knowledge andf encouraging heroism."
"And you have carried on his work," Gornak put in from the back seat.
"Yes. I've tried. You know the Golden Shield was a powerful protective talisman. Gralic attacks could not penetrate in from its edges. It was a shield in every sense." Bane paused, looking at the building where he had lived for many years. "After Chase realized his team had failed, he wanted to put the Golden Shield to good use. In 1972, Mr Dred had the front hall torn up and redone. The Golden Shield lies under that front hall, still protecting those within."
4/9/2013
2/23/2005
I.
The holding cell in the 20th Street police station was old. The concrete floor was stained, the wooden benches were chipped and marked, the toilet bowl had a permanent discoloration. Keeping it pretty was apparently not high on the list of priorities. On a cold evening in late February, Jeremy Bane was led by Lt Montez to the holding cell. They were quite the opposites, visually. Bane was six feet tall, gaunt, no more than a hundred and seventy pounds. He wore a black turtleneck, sport jacket and slacks; he had black hair with a few scattered grey strands, and he had pale grey eyes under heavy brows. Montez on the other hand was a few inches shorter and a hundred pounds heavier. He wore a white dress shirt with the cuffs rolled back, dress trousers with the snap unfastened behind the belt, and he had wavy black hair and dark eyes. If he could have kept his weight down, he would be quite handsome.
"Guy's being held as a material witness," Montez explained. They walked down a hallway with frosted-glass windowed doors on every side, past detectives drinking coffee and complaining, with a constant ringing of telephones. "He was found with the decapitated body, he's got no ID and he won't give answers. Says he will only talk to you."
"Did he give a name?" asked Bane.
"Yeah. Pagan, Christopher Pagan. Guy's well dressed and seems coherent."
The Dire Wolf shook his head slightly as they approached the holding cell. Behind the bars, four big, tough thugs were sitting as far away from a blonde man as they could without climbing up on each other. The man watched them with a predatory smile that was remarkably sinister.
"One other thing," Montez whispered. "Our boys tried to search him but couldn't get their hands in his pockets. They got upset when I asked them why. They said- get this- his clothes feel like hot leather." Bane said nothing. They reached the holding cell and the man calling himself Pagan stepped forward with a grin. Before he could speak, Bane said, "Nugash, Gornak. Nugash."
Pagan gripped the bars and thrust his head forward.
"Gornak, semba gathrak-- brazo il tumbor. Sim?"
The blonde man nodded and stepped back. Again, the tough guys in the cell cringed away from him.
"That's another funny thing," Montez said. "He hasn't made any threatening moves at all, he's not a big guy but those goons are afraid to get near him. All right, Bane. Who is he? What were you saying?"
"It's a little-known language," the Dire Wolf answered. "I thought he might know it but he didn't answer and it seemed like he didn't recognize it."
"Says you. He seems to know you. Give me a name."
Bane stepped back. "Wish I could help."
"Well, THERE'S a comment that is useless. Come on, Bane, give me something to work with."
The Dire Wolf folded his arms and looked thoughtful. "I'll do some digging. He looks Central European. Has anyone come to post his bail?"
"Nope. He hasn't even made a phone call, he just asked that we get you."
"I see. Well, my name has gotten around in the underworld, I'm afraid." Bane turned and started for the door. "This is one I don't think I can be any help with. Sorry, lieutenant, but I don't know the answer to every mystery."
Montez snorted. "If you ask me, you know more than you ever tell. Okay, I don't have anything to hold YOU on! Did I tell you that this guy can't be fingerprinted? The ink just smudges, they tried all day."
"That's a new one," Bane admitted as he headed down the hall to the front desk.
Montez accompanied him, saying, "You know something about law. What are the statutes regarding suppression of evidence in a murder case?" but got no answers. Bane remarked again that he didn't know anything that could help the police, said he wished them good luck, and headed across 7th Avenue.
Now he had to move fast. He got in his silver Toyota Matrix and headed uptown. At 40th Street, he crossed over to 3rd Avenue and left his car at the Imperial Garage. He trotted north another four blocks and circled a small Golden brick building that had a walk-in emergency clinic, some doctor's offices and the Dire Wolf Agency. Bane went into the dead end alley between his building and the building next to it, which was a Thai restaurant closed at this hour.To his right was a metal door that said EXIT ONLY. He glanced at his watch. 11:24. This was going to be interesting. After five more minutes passed, the Dire Wolf broke several laws by taking a small device from an inner pocket and pushing a button. The device chirped and two dull clicks came from the door. The alarms and the lock had been undone. One of his KDF teammates had made the neutralizer with Trom technology advanced beyond Human knowledge.
From overhead, there was a loud flapping noise and a dark manlike figure dropped down out of the black sky. Bane took it by one leathery arm, "In here, quick." He tugged the Kulan in through the door, closing it behind them and reactivated the alarms and lock. They were in a very short hallway with the side of a staircase to the left. With his key, Bane unlocked a plain door with a brass plate DIRE WOLF AGENCY and ushered Gornak through. Only after he had closed the hall door behind them and it locked automatically did Bane let out a deep breath.
He turned to face a nightmarish figure, a manlike creature close to seven feet tall, with red leathery hide. it had batlike wings which were now folded, talons on fingers and toes, and a ropy tail that whipped back and forth. The creature's head was that of an enormous hound with upright ears and a long muzzle. As Bane looked up at that face, the creature said in perfectly clear English, "Thank you, captain, I had no idea what to do."
The Dire Wolf unlocked the door to the inner office and led Gornak in, thumbing on the overhead lights. He was not worried about being seen from the street. The wide window over the leather couch on the wall facing them had curtains as opaque as he could manage. "Okay, Gornak, first tell me about the escape."
The Kulan demon went to the center of the room and sat down crosslegged on the floor. With his wings and proportions, it was more comfortable than any chair. Unhesitating, Bane did the same and say down facing him a few feet away.
"I watched the clock on the wall over the desk, as you said. When the hands meant Eleven Thirty, I dropped my Veil and was revealed in my true form. From the time I ripped the cell bars free and tossed them aside, then flew down the hallway and out the front door could not have been more than three or four seconds. I rose up out of sight of those Humans on the street and flew north. When I caught your distinctive scent- all Humans have different odors as much as different faces, I dropped down beside you."
Bane whistled. "Whoa. I seriously doubt if any of the prisoners or the cop at the desk will be able to produce a clear story, much less any two of them matching up. When you released your gralic force, the security cameras as well as cell phones and computers would be frozen. They may be ruined. So I don't think there is much chance of a dragnet going out for a red Kulan. Your human guise, though, that's a different matter."
The phone on the desk rang. Bane glanced at it and ignored it. "Got to be Montez. Let it ring. No light shows under the hall door or the window.. I've checked. Even if he gets officers pounding on the door, he can't know we're here." The Dire Wolf looked back at Gornak. "He's going to be sore. Ah, not the first time."
The Kulan threw his head back and yawned, an unsettling sight considering his fangs. "Let me tell you what brought me here, captain--"
"Not just yet. I don't think Montez has grounds to get a search warrant but I wouldn't put it past him to try." The Dire Wolf jumped up. "I thought I was being way too paranoid but it seems like I was just paranoid enough." He unslung a laptop from where it hung charging in a satchel beside the desk and put it by the Kulan. Bane looked over his desk thoughtfully. The check book, the ledger, the correspondence were all innocent.. just normal accounts of the mundane murder cases he had handled. The few references to Midnight War events were on his laptop. Bane had been careful to leave as little trail as possible. He looked in the closet. Nothing there, just clothes and a cardboard box of newspaper clippings. The bathroom was also unincriminating. There was nothing in there that could not have been purchased at CVS.
Only one thing remained. Bane knelt beside the three-shelf bookcase on otherwise bare wall facing his desk. He knelt and undid a latch and then swung the case around on hidden casters. A shallow pit was revealed, chiseled out of the concrete by Bane himself quite against the terms of anyone's lease. Within it was a steamer trunk, black with Golden metal corners and a big old-fashioned lock. The Wolf lifted it up and slid it over the carpet to Gornak, then swung the bookcase back and locked it in place. The average police search would not find those latches and the pit was now empty anyway.
"We need to get moving," Bane said as he unlocked the trunk. The big padlock was a decoy, the real lock was hidden in the trim. Inside was his field suit and an assortment of weapons and tools. On top of the packed items was an oval packet wrapped in tissue paper. Bane took this and locked the trunk again.
"I need you to carry this," he said. The demon picked up the heavy trunk with one hand and held it at chest height. Bane hardly noticed, he knew Kulan were strong. Unwrapping the tissue paper revealed a beautiful pale blue faceted gem in a silver frame. This was rare indeed, less than a dozen were known to exist. Standing up, Bane crossed over to turn off the lights and walked back from memory to where the winged demon sat on the carpet. The room was almost completely dark, the only light being the faint red bulb of the cordless phone on the desk. Sitting down next to the demon, the Wolf asked, "You got that trunk?" Getting a grunt in reply, Bane placed one hand on Gornak's thick arm and his other hand on the travel crystal. "This is going to be rough," he muttered.
A brilliant flare of pure blue light swirled and was gone. When it faded, the room was empty.
II.
An identical silent burst of light flashed and died down, leaving Bane and Gornak in a shabby apartment. The Dire Wolf gasped and fell over on one side before forcing himself up again. Opening a god-gate even for just himself was a strain. Bringing along the great bulk of the demon and a steamer trunk was difficult enough that he needed a minute to catch his breath.
"Get the light- by the door, okay?"
The winged demon rose and stalked through the gloom, guided by eyes with their own lambent Golden glimmer. He threw the switch and a light bulb up by the ceiling flashed on; it had a simple shade. They were in a shabby one-room apartment, with a wood plank floor and walls with faded wallpaper. The one window looked out on a brick wall and the Venetian blinds were drawn.
Gornak looked around while Bane sat up and got shakily to his feet. The only furnishings were a long beat-up couch with blankets and a pillow on it, and an easy chair. One corner had a partition that hid a sink and toilet. There was no refrigerator or stove, but along one wall were stacks of canned food and jugs of water. An expensive medical kit sat at one end of the couch, and there was a radio on the floor. No TV. An open closet door revealed lots of clothes.
The Kulan tried to keep his voice even. "Captain, this... is your home?"
"What? Oh, hell no." Bane plopped down on the couch. "This is a hideout. I rent it under a false name. The rent is paid every month and no one in this neighborhood cares that the tenant is never seen. Whenever I come here, I either use the travel crystal or try to sneak in without anyone catching sight of me."
"Why are we here?" Gornak said, going over to the piles of food packages. "No raw meat here, I suppose?"
"No, sorry. I may not be here for weeks or months, I can't keep fresh food here. If Montez is trying to find me, he'll have men at my apartment on 47th Steet. We're down in Chinatown right now, on Canal Street. As far can I could manage it, no one knows about this place.. but now you do, of course," He dug through the boxes and cans and came up with a big bag of fruit and nut granola. "I don't know, maybe you'll like this," he said as he handed it to the demon.
Returning to the couch, Bane stretched out. It was rare for him to be this informal. "Gornak, you are still a knight of Tel Shai and a reserve member of the Kenneth Dred Foundation on retainer. Am I your boss?"
"Absolutely. This is not bad," Gornak growled as he dug through the granola. "Yes, Jeremy, I swore loyalty when I was given sanctuary in this realm. Whatever lawful orders you give me, I will obey."
"Fair enough, tell me what brought you here and why you were arrested. Take your time."
Gornak finished the bag and got a gallon jug of water, chugging nearly half of it. "Where do I start? It was two weeks ago. I was roaming the Adirondacks in my true form, flying under the moon. I had feasted on a whitetail and drunk from a stream. Life was good, but then I spotted a black SUV pulling up a trail. Humans in the territory I liked to think of as mine. I followed with some annoyance and saw them come to a stop near a camp. More people in the wilderness, what next, factories and highways? I landed behind some trees and watched. Two men came out of the tent, they were not unusual. But the man who stepped out of the car was unmistakable."
The Kulan paused and Bane said, "What, are you trying to be dramatic? Who was it?"
"Zemu."
Bane sat up straighter. "Him again! Haven't heard of him in years now. I thought he was retired, he has to be in his sixties by now. Go on."
"The Stray Dog, Zemu Watura of Chyl! I know his scent- bitter, sour, strong enough to be detected from a hundred yards away. He wore his sword at his side. The three men argued. Their voices were loud. And before you could snap your fingers, he cut off both their heads. One, two, just like that. He went into the tent and was in there a long time before going back to his SUV and driving away."
"Yep, that's Zemu," said the Dire Wolf. "Nothing he likes better than lopping off heads. Then what happened?"
"I went into the tent to see what I could learn. There was nothing in there but two knapsacks and two sleeping bags. On the ground was a ripped up envelope. There was nothing in it. On the front was written Golden SHIELD. Does that mean anything?"
"Yes," Bane said. "Go on."
"I remembered Zemu from my time in the KDF and I wanted to tell you about him. So I got in the Jeep you had provided me with and drove down to the city. I had a hard time and got lost several times, I'm sorry to admit. I was wearing the Human illusion. When I got to Manhattan, I went to our old Headquarters on 38th Street but no one was there."
"They were probably on a case."
"Just so. But I heard you were working on your own and had a detective agency. Finding it was not easy, because I did not know it was called Dire Wolf. I spent two days looking, sleeping in my Jeep. Then, yesterday I was walking in Times Square wondering if I would recognize anyone when I scented Zemu. He is unmistakable, not Human at all. On 36th Street is a travel agency but on the second floor is somthing called GENUINE CHINESE BARBER SHOP. The door was open and the scent was strong. I went up the stairs and found a dead man. Asian, I believe you Humans call them. His head had been severed as neatly as you could wish and I stood there looking at him. No one else was there. The body was fresh! I am a hunter, I know the smell of blood just spilled. Then your New York Police came up the stairs."
"That's just bad luck," Bane interrupted. "Zemu had probably just left before you got there."
"What should I have done? I did not understand most of what they said. They pointed their guns at me and, as you know, I cannot be hurt by those things but I wanted to find you. So I went with them and asked them to call you to come see me."
The Dire Wolf got up. "Zemu again. He's always bad news. You know he's a Yugen swordsman from Chyl, but you may not know he's an outcast. He broke every law they have and they banished him, so for the past forty years he has gone from realm to realm as a killer for hire." He broke off. "His sword might be able to slice you, Gornak. I know your hide is tough, but Chyl swords are masterpieces. If you confront him, don't assume his blade will just bounce off your skin."
"If you say so, Jeremy. Tell me of this Golden Shield."
Always restless and hyper-active, Bane moved back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back. "Here's what I remember reading in Mr Dred's notes. In 1971, John Robert Chase tried to make five outlaws into heroes. He assembled them, gave them a mansion to live in and sent them on missions he selected. The Golden Shield itself was a metal plate, five-sided, maybe ten feet to a side. When the five stood at its points, the Shield transported them and protected them from attack. I guess it had a force field, I don't really know. Zemu was one of the Golden Shield five, he was young and still little-known in those days. The Hangman was another, he carried the Seeking Noose. Who else? Dr Kobal. I can't remember the other two offhand."
The Wolf stood in front of Gornak. "The Golden Shield was an experiment that failed. Chase meant well, but the bad guys he chose were just too bad to be reformed. They were betrayed by one of their own in an attempt to turn a bodyguard mission into a kidnapping. The Hangman was killed and the Golden Shield project was abandoned."
"So what is going on now?" Gornak asked, finishing the water.
"Could be a couple of things. Zemu could be trying to retrieve the Shield itself, he could be looking for loot that was hidden while he was a member, or he could just be killing people connected because he enjoys it. I think our next step is to go to that barber shop and see if we can spot any clues the police missed."
Gornak rose to where his houndlike ears grazed the ceiling and as his batwings spread wide, he said, "I cannot walk city streets like this, captain."
Bane looked at him. "Yeah. Could be a problem. Although, with your wings folded... let me see." He went into the closet and came out with a clear bag of clothes. "These were Khang's and he was taller than you. We measured him at seven feet six inches. His raincoat would fit you. The shirt, the trousers, maybe not the boots, but he did have huge feet. We had boots made special for him."
Obediently, Gornak tried struggling into the oversized clothes. He got the heavy wool trousers on, and managed to jam his feet into the boots, although he had to leave them unlaced. The white dress shirt was a problem. Bane took one of his daggers and sliced vertical slits in the back so Gornak's wings could get through. The tan raincoat and fedora were next.
The Kulan was a ludicrous sight, with fanged muzzle extending seven inches out past the hat brim. "With the best luck in the world, this is the most hopeless disguise ever," he grumbled.
"Ah, we're not done yet. Cast your Human illusion."
Cold flame crackled over Gornak for an instant. This was a power granted to him, not available to other Kulan. His body did not change, Christopher Pagan was just an illusion that moved and spoke as he did. This was why the prisoners in the holding cell had been so afraid of Pagan.. when they got too near or tried to push him around, they sensed fangs and talons they could not see. Now, the shape of a Human man with dark blonde hair and dark eyes appeared but he was wearing Khang's clothes and he was almost seven feet tall.
"This is a surprise," Gornak said, looking down at himself.
"I wasn't sure it would work. The Veil is a tricky illusion and it's not my area." Bane stepped back. "Eh. You're conspicuous but you sure don't look like the prisoner that Lt Montez saw. Good enough."
The Dire Wolf dropped his sport jacket on the couch and got the field jacket from the trunk they had brought. This was a waist-length garment of a tough leatherlike material, with pouches and flaps holding various gimmicks. Bane was already wearing the flexible Trom armor under his street clothes, but the field jacket had its own inner layer of the armor and its cuffs were further stiffened for blocking blows. Bane changed the anesthetic dart clip in his air gun for some resonance caps. "We're ready. Let's see if anyone is in the hall." He turned off the lights and went over to the door.
Peeking out with the old pocket mirror trick, Bane saw the coast was clear and got down the stairs to the tiny foyer, with Gornak as Pagan looming over him. As far as he could tell, no one had seen them as they stepped out onto Mott Street. On a cold night after midnight, the streets were thinning out but there were people hurrying along, bundled in their coats and scarfs.
"We've got a three mile walk." Bane zipped up his jacket. "And no, you can't fly carrying me."
III.
They stopped before the doorway and stared up at the neon sign that read GENUINE CHINESE BARBER SHOP. It was off. Golden Police tape stretched in an X across the door and Bane reached to detach it when Gornak, "Wait." The disguised demon sniffed the frigid air. "I can pick up the scent. It hasn't rained, and his odor is so strong a Kulan pup could follow it."
Bane stepped away from the door. "We each bring our talents to the team. Lead on."
As Gornak loped away down the street audibly snuffling, Bane trotted close behind. He could not repress a faint smile. Over his long career, he worked with some unusual teammates but Gornak was unique. A Kulan demon from Fanedral, a species bred for thousands of years to be savage killers, and the Red Slashers were the most vicious of all. And yet, in exchange for refuge, Gornak had given it all up and lived here without taking Human life. The Dire Wolf watched the Kulan with a warm feeling. He himself had been a thief and hired bodyguard before being hired by Kenneth Dred. Everyone had told Dred that this strange young man with the hostile eyes was going to be nothing but trouble, but Dred had seen something worth saving. Bane still thought of the man with near reverence. Not only had Dred left him a vast fortune and a life work, he had believed in a lonely orphan. Watching Gornak now made Bane think back and remember Kenneth Dred.
Lost in those thoughts, he was surprised when they reached 11th Avenue, within sight of the river. It was after one and bitter cold, and no one was out. An occasional car rolled past with loud music booming and racuous laughter coming from it. Gornak came to a stop at a flophouse, once a ritzy family home a century ago but now a cheap hotel that rented rooms by the week or the hour. The Kulan went past the hotel, came back and sniffed loudly. A faded sign over the front door said LUCKY STAR - CLEAN AND COMFORTABLE. Gornak turned to Bane and muttered, "He is in here. There is no doubt."
The Dire Wolf took in the scene. The building on the other side seemed boarded up and deserted. He went into the alley between that building and hotel, stepping around garbage and wrinkling his nose at the smell of urine. Only two windows on this side were lit. Motioning Gornak to come closer, Bane said in a low voice, "I want you to get rid of those clothes and drop the illusion. Then, quietly get up by those windows and have a look."
In a few seconds, Khang's clothes had been folded and placed on a clean windowsill. Golden flame crackled and Gornak stretched his wings their full width. with just a slow flapping, he rose up to the lighted window on the first floor and then sidled over to the window on the third floor. Then he descended and whispered to his captain, "I don't see Zemu."
Bane said,"Anything interesting?"
"A dead man with his head cut off. On the second floor."
The Dire Wolf took a deep breath. "I have to get a good look. Keep watch." With that, Bane drew back a few feet and lunged forward and up, landing on the ledge of the window on the first floor, leaping straight up to grab the ledge on the second floor. He pulled himself up to eye level. The room had a floor lamp on, showing a beheaded corpse. It was another Asian, thin and middle-aged. The head was several feet away. Bane stared for a few more minutes, memorizing what he saw. Then he let go and dropped lightly to the alley.
"Not as easy as it used to be," he said, flexing his aching fingers. "I'm getting old. Gornak, if our boy isn't in there, there should be a trail leading away from here, right?"
The Kulan was wrestling with the oversized clothes and not getting too far. Bane helped him. As the disguise was more or less in place, Gornak put up his human illusion and there stood the image called Christopher Pagan again. "I'm sorry, Jeremy. The spoor ends at the sidewalk."
"He probably got in a car." Bane looked back at the window on the second floor. "I have to check. It's a risk but we need something to go on. Gornak, I want you to stand guard." With that, the Dire Wolf repeated his run and leap, got to the second floor and managed to hang on with one hand long enough to pry the window open. He got up on his elbows and wriggled in. The whole process took longer and was more difficult than he remembered such activities as being. Once he got inside the room, he needed a few seconds to stretch and get back to normal. Then he started searching but was not rewarded with anything substantial. There were take-out containers and beer cans, but nothing useful. The dead man had the usual debris in his pockets, including a wallet with more than a hundred dollars and some credit cards. He had hoped for something more interesting. Skimming over the rest of the room, he found nothing identifying Zemu other than the headless corpse.
Annoyed and getting impatient, Bane finally found something on the dresser. There were two crumbled up receipts and as he picked them up, flashing blue and red lights showed outside. The Dire Wolf leaped to the window and dove through, coming down on the alley floor with more impact than he would have liked. A police cruiser was at the front door of the hotel and another one was pulling up from the other direction. Grabbing Gornak by the arm, he pulled the Kulan out of the other side of the alley and across the street into a doorway.
IV.
"Stand by," Bane said. He ran two blocks to the east, turned and approached the crime scene at a brisk walk. One of the cops by the front door of the hotel recognized him. "You again. Well this is right up your alley, Mr Dire Wolf. Montez said to let you in if you showed up at one of these gruesome murders." He waved Bane through.
The lobby was about what you would expect, dead plants in pots in the corner, a calendar that had the previous month still showing. Behind the desk was a scrawny old man in his t-shirt, glasses down on the end of his nose. He made no protest as Bane strode through and up the creaky stairs. One door was open, light streaming out, and he knocked sharply on the wall before sticking his head in. One uniformed officer was taking notes as Lt Montez squatted near the body.
"Oh, hiya," Montez said sourly. "What brings you to this neighborhood at 3 am?"
"I own a scanner," Bane said. "I was up anyway." He took one step inside the room. "Forensics on their way?"
"Yeah, don't move stuff around. I'm disappointed, I thought the Dire Wolf would have something for me."
"I think I know who's doing this beheading. It's a guy with no nose."
That stopped Montez. He stood up and turned to face Bane. "He got his nose cut off?"
"No, he was born that way. Freaky looking guy, he has skin kind of a tawny color, like a lion."
"You got a name for this cutie?"
"Zemu. Z-E-M-U. Last name is Watura, he's not American."
"Doesn't sound like it. Tell me more."
"My feeling is he's looking for something. Zemu is a career criminal, you might say, a mercenary. He doesn't use guns but he uses his sword whenever he gets an excuse."
"I love my job. It gets better and better. What about your pal that kicked open the holding cell and ran out the door?"
"Wish I could help. I'm trying to catch Zemu, he's dangerous." Bane looked around the room. "Any connection between this poor soul and the one in the barber shop?"
"Nothing so far," Montez rubbed his stubble drowsily. "Both Chinese, one from Taiwan. Names Lau Sing-Tao and Cheung Tsu-Wing. No records."
"I see. I'll be by later today, I have some informers to question. But, lieutenant, I think your men should realize Zemu is a genuine threat even to an armed officer. He's skilled and he's fast and he likes to kill."
"I know, I know, I seen them samurai movies. We'll be careful."
Bane turned to go. "Never a dull night in this town."
Going back down to the street, the Dire Wolf watched as the forensics squad arrived with their carload of equipment. He knew it would be an hour or more before they would be ready to make a statement. He went up the next block where Gornak still lurked, filling a darkened doorway from top to bottom. "Everything good?" he asked.
"Nothing has happened here," Gornak growled. "Smelling that blood has me hungry, though."
"Don't say things like that to outsiders, my friend. Come on, we'll head to my place and stop somewhere to get you something." They headed east and found a 24-hour convenient shop. Bane bought Gornak two packs of all-beef hot dogs and got a ham and cheese sandwich for himself. They ate as they walked and got over to 3rd Avenue. It was almost four by now, a freezing wind had come up and Manhattan looked deserted. Somewhere out there is Zemu, Bane thought, and I have no idea what he's up to. At 47th Street, they stepped up the stoop to Bane's apartment building and went up one flight of stairs.
Bane's apartment was modest and neat, not luxurious. As he turned on the lights, he realized the place was chilly and he went to the thermostat. "You Kulan are desert dwellers," he said. "This must be rough on you."
"We are taught to bear hardship. What now, captain?"
"Now? I think a few hours sleep is on the agenda. Will you be comfortable out here?"
"Of course. To be honest, I am getting tired myself."
"All right. The refrigerator's in the corner there, help yourself to anything in it. I will be getting up in maybe four hours or so." With that the Dire Wolf went into his bedroom. Gornak wriggled out of the clothing, assumed his real form. He flapped his wings to stretch them after being folded for too long. Then he got down on the rug, curled up like a dog, and went to sleep with a satisfied sigh.
V.
At nine, Bane sat up fully awake. He still slept soundly and woke up refreshed, ravenous and ready to go. Peeking out his bedroom door, he saw Gornak snoring peacefully on the floor. The Dire Wolf ran into the bathroom adjoining his bedroom, shaved while in the shower, and toweled himself dry. He dressed in his usual outfit of black slacks and turtleneck, with steeled-capped boots but he paused before putting on one of the sport jackets. He still had the heavier field jacket with him from the night before. He put this on and remembered the trunk with his other gear was still at his Canal Street hideout. He'd have to retrieve that first thing.
Brushing his still damp hair with his fingers, Bane went out into the living room. Waking up a seven foot demon with fangs, talons and fighting hooks on its elbows was nothing to be done carelessly. He went to the refrigerator, opened a package of hamburger and waved it in the air. Gornak sniffed. One Golden eye snapped open and he sat up. "Ah, good morning, captain."
"Morning, Gornak. I've got some sausage and four eggs."
"Excellent. What will you have?"
Bane smiled. "Corn flakes and a banana, I guess." He put all the meat on a plate and handed it to the Kulan, and got his cold cereal and ate as he listened to the gobbling noises. When they both were done, Bane did the dishes and said, "I think we will make some progress today. I remember the names of the victims, Lau and Leung. I want to get the rest of their names from Montez but they were two lieutenants of Wu Lung stationed in the New York area. Montez wouldn't know about that. The NYPD didn't handle Wu Lung, he mostly operated around Asia. So we know something the cops don't."
"Wu Lung. How long as he been dead now?"
"Twenty-five years. Since his final tournament. His empire fragmented after his death and no one managed to reorganize it. It broken into smaller rackets. I don't know why Zemu is killing Wu Lung stooges when he is after the Golden Shield.. unless, of course, Wu got hold of the shield at some early time. Bane started brewing tagra tea. "That's my first theory. Of course, I'm a better fighter than detective."
He came over to offer Gornak a cup. Seeing the ferocious demon delicately sipping hot tea from a mug that said DAYTONA BEACH was a surreal sight. Bane sipped his own cup. Tagra was extinct in the real world, only available at Tel Shai. It gave enhanced healing and resistance to injury, as well as a calmer spirit. Bane figured a diet of tagra had helped Gornak function without going berserk. "And I have remembered a little more about the Golden Shield. Zemu was one of the five. The Hangman was another, he was killed in the big showdown. Dr Kobal retired and lives in Okali. Another member was called Sea King, and the more I think about it, the more I think it was our old friend Atron Ke under an alias."
"I remember Atron," growled Gornak. "He struck Valera and I thrashed him like a pup."
"Yep. The final member was a character called Victory Eagle. He was a veteran of World War Two, wore a patriotic red, white and blue costume with a mask. I don't remember anything else about him."
Gornak got to his feet. "What is our plan, captain?"
"Find the remaining Wu Lung lieutenants, hopefully before Zemu does." He pulled out his cell phone and punched a number. "Bleak? Yeah, Dire Wolf here. You been following the beheadings? Yes, I hoped you would. You know who they used to work for, right? The Dragon of War. I think someone bad from outside the world has been killing them and I want to intercept him before the next strike. Two names would be fine, yes. A thousand each? Okay, I suppose. Stop by my office in a few days. Give me the addresses. Got it. Okay, thanks, Bleak. I'll have the cash for you."
Hanging up, Bane said, "He's reliable. He was hurt badly by the Midnight War and now he wants to help rein in the bad boys. Not for free, though." He got into the field jacket and threaded the air pistol holster through his belt. "Okay, buddy, one more time into those clothes." He picked up Khang's woolen trousers as Gornak muttered unhappily.
Once Gornak was dressed and in his Human guise again, although still seven feet tall, Bane led him from the apartment and down to the street. It was still freezing out but at least the sun was shining. They walked down to the office building on 44th Street, where Bane stopped to get his business mail from the row of boxes. Going into his office, the Dire Wolf said, "This might be a slack day. Zemu has done his killing at night, he always has. I will have to drive down to police headquarters and listen to Lt Montez give me a hard time for not already ending this case instantly. What do you want to do?"
"I want to go hunting. But I know that's not going to happen." He shrugged. "I have not been in the city for years. My former teammates are all gone, sad to say. Maybe I will go see a movie. Or just eat and sleep, I can do that easily enough."
"Just be back here by dusk." Bane took a spare key from his desk and handed it to the Kulan. "Here. You have money?"
"Yes. My weekly stipend as a reserve member is generous. I have a debit card with me."
"Fine. You know, I would recommend you walk a few blocks over to the deli on Lexington and buy tons of meat and bring it back here. It wouldn't kill you to eat some vegetables and fruit once in a while."
Gornak rumbled deep in his chest, "I suppose. I still have my Link if you need to reach me."
"Sounds like a plan. I'm sorry there's no TV here but there is a radio on that shelf next to the police scanner." Bane went over to the cordless phone on his desk and checked his messages. "Nothing that can't wait."
Gornak accompanied him to the street and started heading for the deli. He stood out in the crowd, but then this was Manhattan and he was by no means the strangest sight walking around. Bane headed south a few blocks and retrieved his car from Imperial Garage. He was dying to see the damage Gornak had done escaping, but the holding cell was on the other side of the building from Montez' office. The next two and a half hours were spent swapping questions and answers. Over the years, Montez had come to accept that Bane was useful in situations outside normal police expertise. Like Inspector Klein before him, he had even come to rely on the Dire Wolf when the weird and inexplicable happened in his domain. Shortly before noon, the two men ran dry of things to say and Bane left.
Standing outside, he remembered the two receipts he had taken and looked at them but didn't see anything useful about them. His next stop was the rundown building where his Mott Street hideaway was, but there were too many people walking around to suit him. If he could, he did not want to be spotted near the place. Once its secret got out, he would have to relocate. Reluctantly, he decided to come back after dark.
Leaving his car at the garage, he went back to his office and found Gornak was not there. The wastepaper basket was filled with butcher paper and wrappers and bones. So at least the Kulan had been there. Bane went over to his desk and returned a few phone calls, then went through his mail. It was only one-thirty. Bane surprised himself by kicking off his boots and stretching out on the leather couch. He seldom took a nap, usually a few hours sleep a night was enough but he dozed off in seconds. Just before five o'clock, he stirred and sat up. Now he felt back to normal. An afternoon sitting around the office with nothing to do would have been unbearable. Bane went to the tiny bathroom and washed up. This time of year, it was already getting dark outside.
Just as he was getting ready to go, the front door unlocked and Gornak came in. The Kulan looked happy, although it was hard to tell. "Have fun today?" he asked the demon.
"Very much so. I went to the Museum of Natural History. And I thought Fanedral had some strange life forms! I want to relocate to Australia, Jeremy."
"That's up to you. I don't see why not." He slipped on the field jacket and fastened its front. "You ready to go on duty?"
"Absolutely." The demon's image flickered for a second. Bane thought, maybe he was holding the illusion too long?
Bane led the Kulan back to the 40th Street garage. He had first thought it would be more convenient to pay for a reserved spot in the office building's parking lot, but the garage was not open to the elements and it had a security guard on duty 24 hours. The Matrix was roomy enough with Gornak in the back seat and with the front passenger seat slid up as far as it would go. They pulled out just as a few flakes began to fall. Heading south, Bane stopped at Mott Street. He gave Gornak the key to the secret hideout and had him run up the stairs and come down with the trunk, stowing it in the back of the Matrix. Bane felt relieved. If anyone asked who they had seen going in that apartment, the description would certainly not match him.
They rolled south a few more blocks and turned west, almost to the river. Once you got to Chinatown, the near geometric layout of Manhattan dissolved into a maze of short streets and random intersections. Bane found a parking spot two blocks away from a big house with grey aluminum siding. There was a sign on a post, LUCKY STAR TRAVELS. From under his seat, the Dire Wolf took a pair of binoculars and studied the house. Every light seemed to be on but he spotted no one moving. "Gornak, listen. You see that house with the LUCKY STAR sign?"
"Yes."
"I want you to walk past it and see if you can smell Zemu. Go past the house, circle the block and come back here."
"I understand," said the demon, getting gratefully out of the back seat and stretching before heading up the street. Bane watched him, saw the Kulan hesitate for a second before the house and then continue on. He went left, around the block and came back to get back in the car. "Nothing, Jeremy. He has not been there."
"All right, we'll have to wait."
An hour went by. Gornak asked why Bane had stepped down as leader of the new KDF team. Bane explained the new team was ready to work on their own, Sable being a fine leader. If he had stayed there, they would have continued to rely on him. But he still owned the building, he rented it to them and if for any reason the team disbanded, he would go back to living there. As it was, he lived and worked not far away. Gornak asked what had happened to Cindy, and was told she had accepted the post as Teacher at Tel Shai after the death of Anulka. Bane still visited her and she was going to be allowed to return to the world soon for a brief hiatus... a first for a Teacher. Then Gornak asked what had Bane been doing since he opened the Dire Wolf agency and got a rundown of the various cases. The Sisterhood of the All-Seeing Eye, the Pumpkin Face Murders, the Hunchback of Hollywood. By now, it was ten-thirty and the streets were emptying
A black Chrysler Touring eased up in front of the house and turned off its lights. As Bane watched through the binoculars, four men got out and marched up to the front door. Three of them were unremarkable men in winter coats, but the leader was unmistakable. No Human had a face like that. One of the men went to the back of the house, but the leader and two thugs knocked on the door and were admitted. "Here we go," said Bane. "We can't give Zemu time. Cheung can't tell him where the Golden Shield is and he'll lose his head." He got out from behind the wheel and motioned for Gornak to follow him.
A block away, he saw the red flash of a cigarette flare up. That was the lookout man. It was a long shot for the airgun. Bane walked closer, the weapon in his hand and safety off. When he saw the sentry had spotted him, the Dire Wolf extended his arm full length and fired three times. The anesthetic darts were long-barbed and hit with a real punch, but they would not pentrate a heavy down-filled coat. One of the darts snagged the man in the throat, he twitched at the sudden sting and dropped face down. Bane said quietly, "Go to the back and force the door. Be ready when the action starts."
The demon loped forward in the darkness, and Bane walked up to the front of the house after checking to make sure there was no one left in the SUV. He strode up to the door, found it unlocked and walked in as a sword blade hissed at his neck.
VI.
Faster than an untrained eye could follow, the Dire Wolf flashed his left arm up in a outward block. The sword rebounded off the double layer of Trom armor and Bane blasted a front snap kick to the face that caught Zemu on the side of the jaw. They both drew back.
Zemu twirled her sword in a defensive pattern. "You!"
"Nice to be recognized," Bane said. "I know something you don't, Stray Dog. That man can't tell you where the Golden Shield is because he doesn't know."
"And you do, therefore." In the bright lights of a hallway with office doors on either side, Zemu Watura was a bizarre sight. Bundled in a topcoat, scarf and wide-brimmed slouch hat, he still could not pass for Human. There was no hair on his head, as Bane had said he had tawny skin like a lion, and pointed ears. Under a protruding brow ledge were eyes with black sclera and red irises. But what marked him most was that he had no nose at all, just a bulge between eyes and mouth. The Stray Dog slowly brought his sword to rest with point on the carpet.
"I know," Bane said. "But it's out of your reach, Zemu. You can't steal it."
"Steal? Oh no, I am the last surviving member of the Five, it is rightfully mine."
Bane took in the scene as he spoke. On a bench to his right sat a terrified Chinese man well past middle age. On either side of him were two goons, not distinguishable from any score of thugs available for hire. Zemu would need normal-looking people to act as his agents. He caught all this without taking his attention off Zemu long enough for an attack. Now he said, "Wrong again. The shield was the property of John Robert Chase. He did not give it to you. The Golden Shield was an experiment that failed, it ended in betrayal and murder. Let me guess which member was the traitor!"
The Stray Dog lowered his brow ledges until his eyes could hardly be seen. "Even you dare not speak such accusation."
"Watch me. Stray Dog! You were exiled from your homeland for your crimes. The Zoku-ya struck your name from their rolls. You lost all honor. I think nothing is beneath you now."
Zemu spoke over his shoulder. "You two, take the prisoner into another room. This man and I have words to speak to each other." As he spoke, before the goons could obey, Bane attacked. This caught Zemu offguard, and he brought his sword up an instant too late. The Dire Wolf got in close and threw a barrage of short straight punches to the chest and ribs, so fast and so hard they sounded like machine-gun fire. Zemu stepped back, and Bane brought both hands up to clap hard on the Stray Dog's ears-- a killing blow. Still in the same attack, the Wolf hopped back and threw a high side kick that caught Zemu in the throat. Any normal Human would be dead but although Zemu reeled back in pain, he kept his feet. Bane got in close, yanked out the Stray Dog's sword hand and wrested the weapon loose, kicking it far to one side just as a tawny fist crashed like a hammer against the back of his head.
Bane rolled and managed to land on top of the sword. At least he had managed to get it away. He saw Zemu knot his powerful fists and start to stalk toward him... and he saw Gornak in his true form looming up behind the Stray Dog.
"Gornak! Take him!" yelled Bane. The Kulan roared, deafeningly loud in the enclosed space and pounced. Zemu had half turned before the demon was on top of him. They thrashed about for a few seconds. Zemu was powerful and skilled, but he was no match for a Kulan of Fanedral. Yanking the Stray Dog to his feet with a taloned paw grasping his coat, Gornak brought his free hand around like an axe. The impact was crisp and decisive, and Zemu fell limp as a sack of laundry to the floor.
Cautiously, the Kulan knelt and inspected the stunned warrior. "He will live. I have kept my oath. I have not killed anyone."
"I'm glad to hear that," Bane said as he got up. "And I'm glad you were here." he inspected his left sleeve, with the jacket material sliced to expose the armor beneath. "You know, I was all set to punch it out with him for five or ten minutes. I can take him, not without a few days of limping and groaning myself. But I thought, what's the point? I'm tired of slugfests. I don't have to prove anything." He stepped over to clap Gornak on the shoulder. "And not with a teammate like you available."
The back door slammed and a few seconds later, the Chrysler out front roared away. Bane watched its tailights whip away through the window of the house. "Zemu's henchmen. With him defeated, they have no reason to stick around." He went to the office next door where Cheung stood trembling. "It's all over," Bane told him in passable Cantonese. "The monster has been defeated. We will take him away. You are safe." With that, Bane asked Gornak to pick the limp Zemu up. As the Kulan threw the Stray Dog over one arm, Bane took his pulse and checked that he was in fact alive.
"It's tempting to just execute him," Bane said. "After all, I never took an oath not to take life. But we'll send him back to Chyl like this. There's a death sentence on his head, let his own people deal with him." He went to bring the Toyota Matrix to the front of the house from where it had been parked, and Gornak dumped the unconscious Zemu in the passenger seat. They judged he would not be reviving anytime soon.
After a few more encouraging words to Cheung, who was starting to breathe normally, Bane got in the driver's seat and pulled away. He headed to East 38th Street and stopped in front of a familiar 10-story building. "KDF headquarters," he said. "Mr Dred bought the building from Dr Vitarius in 1937. He spent the rest of his life collecting knowledge andf encouraging heroism."
"And you have carried on his work," Gornak put in from the back seat.
"Yes. I've tried. You know the Golden Shield was a powerful protective talisman. Gralic attacks could not penetrate in from its edges. It was a shield in every sense." Bane paused, looking at the building where he had lived for many years. "After Chase realized his team had failed, he wanted to put the Golden Shield to good use. In 1972, Mr Dred had the front hall torn up and redone. The Golden Shield lies under that front hall, still protecting those within."
4/9/2013
