Leviathan (Fist of Light Series) Page 10

  Jas was leaning over, almost as if he had contracted some form of motion sickness, although he hadn't shown any signs of it the last time we we're on a flight together. Thinking back, it was glaringly evident how much we had changed since we had inextricably bound ourselves together. Pulling the coin that started it all out of my pocket, I stared at its gleaming surface. Over the past months, I had taken to polishing the thing out of some sentimental urge to hold onto the past. Finally, Jas levered himself up, the skin below his eyes bruised and sagging, skin clammy and body shaking.

  “You don't look so good,” I told him bluntly, concerned. “You good?”

  “I'm fine.” Jas shrugged off the shakes and sat bolt upright. “Just a little out of sorts, is all. And maybe a bit thirsty. All this shit has my body out of whack. I just want him to be okay.”

  “He'll be fine. He's tough, tougher than a clutch of vampires,” I reassured him outwardly but wasn't too sure of the statement myself.

  We were flying into a very unadvisable situation for the average sane, rational-minded person and possibly about to be caught in the spider’s web. Any self-respecting horde of vampires with a lair under the earth was going to have some serious defenses in place for those unwise enough to confront them so openly where they were strongest. Fighting one Royal in the Dreamscape hadn't been a piece of cake, either. Maybe I had expended more energy than strictly necessary due to the combination of Air and Water, but regardless, vampires weren't pushovers. Even their lower-tier minions were something to be wary of. The most effective use of our energy would be to expend it all on the Royals, since their lower-tier vamps weren't much more than an extension of their power.

  “What's in the bag?” Jas interrupted my ruminations, the curious expression on his face partially obscuring how bad he looked.

  At the question, Kathryne dug through the bag with a fury next to none; she had obviously been testing her patience, waiting for someone else to voice their sentiments. The bag wasn't anything special, a simple sports bag with one main compartment and two sub-compartments. The contents, however, were something else altogether.

  “Plastic explosive, and lots of it.” Kathryne sounded like Christmas had come early for her as she weighed the C4 in her hands before digging into a side pocket. “Remote detonator, a Sig 9mm for each of us. Plus spare ammo.” A childish giggle escaped her.

  Kathryne tore out one of the guns and checked the magazines, loaded one efficiently and then slapped the magazine back into the gun with the heel of her hand.

  Turning the gun over methodically, she weighed it in the palm of her hand. “Automated firing pin lock, mounted decocker lever.” Kathryne nodded, satisfied. “That'll keep a few idiots from accidentally blowing each other's brains out.”

  Sighting down the length of the barrel, she nodded assuredly before handing the loaded weapon to Jas and supplying him with extra ammo. He took the weapon gingerly, delicately, as if the thing might bite him if his grip was too firm. Kathryne huffed in frustration and showed him how to hold it properly, then went on to explain the not-too-complicated process of loading and firing the weapon. She glanced over at me to make sure I was paying attention before throwing a box of ammo to Hector. For all his apparent slumber, the guy wasn't even close to the threshold of sleep. Quick hands caught both objects with alacrity then went to work on preparing the Sig. Obviously, Kathryne had pegged Herky Boy for an accomplished killer and it didn't look like she was wrong.

  “So much for the twenty-one-year-old age limit on carrying handguns,” I snorted as Kathryne passed me my own gun, along with the box of ammo.

  Kathryne gave me a direct stare. “I assume that hasn't stopped you in the past. You have a problem with being armed?”

  “No problem here.” I smiled easily, ignoring the first part of the statement entirely.

  Turning the weapon over in my hand, it was immediately apparent that this was no child's toy. Sanders had drafted us in the big leagues. Accordingly, I strapped up my big-boy suspenders and loaded the magazine, feeling the cold practicality of the cold steel as it slid into place. Death was gruesome, pure and simple, no matter the application. I didn't look back fondly on those of the supernatural community I'd been forced to gank. Although that was probably a good thing, because if I’d enjoyed killing there’d be nothing left of my heart but a black shadow. There was no doubt in my mind that Kasper had enjoyed the atrocities he committed. Then again, one would come to expect that the Fist of Darkness wouldn’t be all warm and fuzzy with his love of the universe. That simple distinction made all the difference, separated Light from Dark.

  “Just wondering, what good will a gun do against a bunch of bloodsuckers?” Jas asked wearily, trying to keep his red-rimmed eyes open.

  “Simple, really,” Herk cut in before Kathryne began her diatribe. “Whether their heart is or isn't still beating, they need blood. Deprive them of that and they'll be easy pickings.”

  I finished loading the gun and put the weapon down the back of my pants, sticking the magazine and extra loads in a jacket pocket. With that done, there wasn't much to occupy me, except unhealthy, paranoid-induced possibilities that bounced around in my skull. The sun was still up, which hopefully helped assure a safe entry into the forest, both from hitting trees and roaming broods of hungry vampires.

  I decided to take my internal fears and dispel them with a concrete angle of attack. “Anyone care to develop some sort of plan, or would you prefer to run in screaming and yelling for the safe return of Jas' father?”

  “I was rather hoping we could just knock on the door and ask to see the owner.” Jas grinned.

  “Their hours will be restricted, although it can't be ruled out that they have some sort of human protections in place,” Hector said, offering up his knowledge of preternatural warfare.

  “As I said before, we'll need to find a relatively unused entrance of some sort. Archaic vampires hold to the idea of multiple escape routes. They have not forgotten their previous encounters with humans, when existence of the supernatural was common knowledge and they were hunted regularly. Vampires weren’t very well liked.”

  “So all we have to do is find one of the exits.” Jas' head lolled comically to the side, drool escaping out of the corner of his mouth.

  “All well and good in theory,” I said. “But we're relying on this beast to get us in a position relatively close to the lair. After that, we have to skulk around and figure out where one of these tunnels are, which we aren’t sure exist. Then, we'll, what? Just waltz right in to the clutches of a formidable clutch of rudely awoken vamps?”

  “We’ll need more subtlety than that, I'm afraid.” Kathryne stifled a smile. “We will need to get rid of vampires we find in our way. Surprise is on our side, since these vampires would never dream of an attack in their place of power. But there’s a better way to get in, and Caleb’s it.” She glanced coolly my way.

  “Me?” I put a hand on my chest, raising my eyebrows.

  “Taking an entrance, whether well-known or not, is too high risk,” Kathryne declared.

  “But you said—” Jas began.

  “I did. But regardless, those exits will be guarded and are going to be difficult to find. If I were building such an entrance, forcing your way in from the outside would be disastrous. But none of these things stops us from making our own entrance.”

  I nodded in understanding. “Got it. So you want me to tear a hole in the earth, sift enough dirt out of the way to burrow into their midst.”

  Jas wiped the drool from his mouth so he could present a more coherent statement. “Caleb's no expert when it comes to Earth.”

  “It's not one of my stronger suits, but making a narrow, straight hole can't be that difficult.” “Allll righttt,” Jas drew the comment out unnecessarily, calling my bluff. “Say Caleb can drill a hole into their lair. Then what, sir boss man?”

  “I think our goal has been made obvious by our new friend in the C.P.D.”

  All eyes focused on
the plastic explosive at Kathryne's feet, and I could've sworn that light bulbs lit up over everyone’s heads. All we had to do was set a bunch of explosives at a weight-bearing section, bringing a comprehensive collapse to the tunnel system.

  “But we can't blow the place to smithereens, not knowing if my dad is already there, maybe held hostage.”

  “What if they turn him?” I shook myself convulsively, dreading the possibility.

  Jas looked at me with disdain. “Were and the vampire aren't natural enemies for no reason. We can't be turned. Our natural protections from magic and disease make us immune.”

  “Good to know,” I said, processing and filing away the information.

  “Surprised you didn't already. Your parents neglect to tell you even the most basic of lore?” Hector asked, smiling.

  “They're dead. All four of 'em,” I bit out.

  The statement only seemed to confuse Herk, but that was the intent. I had no urge to spill the dirty secrets of my past, not to someone who had so recently joined our close-knit gang. Yet another thing that had been robbed from me when I'd been taken from my true parents. Anger fired in my belly at the renewed memory, made even hotter by my returned emotions. There were never any bedtime stories about the bad old troll who lived under the bridge or a goblin that would eat my brains out if I didn't brush my teeth. A crucial part of my life had been stolen, that of my development under the tutelage from my real family. No life lessons, no playing ball with the pops, nothing. I didn't have one visual memory of my mother’s caring arms or the contours of her face. The loss was a silent one, almost imperceptible, but there nonetheless, gnawing away at me.

  — Chapter 10 —

  A green light began blinking, jarring me from any further depressing thoughts. One of the pilots made his way into the passenger cabin, carefully making his way to the storage compartment.

  “Up and at ‘em, ladies and gentlemen. This is as far as you go. We're in a pattern, but it’s not safe to hold here for long, or they'll figure something's up, daytime or not.”

  “That was fast.” Jas rubbed his hands together shakily.

  The man materialized four parachutes from a compartment, passing them to each of us as we stood uncertainly to our feet.

  “You'll want to aim for the open area that has been cleared out for mining and transportation of their raw materials. Land on the most external portion, mind you, or you're likely to be caught out in the open. These parachutes are camouflage numbers, but anyone with their head in the clouds is going to be in for a sight. You've been briefed on when to pull your parachutes; make sure to do it at the last possible moment. This maneuver is like landing in an active war zone, the less time you paint yourself as a target, the better. Any questions?”

  Everything was happening so fast, blurring together as we buckled up and got ready to jump out of the loading bay. With a whirr of mechanical rotors, the back of the airplane opened up, giving us our first view of the terrain. Everywhere I looked, trees filled my vision, giant redwoods that appeared to be grasping at our ride. Wind whooshed through the cabin, flapping our clothes about us in wild disarray, as if even our inanimate belongings thought this was a bad idea.

  “Whose idea was this again?” I asked as the copilot came to ascertain that my straps were fastened properly.

  By the time everyone was suited up and had been checked then double-checked for safety, we gathered at the rear of the aircraft and confronted the azure sky. Kathryne had slung the heavy bag of plastic explosives over one shoulder, shrugging of our attempts at help. Checking the various weapons about my person, I crossed my fingers that they would all stay in place throughout the jump.

  “Yours, jackass.” Jas latched onto a metal banister for moral support.

  “Oh.” I pondered that momentarily. “I suppose only a genius such as myself could orchestrate such awesomeness.”

  Our emotions raged around in our skulls, so much so that they rebounded through the link between us. Instead of destabilizing our psyches as expected, however, it realigned our thoughts and created a sense of renewed purpose. Before anyone else got up the courage to step off semi-solid ground and into thin air, Kathryne had already launched herself out of the airplane.

  “Ladies first, I guess.” Hector shrugged.

  “Can't let her show us up, now can we?” Jas slugged me on the shoulder.

  “Of course not. Especially when our manly pride is on the line. Let’s do it.”

  In sync, Jas and I charged forward, taking a great leap and pin-wheeling our arms while screaming incoherently.

  “Good luck boys,” were the last audible words I heard before the wind tore everything else from my ears.

  Diving downwards, we followed after Kathryne's diminishing form, her cloak flapping wildly behind her. For the sake of remaining relatively unnoticed from prying eyes, we had dove from a height near 9,000 feet, a fairly average jump, all things considered. Instead of stabilizing our descent by extending our arms and legs, however, we dove straight down, increasing our speed that much more, minimizing risk of exposure. Waving to Jas, beside me, I flashed him a condescending grin before pouring power into augmenting my downward speed. While he would be stuck at terminal velocity, I had no such constraints. Purple-hued torrents of Air gushed out behind me and it wasn't long before I surpassed Kathryne.

  The exposed areas of my face weren't particularly happy with the speed increase, so I redirected the oncoming air around me, solving the problem. The trees below became more prominent and I zeroed in on those nearest to the outer edge of the clearing. It had been some time since I'd taken to the skies and this was a perfect reintroduction, despite the circumstances involved. Smiling at the thrill of adrenaline that supercharged the trip, the short free-fall elapsed in an instant, there and then gone in the blink of an eye. Sensing I was nearing the appointed time, I stabilized my flight, extending limbs outward and ceasing my attempts to gain more speed.

  After reaching for my chest straps, I pulled the cord and braced myself. Mere moments passed before an intense jerking sensation marked my rapid deceleration and the shoot deployed without complications. Grabbing on to the pulley system that allowed for steering, I glanced up to make sure everyone else made it through all right. That done, it was time to figure out a place to come in for a landing, since I was running point. Finding a likely spot didn't take more than a few seconds. The soft glade below looked inviting for a couple of newbie parachutists. Resisting the temptation to emulate an action movie death spiral to the forest floor, I honed in on my target and came at it carefully, deliberately. It didn't take long to arrive at the appointed place, where I flared my chute and dug my feet into the ground, sliding for a good couple yards before coasting to a stop.

  All the others mimicked my maneuver, with varying levels of success. Kathryne landed gracefully as expected, Hector slightly less so, but still respectable. Jas, his hair in a wild disarray, tripped and face planted into the soft ground, his parachute falling over him and hiding his shameful presence from view. We all had a quick laugh as he tried to extricate himself from the material of the chute while everyone else stepped out of the restraints without much trouble. There wasn't much practical use in wasting daylight by packing up or hiding the chutes, so we left them, hoping that their colors would blend into the forest floor, hidden from a casual glance or roaming patrol.

  “Ready whenever you are, Jas.” I smirked superiorly at his wavering, unbalanced form beneath the enveloping parachute.

  He candidly suggested what I could do with my readiness before flapping his way into view.

  “Does everyone still have all their equipment?” Kathryne asked.

  After a minute or so of patting ourselves down it was apparent that nothing had been lost, though Jas needed to pick his gun up off the ground and replace it in its proper place.

  “Check,” Hector said.

  “Perfect.” Jas wiped more sweat from his face, recently a habitual movement. “Then we should probab
ly get moving. If anyone saw us, they'll start looking here. Best be gone when they show up.”

  “I second that.”

  “Agreed.”

  Jas indicated the direction we needed to travel with one shaky hand. “Lead the way, Wonder Boy. Counting on you to find us an entrance.”

  I wisely declined to comment on his condition, as he would likely only snap and deny any sickness had him in its clutches. As one we trekked through a cleared field, the stumps of demolished plant life glaringly evident. Traversing across the terrain was a rough and ragged affair. After a mile or so the work became more strenuous, our weighted down bodies becoming even heavier. We weren't at low altitude, so even that worked against us. But we persevered and all the while I scanned below with my limited ability in Earth, looking for indications of caverns below. Forty five minutes went by without change, and by tacit vote we took a break, trying to get our bearings.

  “The sun can't be more than a handspan above the horizon,” Jas concluded grimly.

  “Not much time to spare,” Herk said.

  “What's this place going to look like? Unless they've really adhered to the archaic past, there should be mining equipment all over about the place,” I added before taking a sip of water from a canteen Kathryne passed around, ever prepared.

  “Better be moving before the nightwalkers come out to play,” Hector said, a grim undertone coloring his words.

  Passing back the canteen to Kathryne, I dragged a hand across my face and looked to see how everyone was holding together. Jas continued to look like he had recently come off a drug binge, but everyone else seemed to be in better shape. I determined to keep doubly aware of Jas, considering he might become more of a hindrance than help when things got messy.

  “Let's go.” My sneakered feet began moving without conscious thought as I focused on ferreting out an entry point.