Confronting the Fallen (35 page)

“
Yes
sir,” George said and the two men went over to the packs and
pulled two flares from each. What the heck else was I carrying in
that thing, Chris wondered.

“
Wait
for some movement, then deploy the flares in an arc from our
position.”

“
Yes
sir,” they answered and stood still, watching the torch-lit
opening closely.

Chris
tore his eyes away from Gloriel, whom he'd been staring at in
fascination and looked down at the hilt. He was holding it in his
right hand and was pleased to see that the bleeding had stopped.
Somehow, even though the hilt should have been as cold as the room
was, it was warm and that warmth was spreading throughout his whole
body. The hilt seemed to settle naturally into his palm, even though
it was definitely made for a much larger hand than his own. Would it
make Sariel more powerful? Enough that if he had to use his powers,
Chris wouldn't pass out? He certainly hoped so. But where was he?

“
Oh
damn it,” Chris heard one of the men whisper and he looked up
in surprise to see what the problem was. He half expected to see
figures pouring out of the far doorway, but something else was
pouring out instead.

Fog.
Billowing clouds of fog were belching out of the stairwell and
rolling outward across the room toward them.

“
Tricky
devils, aren't they?” Rabbi Eddleson muttered. Chris saw that
he was leaning against the altar, his arms at his sides and his fists
clenched tightly.

“
They
are indeed, rabbi,” the judge agreed. “Get ready with
those flares, gentlemen.”

Chris'
heart was beginning to pound in his chest. How is everyone staying so
calm, he wondered. The wall of thick, soupy mist was advancing slowly
toward them. God only knew what was hiding inside of it. The distant
torches marking the doorway had been swallowed up by the mist and,
except for a dim flicker of orange light, were now invisible.

When the
fog had advanced to within twenty yards of the altar, Judge Hawkes
nodded at George and Stevens. They quickly ignited the flares one by
one and threw each one to the edge of the mist, arranging them so
that each was no more than ten feet away from the next. The fog
engulfed them but the light expanded inside the mist and glowed even
brighter.

“
We
should at least be able to see their outlines this way,” the
judge said in a low voice.

“
Good
thinking, sir,” George said with an admiring grin. The judge
nodded in appreciation of the compliment then pointed toward the fog.
George quickly turned back to watch.

The
screams that Chris had heard on the surface had come from far away
and were horrible. Suddenly he heard the same screams but from within
the shrine itself. As the grotesque sounds echoed around him, Chris
could actually feel his hair stand on end. I always thought that was
just a saying, he thought wildly.

“
First
wave, Ethan,” Gloriel said in her calm, resonating voice.

“
What
are they, Gloriel? Can you tell?” The judge sounded as calm as
she did and Chris could see the company settling down as they
listened.

She bowed
her head and cocked it, as if listening intently. Then she glared
forward again. “Ghouls,” she said with contempt. “Your
people will have little trouble with those malformed monstrosities.”

The judge
nodded. “Remember your training, people,” he said
briskly. “Ghouls are slow and awkward. But try not to let them
bite you. The taste of blood sends them into a frenzy. Understood?”

All of
the team nodded quietly and raised their weapons, ready for trouble.

Are they
nuts, Chris wondered fearfully. Ghouls? Like real, live, or dead,
whatever, ghouls? He was out of his element and Chris knew it. It was
all too much to take in. I have to get out of here. He was becoming
frantic waiting for something to happen. And then it did.

Shapes loomed up in the glowing fog. Misshapen,
shambling and slow. Ghouls, maybe a dozen. Their stench came before
them and Chris clapped a hand over his nose. It smelled like rotten
meat sitting in an open sewer and he swallowed hard to keep from
throwing up. And then the ghouls dragged themselves out of the fog.

Chris stared at the figures, appalled. They were
like animated corpses that had been left out in the heat to rot.
Covered by various bits of clothing, their skin shone with slime and
their mouths hung open with thick drool dripping from them
constantly. Some had both eyes, foggy and looking at nothing. Some
had only one eye, with the other socket gaping open. One had no eyes
at all, but it seemed to know what its goal was regardless. As they
slowly shuffled toward the team, Chris saw slime and maggots were
being left in their wake. It was a nightmare.

The six members of the security team leaped
forward to attack, Their silver weapons cut through the ghouls like a
hot knife through butter. The targets that were hit by the flail
literally exploded on contact; bits of rotted meat and flesh flying
in all directions. There was no blood, just gobbets of slime and more
maggots sprayed everywhere. The battle, such as it was, was over in a
few minutes. The team barely broke a sweat.

“Anyone bitten?” the judge asked
anxiously as they regrouped. No one had been, so they grabbed some
towels from their packs and wiped the mucus from their faces, hands
and weapons. Chris did his best not to look too closely at the
remains. The smell lingered in the air.

“What was the point of that, judge?”
the rabbi asked as he looked at the mess with distaste. “Surely
our enemies know that we can't be defeated by such creatures?”

“It was a test, rabbi,” Judge Hawkes
answered calmly. “They used those monsters to see what our
defenses were like. It may not seem so to you, but regular people
could very easily be overwhelmed by nightmares like that. The next
assault will be much stronger.”

The rabbi grunted and glared out at the stifling
fog.

“How are you holding up, Christopher?”
the judge asked quietly.

“So far, so good, sir. I haven't puked yet,
so that's something I suppose.”

The judge laughed quietly. “I'm glad you've
kept your sense of humor. I know that this situation is frightening
and it's something that you aren't prepared for. But we have good,
well-trained people with us.” He nodded toward Gloriel who was
standing with her arms folded, staring out into the mist. “And
an angel who is an experienced warrior. So keep the faith, young man,
and we'll get through this.”

“Yes sir. Thanks.” The judge nodded
and walked over to the rabbi. They began speaking in low voices.

Chris felt a bit better. The judge seemed so calm
and in control that it wasn't hard to trust in him. He still didn't
feel safe, but he also wasn't getting ready to run. At least not yet.

“Beware,” Gloriel spoke up. She
unfolded her arms and crouched down slightly. “Another attack
is imminent.”

“What is it this time, Gloriel?” The
judge stared out at the fog and then up at the angel.

She frowned and closed her eyes slightly,
listening intently. Then she hissed with anger.

“Nosferatu,” she spat. “Fighters,
stay back from the fog!”

Stevens looked back at the judge. “Why, sir?
What's the fog got to do with...”

There was a swirl of movement in the mist and
Stevens cried out. And then...he was gone.

“What the hell?” George hurried over
to where Stevens had been standing. “Daniel?” he yelled.
His voice echoed around the room but there was no answer.

“George, get back here right now,” the
judge ordered and the man reluctantly obeyed.

“What's going on, your honor?” he
asked tensely. “What happened to Stevens?”

Chris was still staring at the empty spot where
the missing man had been standing. There was nothing on the ground,
not even a drop of blood, to indicate that he had been there.

“Nosferatu, George. Remember your training,
man,” the judge said forcefully. “They can transmute into
mist and back to solid form again.”

George rubbed a hand across his scalp. “I,
I'd forgotten, sir. We've never encountered one before. So Stevens
is...?”

“Your friend is dead,” Gloriel
answered harshly. “I'm sorry, but that is the truth. Stay
together and away from the fog. These creatures move too quickly to
be countered unless they are corporeal. And as long as this mist
remains, they will not become solid.”

George just nodded his head and turned away.
Beatrice went over to him and spoke under her breath. He answered her
and tried to smile. She patted him on the shoulder and returned to
her previous position.

Chris wondered if the angel could do something. As
long as the fog remained with those creatures floating around inside
it, they were trapped. But surely Gloriel had some sort of power that
could help them? He was on the verge of asking her, when she spoke
up.

“I am going to try something, Ethan,”
she said, still watching the surrounding mist. “I need you all
to stand by the altar. Hang on to it if you have to, but don't go
near the fog whatever happens.”

Judge Hawkes looked concerned. “What are you
going to do, Gloriel? Please don't take any unnecessary risks. We
need you.”

She actually laughed for the first time. “I
am flattered, Ethan. But I am not going anywhere, so don't worry. But
I tire of this unholy mist and I think it is time to blow it back to
its makers, don't you?”

“You can do that?” Chris asked and
then looked away in embarrassment when Gloriel glanced down at him.
She just laughed again.

“Occasionally, Christopher. They don't call
me the Angel of the Air just because I'm pompous, you know.”
She thought for a moment. “But that's part of the reason as
well, I suppose.” Chris grinned at her and she nodded once.

“Now, all of you, up against the altar. And
prepare yourselves. Once their cover is blown away, these fiends will
likely attack.”

“Good,” George said bitterly. “Just
give me a solid target and I'll do the rest.”

“Easy, George,” Judge Hawkes
cautioned. “Fight with skill, not emotion.”

George looked at him and then took a deep breath.

“Good man. All right. Everyone gather here
at the altar and hold on to it as tightly as you can.” When
everyone was in position, he turned to the angel.

“Any time you're ready,” he told her.

Gloriel looked at the mist and then raised her
arms up toward the ceiling. Her wings unfolded with a clang and
snapped back as far as they would go, Then she cried out something
that Chris couldn't understand and swept her wings forward at
tremendous speed.

Chris felt himself being pulled away from the
altar toward Gloriel and grabbed hold of it with both hands. It was
like she was pulling all the air from behind them and pushing it
toward the fog and the stairwell behind it. Everyone else was hanging
on for dear life.

Chris saw the packs start to slide across the
floor. “Hey, the backpacks,” he yelled over the sudden
roar of the wind that began to buffet them.

“Forget them, Christopher,” the judge
yelled back. “We can collect them later.”

The air was filled with dust and debris. Small
stones smacked into them and everyone tried to duck below the edge of
the alter without losing their grip. Gloriel just stood there, her
magnificent wings flapping backward and forwards faster and faster
until they were just a blur.

The fog gave way stubbornly, as if fighting the
wind, But it began to billow and blow away from them. It picked up
speed and Chris watched, his eyes almost closed to keep out the dirt
and stones, as finally the entire mass blew back to the doorway and
out of the chamber.

All that was left were four dark figures that had
materialized just as the last wisps of fog disappeared. Gloriel
stopped flapping and the wind died away almost at once.

“There are your nosferatu, Ethan. Solid
targets. Now it is your turn.”

The mysterious enemy could barely be seen in the
darkness. Gloriel's wind had blown away not just the fog but their
packs and the flares as well. The distant torches had also been blown
out. It was very dark.

“It's going to be hard to fight in this
gloom, your honor,” Ramona said, sounding worried.

“I know, Ramona. I appreciate Gloriel's help
with the fog, but we could use those backpacks right now. We had more
flares in them, not to mention a few other useful gadgets.”

Gloriel looked at the judge with wide eyes and
then sighed loudly. “The things I do for you, Ethan. Very
well.” She looked at Chris. “I'll provide light for a
short time. When the team engages the enemy, Christopher, run toward
the doorway. I can see the packs in a scattered heap from here.”

Chris looked at the judge. He looked concerned but
nodded reluctantly. “We need more light, Christopher. And I'm
sure that you are a faster runner than I am. Wait until we are fully
engaged, though, before you make your run, all right?”

“Yes sir,” Chris said. His heart was
still pounding fast but now at least he had something to do. He
looked around the area and realized that at least that fierce wind
had swept away the remains of the ghouls, which was a relief.

“Get ready, everyone,” Gloriel said
and suddenly she was glowing with silvery light. The shrine lit up
like a clear night lit by a full moon, but much, much brighter.
Everything looked black and white, but Chris could see to the
furthest corner of the chamber. He could also see, in horrible
detail, the six monsters crouched side by side that were slowly
stalking toward them.