Deadly Weakness (Gray Spear Society) (28 page)

"That doesn't make sense, sir."

"These are the rules as laid down by the Almighty," Aaron said. "If you don't like them, take your beef to Him."

"Sure." Hanley spat at the frozen ground.

"You think I'm joking? You're going to encounter Him sooner or later. But don't worry about that now. What's your status?"

"We're on a highway in northern Illinois. Emergency crews are still mopping up the mess."

"Get your people moving as soon as possible," Aaron said. "The more time you spend with them, the more danger they'll be in."

"I'm not a threat, sir."

"What did we just talk about?" Aaron said. "You're a Spear now. God's toxic rage seeps from your pores."

"What about my wife? I have to see her again."

"If you like her, you won't spend the night with her."

Hanley gritted his teeth.

"You did a decent job when you talked to Xavier this morning," Aaron said.

"You heard the call?"

"Of course. We studied it in considerable detail. Why didn't you mention last night that the Atlanta cell was at risk?"

"It slipped my mind," Hanley said. "I was a little overwhelmed. I still am."

"You can use that excuse just this once."

Hanley looked back at the wreckage from the crash. There was plenty of blood on the pavement.

"I know you feel like the Lord just took a huge dump on your head," Aaron said. "It will all make sense when you start doing missions. You'll be part of a team. You'll be doing a ton of good instead of watching your friends die."

Hanley sighed deeply. "I hope you're right, sir."

"I am. Bye."

Chapter Fifteen

Xavier sipped his coffee in the dining room. Lunch had ended a half-hour ago, and everybody except him had left. Now he was sitting by himself, which was fine. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

The only noise came from the adjacent kitchen. It sounded like the staff was cleaning up from lunch and beginning the preparations for dinner. There would be another banquet tonight, and Xavier was looking forward to eating this time.

Aaron came out of the kitchen. When he saw Xavier, he stopped.

No,
Xavier thought.
Don't come over.

Aaron walked over. "Hi," he said, "are you looking for something to do? A lot of people are playing paintball in the woods. Your man Sampson is having a hell of a good time out there."

"I'm not going out in that cold." Xavier shook his head. "Thanks for the offer though."

"Well, if you want warmer entertainment, there is a poker game in the arts and crafts room. Somebody found decks of cards. There are two tables going right now, and I'm sure they'll make room for you."

"Poker does sound interesting. I want to finish my coffee first."

Aaron sat at the table. Xavier didn't let his annoyance show on his face.

"Enjoying the convention?" Aaron said.

"I'm not sure. Yesterday, I watched people beat the shit out of each other, and then I got sick. Today, I have a short meeting with the legate at the end of the day. I was expecting more of an actual agenda for this convention."

"The legate wanted people to gather naturally and talk about whatever interests them."

Xavier raised his eyebrows. "That doesn't sound like her. It's too soft and nice."

"She's the boss." Aaron shrugged.

"I couldn't help but notice that Marina is quite a bit more than just your second in command."

"She is pretty much the reason I became a Spear. I've loved her since I first met her, which was before I was even recruited."

"She has more seniority than you?" Xavier said.

"A lot more, but circumstances dictated that I was promoted instead."

"She can't be happy about reporting to a junior member of the team."

"She understands why it happened," Aaron said.

Xavier was deeply jealous of Aaron. Rhiannon was dead and Marina was alive.

"It's nice that you're still so affectionate with each other," Xavier said. "A situation like that could ruin a relationship."

"I hate to be rude but let's drop this subject. My personal life isn't any of your business." Aaron stared from beneath his bushy eyebrows.

"Sorry, and I'm usually the one who complains about people being too nosy."

Xavier studied Aaron. The man had a pleasant but vague smile on his face.
What does he know?
Xavier wondered.
What does he suspect?

"I'll be happy to talk about something else," Aaron said. "We can discuss past missions. That seems to be everybody's favorite topic at this convention."

"I'm not in a story telling mood. I'd rather just finish my coffee and play poker."

Aaron nodded. "I should get back to the paintball game anyway. I'm supposed to be officiating. I just came in to make sure the situation in the kitchen was under control. It's a shame I couldn't have this convention professionally catered. My poor staff has been cooking and cleaning non-stop since Friday night."

"Don't let me keep you," Xavier said.

Aaron stood. "Enjoy your poker game. I'm sure you'll do well." He walked off.

* * *

Marina stared down the barrel of her paintball gun. She was lying flat on the frozen dirt, her body as low as possible. Her breath was fogging her face mask. A patch of ice was slowly freezing the skin on her thigh, but she didn't move a millimeter.

The scene in front of her had so little color it looked black and white. Tall trees with barren branches offered little concealment. Snow covered most of the ground, but dark dirt was visible in places. There was just a slight rise and fall to the land. Rocky outcroppings provided alternative places to hide for a small woman but probably not a man.

The rules of this game were simple. Anybody could shoot anybody, and the last survivor was the winner. It was a free-for-all.

What would Aaron do?
she wondered.

She had served under Aaron for eleven months. At first the experience had been pure misery but not because of him. He was a wonderful man and she loved him dearly. Her problem had been herself. A traumatic childhood experience had left her almost incapable of obeying men. Every order he had given had provoked a strong emotional response. She had wanted to argue with him constantly.

Slowly and with great difficulty, she had learned to accept her role as his
legionnaire
to command. Their mutual love had eased the process. She had eventually broken free of the psychological shackles she had received as a teenager. She no longer minded following his orders, and the last few months had been vastly more enjoyable as a result. She had even started to imitate his style.

She was particularly intrigued by his remarkable ability to outfox his adversaries. She had observed him closely in an attempt to learn his tricks. One was carefully examining every battle from both sides without any bias. It was a difficult thing to do, but it allowed him to find opportunities that most people would miss.

Marina mentally put herself into the shoes of her unseen opponents. They were in the same woods, dealing with the same harsh conditions. They would be flat on their bellies just like her. They were staring at the same damn trees and also wondering what to do next.

If she moved too much, she would be spotted and immediately shot. Everybody in these woods was an expert marksman and a good observer. Her first mistake would be her last in this game.

Another of Aaron's tricks was his willingness to cheat. He was always looking for unconventional ways to gain a surprising advantage.

Marina looked to her left at a line of red flags that marked the boundary of the play area. The woods beyond those flags were laden with deadly traps. The idea of messing with the flags intrigued her, but then she put it aside. That was a good way to get her friends killed. Even Aaron wouldn't take a risk like that.

She looked up at the tall trees again. There was cover up high but only a little, and it was hard to reach. She would be exposed for most of the long climb. But if she made it, she would have a commanding view and would likely win. It seemed like her best chance.

She squirmed over to a good looking tree. She used shadows and what little variation the terrain offered to hide her body.

When she was in position, she fired two balls at a tree on the far corner of the arena. The gun clicked and hissed like a real gun with a high quality suppressor. The balls made splatters of neon pink paint where they struck. She fired another two balls at a different tree in the same area. She was trying to simulate a battle at that end to draw attention away from her position. However, her hopper only had twenty-five balls, and when she ran out, she was done. She couldn't afford to waste any of them.

When she started seeing balls from other players flying, she knew it was time. She hopped up, jammed her gun down her pants, and started to climb. Her motions were smooth and continuous. People were good at noticing changes in velocity, but objects that travelled at a constant speed tended to be ignored. It was one of the many lessons Ethel had taught Marina.

Her shoulders started to ache. She didn't have the upper body strength for such a difficult climb, but she pushed on. There was a fork in a branch that looked just right if she could reach it.

A flash of movement made her reflexively sway to one side. A green ball zipped by her head. She drew her gun and was about to return fire when the shooter stood and raised his hands. Somebody else had tagged him.
I'm lucky,
she thought.

She climbed until she reached the fork in the branch. By bending her body at just the right angle, she matched it to the shape of the tree. From a distance, she was now invisible.

She took a moment to catch her breath, but she made sure the branch didn't sway. Little mistakes like that often made the difference on a real mission.

When her heart rate had slowed and her aim was steady, she peered around the branch. Everybody in the game was wearing a gray tracksuit with a hood. The clothing wasn't real camouflage but it still tended to blend in.

 Marina spotted four opponents, but picking them off would be tricky. Once she started firing, she would draw attention.
Plan the last shot before you shoot the first,
she thought. It was one of the lessons Aaron had taught her. She had been blessed with two fine instructors.

She determined her firing pattern based on who was facing what direction. Without hurrying, she shot two balls at each target in rapid succession.

Four people stood with their hands in the air. A moment later, she heard an air horn. She had won.

She grinned.
Now I just have to get down without breaking my neck,
she thought.

* * *

Aaron waited at the edge of the woods for Marina to come out. She had dirt on her clothes and twigs in her hair, but she was smiling.

He gave her a hug and a kiss. "Nicely done."

"Thanks." She kissed him back. "I really like these paintball guns. They're quiet, fast, and accurate. They can pump out a lot of firepower in a hurry. If we put something other than paint in the balls..."

"Poison gas, micro-grenades, smoke, the possibilities are intriguing."

"And if we're caught with the guns, we can say they're toys."

"Brilliant." Aaron's phone rang, and he answered it, "Hello?"

"Come to my office," Ethel said. "Bring Marina. I have Charles on the line."

"Ethel wants us," Aaron said to Marina.

She nodded.

They jogged to the main building. Keeping the legate waiting was bad enough. Aaron certainly didn't want her predecessor waiting for long also.

He went into the office marked "President" without bothering to knock, and Marina followed him. Ethel sat behind the desk with her phone held facing forward. Clearly, she had it in speaker mode. Guthrum stood behind her as silent and still as always.

Aaron closed the door.

"Everybody is here," Ethel said.

"Hello," Charles said through the phone. "What's going on?"

Aaron recognized his deep, commanding voice. He was an impressive man, even when just talking over the phone.

Ethel quickly summarized the situation for him.

Charles was silent for a long moment after she finished. Finally, he said, "Oh, Xavier. What have you done?"

"The what is clear enough," she said. "We're determining the why now. Aaron believes it has something to do with his former lover, Rhiannon."

He sighed. "A beautiful woman with a beautiful soul. Her death was painful for everybody who knew her, even me. Xavier was utterly crushed, of course. The two of them were inseparable in life. I was actually worried about his sanity for a while. I spent a month in Houston just to keep an eye on him. He eventually seemed to pull himself back together. I assumed he had healed. I was wrong."