Faith Defiled (Gray Spear Society Book 14) (38 page)

The legate rubbed his hands together, crouched down, and formed his fingers into a spear. He abruptly shoved his hands into the metal tiles covering the floor. Yang couldn't believe his eyes. He had heard those tiles were made of an exotic alloy which was nearly indestructible. The legate separated his hands like he was opening a curtain, and the result was even more incredible. A passage opened leading straight into the ground. The tunnel had wet, muddy walls, but an invisible force kept it from collapsing.

Norbert and Hanley went down the hole. Yang had talked to Norbert earlier and had discovered he was a
legionnaire
in Chicago. He had recently been promoted to Wesley's protection team. Norbert had brown, curly hair and a slightly puffy face. He had struck Yang as a very sincere, nice guy.

Yang walked over and looked down the dark hole. He couldn't see what Norbert and Hanley were doing down there.

"What did you do, sir?" Yang asked the African legate.

"My gift is making passages," the legate said.

"Through anything?"

"Yes. I create space where there is no space. I can even make a hole in you."

Yang raised his eyebrows.
Amazing,
he thought,
but that's why he's a legate.

After a few minutes, Norbert and Hanley climbed out of the hole. Hanley was carrying a crown made mostly of silver. As soon as the two
legionnaires
were clear, the African legate withdrew his hands. The passage snapped shut without even a seam to show where it had been.

The legate of South Asia approached the crown. His name was Sight, probably because he had a third eye in the center of his forehead. The extra eye glowed a little and had a tiny pupil.

"I know what that is," he said. "I read about it in the
tabella
."

"What?" Hanley said.

"The original crown of North America."

Hanley appeared confused.

"All the legates used to wear crowns," Sight said. "It was a tradition until the mid-nineteenth century. When Native Americans controlled this continent, their legate wore this crown. The European settlers thought it looked barbaric, so they made a new crown. The matter ended in bloodshed, and the natives lost. They obviously buried this crown afterwards to keep it safe."

"It was sitting on the head of a skeleton."

Sight smiled. "That was probably Black Deer, the legate at the time. According to the
tabella
, he had supernatural wisdom. It can't be a coincidence that his grave is here. He probably knew this was a place of enormous significance."

The crown was passed around for everybody to see. When Yang took it, he was astonished by the quality of the workmanship. Intricate battle scenes were etched into the silver plates. Rubies, sapphires, and other jewels provided colorful highlights. Strands of gold were somehow woven into the silver.

The plate on the front of the crown shocked Yang. It clearly portrayed Aaron and Marina posing as rulers. Her eyes were made of emeralds, and his eyes were black diamonds. Yang couldn't believe it was a coincidence.

Marina came over and took the crown. "It's beautiful. Those damn Europeans had no idea what they were talking about. Hey, what's this?" She took a closer look. "It looks like me and Aaron!"

Sight nodded. "I think you should wear the crown, ma'am. You would be honoring the memory of Black Deer, one of the great legates of North America."

"Sure." Marina gently placed the crown on her head. "I love it."

Yang felt a tug on his hand. He looked down and discovered Wesley was standing there. Seeing the boy's blue sparkling eyes at close range always intimidated Yang. The Voice of Truth was more than just a prophet. He was an axis upon which the entire world spun, and getting caught in his orbit always changed a person's life.

"Come," Wesley said in a low voice.

He gestured for Yang to follow, and the two of them walked off to a quiet corner.

"What?" Yang said nervously.

"When the aperture opens, make sure you're the first one through after the twins. Go straight to Olivia and your friends. Rescue them."

"But I thought they were safe."

"Nobody told you that," Wesley said. "They're in great danger, and if you're slow, they'll die."

"But how will I get all the way to California?"

"A
legionnaire
of the new Society will have the power to instantly travel anywhere. You just have to think of a place, and you'll be there." Wesley touched his head.

"That's convenient," Yang said, "but I don't know where Olivia is. I never met the witch. How will I find them?"

"Your love for Jia will be your guide. Just follow that connection to her."

"Follow love?"

"Yes." Wesley nodded. "It's the most important thing."

"OK. I have to believe you even if it sounds strange. As long as we're talking about Jia, I have a question. I'll be immortal, and she won't be. That's a problem for our relationship. What should I do?"

"You'll have to work that out on your own. I don't have all the answers. Remember, be first and be quick!"

Wesley walked off.

Marina came over. She looked much more authoritative in her silver crown, and Yang bowed instinctively to her.

She smiled and appeared regal. "What was that about?"

"Wesley wants me to rescue Olivia and the assistants, ma'am," Yang said. "After the twins go through the aperture, I'm next. Apparently, time is of the essence."

"Oh." She furrowed her brow. "That's not good. I'll make sure nobody gets in your way."

"He also told me to follow my love for Jia. It will guide me to her."

"Sounds a little dodgy."

He shrugged. "I'll give it a shot."

"All this assumes the aperture opens on time. That's far from certain."

Marina looked across the room at the aperture, and Yang followed her gaze. Bethany, Leanna, and the fifteen scientists were still struggling to make the thing work. Yang sighed anxiously.

* * *

Walfred checked the angle of the sun. It was setting, and the light was fading fast. The landslide had cost him precious hours. The Circassians had refused to leave until all their injured had been dug out of the rubble and all the dead were buried in some fashion. Now Walfred was almost out of time. Once night fell, he would have to give up the chase until morning.

At least the enemy had left a clear trail. The dry, dusty ground retained footprints perfectly. His quarry had doubled back a couple of times in an attempt to throw him off, but he was very familiar with such tricks and hadn't been fooled.

The pursuit had taken Walfred deep into the wilderness. He hadn't seen any sign of civilization for miles, not even a hiking trail. Big, old trees crowded so closely together, only a fraction of the sunlight reached the ground. Rocks, gnarled roots, and sudden drop-offs forced him to step carefully. He always had to keep one eye watching for poison oak. It was untamed land, hostile to human encroachment.

The footprints were leading Walfred towards a sandstone cliff. He looked up and saw a rough opening almost hidden by the trees. It was a cave.

He grimaced. The cave was full of dark, dangerous question marks. The first men who entered might get ambushed, but he saw no alternative. He needed to know for sure whether the target was in there. That meant somebody had to get shot at, and it wouldn't be him. Others would enjoy that honor.

Walfred waited for the rest of the Warriors to catch up to him. Only fifteen of his men were left, and they had anxious expressions. Everybody was desperately hoping for an end to the bloody nightmare. Their brown camouflage let them blend into the shadowy, wooded environment.

The Circassians were further back, and Walfred didn't even look for them. They were motivated by money, not faith, and were therefore completely unreliable.

He pointed towards the cave. "Check it out," he whispered, "carefully."

Four Warriors crept forward on their bellies.

* * *

Jia could only see a glimmer of light ahead. As the sun set outside, the dark cave was becoming even darker. She could barely tell where the opening was.

She was surprisingly calm though. The witches had maintained their slow, rhythmic chant which resonated with the walls. Hard rock shielded Jia on all sides. The gun in her hands was an instrument of divine retribution, and she intended to put it to good use. There were much worse ways and places to die.

She saw a beam of light dance in the cave. Somebody was shining a flashlight into the opening.

"Wait," Imelda whispered. "Let them get a little closer. Make sure you get a clean kill."

The witches lowered their voices, but they continued to chant.

Jia saw four flashlights entering the cave, but the men were just silhouettes. She sighted down the barrel of her gun and put a little pressure on the trigger. She had been taught the proper procedure for killing a man.
Smooth pull. Don't jerk or flinch. Keep an eye open.
She had never actually shot anything not made of paper though.

When the enemy was about half-way down the cave, Imelda whispered, "On my mark. Three... two... one... fire."

The four assistants and Olivia all opened fire at once. The gunshots echoed from the walls and deafened Jia. Muzzle flashes left purple splotches in her vision. Her second and third shots were blind, but she was hoping to get lucky.

The barrage ended after just a few seconds.

"Is everybody OK?" Imelda said. Her voice was barely understandable over the ringing in Jia's ears.

"Yes," the rest of the team said.

"Just hold tight. There will be more."

Olivia pressed her body against Jia's.

* * *

Walfred heard rapid-fire gunshots.

He spoke into his radio headset. "Give me a status report. What's happening in there?"

The only response was the low hiss of static. Apparently, the anticipated ambush had happened.

Now Walfred had a problem. Digging the enemy out of a deep, dark cave would be risky and difficult. There was only one way in, and it was obviously well defended. Fading sunlight created a tight time constraint. The operation had started in the middle of the day, and nobody had thought to bring night-vision gear. They were lucky to have a few flashlights.

Walfred looked around, hoping for inspiration. The Circassians had caught up, and the total size of the group was about thirty-five men. Everybody was armed with assault rifles, pistols, grenades, and the occasional shotgun. They had left the big items like RPG's behind in anticipation of a quick assault against lightly armed opponents.

We'll have to do this the noisy way,
Walfred thought.

"Everybody, grab your grenades," he said. "We'll toss them in the hole to clear the way. We'll work our way down until we find the bodies at the bottom. OK?"

The plan seemed agreeable to the Warriors and the Circassians. Soldiers loved tossing grenades.

"Let's go." Walfred walked forward.

* * *

Jia heard a clattering noise. It sounded like metal striking stone.

Two seconds later, an explosion left her stunned. The detonation had happened at the other end of the cave, but the concussion had shot down the tunnel. It was like somebody had punched her in the head.

More explosions quickly followed. Jia huddled down behind the rocks with Olivia in her arms and prayed for salvation.

Yang,
Jia thought.
Where are you? You promised you would be here for us.

* * *

Marina was watching the aperture warm up. It looked like the cursed thing was finally going to work this time. Some components were glowing so brightly, she had to avert her eyes. The gravity in the room kept fluctuating, and it was like standing on the deck of a ship in a storm. The walls were rippling like they were made of water instead of reinforced concrete. The air was getting hotter.

A glowing green dot formed in the center of the aperture.

Marina saw Smythe, Odelia, Norbert, and Wesley standing together.

Marina ran over. "It's almost time. Get in line, but let the twins go first."

Most of the
legionnaires
began to form a line in front of the aperture. Yang was first, and he was bouncing on the balls of his feet eagerly. Only Smythe and Odelia hung back. Marina frowned with disappointment but didn't argue with their decision.

Marina looked down at Wesley. "Aaron isn't here yet."

"I was afraid this would happen." The boy nodded. "He wanted to command the defense of the hotel until the end. He couldn't leave until all the important decisions were made."

"What should I do?"

He took her hand. "Go through by yourself. The aperture will give you the power to bring him here, but you'll have to be quick. It won't stay open for long."

She nodded.

A flash of green light made Marina look back at the aperture. A membrane of green energy now filled the hole. It sparkled like fabric made from a million tiny diamonds. The effect was breathtaking.

The equipment was humming loudly and unevenly. She could tell it would burn out or shut down within minutes.

Bethany and Leanna climbed a step ladder and dived into the green membrane head-first. They didn't come out the other side.

Yang dived through after them.

* * *

In battle as well as life, being in the right place was everything. Walfred was solidly in the middle of the pack. His men surrounded him like a protective shield, but he wasn't so far from the action that he could be considered cowardly. He was just one of the guys, as eager to fight as the rest but willing to let others have the honor of being in front.

The large group was raining grenades down into the cave. Some men had actually entered the cave, but the narrow space forced most to wait outside. Walfred was standing at the threshold. The concussions from the blasts were hurting his ears, but he maintained a stoic expression.

The explosions abruptly stopped. Blood and dismembered body parts suddenly sprayed out of the cave. Men screamed in terror, and the group surged backwards, knocking Walfred to the ground. He tried to extricate himself from the pile of squirming men.