The Keys of Solomon (26 page)

According to the phone conversation with Malcolm Reading, the extraction team, provided it was on schedule, left Sun City at the same time Enrique, Falco, and Sam pulled away from the hotel. Using Falco as a go-between, Sam warned Malcolm Reading of a possible ambush and begged Reading to turn the extraction team around and send them back to Phoenix. The man flatly refused, saying he had more than enough personnel to take care of any potential problems at the airfield, “including that punk Conner kid.” Falco laughed as he relayed that message to Sam.

“Don't tell me. Reading belongs to the ‘All Offspring are demon scum' club.”

Falco chuckled again. “Yeah, you could say that. He's a good man to have around in tough spots, and a helluva strategist, but he has his head firmly entrenched in his ass when it comes to the Offspring. This little excursion serves several purposes. You'll have a chance to demonstrate your abilities for Rikki, and possibly save your life in the process. And in doing so, I get to shove it in Reading's face.”

Enrique grunted and shot Falco a stern look that said,
Shut up about Reading. Now.
“Let's just get this over with. I've got some important news and I can't dispense it until I'm back in Boston. And that had better be tomorrow afternoon, at the latest.”

Falco glanced at his half-brother. “What's the problem, Rikki? If it's the Hierarchy's position toward Sam and the others—”

“No,” said Enrique. “This doesn't have much to do with the Offspring. Or maybe it does. At any rate, it's imperative I'm back on the East Coast tomorrow. I'll fill you in then.”

“Fair enough,” replied Falco. “I just thought that if this concerns Sam, well, if he's going to help us, he needs to know where he stands.”

“Hey, I haven't said anything about helping you guys,” interjected Sam. “I just said your little merry band of kidnappers is heading straight into a trap, and they're taking my mom and sister with them. I'll help you get everyone clear of the airfield if I can, but after that, you're on your own.”

Before Enrique could respond, Falco said, “Looks like they had a little fender-bender up ahead. A bob truck and … a car, maybe two. They've got the damn exit blocked.”

“There's another exit farther down,” said Enrique. “We could take it and backtrack.”

“It's ten to twelve miles out of the way,” said Sam. “If we don't make this exit, we won't catch your team before they hit the airfield. It—it'll be too late by then.”

“No problem, kid.” Falco rolled down the passenger window and fixed the magnetic base of the strobe light to the roof. Before Enrique could stop him, Falco then plugged the cord into the dashboard electrical outlet. Immediately, blue light pulsed from atop the car.

“You've got the right of way now, Rikki. Just keep driving and don't look back.”

As Enrique made his way through the tangle of vehicles, Sam closed his eyes and tried to push the image of the wreckage from his mind. Kat and his mother were only minutes ahead now. So was the Enemy. The stench of rotted meat and days-old cat urine had grown stronger with each passing mile. He focused on the mental image of his mother, but drew a hazy, distorted image. Shaken and unsure of the meaning, Sam dismissed the picture and focused on Kat. He could sense her presence only a short distance ahead, but her face remained a blur. Again, he breathed in and out, refocused his efforts, and tried again. Instantly, a landscape image, similar to a movie screen appeared in his head. He was looking into the front seat of a moving vehicle. A woman dressed in black battle fatigues sat behind the steering wheel while a man, also dressed in black, occupied the passenger side.

Sam shifted his view, and found himself looking at his mother. Or, rather, he thought it was his mother. Amanda Conner was an ashy shell of a person, unmoving, and unblinking. Startled, Sam realized he was seeing the interior of the kidnap vehicle through Kat's eyes. He immediately dropped the contact. A split second later, he felt a familiar probe, the signature so very similar to his own. However, while he had extended his senses with a deft touch, Kat had sensed his psychic presence and was reaching for him with all the mental energy she possessed. It was all Sam could do to block the psychic plea for help, and it nearly crushed his spirit. Kat had reached out for him, desperately needing assurances that help was on the way. And all Sam could do was shove her aside like some minor afterthought.

He wanted to reach for Kat, to reassure her that he was coming to end this nightmare, but he dared not make contact this close to a nest. It was one thing to draw attention to himself, but if Kat locked onto his psychic sending, or worse … if she answered, the Enemy would be all over her within minutes.

Sam wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.
And Mom … what's happened to Mom? C'mon, God, answer me! Get in the game, will You? We're about to die out in the middle of a friggin' desert. Nothing but scorpions, tarantulas, and a few mangy coyotes for witnesses. How's this supposed to help humanity? Couldn't You find a better spot to end this crap?

Why here? Why not in New York? Or Paris or … Abbotsville, Tennessee? Maybe Falco lied and there really is a Veil nearby? Naw, couldn't be. I would know if there was. Maybe it's just that the Enemy is everywhere now, crawling over the planet like mutant army ants assaulting a giant picnic basket.

“How much farther, Falco?”

“I have no idea, Sam. I don't know shit about the area or the route. Malcolm's group didn't bother to brief me on the extraction plan. I'm not exactly in good standing these days.”

“We've already been over that, Thomas,” said Enrique. “As for the airfield, it's not much farther. I know the route.”

“Of course you do, Rikki boy. I'd be shocked and amazed if you didn't.” Looking over his shoulder at Sam, Falco explained. “Malcolm Reading planned the operation, but Rikki always has final approval. In fact, the Order doesn't make a move on this side of the planet unless our little Rikki knows about it first.”

“Yeah, I figured as much,” said Sam. “You know, the way you two act, a guy would think you're related or something.”

Enrique shot Falco a sharp glance, and Falco chuckled. “I told you he was a sharp kid, Rikki.” Over his shoulder he said, “That's because we are, Sam. We're related by creed, oath, and vision. Oh, and Rikki is also my half-brother.”

As Sam digested that unexpected revelation, he again felt the mysterious psychic tickle at the periphery of his mental radar. Not enough of a signal to lock onto, but undeniable, all the same. Sam was sure he knew the source. And again, it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

*   *   *

“Don't you fucking get it?” said Elliott. “They're after the Conner bitches! They've already cost us one man. I say we abort this stinking mission and just throw them both out of the vehicle and head for the plane. It's our only chance!”

The Escalade hit a rock. It wasn't much of a rock, perhaps the size of a football, but at sixty miles per hour such a jolt can shake the fillings from your teeth. Ronni swerved hard to the left to avoid a sink hole, then back to the right as a large patch of knee-high cacti came into view. Ronni kept her eyes focused on the terrain ahead. If she had heard Elliott, she was ignoring him.

“Okay, Weiss! Have it your way. But be ready to explain to Reading how a highly trained, highly motivated professional can screw up a simple extraction this bad. The entire Order will be interested in your explanation. All you had to do was follow the goddamn asphalt, but no, that would have entailed following
orders
! How the
fuck
did I get stuck with you, anyway? The bosses must have been checking out your rack instead of your credentials, huh? That it?”

For ten continuous, nerve-wracking minutes, Ronni had endured Elliott Glenn's caustic insults in silence. After suffering through all the abuse she intended to take, she formed a retort and made ready to fire. However, the usually reserved Lexis beat her to the punch.

“Elliott?”

“Yeah?”

“I'm sitting back here with my dead partner. Brian and I were a team long before you were ever recruited to the Order. He had my respect and admiration. You are entitled to neither, and I swear before God, if you don't shut up, I'll cap your mouthy ass right here, right now.”

“Oh, so now you're going all smart-ass on me, is that—” The words stuck in Elliott's throat at the familiar
schick-schick
of a semi-automatic handgun chambering a round.

“That's a good boy, Elliott,” said Lexis. “You may be an egotistical dumbass but you're not entirely stupid, are you? Now, sit there and be very quiet while Ronni gets us out of this mess. Oh, and don't even turn around. If you do, I'll be the last thing you ever see. Got it?”

Ronni caught a glimpse of Elliott from the corner of her eye, and winced inwardly. He held his gun in a two-fisted shooting grip, and his eyes blinked furiously. She recognized the signs and knew Elliott Glenn was on the verge of a killing rage. She also knew that while Elliott had a reputation for a rattlesnake disposition, deadly and quick to strike, he really wasn't crazy. Or rather, he wasn't crazy enough to challenge Lexis as long as she had the muzzle of her own gun pointed at the back of his head. He would bear close scrutiny once they arrived at the airfield. For that matter, so would Lexis.

“Ronni?”

“Yeah, Lexis?”

“The Lincoln.”

Ronni looked at Lexis through the rearview mirror. “What about the Lincoln?”

“It's gone. It was there, maybe fifty meters back, and now it's gone.”

Finally! I knew the sonofabitch couldn't keep up with us once we went off-road!

“Great news, Lexis. He probably blew out a tire or smashed up his radiator. Stay alert, though. We don't need any surprises. Hey! Speaking of surprises, I can see the airfield beacons! Just above that ridge to the right.”

Seconds later, the Escalade topped the ridge, and Ronni had to resist the urge to shout. A mere thirty meters straight ahead was the blacktop highway. Along the shoulder of the road, a sign read
ASARCO AIRPORT—6 MILES
.
The airfield! We made it!

Ronni's elation was short-lived as something large and incredibly fast flashed in front of the SUV. Ronni turned on the headlights just in time to watch the fleeting figure disappear into the darkness. For a second, she thought it had been an optical illusion produced by a combination of mental stress and poor lighting.

“Oh, my God, what was that?”

“You saw it too?” said Elliott.

Ronni let up on the accelerator. As the Escalade rolled to an idle, she surveyed the route to the service road just ahead, then the darkness just beyond the range of the dual halogen headlights.

“I saw … something. Guys, I don't like this place. Keep your eyes open and your weapons locked and cocked.”

For once, Elliott had no snide remark. Instead, his head was on a swivel and he kept watch on the surrounding area.

“Yeah, let's go. Just hurry.”

“Ronni shifted into reverse, and gunned the engine. The tires whined as they sought traction in the loose sand, and the Escalade moved backward at an agonizing crawl. They were fighting through the sandy loam, inching toward the road when the Conner child screamed.

As Ronni whirled about, she caught another blur of motion as a dark shadow the size of a very tall man ran alongside the Escalade and paused long enough to ram its fist through the remaining driver's-side window. Lexis fired her weapon twice at point-blank range, then watched helplessly as the creature, exhibiting no sign of injury, leaped forward a dozen meters and landed lightly on the road. She fired another three rounds for good measure.

The creature, a ghoulish apparition half as tall as the average man, rose up on long sinewy legs and stepped toward the vehicle. Long gangly arms that nearly dragged on the ground ended with gleaming talons like those of some giant raptor.

Ronni could still hear the screams of the Conner child, but the sound seemed distant, and unimportant. Leaving the vehicle and abandoning the “guests” was out of the question. Even if cowardice won out, to what end? She knew she could never outrun the creature. She also knew the steel and glass that surrounded them may as well have been cardboard for all the protection it afforded.

The thing that now stood directly before the vehicle defied adequate description. No genetic experiment gone awry or fevered nightmare could ever produce such an abomination. The gross, misshapen head vaguely reminded Ronni of that of a jackal. A long, slender neck connected the head to a grotesque, ill-proportioned body, seemingly constructed of nothing but strings of sinew and thick ropes of muscle. The creature grinned at Elliott from outside the van, revealing an impossibly wide maw filled with rows of gleaming teeth.

The creature took another step, crouched, then leaped high into the air, disappearing over the hood and windshield. Ronni crouched low in her seat, expecting to hear a loud thud on the roof at any second. To her right, Elliott blindly fired several shots through the steel-reinforced roof. He was dropping the spent magazine and reaching for another when the cracked windshield imploded, spraying the interior of the van with shards of tempered glass.

Elliott shrieked as slivers of glass peppered his face. He was still screaming as icy talons dug into his shoulder and dragged him forward, toward the jagged hole in the windshield.

Before Ronni could react, Lexis dove over the back of Elliott's seat, and jammed the barrel of her gun into the creature's eye socket. Six rapid rounds drove the creature back. Kneeling on the dented hood, the demon emitted an ear-splitting screech, then rolled onto its side and lay still. A shaken Elliott dropped back into his seat, wiping blood from his face.