Invisible Dawn Page 16

  Madelin saw his tan aura pop into existence in the direction he indicated. “Okay, let’s go,” she ordered, ushering Daniel forward. Her voice and determination clung to the fragile hope that they might make it.

  Jedd awoke with renewed vigor, but was shocked to find that Roger had drifted off. “Roger!”

  His shout woke the gambler with a start. Roger looked down at the deck of cards he had been shuffling and stashed them in a pocket. “So what’d they say?”

  “It’s a go. We have to move though. Leodenin’s getting closer.”

  Sensing the urgency in Jedd’s voice, Roger leapt to his feet with more energy than Jedd thought possible. He reached into the blue sports-bag Maria gave him and pulled out a gleaming .44 Magnum. Jedd gawked as the Cajun opened the cylinder and loaded a round of bullets from a jacket pocket.

  He was reminded of an old Dirty Harry film he had seen years earlier. “Where the hell’d you get that?”

  Roger answered with an energized smile. “Well, it’s like I said, Maria has something for every occasion, and after I told her I was going with you, she handed me this monster and a butt load of ammo. Be prepared’s my motto, kind of like those woodsy boys say.” With a chuckle, he tucked the loaded gun under his belt and zipped the jacket.

  Jedd chortled with comic disbelief before marching into the pouring rain. “I just hope you know how to use that thing, Roj.”

  “We’ll just have to find out, now, won’t we?”

  The men steered toward where he planned to meet Madelin, hoping to reach her before Leodenin. As they grew closer, Jedd watched the false father adjust to the change in tactics. His heart sank as the shifter moved to intercept the two groups.

  “Looks like we’ve gotta pick up the pace,” Jedd muttered in exasperation. The torrential rain pelted his uncovered head and clothes. In the desert, a light jacket would have stopped the fiercest of rains. The unexpected climate change left him miserable, but it seemed nothing would dampen Roger’s newfound spirits.

  Jedd’s legs shouted in horrific pain as he pushed through the murky waters, but his thoughts were on the young girl who once sat astride his lap. Her green eyes glowed with innocence, returning the love he and her parents doted on her. He dwelled on her for hours.

  Before he knew it, a drenched but determined warrior strode into view less than thirty yards away, across what would soon become a war-torn battlefield. Jedd scanned the trees to his right and found Leodenin’s dark aura gleaming in the moonlight. He stood a stone’s throw away.

  The false father slipped behind a tree while his adept companions disappeared into the marsh. Jedd pointed him out to Roger as Madelin did the same for Daniel. Just as she did, the ex-mercenary thrust her behind a tree. He ducked as gunfire from the agents’ pistols permeated the air. The bullets pelted the trees around them.

  Jedd and Roger each selected a thick trunk for cover. They watched Leodenin’s position, waiting for a clear shot. A seldom used .22 caliber pistol appeared in Jedd’s hands, and his eyes promised vengeance. His blood boiled at the site of Leodenin shouting orders and waving in their direction, but the trees still offered him cover.

  A vivid image appeared in front of Jedd’s eyes. An orphaned girl stood outside her parents’ burning home, tears streaming down her ashen face. Jedd saw red. He stepped around the tree and pointed the small handgun at the false father. Round after round fired at the pull of the trigger, until the wretched man took cover. When the hammer fell on a hollow chamber, Jedd flipped back behind the tree to reload.

  The Cajun’s revolver was steadied on Leodenin’s men. The magnum flared in the damp night air as a thunderous roar echoed through the trees, concealing the bellow of the gun. Surprised by the backlash of the hand cannon, Roger caught it just before it recoiled into his face. The unlucky card player ducked behind the plant life and looked over at Jedd with a malevolent grin. Blue lightening seared the sky, illuminating his distorted face like a gruesome demon. An onslaught of silent killers rained down on them as the agents returned fire, but it did not diminish the gambler’s excitement.

  He yelled over the chaos, “I got one!”

  Rejuvenated, Jedd smiled and flipped back around the splintered tree trunk to find yet another victim. Seeing no one, he let his adrenaline take over. Without thought, he sprinted to a felled tree a few yards closer to the operatives. Roger followed on his heels. Not five yards ahead, lay a half submerged agent clad in black. Blood poured from his vest and infected the swamp. The red water streamed past Jedd’s feet.

  The magnum must have pierced the armor, thought Jedd.

  A sinister smile grew at the thought of one less hunter. It was hard to subdue his anticipation, but he waited for another barrage of bullets to wane. Jedd’s smile widened as Daniel’s guns sprung to life, hammering back at Leodenin’s men from the opposite direction.

  This couldn’t have worked out better.

  The firing slowed and Jedd took advantage. Slipping over the hulking tree, he added his own bloodthirsty bullets to the fray, accompanied by Roger’s roaring cannon. Leodenin and his men retreated inch-by-inch into the night. Jedd and the gambler relished in their success.

  After losing sight of the operatives, Jedd focused on Leodenin’s aura, but it scampered further away, putting as much distance between the two groups as possible. Soon, the booming sounds of battle died away. Periodic bursts of thunder disrupted the silent night’s return as the heavens above cried out. However, the time between clashes grew and the silence was accompanied by soft rain. Jedd and Roger approached the group’s previous position but saw no one, aside from damaged trees and the fallen agent’s body. With the coast clear, they set out for Madelin and her friend.

  Jedd slid through the shallow marsh, a few feet from where he had seen them earlier. “It’s us. I think they left. Is everyone okay?”

  Daniel’s eyes widened and he sprung to his feet as though his legs were coiled aluminum. Madelin smiled as they appeared, but her enthusiasm was subdued by the damp night and fatigue.

  “Good to see you’re alright. Did you manage to wing any of them?” asked the scarred man.

  A toothy grin filled Roger’s face. “Yep, I got one of them dirty bastards real good,” he replied, hefting his .44.

  Daniel glanced at it before looking back at the slender man with newfound respect. “Now where in the Sam Hell’d you come across an ancient thing like that?”

  “It was a good friend’s, and when she found out I was gonna be sailin’ with this guy,” he said with a shrug toward Jedd, “she figured it might come in handy.”

  “I guess you’ve had some trainin’ then?” added Daniel. “Was it with that particular weapon?”

  “Nah,” he replied, “but it sure does have a punch. Went right through the guy’s vest.”

  “It damn well better have, or else Dirty Harry would’ve been known as the Patron Harry, donating bullets for the cause, or some shit like that.” They each enjoyed a lighthearted laugh and the awkward strain between strangers lessened. The two ex-servicemen became engrossed in conversation, as though they had known each other for years.

  “Where’d you go for your training?”

  “The Maritime Academy?” Roger flashed the tattoo on his arm.

  “Ah, Death Before Dishonor,” commented Daniel. The night’s shadows obscured the wince that crossed Roger’s face.

  “How about you?” Roger asked, attempting to sidestep a discussion about his less than stellar past.

  “A lifetime ago I was a Marine, before I joined a private security venture.” Daniel’s face turned sour as he dredged up the memories. Ignoring the sudden desire for something wet and eighty-proof, he continued in a dry and sober voice. “I learnt to fight, shoot, and be everything a man should be in the Marines. Then Black Force Security taught me to ignore those things when the money’s right, somethin’ I’ve been tryin’ to make up for ever since.”

  Daniel divulged what had consumed him each night. The past he could nev
er outrun was something another military man would understand. As he finished his somber confession, he was greeted by the natural voices of insects in the night.

  Roger nodded, having known men that went down that route, but he had not kept up with them after the career change. He was unable to relate to the horrors flashing through Daniel’s mind, but could appreciate better than most the feeling of betrayal and worthlessness this ex-soldier now felt.

  Giving the conversation a necessary lift, Roger probed into the ex-mercenary’s training as a US Marine. The two men fell into a black hole of conversation about various military armaments, techniques, and weapons. The Cajun sat down on a fallen tree as the older veteran checked his bandages and ammunition. The memories of long dead children turned into afterthoughts, postponing their haunting till later.

  Madelin stood stunned at the openness with which Daniel greeted a fellow serviceman, no matter how many years removed. Allowing the two of them to trail off on their own, she gazed at the man who freed her; a man hours before she assumed was dead. Jedd stood tall and lean in his wet jacket, although just inches taller than Madelin herself. His eyes welcomed her, twinkling in the moonlight like a long lost friend. He was a stranger, but he knew her better than she knew herself. She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him, filling her voided memories with his presence.

  In turn, Jedd embraced the little girl he lost so long ago. His thoughts returned to the red headed child standing in front of her burning home, her world falling apart around her. He squeezed her shivering body and kissed her forehead. “I swear I’ll never let you out of my sight again,” he whispered. Madelin clutched him tighter, as though he might disappear at any moment.

  When they separated, their tears merged with the rain drops pelting their faces. Jedd watched as the salty emeralds danced down Madelin’s smiling cheeks. In the glow of the tri-moon light, her chin reminded him of her mother. The memory of Waverly Boatweit flashed through his mind, just as a yellow fletched dart blossomed at the nape of Madelin’s quivering neck.

  The smile never left her face, but before he could react her legs buckled. Her drenched body fell to the shallow marsh below. Jedd ducked to catch her head and shoulders before they were submerged, cradling her as her father would have, had he been alive.

  In an instant, the air filled with deadly wasps. Bullets whizzed by, striking the trees around the group with a thud. The wasp intended for him embedded itself in a nearby tree, striking right where his head had been. Jedd failed to notice. His concern for Madelin intoxicated him.

  He removed the dart from her neck with care. It was fletched and made of a small, empty vial. The end was tipped with an inch long syringe. Jedd’s face contorted with rage and he crushed the vial in his blackened fist. His anger enveloped his very being. Turning his attention to their attackers, his eyes threatened vengeance with a murderous fury. The operatives flitted through the shadows, shifting from tree to tree. Leodenin was still in the distance, but must have separated from his crew.

  It took precious seconds for Daniel and Roger to discern what had happened, but they flew into action when they saw Madelin fall. A split-second later, the forest erupted in a shower of bullets. Seeing Jedd cradling her body, they leapt up, weapons bared. The ex-mercenary positioned himself between Madelin and the oncoming assault and picked his targets with deliberate attention. He leveled his weapon on the agents’ shrouded movements. Their bodies were highlighted in the moonlight, but disappeared before he could get a shot off.

  “COWARDS!” he roared.

  Roger ducked behind the closest tree and hefted his Magnum. Sliding around the edge, he spotted a black clad man approaching his position, sidestepping from tree to tree. He aimed at the target and timed the agent’s movements, then fired as he left cover. The recoil was growing easier to handle and he began firing more often. A large bullet tore into his target and the man yelped in pain.

  Daniel spotted the agent and sent a second shot into his shoulder for good measure. A smile played across each of their lips as they reveled in their gruesome success. They scanned the forest for other targets without missing a beat.

  “Jedd,” shouted Daniel through the rapid gunfire. “Get her up. We’re movin’.”

  Her godfather stifled his desire to slaughter each of them and did as instructed. He hefted Madelin over his shoulder with one hand and gripped his .22 in the other. They sped away with the young woman in tow, distancing themselves from Leodenin and his group.

  “I’m gonna kill that bastard,” Jedd muttered. “But I’ve just gotta get Maddy safe. Then that jerk’s mine.”

  Roger and Daniel returned fire in sporadic bursts, forcing the operatives to remain hidden. As they fought, the distance between them widened. Jedd watched the two men work their magic, but knew it could not last long.

  How much ammo do they have left? he worried. To his surprise, each time Daniel finished a clip, another appeared from under his belt or a pant pocket. Within seconds, the veteran was back to spewing death from each hand.

  While slower to reload, Roger plucked a handful of spares from his jacket and jammed them into the revolving chamber like an expert. He was quite adept at popping the chamber into place with a jerk of his wrist. Before Daniel could finish his own clips, Roger was back to filling the night sky with lead insects that could fell an elephant.

  The return fire was sporadic. Each man possessed an iron will and confidence unmatched by the greatest Titans in history. Roger and Daniel paced backward through the marshy terrain with anchored steps. They made their way through the trees and over rotting wooden corpses.

  Jedd searched his surroundings for something that would offer proper defense, but found nothing. Ahead, a multitude of glowing orbs were fast approaching, led by one lone individual. The man in the forefront had no aura, but the speed with which they moved was unnerving.

  The swift wave of men and women overtook the small group before they knew what was happening. The angry boom of the hand cannon was soon overwhelmed by a mass of shouting voices. Hordes of glowing people were upon them before Jedd could alert his friends to the new arrivals.

  * * * * *

  Chapter 16: Interesting Neighbors

  Leodenin watched as this world’s tenants poured through the trees at an unconscionable speed.

  Perhaps, he thought, this world will be more to my liking than those I’ve experienced before. He imagined the onslaught that was about to befall the mixed group, and his lips knitted themselves into a wicked smile. If this many people are capable of doing what I do, then the loss of one young girl is worth the discovery.

  Leodenin’s thoughts cemented themselves in reality as the first of the crowd overtook the group. The solitary man barreled past without giving them a thought. Bewildered, it dawned on him where the man was now heading. Panic took root in his stomach.

  He selected one operative from his huddled group and shoved him forward. “Shoot him down,” shouted Leodenin, “or I’ll spread your entrails across this world and the next.”

  As the oncoming tsunami swept over Madelin and her protectors, the man leading them continued to hurdle from tree to tree, bearing down on the group of PASTOR operatives. Father Leodenin thrust the tanned agent forward with a strong arm. The operative raised his pistol at the speeding target and attempted to follow its zigzag dance through the forest. A shot rang out seconds before the milky-white abomination crashed into them.

  “Got him,” shouted the black-suited youth, but before the words had left his lips, the color drained from his face.

  The shot did not faze the mysterious man, but it caught his attention. He hurtled toward them with terror-filled eyes and a face entrenched in pain and rage. The impact of the collision threw the agents into the trees and scattered them across the forest floor.

  The shock left Leodenin with no time to react before he, too, suffered the consequences. He did not see the man’s fist, but felt it splinter his ribcage. He flew into the ai
r, landing what felt like minutes later on the waterlogged soil.

  After the world stopped spinning, he took stock of the damage. Every bone in his body flared at the thought of moving, but he forced his arms to work and pushed himself to his knees. The man that had wiped out his well trained instruments of war was nowhere to be seen, and Leodenin’s world became a silent film, aside from the ringing in his ears.

  Leodenin grimaced at the ease with which the mystery man had dispatched his men. His agents were scattered to the winds. He scanned the shadowed forest and found some in the surrounding area. They were slow to get up. Not far away, lay the unlucky operative that had followed his orders. He did not move and his head was submerged under the putrid water. Dismissing him, Leodenin turned away, his thoughts wondering back to the pale attacker.

  I could use such a man.

  His bones protested as he rose to his feet, but the thought of Marlin or the others seeing him prone and injured spurred him onward. His feet were shaky, and he stifled a scream as pain erupted within him. His thoughts went to the pouch at his belt, but with a limited supply, he rejected the idea.

  Within seconds, the glowing crowd that had bore down on them became a reality. The world exploded as bloodthirsty howls and shrieks pierced his muted world. Leodenin stood wavering, expecting the worst as they sped by within inches, but not one touched him. The flood of people was short-lived and their voices soon trailed in the distance. The pale shifter left the dark haired agent where he landed and strode back to his group of underlings, hiding the pain that blazed with each step.

  At a questioning look from Daniel, Jedd shouted through the throng of voices, “They all glow like me and Madelin.” There was no need to elaborate. The evidence of their speed was all around.

  The leader flew through the group as though they did not exist, his pale complexion flashing in the moonlight as he leapt from tree to tree. Each step propelled him further through the forest with increasing alacrity. Jedd caught a fleeting glimpse of the man’s face as it looked back at the others in pursuit, and their eyes met. His stare was cold, almost lifeless, and his face was etched with perpetual fear.