THE STORYTELLER
CASSANDRA BY KEN LEHNIG PART 5
The plan was relatively simple; the Geeks would rain down a little destructive magic from above as a diversion. Samson would enter the Keep, before the others, by way of the old sewer. Samson would climb up through the second level sty to the east tower encounter the Judge, remove his finger and his need to breathe. Benning, with a handful of the new Vamp-Geeks, would enter through the third level, head for the west tower and capture the Sheriff using the melee, created by the satellite sound weapons, as a diversion. Samson said he wanted the Sheriff captured rather than creating the mess of removing his head. Benning knew better. The Geeks needed a win and Samson was going to give them one.
Samson slipped down at nightfall and climbed through the trestle's under structures, across to the base of the Keep, unnoticed by the sentries. Bennings shivered as he watched the small black shadow quickly maneuver through the girders like a spider, leaving ropes hanging behind him as an aid, if needed, for the return trip. His boss sometimes gave him the creeps. He also discovered, with an added shudder, that the Vamp-Geeks could see better than he in the dark. When Samson entered the old sewer tunnel the Geeks chirped for Benning to follow. He had lost sight of Samson as soon as he lit on the opposite shore. It was at this point he was in full realization he was employed by some sort of crazy-person-hero-priest-type that was not at all that safe to be around. Benning mentally shrugged, Samson was his friend no matter how weird he is. He was in the dark alone with a dozen owl-eyed, God knows what else, Geek- bloodsuckers; and he was about to storm a well-armed, fully defended, granite-walled Keep. Life 'was' good.
1110-Something indicated to Benning to follow them downstream. He whispered like a hissing snake that they had a way to cross the river. In ancient days this had been a dam site, the change had destroyed the dam but not a series of mysterious concrete tunnels that passed under the river. Most had been destroyed and none of the Geeks knew what purpose they served. They believed they might have been escape routes, to what or from what no one knew. But one of the tunnels was still intact and had been hidden by the Geeks. It led to another series of tunnels, mine shafts and additional concrete tunnel structures that led to the doorway to the third level of the Keep. They estimated three hours to make the trip, if they hurried. The plan meant that Samson would be well into the Keep before they moved on the Sheriff. When Benning asked how they would know when to move through the door, the Geeks answered that Samson would whistle.
To Benning the concrete tunnels looked like well-ordered corridors. There were even colorless painted stripes and writings on the walls and floors indiscernible in the greenish glow. If there was a dam here these tunnels and the Geek Lair served a very definite military function. They moved quickly under the river when the explosions of the sound weapons hit the rocks and river overhead. Benning was shocked at the violence of the space blasts. Samson insisted that the Geeks just make a show of noise, flash and dust and they were doing just that. The faithful Superstitious, in the Keep, would take it as angry act of their god. They would hide or look on the display with dreaded interest. Either way the city would be preoccupied. As they hit the door that opened into the Keep, the Geeks covered their ears in pain. Benning knew it was his boss without asking; he'd seen the silent whistle reaction before. Samson would use this whistle on wild dogs, bears, and now Vamp-Geeks. They unlatched the door and rushed through in the dark to the west tower where they knew the cowardly Sheriff would be shouting ineffective orders. He was where it was predicted he would be, hanging very closely to his own door opening. No one even noticed in the dust, riot and conflagration when Bennings knocked their beloved Sheriff senseless with a short bludgeon. He was hog-tied and gagged by the Vamps and was quietly dragged off through the hidden door.
The raiding party now had a terrified and assuredly awake Sheriff, sitting on a chair, in the Lair, looking at the Geek Leader, who looked like a more dreadful version of Old Count Dracula, a convenient myth that outlasted the Change. None the less the poor superstitious public servant wet his pants in fear. Nothing was said or done, and nothing would, until Samson got back. As was ordered. The Sheriff could not bare the wait and subsequently fainted. Bennings woke him and disobeyed orders.
Samson found little trouble traversing the bridge and getting to the old sewer. He moved down the low pipe and found the ladder up to the Piggery and moved a grid out of the way. He hummed 'Old McDonnell' quietly, easing the pig's fears and climbed out on to the shit coated sty floor. Across the sea of hog backs he saw the ladder leading up to the first level. He knew he stunk, he looked for a shower and a hose that the Swineherd would use to clean up. He saw the pipes and nozzles by the ladder. He pushed, slipped on excrement, and shoved pig all the way to the shower and rinsed off. Just as he started to climb the ladder to the upper level he slipped and landed flat on his face. The pigs, some as large as five hundred pounds, made whimpering sounds and cleared away from the prone Samson in a hurry. Samson knew that this wasn't a good thing past the face full of pig shit. He turned expecting to see guards what he saw was worse; it was a monster, a hog weighing in at least a ton. It stood in all its bristly horror eyeing, with evil malevolence, the shit covered dark, little intruder. The Beast was easily seven feet at the shoulder and sported huge nasty looking tusks. It snorted, lowered its ugly head, and pounded at the floor in warning. Samson did not want, in any way, to help these Keep folk; however, very soon they would have the makings of a generous pork feast provided by their unwanted guest. He was sure these idiots would have some ridiculous religious ceremony that could include this roasted creature. He charged it straight on, jumped off the tusks and landed on the ridged back of the huge veracious porker and drove knifes deep into the neck of the creature. Samson was hoping for a quick kill and was disappointed when the monster squealed loudly in pain and threw him from its back. It then turned red-eyed and bloody, blowing its venomous hate at Samson. Getting to his feet, Samson ran up the ladder just as the mad-porker rammed, with granite cracking force, the ladder and wall. Samson again jumped on its back and leaned forward, while the beast gathered its wits. Samson grasped the boar's tusks with both hands, balled up, and with the cowboy heeled boots kicked the boar in both eyes, blinding it. Samson flipped up and to the right hitting the floor and sliding on pig shit until he hit a demure sow that squealed in delicate protest. The blinded bloodied monster pig screamed its fury and pain, sending other pigs in a frenzy of squeals and riot. Samson could hear the explosions outside, happy that all this ado was covered by the bombardment. Samson gathered himself up and ran straight at the huge porker, fell under the beast in a nasty stink-slide and slashed open its belly spilling its entrails. As the massive boar lay dying the other pigs fell on it with delighted and hungry squeals. Samson calmly showered again and climbed the ladder. He breathed the fresh air not at all sorry for the lost feast and climbed up and out onto the crowded ramparts. In the awed hubbub he went unnoticed toward the east tower. The door lock was easy to pick and he entered the dark foyer of the Judges quarters.
" Is that you? Sheriff what is the commotion? …Are we under attack? What are you doing? Dear me, the stink…have you been in the Piggery? Have you no respect for my… "
The fat Judge walked right into Samson smearing a pork joint across Samson's, still reeking, vest. Samson made a disgusted sound and lightly stepped back.
" Who the hell are you?" The Judge stood in outrage at the intrusion.
Samson was irked, he reached up to the neck of the taller obese man, grasped his ascot- napkin and swept the Judges feet; knocking the big man to the floor with a musical grunt. Samson drug him into the main room by the fat mans grease stained tie. The judge was desperately trying to catch his breath. Just as the Judge got his voice Samson reached down and slapped him hard. The Judge began to cry, great blubbery sobs, at the injustice of his situation. Samson stuffed the puffy -liped, sputtering, choking mouth with the Judge's own greasy ascot.
" Listen very carefully…if you are a religious man I suggest you make peace with any god you heathens worship."
The threat showed on the now white, palsied face of the Judge. It was apparent that the Judge dispensed the 'Law and Will' of his god but did not trust that the afterlife was a sure thing or that salvation was readily at hand.
" What I'm going to do is to remove one of your fat fingers, the one with the ring. You will no doubt pass out and then I will kill you. After you are dead I will leave a note from a Dark Angel that will state that your god is angered with both you and the Sheriff. Your death will be a service and a message to these people that they should be less bloodthirsty and more piously harmless in their observances. For verily I tell you Judge, there are demons and real bloodsucking vampires. A nightmare ready to sweep down on your people with black reeking wings and dripping fangs. You will die at my hands or theirs. I could save you if you tell me where Raul is being kept."
The judge nodded briskly to the back where a wooden door stood with a bar across it. Samson smiled and punched the Judge hard knocking him out cold. He walked over to the door looking behind him at the Judge, just to make sure he had hit him hard enough. He lifted the bar and entered a dark room. Seeing nothing, Samson backed out and pulled down a firebrand from the wall. In the room he saw Raul tied to a chair worn out and broken from the process of vicious beatings for the good purpose of Raul's salvation. The bruises, cuts and burns on Raul were, no doubt, for the abdication of some previous false belief or for the perverse pleasure of the robed beast now lying unconscious on the floor in the other room. Raul raised his bloody head and smiled through a swollen and battered face at Samson.
"Uncle Samson?"
"I'm not your Uncle. Wait here I'll be back." Samson placed the torch in the one torch holder in the room. He went back to the main room and walked over to the Judge, removed the gag, took a bottle of, what appeared to be whiskey off the table and threw it on the Judges Face, waking him with a sputter. He then grasped the Judges hand forced it the to the floor and, with a knife, cut off the ringed- tattooed finger. The judge howled in pain and fainted. He put the ringed finger in his pocket, emptied the remains of the bottle on the judge and went to free Raul. He untied the broken bloody man and lifted him over his shoulder. As he walked through the Judges chamber he took down the nearest firebrand. The judge awoke staring up at Samson in terror.
" May your god have mercy on your black soul." Samson spoke as if it were indeed a real prayer.
" Are you a demon?" The judge pleaded for understanding.
Samson reached down and lit the judge on fire and threw the torch over to some very expensive tapestries. As the judge screamed and writhed in agony Samson spoke quietly.
"I'm yours. Forget about the note."
He grabbed Raul's bow and quiver off a hook and left the tower running, with his burden over his shoulders, toward the hidden doorway at blinding speed. Without effort he pursed his lips and whistled.
" Damn that hurts." Raul squealed.
"You can hear that?"
" Yes and you smell like pig shit."
" Did those little geek bastards do something to you?" He muttered about screwing with things all mixed in with a fair amount of cursing.
Raul didn't answer; he had passed out from the pain of the jostling.
He ran to the back of the watch walk. The roar of the bombardment still kept the Keep in a frenzied mess. The door opened and the Geeks poured through. Samson hid in the shadows and entered the door as the Geeks and his friend, Benning, went about their business. Samson passed through the tunnels quickly and rose out into moonlight. Instead of going back to the Geek's Lair he took Raul downstream and stopped in an alcove created by the towering limestone. Samson carefully propped up the injured man against a rock wary of his numerous wounds. He turned and threw aside branches and other river debris that revealed a small opening.
Turning to the near unconscious Raul he said," I know you're hurt but I'm going to drag you through there." Pointing to the hole. "What's in there is a secret you must keep. Do you give me your word?" Raul nodded." You won't hurt for much longer."
Samson went in the narrow hole feet first, grabbed Raul roughly by his shirtfront, and drug him into the hole. They inched their way the entire, claustrophobic, thirty feet before Samson pulled himself and then Raul into a lit sky-blue grotto. Raul never made a sound; he had passed out. The light came from a hidden source under the water. Steam wafted off the surface like beckoning ghosts. Samson hurriedly checked to see if Raul was breathing. Satisfied he jumped in the heated pool and tore off his shirt. The wound was grievous; a fifteen-inch gash across his chest flared open to the bone. The gutted behemoth had gored him. He had been able to control bleeding for awhile but now, being near exhaustion, he would bleed out in minutes, once he let go.
"Damn, Samson are you all right …that’s a bad one." Raul had come to and saw the injury.
" I've had worse but this one was close. Can you get in the water? I'm about tapped out."
" Yeah…I'm pretty busted up… but I can make it. I don't see how some hot water is going to do any good. I'm not going to make it so I guess drowning is as good a way to die as another. You see…I can't swim a lick." He fell over and into the pool headfirst.
Samson righted him and laughed with grand gusto.
" I have never heard you laugh…I'll be damned." Raul grinned.
" Full dip…that’s the way you do it. Just like John the Babtizer at the river Jordan." With that Samson sank completely under the water, then came up blowing.
" Swallow just a little." He told Raul.
"I already did. Was I not supposed to?"
They stayed in the wondrous pool, healing, flesh mending, bones knitting, getting stronger and in better spirits with each passing hour.
***
There was no question that this strange and beautiful amazon had taken over as leader of this band of ragtag, disenchanted, and rightly angry women. It was not in Cassandra's makeup to even comprehend the meaning of responsibility or leadership. She had to be somewhere and these women would assist in that purpose. She would allow them to be in her company, she would find them gold, as she said, and if it need be she could kill them all later. She may be able to learn something useful; they were, after all, women just as she.
They rode hard for two days. A chanced upon river had provided a bath and fresh drinking water. Cassandra was able to take a long soak without any stress or worry. The women all kept guard for each other as they bathed.
The previous night they shared their horrible stories around a campfire with a spit of venison roasting over the fire. Cassandra recognized that each was the making of myth and the beginning of a religion. She also knew her place in the tales and decided it would not hurt to add hers to the lore of these women. All fifteen women listened, rapt in wonder at the tale of a virgin birth and the ironic destruction and sacrifice of the males that made their goddess. Cassandra allowed a little feeling to well up in her. These were not mothering types and following her would likely end in their demise. It was a shame that no one would be left on this world to hear the sorrowful grandness of these stories. That was of course not a real concern of Cassandra's. This world had long ago choose it's fate and one not born of this place could only do what destiny demands.
The five women, that kept watch the night Cassandra spoke, asked Keely the following day if they too could hear the story from Cassandra's lips. Keely asked Cassandra while they rode if that would be possible.
" Can't you just tell them?"
Cassandra was distracted. She watched the horizon sniffing at the air.
" They think of you with some reverence…after all you were the product of a virgin birth." Keely answered covering her eyes scanning the tree line.
" You will explain to me, later, why that is so important in these dreadful times. Right now tell half the ladies to take their time and ride into the woods. Please- slow and easy."
Keely made hand signs and the women rode to their right and were soon hidden in the pines.
Cassandra got off her horse and lifted up the beast's hind leg as if looking at a shoe. Keely pulled up and told her girls to wait.
Cassandra whispered " There is about thirty men hidden behind that copse of trees up a mile or so …Do you see it? An outcrop hides a small canyon behind the trees. They're not a rape gang just a small sad army. I thing they need supplies and our guns. I sensed a rider tailing us the last two hours. He's moved ahead…they know we're coming."
Cassandra sniffed the air.
" Well, some do take a liking to rape." Cassandra added.
Keely alit and stood beside Cassandra.
" How 'd you do that? I saw what you said… in my head. Strange experience."
Cassandra looked up at her, briefly looking in her eyes, then stood patting her horses flank.
" I don't know what you're talking about and right now we are not going to discuss it. Look…I think the men I killed rode with this bunch. Rape will be the least of the indignities they have in store for us. We are down wind that's to our benefit. The wind eddies here, that's why I pulled up- so I can smell them. How good are your girls with their rifles?"
" All of them can shoot the eye out of an owl at a hundred yards. I taught them."
"Good for you. Signal the ladies in the woods to sight up. You and the rest saunter ahead. I'm going to draw them out. The ones in heat will come first, then the others."
" How are you go…"
" When you see the second bunch come out signal your ladies in the woods to open fire. Your bunch hit the trees and circle back a bit. Cross over to my left and dismount. Lay prone and shoot from that trench." Cassandra pointed to a dry creek bed.
Keely was already on her horse. Cassandra stripped out of her clothes and closed her eyes. She began to rub her armpits and breasts. Turning towards the wind, with both hands, from back and front, began vigorously masturbating. The smell that emanated off her was thick, floral and intoxicating. The scent carried by the wind hit the riding women first. Three women groped at their crotches and fell from their horses moaning loudly. Keely didn't stop, she assumed they had been sniped. She picked up the pace just as a bunch of wild men rode, toward her and her ladies, screaming and hollering. Keely signaled and they all veered into the woods. They turned back and pushed their horses hard, taking the painful branches in their faces without regard. They broke out of the woods in a line with Cassandra. Two more women lost their seat and hit the ground withering. The rest rode behind Cassandra their horses in a frothy heat. They reached the ditch dismounted and slapped their horses away from possible gunfire. They crawled up and sighted their rifles. The first men were cut down from a volley from the woods on the right. The rest of the men from this tawdry army followed guns ablaze. Every woman fired on them with deadly accuracy. Cassandra fell to the ground in a faint. Keely fought tears from the thick odor. She ran out and dragged her red trussed leader to safety in the trench. There appeared to be no wound or blood. She breathed easily as if she were asleep. Cassandra's able second looked on the battlefield, a stupid war of demanding men and unwilling women. All that was left in the stillness was a field of dying horses and bleeding crying men. It was all such a waste and it was the way of the world.
Shrill whistles filled the air as each surviving woman announced her safety. Keely dropped her head in grief for all the men and women who did not survive the day. She walked out in the open as women rode toward her, she noticed that each had a writhing woman lying across her lap.
Six women in all were gathered and lay moaning and undulating on the ground. Mysteriously none had been shot or injured. Some had pulled down their pants and were clawing at their vaginas. The others had passed out, their crotches soaked, coming to briefly shivering and moaning.
Cassandra came to and asked assistance in putting on her clothes. She questioned Keely as to how many women had been hurt or died.
" Apparently none but these. When they fell I thought them shot." Pointing to the women on the ground. "They seem afflicted, forgive me, from your stink. They act as if they are in the throes of …ecstasy."
Cassandra turned to the field where women were bent over at some deadly work on the fallen men. The sound of men in agony filled the air.
"What are they doing?" Cassandra asked with no great interest.
" They are killing them all and collecting trophies."
At Cassandra's puzzled look Keely continued.
" We have a ritual… each women takes a penis for each time she has been raped. The women here have their quota… those poor souls have not reached theirs. The killing is part of it. When we are attacked we offer no quarter." She turned and signaled. Four women mounted and headed for the killing field to help with the executions.
" My Lady what of these?" A young blond girl looked at Cassandra with awe and expectation.
"What is your name girl?" Cassandra asked.
The girl bowed her head and almost whispered the answer.
"I'm fifteen, my Lady…Beth."
Cassandra stared at her. " Why did you answer with your age?"
" I heard the whole question in my head, my Lady. It would be disrespectful to not answer all of your question…May I go help the others your essence is about to have me faint in the pleasure of your presence?"
With a nod from Keely, Beth ran to her horse.
Cassandra went over to a freckled redhead humping the ground and crying. She had her pants down around the top of her boots and was pawing at herself with awesome determination. Cassandra reached under the women and lifted the girl's exposed ass to her nose. She sniffed and with her free hand stuck her fingers into the affected woman's vagina as if she were assisting in the birth of a calf. Her fingers searched and then stopped. Cassandra again sniffed the poor girls bottom satisfied she placed the young women on the ground.
Cassandra went to each lady and repeated the process until everyone was lying on the ground fast asleep.
" Dear, what did you do?" Keely bent over pushing the hair out of the eyes of one of her Ladies.
"They were having cyclical multiple orgasms…I'll have to be careful of that from now on. Pinch the nape of their necks…hard. They will wake up. Get them dressed. We all did well today. Let's get mounted. Call in the women, they can and will have another day to collect trophies." Keely whistled for the killing crew to come in." We need to find water to clean up and wash out our clothes. That stuff I made will linger."
The women all made ready. The ladies who just recently were overcome now seemed relaxed and more than content.
One approached Keely and asked if their 'Beautiful Goddess' could do that again - sometime. Keely turned her around and patted her ass away.
A bear roared to the right in the woods. Cassandra roared back with such ferocity and volume that every woman shrank a bit in fear and awe.
" Damn bear really wants to fuck me now. I just told him we were all available." Cassandra laughed heartily." Let's get out of here. My scent will have the place crawling with bears. Let's get our holes out of their fucking minds and allow the thought of all this fresh available meat into their cute furry little heads."
" Food and sex is all any male really wants." Keely offered.
"So it would seem."
Cassandra's laughter echoed against the mountainside.
It took no time for the whole band to be mounted and away in full gallop- unsure as to why the prospect of being screwed by a bear was so funny.
***
Samson awoke with a start. He had a dream about the girl again. An army …killed…women cutting off dicks…and the red head; naked and much too beautiful…there was this scent. He looked around the cave in confusion. Both men were well enough at some point to remove their clothes and lay them out to dry. The water could do a better job if it had direct contact with the skin. He remembered Raul. The young man wasn't here. He panicked for a moment then looked in the water. Raul had sunk below the water's surface. Samson dove under and pulled him up. Water flowed easily out of his mouth. Raul coughed lightly and looked at Samson and smiled.
" You can breath under this water…weird. Why do I have a hard-on?"
Samson looked down. "Damn that woman."
" I got a hell of a woody. You too, I see. We must be a lot better. " Raul crawled out of the pool laughing and checking his body for any residual pain. He reached for his shirt and hung it on his stiffened organ." Damn, I don't think I have ever had one this hard. Hell…it almost hurts. Damn it's to bad we can't bottle this water." He yelped and sank to his knees giggling. His back was to Samson, still in the pool.
" What boy…are you okay?" Before Raul could respond Samson let out a grunt and in anger screamed in such a pitch and violence that Raul covered his ears. Samson climbed out of the water and got dressed in a hurry. Raul noted that Samson was no longer erect. The same flaccid condition he was now in.
Raul dressed marveling at Samson.
As they climbed out into the open Raul broke the terrible silence.
" Boss I had a weird dream…did you, you know, get off?"
"I am going to kill that red-headed freak with my bare hands."
"That would be a yes."
It took some time after covering the hole to get back to the lair. They had no idea how long they had been in the grotto. There was little conversation between them.
Raul had seen Samson angry on one occasion - when his dad had betrayed him. He watched as Samson shoot his father in the hip. Raul was sixteen his brother a few years older. There was something in the dark mans eyes, back then, that told Raul that Samson wasn't going to kill his father just make him sorry that a few thousand in gold was worth more than their relationship. Samson had looked in Raul's eyes after putting one in his Pop's hip and flicked his head to have Raul help his wounded father. Then Samson went over and beat the shit out of his hopelessly inept and stupid brother. Samson knelt over the young mans bloodied face and said ' You are an idiot and you will die stupidly for something done based on your urges and foolishness. I will not kill you although I should for turning a good man against me.' Raul was left to tend his family but he understood something, that day, which made him have honest affection for this man, Samson. Integrity and being true to your word would keep you alive even in this world. It was Raul that had forced his father to find the dark master and put himself back in his good graces. He couldn't save his stupid brother from a fate so accurately predicted. But the man he honored most did save him. A man who would understand that Raul had to try, against all odds, to save his sibling. He owed Samson and he felt worthy indeed to be in that position.
Three vamps, close to their lair entry, met them on the outside, a short distance from the cave.
"How long?" Samson asked.
"A week… we were worried." One of the gray ones responded.
"The Sheriff…did my dad kill him?" Raul asked.
"The second spoke." He wanted to. He feared that the Keep people had murdered you. He had been walking by the sheriff for a bit, as my Lord instructed. Mr. Benning became dark in mood at the prospect of a perhaps disastrous outcome as concerns the two of you. He began to hit the Sheriff hard every hour on the hour. He did not sleep, from an unfounded fear of us and a terrible anger at the Sheriff. Please forgive us Lord Samson we could not persuade him to stop …He told our High One that tomorrow morning he intended to give the Sheriff a taste of ritual death. Our High One asked if he would restrain himself somewhat and allow us a chance to bleed him before he died of such a ritual. His reaction, to our logical request was strange."
"I'll bet." Samson sneered.
"It would be a waste." The third Geek said.
Raul cut in just as Samson put his hand on his right gun handle.
"Gentlemen, although to you it seems natural …to us it is disturbing. If you value your life …Shut up!"
The three went even paler, apparent even in the light of the double moons.
" Forgive us, Lord, we meant you no upset…Follow us."
They entered the Lair and were greeted with a cheer. Benning ran up the stairs and hug his son in a powerful and loving embrace. He stepped back in confusion pawing at the unbelievable haleness of a man who just escaped the devices of the Judge. Raul kissed his obviously exhausted fathers cheek and gestured a warning not to ask. Samson walked down the stairs and up to the Elder.
"It will be hard and dangerous. They will fear you for awhile and be cowed. But they will gain confidence. Use your space birds, twice a week, to shake things up. It will give them humility. Then send a convoy of the least toothy of you to seek an understanding. You will provide them, with your know-how, the means for a more civilized life. They will provide you with pigs and pig blood. Don't be greedy and take to sucking their blood on moonlit nights or I will be back and none of you will be allowed to live. Understood?"
The Elder nodded understanding.
"But tonight you will feed on human blood one last time…as a reward. Where is that pig of a sheriff? In the storage room?" He was already moving in that direction. "Benning you and Raul follow me. Bring cloth strips."
A Geek ran up and handed Benning a great wad of rags. The three of them entered the room and closed the door. The Geeks watched the door in rapt attention. A muffled retort echoed the great hall and then horrible screams- then silence. A half-hour passed, another shot and more screams- then silence. For three hours and six shots the Geeks hardly moved. Samson stepped out of the room with two white faced and shaken men behind him. Samson's hands were bloody and he asked for a water bowel to wash. It was brought to him with a lot of attention trained on the blood soaked hands.
"Back off you bloodthirsty fucks or I 'll change my mind and kill you all now. Benning you and your son go get some rest. We leave in the morning. Elder?"
The toothy one slid over to Samson with clear fear and respect.
"He is still alive and I kept most of the blood in him with the wrappings…Have your way." Samson wiped his wet hands."Get me a two-hundred length of rope and have my clothes cleaned of pig shit and dried by morning."
Samson left the hall to his quarters before a soul moved.
Some hours later the Elder opened the door to Samson's room.
"Come in." Samson was sitting in a lotus-like position in the middle of the floor.
"Do you ask God for forgivenesss?" The Elder sat on a chair by the door.
"Why would I? I didn't kill him I punished him. It was you who killed him"
"It seemsss different to me. We can not deny our nature… we can only suppressss it or give it sssomething so that it is appeasssed. We are not natural, My Lord Samson, with no disssrespect, I sssee you as sssomeone alssso unnatural. I have come to sssee usss as an unnatural creation of the sssame god that hass made you."
The Elders head moved in a slow and odd manner as he spoke. Samson recognized it as a body posture of both respect and friendship.
"I have known of you and feared you all of my long life. My grandfather spoke of you as a demon. One that moved in the night and answered only to dreams. When the change came upon me, as a young man, I wass imprisoned by my own people. They sssaid to me everyday of that dreadful time, that you were coming to execute me. Where I thought of you asss a demon …I now sssee an Angel…a dreadful dark monstrousss Angel. My quessstion hasss merit…I believe you to be the living word of a dreadful and weary god. You dream hisss dreams and as sssuch answer only to hiss bidding."
Samson took a deep breath."So you would waste your time creating a religion of me?"
" No, you teach me to be hard and fair in my love of my people. Not a religion …we have one that ssserves. I will use your example to underssstand the ethicsss and morality of leadership and sssurvival." The Elder rose." I will do asss you have ordered. There will be an unsssettled peace but there will be peace. We will equip you and all will be ready an hour before dawn. Goodnight my Lord."
Samson stood " Elder, I am an old monster… barely human, perhaps like you… I don't worry on ethics or morality…I do what I deem necessary and prudent. If God walks me through this hellish world, like a puppet, I have no knowledge or care of it. I have it be as I wish it to be… until I am killed."
" Just ssso!" The Elder left with a deep bow.
Samson watched as the door closed. He stopped thinking on the conversation immediately and resumed his mysterious meditations.
***
The long-range helicopter was experimental, it tended to shake and shudder when a crosswind hit its tail rotor. The occupants were spooked not because of a little shake but because the power plant was fueled by hydrogen. The intakes sucked in damp air and extracted the hydrogen in enough quantity to keep the internal combustion combusting and the rotors spinning. The air of the tropics suited this system well. Although if there were a problem, water tanks stored on board would kick in, with the assist of three pressurized hydrogen tanks strapped next to the passengers. The tanks and the occasional bullets, fired by miscreants, ringing off the helo's plates gave pause to the passengers. As each rider heard the pings all eyes went to the exposed tanks strapped to the bulkhead
The skipper turned and hollered that they would be over the landing site in three minutes. He turned to look at his instruments just as a missile flew by the cockpit window.
"Damn, this sucks…Its going to be rough… lots of shooters …don't like these fucking dirty animals." He screamed over the whine of the rotors." I'm going to swing around to the east and come in against that cliff face. I saw a good size shelf …your team repels down and I'm out of here."
Jene nodded and gave him thumbs up.
He looked at his team; James Smith was thirty pounds lighter and tireless and a master with a knife and hand to hand technique. Marion Stow was a surprise . They had trained hard and the woman excelled in every discipline. She was mean, lean and decidedly ruthless under pressure. An expert in small arms, explosives and she could kick the shit out of any one who dared cross her path. She was, however, still meek in manner and soft-spoken. Jene had confidence in them both. All three were accomplished in firearms, knifes, sword, staff, crossbow, mace and spear. There wouldn't be anyone they needed to fear in a straight up fight. The stray bullet or accident was something to which there was no control nature, to prove the point, provided a deluge. It began to rain a solid wall of water. They put on their packs and shouldered their automatic pistols.
"Coming in…be ready. "The skipper warned.
James tossed the ropes over the threshold and all three snapped on the slide grip and positioned themselves for the elevator ride to the deck. Bullets sprayed around them, with bright flashes, as they came to the drop site. The pilot swung the water tortured helicopter parallel to the cliff and managed to positioned the craft to act as a shield against the barrage. The three dropped to the outcropping and released. The ropes fell away as the copter lifted into the cloudy skies. The team adjusted themselves and started their descent the rest of the way down the cliff face. They were drenched, exposed and at risk. A huge explosion shook the mountain somewhere above them and hot metal rained down on the slipping and sliding team. Jene looked up saw the fireball still burning in the sky. Apparently a stinger missile had found the helicopter. James hollered to Jene that he had found a cave. They climbed in and settled out of the rain and checked their gear.
" I believe we're five miles east of New Denver. There is a river canyon to the east…. a wide valley …open and treed to the west. Sniffer caught Cassandra going south on the tree line. Samson is still a question." Marion briefed.
" Sir…we should go to the lab. Something maybe there. I don't like that Samson is off scope …dangerous. Cassandra will more than likely travel alone …no social training."
James spoke while he checked his weapons.
" Samson will often take on two jobs at once, he always has his own agenda… always, he could pop up anywhere…that parts right. Don't trust what you think you know about Samson or Cassandra. Throw out the briefings and work on your instincts …we will live longer. Let's rest and eat something. We'll go after dark."
Something crossed Marion's eyes. Like a shadow. Jene saw it and asked.
"What is it number two?
" I hesitate to speak…Sir."
" Go ahead."
"You both will think me superstitious and that will jeopardize the mission."
James turned to Marion." We all got religion now, number two…if you
got something, then it's an asset to us. I don't care if you're a fucking witch.
Stir the pot and give it to us. I would like to survive this mission."
Jene nodded in agreement and some amount of pride at the quality of his team..
"I saw the devil…in my face…when we were repelling down."
" The devil … what?… like a vision?" James spun around.
Marion stared at Jene as if she had seen a ghost.
"Keep nothing from me …both of you… feelings, visions, hunches I want everything. Got it?"
Both nodded sheepishly.
"Number two …go on."
" We are chasing both the female side and the male side of the same entity. The Devil is walking on earth. We will not be able to kill them while they are apart."
Thank you number two. If it’s a help to you… the metaphor is accurate. These two are the most dangerous humans on the planet. That is why they are so valuable. The rub is we are not meant to succeed. We were sent here to die and test the metal of our quarry. That pig of a man, Adams and all his kind are never to be trusted."
Both two and three swore.
" Yep… were you thinking number two that you had a religious experience…did you? You didn't you were shown the truth…your instincts don't fail you."
Number three stood and walked to the edge of the cave looking at the forest below." So we die?"
"Look down there number three…there is a six inch snake, a huge fucking saber tooth with a liking for human meat and a crab-spider the size of a garbage can lid that’s more likely to kill you than the two we chase."
"The way I see it…" Number two stood."…They are up on us a day or two. The lab isn't going to help…the lab was what the fat bastards would want."
"Yeah…Boss! She's right. We get the data…" Number three points to his data portal on the side of his head…we die… they retrieve the data."
"Boss? The fucks aren't after the freaks they want us to get the data and they build another Cassandra in New Moscow." Number two bursts as she spins in disgust. "If we got Cassandra and Samson they are ahead …if we die they still win."
"Leverage…my comrades in arms." Jene smiled.
"Christ wept…what do we do, Boss?" Number three walked up to Jene.
Number two turned awaiting the answer from their boss.
"Here is what it all means…we now have no leverage. We must get leverage. We don't know, now, how to get it. All our preconceived notions are out the window and here we are in the wilderness, in an environment in which we are not attuned. We must get attuned. We look like s wells at a beggars banquet."
"Boss that’s an apt analogy." Number two smiled.
"Right…well. I mean we have to blend in and learn this dangerous place and we can because we are dangerous. We are now Boss, Hawk and Snake…you forget and slip I will kill you and then you won't have anything to worry about. Just remember we are smarter, deadlier and meaner than any thing we will encounter in this place. If anything pisses you off, number three or makes you uncomfortable, number two…kill it. Those bastards in the glass towers don't know what they have wrought. We will betray them and leverage ourselves into an august and secure position.
" How will we do that?" Hawk asked with decidedly more venom.
"Good! "Jene noted the change" I know that Cassandra is heading to New Moscow and Samson double-dealt his employers. They are both trying to get to Mars. Cassandra because she thinks she can rule that new world and Samson because he can't help but follow. And there are other players Barons, Geeks and the unexpected that is common place in the wild world."
"How did you…" Both people, in Jene's army, sputtered.
" I have resources…why do you think I stay so embarrassingly fit?"
Hawk and Snake looked on their Boss with admiration. Both felt like they would survive this little vacation. Whatever the Boss had in mind it was impolite and dangerous to ask. Their job now was to keep him and themselves alive until their boss could play his hand. All was now good in the world and they could rest to the sound of friendly rain.
" Sleep now …tonight we take the water course a bit south … we'll come up on an old trellis and a Keep…a settlement of blood thirsty religious fanatics… but I know the Sheriff. From there we'll go over mountain and continue south, equipped and looking more like the denizens of this part of the world. Get some rest."
End Part 5 GO TO PART 6
Written by Ken Lehnig(c)2004all rights reserved.