Blood Prize, page 30
I am very proud of you, my son. Your journey must have been terrible and your previous living arrangements equally unbearable, but I do believe necessary in avoiding disaster.
Tom, you know now that the cavern contains the Prize. Only a select group from the Assembly board know the meaning of the Prize. It is now time for you to understand your destiny, which you share inexorably with this Prize.
As you are already aware of the basic truths concerning the Angels and their suits, I will skip most of the history.
The discovery of these alien suits allowed the Assembly to create the fraudulent Seven Angels, yet the same suits started to bring them undone. Once the Assembly’s first born sons put them on, they became trapped and although they lived an elevated life, they experienced it as a brief existence compared to our standards. They lived the experience of the ages, for each of our years, but to our eyes, they grew old quickly. I estimate that only one or two could possibly survive into your time.
When the Assembly sons began dying horribly, they hired me to find a means to reverse their decline. That’s when I found the Prize in the cavern; the place where it all started.
Over time, I discovered that the alien blood-like substance contained only a small similarity to the DNA structure of the suits, which we assume the original owners hid to counter possible blood loss.
I began experimenting with the alien DNA strands using gene sequencers and vastly better computers than are available at present. I managed to come up with a modified DNA, which I believed enabled humans some compatibility with the suits.
This now brings us to the difficult part, Tom. Back then, I didn’t want to test my findings on another human being until I personally proved its safety. The Assembly didn’t agree and, after a lot of argument, their heavies injected me with the compound.
I suffered at first, but after only a short time, I began to feel healthy and experience heightened senses, such as sight, hearing, smell and awareness. I didn’t, however, gain the super powers of the Angels nor the immortality of their suits.
When your mother started to show signs of her pregnancy, I became worried about how this alien DNA might affect you, but apart from a super IQ, you didn’t present with any other observable indicators in your early years.
In subsequent tests on live human organs, I determined that the Prize, in its purest, unaltered form, dramatically changed human flesh, yet the same tests created different results when applied to your blood work.
Tom, I have worked hard to make sure that you are the one who finds the Prize; you are the only person I could ever trust with this paranormal Excalibur.
By now, you will fully understand the danger involved. If the Prize is correctly harnessed, it has the power to resurrect the Angels and we can never allow that to happen. Any wearer, who has the benefit of an alien DNA, might live almost indefinitely; consider the life span of the suits for instance.
This is not a situation that we can tolerate. At their prime, the Angels became an unstoppable force and their alien nature made them objects of worship, even without the Angelic disguise.
Tom, it is my shame to send you on this terrible journey, knowing that every possible outcome has undesirable consequences. Unfortunately, you have no choice and must follow through, no matter what.
The Assembly are frightened of you; frightened that they may not be able to control you if you’re the one to administer the Prize, so they will hunt you and try to end your life.
Once you find the Prize, you should inject, into a vein, all of the liquid that can be found in the second and adjoining chamber of the cavern. Once the liquid has started to take effect, there is no return. If you are under pressure you may swallow the substance, but it will be a far slower and more painful undertaking.
Leave absolutely none of the material, for it only takes a small amount to regrow and for some unknown reason it has a need to recreate itself. Strangely, this process ceases, once seven of these creatures have been created. If the Assembly gain even the tiniest portion, they could create another six of these powerful beings and they have the suits, which add to their strength and range of capabilities.
As I write this my beautiful son, I am sitting here imagining you sleeping and it is not that hard to envisage the man in the boy. Go to your destiny now Tom, with our love. It will be difficult, but always remember, we will be with you in spirit.
Dad.
P.S. The back of this letter contains a small map of the separate caverns, where in one, you will find the Prize.
Tom tried to picture his father sitting by his side, but his concentration became saturated by an unwanted understanding of his heritage.
I’m part alien. God knows what will happen once I take the stuff?
His entire expectations came down to either a horrible death at the hands of his enemies, or the possibility of suffering a supernatural nightmare that could turn him into something horrific and even more alien.
Chapter Seventy One
The two black-clad riders raced their BMW trail bikes along the main track before reaching the end of the Maneroo Creek Flood Plain.
Uta noticed the offshoot, which she didn’t need to relay to her twin. In unison they turned south, travelling through the dry watercourse to where it joined the junction of Spring and Sancho Creeks.
As they approached the dry creek bed they slowed their pace creating no obvious dust trails.
We’ve almost made it to Raptor Park and it doesn’t seem like anyone spotted us.
Without any signal, they both eased to a stop and Uta pointed into the distance.
“Réz, do you see their dust. It looks like the G11’s are moving up towards that ridge.”
“It’s a good position, except for helicopters. They must be trying to cover Fox from there.”
They preceded west up Spring Creek, encountering a continuous quantity of tree fall, sink holes and exposed tree roots and their progress slowed even further. Uta could see that the watercourse suffered from infrequent, but damaging storms, where a sudden deluge could tear the landscape, sending trees and debris tumbling down the gully.
It took longer than their original estimates, but eventually they found the smaller tributary that joined them from the south. One hundred metres further along, they hid the bikes and entered the plain.
They proceeded with caution. The dig site sat near the middle of an open and exposed area.
“I’m glad we got here before Vogel and Wolf, Réz. We couldn’t cover any of this ground without being noticed.”
“The G11’s haven’t made it to the top of the ridge yet. We should get a clear passage. Let’s make haste my love.”
In the flat surrounds, both women spotted the open metal-hatch and the fresh piles of earth lying nearby. They proceeded at a run, keeping as low as possible. Then Uta stopped and took hold of her sister’s arm.
“Réz. You hear that? Quick. Get down behind that pile of dirt on the left. I’ll take the other pile to the right.”
“It looks like Vogel’s made good time, Uta, but we’ll only have to wait for a moment. The fool’s taken the longest route and gone up the far tributary. It gives us plenty of time to get the job done.”
“It also gives us a safe line of retreat to the bikes and good cover when the killing starts.”
Uta stopped talking. She spotted movement further out on the plain.
“Réz. Look.”
A girl emerged from the creek bed directly south of their position and ran across the open plain towards them.
Uta smiled in wonderment.
How opportune. Little girl, you’ve made my day.
“Time for a new plan, Réz my love. Stay here and cover me. Only fire if it’s necessary. I’ll stay hidden until the girl is close. Fox must be in the cavern. I’ll capture her and take her down. He’ll give us whatever we want for her.”
“Don’t waste time, Uta. I won’t be able to hold this position if things get too hot.”
Between bandages Uta’s mouth stretched into a smirk.
“Vogel won’t wait long before he approaches the cavern. When the shooting starts, he’s the target. The others will fall away and run once he’s dead. They have no cover and no choice. Then we can make our exit just as we planned.”
_____________
Isobel’s throat felt like fire; she could hardly swallow as she ran. She felt on the verge of passing out.
Oh God. I hope this isn’t the most stupid thing I’ve ever done.
She knew she needed to stay positive. Her foolish act could compromise Tom’s position and both of the men she left behind.
It’s too bloody late to worry about it now. I have to keep going.
Nothing mattered, other than the entrance to that cavern.
She started to stagger only metres from the hatch and didn’t notice the physical presence directly in front of her.
Isobel screamed.
“My God … No … You’re supposed to be dead.”
“The devil spat me back out, so I could come back for you.”
Uta forced the barrel of her spitter into the side of Isobel’s head.
“Get down that hole. We’re going to see your boyfriend.”
Chapter Seventy Two
Noah attempted to gain some control over his emotions, yet his chest heaved and his heart continued to race, he felt so furious.
“Nico. My God. Look what your idiotic truth has done. Put her right out in the open.”
“I’m so sorry, Noah. It’s my fault. I just couldn’t hold the anger in.”
“We’ll have to go back for her.”
“No. I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Look, I know you’re hurting, Nico, but we can’t just let her run straight at our enemies.”
“The only way we can protect her now, is from up here. You know I’m right, Noah. She’s far safer in that hole with Tom.”
Noah’s face tightened into an angry grimace. He felt annoyed with his friend, despite the pain he must be feeling.
“Nico. I loved Emma too, but now we have to take care of the living.”
Noah tried to wrestle their vehicle over an outcrop of rocky ground and at the same time follow Isobel’s progress across the plain. With each of her ungainly loping strides, he silently urged her forward, but with a thud, they dropped down into the dry bed of Sancho Creek and his stomach clenched in fear as he lost sight of her.
Run, Isobel. Get down that hole as fast as you can girl.
They slid and bounced across the creek and headed directly south towards the wooded ridge. Noah knew it provided a view of the entire area and created cover for their vehicle and themselves.
As he approached, he made a quick assessment of their intended position.
“You’re right, Nico. From here, our spitters will cut down anyone who approaches Tom’s position. This’s the right place for us.”
Noah drove through the loose sand and up the bank, but he still couldn’t see the girl. Once they made the ridge, he jumped from the vehicle to get a clearer view of the events occurring back at the site.
“There’s a lot of dust to the north of us, Nico. The enemy are moving in fast.”
“Forget the dust, Noah. Look … Look at the entrance.”
“I can’t see … Wait … Oh no.”
Noah let out an anguished gasp.
“Isobel …?”
He could just distinguish her tiny frame contrasted against a taller and more powerful figure. Even from this distance, Noah could discern the woman’s cat like movements.
“Uta.”
_____________
Tom attempted to consult his father’s map, but it made little sense to him in this directionless void. He could determine down and up, but little else.
I’ll have to use my hands and slide them along the wall to see if I can find an opening into the next chamber.
He fumbled along, stepping first, then reaching with out-stretched fingers along the black, absorbent wall. He counted twenty-one as he stretched again along the chalky surface, but it vanished and he fell with arms flailing, into complete nothingness.
He attempted to twist and throw a leg out for balance, but he spun too far and his back smacked onto the ground, followed by his heels and the back of his head.
Keep calm … Breathe evenly and wait for a moment.
He stayed on his back for several minutes, in a bid to reorientate his senses.
Is everything different down here, or is it just my perception?
His senses seemed magnified in this strange cavern, especially the feeling of being lost.
He took a deep breath and raised himself up onto his right elbow. He could feel his composure returning. Then he noticed the glow.
“There’s light.”
I’ve landed in the hidden chamber. That must be it … The Prize.
Tom could see two rectangular objects, each roughly the size of a small toolbox, no more than ten metres from where he lay. Moments after he fell into the chamber, one of the containers began to glow an eerie green.
That’s weird. It must somehow be aware of my presence.
_____________
Uta raged, her strategy faltering before it got a chance to begin; her plan requiring the light from Fox’s torch to manoeuvre in the darkness. She didn’t see a light, only claustrophobic darkness.
Damn it. I could’ve sneaked up close to him before he saw me.
Uta grabbed Isobel by the hair; yanking it until she cried out in pain.
“Scream, bitch.”
She saw her scream, but heard nothing.
“Hey, Fox. I’ve got your girlfriend hostage. I’ll kill her if you don’t show.”
She roared her statement into the blackness, with little result. The sound of her voice seemed to vanish into the silence; sucked directly from her mouth.
“You hearing this Fox? Come save your girlie, before I slit her throat.”
Uta clicked her tongue in annoyance.
She growled in anger and gave Isobel’s hair another tug. Then she saw it.
“My God. It glows.”
_____________
Without thinking, Tom stepped out fifteen metres towards the middle of the cavern, which, when he thought about it, seemed like a fatalistic positioning, as if he intended to sacrifice himself on some unseen central altar.
Once there, he lifted the lid of the luminous container and looked inside. It contained only one item: a glowing metal canister, the size of a large test tube. He reached out and touched the object and immediately removed his hand. Instead of being hot, it felt cold and wet with condensation. Tom opened the remaining container and discovered an empty vial and a large syringe.
Just what I need to send me to hell.
Chapter Seventy Three
Vogel entered Raptor Park via a small and very rough tributary. He came in from the north-west to avoid open conflict; not wanting to fight any battles in gaining the field. Only the Prize mattered. He needed the easiest, protected access to that goal.
It took another ten minutes of travel up the tributary before they entered the larger, dry bed of Spring Creek. Here the captain stopped and pointed.
“We can take up a defensive position along the bank beside that fallen tree, sir.”
“Why here?”
“Because of the cover. It serves our needs for the moment, until I can find the best possible entry point for our team to cross the plain.”
“As far away from our competitors as possible?”
“Yes. I’m sure they’ll take the more direct route.”
Vogel followed him up the steep embankment and watched as his man surveyed the area.
“I can’t see any sign of the G11’s, or the motorcycle team. If there are any vehicles here, they’re not moving at the moment.”
Vogel snatched the glasses and studied the area for himself.
“If they’re not on the plain, then where are they?”
“On the far ridge or the adjacent creek bed, is my bet. They’re the best vantage points and the easiest places to defend.”
“How do we get to Fox, captain?”
“I saw fresh piles of earth out there, right next to an open metal-hatch. I’d bet it’s where Fox is. To get there we need the shortest approach. We’re too late to control the ridge, we’ll just have to take our chances utilising as much speed as possible, but we need to go now, before more forces arrive.”
The captain ran his men hard, before deploying them briefly along the banks of Spring Creek, some two hundred metres to the west. From here, they moved onto the plain, with one of the men remaining at the fallen tree and a second, scouting west to cover their advance.
No-one considered setting a serious rear guard. If they didn’t get there first, they could never fight their way out.
_____________
Wolf’s mouth twisted into a scowl as he tightened and bunched the pterygoid muscles controlling his jaw. He set standards and he expected compliance; nothing less, yet the cohesive communications needed to complete his planned encircling of two different enemies, lacked the precision he required.
“Sergeant. What in heaven is going on? I need you to confirm that our men are in place.”
“Yes sir. Group one has arrived from the east, through Hartree Station and are in place. Group two are coming up from the south along Vergemont Creek and through Highfields. They’ll be in position within ten minutes. From here we’ll hold the high ground, as you ordered.”
“Good. Keep me informed of every movement. Ours and theirs.”
