Part 9 (1/2)
They pushed out the doors, the air buzzing with tiny holes torn in the Veil for their weapons.
Her senses heightened, searching for signs of retaliation. Reaching the doors to the library unopposed left her rattled. Why make it easy? Had they spotted Alpha and/or Charlie?
”All units check in.”
”Alpha in position, waiting for breach orders,” came the first reply. ”Charlie ready,” arrived immediately after.
”Any sign of opposition?” she asked. The casual way they'd checked in already answered, but she needed to hear the words.
”Negative... Negative.”
If she allowed her ego to rage unchecked, she might've believed her years of training these teams had given them stealth mastery. But an ego like that led to failure and death. Besides, even if her team managed to remain undetected, Anubis' military forces would've made the accomplishment moot. A second line to capture any terrorists who broke through the front lines wasn't a bad idea. She just wished there were Anunnaki among its number. Some of the Pantheon embraced having Anunnaki as part of their forces. Others, much like Anubis apparently, saw these young bloods as compet.i.tion. She'd yet to decide if their stubborn paranoia would be their undoing or salvation.
”Set the charges,” she instructed. ”Breach in three, two...one!”
The charges obliterated the doors in a series of flashes and splintering gla.s.s. They were designed to not only shatter the gla.s.s, but to turn it into a weapon, propelling the shards forward like a million daggers.
She charged in, not waiting for the gla.s.s to settle.
Behind her, screams erupted from her team as shards of rock rose from the floor impaling legs and feet.
Wham!
The building shook with an explosion from the main library floor.
”Abort!” she screamed into the com. ”Everyone withdraw.”
Too late. The com emitted nothing but static.
She spun to join her remaining team, to try and free them from their bonds.
Before she could reach them, walls rose up out of the ground, blocking her off.
”What do you want?” she yelled.
After all, she was the only one left unharmed. Perhaps they thought holding her would gain them some leverage. Or maybe they intended to torture her to discover the capabilities of the North American Defence Line. Neither would be any use to them or any good for her. The Pantheon, Quetzalcoatl in particular, considered everyone aside from themselves to be expendable. And in terms of the defences, she knew nothing. She doubted anyone knew the full picture.
Things were safer that way.
”We just want to talk.”
Her stomach clenched, responding to a memory even her brain hadn't processed.
They came into view.
Four of them.
If she'd known they faced only four terrorists, she would've been overconfident. But these four, she understood immediately why her team failed. She didn't know whether to cry tears of joy or to scream and tear each of them-no, him more than any of the others-apart.
Unable to sort her feelings, she stood in motionless silence.
”You look good, Fuyuko,” Jason said. ”I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner.”
A tremor pa.s.sed through her. She bit her lip and tasted blood.
Jason approached, arms outstretched and hands open.
”We need to talk,” Jason said. ”We need your help.”
Fuyuko laughed.
She laughed so hard, tears ran down her face.
”Seven years,” she whispered. ”Seven years mourning all of you, planning how I would avenge you, and you've been with our enemy the whole time.”
”What?”
”Woten,” she hissed. ”The man who arranged the Cataclysm. The one who killed more people than I can count. I thought he'd killed you too, but here you are, fresh from Asgard. What did he give you? How could you possibly go back to him?”
”Whoa, whoa,” Jason said. ”Yeah, we came from Asgard, but we've spent the last seven years fighting Woten.”
Jason sighed. ”Adrastia, let's get to the next step, we don't have time to explain everything like this.”
Another girl entered the foyer and approached.
”Fuyuko,” Jason said, ”this is Adrastia. She's one of the Ageless Ones. She's going to help me explain.”
He nodded to Adrastia who seized both Fuyuko and Jason by the wrist.
Fuyuko loved the cold. But this sensation was like nothing she'd experienced. A cold splash seeping into her skin, forming icicles inside her, pus.h.i.+ng deep into her core. She was freezing, dying, and yet alive all at the same time.
She had no concept of time pa.s.sing, she only knew at some point her lungs stopped clenching her spine and she was able to draw in a deep breath.
”Where the h.e.l.l are we?”
She tried to break Adrastia's grip on her wrist.
”Fuyuko, stop,” Jason snapped. ”If you break contact with Adrastia, you could die.”
She froze, searching Jason's eyes for signs of falsehood. When she saw none, she drew a slow breath and allowed herself to relax. She hadn't seen him for seven years, but she still trusted her ability to read him.
”Fine,” she said, ”let's start with where we are.”
”We're inside the Veil,” Jason replied.
It took every ounce of control not to try and tear away again. Instead, she focused on her surroundings. They were in a small room, no more than six feet square. Aside from a single door, looking weather worn, the walls were an unmarred matte white.
”But they told us the Veil was...”
”Oh, it is,” Adrastia said. ”Vast and maddening. By keeping in contact with you, I'm able to create this s.p.a.ce for us to talk. If you let go, you'll be exposed to the Veil in all its terrible glory.”