Disclaimer: I claim ownership of the character Angela (a.k.a Coral), but I own no part of COTT. I write solely for pleasure, not profit.
Chapter Five
Goddamn son of a bitch! Narcissistic low life! One astronomical pain in my ass, as well as the shit end of my particular stick. I am slowly running out of curses for this guy! How much lower can one stoop in order to achieve what he really wants? I mean, people can do some really stupid crap, and I want to run them all over with a tank some days, but messing with someone`s family? So not cool! That`s the only reason I can think of that would explain his presence in the city. I want to take said tank right about now, and light it off on him where the sun doesn`t shine!
I grin as the macabre scene plays out in my mind. "And it`ll be the biggest damn shell I can find!"
A young family gives me a strange glance as they walk by in the darkness, no doubt wary of a foreigner skulking around in the shadows of the doorway. Giving them a lopsided grin, I walk towards the consulate, my mouth set in a determined line. I would follow the bastard, but at the moment, I want to know why he was here, and I know someone can fill me in inside. Plus, he`s no doubt long gone, probably having morphed away.
Walking into the consulate, I feel vaguely out of place in my green t-shirt and sweat pants. I`m amazed to find that the chill I felt a bit earlier has all but disappeared, swept away with the adrenaline that now courses through me. I suppose the thought of having a megalomaniac after your family would set anyone`s blood ablaze, let alone my hot head. All around me are a variety of individuals, easily discernable from the styles of dress. The tourists are...well, not so much like me as in they all seem to be wearing nicer clothes. Some make it very obvious with camera`s around their necks, and the occasional fanny pack, but others are very well clad. Yet you can still set them apart from the people who work in the consulate, who are immaculately dressed in two piece suits and pencil skirts. They also seem to radiate an air of importance.
Standing on the beige tiles in sneakers, with a beautiful chandelier hanging above my head, I`m suddenly struck with the hopelessness of my situation. Now what? What can I ask that won`t raise the alarm? Not only that, but how much information are they willing to give away? No doubt a member of the armed forces would want their anonymity maintained while stationed overseas, for both privacy and security, which makes my job that much harder. And if that wasn`t enough, judging by the hustle and bustle around me, they`re no doubt going to be doing shift change soon. I have to make this fast or I could wind up having to wait. That would give Cronus more time to get ahead of me.
Walking up to the main counter, which luckily has no line, I take a deep breath. The young woman behind the counter seems to be in a good mood, her blonde hair pulled back in a bun and her blue eyes quickly scanning over some paperwork. So intent on her work, she doesn`t notice my approach. I clear my throat, and she looks up with a start.
"Ah, excusez-moi monsieur!" she apologizes in French, seeming flustered. Must be her first day. "Anglais ou français?"
I really would have expected her to start in German, seeing as we are in the country, but it doesn`t matter. I know enough French to get by on a bad day, and this is easy stuff. "Anglais, s'il vous plait." I reply.
She smiles at my reply, and pushes her paperwork aside. I say why make being courteous so difficult? She asked in French, so I might as well return the gesture. Must have made her more comfortable, as her shoulders lose their tension, and she seems more relaxed. Glancing at her nametag, I smile. "Tough day, Mary?" I can`t help but wonder.
"You have no idea!" she replies, her accent soft. She must have had a few jerks come her way. "How may I help you?"
That is a great question. "Well..." I scramble for the most believable bull-crap story I can imagine. I set my helmet on the counter, hoping the action will give me a few precious seconds, and continue. "You see, I flew over to visit family. My uncle, actually. He and his family are stationed here right now. He was supposed to pick me up at the airport, but couldn`t make it. To top it all off, I`ve lost his address. I was hoping you could help."
Smooth, Arch. If she believes this, I think I might just shit a brick.
"Let`s see..." Turning to a fancy looking computer to her left, she hits a few keys, no doubt booting the thing up. Glancing my way, I can`t help thinking she`s sizing me up. Somehow all the women I`ve ever met have been able to read through my lies. Then again, I was never good at lying. I seriously hope I`m not that obvious. "What is your uncle's name?"
I scramble for the name Hermes had told me back at the school. "It`s Sauer. Master Corporal John Sauer."
"That`s strange..." Mary shoots me a quick glance. My stomach tightens in a quick knot.
"What`s that?"
"Well, you`re the second person to ask about the Master Corporal today."
Inside, my anger flashes into a heated rage, but outwardly, I keep my calm. I even give her a puzzled look. "Really? Who else was here, I wonder?"
"Well, that`s classified information, but between you and me, the guy was an ass."
Now who could that possibly be? "Nice. Anyway, about my uncle?"
"Well, I`ll tell you what I told the other gentleman." She says, calmly tapping out a few key strokes on her computer. "You are right in thinking we would be able to help you out with an address, but because he is a ranking member of the military, all the records on him and his family are kept on the base. We only have the information on civilian Canadians living abroad. ESL teachers, people of that sort." She suddenly ducks behind her desk and I lose sight of her. There`s a rustling sound, then her disembodied voice reaches my ears. "What I can do for you is give you the phone number for the NATO station here in Germany." Popping back up, she grabs a pen from a cup near her elbow, and quickly scribbles down a long, complicated looking number, and hands it to me. I glance down at it before pocketing it. "I am sorry, but that`s all I can do for you." She shrugs, a little helplessly.
"No, no. This is perfect! Thank you!" Not entirely what I needed, but I`m getting closer.
"Now, I apologize, but I must be going." She starts shutting down her computer, and grabs a coat and bag from behind the desk. Quickly throwing on her black trench coat, she comes around to me and offers her hand. I shake it, smiling. Real nice lady! She smiles back. "I have a date with a cup of tea and a shower!" Walking towards the exit, she gives me a wave over her shoulder. "I hope you find your uncle!" And with that, she`s gone.
I suddenly feel very aware of myself standing alone, my hand still half up in waving goodbye. Shaking my head as a whirlwind of people swarm about, I suddenly need some fresh air. Grabbing my helmet, and all but running towards the exit, I leave the revolving doors and sigh as the cold air hits me. Looking both ways down the street to get my bearings, I start off back to where I parked my bike. Grabbing the small slip of paper from my pocket, I look it over once more as my breath frosts in the cold air. I figure once I get back to the hotel, I can use the phone in my room.
The medallion around my neck suddenly goes ice cold, and I stop as goose bumps rip across my arms. That`s...well, weird. It`s never done that before. It`s almost like it`s reac-
My thought process breaks off as a hand reaches from the darkness and grabs my arm roughly. Before my mind can play catch-up, I`m dragged into a dark alleyway and slammed into a limestone wall. Dark spots swim into my vision as my head connects roughly with the stone, but I can make out enough of my attackers features, even in this darkness, for a growl to leap from my lips.
"Well, well. Funny meeting you here, boy." Cronus` smile is nothing but calculating cruelty.
I have no time for his petty games. Bringing up the palm of my hand, I dislodge his grip on me with a swift uppercut. Before he can even react, a swift vertical kick to his chest sends him stumbling back. "Fuck you Cronus," I glare. He returns the favour. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing." His smile`s back. I really want to wipe it from his face with my fist. "And all alone too?" He glances around, as if he has no idea I`m the only one here. "Not a very wise decision, wouldn`t you say?"
A sudden grunt comes from my left, down further into the darkness of the unlit alley. No doubt his giant goons. He should know by now though that I only go down fighting. "Depends on your idea of wise. As for you, I doubt it was very wise of you to reveal your location. What do you want here, Cronus? What`s in Germany that could possibly interest you? Or is it that you just have a fetish for old Nazi paraphernalia?" I would seriously not be surprised.
"Well, Hitler was a dashing fellow. He and I did have similar goals." He shrugs in his usual smug manner. I knew it! "But he wasn`t the first to want continental or global domination. Alexander the Great, Emperor Han, Genghis Khan, Cyrus the Great, even Napoleon wanted his cut. Nor will Hitler be the last. It`s simply human nature to want power." He saunters towards me, his giants finally coming out of hiding to follow his shadow. "Which begs the question, what is it that you want?"
"Nothing from you, that`s for damn sure!" My medallion feels like a brick of ice against my chest, and I finally have to drag it out for fear of frostbite. I hold it out in front of me, like a badge of honour, it`s silver glint visible even in the darkness. "All I get out of being around you is anger and pain. I`ve died protecting not just the world, but my friends from you as well. You`ve messed with everyone I care for, and even those I don`t. Now, what I want is to throw you into the fires of the Underworld and watch your body burn!"
"My, such anger!" he chuckles, glancing at the silver in my hand. He pauses a moment, then says, almost solemnly, "It`s freezing cold, isn`t it?"
I`m taken by surprise, and it must have shown. Cronus smiles, and walks closer. So close, I can almost smell his breath. "It reacts that way when the wearer is in the presence of the person who killed them."
"But you didn`t kill me." I close the distance between us as well, not wanting to be cornered against the wall. "I fell. I wasn`t even fighting you at the time; I was fighting Robert."
"Really now? Are you truly that blind?" I have no idea where he`s going with this. "Do you really believe that your fight alone, even with the addition of that cat bitch`s little magic relic, would have been enough to take down an entire building?"
I really don`t like the sound of all this. Chills run down my spine, and I know it`s not due to the cold.
"You sabotaged the building`s integrity."
"You could say that."
"You bastard!" I glare, stalking the rest of the way between us, ready to break the guys nose. It was a bad move on my part, and I knew it, but I couldn`t care less. The giants take the chance to surround me, grunting like they`ve already won.
"Ah, ah. I wouldn`t do that if I were you." He gives the giants a significant look, as if they could stop me. Yeah right. I stop anyway, just because I know I won`t get anywhere if I hit him.
"What do you want Cronus?"
"I want you out of the way." His black scythe is suddenly in his hand, and arcing towards my throat. I manage to duck in time, jumping back out of range...right into a giant`s gut. It`s faster than I expect, and wraps it`s arms around my torso before I can react. It`s crushing hold on me pins my arms and expels the air from my lungs as I kick and writhe in its grasp. I still as the unmistakable feel of steel hits my neck. I stare into the God`s red eyes as he speaks. "You are a special case among Hera`s supposed heroes." He taunts, eyeing my medallion. "The only one with a sibling..."
"Fuck you." My suspicions confirmed, I send my fiercest look his way.
"Your father spoke highly of her, you know. This leads me to think, what if Hera got it wrong? What if she took the wrong child? Sure you seem to be the epitome of Achilles, bad heel and all, but your sibling would share the same genetics."
"Leave my family alone!" I howl, not caring how pathetically desperate I sound.
"Why would I do that when they`re just so much fun to toy with?" he sighs. "All it took was some research and skill to find her location. And if she does prove to be of any value, then think of the possibilities! Use her to my advantage. Not even Jay could raise a hand against a young human girl."
I gasp as the scythe is pressed harder and a small trail of blood runs down my neck. I barely breathe, afraid of the consequences. Then, the scythe is suddenly gone, but bigger problems arise as Cronus grabs my medallion. I`m powerless to stop him as he takes it in his grasp and holds it up for inspection. The cold metal bites into the back of my neck. "My best guess is that this little trinket is the reason you`re alive. No one escapes the Underworld. That`s how it was made to be."
He then raises his weapon once more with a malicious grin. "It`s been fun." He rears back, ready to make the killing blow, and I know this time my friends can`t save me. I`m going to die halfway around the world in some dirty alley and no one –
"Hey! Was ist hier los?" Taken by surprise, Cronus shoots an angry glare to my would-be saviour. Poor sap must not be able to make out the giants in the shadows, or he would have most likely turned tail and run. "Jemand rufen Sie die Polizei!"
Even I can understand the word police when I hear it. Cursing, Cronus turns to me with a snarl. "This isn`t over yet, boy!"
"You`re a God!" I yell at him, and I`m suddenly let go as Cronus and the giants beat a hasty retreat. "What do you have to be scared of the police for? If you`re going to kill me, let`s just do this!" Now, don`t get me wrong, being murdered by a psych like him is not on my to-do list, but I`m tired of him running circles around me. He started this fight, let`s finish this!
Even as I`m halfway through my rant, he`s already gone, vanishing through his black portal with his cronies. And before I even realize it, my knees give out and I`m on my butt on the wet asphalt. The adrenaline rush is gone, leaving nothing but trembling muscles and a hollow void in my gut. That bastard is after my sister, my sibling who I only just found out was still amongst the living. Now a megalomaniac wants to take her from me all over again. Losing her once was almost the death of me. Losing her twice...I don`t even want to think about it.
But that`s not the only reason I can`t help the shudders wracking my body. I hate to admit it, but I...was scared. I thought I was going to die, again. For only the second time in my life, Cronus has actually frightened me. How pathetic is that, huh? Shivering in the mud like some coward. Sad excuse for a hero.
"Bist du ok? Sind Sie verletzt überhaupt?"
A hand is gripping my shoulder, I realize, and someone`s voice is speaking in a language I can`t understand. I drown him out as I just sit there. Maybe he was right, Cronus. Maybe the Gods did get it wrong after all...
"Are you okay?" Jozef asks in a rush as I saunter into the hotel. Sheesh! Does the guy ever go home? I do appreciate his worry though, as I absently rub at the bandage on my neck. After finally snapping out of my stupor, I had found myself being stared at by my rescuer, two beat cops and one EMS tech who I`m sure thought I was in the process of dying on him. Luckily one officer spoke English well enough for me to spin a fabricated story involving a street mugging. Luckily, after giving a `brief` description of my assailant as I was bandaged up, they let me leave, assuring me they would catch the people responsible. Yeah, right. I told the cops they were all seven feet tall.
"I`m fine, no worries. Just a scratch really." I reply, rubbing my arms to stave off the remaining chill from outside. That seems to calm the old guy, who sighs and shakes his head, mumbling something about young kids and trouble. I smirk. He`s all right in my books!
"Well, you must be tired. It`s so late!" he gestures to the wall clock, and I`m shocked to see it`s already well past eleven. "Youth! I remember when I had your energy, young man. Of course, those were troubled times..."
I can`t help feel sorry for him. He must have still been pretty young when the Nazi`s took control. To go through something like that...war just sucks! "Definitely bad times." I agree, watching as he grabs my room key and passes it my way. "Thanks. Well, I had better get to bed, I suppose..." Or rather make a very important phone call.
"Well, before you do, please come with me." He jumps down from the counter and through his side door, then beckons me down a narrow hallway that runs deeper into the lobby. I`m hesitant. I really have to make that call. I`ve wasted too much time already...but then curiosity wins me over. Besides, I`m sure it`ll only take a few moments...
Walking down the hall, it opens out into a large dining area, lines with round tables and chairs padded with red material, similar to the one in my room. A big contrast to the lobby`s minimalist approach, that`s for sure.
"This is where breakfast will be in the morning, and out here," he leads me through a pair of double-paned French doors, and we`re back outside. Located along a busy road, the small line of tables and chairs is surrounded by a small gated wood fence, separating the diners from the pedestrians using the sidewalk. "This is our outdoor eating area. If it`s nicer tomorrow, this is a great place to get a real feel for Munich." He grins wide, obviously proud of his little hotel. Knowing he went through the trouble of giving me a guided tour, even at this hour, I smile in appreciation.
"I`ll have to keep that in mind." I take in the small area, then turn back to find him no longer paying me any attention, but waving to a man walking our way down the street. The guy`s tall, and as he approaches, I watch as he scrubs a hand through his short, sandy blonde hair, a big grin on his face.
"Jozef!" he calls, walking up and grabbing the smaller man in a bear hug. "Guten nacht! It`s been a while, my friend."
"Ay, zu lang, mein Freund." Jozef reply`s, and I suddenly feel like I`m invading on something private. I turn to walk away, give them their privacy, when Jozef grabs my arm lightly. "Please, stay." He insists. "I would like to introduce you to a good friend of mine!"
With a request like that, how can I say no? Against my better judgement, wanting to get back to my room, I nod at the newcomer and quickly introduce myself. "Nice to meet you. I`m Archie."
"It`s a pleasure to meet you. I`m John."
Sorry for this post being a tad later than the others. I`ve been having to bang my head against the wall that is writers block. Hopefully the fog will clear, and I`ll get my groove back soon.
Please let me know what you thought about this latest instalment, as I have already begun the next chapter and would love your thoughts. Until next time!
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