DEMON'S SPINE: TANZANIA, ARUSHA - LEAGUE SAFE HOUSE: 5 SEP 2013
Qadar, Jurh, and Tafa were waiting in the League Safe House in Arusha. Fayr had been taking this small group of Shadow Warriors on a tour of Africa. Most of this was to assist in training Qadar. However, there were always hunts that needed to be accomplished. The Spine was huge. Fayr would consult with the local Raven for the current issues. She frequently took Qadar with her to meet the Ravens, but not this time.
Fayr strode into the League Safe House with purpose in her steps. She stopped before the three men waiting for her return.
"I have met with the Raven," Fayr told them. "Most of the intelligence the family has received does not require intervention. Those problems the Raven will forward to the local authorities. Only two issues require the family."
Fayr turned to the other two Shadow Warriors. One was a Qayid. The other was Eadi. "Tafa, you will lead a hunt with Jurh. A local warlord is attempting to dominate the local authorities. Here is the intelligence on this warlord from the Raven," Fayr stated as she held out a thick folder to the Qayid Tafa.
"It will be done," Tafa replied. "Come. We will review this information in the other room."
Tafa and Jurh stood and left for the kitchen area.
"The second issue is with a magic thief," Fayr replied. "This is all the information that the Raven had on this thief. However, the Raven was able to determine that the magic was stolen from the Akie mountain tribe. You are to secure the magical artifact and return it to the tribe. This will be a solo hunt for you. I will observe."
"What of the thief?" Qadar asked as he took the file from Fayr.
"You will observe and make a determination," Fayr replied. "You only need to eliminate the thief if you determine that their evil is too great."
"It will be done," Qadar replied as his anxiety rose. I must decide if this man is too evil to return to balance. He sighed. I become judge, jury, and executioner. Am I ready for this? How can I tell if this man is too far gone or not?
Qadar started to scan the documents before he realized a way. He could measure this man's evil deeds. Ivo. Ivo was irredeemable. I can measure this man against Ivo to see if he is too far gone or not.
Qadar gave a smile internal smile. I can do this. It was his responsibility to make the final decision, but he could ask for advice as well.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S SPINE: TANZANIA, ARUSHA - LEAGUE SAFE HOUSE: 9 SEP 2013
The information provided helped Qadar find and conduct his surveillance of Thomas Blake. Blake was one of the few white men who made a residence in Tanzania. His plantation just outside of Arusha was large. It was mostly self-managed by his support staff. All locals. Blake didn't seem to spend too much time on the management of the planation. Instead, Blake seemed to use the residence as a vacation retreat.
Qadar was disgusted to learn that Blake was a big game hunter. One of the worst. The kind that would pay to illegally harvest endangered animals on the African continent. Then mount his horrible trophies at his residence in Tanzania. It was not ironic that his plantation of horror lay just outside of the Serengeti National Park. A nature preserve. It was convenience.
However, Qadar had noted a trend in Blake's finances. He was bleeding cash. He would make trips every two or three weeks to replenish his cash reserves. During those trips, Blake would use the cloak to enable him to steal extravagant items to sell.
On Qadar's third day of observation, Blake returned from his last trip to London. His alter ego, Catman, had been seen stealing several Egyptian artifacts. His plane had visited Paris for a day before he returned to Tanzania with cash to burn.
Today, on his fourth day of observation, Qadar had watched as the man left for the city to resupply. Qadar quickly infiltrated the manor house and found the poorly hidden costume of Catman. He could only hope that the tribe could restore the cloak. He left without attempting to disguise his presence and returned to the League Safe House.
When Qadar showed her the ruins of the cloak, Fayr told him to take the cloak back to the Akie tribe. "It was their magical artifact," she said. "Perhaps they can restore it. I will keep watch over Thomas Blake until you are able to return."
That was why Qadar approached the Akie village with some contrition. He hoped that they would be able to restore their cloak. The villagers crowded into the center of their small circle of huts.
=I apologize. Little Swahili know. Much pleased if English,= Qadar addressed the village in broken Swahili. It was the little he knew in that language. He knew more Afrikaans. But the people of Tanzania did not speak Afrikaans.
The villagers parted and allowed a half dozen elders to come to the front. A teenager stood with them. "I can speak for them," the boy said in English.
"Thank you," Qadar replied in relief. "My organization discovered the treachery of Thomas Blake. They discovered that he had stolen from your people. I am here to return what was stolen." Qadar pulled out the costume of Catman and presented it to the village elders.
The boy relayed his words in Swahili. Then listened to their reply. "The elders are thankful that you have discovered the thief. They had little hope that a mtu mweupe would help the Akie," the boy translated.
"I understand," Qadar replied. "I can only apologize for the condition of the cloak. I took it from the thief at the soonest possible time to return it to your people," he said.
The boy translated and then listened to their comments. "The elders want to know what you want in exchange for returning Vazi la Bahatila la Kupotoka," the boy summarized. He had a wary skeptical look.
"I want nothing," Qadar replied. "The cloak is not mine. I would see it returned to its proper place."
The boy translated and waited while the elders seemed to be discussing his words. Finally, the boy nodded. "Come. I will assist you in preparing," he told Qadar.
Qadar followed the boy. He was directed to a small hut and told to sit. "The wazee will be here soon," the boy said.
"What am I preparing for exactly?" Qadar asked. He sat where indicated and waited. He was confused. He had not studied the local customs of this tribe. Hell, I barely know any customs in various African tribes.
The boy smiled. "The ritual needed to cleanse you of the curse," he said with a humor.
"Curse?" Qadar asked with wide eyes.
"Of course," the boy replied. "The vazi carries a curse for all those who take possession of it wrongfully," he said with a grin. "In this case, you stole it to return it to the tribe. For this reason, the tribe will cleanse you of the curse."
"What is the curse?" Qadar asked after some time in contemplation. "Will the thief be cursed too?" he asked.
The boy nodded. "The thief is likely feeling the curse in strength right now. He will not be offered a cleansing," he said. "But the vazi, it gives the owner… bahati… um… luck. When the cloak is taken improperly it takes the bahati away vigorously."
"You become unlucky?" Qadar asked. "How does that work exactly?" he asked.
"Um… it is like... when hunting in the forest. With the vazi, your shot will be true. No predators will stalk you. Without the bahati, your shot will miss. You will become the prey for other hunters." the boy explained. "For the village, it protects us. Keeps the warlords away from the village. Brings plentiful harvest. Good hunting."
"I see," Qadar replied. "It brings your village luck and protection. Thank you for explaining it to me."
"You are most courteous for a mtu mweupe," the boy replied. Then added, "White man."
A short time later, three of the elders came into the hut and chanted for a short time. The boy didn't try to translate. Then Qadar was directed to inhale the smoke that was generated when a dust was scattered on the flames of the fire. Once that was done, feeling slightly lightheaded, Qadar was thanked and directed to leave. He gladly made his way back to Arusha and the League Safe House.
To his delight, Qadar heard Fayr relay all the misfortunes that had befallen Blake. Blake was arrested in Arusha for theft before Qadar had even left for the village. Then the Tanzanian government had noticed irregularities with the Blake's taxes. And that he had avoided paying them for the last few years. Then his plantation was searched. He was charged immediately for possession of illegal animal trophies. During his pathetic escape attempt, he broke his arm. The guards had taken to holding Blake's arms when escorting him, because can't seem to walk three steps without stumbling or falling. That doesn't even take into account the random items falling on him. His karma had come back on him in force.
After reviewing the misfortunes befalling Thomas Blake, Qadar made the official decision to leave him. He made his case to Fayr. He told her about the curse of the Akie cloak. Blake had taken evil actions, but his actions were more selfish than evil. He had not used his luck or skill to cause malicious harm to others.
Fayr and Qadar then met with Tafa and Jurh to assist them on taking down their warlord. Tafa was still the lead Qayid for that hunt. Qadar observed how different Tafa operated from Fayr.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S HORN: USA, IL, CHICAGO - LEAGUE SAFE HOUSE: 16 SEP 2013
Aldire strode confidently into the robotics lab of Dr. Silas Stone. After a crash course in basic robotics, Aldire was sent to assist Dr. Stone as an intern for one his latest project. Dr. Stone wanted to repair the nerve damages to the human body by enabling nerve communication again where it had been severed or disrupted. His goal was to enable this level of communication with prosthesis… where a person's limb has been severed and replaced with an artificial body part.
The benefit to being Dr. Stone's intern, was that Aldire could install the Silea and Fath viruses at the source. Her virus would be in the base code for the nanites. The League would be able to interfere with anyone who abused this project for evil. She could easily see how criminals would want to create monstrosities… to perpetuate their evil.
But the basis of the research, like Ivo's desire to cure disease, was good. It came down to the execution of that idea. Ivo chose evil. He chose to experiment illegally on humans without any controls or guidance. Silas was choosing good. He was following all the moral guidelines for such experimentation… to ensure the benefit of the most people.
"Ah, Dr. Phelps, there you are," Silas greeted Aldire by her cover name as she entered the lab. "I see that you were able to procure the specimens," he said as he gestured to the pet crates and kennels that had been arranged against the wall.
"Yes, Dr. Stone," Aldire replied. She still tensed when living beings were referred to specimens. But Ivo had trained her to limit her reactions to internal only. "The Humane Society was very amenable to allowing us to adopt their most damaged pets. Most of these pets were nearing the end of their adoptable timetable."
The animals were a mix of cats and dogs. Every animal had some type of nerve damage. Most were able to walk, although limited, or had their non-functioning limb strapped up to avoid additional damage to it. The exception was one lonely crate at the end. This puppy had come into the Humane Society to be euthanized. His previous owner had accidentally broken its neck when he tripped over it. The owner had been distraught when he realized that the pup was still alive. Aldire was collecting the nerve damaged animals when the puppy had arrived. The damage was new. The puppy had not learned how to live with its impairment. But she had hope that this test would work and this poor puppy would never have to learn how to live with a broken neck.
"Do you think that the older injuries will impede your testing?" Aldire asked as she looked from the puppy to the other pet crates.
"It may," Silas said with a look of contemplation. "I wonder if there is a way to test old damage versus new damage."
"There may be," Aldire replied. "This puppy was just injured yesterday. It has been sedated since. Spinal fracture on its neck. The veterinarian estimated that it would have a complete lack of mobility."
"That would be a good test," Silas agreed. "The others will allow us to determine if older damage could be repaired or if prosthetic communication is a more viable option in those cases."
"I'll prep the puppy," Aldire replied as she moved forward. She gently opened the crate and carried the puppy to the surgical table. The puppy had already had an IV stint inserted and taped to his arm. The puppies neck fur had been shaved by the vet to assess the injury.
Silas had been anticipating this part of his project for weeks. He had nanites already prepared for a vast array of potential injuries. Each was labelled for the potential type of nerve repair. The type the puppy would require would be the most generic. The Cervical Patch. These types of nanites worked to cross the synapse junctions with electrical transmission, not chemical transmission. The nerves on the other side would receive the electrical transmission and convert it to chemical, if needed. The Cervical Patch was not specialized like the others. It could transmit all the various nervus transmissions. It was designed to repair damaged Cervical Nerves. Like a severed spine.
Silas prepared the nanites in a saline solution. Finally, he drew the nanites into a syringe. "I added a self-replicating feature for these nanites. The bioelectricity of the specimen should sustain them, but I don't want them to fail if it does not," Silas said as he approached the table.
Aldire pulled out her notebook and made notes. Specimen 01: Cervical Patch administered on 16 September, 2013 at 9:23 am at STAR Labs, Chicago Division, Robotics Lab. By Dr. Silas Stone, she wrote. Cervical Patch modified to include self-replication.
"Did you include the time?" Silas asked as he paused over the puppy.
"I did," Aldire replied.
Silas depressed the plunger on the syringe sending the nanites into the puppy. "Begin observations," he said as he pulled out the syringe and returned to his work station. "Cease all administration of sedative. I want to see how the specimen will react to the Cervical Patch."
"Yes, Doctor," Aldire replied. "Will I still be allowed to administer the pain medications?" she asked. "The injury was fresh and the damage outside of the nerves has not fully healed yet."
Silas seemed to consider her request. "What are your thoughts on this matter?" he asked. "Do you think the other damage may impair our test?"
"I do," Aldire replied. "The bones around the Cervical Column were damaged. We can immobilize the neck. This will allow it to heal and not cause further damage to the nerves. Likewise, the specimen is young. It will be in pain. Administration of the pain medication would avoid thrashing and the cause of additional damage to the cervical column."
"Very well," Silas replied after he considered her remarks. "Immobilize the specimen's neck. Administer the lowest amounts of pain medication after the specimen was woken from the sedative." He paused. "You may increase the pain medication amounts when we can visualize the specimen's response."
"Yes, Doctor," Aldire replied as she moved to take notes. She knew that the puppy would be out for at least another hour. "Don't worry Hoffen. I'll take good care of you." Immobilize neck. Administration of Tramadol authorized in low dose when specimen becomes alert. Then she moved to secure a stiff brace around the puppy's neck.
Aldire prepared her dose of pain medication while waiting for the puppy to wake up. Silas busied himself across the lab. A young man entered the lab. He was around Thea's age. 12 or 13 years old.
"Hey, Dad," the boy said as he skipped across the lab to Silas.
Silas sighed in frustration. "Victor, I believe I told you that my lab was no place for you," Silas chastised the boy.
Victor's face fell. "Sorry, Dad," he replied. "I just wanted to see you. Mom's research is boring. Her lab has nothing to do."
"Your mother's research is very important," Silas berated him. "Her research into other dimensions can help us progress science in her field."
"It's still boring," Victor replied sullenly. He strode over to where Aldire was petting the puppy while they waited for it to wake up. "What are you doing? Is that a puppy?" he asked with an excited face.
"It is," Aldire replied gently. "Hoffen is helping your father and I test his research into nerve communication."
"Hey, Hoff," Victor greeted the puppy. "Why is he so quiet?" he asked Aldire.
"He's still sleeping. He was injured," Aldire replied with the patience she had often used on Thea. "He needed to sleep or he would hurt himself. The medicine making him sleep should wear off soon. Then he will wake up."
Silas joined them and glanced at his watch. "How has the specimen on reacted so far?" Silas asked as he examined his son stroking the puppy's head.
"Normally," Aldire replied. "Heartbeat and respiration have not changed."
"He's not a specimen," Victor replied sullenly at his father. "He has a name."
"He does not have a name," Silas told his son imperiously. "He is the first specimen we are testing. His proper label is Specimen 01. If he has any name, it is that," Silas stalked off mumbling under his breath.
Victor looked over at Aldire. "He doesn't really have a name?" he asked her uncertainly.
"He does," Aldire replied. "His name means hope. All living beings have a name. We may not always understand them, but they do. Those animals that live with us learn to respond to their human name. His human name is Hoffen. Hoffen is our hope for this project. He has quite a name to live up to."
"Hope," Victor replied. "I like it. Mine means victory."
"Then you also have quite a name to live up to as well," Aldire replied with a soft smile. "But for our paperwork," she gestured to her notes, "Hoffen is also labelled as Specimen 01. Just like you are also labelled as Stone."
"I can still call him Hoff, right?" Victor asked uncertain. Aldire missed this age. She missed her sister Thea and her first explorations into herself.
"You can," Aldire replied as she smiled at him. "It shows him that you care about him enough to have an affectionate name for him. Not just his official name."
"I do care," Victor replied firmly.
The puppy slowly opened its eyes and blinked. It let out a soft whine as its feet twitched
"It's okay, Hoff," Victor replied as he softly stroked the dog's head. "Take it easy."
Aldire smiled as he examined the puppy and took her notes about her exam. The dog's tail began to thump the table as the boy talked to it gently and stroked its head.
Silas came back over and conducted his own exam. "Good neurologic response. Movement noted in the legs and the tail." He pinched the puppy's side. Hoff yelped in response. "Pain response is normal."
"Why'd you do that?" Victory asked angrily. He reassured the dog while glaring at his father.
"You may administer pain medication," Silas continued, ignoring his son. "Consult with the veterinarian about procedures required to heal his injuries without further aggravating his spinal injury."
"Of course, Dr. Stone," Aldire replied as she jotted down her notes. When Silas had left, she placed a comforting hand on his arm. "It was necessary," she told Victor.
"Why?" Victor asked still angry. "He didn't do anything. Why hurt him?" he whined.
"Victor, do you know what your father's project is?" Aldire asked.
"Not really," Victor replied sullenly. "He just rambles on about stuff over my head. I mostly tune him out."
"Alright," Aldire replied. "I remember doing that to my mother when I was your age."
"You did?" Victor asked surprised.
"Yes," Alder replied. "My mother was a history teacher. She didn't ramble. She lectured. But in this instance, I need to understand that what your father is doing is going to help so many people."
"How?" Victor demanded sullenly. "He doesn't even help me with my homework."
"He doesn't help because he wants you to know and understand," Aldire replied. "Dr. Stone is not a teacher. He has a hard time dumbing down his explanations. I think you would be more confused after he helped you than before," she said with a fond smile for the boy. "But this project is something he doesn't need to dumb down. He has studied how your brain tells your body what to do. Some people have become broken. Injuries and illnesses have damaged the ability of their brain to talk to their body. Your dad wants to fix that."
"He does?" Victor said as he understood. "That's awesome."
"It is," Aldire replied affectionately. "Hoffen was seriously injured," she told him. "His neck was broken. His spinal cord was severed. His brain could not talk to his body."
Victor look devastated. "No. He's so young," he replied in horror. "He would be paralyzed for the rest of his life."
"He would, except your father wanted to help," Aldire told him. "We took him in to test your dad's repair. You just saw some of its results. He moved his tail and feet. Your father's repair is working. Hoffen's brain can talk to his body again."
Victor's eyes widened as he realized that his father had saved the dog from a life of paralysis. "My dad is a hero," Victor stated in awe.
"I think he is," Aldire told the boy affectionately. She gave the pain medication to Hoffen. "Next, he wants to help all those other animals," she said as she gestured to the other animals in the crates. "They all have older injuries than Hoffen. Your father is cautious. If this works for them, then eventually it will be given to those people who were injured... like Hoffen was."
With mention of the other animals, Victor gave Hoffen one last pat before he ran over to the crates to sit with each of the animals. Silas slowly came back over to Aldire. His face impassive.
"Thank you," Silas said suddenly. "It's been hard… Victor… I don't know how to talk to him."
"I know," Aldire replied sagely. "I have a sister his age," she told him. "She is significantly younger than I. I had to learn how to talk to her. I miss her. I wonder if she is as curious as your son. I'm sad that I am missing this part of her growing up." Then she seemed to get an idea. "Perhaps you need some hope in your life."
"What do you mean?" Silas asked cautiously.
"Well, it seems to me that your son has bonded to Hoffen," Aldire said as she stroked the back of the dog. "You will need to continue to observe Hoffen to ensure that his Cervical Patch continues to work. Hoffen needs a home. Let Hoffen help you learn to communicate with your son. Let Victor become involved in your work by making Hoffen his responsibility."
"I…" Silas stared, stunned. "I planned on conducting the observations in the lab."
"But you can enlist Victor to conduct the observations for you," Aldire replied with an internal smile. "Hoffen will recover better from his injury in a home environment. All of them will. With each having a single minder, you will gain more detailed data for your project."
"I think you're right," Silas said as he looked over at Victor playing with one of the cats with a bad leg. He was giggling as he played tag with the cat. "Are you sure that you can't stay around longer to act as interpreter?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Stone," Aldire replied with regret. "I would love to continue with you here in the robotics lab. But once my time here as your intern has ended, I am needed for another project," she said softly. "I'm afraid that you will have to settle for Hoffen."
"I feel that he might be a poor translator," Silas said as he watched his son.
"It is not the speech you have to translate, its listening to the intent," Aldire replied. "I have been learning to speak German… that is where Hoffen comes from… The intent of the word is more important than the word itself. Hoffen means hope in German. Dogs are especially adept at hearing intent and ignoring words. Humans are a deceptive animal. Study how Hoffen reacts to a person, not their words. That will tell you about the person." She smiled at Victor. "Hoffen will also keep Victor safe. It's in his DNA."
"The dog will help me learn to listen for intent?" Silas asked.
"Among other things," Aldire replied. "Your phone is used for more things than just calling. Hoffen will still be a specimen in your project. But he will also help you reconnect to your son. He will be a companion. He will help you understand intent… More."
"Very well," Silas relented. "Now, tell me how… Hoffen responded to the pain medication…"
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S HORN: USA, IL, CHICAGO - LEAGUE SAFE HOUSE: 27 SEP 2013
Mai looked up from her laptop as Aldire entered the Safe House. "How was your last day?" she asked Aldire.
"Good," Aldire replied. "I left on good terms. Dr. Stone is willing to work with this identity in the future. The identity should be maintained. I can use it as a future cover in robotics."
"I'm glad," Mai said. "I have been going through the data we were able to scrounge from the computers in STAR Labs. I want to take a trip back to Central City. The STAR Labs in Central is behaving oddly. It is receiving input from an external source, but the Silea and Fath viruses have not infiltrated that system."
"That's odd," Aldire replied. "Has someone discovered the viruses?" she asked.
"That is possible," Mai replied as she considered the question. "But it has not been deployed for long enough to have gained notice. Short of a line-by-line examination of the data, it is unnoticeable. Khafifa has only been using it for surveillance so far."
"Then we go to Central City and try to figure it out," Aldire replied easily.
"It makes me wonder," Mai told her. "Dr. Harrison Wells is the owner of that STAR Labs. He is currently under observation. The last observation we did installed the viruses. We didn't notice anything out of the ordinary."
"No," Aldire replied. "But we were both leery of Wells. Nothing we saw or any data, just the creep factor."
"Perhaps we should consult with a Wahy," Mai added. "They can see things that most family members cannot… especially intent."
"I thought they could only see ghosts," Aldire said in surprise.
"They are seers. Oracles," Mai replied. "A trained Wahy can see intent, inclinations, and how touched by evil a person has become. They can see more than just the person. They can see what kind of person they are."
"Then that is our next stop," Aldire agreed. "My training here is complete. The viruses are loaded. Even the nanites have the virus loaded. They will infect any prosthesis they are used with. The nanites had limited success for those animals with long-term nerve damage. But they were an astounding success for the prosthetic interaction."
"Very well done, Aldire," Mai replied. "Your training has been very useful. If those with limited morals attempt to use these nanites, the family with know."
"We will," Aldire replied with a pleased smile. She left for her room to pack for their trip to Central City.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S VENOM: SOUTH AMERICA: 29 SEP 2014
Sah-him followed Namla from the tourist parking area into the central plaza at Cristo Redentor Monument overlooking Rio de Janeiro. When he and Namla had last checked in with the Nexus at Lima, they were directed towards Rio de Janeiro. Both were major Nexus, but Sah-him was learning to communicate with a Nexus. They checked in with the Nexus at Lima daily if they were at the Fort. Nexi did not communicate the same way people did. It communicated ideas and feelings to form a message.
In this case, Rio de Janeiro needed them to correct a great wrong. The feelings of wrong, caged, pain, and assistance. Had pulsed through the ley lines from Rio de Janeiro to Lima. Namla and Sah-him had received the message and immediately went to assist the Nexus.
"We should be able to communicate with Rio de Janeiro from here. The monument is centered on the Nexus," Namla instructed him as them walked down the path at the Cristo Redentor Monument.
Sah-him could see the whole site littered with tourists. "Won't we be obvious?" he asked. He had opened his Inner Eye in public before, but he had never talked to the Nexus in a public area.
"No," Namla replied. "We will seek a shady spot and sit. No one will notice us," Namla replied casually. "If they do not notice you talking to spirits in the street, why do you think they will notice you here talking to Rio de Janeiro?" Namla asked in a chiding tone.
"I didn't think about it," Sah-him replied contritely.
"You must practice more," Namla replied as he stopped in the plaza. "For now, open your Inner Eye and walk normally. Learn to navigate the world with your Inner Eye open."
"Okay," Sah-him replied. He took a moment to stop and center himself. He opened his Inner Eye. The whole monument changed when he opened his Inner Eye. The sparely crowded walkway was now crowded with spirits. Even the ground seemed to glow. The Monument of Christo Redentor shone in front of him. "Wow."
Namla smiled. "Sacred ground is often worth the view. You can see the blessings on the Earth," he said softly before he led Sah-him off down the walkway toward the monument. He directed his distracted apprentice to a shady spot out of the main flow of traffic in the shadow of the monument. They both sat in lotus positions.
Namla opened his Inner Eye and projected his welcome to Rio de Janeiro. -Greetings.-
-Welcome,- Rio de Janeiro the Nexus responded with power and strength. -Assist?- it asked.
-We will assist you. Where is the problem?- Namla asked.
-Abantu kill. Ikatic Clan stolen. Free. Peace,- Rio de Janeiro responded.
"Abantu? Ikatic?" Sah-him attempted to clarify with Namla.
"Aztec words for humans and cat. Cat clan would likely mean a were-cat. Likely were-jaguar in this location," Namla replied quietly. Namla was surprised by how clear the communication was. This was the most detailed communication he had received from a Nexus outside of Nanda Parbat and Tiahuanaco. The two Great Nexus. -Where are they now? The caged ones?- he asked the Nexus.
A strong image was pressed into his mind. A wash of human bodies. Chains holding them captive. A drug processing facility. The rumble of trains nearby. -Tlaloc assist.- the Nexus pushed solidly.
Namla opened his eyes. A spirit was standing in front of them. The spirit was dressed as a native of the jungles. But his face was slightly deformed with the features of a cat. A were-cat then. Jaguar most likely. =You are Tlaloc?= he asked the spirit in Portuguese.
=I am, Children of the Earth,= Tlaloc replied in Portuguese. =I had begged the Earth to assist my clan. The Earth has brought me here.=
=Your clan, are you were-jaguar?= Namla asked. He suddenly understood the urgence of the Nexus. A were-jaguar clan was never located in the center of a city. The drug processing facility he had seen in his vision would explain how they were kept here. But not why they have not changed yet.
=Yes,= Tlaloc replied.
=We will be glad to assist you in freeing your clan,= Sah-him said in broken Portuguese.
=Explain what happened to your clan,= Namla directed the spirit.
=A group of humans came to our village,= Tlaloc started. =They seemed to be surveying. They asked about special plants. We assisted them. One night they drugged most of us. Those that were not drugged were killed. That is when I died. My wife and children were brought here. I feared for them. I begged the Earth to assist us.=
=Can you lead us to where they are being kept?= Namla asked.
=I can,= Tlaloc replied with a nod.
=Your clan will not trust us,= Namla continued. =Who do we speak with to reassure them?= he asked.
=Cuauhtemoc,= Tlaloc replied. =He is an elder. He is the one who taught me about the Earth and its children. He will convince the others.=
=Does your clan have a safe place to go? Where you can flee?= Sah-him asked. =Your village was compromised. The men will go there to capture your clan again.=
=We do,= Tlaloc replied. =Tell Cuauhtemoc to take them to the cave by the three falls. It is one of our sacred sites. The unchanged will not find them there.=
=We will tell him,= Namla replied. =Take us to your clan.=
The spirit of Tlaloc nodded and led them out of the monument and back down towards the city of Rio de Janeiro. "Earth Children?" Sah-him asked Namla quietly.
"The Ruya and the Wahy," Namla replied. "The Nexus speaks for the Earth. The Ruya are born with the gift to speak to the Earth. That makes us the Children of the Earth."
"Oh," Sah-him replied quietly in contemplation.
Namla smiled and followed the spirit to free his clan.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
USA, WA, STARLING CITY – ORCHID BAY BUTCHERS, HEADQUARTERS: 30 SEP 2013
Brick first became aware that something was wrong when he heard the screams and shots coming from outside the office. He blinked in confusion. The headquarters for the Orchard Bay Butchers was a secure building. He had made sure of it. The pigs can't get down to the building without being gunned down. My men know better than to invite some pig into our sanctuary.
Brick stood and went to the windows in his office. They overlooked the floor the building. It was an old abandoned factory in the Glades. His office used to be the supervisor's office. It had no access to the outside. Every window overlooked the factory floor. No one could sneak past his men to confront him. As he looked at the ground floor, he was impressed. His men littered the floor. The whole floor. Most were dead or dying.
His office door slammed open. "Brick…" his man started before he sprouted an arrow through his throat. He fell to the floor. Brick had his pistol aimed at the doorway. Suddenly, a blinding pain crawled up is arm. His pistol fell to the floor as he clutched his bleeding hand. It now sported an arrow with a wicked arrowhead.
Fucking inefficient. Brick huffed through the pain. Some kind of gloried nancy playing bandits. "Stop hiding, you coward," Brick shouted out. The office door was still open. He assumed that the intruder could hear him.
"Death is a delightful place for weary men," a phantom voice echoed into his office.
"Then let me give you your delightful place," Brick sneered impotently as he clutched his injured arm.
"I have no need to hide," the voice echoed as a man stepped into Brick's office. His bow was in his hand, but it was not drawn. He was covered in some kind of black outfit. His arms were covered and gloves sheltered his hands. He had a mask over his face. A black hood covered the man's head. Brick could only see the man's ice blue eyes.
That's when Brick felt his legs give out and he crashed to the floor. He struggled weakly to regain control of his limbs, but failed. The man walked casually over to Brick's prone form. Brick's eyes flashed in anger and frustration.
"I… ki'… u…" Brick stammered out past muscles in his face as the paralysis took over. He was completely immobilized. But he was still awake. His eyes fixed on the man in black.
The man pulled Brick's desk chair over and sat on the edge of it. "Now we can have a fruitful discussion," the man said. Brick could hear the humor in his voice.
"Mr. Brickwell," the man started. "You came to an agreement with my employers about the location of your activities. You have largely held up your part of the agreement. However, your recent expansion into the downtown area is outside of our agreement." The man paused as if hearing Brick's reply.
"You may desire to expand. That is reasonable. However, your activities should be limited to the Glades," the man continued. Then he pulled out a burn phone and placed it on Brick's desk. "Occasionally, my employers may want to contact you… to avoid the unpleasantness I encountered on this meeting. This will enable that contact. If you do not answer the phone, my employers will assume that you have voided your contract with them. Any protections they have allowed, you will cease."
Brick raged inside his head. He couldn't twitch. He could only glare angrily at the man.
"Good," the man replied as he rose. "I'm glad we could come to an agreement. Have a good day, Mr. Brickwell." The man left Brick's office without a backward glance.
Once the man was gone, Brick let his anger recede. He began to evaluate what the man had said. This was a retaliation hit on his operations by those Tempest blokes. The Orchard Bay Butchers had only recently acquired restate in the downtown area. The facilities were not populated yet. Brick's plan was to use that space to help him target the Bertinelli Crime family. They had too many operations in the legitimate world. From there, he could stage his assaults on those businesses.
We can't do that now, Brick thought glumly. How did this Tempest even know about that building? How did they know that I acquired it? The alien emotion of fear pulsed through Brick. They control everything. How in the bloody hell am I supposed to make my mark with this group mucking up the underworld?
Brick contemplated the best way to eliminate this group of criminals. They were more insidious than the Italians. They were more brutal than the Russians… if this visit was anything to judge by. A united front? Brick contemplated double crossing Tempest as soon as he could figure out who they were.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~