Chapter 4: Endgame
DEMON'S CLAW: CHINA, LIAN YU – STAFF OF HORUS CELL: 20 MAY 2014
Reiter was livid. John Constantine had escaped and stolen the artifact that had been in the tomb. It was mine. That thief! His mind screamed out in his rage. Worse, their aggressor was getting bolder. They had attacked his camp. He would find out who came in on that chute. How they had acquired the supplies they needed? They used fucking arrows! Who was this primitive idiot? How dare they attack seasoned military with fucking arrows!
Luckily, Constantine had left his map. Reiter thought his luck was changing. He would find this artifact. The idiot Constantine didn't even know where it was.
As Reiter stood at the end of the stone hallway, he changed his opinion. His luck had not changed. All he had learned was that the island did house magical artifacts. They were safeguarded by magic, if the magical glyphs were an indicator. However, the empty pedestal was testament to the fact that THIS magical artifact was gone. I will kill Constantine and take it back.
"Conklin," Reiter ordered as he stared at the empty pedestal. "Find Constantine. Kill him and take what is mine back."
"Sir," Conklin said with some hesitation. "We don't have enough men to search the island."
"Then use the slaves," Reiter spat. "We let the terrorist kill some of them off as meat shields."
"Yes, Sir," Conkin replied. He knew determining a new search schedule would be up to him. He was certain Reiter planned to kill them all when he finally found his magical artifacts. The slam was just to shut us up. Fuck!
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S CLAW: CHINA, LIAN YU – SHADOWSPIRE CAMP: 30 MAY 2014
The trio had been busy after they helped John escape Reiter. Sah-him still wasn't sure that John was the mage from the vision. He was gone now anyway.
Not long after John escaped, Reiter decided to use the workers in is search efforts, usually with only two Shadowspire mercenaries. This allowed the trio to follow several patrols with workers and free them. Once freed, they led them to the hidden refuge on the island's north side.
After two weeks, Reiter was left with only ten men, ten workers, Conklin, and himself. The remaining workers stayed in the slam field. The rest of the men stayed close to camp until Reiter demanded they inspect a certain location, which was happening less frequently. The odds wouldn't get better than that. The trio met up with Agent Michaels to formulate a plan of attack. A full-frontal assault. It was time to finally end Shadowspire.
"Agent Michaels," Alqadar greeted Lyla as he entered the fuselage.
"Hand," Lyla returned. She found that she enjoyed working with the three warriors. They were always polite and never doubted her credentials. It was a refreshing change from the way Waller operated. "Shield, Arrow," she greeted to the other two warriors. "Is there something you need?" she asked. They had not bothered her in the fuselage since she had arrived.
"The Shadowspire numbers are low enough to justify a direct assault," Alqadar told her. "We want to plan that assault with you."
"They still have workers," Lyla replied. She had been keeping close watch on the workers in the camp and checking in with the ones that had been freed.
"We know," Aldire replied. "Which is why we want you involved. The workers know you. You can escort them away from the line of fire."
"Good. That will free the last of them," Lyla replied. "What about the remaining men?" she asked.
"We will take them," Alqadar replied. He pulled over a crate and used it as a table.
Aldire placed a tablet on it. It displayed a satellite view of the Shadowspire camp. Each of the tents were marked. They had also created markers for other areas of interest, like their observation nests and the Shadowspire overwatch.
"What are the numbers like?" Lyla asked as she took in the map.
"Shadowspire has Reiter, Conklin, and ten men," Aldire replied. "There are only ten workers left. All ten have been seen working the slam field."
"Twelve men is still quite a few," Lyla replied as she looked up. "They will all be heavily armed."
"Their numbers are less of a concern than Reiter's magic," Sah-him replied. "John told us that Reiter is a dark mage. He will likely use his magic in the final assault."
"Your job is to get the workers away," Alqadar replied. He used his finger to point out three places. "We will assault from these three directions. When you hear explosions, the workers need to flee. Can you inform them of the plan?" he asked.
"Your opening move is explosions," Lyla replied with surprise. "Bold. If you time it right, the workers will all be in the slam field. I can tell them to drop to the ground when they hear explosions. Then make their way to the extraction point… away from the Shadowspire side of the camp."
"Good," Alqadar said while nodding. "We will draw their fire. When no Shadowspire guards remain behind them, they should make for the back side of the barracks. Meet them there and guide them to the refuge."
"What are you guys going to be doing?" Lyla asked.
"I will take out their overwatch and radio the others," Sah-him replied. "I will approach from this direction." He used his finger to indicate the hillside of the camp."
"I will approach from the west," Aldire replied.
"Which leaves the south approach for me," Alqadar replied. "I will call the attack to start. The surprise of the attack should allow me to cross the open space before I need to engage close quarters."
"How… I mean no disrespect, but none of you carry firearms," Lyla said, pointing out that they would all be going against heavily armed and armored mercenaries.
"Their armament won't matter," Sah-him told her. "You free the workers. We will end Shadowspire."
"When I have confirmed death on all of Shadowspire, I will meet you at the refuge," Alqadar told her. "Once they are no longer a threat, call ARGUS to return the workers home."
Lyla blinked in confusion. They were just going to leave? Well, they did say they were only here to eliminate Shadowspire. That was why they had made Lyla responsible for the workers. "Okay," she replied slowly. "I'll talk to the workers tonight. Attack sometime tomorrow when the workers are in the fields."
"It will be done," Alqadar replied with slight head nod. The trio left soon after. Lyla felt pre-operational jitters. Soon. This will be over soon.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S CLAW: CHINA, LIAN YU – SHADOWSPIRE CAMP: 31 MAY 2014
Sah-him silently eliminated the guard on overwatch. They had a lax check-in policy. He would not be missed until the noon meal. Alqadar planned on attacking before then. Sah-him crept down the hillside back down towards the camp. The remaining mercenaries were clustered together. Reiter was nowhere to be seen. Only four men were guarding the workers. One on each side of the field.
When he finally reached the back of the camp, Sah-him radioed his team mates. "It is done. I am in position," he said softly.
"On my mark," Alqadar's voice filtered through the radio. "Choose your target. I have the men at the picnic table. I will hit the one to the north of the table."
"I have the guard on the east side of the field," Sah-him replied as he pulled an explosive arrow and sighted in on the guard mentioned.
"The only targets I can be sure of are at the table," Aldire replied. "I will strike the one on the east side."
"Release in three, two, one…" Alqadar's voice counted down until the start of the attack.
Sah-him released his explosive arrow and immediately drew a second arrow as he sprinted. Two more mercenaries fell to arrows before he dropped his bow and drew his sword. He was too close to the table now.
The two explosions at the picnic table disoriented and injured the majority of the mercenaries. The two hit with explosive arrows, died instantly. When Conklin gathered enough wits to fight back, a black figure slashed at him with a sword. He barely raised is rifle to fire before he felt the blade deeply cut into his side. He fell to the ground as his attacker was joined by a second swordsman. Together they slaughtered his men. He blinked as he bled out. The men in the field were cut down by a third swordsman. Then his vision went black.
Sah-him turned away from the last of the Shadowspire mercenaries when Reiter appeared out of his tent. He took in the sight of all his men dead on the ground. All the slaves had fled the fields. He immediately raised his left hand and forced his power through it with a word.
All three attackers in black froze in place. His eyes raged as he took in the slaughter. "You dare!" he shouted at the frozen figures. "I cannot be stopped," he voiced his fury at them. He angrily waved his pistol at them.
Sah-him struggled for a moment as the dark magic held him tight. He silently raged until he remembered the words from John Constantine. 'Water off a duck's back.' Darkness cannot stand the light. I need a light memory. He brought up the memory of the trio cuddling in a pile. All resting and happy. He smiled under his mask as he felt the magic break under the weight of the memory.
Once Sah-him was free, he advanced on Reiter as the man ranted about his power and their inability to stop him. Reiter's eyes widened in shock. He didn't even try to raise his pistol.
"Not possible," Reiter said in shock.
"Very possible," Sah-him replied. He thrust his sword through Reiter's chest.
Reiter slowly dropped his pistol and then sank to his knees. Sah-him pulled his sword and thrust it into Reiter's chest again. Blood dribbled out of the side of Reiter's mouth. Sah-him watched the light fade from Reiter's eyes before he pulled out his sword the second time. Reiter's body fell slowly to the side. A lifeless husk.
Alqadar shook his whole body as the magic released him with Reiter's death. He needed to move. He suddenly hated magic. He walked up to Sah-him to stare down on the dead mage. "Good," he said as he looked down at the Reiter's body. "You resisted. How?" he asked. "Was it your gift?"
"No… Constantine… the mage… He gave me a spell with magical symbols, like a tattoo. He told me it would resist dark magic," Sah-him replied thoughtfully. "I KNEW he was the right mage."
Alqadar chuckled. "We all had doubts, but this will change our future approaches on hunts," he said humorously. "You get to take point on all the dark magic crap," he told Sah-him.
"Aw, man," Sah-him replied with a whine. "John signed up to be a magical punching bag," he whined. "Dick!"
"You take point on magic stuff anyway," Aldire pointed out as she joined them. She had been checking the bodies of the mercenaries. "You got all the magic training. I got the tech training."
"Regardless, we both report to the boss," Sah-him said with a sharp salute to Alqadar.
Alqadar just shook his head at Sah-him's antics. "Alright," he said. "Shadowspire is dead?" he asked Aldire.
"They are," Aldire replied. "I'm going to pilfer the command tent. I don't want to leave anything for ARGUS to find."
"Good," Alqadar replied. "Take anything questionable to our base. Sah-him, burn the slam. I'll have Agent Michaels call in ARGUS to evacuate the civilians."
"It will be done," Aldire replied before she headed to the command tent.
"Go get the other civilians back here. Don't forget the ones on the other side of the island," Sah-him reminded him as he headed over to the slam fields.
"Roger that," Alqadar replied. "Now I just have to track Michals and the escaped slaves."
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S CLAW: CHINA, LIAN YU – SHADOWSPIRE CAMP: 31 MAY 2014
When the attack was ready, Lyla watched in stunned amazement as the trio attacked the compound. Movement brought her attention back to the workers. As instructed, the remaining ten slaves dropped to the ground and began to crawl to Lyla's position.
Lyla focused on getting them to safety. She helped them hide in the forest. They slowly made their way to the refuge, where the other freed workers were hiding. She hugged the beach. She knew that the area on land was heavily mined. It was one of the reasons the area was safer than the rest of the island.
Her mind kept replaying the attack. Lyla was stunned by the sheer volume of destructive power the three warriors had displayed. She had been skeptical when they didn't want to involve her in the direct attack. She had firearms. She thought they would need her weapons. She wondered why the trio gave the seized weapons to the escaped workers for their defense. They denied the need for firearms. Now she knew why.
Why didn't they kill me? Lyla asked herself. Bows and swords. What the hell? She stayed with the rejoicing workers while waiting to hear from the trio. She knew that this attack was to be the final attack. The one that ended the threat of Shadowspire on the island. She was lost in thought when a quiet voice spoke up next to her.
"Agent Michaels," Alqadar said quietly as he materialized beside her.
Lyla was startled. Yellow. Hand. "Hand," Lyla returned the greeting. "All the remaining workers were freed. They have been eating and reconnecting with the others."
"Good," Alqadar replied. "Shadowspire has been eliminated. Death is confirmed. Contact ARGUS to return the freed workers."
"I will," Lyla replied with a frown. "You know that ARGUS will want to take apart the camp."
"They are welcome to do so," Alqadar nodded.
"What do I tell them?" Lyla asked. "About you three?" she clarified.
"The truth," Alqadar replied. "Three people were already on Lian Yu when you arrived. We advised you to avoid infiltration due to our actions prior your arrival. We joined forces in eliminating Shadowspire and freeing the captives. Once Shadowspire was eliminated, we left."
"You're leaving?" Lyla asked. She figured they would stick around and help debrief with ARGUS.
"We are," Alqadar replied. "Shadowspire has been eliminated. Our mission is complete."
"Why didn't you kill me?" Lyla blurted out. The question had been bothering her since she had witnessed the attack. "You said ARGUS is evil. You know I work for ARGUS. You kill evil. Why didn't you kill me?" she demanded. This had been simmering in the back of her mind all day. They didn't need her. They thought her agency was corrupted by evil. They could have easily killed her at any time.
Alqadar looked closely at her, then he smiled behind his mask. "You are not evil. ARGUS is not evil. It is managed by an evil source. Director Waller. We are watching her for HER actions. We mitigate her damage." He softened his stance. "Know that Lian Yu wants ARGUS to leave as quickly as possible. It has little tolerance for Waller and those influenced by evil."
"The island?" Lyla asked skeptically. "How can the island demand ARGUS leave?" she asked curiously.
"Lian Yu is more than an island," Alqadar replied gently. "It does not like evil people to be present. If ARGUS overstays Lian Yu's welcome, they will die… like Reiter's people did. It will cloud their minds and their perceptions until they stumble on a landmines or off cliffs. You only leave if Lian Yu lets you leave." He bowed his head to Lyla. "Goodbye, Agent Michaels. It has been pleasant working with you." He faded into the background as Lyla contemplated his words.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S CLAW: CHINA, LIAN YU – SHADOWSPIRE CAMP: 13 JUN 2014
The trio didn't immediately leave. They stayed to observe the actions of ARGUS on the island. As expected, Director Waller came to the island herself to inspect the compound and to interrogate the freed workers. None had any information besides three unknown people had assisted Agent Michaels with her mission to destroy Shadowspire and free them.
Even Agent Michaels couldn't describe the warriors – besides two men and a woman, eye color, possibly white, fit, healthy, and they spoke English fluently. They preferred bows and swords. Director Waller was very unhappy and left with the last of the helicopters to the mainland. The ARGUS team had seized all of the equipment on the island. They would attempt to trace the digital equipment. The tents, cots, and other mundane equipment became the property of ARGUS. They were very pragmatic about the leftover Shadowspire equipment.
The trio filled the days after ARGUS left with packing and carrying their gear back to the beach. Aldire finally sent the message for the League yacht to pick them on at the same place they were dropped off. Their Hunt Reports were completed and ready to file.
With a final affectionate goodbye, Sah-him departed Lian Yu with his partners. They would return to the Demon's Claw in time for Sah-him to report to Nanda Parbat for his Solstice Vision.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
USA, WA, STARLING CITY – QUEEN CONSOLIDTAED, CEO OFFICE: 19 JUN 2015
"Moira," Walter said softly from the entrance of her office.
Moira was perched on her chair diligently examining the fiscal reports with a red pen. She occasionally wrote her questions off to one side.
Walter knew from experience that Moira had lost track of time. It was late in the day. Thea should be home by from Tae Kwon Do practice by now. Moira should be heading home already.
"Walter, this is a surprise," Moira said pleasantly as she finally looked up. "What brings you by?" she asked.
"I was actually on my way out," Walter relied. "It is rather late."
"Is it?" Moira asked with a blink before she checked her watch. "Oh my."
"Exactly," Walter replied. "I am unaware of any emergencies. I'm sure that report can wait until tomorrow."
Moira huffed. "I need it for the Board Meeting tomorrow," she replied. Her frustration was evident.
Walter came over and looked at the spreadsheet. Financial. The Board is meeting about that project in solar energy. Not financial. "Are you bringing something new to the Board?" he asked.
"No," Moira replied with confusion.
"Then this can wait," Walter replied. "The Board meeting is about the progress of the solar project. The financial discussion isn't scheduled until the monthly meeting."
Moira firmly placed her pen down before she looked up. "No one ever told me that," she told him. "I think those buffoons were intentionally making me go through this mess for every meeting."
"Some of them likely are," Walter replied candidly. "Ned and I would never make that connection though. We are always ready with the financial numbers. Me for my position. Ned for his. I can tell you that Robert only asked me if the numbers were feasible before a project was started or scrapped."
"Then it is my inexperience making my life more difficult," Moira summarized. She gave a second huff. "I never wanted this job, you know," Moira told him sincerely. "I wanted to be a pathologist. Then I met Robert and my life changed."
"Robert could be very convincing," Walter agreed with a fond smile. "Did you know that I hated my financial classes at university?" he asked with a quirk of a smile.
Moira's eyebrow rose. "He convinced you to become a CFO? That is impressive," Moira replied with a hint of a smile.
"Perhaps I can assist you," Walter offered. "I can give you my take and summary over lunch to help you cope better with the Board."
"I think I would like that," Moira replied after a pause. "Thank you," she told him sincerely. "You and Ned have made this transition bearable."
"I am at your beck and call," Walter replied. "I miss discussing business with Robert. I can impart his wisdom to you. It helps me feel connected to Robert."
"I wish I could feel connected to him through this job," Moira said with a dignified sigh. "I feel more connected to him at home. With Thea."
"How is she doing?" Walter asked. "I know that she has taken up Tae Kwon Do. Apparently, Karate is for old people."
Moira chuckled. "She is doing better. She still lashes out, but she has an outlet. She has earned her Orange belt already," Moira said as she proudly highlighted her daughter's accomplishments. "I am also not aware of any more school incidents."
"That is very welcome," Walter replied warmly. "Is she ready to start the 9th grade in the fall?" he asked.
"She is," Moira said after a pause. "She expressed some frustration with the lack of ability to select more of her courses. Apparently she assisted Sara Lance with her course selection. She is growing up too fast," Moira complained. "She is only thirteen."
"Age is more than a number, Moira," Walter replied. "She has experienced more than most children her age. It has matured her beyond her years."
"It has," Moira agreed before falling into silence. "Well," she said as he put away the financial report. "I need to be heading home."
"I should be heading out as well," Walter replied. "I'll see you tomorrow, Moira."
"Tomorrow, Walter," Moira agreed as she pulled out her purse and escorted Walter out of her office.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~