MYTHICPROPORTIONS

Insidiousalienforcesconspiringtoenslavehumanitygrowincreasinglydangerousanddefiant.Willingtodowhateverittakestodefeattheseancientinvaders,theCerberusrebelscarryonthefightforfreedom.

DAMNATIONTHRALL

TheCerberusfightersembarkonanurgentquesttodiscoverwhathappenedtoexpeditionslostinItaly,onlandthatoncebelongedtotheEtruscanempire.OnsitetheyencounterthemonstrousCharun,armedwiththehammerofthegods,andVanth,theangelic

wingedhuntresswithaheartofevil.Thesealiengodsareintentonopeningaportaltobringtheirkindtoearth,harnessingthepowerofvictims’mindswhileusingtheirbodiesasshocktroops.AstheriverStyxispoisedtoflowagain,theCerberusteammustprevailoraninvasionfromabarbaricdimensionwilllaysiegetoEurope…and

beyond.

Asecondbrilliantsunhadappeared,blazingwhiteandhotEdwardsscrambledtohisfeet,standingonthefrontoftheManta.Themachinepistolsnappeddownintohisfist,readytogointoaction,butthestrangeglowingdiscwasn’tmoving.Heputonhisshadowsuit’sfaceplateandhopedforthevisortoscreen

andfilterouttheblindinglight,aswellasanalyzetheobjectinthesky.

Therangewastenmiles,anditwasadvancingquickly.

HeactivatedhisCommtactmicrophone.“Guys,whereveryouare…”

Nothing.Noresponse,notevenstatic.Heturnedhisgazebacktothesky.Forallthepolarizationofthelenses,

hecouldn’tmakeoutadetailoftheblazingcometloomingevercloser.Butinthespaceoffifteenseconds,ithadclosedtoninemiles.Hecouldn’tgetdetailsabouttheshapeoftheobject,onlyitsrange,andtherewasnoguaranteethatwasright.

Edwardsturnedtoopenthecockpit,butthecommandsignaltoremotelyopenthecanopywasalsojammed.

Hewasinacompleteblackout.

Othertitlesinthisseries:HellRisingDoomDynastyTigersofHeavenPurgatoryRoadSargassoPlunderTombofTimeProdigalChaliceDevilintheMoonDragoneyeFarEmpire

EquinoxZeroTalonandFangSeaofPlagueAwakeningMadGod’sWrathSunLordMaskoftheSphinxUluruDestinyEvilAbyssChildrenoftheSerpentSuccessorsCerberusStormRefuge

RimoftheWorldLordsoftheDeepHydra’sRingClosingtheCosmicEyeSkullThroneSatan’sSeedDarkGoddessGrailstoneGambitGhostwalkPantheonofVengeanceDeathCrySerpent’sToothShadowBox

JanusTrapWarlordofthePitRealityEchoInfinityBreachOblivionStoneDistortionOffensiveCradleofDestinyScarletDreamTruthEngineInfestationCubedPlanetHateDragonCityGodWar

GenesisSinisterSavageDawnSorrowSpaceImmortalTwilightCosmicRiftWingsofDeathNecropolisShadowBornJudgmentPlagueTerminalWhiteHell’sMaw

ANGELOFDOOM

A dreadful ferrymanlooks after the rivercrossing, Charon,appalling filthy he is,with a bush of unkemptwhite beard upon hischin, with eyes like jetsoffire.

—Virgil,Aeneid

TheRoadtoOutlands—FromSecret

GovernmentFilestotheFuture

Almost two hundred yearsafter the global holocaust,Kane, a formerMagistrateofCobaltville,often thought theworld had been lucky tosurvive at all after a nuclear

device detonated in theRussian embassy inWashington, DC. Theaftermath—forever known asskydark—reshapedcontinentsand turned civilization intoashes.Nearly depopulated,

America became theDeathlands—poisoned byradiation, home to chaos andmutated life forms. Feudalrulereappearedintheformof

baronies, while remoteoutposts clung to a brutishexistence.What eventually helped

shapethiswastelandweretheredoubts, the secretpreholocaust militaryinstallations with stores ofweapons, and the home ofgateways, the locationalmatter-transfer facilities.Some of the redoubts hidclues that had once fed wild

theoriesofgovernmentcover-upsandalienvisitations.Rearmed from redoubt

stockpiles, the baronsconsolidated their power andreclaimed technology for thevilles.Theirpower,supportedby some invisible authority,extended beyond theirfortified walls to what wasnow called the Outlands. Itwasherethattherootstockofhumanity survived, living

with hellzones and chemicalstorms, hounded byMagistrates.In the villes, rigid laws

were enforced—to atone forthe sins of the past andprepare the way for a betterfuture. That was the barons’public credo and their right-to-rule.Kane, along with friend

and fellowMagistrate Grant,had upheld that claimuntil a

fateful Outlands expedition.A displaced piece oftechnology…a question to akeeper of the archives…avague clue about alienmasters—and their worldshifted radically. Suddenly,BrigidBaptiste, thearchivist,faced summary execution,and Grant a quicktermination. For Kane therewasforgivenessifhepledgedhis unquestioning allegiance

to Baron Cobalt and hisunknown masters andabandonedhisfriends.But that allegiance would

make him support amysterious and alien poweranddeny loyaltyand friends.Thenwhatelsewasthere?Kanehadbeenbrought up

solely to serve the ville.Brigid’s only link with herfamilywashermother’s red-gold hair, green eyes and

supple form.Grant’sclues tohis lineage were his ebonyskin and powerful physique.But Domi, she of the whitehair, was an Outlanderpressed into sexual servitudein Cobaltville. She at leastknew her roots and was aremindertotheexilesthattheoutcasts belonged in thehumanfamily.Parents, friends,

community—the very

rootedness of humanity wasdenied. With no continuity,there was no forwardmomentumtothefuture.Andthat was the crux—whenKane began to wonder iftherewasafuture.For Kane, it wouldn’t do.

So the only way was out—way,wayout.After their escape, they

foundshelter at the forgottenCerberus redoubt headed by

Lakesh, a scientist,Cobaltville’s head archivist,and secret opponent of thebarons.With their past turned into

a lie, their future threatened,only one thing was left togivemeaning to theoutcasts.The hunger for freedom, thewill to resist the hostileinfluences. And perhaps, byopposing,endthem.

Contents

Chapter1

Chapter2

Chapter3

Chapter4

Chapter5

Chapter6

Chapter7

Chapter8

Chapter9

Chapter10

Chapter11

Chapter12

Chapter13

Chapter14

Chapter15

Chapter16

Chapter17

Chapter18

Chapter19

Chapter20

Chapter21

Chapter22

Chapter23

Chapter24

Chapter25

Chapter26

Chapter1

They had marched from thesea, landing on the westerncoast of Italy after a longjourney, and when theyarrived, they were a fullexpedition. Three of thefifteen-foot-tall GearSkeletons, the walking

combination of body armorandtank,hadbeentheheavymuscle of the Olympianexpedition to Italy. Forgedfrom secondary orichalcum,which combined bothlightness of frame withincredible durability, thefearsomewarmachineswerearmedwithshoulder-mountedlight machine guns. But theGear Skeletons were alsoversatile, their strength

obviating the need forbulldozers or other heavymachinery.Captain Myrto Smaragda

and nineteen of her brethren,brave Olympian men andwomen,were the bulk of theexpedition escorting thepowerfulwarmachines.Theywere experienced soldierswhoworePraetorianarmor,ablend of leather and polymerto pay homage to the armor

ofancientGreekwarriors,allthe way down to the oddofficer’s side arm: a three-foot falcata such asSmaragda’sownkeensword.The human troops were nomore primitively armed thantheir walking roboticcompanions. Each soldierwas equipped with a helmetwith advanced night-visionoptics and built-in commsthat would keep the warriors

intouchwitheachother.Theradiowiththepowertoreachback home to NewOlympusrodeonthebroadbackofoneof the three Spartans. Thedevice was capable ofbroadcasting hundreds ofmiles, thanks to the ancientAnnunaki technology,especiallythechargedenergymodules that were built intothe millennium-old skeletalrobots.

The Gear Skeletons hadbeen designed for use by asmallerrace.FormerarchivistBrigid Baptiste of theCerberus Redoubt hadexplained that they weremade to accommodate trans-adapts: half-size humanoidsof great cleverness, densityanddurability.Assuch,therewasnearlyno legroomforafull-size human. Fortunatelythehorrorsofwarhadmeant

there were plenty of capableamputeevolunteers to ride inthe chests of these great warmachines.Amputeesweretheonly norms who could pilotthe machines from theirtruncatedcockpits.Despite their impressive

weaponry, Smaragda and herunit were not here asconquerors;theywerehereasexplorers.Evenso,theycameequipped to defend

themselves from whateverhorrors lurked on theMediterranean Sea or in theEtruscan countryside. Foryears Smaragda and herfellow warriors had battledagainst the mutated hordesunleashedfromtheCrack,anabyssal canyon wherein thegenetic weapons of long-losteras were rekindled andturned into a means ofensuring the domination of

theyoungGreeks.“Remember this. We

believed in the ideals offreedom, even as Heracovered our eyes with thescales of her deception,”Diana had told them. “Zoogavehislifesothatwecouldbefreeofthefacadeofafalsewar and to ensure ourfreedom and self-determination.Wecandonoless toprotect the libertyand

freedomofthosewhowillbeourneighborsand,hopefully,alliesorfriends.”The caution toward

gentleness was accompaniedby another admonition. “Ialso will not throw awaytwenty-three lives and threeancient, alien artifacts toprove how nice we are. Ifsomeonetriestokillyou,youkill them right back! We’renot loading cupcakes and

cotton balls into yourmachineguns.”Soherethegroupwas, the

Spartans ambling with theirlong brass limbs takingenormousbut slowstrides sothattheydidn’tforcetheNewOlympian soldiers to marchtoo hard or heavy. Smaragdaknew thegiantmachineshadtheability tocrossahundredmilesinthespaceofanhour,their nimble, precise legs

allowing them traction andsure footing on even theroughest of terrain. Even so,the pilots weren’t impatient,allowing their machines tomove at such a sedate pace.TheChargedEnergyModulesthat activated and motivatedtheir limbs were remarkablepieces of technology thanksto the Annunaki, the samealiens who had at oncecreatedthewarriorrobotsuits

and theoneswhohadkickedoffthemassive,cripplingwarthat had left New Olympusslowtorecover.Even so, there was little

assurance that the CEMs,despite capturing andrecovering them from thecrashed scout ship thatinserted itself into the war,were an inexhaustible supplyof power. Just because theyhad not run one down

completely didn’t mean theycouldnotbedrained.Nooneknew how to recharge them,despite the combined effortsof New Olympian andCerberusscientists.Unnecessarywear and tear

on the crystalline jewels ofconcentrated energy was tobe frowned upon, as well aspain and injury to the pilots.The properties of secondaryorichalcummade it rustproof

and immutable fromhammering or cutting byconventionaltools.Italsodidwell to absorb even thehardest of falls and otherimpacts, lessening theeffectsuponthepilots.Butevenwiththose amazing attributes, theamputee warriors nestled intheir chests were stillvulnerable. They had notbeen called Gear Skeletonsfor nothing, requiring

conventional vehicle panelsto enclose theusers to shieldthem from the elements andoncomingattacks.Even with their cushioned

pilot chairs, however,movement at high speed andthe prodigious leaps the warsuits were capable of didleave their pilots with pulledand torn ligamentsaswellasminorfracturesintheirspinalcolumns,evenwhiplash.

More vulnerable to attack,the body-armor cladPraetorians at least didn’thavetoworryabouttheirownphysical abilities rippingthemorshatteringthemwhenthey fought to the limits oftheirbodies.Smaragda flicked thevisor

of her helmet to scan mode,sweeping along the sides ofthe road, searching forunusual heat sources on

infrared. The last thing theyneededwasanambush.Therewas not supposed to be anenemyforceinthispartofthecountry, despite the rumorsthathaddrawnthemhere.Something dark had been

awakened in recent days.Towns and villages in theinterior had stoppedcommunicating, stoppedtrading, disappearing as ifthey had never existed. One

man returned from a visit tosuchavillage,hishairturnedwhite,speakingof“theywhowalked as ghosts” and ofwinged angels, both horribleandwonderful.The Italians had turned to

theirneighbors,seekinghelp,and New Olympus’s newrulers sensed that suchoccurrences bore the stink ofurgency. A full army wouldbe too much, but with the

storiesof thehorribleangels,thetrioofmobilearmorsuitswas, hopefully, going to besufficient. There was a linebetween coming in too hardor too soft. Smaragda feltbetter with the Skeletonslumberingatherside.All being well, with them

present, they would beprepared for the very worst.Three giants with shoulder-mounted machine guns and

enormous axes and swordswould dissuade anyopponent, even if they werewinged angels of giganticproportionthemselves.Smaragda scanned the

sides of the road leading tothetownthathadspookedtheEtruscan traders so badly,looking for signs of whatcould have terrified the lonesurvivor.ShegrippedherM-16 rifle tightly, but she kept

her finger wrapped aroundthe handle, firmly under thetrigger guard so as not toaccidentally set off theweapon.Shewasinnomoodto waste ammunition or tocause undue injury. Carryingyourgunwithyour fingeronthe triggerwasasureway todoboth.Over theheavy,ponderous

thuds of the Spartans’gigantic claws, Smaragda

pickedupsomething thatshecouldn’t quitemake out. Sheimmediatelyheldupherfist.The trained Olympians

cametoahalt.Deafening silence

descended upon the Greekcolumnandsherealizedwhatfeltsoodd.There were birds on the

branches of the trees alongthe road, but they made nosound. They were still, no

nervous tics she’d seen otherbirdsdisplayasthey,eveninrest,continuouslyturnedtheirheads,makingcertainnothingwascreepinguponthem.Thevisible birds, however, wasnot what had truly disturbedher.There were trees, heavy

and dense with foliage, butthe impunity of nests ofhidden birds was notaccompanied by the riot of

tweetsandchirpsthatwarnedany intruder of howoutnumberedtheywouldbeifthey dared enter the thicket.Thecountrysidewassilent.Smaragda stepped off the

road, closing on one of theclosest trees. Her menwatchedassheslungtherifle,thendrew the falcata.Withatwist, she rapped the spineagainsta low-hangingbranchwhereasongbirdperched.

The creature turned itsattention toward her, blinkedwith eyes slow and gummy,but did not launch. Even theturn of its head was casual,unconcerned, not the flickermovement of a normal bird.Smaragda gave the branchanother tapwith the spine ofhersword.Thesongbirdtooka clumsy sideways stepfurtheralongthebranch,thenunfurleditswings.

Just before she could tapthe branch a third time thesongbird took off, wingsflapping powerfully, movingwith the natural strength andspeed of the creature, thelimbs beating with theurgencynecessarytokeepthetinythingaloft.Itwasn’tasifthesongbirdwasinsomesortof debilitating trance. It flewstraightandtrue.It just didn’t seem to care.

Thenormallyskittishcreaturewould have taken off onSmaragda’s approach, letalone not stay in place fortworapsonitsperch.“Notgood,”shesaid.Niklo spoke up. “This

placehasbadmojo.”Niklo had ten years on

Smaragda and it showed inhisgruff,grizzledlooks.He’dbeen through plenty ofbattles,beforeHeraandZ005

arrived in Greece, mixing itup with bandits and othercoldhearted thugs who madetheir living preying off thedefenseless and helpless inpostapocalyptic, shatteredGreece. When the hydradrones rose up, Niklo hadbeen one of the first whoknew what to do back whenthe best weapons wereswords and muskets. BeforeHera had opened the

Olympus Redoubt and itsstockpiles of late-twentieth-century armaments, it was amatteroftoughness.Smaragda and Niklo had

been thrown together in themadness of the hydra wars,quickly gaining each other’strust as they’d stood the lineagainst swarms of mutantclonesbredintheancientvatsoftheCrack.Niklo’s unease at the

strangeness of this deadcountryside echoed hers and,with those five words,cemented Smaragda’sinstincts.DespitethefactthatSmaragda had gotten anofficer’s commission andNiklo remained mastersergeant, there was nojealousy or animositybetween them. Smaragda’srole entailed much more redtape, something Niklo could

pawn off onto her. In themeantime, officer corpsdidn’t regularly get issued aSquad Automatic Weapon,either, and the brawny,grizzled Niklo loved usingthelightmachineguntoplowtheir way out of an ambushwithalongbeltofammo.“Tan, get on the radio.

We’re experiencingsomething weird. Everyone,if your weapons aren’t hot

already, safeties off,”Smaragdaordered.“You heard the lady!”

Niklo bellowed. “Heads onswivels, standard perimeterprotocols!”“Movement!” came a cry

fromtheirscoutuptheroad.Smaragda turned and

joggedtowardtheman.Niklocutheroff.“You talk to home base,”

hetoldher.

Smaragda wrinkled hernose, not wanting to exposeany of her men to dangerwhile she was busy on theblower back to Olympus.Even so, she was the one incharge and she was the onewhose opinion and authoritymattered. This was a chain-of-commanddecision.“If things look bad, you

hold down the trigger untilyou melt the barrel laying

down cover fire for ourretreat,” Smaragda orderedhim. “And you make damnsure you come back, or I’mswimming across the Styxand dragging you back tolife.”Niklo smirked, his lined

face a road map of seventyyears lived in the space offorty, dark eyes twinkling.“Myr, I’m counting on yougettingmebackfromHades.”

TheOlympians,turnedintoawell-oiledmilitarymachineof professional warriors,remained in their defensivepositions, alert and ready fortrouble. No one was in theline of fire of the other andeach had a designated vectorto scanandsearch.Everyoneknelt, making themselvessmaller targets and bringingtheirkneeandthigharmorupto their chests to bolster the

protection of their vitalorgansagainstincomingfire.Thanos—“Tan” to his

platoon mates and friends,who seemed to be everyone—looked concerned as hewasontheradio.“Notgettinga signal. Something isjammingus.”“How can that be?” the

pilot of the Spartan asked.“This radio is designed totransmit across hundreds of

miles. It’s predarktechnology, solid-state andcan cut through anyinterference like a knifethroughmud.”Tan shook his head.

“Listentothis.”Smaragda took the

receiver. The only sound ontheotherendwas…unnatural.A knocked-out radio

should only receive static,white noise, the pop and

crackle of randomfrequencies and the hiss ofelectromagnetic radiationpouring off the sun onto thesurfaceoftheEarth.Ajammedradioshouldnot

be singing in unholy butbeautiful tones. She couldn’tbear to listen to theblasphemous signal for morethan a few seconds beforehanding the radio back toTan.Hedidn’t seem tobe in

a hurry to put it back to hisear,either.Shetriedthehelmetcomm.

“Niklo,comeback.”As soon as she stopped

transmitting, there was thatsong; a high, melodic tone,singing verses in a long-forgotten tongue. But evenwithout understanding thewords, Smaragda knew itspoke to something that didnotbelongonEarth.Itwasa

prayer.Whatwasworse, sheknewsomethingwaslisteningand somewhere, beyond theveil of her senses, it wasstrugglingtorespond.“Karlo, Rosa, go grab

Niklo and Herc and bringthem back. We’re headingback to the boat. If you seeanyoneoranythingthat’snotNiklo or Herc, open fire,”Smaragdasaid.So much for a mission of

peace and mercy. Smaragdadidn’tliketheideaofsendingoff her soldiers to retrievetheir teammates under orderstokillanystrangers.Howeverthe singing and the oddbehavior of the wildlifearoundthemaddeduptothisroadbeingnothinglessthanamurdertrap.And she’d led her platoon

rightintoit.Karlo and Rosa jogged up

the road to where Herc, thescout, had called back aboutmovement. Niklo had onlybeenoutofradiocontactforaminute, but it felt like alifetime.The only hearteningthingwasthattherehadbeennosoundofgunfire.Afterall,ifNiklodidn’tcut loosewiththe SAW, that meant therewasnoenemyforcerising toengulf them. The Olympiansergeant would have made

any ambush pay for theirsurprise, and the lightmachine gun would havebeenheardformiles.The silence around them,

the damned silencesmotheringtheplatoon,ateather. Smaragda upped themagnification on her helmetoptics, scanning the roadahead. It had been middaywhen they’d stopped, cloudsmovingin.Thedayhadbeen

growing steadily grayer anddimmer, but now the lightwas fadingeven faster,whenthe sun should be highest inthesky.Her blood seemed to

thicken in her veins as eventhe high-tech optics in herPraetorian helmet, the sameadvanced night-vision andtelescopic lenses that KaneandGranthadaspartoftheirMagistrate armor suits,

showednothing.“Captain?” A voice spoke

up.“Movement?” Smaragda

asked.“No. Just…smoke,” Tan

said.Smaragda flipped up the

visor on her helmet. There,invisible to the infraredscanners, was a roiling,spreadingcloudthatbillowedout onto the road. She

glanced through on infraredagain. No one seemed to beinsidethecloud,utilizingitascover or concealment. Whoknew if the smoke had someproperties that could befiltering out even the bodyheat of her fellowPraetorians?“Should we open fire?”

another soldier asked, nervesjanglinginhisvoice.“On what?” Smaragda

asked.“Wemightjustendupcutting Niklo and the othersapart.”“But they’re not on the

infrared,”Tannoted.“Retreat,” Smaragda

ordered.“Smoke’sclosinginonthe

road behind us,” announcedthe Spartan at the back oftheir formation. “I’m goingto…”“Stay put!” Smaragda

commanded.“Don’tenterthesmoke.”Every instinct told her to

openfireintotheinfectionofblack ink spilling onto theroadoneitherend,bracketingthemin.Smaragdawouldn’triskthe

livesofhermeninafriendlyfireincident.“GS 26, knock us a road

through the trees, now!”Smaragdaordered.

Thesuitinthecenteroftheformation reacted quickly,plunging into the woods.Large, brassy arms wieldingunimaginablestrengthpushedagainst trunks, shoving treesout of the ground, rootssnapping. Branches shatteredagainst the suit’s broadshoulders and Smaragdawaved her men into the gapbeing created by thebulldozer-like robot. She

stayed at the back of thegroup, watching as the wallsof inky, foreboding smokebegan to close in on wherethey used to be. It was as ifthe clouds were onlyfollowing the road, formingperfect columns, notspreading out into the forestand upon the path thatSkeleton 26 pushed through.Smaragda continued steppingbackward, minding the

exposed roots and splintersleftintherobot’swake.Shekeptthemuzzleofher

rifle aimed at the wall ofdarkness and turnedsideways,skippingbackafterhermen.“Niklo, I’ll be back,” she

whispered.“Ifyou’realive.”Silently she repeated that

thought. Leaving soldiersunder her command behind,inalurch,wasasbadadefeat

as seeing themfall inbloodyheaps.“Everyone comes home.”

Smaragda repeated themottoofthePraetorians.“Soonerorlater,we’llbebackforyou.”Ascreamsplit theair.She

whirledand lookeddownthetroughcutthroughthewoods.Of the three Spartans in theunit, she could only see one,the other two havingdisappeared behind awall of

darkness that interceptedthem. Of the fifteen soldiersshe’d pushed into retreat inthewakeoftheSpartans,shesaw only six, and they wereinfullretreat.The mighty robot’s

shouldergunsopenedupontothe shadowy smoke as itlunged for the brass giant.The flash and flicker ofmuzzle-blasts did little todent or illuminate the

choking,inkyfogthatseemedto grow tentacleswithwhichtoentraptherobot.Smaragda shouldered her

rifle,butrealizedthatopeningfire into the fogwouldmeanthat she could be blindlygunningdownfellowsoldierstaken captive by the cloud.She wanted to yell for acease-fire fromtherobotbut,watching the giant fight forits life, she noted that tracer

roundsstruckthesmoke,thenbouncedoffthecloud.GS 26 lashed out with its

battle-ax, theedgesheated tosteamy white by elementsinside the gigantic weapon.Theaxseemedtofarebetter,loppingoffsolidhunksofthedarkness, but only if theywere slender tendrils.Anything thicker than ahuman torso caught the ax,forcing the Spartan to

struggleandwrenchthebladefree.Tendrils whipped out,

snatching up another of hermen.Smaragda lunged, drawing

herfalcataandslashingatthetentacleoflivingnight.Blademetaliensmokeanditwasasif she tried to chop a treebranch. The solidness of thetendril of cloud rattled herarm, tendons popping as she

put enough force into theswingforafollow-through.The soldier in the fog’s

graspturnedashen,eyeswidewithhorror.Hebreathedout,wisps of frosting moistureescapingfromhislips.“Run!” he rasped. “Get

away!Liveto…”Another whip of darkness

wrapped around thePraetorian’sheadand,withinmoments, he was wrenched

off of his feet and into thesmoke as if he was neverthere.Lashing smoke fingered

out toward her, but sheswattedthepseudopodsaside,scramblingintoretreat.The Gear Skeleton still

fighting the fog disappeared;onehandreachedup,clawingat the air in the hope ofgraspingsomeanchor,buttherobotic claw stilled and was

suckedintothedarkness.Smaragdaturnedandraced

off a side trail between thetrees. Whatever the smokewas, it seemed to havetrouble flowing through andaround the trunks of theforest. She swerved andwove, bounding over fallenlogs and branches. Sheregretted lifting the visor sothat she could see themidnight horror that

expanded onto the road asleavesandfrondsslappedandslashed at her face and eyes.Shestruckatreetrunkatfullspeedwhilehalfblindedbyaleafrakinghernakedeyeball.The impact jarred her, but

she seized the trunk, using ittomaintainherfooting.She glanced back and saw

thattherewerethreetentacleswinnowing their way aroundtrunks, stretched out at far

backasshecouldseethroughthetrees.SmaragdaraisedherM-16 and opened fire. Riflerounds shattered the eeriesilence that had fallen in thewake of the last Spartan’sdisappearance, but they didnothing to dispel the livingdarkness stretching andseethingafterher.Smaragda turned and ran

again, having paused only toslide down her eye shield,

leaving the advanced opticsoutoftheway.Smaragda ran for as long

andashardasshecould.Within an hour shewas at

the coast, on her knees, herchest burning, shouldersaching, trying to vomit buthavingnothingtospitup.Twenty-two people were

nowgone.Shewasthelonesurvivor.She pulled off her helmet

and, for a moment, thoughtsomething else had comeafter her. A sheet of whitespilled down over her eyesandshescreamedinshock.Thenshe realizedwhyshe

wassostunned.Before the smoke her hair

hadbeenasdarkasaraven’sfeathers.Now the tresses that she

could see were as pale andwispyassilkenicicles.

Trembling, Smaragdalooked around for the boatthat had brought theexpedition.“Live to tell what

happened,” she said in aterrifiedmurmur.“Live to tell what…

happened…”sherepeated.Tears drenched

Smaragda’s cheeks as shestruggledtoherfeet.

Chapter2

Domicroucheddeeplyasshefaced off with the man inblack. Perfectly balanced inher hand was the handle ofoneofherfavoriteknives,itsflats gleaming under theharsh lights.Shewasa smallwoman, hardly five feet in

her bare feet, andDomiwasalmost constantly barefoot.Her body looked thin andfrail, her complexion waswhite as bone and her hairwas wispy, silvery andtrimmed short so as toprovidelittlemorethanpeachfuzz for an opponent to grabon to. Most startling aboutDomiwasher eyes, ruby-redgems that denoted the causeof her pale flesh and

translucenthair.The girl was an albino.

And yet she was facing offagainstamanafoottallerandeasily a hundred poundsheavier than she was, hermuscles tense, ready forbattle. In thecenturiesbeforeskydark, the cataclysmicnuclear Armageddon thatdrovehumankindtothebrinkof extinction, albinos hadbeenconsideredfrail.Indeed,

as a child, she had been, butsurvivinginthedeadlyworldoutside of the villes, in theharshwildernessbetweentinyislands of civilization, hadhardenedher.Shewas thin of limb, yes.

Buthermuscleswerecordedtight and had strength andswiftness within them,makingherakintoapanther.Her “claws” were her knifeand her “bite” was a deadly

little .45-caliber DetonicsCombat Master, which shedidn’thaveaccesstonow.Thebigmaninfrontofher

was powerful, armored, andeven inside thatarmor,hadalightness on his feet,bouncing on the ground in ataunting dance, making itapparentthatheexpectedherto charge him. He wasdangling himself as bait,waiting for her to commit to

an attack before he turned itaround.Domi was a survivor,

though. Before she’d beguntolearnhowtoreadunderthetutelageofLakeshandBrigidBaptiste,herschoolhadbeenexpansesofdesertorgnarled,predator-stalked forests. Herteachers had been the crueland the powerful, seeking touse her as meat or pleasureor,insomegrislycases,both.

And the feral albino girl hadbeenaquickstudent,passingeverytestthrownather.Thiswasnot the first time

she’dfacedthearmoredbrutein frontofher.Hisheadwasencasedinaglossybuttoughhelmet,shieldinghisfaceandpreventingher fromseeing ifhe was blinking or shiftinghisglance.Withoutaviewofhis tells, Domi was partiallyblinded, at her usual

disadvantage.Withnothingtobetray her enemy’s thoughts,and even his body languagedistorted by the bouncingdance he shuffled, all of herusual cues as to where orwhen to strike or even todefendweregone.The brute lunged. He had

his own blade, twice thelength of Domi’s, almost ashort sword that lookednormal-size in his massive

fist. The movement startledthe wild girl, but even whenreflexively responding to thesudden rush, Domi’s bodyreacted with speed andagility.Theedgeof theknifewhistled through the air andshe could feel the brush ofwind off its cold, unyieldingdaggeronherbareupperarm,thelethaledgemissingherbyfractionsofaninch.Domi’s swift sidestep

planted her left foot downhard for support, bracing hersothatshecouldkickupwithher other leg, the kneestriking the big knife-man inthe side. She’d aimedinstinctively away from thebulletproof polycarbonateshells that shielded hisabdominal muscles and intothe ballistic cloth side panel.The impact was more thansufficient to elicit a grunt

frombehindtheopaqueblackvisorofherfoe’shelmet.Domi brought her knife

around, finding a brawnyshoulderand stabbing into it.Evenassheplungedthebladedown, shewrappedher otherarm around his, snaring ittightlytogiveherleverageonhimandtomakeherhardertoreachwithhisfreehand.Thearmored brute lurched erectand Domi’s feet left the

ground.Nowshewasridingabucking beast, and just tomake certain he couldn’tshakeherfree,shewoundhermuscular legs around hisforearmandwrist.Suddenly the brute not

onlyhadtodealwiththebulkof his armor and thethrobbing pain of her stab,but also the unbalancing,unsettlingweight of the feralgirl.

“Dammit!” Edwardsshouted as he toppled offbalance, bringing them bothdowntotheexercisemat.Domi stabbed again at the

ballistic cloth between thepolycarbonate plates thatwould have providedprotection against slashing,stabbingsteel.Fortunatelyforthe former Magistrate,Domi’s knife was a blunt-edgedaluminumcopy,meant

for training. Even though itsedges were soft, rounded,unable to cut anything softerthanmud,when you stabbedsomeone with the tip, it stillwas hard, unyielding metalslammingintosoftflesh.And it hurt, much to

Edwards’sdismay.“I thought these things

weren’t supposed to injureyou,” Edwards grunted asDomislitheredoffhisarm.

“Not normally,” Domireplied, her verbiage clippedas she was still brimmingwith adrenaline from thetraining session. “But ’m notnormal.”“You can say that again,

runt.” Edwards looked herover. He was used to herdropping pronouns andadjectives while stressed orenergizedforcombat,sowasnot worried about her

suffering some sort ofepisode or being too out ofbreath. Indeed, the commentabout her not being normalshowed she still retained herwits, sense of humor and asignificantskillatwordplay.“Still, I’m damned glad I

was wearing armor,”Edwards added, giving her apoke in theshoulderwithhisfist. “Just too bad you foundthekinksinit,littlecheater.”

“Was the point,” Domianswered, rubbing herknuckle-brushed upper arm.Shesmirkedathisaccusationofcheating.“Pardonpun.”Edwards grinned, pulling

offhishelmet.Hishairwasaclose-shaved scruff aroundhismelon-sizehead,showingoff his bullet-bitten ear.Though theMagistrate armorwas designed to beenvironmentally adaptive,

beads of sweat still formedthanks to the exertion andcondensation of Edwards’sbreathinsidethehelmet.When they’d met at first,

and were being assigned toeither run or be a part of theCerberus Away Teams,Edwards had bristled at theconceptofworking“beneath”suchayoung,tinyfemale.That was dozens of

sparring matches ago, across

thepastseveralmonths.Sincethen the brawny formerMagistrate had come torespect Domi. There weretimes when she soundedbarely more educated than atoddler, and she alwayslooked like a frail wisp of acreature, but there wasstrength and intelligence inthere.It wasn’t the kind of

phenomenal intellect as

displayed by others such asBrigid Baptiste orMohandasLakesh Singh, who boastedunique scientific andmathematical acumen. Itwasmore the wisdom and agilityof mind showed by fellowformerMagistratesKane andGrant. Itwasknowledge thatdidn’tinvolvesplittingatoms,but observation of hersurroundings, instincts thathelped her react and respond

to danger at speeds beyondeventhemosttrainedsoldiersthatEdwardsknewof.Beingunderhercommand,

even if it was a mere threepeopleinthewholeCerberusAwayTeam,wasnothreattohis abilities, his prodigiousstrength and paramilitaryMagistrate training. Histeammate, the beautiful andbright freezie Sela Sinclair,was another sharp mind and

strong woman Edwards hadlearnedtorespect.TheMagistrateshadbeena

strictly masculinecommunity, a group of menwho were of similar size,similar strength, each pickedand groomed from evenbeforebirthtobecomepartofthe hybrid barons’ eliteenforcers. They had beenforged as rough, macho andgung ho, their individuality

limited by the stripping oftheir first names. Edwardshad been born Edwards, ashisfatherbeforehimandthatfatherbeforehim.Hismotherhad been a donor, ahandpickedmaidenchosentobear a healthy child, to mixwith the genes of a soldierand warrior to produce anidealfightingman.Edwards had been given

very littleof anormalyouth.

It was spent physicallytraining, learning the lawsand procedures of theMagistrates,notbeingaboy.Forhim,aswellasDomi,theluxuries of childhood wereabsent,littlechanceofplayorexploring and nurturing asenseofaweandwonder.Now, in the wake of the

barons’ evolution andshedding of their hybrid-humanforms,Edwardswasa

lawman who found a newvocation as a warrior in thedefenseofCerberusRedoubt,and an avocation as anadventurer, a hero to swoopin to the rescue and restoreorder.Through this selfless

assistanceofothers,Edwardsfelt awakened. Reborn even.Inhelpingothers,intravelingtheworldfor thepurposesofgrowing knowledge, for the

effortofbuildingaworld,hewas young again. He wasalive whereas before he’dmerely survived and existed.It was a lesson, atransformation, that Domihadalsoundergone.Domiherselfwasachildof

the wilderness. Later, in theTartarus Pits, the hellishsubterranean area in theshadowoftheAdministrativeMonolith in the center of

Cobaltville, she’d had toscrabble as a petty thief andwaspressed into servitudeasa prostitute. It was only heracceptance as an ally, theaffection of Grant as asurrogate father andprotector, the gentle love ofLakesh, that had turned herfrom a feral savage into anavidstudent.She’dgonefromaslumcriminaltotallyoutforherself to someone who

understood that love andaffectionwerenotnecessarilydisplayedbysexualdesire,aswithGrant,andthat intimacycouldcomewithgentility,notcruelty,aswithLakesh.Givensuchanenvironment

that nurtured goodness,growth and intelligence,Edwards found himself onlymockingly grumbling about“babysitting trips with nerdsto ruins” and actually

showing excitement aboutlearning about the history ofthe strange planet they livedupon.“Hey,youtwo!”It was Sela Sinclair, who

herself had not becomeinvolved in the ever-escalating sparring matchesof Domi and Edwards.Sinclair’s preference forcombat was not the close-quarters of knives and fists

but rather the application ofleverage and focused energy,usually in the form of thecollapsible baton she hadbecome intimate with in herpre-skydark life as an AirForce officer. It didn’t meanshe didn’t lack for bare-handedskill,butwhenthingscame toahands-onapproachher preference was for thestrength-amplifying qualitiesof an ASP telescoping

fighting stick, the same waythat Domi preferred a sharpknife. And even then, theASP was only for situationswhere she didn’t necessarilyrequire the killing of anopponent.Sinclair folded her arms,

leaning on one leg, hip tiltedjauntily.“Something come up?”

Domiasked.“TheCATteamsarebeing

called in for a briefing,”Sinclair said. “Somethingabout a call from NewOlympus.”Domi perked up at the

sound of that. Edwards andSinclairhadjoinedherinthatprior mission, arriving laterwith armor kits meant forSandcats and Humvees thatwould be adapted to theOlympianSpartans.Theyhadalso been presentwhenHera

Olympiad had gone berserkwith power, standing theirground against her madnessand the ever-growingenergies and mass of hercorruptedcommandnode.Hera, a Cobaltville

scientistwhohadbeensenttoretrieve Annunaki artifactsfrom Greece while theOverlord Marduk was stillBaronCobalt,hadacquiredasmart-metal control nodule

when one of Marduk’sNephilim drone trooperswascaptured. Using theknowledge she had gainedfrom her exploration of theCrack, she’dmanipulated thesmart-metal pod to provideherself a new form ofclothing. Because the podwas now reacting with anintelligent mind, it followedher commands rather thansimply existed as a suit of

body-conformingarmor.Of course, Marduk had

known of her interferencewith the Annunakielectronics.He’dtriedtotakecontrol of her and, barringthat, his psychic assault haddrivenherinsane.Hera had bonded that

modulewithanotherpieceofAnnunaki technology, aThreshold, and an electricaldroneweaponon topof that.

CAT Beta—Domi, Sinclairand Edwards—had been atthe forefront of the battleagainst the out-of-controlHera as she’d continued toadd mass and energy to hersuit’s frame, assisted byBrigidBaptiste.Despite the defeat of the

superhuman Hera, thedamagetoNewOlympushadbeen significant. There weresorties from Cerberus to the

Greciannation, teamsmostlytheretoexcavateandopenupcollapsed and damagedtunnels in the deepunderground military basethat had been the Olympianredoubt. The digging andrebuildingwerenecessary,asHera’sdestructionhadcutoffaccess to redoubt supplies ofammunition, food andmedicine stored for thehundreds of years since

beforeskydark.Rebuildinghadbeengoing

well,butforNewOlympustoactually send out a call forhelpmeantsomethingbighadpoppedup.“Shower and change.

You’ve got fifteen minutes,”Sinclairtoldthem.The two Beta Team

members headed to thegymnasium locker roomwhereDomi helped Edwards

out of his bulky Magistratearmor, cutting the usual de-prep time by half, allowingEdwardstodomorethanjustlet the showerhead spit onhim for a second. That bothteammates were naked wasnotadistractiontoeither.Domi had her devotion to

Lakesh, and Edwards wasuninterested in settling downand of no mind to steal thescientist’s woman. Indeed,

Edwards was a man ofpersonaldiscipline,andwhilehe believed that men andwomen could be lovers andwork together, he personallydidnotwanttocomplicatehisrelationship with the tinyDomi. Edwards also had apreference for taller, fuller-figured women, and to themassive former Magistrate,Domi’sappearancewasmoreof a prepubescent boy’s than

an object of sexual desire.Hell, knowing her for thislong, becoming nearly abrother to her on the CATteam, she was not an object.She was Domi. Friend.Living being. Person.Not anobjectoflust.From what Edwards had

read or seen in vids frombefore the destruction ofmankind,hecouldappreciatethat at least one thing had

advanced forward since theage of “civilization.”Humanityneededtogrowup,to not just focus on theirbaser instincts and rut likeanimals. Reproduction wasimportant, but there wereothermuchmorevitalmattersthatneededattendance.By the time Edwards

finished his shower anddressed,heandDomiarrivedatthebriefingwithminutesto

spare.In fact, they had both

enteredsoonerthanKaneandGrant, and were there to seeBrigid Baptiste, the thirdmemberofthegroupthathadbeen entitled CAT Alpha.Brigid was not happy to seeKaneandGrantamblinginsoslowlyaftertheircounterpartshadshowedsuchpromptness,andsheletherdistasteforthesituationshowinherscowl.

“I told you we shouldn’thave stopped for coffee,”Grant said, catching thedisgust in Brigid’s glare. Heslid into his chair at themeeting table, setting thetravel mug down in front ofhim. Kane shrugged at hisfriend’s statement of being“busted.”“It’s not like we’re the B-

team,” Kane noted, giving awink toDomi,whowrinkled

hernoseatthemockinsult.Ifthere was a rivalry betweenthe CAT teams, no one oneither of the two squads hadbeenmade aware of it. Theywere comrades and allies.Theonlyrankcamefromthefact that Sinclair wasawakened after Kane, Brigidand Grant became a team,and Edwards had onlyrecently found himself a freeagent in the wake of the

collapse of the baronies.Kane’s joke was taken instride, not in malice, andBrigidrolledhereyes.“As you know, ever since

our first contact with NewOlympus, we’ve beensending over manpower andassistance to help them withtheir rebuilding,” Brigidbegan.“They’vereciprocatedby helping to design Kane’sexoskeleton during…recent

troubles.”“I didn’t get to blow-dry

and curl my hair for thisrecap?” Edwards asked,rubbing his closely shavedpate.Brigid chuckled. “Sorry,

but you know I try to be ascompletestaspossible.”Edwards shrugged. “Not a

problem. I just neededsomethingto…distractme.”Domi nodded in

recognition. Edwards wasreferring to Ullikummis’sattack and conquest of theCerberus Redoubt. Not onlywasEdwardspresentforthat,but also he’d been infectedwith one of the stonyAnnunaki’s seeds, makinghim a puppet, a pawn of theexiled godling. Memories ofthat time, the lossof lifeandthe madness of theirenslavement,werestillrecent

andraw.“Right now, they’re

starting to expand their areaof influence over there,peacefully.” Brigid quicklyaddedthepeacefully.“They’dsent out an excursion intowhatused tobe theEtruscancountryside.”“Italy?” Sela Sinclair

asked.Brigidnodded.Sinclairsmirked.“Ialways

wanted to take a vacation inthe countryside with thevineyards.”Brigid gave the Air Force

veteran a one percent salute,akin to thegesture thatKaneand Grant gave each other.Shecontinuedspeaking.“Outof twenty soldiers and threeSpartans sent into the Italiancountryside, there was onlyonepersonwhoreturned.Thecommander of the ground

platoon. Shewas in shock tothe point that her hair turnedwhite. She claimed they hadencountered an amorphous,seemingly sentient darknessthat was immune to gunfireand had swallowed people.Even their robotic supportteamwasunabletobreakthebonds.”“Bulletproof fog that eats

soldiers,” Grant murmured.“Do you have any historical

correlation and backgroundforthat,Brigid?”“Nothing so far,” she

replied. “The only possiblelinktoaninky,all-envelopingblackness is the relation ofoneoftheoldgodsofItaly—Charun.”“That sounds like the

‘mythologicalguywhohasaboatontheriverofthedead’Charon?”Kaneasked.Brigidacknowledged that Kane got

thepronunciationandidentitycorrect.“Anyrelation?”“Charun,itisbelieved,was

a renamed chooser of theslain in Etruscan mythology.He was a winged god ofdeath,”Brigidexplained.“Aninvulnerable fog or a wavemight be in reference to theriverStyx’sallegedpropertiesofmakinganyonedippedinitinvulnerable,likeAchilles.”“You’ve been hitting the

research hard enough,”Kanementioned. “Sometimes, it’sbest to put speculation asideandputfeetontheground.”“And hope that we’re not

stumbling into a trap,”Sinclairadded.“Youwantustocomewithyou?”“Ingeneral,werarelysend

both teams into the fieldtogether, but in this instance,itwouldbebeneficialtohaveyoualong.Myanklestillisn’t

at a hundred percent, so myrunning and jumping will beimpaired, and DeFore stillwishes tomake certainKanehadn’t received anythingpermanent in regard to thecrackhereceivedonhishead.I’m under the presumptionthatthereasontheexpeditionencountered such a powerfulsurge was due to the size oftheintrusion,”Brigidsaid.“So if we show up with

three to six people, we canslip under their radar, so tospeak,” Edwards concluded.“I can figure out why youwant Beta with you.” HeglancedtowardDomiasif toprovideclarity.“Indeed. We’ll also be

heading to Olympus in twogroups. One via traditionalmat-trans, and Edwards andGrant in theMantas,” Brigidadded.“We’llseeifourjerry-

rigged weapons systems forthem might prove sufficientto deal with a superhumanthreat.”“Ifwehaveatargetthatwe

can use theMantas against,”Grant added. “Who knows ifthe thing generating thatweirdblackmasswill beoutintheopen.”“We’ll cross that bridge

when we come to it,” Kanesaid.“Thefirstthingweneed

to do is get to NewOlympus.”“And since we’re taking

theMantas,we’llcatchuptoyouinafewhours,”Edwardspointed out. “Don’t drink allthe hospitality before we getthere.”Kane chuckled. “It’s not

the hospitality you shouldworryabout.”Edwards didn’t say it out

loud, but looking at the

concerned features of BrigidBaptiste in the wake of thebriefing, he knew thatsomething out there wasgoing to be a terriblechallenge.Then again, that was the

reasonfortheexistenceoftheCerberus Away Teams, headdedgrimlyandsilently.

Chapter3

The arrival of the strangerswas nigh, as the radio signalcamethroughfromacrossthegulf of land and ocean thatseparatedNewOlympusfromthe Bitterroot Mountains.Diana Pantopoulos was atoncerelievedattheresponse,

and guilty for having drawnthe Cerberus warriors backintotheircontinent.Diana had inherited the

role of “queen” of NewOlympus, an unenviable taskalongside AristotleMarschene stepping into the“boots”ofZ00s, in thewakeof that last visit. As of now,Greecewas actuallyworkingon a charter and constitutionallowing a representative

government, but alsoallowingDianaandAritoactas“rankingmanagers.”The two were still

commanders of the GearSkeleton forces, having risenin rankwith the lossofZ00s—the Magistrate formerlyknown as Thurmond—andHera Olympiad—HelenaGarthwaite, the scientist sentby Baron Cobalt to uncoverancient technology that the

baron recalled on a geneticlevel.Thosetwo,andanotherMagistrate, had been sent onanexpeditiontofindthetoolsof Marduk, Cobalt’s originalAnnunaki form, and in theprocess,theyhadbuiltGreeceinto a fortress-like societywithremarkableSpartanGearSkeletonsas thebackboneoftheir mechanized militaryforce.Itwasanempirebuiltupon

clay feet.Through theuseofclone production facilities,Helena Garthwaite hadinitiated a program of terrorto unify the Greekcountryside.It was the effort of Kane,

Grant and Brigid that endedthat deception, the years ofdeath and violence, but insuch a spasm of destructionthat ithadleftNewOlympusheavilydamagedandmanyof

its heroes fallen on thebattlefield.Dianadidn’twantto think if they had notshowed up. The true evilbehind the whole society,Marduk, the former BaronCobalt, arrived to claim hisstorehouse in the TartarusCrack.Though teams had come

and gone, assisting in thereconstruction of NewOlympus in thewake of that

war, this would be the firsttime the men and women oftheCerberus teamswouldbereturningasagroup.Dianasmiledatthethought

ofherfriend,thesmall,feistyDomiamongthem.“Incoming mat-trans event

at the old Oracle Temple,”cametheannouncementfromher wheelchair’s built-incomm panel. Diana pressedSend.

“Alert received. Reportingto command center,” sheanswered.“Shall we get your suit

ready?”“No.Let thenewArtem15

meetthem,”Dianasaid.And with that, the

wheelchair-boundadministrator of NewOlympusfeltapangofregretatherpromotion.She’dlovedbeingthearmoredsuitnamed

for the goddess of the hunt,Artemis.ButasAristotlehadbeen promoted to Z00s, anew “queen” was necessaryfor the rankings. Now, shewasH34a, as Zeus andHerawere the king and queen ofMountOlympus.Whereastheprevious Hera was petty andmanipulative, Diana tried tobealittlenobler,alittlemorerighteous.She’dlearnedfromthemistakesofthepast.

Or had she? Wasn’t shejust buying into the samelevelofheroworship?Hadn’tshe and Ari just taken theplace of amanipulator and aman who, up until his finalbattle, had been happy todeceiveothersforthesakeofhisownpower?Rolling herself into the

command center, she notedthatAristotlewasthere,alongwith the rest of this shift’s

personnel. They werewatching the progress ofArtem15 and two other suitsas they bounded acrosscountry, taking enormousstrides that ate up terrain atgreat velocity. Diana held awistful moment for the dayswhen she’d needed to boltacross countrysides onemergency missions.Artem15’s long legs allowedhertoeasilytop100milesan

hour, and those speeds werenecessary in defense of thepeopleunderNewOlympus’sprotection, townsfolk who’deasily be outnumbered andslaughtered in the assaultsmade by deadly hordes ofHydrae.Thatkindofrapidresponse

gave Diana a little wear andtear as she sat in the controlcouch of the mighty GearSkeleton, but the hero suits

and the Spartans were oftenridden hard, beyondacceptable limits. Now, theywere only on their way as ameans of ferrying theCerberus visitors from theparallax point atop theremains of the temple of theOracle to New Olympusitself.Therewasstilla lotofdigging to be done to get tothe mat-trans buried duringthe old Hera Olympiad’s

rampage.Those damaged tunnels

and elevators themselveswere made all the moreinaccessible by the fact thatthere was little way for thefifteen-foot armored titans tofit into the redoubt and dig.Smaller conventionalexoskeletons, one of whichKane had utilized during his“infection” by Ullikummis,had provided some ease.But

they were not based on aframe constructed of alientechnology alloys, nor weretheirchargedenergymodulesable to operate at maximumcapacity due to theconventionalhuman-designedmetals not being up toAnnunaki-levelsnuff.“Queen on the deck!”

announced First OfficerOrestes,standingtoattention,clicking his booted heels

togetherinasharpsalute.“Asyouwere,”Dianasaid,

waving off the show ofrespect. She’d earned herplace as an officer, but shedidn’tfeel thatshewarrantedall of this attention oradulation. Even so, Ari gaveher a wink from across theroomwherehewaswatchingthe main screens thatdisplayeddronecameraviewsofthecountryside.

“ETA to their arrival?”Dianaasked.“They’re a half mile out,

sir,”CommsOfficerKindalossaid, looking back over hershoulder. As always, Dianafelt a little self-conscious.Whereas HelenaGarthwaite/Hera Olympiadwas beautiful to the point ofperfection, the formerArtem15 pilot had morewrong with her than merely

amputated legs below mid-thigh. The same battle thathadtakenherlowerlimbshadleft scars spider-webbedacrossher foreheadand rightcheek. Diana’s pride forcedher to wear her hair flippedover,herblondlocksmaskingher deformity with a curtainoftresses.Unfortunately, since her

ascension, she’d been forcedintoamore face-to-face role.

Hidingherfeatures,nomatterhow insecure she was aboutthem, would not do when itcame to projecting herauthority.Arihadtriedtotellher that she did not appearbad-looking, even with thecrisscross of healed fleshpatterned on her face. Dianadidn’t believe him. Eventhough he was in love withher, she still didn’t trust hisopinion.

Ari rolled around to her,gave her a clap on theshoulder.“Honey.”Diana smiled, resting her

handatophis.“You ever get tired of all

these snap-to’s?” she askedherkingandlover.Ari shrugged.

“Occasionally.Butitremindsme not to mess around withmypower.”“Whatpower?We’restuck

with all the decisions butnone of the fun,” Diana toldhim.Ari looked to the trio of

running and jumping robots.“Thatwasfun,wasn’tit?”Diana gave him a pop on

thebiceps,but laughed.“I’mtooyoungtobenostalgicandshit.”“Just keep smiling. You

lookprettier,”Aritoldher.“Liar,” Diana called him,

but she still leaned over andkissedhimonthecheek.The two returned their

attention to the screens.Mounted on tiny motorizedplanes, the pursuit camerasenabled the New Olympianstheability tokeep theireyes,remotely, on things withoutendangering the cameraman.Theunmanneddroneconceptwas still in its earliestdevelopmentswhen, in2001,

theworld had been blown tohell by a global nuclear cull,all caused by a renegadedimension traveler by thenameofColonelThrush.But,thankfully,inthepostwarera,more thanacouple survivorshad come to Greece fromIsrael, which had beenextremely active in suchtechnologicaldevelopment.The tiny airplane zipped

ahead of the trio of

welcoming robots toward theramped natural obelisk uponwhichtheOracleTemplehadbeen built. There were fourpeoplevisibleatoptheclean-cut “table” at the peak ofwhat had been a spire ofgranite. The structures atop,wallsformedfromahengeofnatural-appearing stones anda long-gone roof, wood andthatch rotted away by thepassageofhistoryandimpact

of storms a millennium ago.It bore more recent damage;burns from ASP blastersstriped the massive, lithiccolumns, evidence of amorerecent battle between theheroeswho had arrived backthen and Marduk’s ASP-armedNephilim.At the baseof the ramp was a goldenpuddle, amirrormade of themolten remains of HeraOlympiad and Z00s, and the

metals surrounding theirbodiesasZ00shadmade thefinal sacrifice to end herunholyrampage.The puddle itself was a

reminder of wounds, thedeaths of four other GearSkeleton pilots slain at thetalons and blasters Hera hadabsorbed into her extended,reprogrammed body. It alsocommemorated Thurmond’send, especially in the face of

his admission of his wrongsand his ultimate betrayal ofHera’s foul protectionscheme. It was now anhonored tomb,amemorial totruefreedom,andthebirthofequality under law for all ofNewOlympus.As the drone swooped

closer, they saw four peopleinthemidstofthehengethatformerlyheldthetempleroofand walls together. Three

women, one man and thesight of small, slender,spider-limbed Domi, herbone-white complexion astark contrast to the deepebony of her shadow suit,made Diana’s heart skip abeat. A kindred spirit hadreturned. She imagined thiswaswhatitfeltliketohaveavisitfromasisterafteralongtime, Diana being an onlychild.

The other woman wasundoubtedly Brigid Baptiste;Diana quickly recognizingher on the screen thanks toher flame-gold tresses,vibrant and noticeable. Thetall woman knelt, punchingthe recall code into the smallpyramid-shaped interphaser,sending it back to CerberusRedoubt. The small deviceexploited the intersection ofnaturally occurring energy

paths or “parallax points” asreferredtobythedesignerofthe interphaser, MohandasLakesh Singh. It was apricelesspieceoftechnology,so recalling it to the redoubtwouldkeepitfromendingupinthewronghands.This was not Cerberus’s

indictment of New Olympusas “thewronghands,” but astherewasnowaytopenetrateinto the mat-trans chamber

for New Olympus’s redoubt,it would be useless to Dianaandherpeople,andleavingitout in the elements wouldmakeittoovulnerable.The thirdwomanwas also

familiar to Diana—a slenderwoman with a duskycomplexion, her short hairarranged inbraids.She stoodat attention, maintaining thedemeanor of even the highlytrained New Olympian

troopers,keepingtheframeofher Copperhead submachinegunclasped,muzzledown toher belly and finger off thetrigger. It was just a briefinkling of Sela Sinclair’sAirForce officer’s skill andmental alertness. Though itwas unlikely she’daccidentallytugonthetriggerofthecompact,bullet-spittingweapon, a true professionalnever took chances. If the

firearm discharged withoutSela’swill,thegunfirewouldonly harm the ground at herfeet. At the same time, hereyes scanned theirsurroundings.“This is Grant to New

Olympus command andcontrol.” Another familiarvoice piped up. “We areapproaching your airspace intwoMantacraft.”“Edwards here, in Manta

Beta” followed the otheraircraft’sradio.“Welcome to New

Olympus airspace.Antiaircraft measures arebeing tuned down for yoursafe passage,” Kindalosannounced loud enough forthe rest of the commandcenter to hear. Quietly, in alower tone, she switchedchannels on her headset andcontacted the air defenses.

While it was unlikely thatmere .50-caliber machineguns could bring down twotransonicManta craft, it wasbetter to not have even thatslightrisk.“Sir? Majesties? We just

gotword that therewere twoaircraft coming in, and fromthe west, of course, right?”radar station officer NikoMikoles asked. “I’ve gotthree contacts on radar. All

fromthewest.”DianaandAriimmediately

tuned in on their observationscreen.“Kindalos! Let them

know,” Diana commanded,sharpandurgent.Kindalos’s fingers flew to

the frequency switch, linkingback to the fast-flyingMantas. “Cerberus flight. Beadvised. Unidentified flyingobject flying in parallel,” the

commofficersaidquickly.Before therewas a chance

for Grant or Edwards toreply, a loud screech blazedoverthespeakers.Kindalos, wearing her

headset, was literallyslammedfromherseatbythesonicburstexplodingsocloseto her ear. At the samemoment Mikoles’s radarscreenblazedbrightly,energyseeming to pour into the

readout.Afteranother instantthe screen cracked down thecenter,wisps of ozone risingfromtheshatteredglass.“Medic to C-and-C!”

Orestes yelled into theintercom.DianaandAriturnedtothe

armrest comm-links on theirchairs, but discovered thatwhatever odd pulse that hadliterally flooredKindalosandcaused screens to die in a

spectacular manner hadrendered their radios equallyuseless.Aristotle didn’t delay an

instant, dropping himselffrom the seat of his chair tothe floor beside Kindalos.Thoughking,thetrainingandinstincts of a soldier werehard to bury and the formerAre5 showed that he was asskilled in the ways ofemergencymedical treatment

ashehadbeeninwagingwar.HelaidKindalossothattherewasnostrainorstressonherneck, in the event of reflex-inducing whiplash. Theheadphones were swiftlydiscarded.The young woman’s left

ear was drenched in blood.Ari tore a kerchief from hisbreast pocket, applying itgentlytothesideofherheadto keep away infection and

stop the slow trickle pouringfromherbursteardrum.“Come on, kid, don’t do

this,” Ari murmured. OtherofficersjoinedAri inlookingover the injuredKindalos. Inthe meantime Diana andOrestes checked on Mikolesforinjuries.“I’m fine,” theyoungman

toldhissuperiors.“Weneedafireext—”As if to answer his

incomplete suggestion, aguard pulled the trigger on aCO2 canister, blastingthrough the radar screen towhatever produced the stinkof ozone beneath the brokenglass.Diana spared a small part

ofhermind to showpride inthe military precision andloyalty presented inresponding to the injury andthe damages done to their

electronics. While therewould always be those whothoughtofsoldiersasnothingmorethanmindlessthugsandfodder, real troops wouldband together and movequickly with calmness,practiced problem-solvingand true care for their fallencomrades.However, with the pulse

that had knocked out bothradar and the radio

communications, they wereout of touch with Grant andEdwardsintheirMantas.Right now, all they were

able to do was to get theirown comms back up andrunning.Evenas she thoughtthis, there were alreadyguards racing on foot toconveyalertstotherestoftheOlympianredoubt.So much fixed, and now

another attack had driven

them back to blindness andprimitivemessages.At least we got the fire

extinguisher on the radarscreen, Diana thought toherself.Otherwise,wewouldhave been sending smokesignals.

***

THE SUDDEN BURST offeedback that struck Grant

brought a mixture of goodnews and bad news to thebrawny pilot. Firstwas goodnews, in that theCommtact’snew frequency filter hadmanaged to minimize thebrain-rattlingdiscomfortof…whateverthatelectronichowlwas. One of the weaknessesof the implants and theirplates was that it was quitepossible to blow out thehearing of someone listening

with either too loud aresponse or viaelectromagnetic interference.Fortunately, Lakesh and theother whitecoats back atCerberushadbeendiligentinimproving the Commtactnetwork and the electronicswithin.Unfortunately there was

more bad news. Thenavigational instrumentsbased off radar, which was

prettymucheverythingintheMantacockpit,wererenderedas useless as his Commtact.There was little to tell if thesystems themselves hadsuffered catastrophic damageor if they were merelyjammed,dazedbythesuddenwaveofenergy.AttheveryleastGrantand

Edwards had been able tohear the majority of thewarning coming from New

Olympus. Grant would havefelt a lotmore confident hadnot theHeadsUpDisplayonthe pilot’s helmet beenequally invalidated by theinterferencepulse.Still, therewas a dome of glass, andGrantwas an expert pilot, soat least he wouldn’t findhimself crashing. Just tomakecertain,hepulledonhisshadow suit hood.One thingthe faceplate allowed for, in

addition to being a self-contained environment, wasadvancedopticsandsensors.Grant glanced back and

couldsee,inthedistance,theoutline of Edwards’s ship.They couldn’t talk by radio,but maybe they couldcommunicate with handgestures, especially with thetelescopic zoom available intheeyepieces.He throttled down only a

fraction, steering to parallelEdwards, when he caught aflicker of darkness from thecornerofhiseye.Somuch for being able to

use sign language withEdwards before the UFOarrived.Grant turned his head,

swingingtheMantaintoanS-turn thatwould allowhim tosurvey a maximum of skyaroundhim.Thecockpitglass

of the high-velocity shipallowed him a fairly goodpanorama of theMediterranean airspace.Edwardswasvisible,aswell.He was keeping his distanceand was focused onsomethingGrantcouldn’tseeatthismoment.“Deaf and mute, and half

blind,” the big, formerMagistrate grumbled tohimself.“Imightaswellbea

sittingduck…”With that thought,

however, Grant noticedEdwards suddenly acceleratehis Manta, as if to engageramming speed against hisfellowpilot.Therewasonlyabrief instant of confusionuntilherealizedthatwhateverhad drawn Grant’s attentionas the UFO was now flyingon his tail, sticking to hisblindspot.

That turned out to be amuch better form ofnonverbal communicationthat instantly clicked inGrant’s mind. Within amoment he throttled up tonear escape-velocity speed,tearingawayfromhispursuitutilizingthescramjetenginesbuiltintothemoon-base-builtwonder craft. He onlymaintained escape velocityfor a few seconds, but that

was more than sufficient tohave created a few miles ofspacebetweentheMantaandhispursuit.Withadeftspin,Grantwas

able to see the UFO as itraced to catch up. He couldseeapairofpowerfulwings,but what hung beneath themwasnomerebird,notevenapteranodon.He employed his optic

enhancementsandzoomedin,

focusingonaman.No, tocall it amanwould

have been amisnomer.Withelectronic readouts on thetransparent shadow suit’sfaceplate, Grant could seethattheentityhadawingspanof thirty feet, its skin toneblued like that of a pallidcorpse. Around its bare,brawnyarms,hesawwhatatfirst appeared to be coiledserpents, but recognition

immediately kicked in. Hebore some version of theserpentineASPblasterswornby the Nephilim drones whoserved beneath Enlil and theother Annunaki overlords.Theyglintedlikemetalinthesun, but those weaponsseemed puny in comparisonto the winged humanoid’shandheld device. It was agigantic hammer, gripped insinewy,powerfulhands.

Grantlookedatthefaceofhis foe, one twisted in grimrage, tusks protruding andcurving out over hismustached upper lip, a blackbeard of writhing wormscrawling up the sides of hisface before they lengthenedinto serpents like a maleversionof theGreekmonsterMedusa. His nose plungeddown over his peeled-backlips like the hook of a

vulture’s beak and its eyeswere shadows beneathbulging,clifflikebrowridges.Grant’s shock at the

hurtlingcreatureknockedhimfrom taking a mentalinventory of the beast’sappearance, and he flippedthe circuits to activate theweapons recently added tothe Manta. As he did, therewas a whine of protest fromthe systems, informing him

that whatever had negatedradio communications hadlikewise disabled theweaponrycontrols.“Isn’t that just great?”

Grant growled, throttling upthe engines and hurtlingtoward the flying humanoid.Though he was certain thehammer was far more thanjust a brutish weapon meantfor crushing skulls, he wasgamblingonaMach2impact

stunning theflyingopponent.The creature was notthematically different fromthegiganticKongamatofromAfrica, and he alwayswondered how one of thosemuscular horrorswould havedealtwithbeingrunoverbyasupersonicManta.The tusked mouth turned

into a semblance of a smilethrough the telescopicmagnification on Grant’s

faceplate and immediatelyhestarted to regret playingchickenwithaflyingdemon.He didn’t have long to

doubthiscourse,though,asamoment later the Mantajolted violently. Evenstrapped into the pilot’scouch,Grant’sheadandarmsflailed wildly in the cockpit.Alarms and lights jerked tolife around the cabin, theviolence of impact making

the horizon cartwheel in thecracked windshield of thesupersoniccraft.Stunned,Granttriedtowill

hishandsbacktothejoysticknestled between his knees.Unfortunately centrifugalforce and a stabbing pain inhis back and shoulder keptthem dangling at the ends ofhis ropy arms.All thewhile,his optics displayed acountdown of the Manta’s

altitude as it spiraled towardtheMediterraneanSeabelow.At this speed, strikingincompressible water, itwouldbelikehurlingamelonagainst a stone wall, exceptthe meaty fruit disgorgedwould be Grant’s internalorgans.

Chapter4

Edwards was aghast at thesight of the wingedmonstrosity flying to meetGrant’s Manta at rammingspeed. At the same time hegrimaced at theinconvenience of having hisweaponry disabled by

whateverhadknockedouttheradios. As it was, the flyingmonster itself was spiralingout of control, seemingly asstunnedastheManta,itspilotlocked in a fatal corkscrewheading toward the waitingsea beneath them. However,evenas thehammer-wieldingflier toppled head over heelsthrough the empty air,Edwards’s Commtact camebackonline.

“Grant!”Itwasachorusofalarmed cries in familiarvoices.Edwards looked between

the stunned monstrosity andhis fellow Cerberus warriorplummeting toward theground.With apit ofdisgustin his belly, he realized thatthe newly armedMantas hadvery little that could be usedto save another aircraft fromcrashing. The upgrades were

meant to swat threats fromthe sky, to ensure that theycrashed.And if Edwards could not

rescue Grant, he’d sure ashell avenge his friend. Histhumb flicked up the safetyswitchonhis joystickandhepressed down on the trigger.In a moment a pair of .50-caliber machine guns roaredtolifebeneaththekeelofhisManta, streams of lead

locking on the fallinghumanoid. As tracersdescribed the path of firefrom Edwards’s guns, thewinged creature jolted toalertness.Onebulletsmashedthrough the beast-man’swing, but no pain registeredonhistarget.Instead the huge hammer

was raised in both hands. Itlowered its head and thehammer’s bonce began to

glow brightly, turning into ablazing sun at the end of itstwo-meter-long shaft.Edwardswatchedastheairinfront of the hammer and thefalling devil sparked to life.Instinctively the formerMagistrate realized whatthose individual flares wereas he eased off the trigger.Thehammerwasincineratingthe massive bullets in flight,shielding the stunned

opponent.“So, ifyouwant toplay it

that way,” Edwardsmurmured, “let’s trysomething that won’t burnup.”Edwards kicked in what

passedforafterburnersontheManta, and the crush ofacceleration pushed himdeeper into thepilot’scouch,the transonic aircraftblistering along at escape

velocity. This low, hewouldn’t be able to keep upthepaceverylong,butitwasmerelyashortburstofspeedthat roared him past theirwinged opponent. UnlikeGrant,hewasn’tgoingtoramhis enemy, but rather, let thesonic boom in hiswake beatat the odd, hammer-wieldingbeing.And since the interference

had stopped and theManta’s

cockpit was now receivingcamera images, he was ableto spot the effects of thethunderclapofhispassageonthe creature. It had lost itshammer and, once more, itwas working into a spiral.Unfortunately this spiral wasslow and winding, lazy andcontrolled.Evenso,therewasnoway

that Edwards was going toallow it anywhere near its

fallen hammer, wherever itwouldhavelanded.Heswunghis Manta around, all thewhilehoping thatsomewhereGranthadregainedcontrolofhiscraft.The winged creature

spotted the incoming scramjet and righted itself, puttingon its own burst of blindingspeed.Withinmomentsitwasout of sight, a spray of .50-caliber lead chasing it over

thehorizon.“Guys? How’s Grant?”

Edwards asked, stilldistractedbywhatever itwasthey’dencountered.

***

IT COULD HAVE beenadrenaline surging throughGrant’s limbs that gave himthestrength topullhishandsbackdowntothejoystick,or

it could have been the moreautomated systems on theManta kicking into gear,providing just enough of aniota of balance and slowingfor him to regain control ofhimselfinthedeathspiral.Orit could just have been themental image of himexploding like overripe fruitagainst the surface of theMediterraneanSeathatfoundGrant with his fingers

wrapped tightly around thecontrolsoncemore.Whichever it was, he hit

full reverse on the thrusters,jetsblastingoutbellowsofairto slow his twirling descent,even as his other arm seizedfast to the stick, bringing thecontrolsurfacesbacktolevel.With that all going on in

the space of a fewmoments,the inertia of Grant’s insidescaused a sour ball of bile to

roll up into his throat, acidictaste making him grimace indisgust as the Manta’s crashcoursewithoblivioncame toan abrupt halt. It wasn’t likecrashing into a wall of stoneor an ocean from nearly amilehigh,butitcertainlywasan upsetting experience. Hecouldn’t see through theglovesofhisshadowsuit,buthe could feel how whitenedhis knuckles were as he

clutched the throttle andcollective.Despite the environmental

protections provided by thefull-body shadow suit, Grantwas drenched in sweat, hishearthammering to thepointwhere he wondered if itwould burst through his ribs.Adjusting the thrusters inVTOL mode, he steered acourse toward theOracle.Hewanted to set down because

hecouldfeelastreamofcoldair hissing through thecrackedwindscreen, hear theflap of torn seals andbouncing metal holding thecockpit’scanopyinplace.InthedistanceGrantheard

asonicboomandwonderedifit was the explosion ofEdwards’s ship or thedetonation of some otherweapon. It might have beenthedistractionofkeeping the

Manta on course for itsemergency landing, but ittookamomenttosinkinthatEdwards and his ship hadgonesupersonic.Whatever Grant had

collided with had proved tobe more than capable ofstanding up to the incrediblewitheringpowerof the jerry-rigged .50-caliber machineguns and missiles on theirships. And since Edwards

saw with his own eyes what“ramming speed”accomplished, the big, baldbrutewentwith a balance ofraw power and ability. Theblast of air parting and thenclapping back together atMach speed was the trickhe’doptedfor.“Grant, you all right?”

Kane asked over theCommtact,hisvoiceshowingfarmoreemotionandconcern

than the stoic Cerberuswarrior had displayed in alongtime.“Yeah. I’ve gotmyManta

limping to a landing nearyou,”Grant responded. “Anyclueas tohowmuchdamageI’m suffering? Systems arestillonthefritzhereandtherein the wake of that feedbackblast.”“Youcanseeitforyourself

onceyouland,”Kanereplied,

hisvoicegrowingharder.Grantcurledhislip.Itwas

likely that it was more thanjust a scratch. He kept thepace even and steady,knowingthatimperfectionsinthe hull would make arenewed effort at supersonictransit a very messy methodof suicide. The shadow suitprovided a modicum ofsmall-arms protection andhadkepthim fromshattering

limbs on short falls orminorcrashes, but should thecockpit split open and therestraint belts on the pilot’scouchfail,noamountofnon-Newtonianfabricwouldkeephimfrombeingcrushedashehitthegroundafterthousandsoffeetoffreefall.“Guys?” Edwards spoke

over the comm-link. “How’sGrant?”“Limping along. What

happened to the wingedbastard who ran me over?”Grantaskedback.“HetookoffrunningafterI

knockedthehammerfromhishands,”Edwardsreplied.“Dowe have contact with NewOlympusyet?”“You got a hammer from

him?”Brigidinterjected.“Big bad hammer. It just

missed opening Grant’sManta like a can of rations,”

Edwardsexplained.“That’s a fair assessment,”

Grantadded.“Hewasanuglycuss,withblue-grayskinandsnakesforhair…”“Charun,”Brigidstated.“So much for a skeletal

boatman,” Grant murmured.“What, we have the crossbetweenThorand someuglyangel?”“No,Charunwas a god of

thedead.Edwards,yougoing

tokeepwatchoverwherethehammer landed?” Brigidinquired.“Damn straight. Once I

knocked the thing out of hishands, we got our commsback,” Edwards explained.“So keeping the hammeraway from him is, in myhumble opinion, a greatplan.”“Good,”Brigidsaid.“Then

we can see if we’re dealing

withAnnunaki technologyor—”“Charunhadsomemetallic

snakes wrapped around hisarms that immediatelyreminded me of Enlil’s ASPblasters,” Grant said, cuttingher off. “But these werebigger, thicker. Presumablymore powerful. And beingwound around his arms, helikelystillhasthem.”“Confirm on that,”

Edwards advised. “We’llneedpeopleonthegroundtoget to the hammer beforeCharunreturns.”Grant’s mood was not

goodashegrewclosertothespire where his compatriotshad landed with theinterphaser. So much forhaving the advantage of airsuperiority,hemused.Hegrithisteeth.Ofcourse

they had air superiority.

Edwards’sManta stillwas inperfectcondition,andaslongas the strange, hammer-likedevice was out of the handsoftheirenemy,theirweaponssystems would operate andtheycouldcommunicatewitheachother.AndfromthewaythatEdwardsseemeddeadseton protecting the airspaceover the fallen weapon, itoccurredtotheCATBetaex-Magistrate that the hammer

wasspecial.Maybe the winged

humanoid had access topowerful arm blasters, butthere were bigger and moreimpressive tricks in his losttoolbag.Grant frowned, swinging

thewoundedMantacloser tothe ground, making thedecision to land near thepuddle of molten secondaryorichalcum. There was more

flat ground and he didn’twant todamage thewingsorharm his friends with tooclumsy of a landing. Thehenge stones would likelyadd to the damage of hiswounded aircraft, makingrepairsevenmoredifficult.Soon he was in range so

that he didn’t even need thetelescopic zoom on hishelmet to inform him thatthree Gear Skeletons, one

adornedasa“hero”suit, twoothers as Spartans, hadarrived at the base of therampleadingtothetopoftheoracularspire.The giant exoskeletons

spread out, forming aperimeter in which Grantcould set the Manta down.Even as they did so, theyextended their arms upwardto cushion the descent of thecraft in case it had suffered

more damage and couldn’textenditslandinggear.Grantkeptuphisvigilance

upon landing. The last thingheneededwas toget sloppy,no matter what kind of helphehadavailabletohim.Evenso,whenhefeltthepowerfulrobotic hands latch on to thehull of hisManta,Grantwasrelieved.Unfortunately the bigman

realized that such relief was

only temporary. This wasonlyhisfirstencounterwithawingedmonstrosity powerfulenough to engage an armedManta. Another godlikebeing,differentinsomewaysfrom their usual Annunakiopponents, but stillformidable, still extremelydangerous.Hehoped thatCharunwas

alone, but even as he did so,he realized that things were

neverthateasy.

***

EDWARDS DIDN’T HAVE tosearchtoohardforwherethehammer went down. It hadproduced so much energy inits shield against the twinmachine guns on his Mantathat it left a smoke trail andits landingproducedahighlyvisible scar on the

countryside. So far, hissystems were continuinguninterrupted, but that didn’tmean the winged enemywasn’ttryingtoslipbackintoGreek airspace after beingdrivenoff.However,hedidn’twantto

waste any more of theManta’s endurance thannecessary, so he swung theaircraft low over the crater.As he did so, sensors in the

Manta’scockpitmeasuredthewidth and depth of the dentthe hammer hadmade in theground. It was only two feetindepth,and littlemore thantwoandahalf feetwide,butit was a crater carved intosolidrock.Edwards was no expert at

mathematics, but he’d seenlargebombsgooffbeforeandplaced the power of thehammer’s impact equal to

about twenty-five kilogramsof plas-ex. That was merelyfrom falling from a greatheight,notbeingthrown.Now he could see why

even a glancing blow hadalmost crushed Grant’sManta.Edwards landed the ship

and used the shadow suit onhisforearmasakeyboardandmonitor togather thecrater’sinformationandtransmititto

theothers.Ifanything,BrigidBaptiste would want to seethe physical environmentaleffectsoftheartifact.Itmightbe only pure trivia, but itcould also give the brilliantarchivist some form of scalefromwhich todetermine justwhattheywereupagainst.Edwards got out of the

cockpit and jogged closer tothehammer,lettingtheopticsin his shadow suit faceplate

continue to recordinformation about thehammer.Asheclosedwithit,he could see that the handlewas fully two meters inlength, and it was not madefrom any material herecognized. It was dull, notresemblingthepolishedbrassof secondary orichalcum orany other natural alloy theCerberus explorers hadencountered.

No, that was wrong,Edwards thought. There wasa woodlike grain to thehandle,but the shadowsuit’sanalytical optics were notregistering it as anythingcarved from a tree that he’dever seen.He frowned.He’dseen something made ofwoodbutnotwoodenbefore,andhewishedhe’dhadahintof Brigid Baptiste’sphotographic memory at

timessuchasthis.“Brigid,”Edwardscalled.“Thankyouforthecamera

footage of the artifact,” sheanswered. “What are yougoingtoaskabout?”“The handle. It looks like

some kind of material I’veseenbefore,but I can’tplaceit.I’mhoping…”“The Cedar Doors we

encountered underground inIraq,” Brigid responded. “In

mythology, they were thegates to an entire CedarForest, whose fruit, wheneaten, would provideimmortality. Unfortunatelysaideternalexistencecameinthe form of zombie-likereanimation andwas not fullof cedar trees as weunderstoodthem.”Edwards took a deep

breathof relief. “That’swhatwas bugging me. So, this is

fakecedar?Orapetrifiedtreematerial?”“It is possible,” Brigid

answered. “But I wouldpreferacloserlook.”Edwards grunted. “I’ll

babysitthisthinguntilwecangetarecoveryteamhere.”“Donotattempttomoveit

yourself,” Brigidadmonished.“Whoknows—”“Yeah, I wasn’t going to

get zapped by any security

systems built into a hammerthatcanpunchahole inrocklike fifty-five pounds’ worthof TNT,” Edwardsmurmured. “And while Idon’t know the kind of heatthat could incinerate twoounces of armor-piercingshell, let alone a wholevolley…” Edwards trailedoff, hoping for her to givehimaboneofinformation.“Even that calculation is

beyond my currentknowledge,” Brigidinterjected. “But the meltingpoint of lead is 328 degreesCelsius.”“That’d be nice if I were

shooting a handgun, but theFifties fire tungsten-coredbullets.”“Three thousand, four

hundred and twenty-twodegrees Celsius,” Brigidoffered.“Oh,my.”

“Tentimeshotter thanyouthought?”Edwardsasked.“Tenpoint four-three-three

rounded to the nearesthundredth, but, yes,” Brigidsaid.Edwards could hear the

smile in her voice as hedemonstrated at least asemblance of mathematicalskill, so that the big brawlershowed that he wasn’t acomplete drain on the brains

of the assembled CerberusAway Teams. “This is verydisconcerting.”Edwards nodded, even

thoughheknewthehead-bobwouldn’t translate over theCommtact. But if he gavevoicetohispersonalfears,hewould losemore than a littleof his appearance as a toughguy. Even so, he couldn’tdisagree with Brigid’s ownoutwardly calm evaluation.

The hammer’s powers wereformidable, easily asdangerous as the glove thatMaccan utilized in his attackon Cerberus, maybe evenworse, since it was a largeritem.Edwards’s curiosity led

him nearer to the deadlyhammer,examiningthecraterevenmoreclosely.Foralltheforce of its impact, it stoodflatlyonitsheadandhadnot

penetrated the bottom of thebowl.Thissetthehairsonhisneck on edge, because thatwas not how it should havebeen naturally. He recordedthis, and transmitted it toBrigid.“Edwards,donotapproach

anycloser,”shewarned.“Itfiredoffsomethinglike

a braking rocket, didn’t it?”Edwardsasked.“Yes,” she told him.

“Which means that theartifact, indeed, has somemannerofautonomy.”Edwards took a couple of

stridesbackward,butevenashe did so, he recalled theshapeof thehead. Itwasnotthe normal shape for asledgehammer, nor was it astylized T shape with Celticcarvings enmeshed on thesides, as the holy symbol forThor that Edwards had seen

before. This was a morecrystalline structure,semitransparent, flat-sidedbutheld inplacebywebbingforged frommoltenmetal. Itwas a hexagonal prism, withapairofhexagonalpyramidsformingthecapsoneachend,as if itwere a gigantic pieceofquartz.Except this quartz was

bloodred and glowed fromwithin as if possessed by a

hellish flame at its core. Thewhole thing had an eerieelectricity that madeEdwards’s skin crawl, evenbehind the protection of hisshadowsuit.Ashewas fullyenvironmentally enclosedwithinthehigh-techgarment,his instincts were onmaximumalertsimplyduetothe crackle of energy he feltintheair.Brigid Baptiste, as usual,

had been correct in herassessment. He’d gotten tooclose to an entity that couldprotect itself with the samefacility it had protected itswielder from the heaviest“small arms” that had everbeen developed. EdwardsflexedhisforearmandtheSinEater automatically launchedinto the palm of his hand,ready to spit lead. He didn’tthink it would be any more

effective than the heavymachine guns he’d firedearlier, but Edwards was notgoingtogointodeathwithoutafight.The throb of dread in the

air lessened the further hebacked from the alienweapon.“Okay.IfIdon’tmesswith

you, you won’t mess withme,”Edwardsmurmured.Ashe spoke he could feel a

tickle in his forehead, rightfrom the spot where theinhuman Ullikummis hadinserted the seed of his fleshinto his brain. With thataction, the ancient stonegodling had gained totalcontrol of Edwards, turninghim from a protector ofCerberus into an oppressive,dangerous marionette. Thefeeling was still raw insidehisskinandspirit.

Whateverthesourceoftheodd reminiscent feeling, itmade him angry, remindinghim of his violation byanotheralienmindaswellashis failure as a protector offreedom. As much as hefought, he’d still ceded hiswill to something else, nomatter how powerful. Thateven Brigid had likewisebeen changed and abused bythesamegodlingdidn’thelp,

asshe’dfoundawaytofightUllikummis’s control.Edwardshadn’t.Itstilldidn’tmatterthatthe

would-be conqueror was nolessthanthesonofEnlil,norengineered to even greaterabilities than a standardAnnunaki overlord. Edwardshadfallen,andhestillhadn’tfelt as if he’d washed thatstainfromhisspirit.Andrightnow,hefeltasif

the alien artifact in front ofhim saw that stain, smelledthestinkoffailureuponhim,andsawanopportunity.Edwards grit his teeth and

settled in, standing guard.The anger spurred by theshamehefeltmadehimwishsomeone would try to stealthehammer.He wouldn’t even have

minded going into battleagainst the winged

monstrosity when it returnedforitsproperty.

Chapter5

Perched on the nose of theparked Manta, his Sin Eaterretracted into its forearmholster, Edwards knew he’dbe waiting a while forsomeone to show up forCharun’s fallen hammer.Even at this distance, thirty

yards from where it’dcratered therockyhillock, itsemanations whisperedpromises of ancient evil upanddownhisspine.He checked his wrist

chron,adisplaybuiltintotheforearm of the sleek, body-conforming shadow suit,actually.Brigidhadcontactedhim again, alerting him thattheywouldbeonhispositionin about two hours. The big

Magistrate passed the firsthour and a quarter thinkingabout the brief, brutal aerialchase and battle he’dundergone. At supersonicspeeds,evenafewsecondsofmovement translated intomiles of ground to cover,especially since there were acouple of ranges ofmountains between him andNewOlympus.Even with the mighty

strides and leaps of theGearSkeletons,itwasunlikelythatthere would be an arrivalwithinthenextthirtyminutes.Edwards started to inform

himself not to take aerialcombat so far away fromfriendswhocouldcometohisaid, but his common sensekickedin.Thewholepurposeofairsupportwastodistanceaerialcombatantsfromtroopson the ground. Getting the

horrific Charun as far fromhis compatriots was the bestthingtodo.Hecouldn’thaveanticipated the presence of apowerful artifact in need ofrecovery.For amoment he saw that

he had two shadows on theground,lookingpastthewristchron. Edwards squinted,then looked back up into thesky.Up there, somehow,hadappeared a second brilliant

sun, blazing white and hot.He scrambled to his feet,standing on the front of theManta. The machine pistolsnapped down into his fist,ready to go into action, butthestrange,glowingdiscwasnot moving. He put on hisshadow suit’s faceplate andhoped for the visor to screenand filter out the blindinglight as well as analyze theobjectinthesky.

The range was ten milesanditwasadvancingquickly.HeactivatedhisCommtact

microphone.“Guys,whereveryouare…”Nothing. No response, not

even static. He turned hisgaze back to the sky. For allthepolarizationofthelenses,necessary for use on walksoutside the Manitus MoonBase,hecouldnotmakeoutadetailinregardtotheblazing

comet loomingeverandevercloser to him. But in thespaceoffifteensecondsithadclosed to nine miles. Hecouldn’tgetdetails about theshape of the object, only itsrange, and there was noguaranteethatitwasright.Edwardsturnedtoopenthe

cockpit, but the commandsignal to remotely open thecanopywas jammed.Hewasin a complete blackout. He

ground his teeth behind thefaceplate and looked back atthe hammer. “You wouldn’tbealone,wouldyou?”The hammer didn’t speak,

but it didn’t have to. Therewasanewmalicehanging inthe air; a smug sense ofsuperiority that provedannoying in humans but wasinfuriatingwhenitcamefroma supposedly inanimateobject.

Edwards tried to open themanual hatch, a backup incase of the failure of theremote access. The onlyproblem with that was thatnow the hatch was shut;immobilized by a force sostrong that even using hisfoot-long fighting knife hecouldn’t budge it open. Hebent the blade by sixtydegrees and gave up for fearof losing an important

survival tool or causinghimself injury should theblade shatter. In frustration,he gave the cockpit ahammering blow in an effortto somehow override theManta’ssecuritysystems.“Come on, open,” he

growled.The Mantas, however,

were machines meant towithstand the stresses ofsupersonic flightandre-entry

flights from the moon. Asstrong as Edwards was, hewas nothing compared to theforce of air pressure strikingthe atmosphere at multiplesof the speed of sound. Andwith the Manta sealed tightbytheinterferenceputoutbyCharunoroneofhispartners,it was far too late to grab afewgrensfromhiswarbag.All he had were his Sin

Eater and his Copperhead. It

was formidable firepowerwhendealingwithbanditsormindless mutants, but themind behind the ever-approaching torch wasencased in a body that hadsurvived a crash with aManta. Though his gun’sbullets moved at the samespeed as a Manta in fullacceleration, neither of thempossessedtherawmassoftheorbital transport.Hemightas

well be throwing kernels ofriceattheopposition.Edwards grimaced in his

impotence.Hecouldstayandprovide a brief, valiant, butultimatelydoomedresistance,oratleasttrytodosomethinguseful. Thinking ahead, heknew he had to opt for thelatterchoice.Edwardssighed,lookingat

the hammer in disgust, thenran, bounding off theManta.

Sticking around would besuicide, or worse, get himcapturedandusedagainsttheothers.Runningawaywasnotgoing to be his course ofaction,though.Edwards raced to find a

good spot wherein he couldhide his bulk. At least theshadow suit’s fiber opticswere still in workingcondition, picking up thesurrounding dirt and scrub

brush to disguise himamongthem. It wasn’t invisibility,but it was still greatcamouflage.The suit’s fiberswerealso radar-absorbent, sothat meant he might not bepicked up by any form ofdetection.Theenvironmentalseals in

place with his faceplate alsoprevented his scent fromescaping the skintightgarment. With all of these

precautions, however,Edwards was still worried.This wasn’t his first go-around with entities ofsuperhuman weaponry orability. One of the previoushad strunghimaround like amarionette, turning him froman individual fighting for thefuture of the planet to a footsoldiertryingtoconquerit.Therewasabowel-chilling

senseofdreadas theblazing

sun died down. Two wingedfigureshungintheairatleasta hundred feet above thehammer. Edwards almostflinched as the faceplateoptics zoomed in on them,almost as if they could hearthe electronics focusing. Heheldhisbreathinanefforttofurtherlowerhisprofile.Withhis body mass draped overthe Copperhead and SinEater, there were no metal

objectstoreflectradarpulsesor show up magnetically, hehoped.His thoughts were racing,

soifeitherofthesetwoweretelepaths, they would hearhim as if he were screamingat the top of his lungs. Hisfists clenched and he foughtto control himself, to deadenhis frantic mind. All thewhile, he hoped that thefaceplate was still recording

the image of these twoentities.Though theywerewinged,

neither set of appendages oneither appeared tomove, notCharun and his leathery,demonic adornment, or theother’s feathered limbs. Theother was far from beingCharun’s equal in ugliness.Instead of a scaled, liplesscrack with curved tuskssweeping up from his jaw,

hermouthwas lushwith lipslikeflowerpetalsorsucculentas orange wedges and thecolor of wine. Instead of ascragglyblackmane,thinningand pierced with yellowedhorns, her browwas smooth,withauburntressescascadingin looping curls that spiraleddownpasthershoulders.Charun’s skin was blue-

gray, holding the pallor of anear-mummified corpse,

despite the vital and bulgingmuscles beneath that ashen,crinkledhide.Herswasdeepandrichlytanned,vibrantandglowing from within; adecidedly Mediterraneanbronze gained by long hourstakinginthesun.She,likehe,was topless, her full,pendulous breasts jostling astheywereframedbyanXofleather straps that seemed toconnect her to either the

eerilymotionlesswingsorthequiveracrosshershoulder.Both of them were the

same height, nearing eightfeetfromtoe-tiptothetopoftheirheads.In one hand she held a

great, hornlike torch that hadfaded to merely thebrightness of ordinary flamenow. In the other she held abow. But even with hisgreatestmagnification on the

shadow suit optics, he couldnot see the string on theancient-seeming weapon.Instead, where the bowstringwouldhavebeennotched,oneach arm of the bow therewas a bejeweled block ofgoldenmetal that shimmeredwiththesamebrassysheenofaGearSkeleton.Therewasahand-molded grip in thecenter, with a stubbyprojection making it seem

like some form of pistolaroundwhichabowhadbeenbuilt.Edwards couldn’t help but

think that this device mightbe more than gaudy,ornamental,ancientweaponryand more a piece of alientechnology. The resemblanceof segments to secondaryorichalcum, the sameAnnunaki alloy in theOlympian war suits, was all

the evidence he needed tomaketheassumption.Speaking of the devil, the

woman extended her armwiththetorch.Withaflashofbrilliant flame, the groundsuddenly came alive withseveral pillars of sproutinglight. Edwards’s stomachtwisted as either his eyesadjusted to the brilliance orthe shapes of the pillarssolidified into human forms.

There were two GearSkeletons, and from Brigid’sbriefing, Edwards couldrecognize the Spartans ashaving the same ID numbersasthosereportedmissing.There were about twelve

soldiers with the two battlerobots, and the CerberusAwayTeammemberletoutalow hiss of his retainedbreath,inhalingtoreplacethestale air. The armored

warriors were clad in thefamiliar mix of modernMagistratepolycarbonateandclassicalGreekleatherarmor.The faceplates were open

on theirhelmets, though,andthrough the empty space,Edwardsmadeoutthewhite-eyed,slack-jawedexpressionsof the Olympian soldiers.They moved with normalagilityandwalkedapace,buttherewasliterallynothingbut

pinholesinthemiddleoftheireyes.Edwards’s molars ground

together until they locked inplace.Notgood.Notatall,hethought.The fluid nature of their

movements indicated that theblank-eyed soldiers were inperfecthealthandability,butthe unblinking, slack natureof their features warned ofsomethingdarker,deadlier,at

work than hammers capableofsmashingMantasfromthesky or torches that burnedwith the brightness of a sun.These were thralls, lostcompletely to the control ofanoutsideentity.And yet, for the soulless,

zombified expressions, theywere spread out, searchingcarefully for any sign ofEdwards, their guns at arms.The two Gear Skeletons

walked over and seized theManta, picking it up as if itwere a toy, further testimonyto the kind of raw power ofancient Annunaki robotics.Themecha beganwalking tothewest,carryingtheaircraftintheirpowerfularms.“The pilot might not have

gonefar.”Thewomanspoke,loweringcloser.Again, the motionless

natureofthosewings,despite

their classic angelic ordemonic shape, dug intoEdwards’s nerves. It onlytook him a few moments torealize that the appendageswouldn’t be natural, butartificial constructs designedtomatchahuman’sviewofawinged deity. He’d beenaround with Cerberus longenough to know whentechnology was theexplanation of something

occurring inmythology,be itthe hammer of a god orsomethingassimpleasflight.Thewingswere silent and

motionless on the backs ofCharun and his beautifulpartner,whichtookawayonepossibility that they weresome manner of jet pack orrocket belt. Indeed, the eeriequiet pretty much narrowedthingsdown to somemannerof antigravity system. As to

whytheirflyingdeviceswereso similar to wings…well,eventheMantahadwings.Itjust made flight andmaneuvering easier. Hecouldn’tseeflapsorailerons,but given their biologicalappearance, they could havebeensupple,enablingthemtosteer.This also explained the

lack of pain or reaction toinjurywhenEdwardshadput

a .50-caliber round throughCharun’s wing. He saw thescorchedhole, flesh split andtattered at the edges of the“wound.”Hisoptics couldn’tdetect any mechanicssandwichedbetweenlayersofleathery skin, but nor couldhe seebloodvesselsorothersignsthatthewingwasalive.As if on silent, telepathic

cue, Charun looked down athis injury, the limb bending

around sohecould lookat itmore closely. That tuskedmawturnedupat thecornersinasmile.The woman looked across

and met his smile with herown. Almost playfully,Charun brought the bullethole up to eye level andpeered at his partner throughthe aperture,which elicited alaugh from the angelicfemale.

It looked like a truefriendship between the twoentities, reminiscent of whathe had seen between Kaneand Brigid, the ability tocommunicate entire ideas injust a few gestures, becausethe audio pickups on hissuit’s hood were notconveying anything morethan breathing between thetwo.Theonlywordsshehadspoken seemed to be toward

the slave stock searching theManta’slandingarea.That spoke to either

telepathy between the flyingpairoran intimate friendshipthat often did not require asingleword.Edwards, at thispoint,wasdesperatelyhopingit wasn’t telepathy. Suchdoomie powers would makeall of the camouflage andhiding amoot, useless point.Thankfully, it didn’t seem as

if the zombified Olympiantroops had any more specialsenses as he lay, still as arock, his suit’s camouflagesystemmakinghim look likeinertstoneandsoilpiledasashortberm.Asoldierwalked towithin

inches of Edwards’smotionlessform,evenlookedright down at him, thencontinued on. The big bruteof amanmade a convincing

pileofrocks,butthatdidnotgive him the freedom tobreathe a sigh of relief.Instead he kept frozen,muscles tense to the point ofaching. His breathing ranshallow and he only allowedhimself to blink when hiseyesweredriedandburning.Itseemedlikehoursbefore

the soldiers moved on andCharun and his “bride” rosefurther into the sky. She

waved her torch, almostdismissively, and suddenlystreaksof the same light thatdeposited the Olympianzombies on the groundflashed up, sucked into thetongue. Charun alighted onthe ground just long enoughtoliftthemassivehammer.Edwards didn’t move his

head, didn’t do more thansweep his eyes to theperiphery of his vision at

either angle. He waited,remaining still despite thegrowing ache and fatigue inhisshouldersandneck.Hedidn’tknowhowlongit

was, but finally the heavytread of Gear Skeleton feetresounded again. Edwardsalmostdidn’twanttorelax.“Edwards!” a voice

shouted.When he turned hisheadtowardthesoundofthatcall, he could feel tendons

popping at the base of hisskull,makingitfeelasifhot,wet gore splashed down onhis neck. He winced andgasped.“Here,”hecroaked.A slender but muscular

figureracedtohisside.ItwasKane.He helped Edwards to his

feet.Looking around, he could

seeoneofthesuits,complete

with a quiver of javelins andbrassy, steel-wool curlsflowing down over hershoulders. That had to havebeenthenewArtem15.“We’ve been trying to

contact you for an hour,”Kanesaid.Edwards pulled off his

shadow suit hood. Beads ofsweat splashed andevaporated in the cool air oftheGreekafternoon.

Kane tilted his head andlookedattheCommtactplateon his friend’s jaw. Hesnapped it off its mountingandlookedcloseratit.“YourCommtact looks like itburnedout.WhathappenedtotheManta?”“Charun and his girlfriend

showed up,” Edwardsexplained. “With two of themissing mobile suits. ThesuitspickeduptheManta.”

“Girlfriend?” Kane asked,fishingintoabeltpouchforareplacement plate. Once hedid,hehandedittoEdwards,who donned the newcommunicator.Almost instantly he heard

Brigid Baptiste’s voice.“Givemeadescriptionofthisgirlfriend,”sheordered.Edwards launched into his

recorded memory, thentapped the interface on his

suit’s forearm. “I’m alsosending you the vid my suitcaptured.”“That is Vanth, and her

torch is of equal power toCharun’s hammer,” Brigidexplained.“And,yes,theyarepartners.Psychopomps.”“Psychos?Yeah, I can see

that,” Edwards grumbled.“Psychopomp…that’s not thesameascrazy,right?”“Theterm‘psychopomp’is

Greek. Literally translated, itis‘guideofthesoul,’’’Brigidtold themboth. “Choosers ofthe slain. Angels or sub-deitieswhotakepeopletotheafterlife.”“Thatexplainsthezombie-

like appearance of theOlympian soldiers searchingforme,”Edwardsadded.“The theft of their spirit is

a concerning development,”Brigid mused over the

Commtact. “As do Charun’srecovery of his hammer andthe disappearance of oursecond and currently onlyflight-capableManta.”Kane frowned. “You said

this torch could spit out thebodiesandthenpickthemupagain. Don’t yell at me forbeingwrong, but that soundsan awful lot like theThreshold or Lakesh’sinterphaser.”

“If that,” Edwards mused.“Itcouldbelikeoneofthosetrapsintheoldvids.Theoneswith the four guys fightingtheghosts?”“Turning the humans and

the mecha into energy, thenstoring it in that format?”Brigid inquired. “And, yes,Kane, I can see thesimilarities in yourassessment,aswell.”Edwardsfrowned.“Great.”

“What’s wrong?” Kaneasked.“I’m getting used to this

crazy shit,” Edwardsgrumbled.Kaneclappedhisfriendon

the shoulder. “Come on.There’s room for you onArtem15’sotherarm.”Edwards nodded and the

two men were picked up,gingerly,with a gentle touchbelying the robot skeleton’s

massive might. Once theyweresettledintothecrooksofthe giant’s elbows, it turnedand began to run; long,looping strides that crossedfirstfifteen,thentwenty,thenfinally thirty feet in a singlebound.The wind in Edwards’s

facewascoolandrefreshing,a release from the paralyzedcaution and stony patiencehe’d had to endure while

waiting for the arrival of hisallies.He still couldn’t shake the

feelingthathe’dleteveryonedown. No matter how muchinformation Brigid and Kanegot from his report and hisvid.

Chapter6

Smaragda sat at theconference table, hershouldersslumped,shocksofherwhite bangs hanging lowover her baggy eyes. Shestaredat the topof the table,but she was so deadened, sonumbed by the trauma of

losingherplatoon,shedidn’teven register thegrainof thefaux wooden veneer toppingthe furniture in front of her.Allshecoulddowasfighttheneed to close her eyes, todispel the horrors of herplatoon’sswallowing,tokeepthe echoes of their screamsfromringinginherears.She was clad in a nearly

shapeless sweatshirt thatcovered her arms, hiding the

recentworkshe’dcarvedintoit with a razor. The flesh ofher forearms was heavilycheckered now and was rawfrom the disinfectant she’dpoured over the dozens ofnew cuts to prevent sepsis.Smaragda hadn’t cut herselfsince she was a mereteenager, the focus and élanof being with the NewOlympian military stealingnot just privacy for the act,

but also drowning out theneedforcontrollingherpain.Nowherforearmsstankof

hydrogen peroxide,dampened somewhat by theloose bandages and therumpled sleeves of her top.She didn’t know if heracknowledgmentoftheodorswas just a strongmemory orif she truly was literallyreeking of it. Either way, itwastoolatenowasthelights

came on in the conferenceroom,peoplefilinginthroughdifferent doors. Smaragda’seyes rose slightly and shewatched her queen rollherself along on herwheelchair.Their eyes met as they

were at the same level, andSmaragda instinctivelylooked back down, wishingthat she could wither away,shrinkingintothegroundand

outof thepresenceofQueenDiana.She pressed her forearms

harder against the tabletopand the pressure on her skinallowed slowly healing snipsand cuts to pop open. Itwasn’t the samekindof rushas she got from pressing arazorbladeagainst it,but thepain still clouded herperceptions, takingheroutofthe moment, out of her self-

loathingfor…surviving.Conversations murmured

around the corners of herconsciousness and it wassomething that helped her tomuffle the distant memoriesof her dying friends. If onlyshe’d stood her ground…atleast she wouldn’t have feltso useless. No, she wouldhave had the beautifuldarkness of oblivion, herbody and soul swallowed

completely by the Stygiancloud,hersufferingendedbyitsravenousgreed.“So we have a new

development,” Dianaannounced, her voice cuttingsharply through both theconference room and intoSmaragda’s numbed mind.“Ourpeoplearestillalive.”Smaragda looked up,

staring at her queen, herhands clenching into tight

fists so that even her closelytrimmed nails threatened tospear through her palms.“What?”“They are alive and under

some form of mind control,or have had their bodiescommandeered by theEtruscan menaces,” Dianaclarified for her. “We havevideo of both the intrudersand our missing people,thanks to Edwards over

there.”Smaragda glanced in the

direction Diana pointed andsaw a brawny, broodingfigure,hehavingcasthiseyesdownward.“Justtryingtogetasmuch

as I could. I sureashellwasuseless in terms of fightingthose two,” Edwardsgrumbled.Smaragda turned and

glanced toward the screen,

thelightsdimming.“Myrto, see if you can

recognizeanythingoffof theinitial parts of the video,”Diana ordered. The queen’svoice held more than a littleconcern, something thedisgraced soldier couldn’tunderstand. If anything, sheshould have been executedforsuchadisgustingfailure.Why worry about me?

Smaragda mused silently.

Why even have me here atthistable?But even as she did so, a

smallmonitorwasslidtohersection of the table and shelookedattheflyingentities.“Didyouseeanythinglike

that?”BrigidBaptisteasked.Smaragda shook her head.

“Theonlythinganyofussawwas a literal flood of dark,churning smoke. However,wewere in thewoods, and I

couldn’t see through thecanopyoftrees.”Brigid nodded. “Perhaps

that is why there was thatformofmanifestation.”Smaragda looked down at

the screen, watching as herfriends suddenly appeared,deposited on the ground bystreams of light emanatingfrom the torch held by theflyingfemalefigure,Vanth.She could recognize them

by the subtle differences, thelittlebitsofcustomizationoneach of her fellow soldiers’armor, even before thecamera focused on the facesinside their open-visoredhelmets. She looked at onesetofeyesandherheartsank.Everyinstinctwastograbthetinymonitorandhurlitaside,but she didn’t even possessthe will to lift her arms, toeven touch the image of lost

brothers.Edwards leaned across the

table, his long arm snatchingup the tablet and turning itawayfromher.“She doesn’t need to see

thatshit,”thebigmangrufflyannounced. “Pardon mylanguage.”“It’s excused,” Diana

stated.“I’msorry,Myrto.”The failed soldier just

shook her head, tried to say,

“It’s okay,” but could onlymanage a mumbled, garbledsemblanceofhumanspeech.“Are you sure you’re all

right to continue thisdebriefing?” Edwards spokeacrossthetable.A hand rested upon her

shoulderandshelookeduptosee that it was BrigidBaptiste. Her touch wasdelicate and her expressionwasoneof concern. “Letme

talk with her alone,everyone.”Smaragda shook her head.

“Icanbeuseful…”“We know that,” Brigid

answeredher. “I justwant totalktoyou.One-on-one.”Smaragda looked into the

emerald, shining eyes of thetallwoman, seeing awarmththat made her dislike herselfeven more, not wanting todeserveanyofthatforallthat

she’d failed to do. And yetthe offered hand wasirresistible and she rose,guidedtoadoorway.

***

EVEN IF BRIGID BAPTISTEwere not possessed of aphotographic memory,enablingher to recognize thesigns of severe emotionaltrauma, she would have

noticed the turmoil thatwrapped up the frost-hairedSmaragda. Taking her intothe hallway, away from thepresence of others, shemanaged to give the youngwoman some privacy. Thecorner of the corridor waswelllit,butnoonewasusingit.“I’m sorry for dragging

down the debriefing…”Smaragdabegan.

“You aren’t,” Brigid toldher. She braced Smaragda’sface in both of her hands,locking eyes together. “Justlook into my eyes andconcentrateonmyvoice.”“Why? What are you

doing?”Smaragdaasked.“First, I’m going to get

your complete testimonywithout causing you moreconscious mental harm,”Brigid explained. “I’m

hypnotizing you now, lullingyoursenses,makingyou feelmore and more comfortable.As the notes of my voicestrum gently in your ears, Iam commanding your visualattention. With sight andhearing focused, calmed,youwill become more attunedtoward thecues that interferewith your detailed memory,as well as separate yourselffrom your emotional

barriers.”Smaragda’s dark, red-

veinedeyesslowlyunfocusedwith Brigid’s continueddescription of the hypnosisprocess,calmingher,fixatingher until Brigid was able todraw her hands away fromthegirl’scheeks.Smaragda stood stock-still

and the Cerberus archivistbegan asking her questionsandreceivinghonestanswers.

The trick to hypnosis wassimplyacaseofdistractionofthe conscious mind, takingaway filters of behavior andemotionthatwouldotherwiseinterfere with clarity ofcommunication.The shell-shocked soldier

was much more forthcomingin her responses, and didn’tseemasifshewantedtofoldherself away under the table.And since this was Brigid

Baptiste,notasinglesyllable,not a single impression,would be forgotten or lost inthe translation. Her brilliantmindabsorbedeveryfactanddescription uttered bySmaragda,aswellasopinionsandimpressionsonthingsshecouldonlyspeculateabout.The whole hypnotic

session took only fifteenminutes for the directquestioning and Brigid was

partially of a mind tocontinue, digging intoSmaragda’s self-loathing andattempttotakecareofit,likea surgeon having discovereda tumor in the midst of anoperation. However, Brigidrealized that if she attemptedto dig too deeply, she couldcauseasmuchharmasshe’dattempttoundo.No,meatballsurgery on the traumatizedyoungwomanwasnot going

tobeonthemenutoday.Smaragda’s healing would

have to come from a moreconventionalsource,butevenas Brigid closed out thehypnotic session, shecomplimented thewoman onher observational skills andher ability to bring vitalintelligencetoNewOlympus.Positivereinforcementon thesubconsciouslevelcouldbeaminor salve, but it wouldn’t

upset the Greek woman’sthoughtssuchasanattempttobury her feelings of self-loathing and survivor’s guilt.Putting that down deeper inSmaragda’s mind would beexactly the opposite ofremoving a tumor; it wouldbepushingapacketofsepticand diseased flesh into avulnerable set of organs,waiting for one moment tosplitandinfecttherestofher,

poisoningeverythingelseshedid.No, Brigid couldn’t

sublimatetherawfeelingsonSmaragda’s part. She couldonly attempt to leave animpression that she actuallyhaddonesomegood.With a snap, Smaragda

blinkedherbloodshoteyes.Therewasamomentwhere

the soldier seemed unsteadyon her feet, but Brigid

assistedherwitha firmhandonhershoulder.“What happened? It feels

likeIfellasleep,”shesaid.Brigid nodded. “In a way

youdid.Ihypnotizedyou.”Smaragda’s browwrinkled

as she looked up at the tallCerberus woman.“Hypnotized. You didn’t dosomething like make mecluck like a chicken ifsomeone says ‘dinner’ or

something,right?”“Nothing like that,”Brigid

answered.Smaragdamanaged a brief

flicker of a smile before shecasthergazetothefloor.“Atleast I was good forsomething.”Brigid put her arm around

the soldier’s shoulders.“Come on, let’s get back tothemeeting.”ThistimeshesatSmaragda

right next to Edwards. Thebigmanseemedconfusedforamoment.“She’s toohardonherself,

just like you,” Brigidmurmured. “Maybe keep aneye on her and take yourmindoffofyourill-perceivedfailures.”TheCATmembernodded.

“All right. I can takeahint,”headdedwithamockgrowl.“How’d you screw up?”

BrigidheardSmaragdaaskasshe returned to the head ofthe table.At thispoint,KaneandGrantputawaythecardsthey were toying with asthey’d waited for her toreturn. She chuckled at thetwo of them sitting back upand looking interested, as ifthey were schoolboys afraidof being busted by theirteacher.“I thought you would be

getting more informationfrom Diana and Ari,” Brigidsaid.“We did. But afterwe got

all of that, and showedmoreof the vid, we had time leftover,”Kanetoldher.“Whatdidyouget?”Grant

askedher.“I got deeper information

onthesituation,”Brigidsaid.“And it contrasts with theinterviewinonlyafewminor

errorsanddifferences.”“I told the truth,”

Smaragdainterjected.Brigid nodded. “You did.

But human memory is, formost people, a fickle thing.The human mind altersperceptions upon reflection,adding details that might nothave been there in theoriginal case, and ignoringothers that seemed irrelevantatthetime.Astudyinthelate

twentiethcenturyproved thateyewitness testimony wasonlyaccurate inone instanceout of ten where there wereother forms of corroborationsuch as audio and videorecording.”“Really?”Kaneasked.Brigid nodded. “In my

instance,thatkindoffilterformemory is missing, mostlikelyageneticanomaly.”“Like a doomie.”Edwards

spokeup.Domi shook her head.

“Brigid’s too smart for that.Doomies can’t handle thefuture.Theygetcrazy.Brigidlooksstraightback.”Brigid managed a weak

smile. She didn’t want tocorrect her friend and oft-times student Domi. Shecouldseethefuture,butonlyvia educated calculationsbased upon prior data, a

cause-and-effect form ofpremonition. She didn’tengage in it too often, onlyfor the purposes of planningfor battle and avoidingdangers. And even then, hercalculations were not onehundredpercent.“DidMyrtoseeanything?”

Dianaasked.“Shedescribed thefogshe

mentioned in detail,” Brigidstated. “And as our initial

evaluationofpotentialmyths,therewasaStygianaspect tothe cloud.Andyet therewassomethingequally familiar tous.Duringarecentexpeditionto Africa, we encountered asimilar unnatural darkness.Toeveryoneofoursenses,itwas something that was atruly physical entity. Notevenaflashlightorhigh-techopticscouldcutthroughit.”“What was it really?”

Aristotleasked.“It was a psychic

projection. One that was sostrong,itevennumbedtactilesenses,” Brigid stated. “So,what Myrto saw could havebeen something similar. Aformofsmokescreen.”“Whynotjustuseanactual

smoke screen?Wouldn’t thattake a lot of energy?”Aristotlepersisted.“Because theywere facing

soldiers. There had to be afocus for them to counter.Something akin to myhypnosis of Myrto,” Brigidexplained. “The black,invulnerable fog wassomething that could drawthe fire of the Olympiantroops without endangeringthemintheprocess.”“You mean that my men

wereopening fireon a cloudthat wasn’t there, and it

wasn’t even concealing theonesattackingus?”Smaragdaasked.Brigid felt some relief as

the soldier regained some ofthefireinherbelly.“It may have, in some

instances. But being a blackfogtoyourconsciousmind,itallowed you to shoot into itand not even register anyimpacts.Youcouldevenhavebeen steered to shooting

between your friends. Orhave known, subconsciously,where your brethren were. Itis no good to take people aszombie prisoners when theirown compatriots open fireand cut them down,” Brigidtold her. “In that way, youprotected your brethren,deliberately shooting not tohitthem.”Smaragda rested her

forehead on her palm.

“Wouldn’t it be amercy justto kill them than let thembezombies?”“We shall see. There may

be a means of recoveringthemfromthiscurrentstate,”Brigid offered. “And if thereis…”“Then shooting them

would be condemning themto death for no reason,”Smaragda concluded.“Damn.”

Brigid nodded. “There ishope.”“How did you tell that?”

Smaragdaasked.“I asked for every detail,

and more than once you, inyour hypnotic state, told methat you shifted your aim soas not to hit your friends.Evenwhen youwere alone,”Brigidsaid.Smaragda’s voice rose in

frantic intensity. “But the

cloudwasbulletproof.Itevenwas capable of smothering aGearSkeleton!”“So it appeared. But that

wasn’t the case,” Brigidreplied. “But yourunconscious mind could tellthat the pilots of those suitswere floundering, hesitant tostrikeintothefog.Whentheirguns went off, they wereshooting at empty air.Whenthe fog reached at them, it

was actually the capturedsoldiers and townspeoplefrom the Etruscancountryside.”“Those were…

townspeople.” Smaragdalooked down at her hands.“Didwe…?”“Again, the purpose of

expandingyour zombiearmywas not to lose them ascannonfodder,”Brigidsaid.“Howarewegoingtodeal

with them, then?” Grantasked. “It’s not as if we’vegot a means of blocking outenemythoughts.”“Maybe we do.” Edwards

spokeup.Everyone looked to him

and, as one, the groupunderstood what he wassaying. Edwards saw thezombified Olympian troops,and saw Charun and Vanth.As did the recording

equipmentonhishood.“Either the sealed helmet

or the optics providedeverything you needed toimmunizeyourselfagainstthemind-muddling effects,”Brigidsaid.Smaragdanodded,catching

up. “Our helmets aren’tenvironmentally sealed andthe‘fog’was invisible inourmultiopticvisors.”Brigidnodded.

“What about anyoneinside?”sheasked.“Only the two we sent in

initially.AndthenthetwowesentforNikloandHerc.Andthey were gone on the IR,”Smaragdasaid.“Wereyoustilllisteningto

the prayer on your radio?”Brigidasked.Everyone turned toward

her.“Prayer?” Diana asked.

“Whatprayer?”“Myrto heard a voice

inside a radio notewhile herhelmet radio was jammed,”Brigid advised. “You didn’tremember the anomaly onyourradioconsciously.”“To be honest, all I

rememberisthatcommswereall jammed up,” Smaragdareplied.“Just like with us,” Grant

pointed out. “Except we

didn’t hear anything otherthanstatic.”“Butthatisbecauseweset

the Commtacts to filter outbursts of transmission orwhitenoise,andmodulatethevolume down low,” Kaneoffered.“I hadmymicrophone off

and I set the Commtact topassive, only activating on…a recognized call fromanother on the same

Commtact network,”Edwardsadded.“So it was not even some

form of atmospherichallucinogen. It was a post-hypnotic suggestion carriedon the radio interference,”Brigid noted. “One thatallowedyoutorememberthealien prayer, but not enoughthatyoucouldtranslateit.”“Even so, we won’t take

chances for our infiltration,”

Kane said. “Shadow suithoodsonatall times.Myrto,webroughta suit foryou,aswell.”“Me?”thewomanasked.“You were there. Your

friends are in peril. You canguide us to the spot wherethey were taken, and theirfamiliarity with you willprovideuswithacoordinatedgroup once we free them,”Brigidtoldher.

“‘Once,’” Smaragdarepeated.“Youthinktheycanbesaved?”“It’s what we do,” Kane

informed the soldier.“Especially when someonehas their life literally pulledfrom them like this. I can’timagine a worse punishmentthanlosingyourownwill.”Grant looked to Brigid.

“So, half-hour hypnosis. Iknow you got the entirety of

thechantthatMyrtoheardontheradio.”“And I’ve been attempting

a translation as we speak.That was why I hadoverlooked the possibility ofthe transmission being acarrier signal for the originsofthefoganditseffectsuponthe Olympian soldiers,”Brigidreturned.“Multitasking in your

mind,”Kanementioned. “I’ll

never get over how you pullthatoff.”Brigid frowned.

“Especially while beingcautious about my efforts attranslation.There seem tobephoneticcuesthatmanipulatethoughtsineachword.Ihaveto separate the whole of thecontext to the point whereonlyoneword is transcribed,andoutoforder.”Grantwinced.“I’malready

getting a headache trying tofigurethatallout.”“So when do we leave?”

Selaasked.“In the morning,” Brigid

said. “I’ll need time to workon the translation. It is afrustrating blend ofBabylonian and Etruscan,which is annoying as it’s aprototypical language toLatin…andthereareonlytenthousand textual examples of

the tongue that I can workfrominthismix.”“Only ten thousand,”

Dianamurmured.“AndmostofwhichIhave

not read,” Brigid confessed.Even though she couldn’thave been expected to knoweverything, she hated feelingunderprepared for thismission, especially in regardtolinguistictranslation.“Get some sleep at least,”

Kane ordered. “And I meanyou,too,Myrto.We’regoingto pay a visit to Vanth andCharun. Without the benefitofarmoredsupport.”Aristotle frowned. “I’m

sorry, my friends, but thatsoundstoodangerous.”“To you, it sounds

dangerous,” Grantinterrupted. “To us, it’sanotherdayattheoffice.”

Chapter7

BrigidBaptistemadeherwayto the quarters she wassharingwithSelaSinclairandDomi. The Mount Olympusbarracks were full, so theaccommodation of anindividual room for each ofthe Cerberus envoys was an

unlikely thing.Theother twoCerberusAwayTeamwomenhad agreed to share theirquarters while Kane wasstuckwith thegiganticGrantand Edwards as his “dorm”partners.“Still not walking good?”

Domiasked.Brigid had wrapped her

sprainedankleunderneaththeleg and boot of her shadowsuit. It had been all right for

thestartoftheday,butasthetime stretched later, the achegrewandgrew.“It’sjustslowingmedown

alittle,”Brigidreturned.Thelittlealbinoslowedher

pace to match Brigid’s, thenlet thetallerwomandrapeanarm over her shoulders.Brigid appreciated Domi’stightly muscled armsupporting the small of herback. Sinclair dropped back

and lent her shoulder for theotherside.“Honestly,” Brigid said.

“I’mnotacripple.”“We’re a team,” Sinclair

told her. “We watch out foreachother.”Brigid smiled. “Thank

you.”“Besides, you interrupted

workout,”Domiadded.Brigid looked to the ruby-

eyedgirl,afrownturningthe

corners of her mouth down.“Are you saying carting mearoundisaworkout?”“It’s not like toting Grant

around,but…”Sinclairpipedin.“Andit’sabigbutt.”Domi

giggled.Brigidwrinkledhernose.“Just kidding, girlfriend,”

Sinclairsaid.“I know you are,” Brigid

repliedwithmorethanalittle

indignity. “But you twojokerswouldn’t be having asmuch fun if I took it instride.”With that, Brigid lifted

both feetoff thegroundwithagrinandSinclairandDomilet out gleeful yelps as theywere suddenly off balance.Before anyone fell, though,she put her feet back down,wincing as that action onlyaggravated things more,

whichonlyadded toBrigid’slaughter, this time at herselffor being so silly that sheendeduphurtingevenworse.The three of them reached

their quarters and Domi andSinclair helped Brigid ontoher cot. It had been a longday of preparations andbriefings,sogettingsomerestwould be good for all ofthem. Tomorrowwould be ahuge day and there was no

telling what Charun andVanthweretrulyupto.Brigid was glad for the

sheer comfort of the shadowsuits. Their body-conformingnature and environmentaladaptations made them quiteeasy tosleep inwithoutneedof a cover, so she merelystretched out on her cot’smattress.Therewas a stretchand a tentative pivot of herfoot on the other end of her

soreankle.Shehadn’tcausedserious harm to it with herhorseplay, so once that wasdone,sheclosedhereyes.Evenasshedidso,shewas

only resting some of herbrilliantbrain.Theotherpartwas still working, separatingand attempting to translatetheindividualsyllablesoftheancientsong.Brigidimaginedherself sitting in an emptyroom, the object of her

translation separated ontodifferent note cards that shecouldarrangeappropriately.Thereweregreat segments

of this blasphemous-feelingchant that had grammaticalsyntax that made Germanseem blunt andstraightforward. Merelymoving words and syllablesseemed to alter the chantdramatically. All the while,she kept herself on guard

against any hidden messagethat could manifest itself asan “information virus” thatwouldthreatenher.In her barren, mentally

constructed study, she heldoneof thecards,andthoughtbacktoZaragoza.There, too,had been a hellish song,which had stolen lives,literally. This had been donemathematically, and as soonas she thought of that, she

mentally summoned achalkboard with Ereshkigal’ssonguponit.That had been an easier

translation simply due to thefactthatithadbeenspokenina living language, not onedead,without theoptionof astill-extant speaker providinga verbal context. Brigid hadthought about speaking thesongthatSmaragdahadheardand allowing the Commtact

and its built-in translationmatrix to take care of anyunderstanding.This one was different,

though. Ereshkigal sang hercallofsuicideinSpanish.This language was a dead

and gone variant of Italian,much more primitive, andseededwithwordsoriginatingon lips not too different thanthose of the Annunakioverlords who had been the

originoffartoomanythreatstotheworld.Brigid turned to the

shadowy tune of Ereshkigal,then back to the song ofVanth and Charun. Theancient goddess whotormented Zaragoza ferriedher tune of reanimation ontemplebells,urginglifetothetownspeople who had takenher song to heart and killedthemselves. The shambling

walkers were of a differentflavor than the Olympiantroopswho carried a lifeless,dead-eyedpallor.Thosewereactual revenants, horrors thatshould have been buried orreturnedtothecycleofdeathand life being eaten byscavengers.This instancewas the theft

of some form of energy,rendering them as operativesfor the two winged horrors.

Brigid didn’t want tospeculateonthepotentialofahuman soul as that kind ofpower source, but as sheticked down through thepossibilities, eliminating allthe possibles, nomatter howimprobable,shefoundherselfcomingtotheconclusionthatitwasthetheftofjustsuchahigher mental function thatwas at fault. And whypreservethebodies?

Charun and Vanth bothshowed the capability tooverwhelm even the armedMantas, as well as otherphenomenal feats. The veryact of using her torch as akind of threshold/interphaserproved to be more thansufficientasaweapon,tothepoint where she’d beencapable of transporting adozen humans and two gianthumanoidrobots.

Brigid lookedcloserat themonitor, studying how theGear Skeletons were notsummonedback to the torch;they were too busy carryingthe Manta overland, backtoward the west. Thismomentarily confused her,when she realized that theMantawasn’t connected to aliving being, much like thepiloted oversize battle suits.The amputee pilots were

literally plugged into thepowerful robots bymeans ofa cybernetic access point ontheir spine. As much as theOlympian soldiers were ableto be transported along withtheir weapons and armor,there must have been someformof“lifeprerequisite.”Or, simply, it could have

been that therewasanactuallimit to how much the torchcould pick up and deposit.

Occam’s razor. Vanth hadcome to retrieve Charun’shammer, and possibly takethe human pilot who’ddisarmed her partner. Thatwaswhy therewasa limitofhowmany soldiers and GearSkeletons were transportedin.“So you do have limits,”

Brigidmused,quicklyaddingup the combined weight ofthe deposited Olympian

troops, the two skeletonsandthe Manta. “And on closerexamination,shedecidedthatshe couldn’t ferry theweightof the Manta. However,rather than destroy the ship,she’s using it as bait for thepilot and his companions…namelyus.”Brigid rubbed her chin as

she watched the two beings.They weren’t moving theirlips and neither of them had

spoken aloud to be heard onthe audio pickups in theshadow suit hoods. And yetthey did seem to have ashorthand;gesturesandfacialexpressions that told eachother as much as anyconversation could. Brigidhad seen similarrelationships, between Kaneand Grant, primarily, and itwas slowly growing amongthemembersofCATBeta.

It was also an element ofher friendship with Kane.Thesetwohadbeentogether,seeminglyforever.Andyet,ifthey had been around for solong, what would have beentheimpetusfortheirsuddenlyexpandingtheirinfluence?Of course, there had been

thewarwith theHydrae andDanton that kept NewOlympus from hearing aboutthe winged “soul thieves.”

With that kindof distraction,therecouldhavebeenendlesswars going on on the Italianpeninsula, and the besiegedOlympians wouldn’t haveheard a clue. Only recentexpansion of trade andexploration allowed them theluxury of exploring furtherthantheirdoorstep.Brigid went back and

played the testimony shereceived from Diana and

Aristotle. In her memoryconstruct, she put down asmall room, the conferencetable where the Olympianregentsspokewithher.She knelt to look into the

room, to play back thescene…and something gaveherpause.Shelookedaroundat the note cards strewedacrossherworkarea.Evenasshe was multitaskingmentally, there was an

anomaly, an oddity that wasitchinginhermind.Brigid cleared the

distractions, returning herwhite room to its clean state.It was a symbolic means ofcleansing her mind ofeverything competing for herattention, and it usuallyworked.Notnow.Themental note cards, for

alltheirexistenceatthewhim

of her will, had notdisappeared.“Dammit,” Brigid

murmured. “There is muchmore psycho in thesepsychopomps than Ianticipated.EvenSmaragda’stestimony has a dangerousweighttothem.”The note cards began to

swirl around, building into atwisting dust devil. Thoughthis was all occurring in

Brigid’s mind’s eye, she feltthe pressure of the windsbuilding. She pursed her lipstightly and immediatelysummoned a brick wallbetweenherselfandtherisingstorm.“You’re in my mind,

whoever you are,” Brigidannounced. “And you walkhereatyourperil,intruder!”The note cards rattled

against the wall she’d

constructed out of her willandshethenheardahissshewasn’t quite certain of.Within moments, however,shesawsharpcornersslicingthroughthewall,tryingtodigdeeper, to penetrate thebarrier of her mentaldefenses.Brigid slammed another

wallagainsttheother,buyingherselfamomentmore.Inthesame instance she armored

up, summoning a variant ofKane’s and Grant’s oldMagistrate armor, a carapacethat in the real world wascomposed of blackpolycarbonate materials andKevlar, rendering her twopartners immune to all smallarms.Thisone,however,wascast in the same shade ofemerald as her eyes, a smallamount of narcissisticaffectationonherpart.

Withina fewmoments thesecond wall was sliced toribbons by the active,dangeroussongofVanthandCharun.Brigid held her ground,

summoning her own versionofaSinEater.Thisone,however,wasnot

ameregun.Thiswasafocusof her personal will, a twin-barreled beast that bracketedher right hand like the claws

ofacrab.Thenotesstoppedswirling,

thetornadoofforcethatmadethem up fading and settlingintoashape.Itwasawingedwoman, tall and beautiful,withflowinghair.It was Vanth, and she did

not have her torch. But shedidpossessherbow.“Pitiful human.” Vanth

spoke. “You have let me in,andthatisyourdoom.”

Brigid smirked. “I’ve hadworse between my ears,lady.”In a flicker of motion

Vanth raised her bow andopened fire with it, arrowsspitting out as if she wasfiring a machine gun. HadBrigid not steeled herselfbehind the armorofherwill,it would have provedimpressive, but even as shestoodherground,shefeltthe

pricks of dozens of impacts.The archivist swept the endsofthearrows,snappingshaftsoff her armor. A moment ofconcentrationand thewingedhuntress’s arrowheadspopped from her shell,clatteringtotheground.“Youresist,”Vanthmused.“BecauseIknowwhatyou

are.Iknowwhattheseattacksare. And having lookedbehindyourcurtain…”

Brigid swept up herdouble-barreled Sin Eater,spitting out molten yellowspears of flame that lashedtoward Vanth. The goddesslet out a wail of surprise,folding her wings aroundherself as Brigid’s mentalcounterattack splashedagainstherfeatheredshields.Brigid could feel the

blazing heat of her ownonslaught and watched as

feathers fluttered away,burning and flickering out ofexistenceon thebattlegroundofhermind.Brigid opened fire again,

slashing another searingswath of destruction. Vanthspreadherwings and flewatthe last moment before theCerberus warrior’s beamsstruck. Vanth shot up like arocket, accelerating awayfromBrigid.

“No. This is not how weplay this game,” Brigidgrowled.Shegaveamomentof concentration and then inthe next instant she wasparalleltoVanth,whohurtledthroughthewhitevoid.Vanth’s face flashed from

grinningvictorytoshockandsurprise.“What?”“I’ve spent a lot of time

alone in my mind. I knoweverythinginsideit.Itislarge

enough to encompass auniverse,butthereisnowherethat any intruding program,no mathematical trick ofthought, can escape myfocus,”Brigid told theenvoyof the goddess. “You areinside my brain and I ameverywhere!”With that,Brigidcut loose

once more. This time Vanthwasunabletobringherwingsuptoshieldherself,norcould

she swerve. The twin-barreled burst of energyslammed into Vanth’s near-naked chest, the heat of theEarth’s own blood searingandcharringflesh. Insteadofthe stench of human flesh,however, itwasodd, twisted,alien. It did not matter, forBrigid’stakeontheSinEaterheld a bottomless supply oftheblazingenergyofherwill.She held down the trigger,

blocking out the huntress’sscreamsofpainandthesnap-popofroastingfleshandfattytissues.A charred wing swept

around,slammingintoBrigidhard enough to break herconcentration, ending thefountain of lavalike fury thatshe’d unleashed. The blowsent thearchivist intoawhirland she took every ounce ofwillpower to stop her

dizzyingspin.“I am a song that has

swallowed hearts and mindsacross two universes,”Vanth’savatar saidasBrigid“landed,” lying prone fromthe dizzying impact. “Girl,you have no concept of howin over your head you trulyare.”Brigid looked up. “I’m in

myownhead.Notinoverit.”Vanth fluttered down

closer to the prone BrigidBaptiste. It had replaced itsbowwithaspear.“Iwillpeelyououtofyourdefenses,andthenIwilladdyouto…”Brigid narrowed her eyes

andVanth paused as she feltchangesaroundher.“…add you to the…

power…”Figures began to appear

around the winged huntressas she floated over Brigid.

Firstdozens,thenscores,thenbythehundredsuntilthetwoofthemweresurroundedbyasphere composed of womenwho looked exactly likeBrigid Baptiste, complete inherarmorofwill.“The power of what?”

Brigiddemanded.“Who…what?” Vanth

asked, turning, looking upand down. “Thousands ofyou.How?”

“You’re the onewho is inover your head. And undermine,” Brigid returned. Sherose from the “ground,”floating up to the avatar ofVanthunleashedinhermind.“Youwantmyintellect,for

what?”Brigidasked.“The torch,” Vanth

answered.“Toopentheportalfor the bodies to passthrough.”“To go home?” Brigid

continued, getting closer toher. The goddess was nowsufficiently cowed. Vanth’ssharp senses picked up thateveryoneoftheotherBrigidsheldaSinEatersimilartotheone that had hit her so hard,causedhersomuchpain.Vanth’s attention locked

ontoBrigid.“Yourworldwillbecomemyrace’snewhome,human.”Brigid nodded. Her lips

curled with anger at thisentity inside hermind, beingproudandcheerfuloversuchablasphemousideal.“And when we come, it

will be as a plague,” Vanthwarned. “An endlesshorde…”Brigid floated backward

from the armed huntress. “Itsounds fascinating, but I’llkeep my brain here…andyourplagueontheotherside

ofourdimension.”With that, Brigid willed

herself into all of the copiesshe’d placed around theintruder in her mind. ToVanth, it looked as if she’ddissipated like a windblownfog. In actuality, Brigid nowlooked at the mathematicalvirus input into her mindfrom thousands of points ofview…over the sights of herwillweapon.

“Goodbye,”themillionsofBrigidstoldtheVanthavatar,and she pulled the trigger.The universe of Brigid’smind’seyeturnedtothecolorof raw,blazing lava, the roarand heat manifesting intoactual sweat on her browwheresherestedonthecot.“Brigid?”ItwasDomi’s voice, from

the real world. Brigid couldfeel the slender but rough

fingersofthegirlpressingonher shadow-suited shoulder,hear the notes of concern inher little friend’s voice. Hermillion guns opened up,working to crush the Vanthavatar, and even as theyattackedher,shewatchedandfelt as slashes of sickly lightcarved through herduplicates.That hurt. The torch’s

searinglightfeltaspainful,as

horrible, as her owncounterattack seemed whenshedamagedVanth.“Brigid!” This time there

was panic in Domi’s voice.“Wakeup!”“One moment,” Brigid

calledout.TheVanthentitycontinued

to crumple under myriadrelentlesscounterattacksfromBrigid’swill.Theintruding…virus. The intruding virus

wasn’t lettinggo, firingbackwith everything she couldsummon. In addition to thetorch’s flame, arrows flew,darting out, and Brigid felther chest tighten, stung bythose phantom shafts. Insidethe Magistrate armor of herwill, she was soaking wet,trying hard to breathe whilethe spike of agony stuck inherbreastbone.“Go away. Die now!”

Brigid growled. She realizedthatshewasinsuchamentalstruggle she’d reverted tohow Domi would speak inthissituation.Domi,help.Andwith that summons, a

simulacra of the feral albinogirl appeared, cladmerely inher black suit, bare-handedand barefoot, but drawingtwindaggersfromsheathsonher hips. Like a snowy owl,

she swooped down uponVanth, those black talons ofhers carving deep into theburned and battered goddess.The creature sang out a wailof pain as diseased blue puseruptedfromeachofVanth’swounds. The once soft andsupple-looking torso of thewoman was in placesblackened, charred, andwhere the shell of its skinsplit, the milky blue gunk

seeped, blackening like oilwhen it lit against thesurroundingflames.Somewhere in a part of

Brigid’s mind, she realizedthat the tintofVanth’sbloodresembledthesicklypallorofCharun. Perhaps a sign ofancient injuries incurred inthedeeppast.In the meantime Brigid

summoned up Kane andGrant,aswellasSinclairand

Edwards. IfVanthwanted totake her over, then Brigidwould take strength fromherfriendship, the very reasonshe was fighting so hard topreventthewingedhuntress’stakeover of her mind. ForshouldthealiengoddesstakeBrigid over, turn her againstthe others, then there wouldbeverylittletostandbetweenthe twowinged invaders andthe rest of theworld.They’d

already showed their deadlyadeptness at taking over theGearSkeletonsandOlympiansoldiers. They were givingher a struggle to the pointwhere she was sufferingpsychic and physicalexhaustion.And with her five friends

leaping into action,hammering at the Vanthvirus, Brigid had a breather.Herchestno longer felt as if

itwerepinionedbyanarrowwhenshebreathed.Thesweatwas cooling from her brow.Herstrengthgrew.No more cockiness. She

leftupherfriendsanddoveinherself.For it was through

teamwork that Brigid was ather ultimate strength. Toomany incidents hadreinforced that it was thecombined talents, skills and

attributes of the Cerberusexplorers that provided thebest results. Together, theyhad dared the godsthemselves, and thisfragmentaryessencewasnowcrumbling, pieces shatteringoff of her charred form,bursting into puffs of ash,thankstothatknowledge.Her summons of friendly

thoughts gave her all sheneeded.

And as soon as the virusattackhadbegun,itwasover.Brigid knelt, her friends

fading back to where they’dcome from, the imagesdissipating as quickly as thecharred embers of Vanth’sintrusion. Merely gettingbacktoherfeettookasmuchwill as it had taken to battlethe virus. Her legs felt likerubber and when she wasfully stood, shegulpeddown

deeplungfulsofair,tryingtorecharge and replenish whatlittle remained in herreserves.She spent more of her

mental energy, takinginventoryofherself,scanningfor signs or remnants of theVanthentitythathadinvadedher mind via the song. Allthat was left were the actualwords and notes of thetransmission that tormented

Smaragda so. Finally, duringthe battle, her translation oftheenemymessagehadbeencompleted. It was assembledon a board, giving thearchivist all she required forunderstanding the ancientrhyme.It also felt hollow, again

like the song of Ereshkigalwhenshe’dreaditinEnglishfrom the Spanish. Whateverinformation virus, whatever

hypnoticenergy,wasinthosewords was gone, strippedaway. Its remnantswere alsoexpungedfromhermind.Shehoped.“Brigid!”With that she opened her

eyes and was back in “theworld.” Both Sela SinclairandDomiwerestandingoverher on the cot. Domi had atowel in her hand and wasblotting away sweat on her

brow.“I’m fine,” she muttered,

mouthdryandgummy.“You didn’t sound it,”

Domi returned. “You weredrenched with sweat andmutteringinyoursleep.”“You didn’t listen closely,

did you?” Brigid asked. Shedidn’t know if her partnerscould actually handle thesong if she’dspoken it aloudwhile in the throes of battle

withVanth’savatar.“You were sputtering

gibberish,” Sinclair offered,“and given what you aretranslating, we pulled on thehoods and killed the audiofeed. Once you stoppedmovingyour lips,weslippedthem off. But you were stilllaying there and sweating upastorm.”“You were right to do

that,”Brigidsaid.“Itwasthe

songofVanth.Iwasfightingitseffectsinsideme.”DomihelpedBrigidtosit.As sore as she’d been in

her“white room,”Brigid felta similar dull ache fromwhere Vanth’s arrows hadstruck her in the chest. Shetouched herwrist, taking herownpulseanddoingamentalinventoryonherbody.“Let’s see if there’s a

doctor on duty,” Sinclair

suggested.Before Brigid could say

anything, the rest of theCerberus Away Teammemberscamein.It was all she could do to

layback,theburningbeneathher breastbone a reminder ofthe brutal battle she’d justfought.

Chapter8

“You nearly died in youradventure with Enlil and gotright back to work!” BrigidsnarledatKane.“The doctorswant to have

you wait on your cardiacenzyme results,” Kaneresponded. “Just to make

certain you aren’t flirtingwithaheartattack.”“Andweletyou…”Brigid

murmured.“Don’t get excited,

Baptiste,” Kane ordered.“Thelastthingweneedisforyoutorushintoaction.That’swhy you wanted us to bringCAT Beta along with us,right?”Brigid’s lip curled in a

sneer.

“Besides, according toDomiandSela,youhadyourfairshareofadventurebeforethe rest of us, fighting thatthing in your mind,” Kaneadded.She folded her arms, body

language for cutting herselfoff from him or what he’dsay.Kane knew that when she

gotintooneofthesestubbornmoods, it would take a

shifting of continents to getthrough to her. No matterhow much he repeated thatshewastheoriginoftheideaof relying on CAT Beta tomake up for weaknesses andinjuries among the CATAlphateam,shewasinasnit.“Baptiste?” Kane asked,

trying to drawher out of hergrump.“Goon themission,Kane.

Just go. I brought this onto

myself by trying to translatethatchant,”Brigidgrumbled.Grant leaned his head into

the hospital room. “I’d sayshe learns fast, but that’sprettyobvious.”“Onceshewasthestudent,

now she’s the master ofgrump,”Kanesaidback.“You think this is funny?”

Brigid challenged. “Not onlyam I sidelined, but I’msidelined because of my

damnedcuriosity!”“Sobecauseyou’remadat

yourself, you threw a metalpan at my head?” Kaneasked.“Like I could hit youwith

such a non-aerodynamicobject.”Brigidgrunted.“Youcould duck that in yoursleep.”“Well, thank you for the

vote of confidence,” Kaneanswered as Grant handed

himthenow-dentedbedpan.“How’s the ankle?” Grant

asked.“I aggravated it in

horseplay with Domi andSela,”Brigidsaid.“You have been a busy

girl.”Grantchuckled.“Not another laugh. Not.

One. More,” Brigidthreatened.Grant showed her the

palmsofbothofhishandsin

a sign of surrender. “Notanother.”Brigid sighed and lowered

hergazeatherself,reclinedinthehospitalbed. “Howcomeneither of you get hurt badlyenoughtomissoutonall thefun?”“We’ll transmit as much

information back to you aswe can, if we find relics,”Kaneoffered.“Goon.Justmakesureyou

know how to program theinterphaser,”Brigidinsisted.“We know,” Kane

returned.“Don’t make me hobble

out of this bed and come toyour sorry rescue!” Brigidadded.Kane backed into the

hallway, handing off thedented bedpan to a nurse.“You and your partners havemydeepestsympathies.”

The nurse peered aroundthe corner. “Don’t worry.She’s not the first soldierwe’vehadtodealwith.”“She’s a beast of a

patient…”Grantwarned.“We’ve dealt with Queen

Diana when she was stillArtem15,”thenursereturned.“Shewasthedefinitionofthebeast.”“I hear you talking about

me!” Brigid spoke over the

Commtacts for Kane andGrant, causing both men towince.“Aw, crud,” Grant

rumbled.“We’ll never get rid of

her,”Kaneadded.“Damned straight,” Brigid

concluded.“Behave, Baptiste. Just

because you hypnotized theCAT teams and Myrto toguard against the song of

Vanth doesn’t mean you canbelazy.Healupandjoinus,”Kane told her before turningoffhisCommtact.A moment later he felt

Grantslaphiminthebackofthehead.“What was that…?” Kane

began. Then he shook hishead. “Brigid wants the lastword.”“Gettingsoyouwon’tneed

these things anymore,

partner,” Grant concludedwithalaugh.

***

THE CERBERUS EXPLORERSand Myrto Smaragda werebackattheOracle,justastheinterphaser beamed in fromtheir redoubt.Kanekneltandentered the coordinates ontothe small keypad built intothe side of the pyramidal

device.TheinterphaserwasameansofexpandingthereachoftheCATteamsbeyondthelimitations of the mat-transnetwork in various redoubts.There were weaknesses inutilizing the local mattertransmission chambers as thedamage to the Olympianredoubtproved.Their Greek allies literally

could not receive or sendvisitors via the mat-trans,

though thankfully theCerberusRedoubtwasabletorescue people trapped behindcollapsed tunnels within theHera Olympiad-ravagedheadquarters. Rescue teams,includingKaneandtherestofCATAlpha, aswell as CATBeta, retrieved the injuredand the imprisoned andbrought them back via theparallaxpointatoptheOraclepeninsula.

Hundreds of lives thatcould otherwise have beenlost were given a secondchance. Efforts to retrievefurther supplies trappedwithinthedepthswentviathesame circuit, but not like thehectic, constant matterjumping of those first fewdays of search and recovery.Itwasalsotheonlymeansofgetting maintenance teamsdown to work on the deep

undergroundnuclearreactors,sent in forweek-lengthshiftsalong with appropriatesupplies.The last thing that Kane

andtheCerberusstaffwantedwas a nuclear meltdown inthe Mediterranean, causingloss of life throughout NewOlympus and its environs.They had too many friendsandtherewerealsotoomanypotential allies out there for

themtoriskafailureofthosereactors.“We’re still going to have

to walk a ways,” Sinclairmentioned. “According toLakesh, there had been aparallax point on the Italianpeninsula until three monthsorsoago.”Kane frowned at the idea

they had been literally sobusy over the past monthsthat the disappearance of a

majorparallaxcrossroadswassomething listed as far downon the priorities of theCerberus explorers. Only themention of a danger in theEtruscan countryside sparkedthe memory of that mysteryin Lakesh’s mind. “Threemonths.”“The point is turned off?”

Smaragdaasked.“Howisthatpossible?”Kane tapped in the

coordinatestotheinterphaser.“Vanth and Charun have tobebehindthatdevelopment.”Smaragda’seyesnarrowed.

“So,theyhaven’tbeenawakefor long. The stories that wereceived go back at least sixmonths. What were theydoingthefirsttwoorthree?”“Wakingup.They’vebeen

asleep for a while,” Grantsaid. “Brigid said that theworshipofCharunandVanth

ended around three thousandyearsago.Theyonlywokeuprecently.”“Gathering people to

power the device that hashijacked the parallax point,”Sela added. “Because there’sno way that you can dosomething likecutoff accessto a wormhole without anassloadofpower.”Kane frowned. “Gathering

up the energy to shut down

the parallax point usingbrains.Humanandotherwise,given your account of thebirds.”“Zombified humans is one

thing.Butthesongbirdsweredownrightcreepy,”Smaragdaresponded.“Brigid did say thatVanth

wanted her brain and soul toaddtoopeningadoor,”Domiadded. “The points arealready doors for us. Maybe

they want to change wherethedooropens.”“Tounleashthehordesasa

plague,”Grant repeated fromBrigid’sdebriefing.“If I didn’t know any

better,I’dthinkthatwhenshehypnotized us, she plantedseeds of answers for thequestions we’re asking rightnow,” Sinclair mused, herarmsfolded.Edwards chuckled. “Like

none of us have learnedanything from ouradventures?”“Yeah. We picked

Edwards for the Cerberusteams for more than just themuscles he’s wearing on hisarms,”Grantadded.“There’ssome working musclebetweenhisears.”“All of our ears, yes,”

Sinclairanswered.“Butwe’rethinkingaboutparallaxpoints

as doorways that can behijacked. And the whole‘dragon roads’ thing as acircuit board that can berewired.”Kane stood, looking down

at the interphaser. “What’swrongwith that? Imean, it’snot as if Lakesh hasn’texplainedthatinsimpletermsfor us foot soldiers enoughtimes.NorBrigid.”The air around the group

began to hum, laser beamsspraying out in a patternaround them.The interphasercreated a matrix of energysurrounding them, plasmavortices taking on theappearance of mist and fog,litandglowingunder theraybeams shimmering from thepyramidal device’s top. Thefivepeoplewere transformedfrom solid matter intocohesive streams of atoms

thatcouldbeslurpedthroughthe wormhole. All of thisenergy was poured out atCerberus Redoubt, from thelong-runningnuclear reactorsthat were the only powersource at their beck and callthat could open such awormhole.The interphaser simply

found those crossroads ofmagnetic lines crisscrossingthe surface of theworld, and

in finding thenexus, beamedthose massive energiesthrough the thinning ofreality, literally opening adoor between universes,foldingthespaceontheotherend. To an observer, theeffect was sprays of mistyTechnicolor energy flyingoutward in sheets, and thenfivehumansclad in skintightblack leather materializing,rather than the interphaser

reconstructing the bodies ofthe travelers in their journeyacrosshundredsandhundredsof miles and across twodimensions.The process was painless,

ifdisorienting for first-timersor those entering animproperlyprogrammedmat-trans.Kanewasfamiliarwith“jumpdreams”andmorethanonce these very samedisconnects from reality

actually gave him glimpsesinto other lives, otherincarnations.The interphaser, however,

had cleared up much of thatinterference that resulted inanauseating landing or thatwave of deliriummaking thejumpers sensitive to oddpsychic vibrations. In away,it felt less like a dangerousleapintotheunknownthanithad before, where every

redoubtwasstillanunknown,potentially inhabited bycoldheartsorothermenaces.The world phased back

into view around theCerberus adventurers andSmaragda, becoming moreandmore visible through the“bubble” of laser-lit smokearound them. Withinmomentstheywereatasmallclearing in a forest, oneadornedwith stones arranged

inaformofhenge.The warriors immediately

scanned the surrounding treeline, though part of KanemissedthepresenceofBrigidto explain to them what thiscirclet of standing rockssignified. It was alreadyevident to Kane and Grantthat the stones meant thatancient peoples knew of thepresenceofaparallaxpointinthis location. Those with

sensitivity to extrasensoryphenomenaknewtoassociatethese placeswith ameans ofcontactingthegods.There was scarcely an

interphaser landingpoint thathadn’t showed some form ofmarkerthatithadoncebeenaspot of worship.While therewasnorealconfirmationthatthe Annunaki thresholdjewels operated on the sameparallax point principle, this

would have been a likelylanding point for theoverlords themselves asthey’dvisitedtheEarth.Kane remembered that he

had his shadow suit hoodrecordingvid,andBrigidwaslooking over the scene here.Their landing point was notfar; only about seventy-fivemiles from where the majornexus had been before itbecame a black hole on

Lakesh’sobservations.Domi was crouched, her

hood down. Though the girlwasnotaversetotechnology,there were some things thatonly her feral instincts couldpick up on. Smells andbehaviors of local wildlifewereasmuchinthecuesshecouldpickupon instantly asKane’s own point man’sinstinct.Her ruby-red eyes locked

in one direction. “Heavysteps.”“Beta, disperse. Myrto, go

with them. We’ll stay,observeandinitiatecontactifpossible,”Kaneordered.Therewasnodisagreement

among the three CAT Betamembers and theirOlympiancompanion as they gatheredtheir effects and disappearedintothetreeline.“Atleastwe’vegotbackup

out there this time,” Grantmurmured, shouldering hiswarbag.“I’mnotpickingupanythingontheCommtact.”“Me, either,” Kane

returned. “That meanssomethingelsemightbeup.”“Charun and Vanth might

have figured that if theycouldn’t brainwash Edwards,or get Brigid with their littlevirus,wemightbeimmunetotheir subtle ways,” Grant

offered.Kanenoddedinagreement.

“So they sent GearSkeletons.”“Capture or kill?” Grant

proposed. “That’s what wehavetofigureout.”Kaneandhisfriendwentto

the tree line, looking for agoodhidingspot.“We’vegotthe same dilemma here,partner.”Grant’s lips pursed in

thought. “We’ve brought thematerials needed toincapacitate the Olympiantroops without much harm,but the Spartan pilots…wewould have to donate armortothem.”Kane chuckled. “A cloud

in every silver lining. Don’teverchange,buddy.”ThelargeMagistratehada

shotgun out. Loaded withless-lethal loads, mainly

neoprene slugs that wouldpunch with enough force tostun and bruise, but againstthe Sandcat panelsenveloping theSpartan pilotsitmight aswell have been ahandful of marshmallows tobehurledatthegiants.Therewasonesavinggrace,though,but they didn’t know if itwouldwork.UnderthepumponGrant’s

and Kane’s less-lethals were

Taser units. Each of theselittle electric guns fired twinprongs via compressed air ata target. On humans, thebarbswould stick inclothingorstabshallowlyinskin,andthe finewiresattached to thetines would ferry forward apowerful pulse of voltage,capableoffreezingaperson’smuscles and nervous system,effectivelyparalyzingthem.The theory, as devised by

Sela Sinclair and BrigidBaptiste, was that maybe, ifthe electrical currentsomehow connected to theSpartanwar bots, their pilotswouldbeaffected.Thepilotscommanded the powerfulrobotic suits through acybernetic node installed atthe base of their spines, sothat the mighty GearSkeletons could actuallyconduct the electrical shock

oftheTasers.“Ifit’soneortwo,we’llbe

fine. If it’s all three, we’regoing to have to get creativewhile one of us reloads,”Grantnoted.“Or if we miss,” Kane

offered.Grantnarrowedhiseyes.“This is a new system for

us,” Kane added. “So wewon’t be as good andaccurate with it as we are

withourusualarms.”“If I can hit targetswith a

bow and arrow, I might beable to compensate withTaser tongs,” Grantgrumbled.“Hush, I can hear the

stompsofaSpartanclosing,”Kanereturned.Kane knew he didn’t have

to say anything.Grantmighthave been famous for hisgruff, grumbling nature, but

whenitcametimeforseriouswork, there were few peoplequieterthanhe.The two men slithered

deeper into the cover of thetree line, eyes open, earspeeledfortheapproachoftherobotorrobots.There was also the

potential that the Spartansweren’t alone. Who knewhow long the twomysteriousgodlings had been ready for

an arrival by the Cerberuscontingent? There had beenhours between the timeEdwards was picked up, thedebriefing, and then finallythe very hectic night in thewake of Brigid’s battleagainst the deadly song ofVanth.So far, things seemed in

the clear. Neither Kane’scunning nor Domi’s feralinstincts had been tripped by

the presence of soldierscamouflaged among theforest surrounding the littleclearing.Theonlysignsofanenemy presence were theleaden footsteps of the robotapproaching. Enemy ambushwasnotcloseenoughtobeonthe agenda, but then, thesetwo Etruscan entities hadlivedascontemporariesoftheAnnunaki overlords. MaybetheywereotherIgigi,orthey

were an entirely differentspecies, but whatever thecase, they didn’t survive theintrigues of the dawn ofhumanity by being easy topredict.Then again, wits and

cunning often did wondersfor Kane and his allies indealing with deadlyoverlords. One of theproblems of being a beingwith access to armies and

nearly magical technologywas a tendency to overlookthe scrabbling little apes andtheir resourcefulness withnothingmore than twigs andpebbles.Too often, in Kane’s

observation, these “gods”forgot that theyweremortal,fleshandbloodas therestofthe planet. Enlil and hissurviving brethren hadlearnedthatlessonatthecost

ofmorethanacoupleoftheirfellow Annunaki. Brigidmentioned that there weresimilarities between thehypnotic song of Ereshkigaland that of Vanth. Vanth’sversion,however,hadamuchmore mathematical base,she’dtoldhim,whichmadeitinto an aggressive, human-brain-basedpieceofmalware.Ifthesebastardscannearly

give Baptiste a heart attack,

thentheydefinitelyareinfullAnnunaki range of powers,Kane thought. Heremembered his ownpsychicduel with Enlil in India, onethat had almost crushed himmentally and physically.Kaneneverclaimedtobeanygreat shakes mentally, andthathesurvivedthetelepathicconflict instigated by Enlilseemed merely stubbornresolveanddumbluckrather

than anything else. Vanth’sattack against Brigid stillweighedonKane’snerves.There was nothing more

thathewould like todo thanwring Vanth’s neck, shouldshe show. Kane and Brigidwereanam-charas, andharmto one was literally harm toboth.Bideyourtime.Going off in a knee-jerk

reaction was not the key to

victory here.Hewasn’t evencertain that either Charun orVanthwouldbe showing.Assuch,heremainedpatient,hisless-lethal shotgun ready foraction. The Sin Eater, foldedaway along his forearm,would be for someone orsomething worse. Brigid hadstated for theentireCerberusgroup that they would dotheir best to rescue andrecovertheirlostsoldiers.

The monstrous stepsslowed. The walker was onthe far side of the clearing,fifteen yards away, andobscuredbythetreeline.Onething, though, had becomeapparent. What they hadmistaken for the ponderousbulkofawalkingSpartanwarbot wasn’t a thing forged ofalien alloys and cobbledSandcatarmor.Fingers, the size of

sausages, swept aside thecrown of a tree, branchesshattering under incrediblepressure. The splinteringlimbs weren’t violentlythrashed, merely shruggedaside with a casual brush ofan arm as long as Kanehimselfwastall.Thecreaturethatthearmattachedtowasathingofhorror,itsfacejustastwisted and inhuman asCharun’sown.

Thiswasnotanautomaton,anditwasfar toolargetobean Annunaki or one of theirservantNephilim.Thiswasagargantuan creature, notunlike another horror thatKanehadencountered.IthadbeenintheAppalachianRift,and his name was Balor ofthe Baleful Eye, an entity ofhorror and suffering createdbyanotherscionofEnlil, thebrutalyeteternallyhandsome

Bres. This thing was not aFomori, but he could already“hear” Brigid’s explanationof how the Celtic Fomoriandemons and the GreekCyclopswere likely differentcultural observations of thesame creatures. And thesegiants were the creations ofhorrible technologies thatmadefleshandboneflowlikemolasses.Because of the power it

instilledinthem,andbecauseof the continuous agonies itravaged them with, the one-eyed giants were fearless inthe faceofdangeranddeath.Kanewatched as splinters ofsmashed branch speared intothick,elephantinehide,takingonly trickles of blood,elicitingasmirkonthetitan’sface. Anything that sparkedits way from the endlessexistence of dull ache was a

moment of pleasure, a relieffromthesamenessofeternity.According to Bres, whenthey’d last battled, theconstant state of their bodieswas breaking and tearingtheir deformed figures, andinstantly healing. Only theworst of agonies couldpenetrate such a fog ofconstantache.It had made the Bres’s

Fomori formidable, utterly

fearless in battle, evenenjoying receiving injuries.Added to thatwas the riotofcellular activity that madethemhealalmostinstantly.Less-lethal shotguns were

not going to be the order ofthis battle.Notwith eighteenfeetofripplingbrawnandthesplinter injuries on its armclosing, the trapped woodbeing scabbed over tobecome part of its uneven,

aliendermis.Thebig,uglyeyesweptthe

tree line as the creatureinhaleddeeply.“Smellyou,”itrumbled.The fat, knob-knuckled

fingers wrapped around thetrunkofthetreeit’dmangledand twisted, wrenching thefieldmaple from the ground.Clumpsofdirtfellawayfromthe gnarled roots, the three-foot-diameter log easily

grasped by the cyclopeanhorror.“Smell you.Kill you,” the

thinggrunted.Kaneroseandrushedaway

from his position as themassive trunk slashedthrough the air, propelled bymightymuscles.

Chapter9

Five or so years ago, whenhe’d been a Magistrate inCobaltville, there werelengthy lists of things Grantnever thought he would runinto, encounter, let alone bethreatened by. Sure, he’dheard stories of genetic

mutants unleashed upon thecountryside in great hordesjust to enforce a feudallifestyle among the survivorsof the apocalypse back in2001. But those things hadbeen hunted down, thanks tothereunificationprogramthathad trained and armedGrantand Kane, equipping themwithpolycarbonatearmorandhigh-tech weaponry fromfull-auto side arms to

Deathbirdassaulthelicopters.After a while, the mutieswereexterminated,somethingthat Grant regretted missingouton.Since then, however, he’d

faced biological andtechnological wonderswithout end. Pan-terrestrialaliens such as the Archons,the hybrid barons whocommandedGrant andKane,the Nagah, the Fomori, the

Annunaki themselves. Granteven recalled the time histesseract“timeshadow”facedoff against a livingMinotaurinabrutalbattlethousandsofyears prior. Grant evenregularly visited New EdoandThunderIsle,wheretime-trawled dinosaurs lived andthrived.None of them quite

matched the scope ofeighteen feet of rippling

muscle, topped by agrotesque head with a huge,waterygreeneye.Ateighteenfeet,ittoweredovereventhelargestofpredatorydinosthathe’d encountered, theAcrocanthosaurus.Fortunately thecyclopsstoodbipedal-erect, so its entirebody was in a column offlesh, bone and muscle,unlike the forty-foot-longAcro,which squared its bulk

on two massive hind legs,balanced out by a musculartail.Evenso,nearlytwentyfeet

ofhumanoidwas impressive,especially since it was nomere inflated person. Thiswasacreaturewithbroadfeetand fat legs, its girth slowlytapering,butnotbymuch, toshoulders that were “only”seven feet across, and armsthat,whileseeminglyspindly,

werestillthickerthanGrant’sbyafactorofthree.ThemomentGrantsawthe

brute rip up a thirteen-foottreebytherootswithnomoreeffort than he would havepulledoutanannoyingweed,his mind raced. The cyclopshad announced its intentionsin amanner thatwould havemade Domi seem loquaciousandthenfast-balledthemaplelikeajavelin.Thethree-foot-

thick trunk smashed againstothertrunkswiththecrashofthunder, and only the gruntsofKane’seffortsoverthedininformedGrantthathisfriendwasallright.“Yo! One-eye!” he

bellowed, stepping into theopen.“Pickonsomeoneyourownsize!”The giant had been

reaching for another treetrunkwhenitpaused,looking

aghast at the dark-skinnedhuman who rose to greet it,shotgun clutched in fists thatwould have been massive toanyotherentity.The cyclops reared back

andwhippeditsheadforwardin a challenging roar. But assoon as the creature openedits mouth, Grant shoulderedhis shotgun in one smoothmovementandfired.While there wasn’t much

hope that a neoprene batonwould do much to penetrateits hide, getting whacked intheepiglottisbyarubberslugthat could break normalhumanribsdidsendthegiantintoastunnedcoughingfit.That single shot purchased

several seconds for Kane togethisfeetbackbeneathhim,and time enough to come upwithacoordinatedplan.“Fall back into the heavy

woods—he’ll have a hardtime moving quickly inthere,”Kaneordered.Grant turned and broke

throughthetreeline.Assoonas he was out of sight, heimmediately cut to the left,running perpendicular to hisprior course. That change ofdirection was a lifesaver asthe enraged giant plowedthrough trees, bellowing likea wounded bull. Yard-thick

trunks exploded under thepressure of the cyclops’spassage.Grant, thanks to his time

on Thunder Isle, wasintimately aware of thesquare-cube law. The giantwas three times theheightofahumanbeing,butthenatureof such growth was that itsvolumeandmassgrewmuchfasterthanitssurfacearea.Asa “normal-size” human, the

beastwouldhaveeasilybeenabout300pounds.Duetothatmass increase, the thing wasnow more than a ton inweight—2,700poundsbyhismentalcalculations.Since the creature’s

musculature and bonestructure had been altered byAnnunaki technologies—nanomachines rebuilding theentity to properly support allof the added material—there

was little doubt the cyclopshadfewphysicalimpairmentsin regard to its enormousweight. By the thickness ofthosemassivelegs, therewaslittlequestion that just takinga single footstep wouldshatter its own bones. It wasmutatedtobethatlarge.Such incredible power

inherent in its limbs wasenoughtogiveGrantpause.“We might have to get

lethal with this bastard,”Grant said over hisCommtact.Kane’s pause was enough

to remind Grant of thepotential nature of this beast.What was now a cyclopeanhorrormight once have beenan innocent person. Thenagain, nearly 20 feet and3,000 pounds of rampagingmuscle were hard to handlewith kid gloves. “Whatever

happens,wegohome.”“Find you!” The titan’s

roar was such that Grantcould feel the air shudderaround him. Would any oftheirweaponshurtthatthing?And given the kind ofregenerative power he’dencountered among theFomori in the Appalachians,would they cause it lethalharm? It was going to be afine line that, despite the

practicality he normallyshowed,Grantdidn’twant tocross without exhausting allotheroptions.There used to be a time

when Grant would havekilled a mutant monstrositysuch as this outright, butyears of battle, as well aslearning more and more ofZen fromShizuka, had takenthe quick edge off hisaggression.Italsodidn’thurt

that this thing was talking,giving it some semblance ofhumanity, and that he andKane were able to keepskirtingitsattentions.That wasn’t going to last

forever. But Grant wonderedatsomething.“Kane, we’re gonna zap

this thingwith the Tasers. Ifthatdoesn’twork,thenwefillhim with lead,” Grantoffered.

The breath of relief onKane’s end of theCommtacttold Grant that the idea wasgreatly welcomed. If thecurrent could go through themetal of a Spartan war bot,therewaslittledoubtthatit’daffect a flesh-and-bloodhumanoid with even betterefficiency.Atleastthatwasthehope.The cyclops grunted,

snorting as it was confused

and frustrated by how easilyit had lost its prey.Apparently its enhanced sizecame with similar benefits,such as hundreds of squarefeet of olfactory receptorsthroughwhich it could smellits prey. Grant had to keepducking through and pasttrees, at the same timeavoiding rustling theundergrowth. Though large,he was lithe and capable of

greatagilityandstealth.The cyclops was keen of

smell,butthatsingulareyeofhis at least helped outGrant.Depth perception andperipheral vision were bothheavily curtailed by the lackofbinocularvision,and thus,as a predator, it was leftpoorly off in close pursuit.Thenagain,anine-footreachforgave a lot in terms ofgrabbingatsomeone.IfGrant

was caught in those massivepaws, not even his oldMagistrate armor couldpreventhisbeingcrushedlikeagrape.It wouldn’t even take a

grab.Justaclumsyswatwitha fist the size of a melonwouldbemorethansufficienttoshatterhisribs.Thecyclops’svisionmight

not have been ideal forhunting, but as Grant

inadvertently snapped thebranch of a sapling as hescurried past it, the thing’shead turned, attention lockedontothatsound.Thethudofatonandahalfoframpagingman-beast informedGrant ofhis deadly situation. Hewhirled with the shotgun,raising it and hoping theTaserlauncherbeneathwouldbeenough.The boom of Kane’s

shotgun was a sharp soundamid the ponderous steps ofthe giant and the cyclopsstoppedaftertwomoresteps.“Damned…humans!” the

creature growled. “Puny,worthless…humans!”“Now,” Kane whispered

into the Commtact as thecyclops turned its back toGrant. Taking two swiftstrides, the big Magistratebounded into firing range for

theTaserandfired.Thebarbsstruck the creature in itsbroad back, the barbed tinesstickingintothethickhide.“Hate you!” it bellowed.

Grantdidn’tknowhowmuchlouderthethingcouldgetbuthewasn’t going to let it turnand try to rip him apart. HeenergizedtheTaserand,withapullofthetrigger,heardthesnaps and cracks ofintermittent voltage popping

alongtheelectricalwires.Thecyclopsgroanedandgrunted,gurgling,butitstood.Itsarmsmoved stiffly, but even withitsrangeofmotionlimited,itcould still cause some harm,simply by toppling over.Luckily, it was so paralyzedanditslegsofsuchgreatsizeand density compared tonormal human limbs, that itstayed standing. In anothermoment Kane was out and

firing. His Taser darts stuckinto the cyclops and he cutloosewithhisownvoltage.Together the twoCerberus

warriors hammered the giantwith the output from bothTaser batteries. At 50,000volts, and with the Tasersoperating at 3.1 milliamps—onthehighendoflesslethal,electric-shock technology—the cyclops received not justone zap of electricity, but

each Taser was hitting himwith19pulsespersecond,38times per second. For thespace of thirty seconds, thegiant’s nervous system wasoverrun and abused byamperage. While the voltswereameasureoftheenergy,ampswerethemeasureoftheforce carriedby each charge.Higher amountsofmilliampswere lethal; 10 milliampscould cause a fatal series of

convulsions in a 150-poundhuman. This was why theTasersonlyputoutathirdofthat, often only a fifth oflethalcapacity.Grant didn’t know how

that would work against anentity that was twenty timesasheavy,butconsidering theparalysis the cyclopsdemonstrated, apparently itwasenough.Grant’s Taser ran down,

reachingtheendof its thirty-second cycle. He swept theshotgun aside on its sling,letting his Sin Eater launchintothepalmofhishand.Thecyclops teetered, then fell toits knees, the groundshuddering beneath the solesof Grant’s boots. A swallowclearedthelumpinhisthroatat the thoughtof themassiveopponent’scollapse.Sure, Kane and Grant felt

fear in the face of enemies,despitethebravadoandsmarttalk they fired off. But thatwas thewholepointofbeingahero.Doingwhathadtobedone, nomatter how scary itwas.Grant approached the

stunnedcyclops,seeingKaneenter the clearing at a rightangle.HisSinEaterwasout,aswell.Thebeasthadvoiceditshatredofhumansloudand

long enough, so that if it didswing to kill, neither formerMagistrate would have asingle regret about putting itdownwithawaveoffull-autoheavy slugs. But even so,they didn’t want to causeundueharm.One thing that had been

partof their rebellionagainsttheoldbaronsandtheirvilleswasarejectionofcrueltyandcontrollingthelivesofothers.

Theyfoughtforfreedom,andthere was still a strongpossibilitythatthispoorbeastwas merely the victim ofCharun or Vanth, mentallytwisted by the same kind ofhypnotic forces that hadincapacitatedBrigid.Thecyclopsgaveitsheada

shake, as if clearing thecobwebs out, and both Kaneand Grant froze in theiradvance toward the mighty

giant.Whenthethingliftedaseventy-two-inch-diameterarm, things were alreadyapparent that the Tasers didwork on it, but not aseffectively as they wouldhave liked. The giant’s fisthammered the ground,striking with a force thatmade wrecking balls seeminadequate. Grant felt hisknees buckle beneath himfrom the vibratory shock

wave.OvertheCommtact,hecouldhearKanegrunt as thesurge of force transmittedthrough thegroundgavehimtrouble.Grant was so bowled over

by the impact of the giant’sfist on the ground, hecouldn’t seewherehis friendand partner had fallen, orstumbled. For all the bigMagistrateknew,atreecouldhave fallen upon Kane,

trapping him so that themonster could pounce uponhim.Grant let himself tumble

intoaroll,togivehimalittlemore distance, and with apivot,hewasfacingthetitan.Asbigas itwas, the cyclopshad a hard time getting upfrom its kneeling position.Those legs were meant forkeeping it standing, not forease of bending so that it

could stand from a fallenposition. It crawled towardthe tree line, where its longarmscouldbeusedtoreachatreetrunkandhelpbraceittogetbacktostanding.“Kane!” Grant growled.

“What’syourstatus?”“Staggeredbythatthing.It

punchesashardasamortar,”Kaneanswered.“Wecan’tlethimbackonhisfeet.”“No way in hell. Pop him

in the head with the less-lethal. Distract him,” Grantordered.Kane didn’t ask questions,

and the brawny Grantdropped his war bag. Hefoundacoilofrope,theexactitemhewas looking for.Thebig man didn’t know howwell this would work, but itwas better than nothing. Thegiant was still flesh andblood,andpartofthedictates

of a giant was the need tobreatheand,hopefully,haveasupplyofbloodtothebrain.It took a moment of

guesswork, and Grant wasglad he had inflexible rope;nylon that wouldn’t stretchandgive.Heneededtochokethebeastout.Healsopluckedout a steel collapsing batonthathecoulduseasahandle.As he was making

preparations, he listened to

the thunder and crash ofKane’s shotgun, bouncinghigh-velocity neopreneroundsoffthecyclops’shead.Thebeastbellowed,cursedinits limited lexicon, thrashedand swung one arm towardKane while keeping itselfpropped with the other. Thiswas mere harassment, not acounterattack. Though therubberslugscouldbreakribs,even snap necks at close

distance, theknots ofmuscleanddensebone thatmadeupthis giant could continuesuffering annoyance andpricklingpainallthewhile.There was little danger of

causingitpermanentharm.Not like putting strands of

strong rope around its throatand garroting it. Lack ofblood to the brainwould killmuch faster than loss ofbreath.

Could kill. I just have toget to him first, Grantremindedhimself.With two quick strides

Grant was at the thing’sheels. The fat, flat,elephantinefeetwerenothingthat would provide ahandhold, but he threwhimself at the top of thecyclops’s heels, launchinghimself as high as he could,and was able to clear the

four-footledgeformedbythestumplike appendage. Withtwo kicks, he was standingand racing along the calf ofthe giant. It was a platformthatwaswideandflat,easytobalance upon.The next levelhehadtohurdlewasactuallysixfeetinheight,andwasthecyclops’sass.Grant drew his combat

knife, knowing that he wasgoingtoneedeveryounceof

leveragehecouldget.Withaleap, he was clawing on atchest level on one of thegiant’s cheeks. He broughtdownthecombatbladelikeaclimbing ax, the sharp pointdigging into heavy hide andelicitingagruntofannoyancefrom the cyclops. Still, thatthickskinwasstrongenoughthatGrantcouldhaulhimselfup higher on the butt of thebeast.Hedughistoesintothe

dimple of a lower backmuscle when the thingpushed itself off of one arm,tryingtogetupright.Grant planted one foot on

the handle of his knife thenswung the loops of ropeupward with all of hisstrength. The coils snaggedthe creature, but he couldn’tbe sure where. Even so, hekicked off of the knife,planting the soles of his feet

against the broad sheets ofmuscle that formed thecyclops’sback.Kanewasbackagain.This

timehisSinEaterblastedoutsingleshotsthatelicitedmoreannoyed snarls and gnashingofteeth,distractingthebestialgiant.Grantfinallywasuponthe titan’s shoulder andpushingtheropesdownunderthe cyclops’s chin. It turnedits head, swinging it as if to

thrash Grant from itsshoulders.ThebigMagistratestill held on to the coilslooped around his foe’s neckandswungonthem,usinghis240 pounds of muscle towrench the rope tight aroundthething’sthroat.The collapsible baton

snapped openwith a flick ofhis wrist and Grant jammedthesteel lengthintotheslackofhisnoose.Ahardtwistand

he soon had not onlyhandlebars, but heard thecroak and groan of thecyclops as it struggled forbreath. Big, fat fingersreached up to snag the rope,but Grant cranked on hisbaton,twistingtotakeupanypossible looseness in thelines. If thecyclopswasabletocatchabreath,therewasagoodchance…The ground suddenly

seemed to rush towardGrantinthecornerofhisvisionandthe burly Magistrate twistedhis body with everything hehad.The giant threw himselfonto one shoulder and theforceofthatplungeproduceda loud, sickening crack. Itcould be a dislocatedshoulder, or the creature’scollar bone, but either way,thesoundsstrugglingpastthegiant’s restricted larynxwent

up several octaves. It wasdefinitelyleftinpain.Grant felt good that the

creature didn’t roll onto itsback. About the only thingthat kept it from crashing itsfullweightontoGrantwasitsbent, massive leg. Therewould be little that couldtwist such a thicklymuscled,heavilybonedlimb.Usingthetension of the baton in therope as leverage, he stood

perpendicular to his giantfoe’sshoulders.Grant’s own legs pushed

out, removing the absolutelast of any slack around hisopponent’s throat. While hedidn’thaveenoughmuscletomatch the cyclops, he didhave the leverage and morethan sufficient power in hislegs to constrict the bigbastard’s blood vessels andwindpipe. Even with the

thing’s fat fingers clawing atits throat, trying to snagsomethingtorelieveallofthepressure,Grantflexedhislegmuscles, digging into thebeast’sshoulderblades.It started to feel as if he’d

dislocatebothshouldersfromthesheeramountofstrainhewasputtingonthegripwhenKaneranuptothebaton.Kane braced his back

against the cyclops’s wide

shoulders, then hooked thesteel bar in the step betweenhisboot’ssoleand theraisedheel.Kanepushedwithallhehad,andthattensionheldhimup enough so that he couldraise the other foot. Thecombined leg and torsostrength of the twoMagistrates was more thansufficientnow,andGrantsawthe giant’s shoulders stopsquirming.

“Enough,” Grant ordered.“He’sout.”Kanelethiskneesflexand

dropped his feet to theground.Grantdropped to thedirt, panting. His skin wassoaking wet beneath theshadowsuit,evenasthehigh-tech uniform was hard atwork, whisking hisperspiration away to coolhim. This level of exertionwas something he hadn’t

maintained for a long time.His arms, legs and backached.Hewatched the batonslowly twirl, the ropesslackeningaround thegiant’sthroat. With the loosening,the deep, steady breathing ofthe cyclops reassured himthat his plan was successful.They’d downed the mutantwithouthavingtoslaughterit.“We’regoingtoneedtobe

environmentally sealed so he

can’ttrackusbyscent,”Kanenoted.Grantnodded,watchinghis

friend jog over to retrieveboth war bags. Kane walkedback,gruntingasheextendedGrant’s war bag to him. Hetook it and tugged the loopsof rope off of themonstrosity’s neck, returningit to the bag. He hoped thatthe suffocation would keepfor a while, but just putting

his palm where the pulsewould be on a normal manshowed a strong, steadyheartbeat.“Sleep tight, One-eye,”

Grant muttered. “We don’twant to see you again for alongtime.”Withthat,thetwomerciful

Cerberus adventurers pulledontheirhoodsandstalkedoffintotheforest.

Chapter10

Four people were all thatmoved on the old goat paththrough the hills. One man,who could be two smallermen by height and weight,and threewomen, eachwell-armed and clad in theseamless skintight shadow

suits. They, of course, wereCerberusAwayTeamBeta.Edwards walked at the

back of the formation,cradling a massive shotgunidentical to the ones carriedby Kane and Grant. ShouldtheCATencounteranyofthemindless, the enslaved, itwould be his position to laydown less-lethal fire,stunning and staggeringattackers in an effort to

prevent harm from befallingthe thralls of the Stygiancouple—CharunandVanth.The next tallest of the

group was Sela Sinclair,though her second place inheightwasadistantone.Shealso possessed a less-lethal,ammunition-loaded shotgun.It was Sinclair who had puttogether the crowd-safetyweapons, andwhileEdwardswould be smacking overly

aggressive attackers withneoprene slugs, she took itupon herself to fire ferretrounds. The .12-gauge slugswould vomit forth payloadsof tear gas, something thatshould make even the mostpowerfully mind-controlledvictims pause.No amount ofmentaldominationcouldstopthe body’s responses topowerful irritants suchas thepepperextractwithinthetear

gas shells. And when theirenemy couldn’t see, theycouldn’tattack.The third member of the

group was a young, olive-skinned beauty who seemeddecades older than her trueage thanks to her bone-whitehair. This was MyrtoSmaragda, the sole survivoroftheOlympianexpeditiontothis very countryside. Herpresence was as much a

healingprocess forherselfaswell as a hope for rescuingher lost platoon. Her choiceof armament was aconventionalassaultrifle,justincasetherewereotherformsof opponents under thecontrol of the Etruscangodlings,oranappearancebyone or the other themselves.Certainly, the othermembersof the group also hadconventional firearms, as

well. Even so, Sinclair hadgiven Smaragda a grenlauncher, loaded with largertear gas shells, as well assmoke grens to hide andcoverthemagainstpursuit.The last, as well as the

smallest, of the group wastheir leader. Her size,however, did not mean thatshe was the least of thisgroup. Though movingalmost like an animal,

scouting ahead of the team,shewas the appointed leaderofthegroup.Herexperience,surviving in the Deathlandsand later in the urbanapocalypse known as theTartarus Pits of Cobaltville,had sharpened her wits inways that no mere scholarlyeducation could hone awarrior’smindandskills.Shedidn’thaveanylongweaponsin hand, but her gun and her

knife were sheathed at herhips,readytoflickeroutinaninstant. The rifle she hadstrapped to her back wassomething to fall back upon,justincase.Sofar,nothinghadshowed

uptokeepthemontheirtoes,but Domi, Edwards andSinclair were professionals,aswasSmaragda.Relaxationof theirvigilanceanddullingof their instinctswas aquick

road to doom. Then again,Smaragda was a livingexample of how even themost diligent of adventurerscould end up on the losingside of a conflict.Theywereawareofthedangersthattheyapproached,butevenso,theywere stepping onto the hometurf of creatures capable ofalmost crushing an aircraftand stoppingheavymachine-gun fire cold with energy

fields.Caution was the order for

thepresent,asitalwayswas.Domi combined both her

ownferalinstincts,sharpenedin countless wastelands anddanger zones, with the high-tech additions of the shadowsuit hood. At first, she hadbeen afraid of feeling morecut off from the world, butthe electronic boosts werethings that she could make

use of. Now the hood wasgiving her access tospectrums of hearing andsight she’d only dreamed of,though she took care not torely too heavily on theelectronics,thesameasKanehad with his point man’sinstinct.Her ruby-red eyes were

sharpatpickingupfaintlightin the dark, but even theydidn’t have the preternatural

ability to register ultravioletand infrared wavelengths.Theshadowsuitopticsdid.And so far things were

quiet with the setting sun.There was also no contactover the Commtact. Thatmeant in their hour of travelso far, Kane and Grant hadpersevered over theapproaching monstrosity. Noreport on what they met upwith,butalsonodistresscall.

That was good news toDomi,becausesheknewthather comrades in arms wouldat least get a message out ifthey were in fatal distress.The two of them had stuckaround to make contact,perhaps to be captured or tobe invited into the arms ofVanth and her mate. Withthatasoneoption,CATBetawastosneakuponthehomeof the enemy, gathering

information through stealthratherthaninfiltration.Kane and Grant had been

takeninbymorethanenoughgloating enemies that it hadprovedtobeausefultactictooffer an olive branch, orsimply be captured. Still,without Brigid Baptiste’spresence,Lakeshwouldhavesaid it unlikely for such aplan to work. Kane, Grantand Brigid’s ploys and ruses

worked thanks to what theancient scientist called a“confluence of probability.”Luck was on their sidewhenevertheystoodunited.Domi had little doubt that

either Kane or Grant wouldbe overwhelmed by anassailing monstrosity like aGear Skeleton, but she alsodidn’tsufferthedelusionthatthey were invulnerable. Ifeither was in danger, Kane

would certainly give a loudand clear warning to Beta.Sure,somepartsofherwouldrebel at the concept of herfriends dying, but BrigidBaptistehadbeenadamantonteaching her practicality andlogic.Domi would mourn those

two, but only after she wascertain there was no othermeansofbringingthemback.Kanehadn’tgivenuponher,

even when it had appearedshe’d died in the detonationof an implode gren. Findingthe Time Trawl on ThunderIsle had been Kane’s meansof rescuing her, plucking hertemporally from before thedetonationofthelethalbomb,saving her life. Even certainatomization by hi-ex hadn’tstoppedKanefromtrying.Domi could do no less for

any of the rest of her

Cerberusfamily.She’d penetrated into the

depthsoftheverybasewhereshenearlydied,lookingforacure for Lakesh as his mindbegan to fail. Her lover hadbeen losing hismind, thanksto abit ofgeneticvengeancecast upon him by Enlil,countermanding the samedestructive nanobots that hadrebuilt Lakesh from a two-and-a-half-century-old, half-

artificialscientist toamaninhis vibrant late forties. Theslow robbery of Lakesh’sintellect was ultimatevengeance against the manwho assembled the CerberusRedoubt to battle againstEnlil and his kin, when hewas first Baron Cobalt, thenwhen he was Sam theImperator, then finally histrueAnnunakioverlordself.IfKane andGrantwere in

trouble, though, both menwould have the foresight tosend out a signal, one thatwas a tight-beamcommunication, nearlyunjammable, up to satellitesLakesh and the Cerberustechs had hacked into.Whenthat emergency dispatch wassquirted out, Domi wouldhave received the relayedmessageatthespeedoflight.Broadband jammingwas one

thing, but a full-poweremergency pulse, focusedlike a laser, would not beblocked by whatever theenemywasusing.Theyweregettingcloserto

avillagenow.Domihadbeenable to smell the village andits attendant flocks oflivestock, but the road hadbeen eerily quiet. Normally,at this range,when the smellwas this strong, the bleats of

goats and sheep would hangheavilyintheair.Thiswasn’tthecasehere.Thesamethingthat Smaragda had observedbefore—the lack of life andspark in nature—was anoppressiveweightonDomi’sferalinstincts.Everynerveinher was on edge, hating theominousquietsmotheringthecountryside.It was giving Smaragda

hell, Domi could tell as she

glancedbackontheroad,butthe woman was a bravesoldier, strong of will andwilling to go into terror.TheDomioffiveyearsagowouldhave not even dreamed ofstepping into such anunnatural void of life. Eventhe rotted shanties of theworst parts of the TartarusPitshadrodentsandfliesandpeople all squirming andstruggling for life; a wild

energy that made the worldfeelright.This was a nightmare of

lifelessness, farmore chaoticto her senses than a dark,dusky realm where anymoment a knife could slidebetween your ribs. Therewerefewcuesforheraseventhe animals had seeminglygone mute. A fence loomedahead and Domi waved forthe others to stay still and

silent. On silent, bare feet,she moved up to the closestpost,keepingherselfdownina crouch. The grasses alongthe fence had grown nearlythreefeettall,bothinsideandout, something that alreadyseemed out of place for thestench of sheep prevalent inthisarea.Reaching the fence, she

parted some grass and sawthat there were at least forty

sheep penned into the area,but they simply stood inplace. They’d eaten, but notwith the same mindlessindustry that a usual flockwould have. The animalswerejust takinginenoughtosustaintheirlives,notgrazingdown to the nub and thenmovingontoanothersection.By the growth, Domi wasable toput it at threeor fourmonths, putting the conquest

of this small farm town rightin the area of the firstexpansion of Charun andVanth after their awakening.This was just as the CATssurmisedupontheirtransit.Approach on the roadwas

too risky. The ovine brainwasn’t oneof the sharpest intheworld,butcertainlyifthesheepwere caught in a formof mental thrall, there wasevery likelihood they could

serveaseyesandearsforthetwo Etruscan demigods.Domi slowly allowed thegrass tobend itself back intoposition,innohurrytoletherpresence be betrayed by therustleofblades.There was no wind,

especially none at her back,so her scent wouldn’t wafttoward the sheep. Withpracticed stealth and grace,shereturnedtotherestofher

team.“Sheep. Just like the

birds,” Domi noted softly,keeping her voice low.“Numb.”“Why mind control sheep

or birds?” Edwardsmurmured.“Thepowerneedstopunch

a hole to the otherdimension,” Sela Sinclairoffered.“Theywanttoopenadoor back to their home

world,anddoing that takesalotofenergy.”“So they’re tapping free

will? Souls?” Smaragdaasked. “However that goes,it’d be a hell of a boon,technologically.”“Ifyoudon’tmindrobbing

someone of theirindividuality,” Sinclaircountered.“Maybe for prisoners,”

Edwardsmentioned.

“Maybe we get out ofhere,” Domi grumbled, herrubyeyesnarrowedtoslitsasshe looked back toward thefarm.“Weskirtthetown.”“Andweshutthehellup,”

Smaragda added, gaugingDomi’simpatience.The albino girl nodded.

“Notsomanywords.”With that, Domi and her

team backtracked, then gavethefarmtownawideberth.

It would add an hour totheirtrek,butwhenitcametobutting heads with alienmenaces,therewaslittletobegainedbyrushingblindlyintobattle.

***

WITH NIGHT’S ARRIVAL,cloaking the world indarkness only illuminated bystars and a slim crescent of

moon, CAT Beta had beenable to move with a littlemore speed. In the inkyshadows, they had theadvantage of superior nightvision, including Domi’sruby-red gaze, which madeher sensitive to even thefaintest of glows. She’d longsince inured herself todaylight, but except onovercastdays,shekeptapairof sunglasses ready to keep

from being “snow blinded”bytheburningsun.It was after the arrival of

dusk where she came mostalive; a nocturnal predatorentering her environment.The others were utilizingnight-vision optics, and withthe world cast in green vialight amplification, the fourof themwereinfar lessneedof keeping to foliage andsuch.

Sure,theymeanttostayinthe shadows, something thattheycoulddiscerneveninthenight-vision optics. Domieschewed that, as she wasused to a lifetime of nighthuntingthatshehadhonedtoperfection. This was trainingand skill that she continuedusing, even with technologythat couldn’t honestlyimprove upon the senses sheutilized. She could

understand using IR andUVvision, as well as telescopicoptics, but for night work,with plenty of naturalstarlightforhertoseeby,shedidn’tusethehood.The four people kept their

profile low, thanks to thecamouflage aspects of theshadow suit’s high-techpolymers. Though Domididn’t have her faceplatedown on her hood, she did

have it tucked up over herbone-white hair, so as tominimize the shockingcontrast of it against thecountryside. The same hadgoneduring theday,aswell.Her bare feet, though cast ofthesamealabasteras therestof her albino skin, had beendarkenedanddirtiedbyyearsoftrudging,sothatshedidn’thave to worry about themstickingoutlikesoretoes.

Domi heard the flutter ofwings in the distance, thenfroze, the others coming to ahaltbehindherandcrouchinglow.“Bird?” Edwards

murmured,speaking ina lowtone.“Lots,” Domi returned.

“Toodarktoseeus.Maybe.”Edwards and Sinclair

immediately picked up onDomi’s heightened agitation.

Her language skills sufferedin fight-or-flight situations,butthatwasallrightwithhertwopartners.Whenitcametofighting for survival, Domi’slack of elocution wasbalanced by downrighteloquence when it came totheartsofviolence.However,astheywereclosinginonthelocation of the missingparallax point, any bit ofactionwouldonlydrawdown

the attention of the godlingsandwho knew howmany oftheirmindlessslaves.Though CAT Beta was

madeof formidablewarriors,armed with powerfulweapons, there still werelimits to both firepower andskill in the face of superiornumbers. Standing andfightingwouldbetantamounttosuicide.Their option was silence

and a fighting retreat ifnecessary.That retreat would get

harder, though, the farthertheypenetratedintotherealmof Charun and Vanth. Therewouldbealargerperimetertofight through, more lines ofthrallsat theirbacks toblocktheirescape.Together, though, the four

of them knew that even if itcame to blasting through the

opposition, they were stilllimited by several things.They knew that theiropposition was composed ofinnocents enthralled by thepair of winged demigods.Andtheyhadalimitedsupplyof ammunition, even if theydidn’t care about causinglethal harm to the mentalslaves.As of now, Edwards and

Sinclair were scanning the

skies with their IR optics,pickinguptheheatsignaturesof several small birds inflight. They swept the airabovethem,stayingasstillaspossible. There was a dulldreadhanginginthenight, ifonly for the fact that theyknewtheirenemyhaditsownair force, the very birds ofthisarea.If therewereraptors in the

area, then there was also a

likelihood that Vanthwouldn’t even need to sendactual troops to bring themdown. A bird of prey hittingwith its claws at over 50miles an hour, up to 120 insome instances, was morethan sufficient to slicethroughshadowsuitandflesheasily.“I’mwatching for patterns

among the birds.” Sinclairspoke softly, only truly

audible thanks to theCommtact’s jawbonemicrophone pickups andinner ear stimulation.“They’re not acting asobservers. Ifonebirdpasses,it doesn’t come back thisway,notevenmakingawideberth.”“You’re going by

twentieth-century unmannedaerial vehicle surveillancetactics, right?” Edwards

asked.“Youhad like…what?Oneortwoupatatime?”Sinclair nodded. Domi

couldhearherhissofdisgustas Sinclair realized that withall of the night flying, onebird wouldn’t need to circlethem to keep track.Notwithwaves of sets of eyes thatcould be in the air. Even so,the flights overhead didn’tseem to be particularlyconcentrated. The whole

thing reminded Domi of thesweep of that line on thecircular radar screen,illuminatingtargetswitheachpass.As long as they continued

their slow crawl, as long astheir shadow suits matchedthegroundbeneaththem,andas long as they only reallymoved quickly in the lullsbetween the mind-controlledeyesinthesky,theywouldn’t

befound.As if that hopeful thought

summoneddownthewrathofCharun and Vanth, Domispotted a flicker in thedistance,theglowofmultipletorches illuminating themovements of a patrollinggroup. Domi kept the teamstill.CATBetaandSmaragdausedthetelescopicaspectsoftheir shadow suit hoods tozoom in on those distant

lights.Threehundredyardsaway,

they saw a group of tenpeople. They were locals,dressed in simple, handmadeclothing, but each of themhad either a brutal farmimplementorafirearm.Theywere searching; a party ofmixed men and womenthralls.Edwardsspokeupfirstthis

time.

“They’reactivelysearchingfor us,” he subvocalizedthrough the Commtact.“Their eyes are at leastmoreanimatednow.”“MaybeCharunfiguredout

that you were camouflagednear the Manta’s landingsite,”Sinclairoffered.“It’s weird. They’re just

below looking human,”Smaragda mentioned, hervoice also a low whisper.

“Like…”“Robots. Zombies,” Domi

muttered. She was put onedgebyallofthis,aswell.If there were people and

birds out in the nightsearching, then there couldhave been other hunters.Domisweptthecloserterrain.They were in waist-highgrass, which meant therecould be all sorts of smallermammalspresent,butifthere

was one thing the feral girlwas good at, it was spottingthoselittlemorselsthatwouldkeep her alive and survivingfor another day, be it in aforest or a desert. Herinstincts looked for mice,voles, rabbitsand,withsomerelief, she came up withnothing.Thatdidn’tmeanthetiniestofanimalswasignoredby the demigods, but it didtellthewildwomanthatthose

miniature mammals weren’tbeing used as spies andseekersrighthere.It was a small measure of

relief.“Do we wait for them to

pass?”Edwardsasked.“No.Butwestayslowand

steady,” Domi returned.“Birds,Sela?”“None,”Sinclairreturned.“Move,”Domiordered.And she took the lead, her

petite form crawling out,slender arms and legscarryingheralong inacrawlthatwouldapproximateafastwalk as long as she wasn’tamongtallgrassesthatwouldswaywithherpassage.Itwasan achingly slow process,pausing every time Sinclairhissed and indicatedsomethingwasintheairoverthem.By the time that they

reached the road where thesearch party patrolled, thethralls were out of sight, theglow of their torches havingdisappeared around the bendof trees. Even so, Domiflickedonher infraredvisionand was able to capture theheatsourcesofthoseburningbrands even throughintervening foliage. Shereturned to her normal,naturalvision,andwavedthe

othersontotheroadwithher.Their shadow suits shifted,blending into the dirt road,takingontonesofbrownandrust to match the well-trampled earth that made upthepath.“There’s a canopy of

trees,” Sinclair noted.“Sweepingforheatsources.”Domi nodded.They didn’t

dare move until they werecertain that nothing was

waitingonatreelimborinaknothole, servingasa livingsecurity camera for theEtruscangodlings.Once that was cleared up,

they continued moving,pickinguptheirpace.Sinclairremained on infrared,countingontheheatgivenoffbyDomi’sbarefeettomarkasafe walking path, all thewhile keeping her head on aswivel. Tension, living and

movingintheshadowsorthebreaths between momentswithoutbirdsinthesky.This was nothing new to

Domi. This was where shewas born, skulking in theshadowsagainstauthorityandpredation that would slamdown upon her and end herexistence.Itwastense,itwastough, but there was onething that would make thisworth all the anxiety, all the

stealth.Freedom for those

currently hounding them,freedom from Vanth andCharun’s domination of theirlives.This deadly game of hide-

and-seek had only oneacceptableoutcomeforDomiandher friends, and thatwasthe fall of the wingedconquerors.

Chapter11

Brigid Baptiste tested herweightonherfootoncemore.It had been an entire daysince the others had left forItaly via interphaser. She’dbeenbedridden,eatingaspirinand trying to relax herstrained system thanks to a

psychic battle against thesong of Vanth. EKGsimmediately after showedthat her heart had irregularrhythms,renderingherinlessthan optimal condition topenetrate into enemyterritory.The aspirin pills were

meant to bring her heartbeatback into normal parameters.They must have worked,sinceitwasthemorningafter

her friends had left and herEKGs over the past eighthourshadprovednormal.Theacetaminophen had alsoworked wonders on hertender sprained ankle, as shewasable towalk securelyonit.Of course, even if she

wanted to take theinterphaser,Kaneandtherestof the Cerberus teams hadthirty-six hours’ worth of a

head start on her. No, whatsheneededtodowastowait.Kane and Grant had doneplenty of work makingcertain she was checked outontheMantas,andshecouldfly them adequately enough.She wouldn’t be an aircombat ace, but she couldland a Manta in a clearing,and keep control of it as itskimmedtenmilesabove theEarthatsupersonicspeed.

Her role was rapidresponse, so being “stuck”back here minding the storewas a necessary evil. So far,the only thing reported fromthe field was Kane andGrant’s encounter with thecyclops.Theothershadgoneinto radio silence, whichmadeBrigidfeelalittlemoreedgy than normal. She wasnot a sit-back-and-wait kindof woman. She was an

explorer, an adventurer. Herhungerfornewknowledge,aswellasherobligationtoassistthe helpless, demanded thatshebeupandaround.Dianahad informedBrigid

that she was free to keepherself incondition,mentallyandphysically,makinguseofthe Olympian library as wellasphysicalrehabilitation.After ice baths and hot

wraps, Brigid’s ankle was

feelingasstrongasever.Shecould put her full weight onit, and her ligaments hadreturned to full limberness.While there were medicalfacilities and a gymnasiumbackattheCerberusRedoubt,New Olympus had far morecause and need to engage inphysical rehabilitation. Therewere those who werecatastrophically injured, tothe point where amputations

were needed to preventsuffering from gangrene.Then there were others withlessdramaticwounds,sothatOlympian doctors became awell-oiled machine when itcame to pulled and sprainedlimbs, as well as brokenbones.Brigid continued flexing

her ankle, pivoting on it tomake sure she hadn’tmerelynumbedit.

“You keep working thatankle at that rate, you’ll ruinit again.” Diana spoke up.“Then again, what would Iknow? I lost my feet yearsago.”Brigid sat, laying a towel

around her neck. She’dworked up a good sweat,hoping that her body’sexertions would distract her.Therewas no such luck, andshewasstarting togrowsick

of the walls around her.“Thanks for the use of thefacilities.”“I’m surprised that you

haven’t been in the library,”Diananoted,rollingcloser.Brigid smirked sheepishly.

“There isn’t much that Ihaven’talreadyreadthere.”“Even in the original

Greek?”Dianaasked.Brigidnodded.“Iendedup

learning Greek while doing

background on theAnnunaki’s presence inancient Greece. It’s where Imanaged topickup somuchinformation about yourcountry.”“And since you can read

bothlanguages…”“Speed read,” Brigid

returned. “Whatever I hadn’tread through in thepast, I’vebeen checking out sinceyesterday morning while

sitting in the tub.” Brigidcasuallygesturedovertowardthe therapy tub and the twostacksofbooksnexttoit.“You’rethatanxiousabout

yourfriends,”Dianasaid.“I’mthatobvious?”The queen of New

Olympus chuckled. “It killsme that I can’t go out as acommander anymore in thefield.Thefirstfewdaysstuckrunning this place, evenwith

Ari’s help, I was gettingreadytochewmyownlegofftoescapethistrap.”“Looks like you

succeeded,”Brigidnoted.Diana’s laugh was loud

and long. “Aristotle’s aboutthe only one who rides meandjokesaboutmeanymore.Ineededthat.”“I figured. I’ve been

watching and seeing howuncomfortable you are with

alltheadulation,”Brigidsaid.“And despite everything, I

can’t really order them tostop,” Diana added. “Theyneed someone to fight for.Astandardtoliveupto.Whichhurts, because I used to leadfromthefront.”“And you’re looking for

me to give you a means tofeel like one of the boysagain?”Brigidasked.Dianashrugged.“Maybe.”

Brigidnodded.“It’s hard to explain…I

thought, maybe since weshare a similarbackground…”“You want to feel like

you’re doing actual work,”Brigid said. “And you’vebeen wired to feel likeadministration and being theleader isn’t sufficientemploymentforyou.”“Yes,” Diana said. “I

mean, I hardly get time torest,but…”“Do you have a cabinet,

through which you can freeuptime?”Brigidasked.Diana tilted her head. “A

cabinet?”“Maybeevenmakeitmore

democratic,or representative.Thatmightgiveyouroomsothat you’re not overstressed,but you’re also not slackingin leadership. You and

Aristotle are in charge. Youwanttoengageinactivitythatmaythreatenthecontinuityofgovernment.But, ifyouhavesomeonetofill in,sothereisno chaos should somethinghappen…”“IgetbacktobeingDiana,

warriorqueen,”shereplied.“Technically,Hera,”Brigid

responded. “The inertia ofrecenthistoryandthelogicofGreek mythology do dictate

that Zeus and Hera must sitatop the throne of NewOlympus.”“ExceptAriisn’tmuchlike

Zeus. No sprinkling downinto town as gold dust ormating with women as aswan,”Dianaadded.“You’dpreferthat?”Brigid

asked.Diana shook her head.

“No. But, hey, Zeus got tospend time away from the

halls of the Pantheon. Whycan’tHerabelikethat?”“There is no reason you

should allow yourself to bemarginalized,” Brigidreturned.The armrest on her chair

beeped.“Hey,Di.”“Fast.” Diana greeted her

mechanic, Hephaestus.“WordontheManta?”“Yup. We managed to rig

together a cowling,” the top

techniciansaidovertheradio.“Any time that Ms. Baptisteneeds,shecanhopinandgetmoving.”“That much is a relief,”

Brigidadmitted.“CanIcomedownandseeher?”“Sure, if you have the

time,”Fastanswered.“GivemefifteenandI’llbe

right there,” Brigid said.“YourMajesty…”“Go. You’ve been idling

around here long enough,”Dianatoldher.

***

THE SUN HAD risen a halfhour earlier and, judging bythe distance Grant and Kanehad “jumped” with theinterphaser, it stillwould notbe the break of dawn forBrigidandNewOlympusforanotherseveralminutes.This

wasn’tmuchofaconcern,atleast for the two men,becausetheyhadmanagedtogetsnippetsofrest.Whereas they had sent

Domiandtheothersalongina stealthy fashion, neitherGrant nor Kane was activelytrying to avoid patrols ordetection. They continuedtheir steady approach to thesiteof the“missing”parallaxpoint, obviously armed and

wearingtheirshadowsuits.The full capabilities of

Vanth and Charun wereunknown, but they hoped toprovide CAT Beta with asmuch obfuscation as theycould.Theywerethebait,thelamb in the trap todraw inalion. So far, they’d pulled inenough attention in the formofacyclops,butatthispoint,they were not certain ofexactly howmuch theywere

facing.They had managed to

outpace the monstrosity leftbehind, so that gave themsome feeling that they’ddistracted the demigods sofar. During the night, Grantinformed Kane that birdswere flying overhead,sweeping past their positionas they’d encamped. Neithermanneedednorwantedafirein the dark, thanks to the

environmental featuresof thehigh-techshadowsuits.Evenso, theybuiltasmall

fire just to make themselveseasiertofind.NowKanecouldsee,inthe

distance, a group of peoplewalkingalongtheroad.Theyhad torches, still lit in themorninggloom.Grantpickedup on them, aswell, and thebigmanflickedoffthesafetyonhisshotgun,justincase.

“I count eight,” Grantstated.Kanenoddedinagreement.

“Andthey’rearmed.”“Not quite a band of

coldbloods, though,” Grantadded. “It’s a mix of longarms and really sharp farmimplements.”“Cover me. I’ll try to talk

tothem,”Kanesaid.Grantglancedathisfriend.

“Well, we are hanging our

assesouthereforCharunandVanthtograb.”Grant took cover behind

the trunkofa thick tree.PartofwhatgaveKanehopewasthat the less-lethal shotgunslugs would fly far and true,unlike conventional shot,which would disperse andlose power over even thirtyyards. From his standpoint,Grant could easily snipe anyof the gunmen should things

growdangerous.Kane slung his shotgun. If

necessary, the Sin Eater onhis forearm would flash intohis palm, but as there wasvery little in terms of less-lethal ammunition for theMagistrate’s signature sidearm,hewouldonlyuseitasalast resort. The day hecouldn’tprotecthimself fromagroupoffarmers,especiallyonesundermindcontrol,was

the day he felt he’d have tohanguphisshadowsuit.It was a mix of men and

women, but there was nodivision among the sexes fortheweaponstheybore.Therewereonlytwotorchesamongthem, and already, havingcleared the canopy of theforest, the bearers weredousing them in the dirt,grinding them out andsmothering them. Later

tonight, if they were still onpatrol, then they’d be relit,but for now, they wereannoyances.The group locked eyes on

him; sixteen orbs drained ofcolor and vitality, with amilky appearance thatglimmered in the sunrise, allaimed toward him like thesickly pustules. Kaneswallowed, shaking off theunease at the slack,

emotionlessfacesthoseblankorbsresidedin.Definitely under control,

Kane thought. He wonderedwhat kind of response hewould get, burying thenigglingfearofthe“uncannyvalley” before him. Thepeople were absolutelynormal in appearance, exceptthey didn’t act, didn’t haveemotion. This produced akind of fear in most people,

knownastheuncannyvalley.The closer to human anartificial entity appeared, themoredisturbingitwas.EveryinstinctinKaneinformedhimthat these were not humans,more like something thatworepeoplethewayheworeclothing.Though not a single gun

was leveled at Kane, thoseeyes dug at him, relentlessdrills of eerie, silent

inhumanity.Hemade certainthe Commtact was set toItalian translation and spoke.He was glad for the fear,because fear producedadrenaline,andadrenalinenotonly boosted blood flow andreaction time, it alsosharpened senses and madethought clearer. If they trulywere adeadly threat, thenhecould explode intoinstantaneousaction.

“I am Kane, of CerberusRedoubt,”heannounced.The faceswere unchanged

in response to his statement,butthepersonclosesttohim,a pallid woman with blackcurls spilling down to hershoulders,beganspeaking.“Welcometomyland.”Kane’s nose twitched as

she spoke clear, perfectEnglishwithout thenecessityof the translationmatrix.Her

voice, however, was deep,resonant. The black-hairedwomanwasfartoowispyforsuch a tone of voice. Ofcourse, the reverberation andtone were very close to thewords of an Annunakioverlord, something thatseemed projected acrossmultiplewavelengths.That made Kane all the

more on edge, especially forthe fact that the demigods

were very much like thegodlingshehadbeenbattlingsince the arrival of Tiamatand the evolution of thehybrid barons into their trueforms.“Wecomeinpeace,”Kane

offered, fighting off thethrash of thoughts suddenlyracing through his mind.Thinking ahead, or solvingmysteries, was one thing hecould do, but not when he

waswithin arm’s length of agroupofpotentialopponents.Thewoman nodded. “And

yet, you come knowing thatsomething is wrong. Or doyou merely come to retrieveyouraircraft?”“A little of both,” Kane

answered truthfully,frustrated that there was noemotional reaction to let himknow what was going onbehind those pale eggs that

weresupposedtobehereyes.“We came armed, becausethisisadangerousworld.”“As we are armed, as

well,”thewomantoldhim.Nomovement.Nocoughs.

No shuffling of feet. Rightnow,theeightpeoplewereasmotionlessasstatues,saveforthe lips of theirspokeswoman. Any changeonlycamewhenKaneshiftedhis own weight from foot to

foot, because even withoutthe black spots of pupils intheireyes,hecould feel theireyesfollowhismotion.“Youwouldn’t happen to knowanything about giants in thearea,wouldyou?”Kane hoped to keep the

situation defused, steeringaway the concept of thethralls being the danger hewasarmedagainst.“The cyclops,” thewoman

answered. “We thought itmerely a myth, but it hascome to my land. It is anannoyance.”Kane narrowed his eyes.

“Annoyance?”“The creation of those…

notlikeme,”thewomansaid.“You are Vanth, then.

That’s who I’m speaking to,right?”Kaneasked.“Of course,” she replied.

“You know me by my

husband. Charun. Andpresumably from yourcomrade, who managed toelude even my huntresssenses.”“Yeah,”Kaneconfirmed.“Idonotmindyourpilot’s

evasion of me, nor of hisattack against my beloved,”thewomanstated.“Charunisa formidable, fearsomewarrior, more so in his warpaintandbattlegear.”

“War paint,” Kanerepeated.“You may inform your

friendbehind the tree thatheno longer has to protect you.Ifyouwish toaccompanyusback, you will come asguests.” Vanth’s voiceechoed.Grant’s grunt of surprise

over the open Commtactalerted Kane that thedemigoddesshadspokeninto

his ears, as well, despite adistanceoffiftymeters.“Do you wish to disarm

us?”Kaneinquired.The black-haired

spokeswoman shook herhead. “There would be nopoint. You are guests. Notprisoners.”Kane nodded. He glanced

back quickly to make sureGrantwasonhisway.“We are interested in you

two, and the woman whousually accompanies you,”Vanth said as Grant joggedforward.“She’s at home.

Recovering,”Kaneanswered.“Baptistewashername.”Kane’s lips tightened. He

had no real reason to besurprised, though. He had asuspicionabout thesourceofVanth’sknowledge.“Yes. Ihaveheardofyou,

from the thoughts of others,”Vanthstated.“The missing New

Olympian platoon andpilots?”Kaneprompted.Vanth allowed her thrall a

smirk,theflexoflips.“Aye.”Thesearchgroupturnedas

one, more indication of theiralien nature, or the aliennatureoftheconsciousnessincontrolofthem.Grant stood shoulder to

shoulderwithKane,watchingthe group as they proceeded,leading the way down theroad.“Eitherwe’re heading into

thebiggest trap in theworld,or they think we’re insectscompared to them,” Grantmusedsoftly.“Seemslikeabitofboth,”

Kanesaid.“Afterall,someofour biggest, Manta-mountedweapons couldn’t hurt

Charun, so why should guyson foot, with much smallerguns,besuchathreat?”“I apologize for the

damageofyourcraft,Grant,”a voice boomed from ahead.The two Cerberus warriorslooked to see who wasspeaking, even looking upinto the canopy of the trees,just in case Charun himselfhadflowntogreetthem.It turned out to be one of

the men, who slowed,droppingbacktowalkbesidethem.The man was slender, but

hespokewiththetimberofalion, each word bearingenormous weight as it wasspoken. The man wasequipped only with asledgehammer, as if in echoof the original Charunhimself. Kane wondered iftheblack-hairedwomanhada

bow of some form, but thenrecalledthatshehadbeenoneof the group snuffing outtorcheswiththesun.Brigid’sdescription of Vanth’s torchflaredfreshlyinhismemory.It all could have been a

coincidence.“Youcametowardusfast,”

Grantsaid.Achucklethumpedfroma

chest too tiny to contain it.“Of course I did. My lover

and I felt you breach thedimensionsattheOracle.Wethought it enemies, returnedtotormentus.”“Who’d be your enemy?”

Grantasked.“The gods of the Isles…to

the north and to the west,”Charunsaid.“Theysenttheirone-eyedminions to conquerus, and eventually, the hair-shirted humans whoworshiped them came and

tore down the empire of ourchildren.”“The Tuatha de Danaan?”

Grant asked. “Wait, one-eyed…liketheFomori.”Kane and Grant agreed to

show very littleforeknowledgeoftheFomori.“Yes.Abastardhalf-breed

by the name of Bres…hisminions roamedas farasmyborders. I enjoyed crushingarmies of them with my

bride,” Charun added. “Haveyouheardofhim?”“Only in respect to the

Celticgods,”Kaneanswered.“The ones the Tuathamasqueradedas.”Charunnodded.“Itisapleasuretomeetthe

enemy of our enemies,”Charunstated.“Likewise,” Kane

answered.Then Charun’s puppet

rejoinedtherestofhisgroup,leaving Kane alone withGrant.There was very little

wonder that they were beingobserved from tree branchesby perched birds and othermammals. The moment thehumanscame intoview, theyhadalreadybeensurrounded.The tiny, milk-white eyes ofthe mind-controlled animalsfollowed themwith the same

penetratingdread.Yeah,Grant is right,Kane

thought. They think we’relessthaninsectstothem.Kanegroundhisteeth.And this time the bastard

demigods might actually beright.

Chapter12

Mohandas Lakesh Singhstirred from his too empty,lonely bed with the chirpingofhisCommtact,analertthata signal had been receivedfromKaneandGrant.“I’m awake,” Lakesh

murmured, yawning and

looking at the empty spacewhere Domi should havebeen sleeping. He ran hisfingersthroughhisthick,grayhair, matting it back downeven as the swift, tight-beamtransmission was translatedand transmitted via thecomputers.“Contact made. Invited in.

Everything mind controlleddown to squirrels andsparrows.”

ItwasKane,subvocalizingand sending off the messagewithallthespeedhecould.CharunandVanthwereso

sure of themselves that theydidn’t even seem to careaboutthemessagetransmittedby the two…prisoners?Guests?Visitors?Lakesh was full of worry.

While Kane and Grant werewalkingtallthroughthefrontdoorsofCharunandVanth’s

kingdom,hislove,Domi,wasmoving in stealthily, alongwith the restofher teamandone other. If there wassomeone who could travelundetected, it was the albinogirl, a stalker of bothwilderness and urbanapocalypse. The same wentfor Edwards, a Magistratewho’d patrolled through theTartarusPitsasalawmaninadangerousfringetown.

CAT Beta was nearly asskilled and experienced asCAT Alpha, so he shouldn’thave been so fearful forDomi’ssafety.Logicdictatedthat,butLakeshwassomeonewho trusted as much inintangibles that lay outsidethe realms of hard numbersand mathematics. Thingssuch as the confluence ofluck,amannerofsuperstitionthat in theexperiencesof the

Cerberus Redoubt “family”was more than just mysticmumbojumbo.Therewasanentire quantum universe outthere, onewithmultitudes ofprobabilitiesandrealities,andsomehow Kane, Brigid andGrant had proved to be thecornerstoneofthemovement,defying long odds andsurviving.True, the three of them

were merely human, capable

of being hurt. Brigid wasgettingoverasprainedankle.Grantstillsportedabruiseonhis back and Kane himselfhad escape a seriousconcussion, or worse, bydegrees. And yet their skillshad been sufficient to sendfirst the barons and then theoverlords scrambling to thewinds. They’d held off theinvasionandnearconquestofthe Earth by one of Enlil’s

mostdangeroussons,aswell.Through strength, courage

and intellect, they had donethebesttoreturnhumanitytoruling itself, shuckingoff themanacles of slavery to thealien Annunaki. Yet therewere still so-called gods outthere, struggling andconspiring to bring downhumankind. Vanth andCharun stunk of such alien,monstrous heritage, of the

same cruel dreams ofconquest.The video Brigid had

transmittedback toCerberus,Edwards’s recordings of themissing New OlympiansoldiersscanningtheManta’slanding and Charun’s fallenhammer, were proof positivethat their powers of mindcontrol were a deadly threatto any and all life forms onEarth.

Kane’s assertion that eventhe beasts of the Etruscancountryside were enthralledonly hammered home thatpoint. It was one thing tohave control of hundreds,even thousands, of humanminds. Kane and the othersknew how to deal withhumans, even to the point ofbeing able to take control ofthesituationwithoutharmingthehypnotized.

Buthowdidyoudealwithswarms of rats or flocks ofattacking birds? Domi hadalso transmitted the nightbefore,havingcapturedsomefootageofsheepononefarmthat CAT Beta had neared.On enhanced resolution,Lakesh saw into milky,lifelesseyesasramsandeweswent about their life ofchewingcudandyetexistingas just more observers.

Lakesh remembered in hisyouth, hundreds of yearsbefore, when he’d been at apettingzoo.There were goats at the

pettingzoo,andwhileLakeshwas bored, having to hangaround all the “kid stuff”—apun he’d been pleased withhimself over—hewatched asone of the animal handlersbegan to have trouble withone of the rams. The sheep

reared up and suddenlywenton the offensive, slammingthe keeper, a burly, barrel-chestedman of six feet. Themancollapsed,stunnedbythesuddenassault.The goat continued its

attack, biting at the keeper’scheek and ear, coming awaywith blood all over its snout,the human’s face slick andredfromsuchinjuries.That was one goat, only

needingtouseitshornsonce.The Italian countryside wasfullofsuchsimilar livestock,and the threat of all thosejawsandteeth,formerlyonlymeant for slicing toughgrasses and twigs, suddenlybecamedarkanddeadly.Ratswere equally as imposing,should they swarm andattack. There were tales ofsewer workers who sufferedcountless lacerations and

infections from stumblingintoanestfulloftherodents.Brigid had toldLakesh, as

she’d told her compatriots inNew Olympus, that Vanthpromised to unleash thosetrapped beyond thedimensional doors to herhome “world” like a plagueoflocusts.Maybe the threat of

invasion wasn’t a physicalone but one of alien control.

At this moment Charun andVanth both appeared to besuperhumanly strongexamples of humanoids, butwhat if they were simplyideas? Concepts? What ifthey were spirits hurledacross the gulf of themultiverse divides, findingtheirhomesinsidethefleshoftwounfortunates?What if the parallax point

they were trying to breach

only needed the merest ofpinpricks in terms of anopening? The invasionwouldn’tcomeintheformofliving bodies, hurtlingthrough a schism, a tear intime space, but a leak.Millions of alien mindsflowing through a wormholeasifitwereaventinadam?Thousands of ghosts orthought packets hurtlingthrough per second, each

seeking out the closestvacated central nervoussystem?Brigid relayed that Vanth

was seeking all of theseminds for power, butwhat ifthe opening of that doorwastwoways?Theemptiedshellsoftheliving,strippedoftheirintellect and free will, theiremotions, their souls, wouldpunch a hole throughuniverses and then provide

safe landing areas for thosemillionsofinvaders.Lakesh shook his head at

theconcept.“Boss, you got the

message?”Bryasked.Lakeshnodded,despitethe

fact that Bry was halfwayacrosstheredoubt.“Yes,yes,friend Bry. I have receivedthe message. Have yourelayeditontoDomiandtheothers?”

“Coded and direct-bursttransmission made,” Bryanswered. “Hopefully, it cutthrough so fast our Italianbogeyman didn’t hear athing.”“There is that hope,”

Lakesh responded. “Though,asyoumayhaveheard,Kaneisn’t particularly convincedthat Vanth or Charun isconcerned about ourinterference or

communication.”“You got that from six or

sevenwords?”Bryasked.Lakesh chuckled. “It’s all

in the tone. Plus, I believehe’sbeentakinglessonsfromDomiinbeingsuccinct.”“That’d do it,” Bry

answered. “Are you comingtothecommandcenter?”“I’ll be there in a bit.

We’ve got more informationto go over, don’t we?”

Lakeshsaid.“Yup. Vid of the first

contact rode in on the sameinfodump,”Bryresponded.Lakesh nodded. “I’ll be

thereinabit.”Heswunghislegsoverthe

sideof thebed.For someonewho had lost over 150 yearsof aging and cryogenicsuspension, and allaccompanying ailments andaches, he still felt tired and

achy being roused from hisslumber. Lakesh knew,though, that his sleep wasneverasrelaxingaswhenhisbeloved little Domi wascurled against his side. Shewas at once a calminginfluenceinherpresenceanda cause of worry with herabsence.He’d be much happier,

much more secure, wheneveryonewasbackhome.

The trouble was, if theyhad never gone out there inthe first place, menaces tohumanity would eventuallyseep their way back toCerberusRedoubt.There was duty putting

them all out there in the lineofdanger.Itwasadutythatnoteven

Lakesh would feel rightshirking.

***

BY THE TIME they hadtraveled along the roadtoward where Charun andVanth had set up their shop,Grant and Kane were tired.It’d been a brisk four-hourmarch, one that didn’t showon the faces of theirensorcelled escorts, but wasevidentintheslowingoftheirstepandlimpsthatshowedup

onsome.Kane, younger than his

partner, was not feeling astender asGrant, but even so,he didn’t think he had it inhimtowalkall thewaybackto their initial landing point.Thereversetripwouldtakeatleastsixhoursatasanerpace,but the godlings wanted tomeet the two humanemissariesfromCerberus.When the escort finally

stopped walking, they wereon a rocky, barren seemingcountryside, with no sign oflife, save for sprigs andindividualbladesofgrass.“Thisdoesn’tlooklikeany

ancient temple tome,”Grantsaid, looking around. Sincethe parallax points wereplaces where reality thinnedsufficiently to allow them toreceive communications, orevendirectvisitsfromtheso-

called ancient gods,humankindquicklygrewintothe habit of building shrinesandtemplesatsuchplacesofpower. This hill, while fairlyflat and pyramid-like inshape, was nothing special.Then again, the fact thatGrant immediately thought“pyramid”mighthavebeenacuethatthehillwasnotwhatitseemed.“No, it doesn’t,” Kane

agreed.“Butyoucanfeelthevibes,can’tyou?”Grant glanced at his

younger friend. “Notparticularly,butthefirstthingIthoughtwhenIsawthiswaspyramid.”“A buried pyramid, like

Xian in China? But this isnowherenearthatscale.”“Let’skeepheadingtoward

the apex. That’s usuallywhere the actual center of

power is on these things,”Grantsuggested.Kanenoddedandfollowed

his partner. As they nearedthe peak, there was a faintrumble, the scrapingof stoneon stone as the point of thispyramid was pushed aside.The two men stopped,watching a long, powerfularm finish opening the top,then climb up and out of thehill. It was the same being

he’d seen two days earlier,tall and long of limb, withmusclespackedliketightenedcables along his powerfulframe. He did not have hisbatlikewings,but then, therewas the possibility that thoseappendageswere simply partofaflightharness.This was Charun, his

features much less twistedand distorted, the war painthavinggoneaway.Thiswasa

god who was receivingvisitors,notacaptor.Grant hoped that the

situationwouldremainso.“Greetings.”Charunspoke,

his voice sotto voce andrumbling through the airaboutthem.“Vanth was not kidding

about war paint,” Kaneobserved.The giant’s mouth opened

into a smile. Charun still

possessed tusks, but his facewas not twisted in thesemblance of rage. His skinwas still coated in a finepatinaofscales,meaningthathis heritage was not muchdifferentfromanAnnunaki’s,but his blue tint may havebeena racialvariation.Grantwas used to being the tallestmanintheroom,butevenhehad to look up to Charun ashe strode closer, towering at

least two heads taller thanhim.The Etruscan godling

extended a big, beefy hand,and Grant accepted theoffered handshake. The lasttime Grant remembered hishand being so small insomeone else’swaswhen hewas a child, holding handswithhisfather.Thegiantwasfartoocordial,toosmiling,tobe at all concerned by the

Cerberus pair’s presence asCharunmovedontoKane.“Welcome to our home,”

he said. He swept an armtoward the open top of thehill. “Mind you, be careful.The ladder was built forpeople of our size, notsmaller. While it certainlywill not collapse under yourweight,youmightnotbeableto grip it as firmly as one ofus.”

“Why…thank you,” Kanesaid.“Did you take the Manta

down that shaft?” Grantasked.“Oh, no…there is an

alternate entrance,” Charunsaid. “However, we’re goingto keep that location secretfromyou.”“Understood. You don’t

need rats crawling in yourbackdoor,”Grantagreed.

Inwardly, he felt bad forreferringtoCATBetaasrats,but the alluded-to entrancewas exactly what those fourwould need to penetrate intothe depths of the Etruscangods’pyramid.Kane paused, looking

down the ladder. “I didn’tthink thatpyramidshadbeenbuilt in Europe. There’vebeenplentyinAsiaandSouthAmerica…and naturally in

NorthAfrica…”“There are more in what

you humans used to callBulgaria. A whole complexofthem,”Charunstated.Kane was first down the

ladder and Charun motionedforGranttogonext.The huge demigod was

correctaboutthesturdinessofthe ladder, as well as thethickness of the rungs.However with their non-slip

gloves and boots, there waslittle to fear from losing hisgrip and hurtling down theladder. He took a glance up,and saw Charun following.Thankfully,theloinpiecethatthe giant wore was a onepiece that covered anythingbeneath,foldedoverabeltinthefrontandintheback.“We’reenteringanancient

pyramidinItaly,andtheonlythingIcanworryabout isan

alien up-skirt,” Grant saidinto the Commtact for Kanetohear.There was a snort, both

aboveandbelow.“Youarewelcome,Grant!”

Charunexhorted.“Busted,”Kaneadded.“Good ears,” Grant said

aloud.“Having spent time inside

the brains of you humans, Ican pity the dullness of your

senses,”Charuncalleddown.“And I can understand thedisgust at some of theappearances of your ownbodies.”“Yeah?”Grantasked.This

conversation was going tomakeorbreakalotofthings.So far, Charun haddemonstrated that there wasvery little that could escapehis attention, part of thereasonheevenmadethequiet

aside to Kane. If Charunhadn’t acknowledged it, thenthere was always thepossibilityofslippingupandspeakingwrongly.Rightnow,GrantandKanehad tobeontheir best behavior. On theother hand, Charun’sacknowledgment could havebeenbecausehewasn’tsomeformofmenace.That bit of information

didn’t jibe well with what

Brigid Baptiste had reportedfromhermentalduelwiththeVanth virus that had invadedhermind. Then again,Vanthpresented herself as anangelic beauty—what was tosaythatshewasn’tamistressof deception, seduction andsubterfuge?Thiswouldn’tbethe first schism between so-called partners, even amongthe gods. The fall of theAnnunaki as aworld-shaking

power had been due toOverlord Lilitu’s gambit tosupplant Enlil as the highestauthority. That scheme hadfallenapart,aswellasguttedthe gigantic living star shipTiamat.Maybe Charun was a nice

guy, but that still meant thatVanth was all the more of atrickster.“We regret having to

utilizethehigherintellectsof

your people, and even yourlivestock,butVanthandIarecareful not to endanger thebodies of those we’veborrowed,”Charunadded.Kanehoppedofftheladder

upon reaching the bottom.Grantandthedemigodjoinedhimimmediately.“‘Borrowed,’” Kane

repeated.“Yes.We’ve been looking

for a sufficient source

through which to open anaperture between thisdimension and our home.”Charun sighed. “You have afine world here, especiallywith the stink of theAnnunakiscouredfromit…”“Notquitescoured,”Grant

corrected.“This area is free of their

reek,” Charun responded.“Andthus,wenolongerhaveto worry about them

swooping down on us. Youare to thank for much ofthat.”“Weare?”Grantasked.Sure, Grant was playing

dumbforthemoment,buthewasstillsurprisedatthekindofweight theNewOlympiansoldiershadputontheeffortsof theCerberusheroes.Afterall, they had fought withirrepressible courage andwillingness to die for their

countrymen. The final battlewith the Enlil-empoweredHydraehordeshadresultedincasualties. Hundreds werewoundedandscoreshaddied,but the linewas held if onlyfor the stubbornness of theGreek warriors, either insidemassive armored robots ormerelyontheground,cladinleatherandKevlar.Thatwas a day of conflict

that had been one unlike

Granthadexperiencedbeforeor since. And Grant had notbeen on the battlefield,fighting scale-hide-armoredmutates and bloody-clawedgiant sloths, but he’d alsobeen with Kane aboardMarduk’s scout ship,sabotaging it and wreakinghavoc to keep the overlordand his Nephilim forces outof the conflict. Grant hadthrown every dirty infighting

trick in the book atMarduk,cheap shots and blindsideattacks giving the big manthose few extra ounces ofedge against the seven-footAnnunakidemigod.The hammering assault on

thebridgeofMarduk’s scoutship bought Kane enoughtime to plant sabotagecharges along the length ofthe scout ship, gutting it,slaughteringnearlyhalfofits

crewandforcingtheoverlordtoabandonGreece.Those memories should

have been resigned to a sidenoteinNewOlympushistory,but Charun seemed highlyinterested in this part of thepair.Maybe he wasn’t

threatened by the humans,but Charun seemed to beactivelytryingtoengagetheirfriendshipandcooperation.

“You said you were onlyborrowing their minds.How…andhowwill theygetthemback?”Grant asked thedemigod.“Vanth explained that

we’re utilizing their higherbrain functions as extraprocessors. We’re dividingsome extremely complexmathematical equationsamong a little over amillionbrainstems,”Charunstated.

“You’re using them ascalculators,”Kanesaid.“Exactly. Essentially,

we’re doing what yourancient ancestors would callcastingaspell.Except,we’redoing it in the very code ofwhich the multiverse iswritten upon,” Charunexplained.“Onceweopenupthatdoor,wecangohome.”Grantnodded.“Thatmakes

sense. But what are the

numbercrunchersgettingoutofthis?”“Theywillbetheoneswho

might just give you humansthe means to spread outamong the stars,” anothervoice interjected into theconversation.Kane and Grant both

turned,watchingtheentranceof Vanth, tall, beautiful andhalf naked, striding as if shehadnotacareintheworld.

“My beautiful, brilliantbride,”Charunsaid.Grant andKane nodded; a

subtle bow to the womanuponherentry.“Gentle humans,” Vanth

said.“Welcome.”“Milady,” Grant greeted.

“The means of humanstravelingtothestars?”“Theuseofcraftisallwell

andgood,butthesameroadsthatcrisscrossthisballofdirt

areonlyasmall factorof theequationthatistheuniverse,”Vanth stated. “There aresimilar roads, marked bymagnetic fields, but theystretch from world to world,from star system to starsystem, and from galaxy togalaxy.”The brown-haired beauty

stepped closer, a smirkbrighteningherfeatures.“With the equations your

fellow Earthlings have beengiven, you can spill into theuniverselikeuntoaplagueoflocusts.”

Chapter13

The eyes of Vanthwere likejewelssetablazefromwithin,anchoringKane’sgazeasheroddlyharmonicvoicebuzzedbothinhisearsandhismind.This was the same kind ofsensation that he’d felt, eversince Balam first “opened

that door”—communicatingwithhimthroughtelepathy.Itwas a switch that neverturned off, and Kane didn’tlike the tingles, the ticklesofVanth’s power brushingacross his brain, as if thefolds on its surface were thehairofherlover.Itwaseerie,invasive, and at the flash ofhis anger of recognition, shewithdrew,hersmilefading.“Lady Vanth,” Kane

greetedher,doinghisbest tostifle the tension inhisvocalcords.“Have you been giving

these warriors the grandtour?”VanthaskedCharun.Themaledemigodnodded.

“The only thing that we’rereally missing is the thirdmember of their trinity. Thehumanwoman,Brigid.”Vanth frowned, conveying

an all too human

disappointment. “What haskepther?”“She suffered some minor

injuries, so we did not feelthat shewould be up for thetrek from the alternateparallax pointwe landed at,”Kaneansweredtruthfully.Hiswillwasabrickwall,andthatwas bolstered by Brigid’sposthypnotic suggestions,sublimating his suspicionsandworriesdeep,beyondthe

reachofameresurfacescan.Using mostly intact truthswould prevent her fromsensinganythingwrong.It was not going to be a

perfect solution, especially ifVanth’smental abilitiesweretruly powerful. Kane’s willhad been tested by telepathicgoddesses of late, and hedidn’t feel like pressing hisluck. So far, however, hedidn’t feelas if she’dbroken

throughanything.Then again, itwasn’t as if

she’d leave a note pinned tothe inside of his brainwherehe could find it. That waswhat truly sucked about thisfor Kane. He’d been madeaware enough to know whatwashappening,buttherewasverylittlehecoulddobywayof mental inventory thatwould give him an idea ofhowmuch his thoughtswere

rummagedandsearched.“Well, you surely have

another aircraft like the onewe requisitioned,” Vanthstated.“It was under repairs last

we saw it,” Grant answered.He nodded toward Charun.“Thisguydidquiteanumberonit.”“Ah, yes,” Charun noted

with a chuckle. “We havetakengoodcareofyourother

craft. I hope you did notpunish its pilot toomuch forfleeingfromourarrival.”“Wewent easy on him. If

hecouldn’thurtyouwiththeweaponsmountedonit,therewas no way he could dealwithyoucarryingameresidearm,”Kanesaid.Charun smiled, his

shouldersstraighteningalittlefurther, his chest jutting aninch or two more with pride

over the power he haddisplayed and theintimidation he wielded as awarrior god. Kane couldn’ttell if the demigod wasbuying into this through ego,or that he and Grant weresimplygoodactors.“So, you want me to pop

overandbringBrigid?”Kaneasked.“Whoeverwishestoflythe

Manta,asyoucallit,”Charun

offered.“Iwouldassumethatyouwouldgo,Kane,foryourframe would allow moreroomforherasapassenger.”Grant lookedatKane.“He

hasapoint.”“You are near the size of

one of us, Grant,” Charunstated.Herestedalargehandon the big Magistrate’sshoulder,makinghim feel asifhewereachildoncemore.“There will be no harm to

befall him under myprotection.”“You’re sure?” Kane

asked.“We shall have the ship

readied for you,” Vanth toldthem. “Then we shall havethe three who are as one asourguests.”Kane was once more glad

for the posthypnoticsuggestions that drained anytension or relief from his

features. This was feelingmoreandmorelikeatrap.Maybethe“virus”thathad

infected Brigid was eitherstill alive or hadmanaged totransmitadistresscallbacktoits originator. Kane didn’thave a clue as to how thegoddess’s song worked, buthewouldn’tputitpastVanthto actually be able tofragment her intellect to thepoint where such a mind

control effort couldcallbacktoher.“How soon would that

be?”Kaneasked.“We will take some time

for you to rest your tiredlimbsandtofillyourbellies,”Charun stated. “While theappropriated Spartans carrythe Manta outside, you’llhave at least an hour ofrelaxationwithus.”“Sounds good,” Grant

returned.Kanecould feel thehintofsarcasminhisfriend’svoice.Eat, drink and be merry,

humans, Kane imagined thethoughts of the entities infrontofthem.Fortonight,westealyoursouls.

***

“YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS,”Brigid said over the

Commtact.“I’masseriousasI’veever

been,”Kanereturned.“Vanthwantsyoutocomevisitusinthe scenic, placid Etruscancountryside. She promiseswine and the mathematicalsecrets that will enable us toleavetheEarthfarbehind.”“That is a temptingoffer,”

Brigidreplied.Neither of them was

speaking about it out loud,

but the implications of allthree of them beingsummonedbeforeVanthweredangerous. Brigid had donewhat she could to reinforcethe minds of her comradesthat had gone on ahead, andshe had also self-hypnotized,compartmentalizing thememories she possessed ofVanth’s viral knowledgeenteringherbrain.Such autohypnotic

suggestion had carried heragainst the intrusion andviolation of Ullikummis, somaybe it would work again.If not, it was unlikely shewould ever know whathappened. Her precautionscould prove for naughtagainst a superior hand atmindcontrol,andthestressesof her battle against Vanth’sprojection still made herwary.

“Andyouwon’tevenhaveto walk far on your gameankle,” Kane added. “I canpickyouupandflyyourighthere.”“Why can’t I use the

interphaser again?” Brigidasked.“Because of the efforts of

Vanthtoopenupawormholeat the parallax point here,”Kane explained. “So she andCharuncouldreturnhome.”

“All right,” Brigid said.“When can you get goingoverhere?”“I’m outside with Grant.

We’re running down thechecklist to make sure thething is still in full flyingcondition,”Kanetoldher.“So far, looks all right,”

she heardGrant on the partyline.“You’re notworried about

staying there alone?” Brigid

inquired.“Whatcouldtheydotome

that they couldn’t have adozen times over?” Grantanswered.“I’llbefine.Ican’twaittoseeyouagain.”Brigid admired her two

partners in adventure. Theymaintained their calm, andsounded optimistic andtrustinginthefaceofultimatedanger.Sure,she’ddoneabitto keep their minds from

betraying them, but even so,they were acting well. Shecouldpickup inflectionsandtones in their voice thatindicated theywere speakingof their own freewill, ratherthan repeating by rote orbeing intimidated into lyingtoheraboutthesituation.She knew that the two

Stygian entities would beoperating under a great dealof risk in sending Kane to

her. Certainly, they had ahostageintheformofGrant,and therewasa small tremorof doubt in Grant’s voice,something she could pick upbecause of her familiaritywiththeman,buttheredidn’tseemtobeanyduplicity,anysubterfuge, going on at thepresent.Together, Brigid and her

friends had survived a greatmanytraps,andthiswouldbe

justanother, andyet, the lawof averages said that runs ofluckwouldrunout,nomatterwhat. Certainly, they wereprepared and skilled enoughto handle unexpectedtroubles, just for when theirluck did fail, and Kane andGrant proved to be brutetough enough to cope withproblems that could only besolvedwithforceofarms.Blunt violence was

somethingBrigid herself hadbecome well versed in, aswell. Early on, she’d turnedup her nose at Kane andGrant packing all manner ofhardware with them whenthey journeyed out on anexpedition. Now, she carriedthe big, almost hammer-shapedTP-9automaticpistol,whichsheslidintoitsholster.The TP-9 was asemiautomatic, civilian

version of the old TMP-9machine pistol, only slightlysmaller than the Sin Eatersthat Kane and Grant carried,and also carrying a 20-roundmagazine.“Will she mind if I come

armed?”Brigidasked.“They haven’t had us

surrender our side arms, butletmeask,”Kaneresponded.Again, Kane was

informing Brigid of the

cockinessofhishosts.“Vanth said she doesn’t

care what you bring. Justremember, we can’t fit morethan a grasshopper into theMantawithbothofuspackedintoit,”Kaneoffered.Andtherewasthetidbitof

information Brigid had beenwaiting for. Vanth’sconfidence allowed her torepeat the term “locust” inspeaking with Kane and

Grant.WhenKanementioned“grasshopper,” which locustswereaspeciesof,Brigidhadall the confirmation sheneededaboutVanth.Itwasacasual thing to say, though,and one that was actuallytrue, as the Mantas weremeanttobesingle-seatscramjets. Such a casual referencewaseasytopassoff.Brigid, however, did not

have any doubts that Vanth

would get the hint. Thedemigoddess was acontemporary of theAnnunaki overlords, and assuch, had survived theirschemes. Enlil and the restweredevilsofsubterfuge,andas guileless seeming Kane’scomment was, it wouldn’thaveescapedhernotice.Andif there was such apossibility, Brigid had to erronthesideofcaution.

“I’ll bring my pistol,”Brigid returned. “And I’llmake sure my ankle’s tapedupwellenough.”Anything to make Vanth

think she was at less thanoptimumcapabilitywouldbea card in her favor. It wouldalso give her options. Shethoughtofwhatshecoulddowith the taped ankle. Metalcould be disguised as a kindofsplintorbrace.

“Sounds good to me,”Kanereplied.Brigid said her goodbye

and disconnected fromKane’s transmission. Ofcourse,Lakeshandtherestofthe home crew back atCerberus had been listeninginontheconversation.“Send me an interphaser,”

Brigid requested over theCommtactbacktoCerberus.That was code in itself.

The interphaser was a pieceoftechnologyworthtentimesits weight in gold, enablinganyoneinpossessionofitthecapacity to travel acrossworlds.As such,Lakeshwasloathetopartwiththedevice,especially since it was, inessence, an ever-developingprototype. When notoverseeing the redoubt orapplying his intelligence tothe crises the CAT teams

encountered, he wasconsistently tinkeringwith it.There were severalproprietarybitsoftechnologywithin the pyramid-shapedobject, things that were hardto duplicate, but also therewas the concern of othersgaining control of it. Groupssuch as the MillenniumConsortium, or the voodoocult led by Papa Hurbon,could easily utilize the

interphaser to conquer largeareas.Fortunately, since Brigid

didn’t need to use theinterphaser to reach theparallaxpoint,whatcouldbedeliveredwassomethingelse.A fail-safe device that couldtempt Vanth, all the whilepretendingthatitwasperhapsdamagedintheflight.And if the goddess was

someone trustworthy…well,

then, Brigid could continueonstatingthat they’dneedtobring in another interphaser,while the small but deadlybomb in a rigged interphaserhousingwas leftdisarmed. Ifit was such an instance thatVanth was going to bring adeadly invasion into theworld, thefauxwasdesignedto blow up with sufficientforce to kill an overlord.Maybe, just maybe, it would

proveenoughtoalsoslamthedoor on an interdimensionalhordeofattackers.Ofcourse,detonating the bomb wouldbe a final desperate act onBrigid’s own part, likelykilling her, her allies anddozens,maybeevenhundredsofthethrallsofVanth.The worlds of H. L.

Mencken flashed throughBrigid’smindatthatthought.“To die for an idea; it is

unquestionably noble. Buthowmuchnobleritwouldbeif men died for ideas thatweretrue!”In all the struggles of the

Cerberus explorers, sherealized there was a truth—thatmenshouldbefree fromtyranny. The tyranny of firstthe hybrids, then theirevolution into the overlords,was the first of many suchunjust reigns that she was

willing to die to stop. Therewere others that arrived.Cults,thepredationofbanditsand other such coldbloods,and especially thetechnocracy known as theMillennium Consortium,wereallexamplesofthekindof man’s own inhumanity toitself.So if she had to be blown

to oblivion to stop Vanth,thensobeit.

“Nobler to die for an ideathatistrue,”shemused.

***

WITH A FLASH across hiswindshield, Kane knew forcertainthathe’dreenteredtheatmosphereandwasswingingthe supersonic Manta intoGreek airspace. He checkedon his scanners, watching tosee if perhaps he’d been

shadowed by Charun orVanth, but for now he wasaloneinthesky.Brigidwasatthetempleof

theOracle, standing beside asmall pyramidal device. Hefrowned, realizing that itwasan interphaser. Bringing oneof those into the presence ofVanth andCharunwas not agoodthing.He recalled when the last

ofthepureTuathadeDanaan

on Earth, the mad godMaccan, came for theinterphaser.Maccan’s assaulton Cerberus had left severaldead and scores injured,including Domi, who hadbeen tortured in Lakesh’spresencetomakehimgiveuptheinterphaser.The devicewas something

he’d needed to return to hishome dimension, thanks to alinkage in the great Martian

pyramid. Grant, Kane andBrigid had rushed to Mars,dealing with little, mutatedtrans-adapts, pint-sizehumanoids designed forsurviving in less atmosphere-richenvironments, aswell asbeing proportionately denserand stronger than a normalhuman.With an army of such

mutantsintheMarsbase,andMaccanhimselfsettingupthe

interphasertoheadhomeandthen bring back an army ofhis followers, the trio hadfound themselves in a trulydangerous situation. Only byforcing Maccan’s ancientglove weapon—the SilverHand ofNaudha—to unleashits power inside the pyramidhadtheymanagedtostopthescheme.Theancientbuildingcollapsed as the SilverHand’s power bolts tore

throughtheroof,allwhiletheCerberusadventurersracedtothe mat-trans to take thembackhometoEarth.If one god was a threat

with the interphaser, thenletting Vanth and Charunhave access to it would beeven worse; at least that’swhat Kane assumed. Thenagain, Brigid was rarely awoman who did anythingwithout purpose and plan.

The tiny pyramid was aninterphaserhousing,buttherewaslittleguaranteethatithadanyofthepropercomponentswithin. This could be adamaged prototype orsomethingworse.Kane swung the Manta

over the center of thetemple’s remains, landing itamong the Doric columnsthatwereallthatremainedofthe ancient structure. The

ruins were large enough toland the compact scram jet,evenwithBrigidpresent.He popped the cockpit for

her.“So,you’rebringingthatalong?”“Yeah. Try not to fly too

recklessly.The interphaser isusedtojusttransportingitselfand recalling immediately.Being jostled isn’t in its bestinterests,” Brigidadmonished,climbingupand

handinghimthedevice.Kane looked at the casing.

It felt heavier than normal,but then Brigid caught hiseye.“Don’tthinkofit,”shetold

him.And almost immediately

Kane’s thoughts became alittle fuzzier, clearing amoment later as theinterphaserwascradledinhisarms like a baby. “You sure

this can take entering andexitingorbit?”“If not, I can tinker with

it,” Brigid stated. “It’s just abackup plan that might helpourgodlingfriends.”Kane nodded. He still

knew enough to feel distrustof the Stygian aliens, thosedoubtsforwardinhismind…but something had slitheredbackintohissubconscious.Brigid squeezed herself in

behind the pilot’s couch,grumbling and complainingall the way. She was a tall,well-built woman, soslithering into such a tightspotwasnothingfunforher.Heturnedandhandedhertheinterphaser, wondering whyhis arms felt so achy andweakasheliftedit.Kane dismissed it as

tensionanduncertainty.Theywerefacingoffwithtwoalien

humanoids that seemed tobecapableofstealingaperson’ssoul and breaching thebarriers between universes.He wanted to talk to Brigidabout this, but something inhimwhisperedthatshedidn’twant to know about hisdoubtsandworries.He ground his molars,

feeling completely offbalance,evenashewentoverthe checklist for takeoff. It

may have been overlyredundant,ashe’djustdoneita few minutes ago beforetakeofftothetriphere,buthewas a pilot. Not as good asGrantwas,whichwaswhyhewanted to go over everyvariable, every condition, oftheaircraftbefore riskinghisandBrigid’slivesontakeoff.The more he concentrated

on the every day, themundane, thebetterhismind

and stomach felt. He wantedto ask Brigid if she hadanything to dowith this, butonce again, a fog ofobfuscation had himforgettingwhathewasgoingtoaskafewmomentslater.Itwas a mental roller coaster,andonehewanted togetoffof,butevenwishinghecouldtalkwith someoneelseaboutitwasmakinghimfeelworse.“Kane?”

Heturnedandlookedbackto her. “Is Vanth attackingmybrain?”Hemanagedtosqueezethe

wordsout,butitwasasifhisthroatwasa thinslitofclothand as he pushed eachsyllable through, the canvastore, threads popping, hislarynx growing more andmorerawwiththeeffort.“No. No,” she said. She

touched the side of his face,

squirming to look himsquarelyintheeyes.“What’s wrong with me?

Mymemoryisgoingallcrazyand I can’t concentrate,”Kaneasked.“ItfeelslikeI’mnotaloneinsidemyhead.”“Concentrate on me,”

Brigid told him. “I shouldhave known that your willwastoostrong,thatyouweretoo aware of yourself to beable to ignore my

posthypnoticsuggestions.”With that statement he

began tocalm.“Posthypnoticsuggestions. You’ve beenhelpingmekeepmythoughtsaligned.”“But you are too smart.

Too in touch with your ownthought patterns that youwere feeding into a loop ofrecognizing the dissonance,andthenaggravatingyourselfmore as your subconscious

went to work burying it,”Brigid said. “Your pointman’s instinct comes fromyourabilitytoseethroughthefilter of your subconsciousandpickuponactualdetails,not the usual tricks ofconsciousnessthatinformourdailyperceptions.”Kane blinked, but kept his

focus on her. Parts of himwere upset with her, rootingaround in his head, but then,

he’dactuallybeenoneof thepeople for the act of alteringhis thoughts, protecting theCerberusexpedition from theintrusive powers ofVanth. Itwasmerely his ego rebellingat the thought of his mindbeing manipulated byanother.“I’ve broken your

conditioning by merelymentioning posthypnotic,”Brigid offered. “Should we

trythisagain?”“I don’t think so. If

anything, it might makethings worse for me, even ifyoumanagedtofindawaytoget me out of my loop ofconfusion,”Kane said. “Whoknows,shemightnotscanmecasually…”“Except you’re returning

with new stuff, newinformation,” Brigidcountered.

“Like the interphaserhousing…being heavier,”Kane agreed. He narrowedhis eyes. “If we spend toomuch time here discussingthis, she’llwonderwherewedisappearedto.”He finished his checklist

and, satisfied that the Mantawas ready to go, he glancedback. “All right, we’re off.Make sure I don’t bang theinterphaser around toomuch,

okay?”Brigid took a relieved-

sounding breath. “I’ve neverbeen so happy to hear youplaydumb.”Kane tilted his head.

“What’re you talking about,Baptiste?”“Never mind,” she

concluded, sighing withexasperation.Kane’s lips pulled into a

tight,self-satisfiedsmile.

Chapter14

The four people in the CATBeta squad had seen thedeparture of Kane’s Mantafrom the mountainside andrealized that something wasup.From thedirection that itflew in, Domi was certainKane and Grant had

ingratiated themselves intothe house of the Etruscangodlings. That was always agood thing in Domi’s mind;she didn’t have to worryaboutputtingona false frontto engage in the tiresomegames of intrigue and falsepoliteness with the alienentities. Shewas here, in thewilderness, where she wascomfortable.She was glad for the

launch. Now she could startlooking for a sign to trackfrom where the robots hadbrought the captured Manta.Withgrimdetermination,shefollowed theback trailof thetwo Gear Skeletons as theytrundled from the improvisedlaunchpadon thesideof thehill. Shadowing themwas anexercise in the basics, asneither of the giganticmechanisms was the quietest

of devices, nor did theirponderous tread land lightlyontheground.Evenso,shedidn’twantto

belulledintoafalsesenseofsecurity, so she acted as ifthey were possessed of thesharpest hearing and thekeenestofeyes.Shestayedtothe foliage and shadows,crawling along to pace them,but always keeping aware ofwhere her next hand- or

foothold shouldbe, so asnotto crunch a leaf or snap abranch.The others were behind,

keeping a distant watch, justin case someone, somehow,pickeduptheferalhuntress’strail. Edwards and Sinclairboth had long-range rifles toprovide her with overwatch,andtheyhadnight-visionandinfrared capabilities thatwouldpickupsuchacreature

inpursuitofher.So far, things were quiet.

Ofcourse,theywereonradiosilence, but Domi knew thatif she did develop a tail, theothers would fire. No matterwhat kind of silencertechnology was developed,therewas noway tomake arifle report quiet. She’d hearit.Of course, if she heard it,

thensowouldthegodswithin

themountaintemple.Domi focused on the

missionathand, livinginthemoment, as was her nature.All of that was how shemanagedtostayaliveforhertwo decades of life so far,even in the face of inhumanopponents. Keep the basics,always move with absolutecertainty and keep your eyesandearspeeled.No technology, no tricks,

weresubstitutes for thehard-wonskillsshe’ddeveloped.The pair of giants reached

a set of crags and anoutcroppingalongthebottomofthehill.Fromadistance,itseemed like a naturalformationandacasualglancewould havemistaken it for anormallyformedcave.Astherobots continued on, Domicould tell that it was anentrance, with stones and

slabsofsolidrockpositionedto conceal a metal-walledframe. The size of the “caveentrance” was also anindicator of the unnaturalstatus of the opening, as thefifteen-foot-tallgiantsstrolledthroughthedoorsasifitwerenothing.Domisethershadowsuit to duplicate the rockyterrain, because it would behard to hide herself amongthe barren hillside without a

little bit of technologicalassistance.With a few quick strides,

shewasoutfromtheedgeofthetallgrassesandupbesidethehand-builtentrancetothemountain of Charun andVanth.Shepeeredaroundtheedge and saw that theSpartans had gone down ahundred feet of corridor,thanks to their long strides,andwereapproachingagate.

She switched on the shadowsuithood’sopticsandgaveaverbal order to search forcameras or electric eyes,things that even her finelytuned instincts couldn’tdiscernintheshadowsof theunlithallway.Domi didn’t merely skim

or glance; rather, she lookedalong as much of the walldetail as the telescopic zoomandlightamplificationwould

allow her to, which meanteverything that wasn’tobscured by the massiveshoulders of the NewOlympian war suits. Therewasnowayshewasgoingtoendanger the other membersof her team without athorough examination of theartificial corridor.Fortunately, it seemed theonly man-made objects werethe ribs that upheld the rock

walls, and the flat plates ofsteelthatformedtheroofandwallsattheexposedentrance.No electrical wires were inevidence, and the metallooked as if it had beenpresent for centuries, thankstorust.No wiring, no bulbs were

in evidence, and there wereno small mammals in thecrags and holes along thewalls of the deeper tunnel.

Sheobservedasthegateroseandheardtheclankofchainsandapulleysystemliftingtheiron bars. Domi remainedstill, so that if someonelooked at her, she’d simplyappear to be just anotherrock.Evenherbreathingwasshallow,sothathershouldersand ribs didn’t shift toomuch.It was waiting, and those

whoknewDomiwouldhave

neverthoughtshe’dhavethiskindofpatience,butthiswasnot simply idling. She wasobserving, and staying lowprofile. She blended into hersurroundings, eyes and earspeeled. She was not onlywatchingforanyholesin theEtruscan gods’ security, butalso if someone was cominguponherfrombehind.Sofar,shewassafe inher

periphery, and hadn’tmissed

thatthegatewaslarge,heavyand dwarfed the pair ofSpartans. There were alsogapsbetweenthebars,whichthehood’sopticsimmediatelymeasured, displaying thedimensions of each gap.Getting through would be atask of phenomenalcontortion even for the slim,tiny Domi, let alone any oftherestofherteammatesandSmaragda.Theonlymeansof

getting through would be torely on technology that wasleft behind at Cerberus, orcrudely spending timediggingachannelbeneaththegate, and hoping thesurrounding dirt didn’t caveinontheditch.The second option would

also leave them vulnerableduring the length of time ittook to dig that hole,especiallyifitwastobelarge

enoughforEdwardstoslitherthrough. Domi’s lips pulledtight as she realized theirquarry had a good piece ofsecurityhere.Sheglancedback,scanning

the mountainside with thetelescopic optics for herfriends.Edwards and Sinclair

appeared in stark contrast tothecountrysideasshepickedup their passive IFF

signature.Shewasout in theopenandvisibletothem,butlike her, their suits wereconfigured to blend in withtheirsurroundings.Domi lifted her hand and

wavedfortherestoftheteamtocomedown.Sure, theideaof digging under the heavyiron gate was a bit foolish,but it was also so audaciousthat no one would considersomeone try it. If therewere

any contraindications on theopposite side of the gate formakingtheirentrancethroughthere,thentheycouldretreat.Domi hoped it wouldn’t

come to that. She wanted togetinsidebeforetheirfriendsendedupindeeptrouble.Something bothered Domi

asshewaitedfortheothers.There were only two

Spartans lifting andmaneuvering the Manta; the

same suits she recognizedfrom Edwards’s vid footage.She wondered at the lack ofthe third of the suits. Sherecalled the heavy tread of asolo entity approaching theirlanding at the parallax pointwithKaneandGrant,but thetwomen had reported that itwasn’t a Gear Skeleton thatapproachedthem.Ithadbeensome form of inhuman giantakin to the massive Balor

they had battled in theAppalachian Mountainsmonthsago.Thatkindofacreaturewas

an abomination crafted ofhuman flesh, of a living,willing host, and often thedeadanddyingvictimsofthemutant. The Fomori, as theyhad called themselves, wereonaverageaboutthreetofourhundred pounds, their bodiesbulked up almost like

cannibals, robbing the verypartsofotherpeople,stealingmuscle, bone and skin tomake them larger andstronger. This form ofhideous transformation waspart and parcel of a deadlybeing known as Bres, whowas an inheritor of Enlil’s, ahalf-breed who had moldedhimself into an object ofperfection.Stolen flesh, Domi

continued to muse, lookingdown the tunnel. She beganto wonder what a GearSkeletonwouldresembleifitweregivenacoatingoflivinghumans, and the thoughtswere uncomfortable. It onlymade sense…skeletons needmuscleandmeat.And a hammer-wielding

god such as Charun wouldneedanopponent.One whose bones could

never break, being forgedfrom an alloy version oforichalcum, and whose fleshcould be healed and rebuilt,using the mindless andenslavedthrallsDomiandhergroup had been avoiding forthepastdayandahalf.Shewonderedif theothers

would pick up on that. Shehadtoremaininradiosilenceand avoid broadcasting thepresence of CAT Beta to

Vanth.Shehadtotrustintheintelligence of her threefriends that this threat couldquite easily have been areplayofHelenaGarthwaite’smanufactured threat, thatVanth built something forCharun to slug it out with,finally having scored enoughtomakeatruegiant.Ofcourse, thiscouldmean

thatsomeofSmaragda’sownpeople could not be

recovered, not if they weredissectedandrebuilt tomakenewmonsters.Domi ground her teeth.

She’d have to informSmaragda of the fates shesuspected, but hoped shewouldn’thaveto.Domi prayed silently that

she’d never have to tell thebrave Olympian soldier thatthecomradesshehadlosthadbeen torn apart and

reassembled as the muscleandskinofaroboticgiant.

***

THE DULL RUMBLE ofthunder in the sky alertedGrant that the Manta hadreturned. His instincts werebuzzing, almost as if thetension he was feeling wasemanating from him likeelectricity.Grantwasglad to

have Kane and Brigid bothback at his side, but hecouldn’t help to think thiswas an elaborate trap, onethat was intended to pull thethreeofthemoffbalance.Grant fought the urge to

jump up and head to theladdertoseeKanebringinginthe Manta from the peak ofthe hill. The hatch at the topwasopen,whichwashowhewas able to hear the sonic

boom of the Manta’sdeceleration as it reenteredthe atmosphere. Charunsmiledatthesound.“Your friends have

returned,” the eight-foothumanoid confirmed. Hisfacewasbright andhappyatthe sound; his eye lit withgenuine pleasure at theprospect of meeting BrigidBaptiste. Grant felt bad forbeing so suspicious of

Charun,buthe’dencounteredenough sociopaths, humanandotherwise,whocouldputon a good mask of falseemotion. If he turned out tobe a noble and just being,then Grant would begforgivenessoftheStygian.Hehopedhewouldbeable

to beg such forgiveness. Thefact that the giant let himkeep his side arms, even thebag of variousweapons,was

disarming enough an action,but it alsocouldhavebeenasign of superiority. After all,Charunhadfacedtheheaviestof small arms on the Mantaand was unharmed. Whatmereman-portableequipmentcouldinjuresuchabeing?The truth was that Grant

realized Charun’sinvulnerability had, in part,been due to the ancienthammer, an artifact of alien

technology that was sopowerful, it might as wellhave beenmagical. Sure, theothers had seen the damagethe hammer had wroughtupon his Manta, but Grantwastheonlyonetohavebeenon the receiving end of theweapon in the hands ofCharun. The aircraft hadshaken violently. Even theinertial nature of the pilot’scouchhadconveyedtheforce

ofthehammerstrike.Charun was not an

opponent to underestimate,and for all his cheer andamicability, showed signs ofgreat intellect behind hisattempts to seem simple andstraightforward.“Ididn’twant to seem too

rude by hopping to my feetwhen I heard it,” Grant toldCharun as he rose from hisseat.

“It is understandable,Grant,” Charun said. “I havespent many a quiet hour inthe company as an uncertainguest.”“Inbetweenyourtasksasa

chooser of the slain?” Grantquestioned.“My duties as a so-called

psychopomp, as youmentioned before,” Charunsaid. “The stories, as we’veexplained, have permutated

overthemanycenturies.”“So, maybe it is a good

thing that we have Brigidcoming in to join us, so wecan better understand what’sgoingon,”Grantreturned.“Vanth would explain

much better,” Charunadmitted. “I was moreengaged in protecting ourborders from the minions oftheoverlords.”“Which makes you damn

fine in my book,” Grantnoted. “Enlil and his bunchnever have been friends ofmine.”“The enemy ofmy enemy

is my friend,” Charunresponded.“Eveninmytime,itwasanancientsaying.”Charun motioned to allow

Grant to take the leadup theladder. Without hesitation,Grant was up the rungs andoutof thehatchon thepeak.

The wake of the Mantabisectedacloud,smearingthewhite fluff of it behind,creating a streak on theafternoon sky. He enjoyedwatching one of thesemachinesinaction,evenfromthousands of feet away, itssheer velocity and nature.When not engaged in stealthmode, it was a vulgar,glorious display of the truescaleofhumancreativity.

It was one thing to punchthroughdimensionalwalls,tosquirt your atoms through awormhole halfway around acontinent, but really, Grantwasapilot.He’dbeenflyingtheDeathbird iterationof theAH-1 Apache gunship fordecades,andnothingfelt likethe sensation of skimmingover treetopsat150milesanhour. With the discovery ofthe Mantas from the moon

base, all dreams of velocityand agility were increasedexponentially. There was nosenseofmovement inamat-trans,nothrillwithit.Even the Deathbird was

still a magnificent flyingmachine that moved and feltlikeanextensionofhisbody,anamplificationofhimself.Watching from the

sidelines, he was stillimpressed with the sleek,

transorbitalplane.Charunwasupthroughthe

hatch and standing besidehim. A glance at the gianttold Grant that he wasinterestedintheMantas,too.Charun followed it

intently. He’d encounteredthe—tohim—aliencraft,andthoughheworeaharnessthatlethimtake to theskieswithinhuman ease and wielded ahammercapableofsplittinga

Manta in two with a directhit, the scram jet waswondrous to Charun. Therewasasenseofrespectforthehumans’tinkering.The approach was clean

from Grant’s more clinicalthinking, observing Kane’shandlingof theManta.Therewasadifferencebetweenhimand his younger partner.Whereas the Mantas were ajoy,adrug toGrant, toKane

they were merely anothermeans of transportation.There was no flourish, noexcitement in his tearingbetween orbit andatmosphere.Grant had to give Kane

props for being precise andalways in control, but thatwas no way to truly fly.Charun, with his wingharness, was someone whowas more along the lines of

what he experienced as apilot.Ofcourse,allofthiscould

have been projection, butGrant could see Charunnodding at the same pointsthat he’d approved of inKane’s handling of theManta. The scram jetswitched to Vertical Takeoffand Landing mode, itsengines swiveling so that itcould hover and land on the

clearingonthehillside.Charun’s head whipped

around and Grant could feelthegiant’stensionincrease.“What’s wrong?” Grant

asked. He let his Sin Eaterslide into his hand. Charunwas suddenly on thedefensive and he could seethe demigod’s hands flexingopen and closed, sorelymissing the hammer heshouldhavehad.

“We’ve got intruders,”Charun stated. “They’recomingin.”Grant was frozen in doubt

foramomentbuthekepthisthoughts of CAT Beta deepwithin the back of his mind,buried under other mentalprocesses.Therewasathreat,bringing Charun out of hiscuriosity, making the giantwish for a weapon. Thatwouldn’t be Domi and the

rest. The albino girl was aghostwhenshewantedtobe,just as stealthy as Kanehimself.No…someone was

approaching,out in theopen,andtheywereonawarpath.“Should we have Kane

takeoff?”Grantasked.“No,”Charunstated.“This

shouldbenothingforme.”“Butyou’reallitchy,ready

tofight,”Grantadded.

Charun glanced at themachinepistolinGrant’sfist.“Asareyou…”“Your instincts kicked

mineoff,”Grantreplied.“They come from that

way,”Charunstated,pointingdownthehill.“Icannotquitetellthenumberofthem…itisas if there is more than onemindorspiritperintruder.”Granttiltedhishead.Kane and Brigid were

running forward, both ofthemwith theirweaponsout,but leveled at the ground soas not to accidentally shootsomeone as they rushedforward.“What’s going on?” Kane

asked.“Charun sensed intruders,”

Grant explained. “Comingfromthatdirection.”Kane turned his head

toward the forest that was

pointed out. Brigid glanceddown, too, but then returnedher attention to the Etruscangiant.Heremeraldeyeswerewideasshelookedatthetitanfrom head to toe. Then sheglanced at the hatch in thepeak, blank-faced servantsarrivingcarryingcapsulesthesize of smallmelons in theirhands.Charun turned to the first

servant, plucking the “ball”

from his hand. He swung itup over one shoulder andGrant watched as strapssuddenly stretched out fromthe capsule, winding aroundhis chest. Then came thewings; crushed buds the sizeof Grant’s forearms beganunfurlingintoleatherywings,likethoseofagiganticbatorreptilianpteranodons.“The magic disappears

when you look upon it up

close,no?”Charunasked.Hepicked up another of thecapsulesandpressed it tohisface, this one becoming thetusked, terrifying mask that,atthisrange,Grantcouldtellwas the “war paint” Vanthhad referred to. It was notmuch different from theshadow suit Grant himselfwore.Thisone,however,putitself ontoCharun, spreadingdown and increasing the

unhealthy blue-corpse pallorofthetitan.Inaway,thiswasalso close to what he sawwhen Enlil began armoringhis Nephilim warriors withthose little buds of smartmetal.“Nope, not a bit,” Grant

replied.“Prettyfantastic.”Charun flexed, feeling

more himself as he “suitedup” forwar. Therewere stillfour more servants, all with

their eyes empty, facesimpassive asmind-controlleddrones.Eachheldadifferent-coloredcapsule.Charun picked up one that

unfurledinhishand,forminga long metallic rod of greatstrength as it finishedtransforming. He plucked asecond, stabbed it atop theshaftand itquickly formedacrosspiece, anchoring to thehandle of the hammer.

Charun took each of the lasttwo, sticking one on eitherend of the crosspiece, eachcapsuleformingintoadeadlyalloywedge thatwas the lastofthehammer’sformation.Brigid observed this, as

well, and Grant intended toaskher, later, ifhewas rightin the assumption of thistechnologyresemblingthatofthe Annunaki, especially thecorrupted armor node that

had turned Helena from asilver-skinned goddess into arampaging engine ofdestruction.“Let us gird our loins,

Kane and Grant!” Charunbellowed. “The enemy isuponus!”Grant saw Charun lift his

hand, pointing toward anobject hurtling up from theground. It was a two-hundred-pound chunk of

stone arcing into the sky,hurtling straight toward theCerberus expedition andCharun.

Chapter15

Kane saw the flying stone,and grabbed Brigid Baptistebythewrist,pullingherdownthe hillside. Moments laterCharun took a half step andswung his hammer, the headconnecting with the two-hundred-pound missile loud

enough to make Kane regretnot pulling his hood up toprotect his hearing. Theimpact was a direct slap inthe face, pressure wavessplashing against him andmaking him lose his footingontherockyhillside.“For the glory of Styx!”

Charun bellowed, and Kanewasn’t certain if his shoutwas even louder than thatalien-tech hammer striking

the granite slab that nearlycrushedthem.With that pronouncement,

Kane watched as Charun’s“fake”wings glowed slightlyandhelaunchedintothesky,his tusked mouth a rictus ofglee and ferocity, his insanehammer crackling with arcsof lightning across its headandshaft.“You two okay?” Grant

asked.

Kane blinked and shookhis head. “My ears areringing from that battle cry.Where did he knock thestone?”Brigid pointed down the

hill.“Youmeanthepowderedgravel cloud he turned itinto?”Kane looked to see wisps

of dust settling on thehillside. Well, we caneliminateourfriendsasbeing

behind thisattack,hemused.EvenEdwardscouldn’ttossatwo-pound rock like that, letalonetwohundredpounds.Charun flew forward

towardthelaunchpointoftheslabofstonewhenhiscoursejerked violently upward. Asmaller,fasterrockmusthaveflashedathimfaster thanhisreflexes could allow, andCharun somersaulted,tumbling through the air

towardtheground.“The antigravity elements

of his flight harness willcushion his fall, but he mayhave suffered considerabletrauma from the rock hit,”Brigidnoted.“Weneedtogettohissideandprotecthim.”“Yousureyouknowwhere

helanded?”Kaneaskedher.Brigid nodded. “I’ll steer

youfromuphere.”Kane looked down to her

ankle. “Right. You’re notrushing anywhere on thatankle.”“Hurry,” Brigid

admonished. “There’s treemovement. Something quitelargeissmashingthroughtheforesttowardhim.”KaneglancedatGrantand

the two partners took offdown the hillside, runningandjumping.“He mentioned more than

one opponent,” Grant said.“But apparently only one ofthem was big and strongenough to act as a livingpieceofantiaircraftartillery.”“Let’s hope that’s the

case,” Kane answered. Heglanced back and saw thatBrigid was hard on theirheels,notquiteasfastduetotheir longer strides, but shewasn’tgoing tobe left in thedust.“What’retheoddswe’re

going to run into our oldcyclopspal?”“I’d say they were even.

One chance in one,” Brigidsaid over the Commtact. “IdoubtevenBalorcouldcausesuch sway among healthytrees.”Kane grimaced, bounding

down the slope.Hewasgladfor the protection offered bythe non-Newtonian nature oftheshadowsuit.

The main element ofprotection in the space-agepolymers was that the fiberswere fluid in nature until themoment an object struckthem. The design was firstdiscovered at the end of thetwentieth century, enablingskiers to better handle high-speedimpactsandcrashesonthe slopes. One moment theskintightuniformwasflexibleand supple, but when

something like a collisionoccurred, the fibers becamean almost steel-hard plate,blunting impact andpreventing serious trauma.Taken to the extent of themoon base scientists, theshadowsuitscouldevenstaveofflightsmall-armsfirefromanything short of a full-poweredrifle.More than once Kane had

been saved from a deadly

blow hurled by a foe ofinhuman strength, thepolymers blunting rib-splintering punches. Hisenjoyment of the shadowsuit’s protective properties,however, was extendedtoward the fact that he couldslip and crash to a knee andnothavetheskintornorsplitbybashingagainstarock,norwould the sharp impactpenetrate the cushioning

effects of the polymers andcausealegfracture.Thesolesof his boots also kept himfrom feeling it when helanded on a sharp stone thatwould have even given aconventional combat boot apuncture. The sides of thebootsalsowouldkeephislegrigid within normal range ofmovement, preventing asprained ankle or a badlyflexedknee.

The suits were made forall-outonterrainsuchasthis,andKanewas going to needevery bit of personaldisregard to get to the fallenCharunintime.The familiar bellow of

“Hate you! Kill you!”reverberatedoff the trunks intheforest,makingthecyclopsseem even more deranged atthispoint.OrmaybeoldOne-eyewas

growing crazier, especiallyafterbeingputdownbyKaneandGrantearlier.Failureandfrustration were powerfulmotivators, but they alsotended to make those whosuffered such embarrassmentcrazier.Whenyouwentupagainst

eighteenfeetoftitanwhowasberserk and pissed off,chanceswere that you got toseejusthowgoodyourfancy

space suit could do againstfists carrying tons of force.As Kane and Grant wovebetweenthetrees,Kanecouldmake out a flowery fountainof light; infrared cameraspicking up a flare of powerthat could only have beenCharun’shammer.“Just what the hell is all

that light?” Grant asked.“Some kind of fire wall tokeep the cyclops and his

friendsatbay?”“Or maybe it’s just

pumping out another kind ofenergy and our suits can’tquite identify it,” Kaneresponded. “Just that there isalotofit.”“Great,” Grant murmured.

“Well,I’mgladwesealedthesuits. I don’t need to be hitwithhardradiation.”“Kane’s right,” Brigid

called from above. “I’m

tryingtodeterminetheoutputof the hammer. The readingsare either pure gibberish orit’sputtingouttheequivalentofaminiaturesundownhere.Light, radiation,magnetism…”Kane looked through the

fiery glow, seeing somethingmassive swing down againstthe fountain of light. Theywere a hundred yards away,but the cyclops had reached

Charun first and wieldedanother tree like a club. Butwhen the huge log crasheddown, it burst apart in thehandsofthetwo-tontitan.“Die!”thebeastroared.Kane unleashed his Sin

Eater, slowed to a kneelingposition and aimed at thefigure in the distance. Thecyclopswasabig,easytargetas they’d closed anothertwentyyards,wellwithin the

range of the Magistratemachinepistol.Hepulledthetrigger, rippingoff aburst of9mm slugs toward the hugeassailant.The cyclops slapped at its

chest, growling at the impactof the bullets. Kane frownedas he realized that aspowerful as the Sin Eaterwas, capable of punchingthrough the armor of aDeathbird or the windshield

of a Sandcat, it had donenothing more than to annoythegiant.Theangry titan turnedand

its singular, bulging eyelockedonKane.“I’vegothisattention,”he

saidtoGrantasnearlytwentyfeet of rampaging humanoidlunged straight at Kane.“Flankhim!”The gigantic creature’s

long strides accelerated it

towardKane,andoncemore,the Cerberus leader wasastonished at the kind ofvelocity that a living freighttrainofmusclecouldachieve.He held his ground, firingsingleshots ineffectually intothe titan’s bulk until the lastmoment.Withinthreeofthemassive

strides of the cyclops, Kanehurled himself aside, divingoutofthepathoftwotonsof

opponent. At that point, thecreature had far too muchmomentum to stop and turnonadime.ThetreeKanehadhad at his back disintegratedasthetitanplowedthroughit,branches and splinters flyingfromthedevastatedtrunk.Grant’sSinEaterroaredas

he pelted the cyclops withfull-autobursts.Kane could see blood

spattering under bullet

impacts, but the creatureseemed more annoyed thaninjured by them.Then again,thegunsweredesignedtoputhumans downdecisively, notorganisms the size and massofanelephant.Thecyclopsspunandtried

to slow, skidding on wide,log-size feet that dug upmounds of soil. Even thatwasn’t enough, so it reachedout its long, massive arms

and sank its fingers into theground.Finally reachingahalt, the

cyclops glanced betweenKane and Grant, who wereboth reloading their spentsidearms.“Wehad to rundownhere

without anything bigger thanour Sin Eaters,” Grantsnarled.“You’re welcome to run

back and grab something,”

Kaneoffered.Hetookaimatthe giant’s singular eye andpulledthetrigger.Thecyclopsmusthavehad

incredible prescience andreflexes, because the largepalmoftheman-beast’shandrose, blocking the salvo thatKane launched. The skin onthe thing’s palmwas torn upbytheburst,butbloodmerelytrickled from the ravagedflesh.Theredidn’tseemtobe

toomuch in terms ofmuscleorguts thatwereusual in thehands of a humanoid. He’dslashedatenoughhandswithhis combat knife over theyears.He fired again, hoping to

penetratefurther,oratleasttokeep the cyclops occupied.The ring of the high-velocityjacketed slugs on metalreached Kane over the rattleoftheSinEater.

“Brigid, he’s got a metalskeleton,”KanesaidovertheCommtact.Ashetoldher,thecyclops

reached out with his otherarmtosnatchaboughoffofatree.“ThisisasIfeared,”Brigid

pronounced. “Especiallywhen you described thephysiology of the beast tome.”“It’s a Gear Skeleton?”

Kane asked, whirling andthrowing himself out of thepath of the hurled branch.Thewoodstrikingthegrounddugintohalf its length, thensplitupitscenter.Thatwouldexplainalotof

things,especiallyconsideringKane wasn’t certain that anactual humanoid skeletoncould support such strengthand stresses as this twenty-footcyclopswouldputonit.

Kane rolled to his back,aimed and fired, his burststriking the forehead of thegiant, missing the thing’scentered eyebymere inches,skin splitting under high-velocity impacts. It roared indiscomfort,whichmeantthat,somehow, there was livingflesh wrapped around theorichalcum bones of thathorror. And if there wasliving flesh wrapping the

giant…Grant appeared in Kane’s

peripheral vision, hurling agrenat thebig creature.Thistime, the cyclops wasn’tcharging with the speed andforceofarhinoceros.Havingovershot his target on morethan one occasion, the gianthad decided to take thingsslower, steadier, relying on astep that could take it twelvefeetcasuallytooutdistanceits

foes.Thegrencaughtthegiant’s

attention and it whirled,claspingitinhisfist.“Stupid…”Before the epithet that the

cyclops intended could formonitslips,thegrendetonatedin a brilliant flash. Twentyfeet of monstrosity rockedback on its heels thentoppled, shaking the earthbeneath Kane’s feet, almost

sending him back onto hisass.“I thought you were

griping about us only goingafter these things with onlyour side arms,” Kanegrumbled.“That’s why I decided to

make a gren one of my sidearms,”Grantanswered.Kanepickedupawinkand

a grin from the normallygrouchyMagistrate.

“HurtFeem!HurtFeem!”KaneandGrantlookedout

into the forest. Their conflictwiththecyclopshadeatenupsome time, time enough forthe other intruders thatCharunhaddetected tocatchupwith their gigantic leader.They saw the twisted, bulky,lurching things thathadbeencalled the Fomori whenthey’d encountered them inthe Appalachian Mountains.

They were big, but nowherenear the size of Charun, letalone the cyclops they called“Feem.”“Polyphemus,” Brigid said

on the Commtact, as shecould hear everything Kaneand Grant could hear. “Thatwas the name of the cyclopsOdysseus battled in hisjourney home from theTrojan war. They called himbyhismiddlesyllable…”

“Thanks for the legendlesson,” Grant said. “Sorry Iwastedmyonegren.”“These suckers won’t be

wrapped around a GearSkeleton,”Kanereplied.“Butwehavetoknow…”Grant put his finger to his

lips. Saying anything morewouldsimplyletVanthknowwhat they suspected abouther. That the beautifulgodling was a mistress of

twisting and mutating flesh,and clad the skeleton-likegiant robot in the meat ofSmaragda’s missing platoon,ratherthanbeingformedintothe trio of terrors who’d justappeared.That didn’t make the

prospect of fighting theseentities any less distasteful.Kane wasn’t going to rollover and die for anyone, butmurderingpeoplewho’dbeen

warped by Vanth wasscarcely something Kanerelished. His one hope wasthat the Fomori brutes hadbeen people who hadwillingly surrendered theirhumanity for the promise ofpowerandrank.All these thoughts were

pushed aside as the creaturesclosed to less than ten yards.Kane stiff-armed his SinEaterandblastedsixholesin

thechestofoneofthehorror-sculpted abominations. Thething staggered under theimpacts, grunting as heavybullets punched through itshide and heavy sheets ofmuscle and bone. TheFomori, however, didn’t fallfrom the abuse he suffered.Knowing the kind ofpermutations the otherFomori had gone through, itwas likely that his vital

organs were placedsomewhere other than in thecenterofhischest.Kane sidestepped as a

second of the barrel-bodied,three-armedhorrors leapedathim;threehundredpoundsofmusclecuttingthroughtheairand missing only by inches.Kane opened fire, shootingthe would-be tackler in theback, stitching him with along burst where it appeared

the thing’s spinal columnshouldhavebeen.Thecreature let out awail

and dropped to its knees. Itcaught itself with two of itsspindly-seeming arms, butbefore Kane could put thething out of its misery, theone he’d peppered in thechest lunged forward, twofists crashing against hischest. Once more, theprotective qualities of the

shadowsuitproveditsworth,as those twin hammer blowslifted Kane off his feet andhurled him four yards back.OnlyKane’sagilitykepthimfromcrashing intoa treeandlanding so that he could getbacktohisfeet.Herosetomeethistwisted

opponent as it lunged tofollow up on its initialassault. Kane didn’t shoot,knowing he only had a few

rounds left in his magazine.Instead he charged, as well,snapping up his foot to kickthe thing right where he’dblasted it in the chest.Bloodgushed from the point ofimpact, the two bodies andtheir velocities addingtogether in the force ofcollision. Kane ran just thatmuch faster to bring hismomentum up to overwhelmhis foe’s. As such, he was

able to ride the staggeredFomoritotheground.As he did so, Kane aimed

forthething’sskullandfiredoff the remnants of his SinEater’s payload, the heavyslugs smashing apart boneand splashing brains allacrosstheforestfloor.Itwasabrutal,cruelbitofbutcher’swork, but at this point,Kanewas in do-or-die mode.Distantly, part of his mind

hoped that he was correct inthe evaluation that themindstrapped in these twistedbodies had sold out theirhumanityforpersonalgain.Kane dumped the spent

magazine from his Sin Eaterand reached for his last fullone. He hadn’t expected torun into a bulletproof titanand three of his equallydurablepartners.Magazineinplace, round chambered, he

looked up in time to see thesecond one he’d woundedmakingitschargeathim.Off to the side, he could

seeGrant inpitchedhand-to-hand combat with theobscenity that targeted him.Thetwowerelockedinatestof strength, Grant’s armsflexingwith all the power inthem and also giving lie tothe “skinny” nature of theFomori’s limbs. The rest of

itsbulk,itsdoubledtorsoandneckless head, were so thickthattheymadeevenmusculararms seem anemic byproportion.Kane sighted his second

attacker’s face and cut loosewith two rapid shots—onebulletperpullofthetrigger—to conserve his ammunitionand maximize his accuracyand effect. The first shotseemingly had no effect, but

the second one caused thecreature to flinch, jerking asthebulletstruckhim.Thehitonly made the Fomoristumble for a step, but thatwasallthetimeKaneneeded.His free hand drew histwelve-inchcombatknifeandslashed the thing across oneofitsreachingarms,thesharpbladecarvingthroughmuscleandgratingagainstbone.Theflap of slashed meat flopped

backward as the abominationwailed in agony. A secondarm lashed up, clutchingKanebythewrist.Kane twisted, using his

entire body as leverage tokeeptheFomorifromgettinga secure grip on him. As hedidso,hebroughthiskneeupinto the torso of themisshapenhumanoid.Hewashoping to catch a kidney orsomething, but the solid

impact he felt through thecushioningofhisshadowsuittold him he’d only struckmuscleorbone.Theone-eyedhead whirled to face Kane,hatred glaring in the single,bloodshotorb.KanegraspedhisSinEater

inhisfreehand,rusheduptocontact range and fired, themuzzle spitting flame andmetal into itsmouthwith thefirstshot.Thecreaturejerked,

itsgrasplooseningonKane’swrist. Kane fired again andthebulgingeyeburstapartinasprayofmilkygoop,thetopof its skull bursting open,petals of meat and skullfluttering in the wind at theslug’spassage.“Twodown,”Kanerasped.“Three!” Grant grunted,

twisting violently on thestocky,heavilymuscledneckof his opponent. The

crackling of bones breakingand tendons popping wasgrisly, but it was the surestsign the thing that Grantbattled was long dead. Limplimbs dangled, as did itsmisshapen head as Grantlowered the corpse to theground.“I hope they don’t have

any more like that,” Kanemuttered.“Killfriends!”

The unearthly roar causedKaneandGrant to lookbackto where the cyclops hadtoppled.The thing rose to itsfulleighteenfeetinheight.Itsleft arm had been flayeddown to the brass skeleton,stilldrippingwithbloodfromwhere Grant’s gren hadshreddeditsflesh.Thething’storsowasalsoblackened.“How much do you have

left?”Grantasked.

“I’m on my last mag,maybefifteenleftinit,”Kaneanswered.“Noothergrens?”Grant shook his head.

“You go left, I’ll go right.Maybewecangettotheheartofthething…”“It’ll still have Sandcat

armor underneath all of thatmuscle protecting the pilot,”Kanereturned.“Killhumans,”thecyclops

snarled.

“You’re going to have towork for it, Ugly,” Kanetaunted.Heclutchedhisknifeand gun tighter, waiting forthe titan to charge. The twomen had fought plenty ofpowerful opponents acrosstheir lives, but this onelooked just a little too large,was far too determined togive up.Without the kind ofweaponry necessary to bringdown an armored vehicle,

Kane didn’t give himselfmuchofachanceagainst thecyclops.“No…” came a rumbling

growl from behind thecyclops.Apparently, Charun was

not completely out of thisfight, but could even thedemigodstandbeforeameat-coveredwarrobot?

Chapter16

Charun, the demigod, themateofVanth,rosetohisfulleightfeetinheightbehindthegigantic cyclops thatthreatened to bludgeon Kaneand Grant into pulps. Kanecouldn’t help but think thatany impressive power he’d

observed in the Etruscangodling in comparison tohimself and Grant hadsomehowvanishedinthefaceof the bloodied but stillmassive abominationstandingbetweenthethreeofthem.Certainly, equipped with

his eight-foot-long warhammer, composed of foursmart-metal subcomponents,he looked as if he was well

armed to deal with any foe.But the foe in question wasan ancient Annunaki GearSkeleton,apilotedautomatoncomposed of the alien alloyknown as secondaryorichalcum, one of thehardest materials theCerberus explorers hadencountered to date. Thatmuch was apparent from thebloody, glistening left arm,strippedofallmeat thanksto

the detonation of Grant’sgren. Its skinwas blackened,cracked in places, but thebeast supported by thefifteen-foot war suit withinseemed undiminished inintensityorstrength.Charunwasalsocladinhis

war paint—in actuality aform of smart metal armorakin to the skins theAnnunaki had clad theirNephilim drone warriors in.

Alreadyimpressiveduetohisphysique and size, Charunwas now a beast of terror,with oversize tusks andtwisted features granting himamonstrousappearance.Kane recalled the armored

masksworn by theTigers ofHeaven in New Edo. Thesamurai warriors had carriedon the ancient tradition ofornate helmets usuallyfrontedbydemonicmasks to

intimidate their foes. So be-tusked, so vile, the scowlscrawled across Charun’sfeatures, it would havebroken the spirit of lesserfightingmen, but in the faceof the twisted, one-eyedgiant,itwasjustameetingoftheuglyandinhuman.AbouttheonlytoolCharun

might have that would eventhe odds was the antigravityflightharnessstrappedacross

his broad chest, attachingbatlike leathery wings to hisback. Charun, however, onlyhad one wing out, flickingreflexively.The huge rocks that the

cyclops had thrown, or theout-of-control plummet fromthe sky, must have damagedtheantigravityharness.Eighteen feet of height

might not have been much.Standing on each other’s

shoulders, Kane, Grant andCharun would have actuallydwarfedthecyclops,buteventogether their combinedweight wouldn’t havematchedthegiant’s—andthatwas part of where its brutepower lay. Not only did thething have an automaton asits skeleton, hydraulicsaddingtothemassofmuscletissue wound around therobotinahideousmockeryof

the human form, but it hadthatonce-livingfleshasapartofit.“Charun, just give the—”

Kanebegan.“You threaten the friends

of Charun, abomination!”The demigod cut Kane off.“Fillthyhands,andchallengeone who would be yourmatch,coward!”“Not scared,” the cyclops

snarled. “Came to kill you

first!”“Then do thy duty,”

Charunchallenged.The cyclops leaned to one

side, wrapping its massivehand around a tree trunk.With two levering actions, itsnappedtherootsholdingthetree to the ground, and liftedit like a club. Grant steppedcloser toKane, tossinghimasparemagazine.“Atleastwe’llbothbeable

to throw lead at thatmonstrosity while he’soccupiedwithCharun,”GrantmutteredovertheCommtact.“Like that’d do anything

more?” Kane asked. “Let’sseewhatCharuncando…”“And if he kills the poor

bastard slurped into theGearSkeleton?”Grantcountered.“Ihaveafeelingthegooey

innardswerealreadytornoutbytherootbywhoevermade

thatabomination,”Kanesaid.He didn’t want to mentionspecifics, but both Kane andGrant were aware thepossibility was strong thatthiscreaturewasthespawnofVanth.Andif itwerenot thespawn of Vanth, then it washighly likely the creation ofsome other threat. Justbecause they were theenemies of the Etruscandemigods didn’t mean that

eithersideofthisconflictwasonthesideofangels.Vanthputonaprettyshow

as an angelic being herself;allbeauty,unashamednudity,and glowing, featherywings.But Kane was fully awarethat the deadliest threats hidunder appealing, delicateskins as well as warty,reptilianhides.The cyclops and Charun

lunged to attack each other,

each swinging their club atthesametime.Kane grimaced at the

thought of “their ally” beingoutclassed in size andstrength, but the demigoddidn’thesitatetohurlhimselfinto action. The tree camedown like a thunderbolt,exploding as it struck thearmoredCharun, even as thecyclops was just out of theswinging range of his alien

hammer. The destruction ofthe tree would have beendeafening without the soundfiltersontheirshadowhoods.A cloud of splinters and

sawdust filled the air,obscuring their view ofCharun, but the Etruscangodling’s hammercartwheeledtowardKaneandGrant. Before the thingreached them, it stopped,resting on its head, swaying

slightly.“Oh, not good,” Grant

murmured.The cyclopswaved, trying

topushasidethecloudtoseewhere Charun had gone.Suddenly a pair of handsreached up from the settlingdust, fingers digging intoeither side of the cyclops’sface, fingers spearing intocheeks. The abomination letout a roar, jerking upward

andpullingCharunfreefromtheground.The demigod, as he rode

the cyclops upward, broughtboth feet up and hammeredthe hooflike boots of hissmart-metal armor into thething’s clavicle. Flesh toreunder the force of the kick,but the cyclops’s secondaryorichalcumbonesdidn’tbendor break under the force ofthedoublekick.

The naked hydraulic clawand the cyclops’s still-flesh-wrapped hand grasped atCharun’s waist, but the lithegodling used the monster’scollarbone as a base to fliphimselfupandoverthetopofits head, out of the reach ofthose huge paws. In doingthatsomersault,Charuncameaway with handfuls of tornmeat that used to be thegiant’s cheeks. The man-

beast let out another hideouscry; a combination of painand frustration as its smalleropponentstymiedhim.Grant reached out for the

hammer’s staff, thinking tothrow theweapon toCharun.Unfortunately the alientechnology had its ownagenda. A sizzling arc ofvoltage shot up the handle,popping loudly in the air.Grantwinced,anonlethaljolt

ofelectricitycausinghisarmto contort reflexively. Theeffect was not very differentfromtheTaserjoltsKaneandGrant had used to floor thecyclops earlier, and bothformer Magistrates hadTasered each other tounderstand the effects. Thatdidn’t make the shock hurtanyless,however.“That’s one way to keep

your toys out of someone’s

hands,”Kanegrowled.Grant sneered. “I was

tryingtohelphim…”“Well, the hammer isn’t a

mindreader,”Kanesaid.“Ormaybeitis…”Grant glared atKane, then

looked back at the upendedhammer. “Like it senseswe’re still distrustful of ourhosts.”Excellent save, Kane

thought.“Letmetry.”

“If it doesn’t shock you,I’m calling bullshit,” Grantmurmured.Kane reached out, hiswill

sublimating any and alldoubts about Charun. I’mhelping your master, youdamnedhammer.Thenext thingKaneknew

was that he was hurledbackward by a flash oflightning.Hisgloves smokedfrom the electrical discharge,

andhisheadhurt,despitetheprotective effect of hisshadowsuithood.Hisfingersthrobbed inside the gloves,twitchinguncontrollablywiththe aftereffects of the zap.Abouttheonlythinghecoulddo to leaven the painwas tocursealoud.“Dammit!”“All right, it doesn’t like

anyhuman,”Grantsaid.Kane blinked, shaking his

hands to get rid of the after-

tingles from the electricalshort. “Or maybe it’s reallyclumsy…”“The hammer is clumsy?”

Grantasked.Kane rose again and

approached the hammer. Hereachedoutquicklythistime,no hesitation, no reluctance.The electrical jolt was thereas he connected with thehandle, but this time it wasonly painful, not

electroconvulsive. He closedhis fingers on the haft andpulled. At first the hammerdidn’t want to leave theground.Heputhisotherhandaroundit.“Come on,” he growled

even as he felt the jolt andcrackle of energy surging uphis other arm. “I handled thestaff of Moses. I can liftyou!”Ofcourse, thefact that the

hammer itselfwaswellmorethanahundredpoundsmighthave been what was slowingdownhisliftingofthedevice,he thought. The surge ofelectricity tickling hismuscles increasedagain.Thehammer grew lighter andsoon he stoodwith it as if itweighednomorethanhisSinEater.“The discharge,” Kane

said.“Itwastryingtomakea

connectiontous.It’ssousedto cutting through Charun’ssmart-metal armor to linkwithhim…”“It didn’t know that we

neededalotlessenergytogetthrough the shadow suits?”Grantasked.“That’s what I’m hoping,

becauserightnowIfeellikeagodmyself,”Kanetoldhim.With a few long strides

Kane was up against the

cyclops’s massive leg. Heswung the hammer around,hismusclesflexingwithmorepower than he could haveimagined. Connecting withthe secondaryorichalcum legstructure beneath the fleshjarred him to a halt,vibrations rumbling backthrough the hammer andalong Kane’s arms. Still, theimpact was loud andshattering, chunks of

pulverized meat sprayingfrom between the hammerand the anvil of the robot’sleg.Thehugehydraulickneebuckledundertheforceofthehit, pistons twisting andbursting.The cyclops screamed and

looked down at Kane. Thefeedback from the hit wassuchthatKanewasunabletomove,stillstunned.Theabominationwoundup

to smash the humanwarrior,butCharunleapeddownfromthe creature’s shoulders,tackling Kane. The giant’smassive fist slashed throughthe air, whipping up a windthat Kane could feel eventhrough his suit’s hood. TheagiledemigodcurledKaneupagainst him like a child,running to dodge thecyclops’ssecondhurtlingfist.This time the log-thick limb

crashed against the groundwithathunderingboom.“You wielded the

hammer?”Charunaskedwithdisbelief.Kanenodded.“Yeah.”CharunsetKanedown,and

themanfromCerberuscouldseethatheheldtheweaponinhis off hand. “The hammerhasnearslainmostmenwhotouchedit.”“Grant and I both got a

shock, but we’re stillhealthy,”Kaneresponded.Hedoubted the truth of thatstatementrightnow.Itfeltasif he’d been running for thepast seven hours, nonstop.His arms and legswere limpas spaghetti, andhis stomachgrowled, begging to be filledas if he’d used up everynutrient in his body. “Stillalive.”“The hammer is a fickle

mistress,” Charun said. “Itgives and it takes. Let mehandlethisbeas—”BeforeCharuncouldfinish

theword, thecyclopsplowedintothedemigod.Evenonitsdamaged knee, it still wasbarreling along at speeds ofmorethanfiftymilesanhour.CyclopsandCharunwereonemassive whole, and any treetrunk in their path wassmashed open or snapped in

two. Nothing short of amountainside was going tostop those two as the pair ofbattlingtitansplowedthroughtheforest.GrantracedtoKane’sside.

“Talktome…”Kane took a deep breath.

“That thing made me tapreserves of strength I barelyknew I had. I feel like Ipulled every muscle in mytorsoandarms.”

“And now you’re a limpnoodle,”Grantmurmured.Kane tilted his head. “To

add insult to my injury, Ididn’t even slow down thatone-eyedmaniac.”“I wouldn’t say that,”

Grant replied. “Before Iclocked the big bastard atabout seventy-five miles anhour.Youtookathirdoffhisgroundspeed.”“Whoopee,” Kane

murmured.The crashing of trees

stopped in the distance, butnow thunderclaps filled theair.Bothmen fromCerberusfelt the ground shakingbeneath their feet as blowswere exchanged in thedistance.“Wegoing togetcloser to

thisfight?”Grantasked.“You can go. I’ll just sit

here until my legs tell me

they can work again,” Kaneanswered.“I can’t take you

anywhere.”Grantsighed.Another thunderclapshook

thegroundandseveraltonsofmeat and metal hurtled backalong the tunnel the cyclopshadtorninitsinitialattackonCharun. The winds comingoff the flying abominationsent Kane sprawling andforcedGranttodighisfeetin

topreventbeingblownover.The cyclops struck the

ground, producing anotherquake-likerumble,butafteracouple more earthshakingbounces, it came to a halt. Itstruggled to its feet, most ofits chest bared after beingslammed by the alienhammer. Blood glistened onthe brass and nowKane andGrant could see that thecockpit didn’t have Sandcat

armorplates.“This…isn’t one of the

Spartans sent by NewOlympus?”Grantasked.“Also explains the three-

foot height differencebetween this and the averageSpartan,” Kane added. “Thiswas another automaton.Anotherkind…”“So maybe we’re off the

hookwhenitcomestokillingthesethings,”Grantmused.

“We can hope, right?”Kaneasked.The cyclops swayed

unsteadily on its legs. Thehuge eye in the center of itsmisshapen face was burst,deflated and dripping viscerainamilkyflood.Charun appeared beside

them, leaning on the handleofhishammer.“This…wasaformidablefoe.”“No kidding,” Grant

mused.“Still kill you.” The

cyclops spoke. Its voice wasno longer an air-rattlingbellow. It was a rasp and,witheachword,bloodspilledover its mangled lips.Through the metallic ribs,Kane and Grant could seelacerated lungs like hugebellows, struggling to take inandexpelair.Kane looked for the heart

andfoundit.HedrewhisSinEater and took aim. Charunlookedscarcelyable towalk,and the cyclops took amenacingsteptowardthem.“No, you won’t,” Kane

returned to the giant. Heopenedfirewithhissidearm,firing on full-auto. A coupleof rounds struck the brassyalloyribcage,bouncingawayuselessly, but others slippedbetween the gaps in the

robotic ribs, striking toughheart muscle. Those blowscausedthecyclopstostagger,butittookanotherponderousstep toward the trio ofwarriors.Grant looked at Charun,

sagging against the hammer,and Kane’s own sappedstrength.TheSinEaterscouldcause the cyclops pain, evenstagger itwithdirectshots tothe heart, but therewas only

one thing that could put thegiant down for the count.Without a thought, hesnatched the hammer fromCharunandcharged.The alien artifact hummed

throughhisbones,anadrenalhigh that called back to hismusings on Kane’s flyingskills before.Grant’s alreadyformidable musculatureswelled and throbbed withunearthlystrength,powerthat

wasonlygoingtocosthiminthelongrun.Butfornow,thebig,formerMagistratefeltthemightofagodswellinginhismightythews.He eyed the beating heart,

the lacerated lungs, cradledinside the secondaryorichalcum rib cage. Thehammer seemed to sense itswielder’s intent and rose,swinging directly toward thealien alloy breastbone.

Havinggottenused toastateof Zen in his practice ofsamurai archery under hisbelovedShizuka,Grantdidn’tresist;heflowedwiththepathof the weapon, the hammeractingasanextensionofhimasmuch as hewas a part ofthe hammer. The surgingforce was accompanied by abrilliant light, a charge ofenergy that bled off instreamers of plasma as the

hammer head accelerated,lashing at the rib cageof thecyclops.Grant could sense that the

hammer had become blazinghot, the air slicing, sizzlingwith its passage. And then,contact.Theworldturnedabrilliant

white,eventhepolarizedfacescreen of his shadow suithood unable to filter out theblazing glory of the hammer

atthepeakofitspower.Tearsflowed, trying to protect hiseyes from a blaze that itwasn’t truly feeling throughthe environmentallycontainedsuit.The air itself seemed to

explode in a deafening wavethe hood couldn’t dampeneven with its auditoryelectronics. Grant almostwould have wished thatsomeone had struck his ears

with hammers than listen tothatsound.Blind and deaf, Grant

staggered backward. Therewas no telling where thecyclops was because Grantwas in a world of ringingeardrums and a burningafterglow hanging in hisclenched-shut eyes. Rightnow he was helpless andanything could come uponhim; he wouldn’t even be

able to tell if a Manta waslandingrightnexttohim.Insensate,Grantwhispered

words, half in prayer, half inself-reproach, begginghimself to recover from thehammer’slanding.Strong hands gripped his

shoulders immediately,fingers grasping tightly, butnot to hurt. They were alsohuman-size, more or less, sothey didn’t belong to the

cyclops.“Grant, you got him.” He

could only “hear” it over theCommtact, the vibrations inhis jawbonegoingdirectly tohiseardrum.“Can’t see,” Grant

muttered.“Can’thear.”“It’s all right, man,” Kane

said. His voice was comingthroughmoreclearly.“Impressive.” He heard

Charun. “None but I have

usedthehammerlikeso.”Grant still felt the

hammer’s handle in his gripand realized the artifact washelping his eyes and ears torecover from the traumathey’dbeensubjectedto.Within another few

momentshecouldseeclearlyagain and theworld sounded“right” again. He peeledhimselfoutoftheshadowsuithood and looked around. He

handed off the hammer toCharun. Whatever the drainthedevicehad inflicteduponKane,ithadn’thadthateffectonhim.“Your arms and legs feel

likerubber?”Kaneasked.Grantshookhishead.“No.

Wereyoufightingit?”“It’s a hammer. You

manhandle those,” Kanereplied.“Not this one,” Grant told

him. “Itwas alive. Itworkedwithme.”“Bothofyoucouldlift it,”

Charun stated. “That is whatimpressesme.Butyoutappeditstrueforce.”Grant nodded. “All that

Zen learning fromShizuka. Iallowed theweapon to guidemeinitsmostefficientpath.”“And that is what has

bonded this weapon to me,”Charun stated, hefting the

warrior artifact. “Weunderstand each other, andnow you, Grant, have thesamementalbond.”“Crazy,”Kanemuttered.“But not outside of our

understanding of thetechnology of the gods,”Brigid interjected. “Such aswhen we saw how theoverlords commanded theirshipswithmentalpower.”“Thehammerlives,”Grant

said. “Andyouhave toworkwith it. That way it won’tbeatyouupanddrainyou.”Charun smiled, clapping

Grant on the shoulder. “Wellmet.”Grant looked back at the

remnants of the cyclops, the“rib cage” of the roboticskeletonnowstickinguplikegnarled fingers, everythingwithin charred to a crispthanks to the plasma

discharge. The abominationwas dead. What was more,thebeastwasnotthecreationof Vanth, at least not usingone of the captured Spartanwarriors in their GearSkeletons. There was anenemy out there, whether ornot itwas thegoddessof thehunt, or some other entity.And it had access to horrorsbeyondthescopeofanythingtheyhadencounteredsofar.

Chapter17

Beneath the hill that VanthandCharuncalledtheirhome,Domi and the rest of CATBeta moved silently, edgingdown the corridor firstconstructedfromancient ironframework, then hewed intostone itself, digging through

the Earth. According to thereadoutsonDomi’sfaceplate,they had descended twohundredfeetastheyfollowedthe corridor. This was offtheir current “altitude” andnotinrelationtothedepthofthehillovertheirheads.Their descent ended at the

wrought-iron gate, andDomiwas rightaftergiving themascan with the telescopicoptics on her shadow suit.

There was no way thatanyone was going to slipthrough the bars, as thevertical crisscross left gapsaboutafootwide,evenmoreslender than Domi couldsquirm herself through.Edwards looked at the rockfloor beneath the gate andfrowned.“Somuchforthedirtfloor

theory,”hemuttered.Domi kept her ears open

for the sound of anyone onthe other side of the heavygate.“Think of something,” she

toldhim.“Iwill,”Edwardsreturned.

He looked back at Sela andSmaragda.“Wewill.”Domi nodded, standing

watch.Within a few moments,

however, there was the roarof an explosion outside that

rumbleddownthecorridortothe surface, as if a massivebombhadgoneoff.The fourinfiltrators froze at thecacophony.Almost immediately after

the throb of the distantthunderbolt, Domi picked upthe clank and thud of heavyroboticfeetcoming.“Hugthedepressionsinthe

wall and go full stealthmode,” Domi said. She

quickly unpacked her bootsand tugged them on. It wasone thing to be barefoot outin the wild—the feral girlreliedasmuchonthepadsofher feetashereyesandnosetodetectpotentialtrapsortripwires. However, to beinvisible in the corridoragainst a furrow in the rock,she was going to need hercomplete suit. Luckily, theboots slipped on like socks,

firmingupastheysealedwiththerestofhersuit.The boots would also

nullifyher infraredsignature.Domi’s feet, through athermal camera, would haveresembledasmallmammal’s,rather thanpointheroutasabarefoot woman in a body-conforming environmentalsuit. However, in the closequarters of thiswide and tallartificial cavern, a pair of

naked feet would definitelyattract attention. With greatswiftness,shefoundafurrowalong the wall and pressedinto it. She tapped herforearm, bringing up thecontrol menu, and set it forblend-mode. Miniature opticsensors picked up hersurroundings and translatedtheterrainontotheskinofthesuit.Domi glanced around,

reflexivelyholdingherbreathasthegaterose,clankingandrattling. A dozen of theOlympian soldiers camerunning through as soon asthe gate cleared six feet inheight,eachofthemcarryinga rifle. In their body armor,they had their own helmetscomplete with electronicgoggles and radiocommunications, but Domifrustratingly waited for them

topass.Noneofthemseemedconcerned with scanning thewalls.The Spartans, however,

stood in front of the risinggate, floodlights blazing ontheir artificial heads. Domiwas surprised when shecounted all three of themissing Olympian wararmors,whichwas at once arelief and yet only confusedher even more. If the Gear

Skeletons hadn’t been thebasis for the cyclops thatKaneandGrant encountered,thenwhatwas?She let those thoughts lay

idle as the trio of robotsrushedalonginpursuitoftheenthralled soldiers. As soonas the group was fifty feetaway, Domi relaxed andwaved to theothers,pointingtotheloweringgate.Everyone, even Smaragda,

made it through the gatebefore it closed,butonce thewrought-iron barrier lockedinto place, the white-hairedsoldier looked through thebars.“There should be more of

them,” she whispered softly,her fingers wrapping aroundthe bar as she gazed on indeepconcern.Domi rested her hand on

Smaragda’s shoulder. “Some

ofthemmighthavebeenheldback, or put on some otherduty.”“What about that

explosion?” Sela Sinclairasked.“Whatever it was, it gave

us an opening to get in here.Let’snotwasteitbystandingaround sowe’rediscovered,”Edwardswarned.Domi nodded, and the

group fell back into silence.

She took the lead, followingthe route she’d heard thetroopsandtherobotstake.Sofar, except for an occasionaltorch here and there, theundergroundtunnelwasunlit.Theonlythingtheyhadgoingfor them were their night-visioncapability and infraredilluminators.Domi kept using her

illuminator intermittently, ifonly to prevent them from

being seen by others furtherdownthesetunnelswiththeirown night-vision optics. Shekept themmoving at a briskwalking pace, but her sensesand instincts were on fullalert. So far, no trip lines orelectric eyes were inevidence, and there were noopponents lurking in theshadows.Sofar,everyonehadsilent

weapons out. Domi’s knife,

its blade coated in phosphateblack paint, wouldn’tglimmer with a reflection.Edwards also had his knife,similarly dark coated, aswasthecustomofMagistrates,thefoot-long deadly edge readyto sever an arm if necessary.Smaragda’s falcata, like thatof all Olympian combatblades,was dull in its finish,a dark gray steel. EvenSinclair’s collapsible baton

was coated in a nonsliprubberized coating, the thinlayer providing a tacky feelthat wouldn’t skid, but didvery little to cushion theanodized steel beneath themillimeter thickness. In thedark,thefourofthemhadthemeans of delivering quick,silentdeath.Domi didn’t want it to

come to that if theyencounteredanyofthemind-

controlled slaves of Vanth,but in a choice between herteammates and a potentialthreat,theferalgirlwoulddowhat she had to, and mournandregretitlater.The four of them

eventuallybegantoencountermore andmore lit torches inthecorridor,andslowedtheirpace. It was still quiet, butthere was no telling if therewas someone around a bend

or in a side room standingguard.Withtheirwillsstolen,thesentrieswouldprovetobesilentandliterallyunblinking.Domi noticed there weredoors to different chambersleading off of the corridor.The depth they reached nowwas over three hundred feet,and the hill itself extendedanother four hundred above“ground level.” The air feltthicker and heavier down

here,despitethelackoflight.Passing by each doorway

was an exercise in cautionand risk. So far, many ofthese rooms were empty ofpeople, but there weresupplies stored down here.This, however, was nothinglike any redoubt Domi hadever encountered. The hillabove seemed to be somemanner of pyramid, buriedunder years of sediment and

soil, perhaps evendeliberately.For all the exploration, all

the hidden temples andunderground vaults, evendistantworlds thatDomiandher friends had visited, shewasn’tsurprisedsomeonehadconstructed, then buried apyramidinItaly.Sherecalledthegiantstructure—Xian—inChina,andhowthathadbeendugoutfromhiding.Shealso

recalled that somewhere inEastern Europe was analleged compound of buriedpyramids,at least that’swhatBrigidBaptistehadsaid.This was another

undiscoveredmystery,passedover and unknown from thedays when humankind wasallegedly at the top of itstechnological and scientificskills. And what horrors laybeneathweregrislyindeed,if

Vanth was the mastermindand soul stealer that theCerberusteamssuspected.Domi pointed toward one

of the rooms and thenmotioned for the others toenter there. The plan wassimple. They would post upin an out-of-the-way positionand allow Domi to sneakahead.Thesmallwomanwasmuch more likely to loseherselfinthemazeoftunnels

shouldanyonebelookingforher, and yet her trackingskillswouldallowhertotraceback to where she’d left therest of CAT Beta. As thereweren’tmanythingsstoredinthe room she’d sent theminto, there was little chancethey’dbestumbledupon.Granted, with Edwards in

there, even being a “normal-size” room, it was crowded.The door closed easily and

noiselessly. They’d checkedto make sure there were nowiresthatcouldbeconnectedto a security system, soopening and closing itwouldn’tgivethemaway.Edwardsleanedincloseto

Domi. “Thirtyminutes.Thenwecomelookingforyou.”Dominodded.“Orifwehearsomething,”

Sinclairadded.“Youwon’t,”Domisaid.

The door closed and thesilent,feralgirlstalkedaway,keeping to the shadows asoften as she could, nomatterhow empty the corridorswere.Eventually she made her

waytoalargerchamber.Shepausedbeforegoingin,butithad some form ofbioluminescent lighting andshe could see over a shortbalcony that therewere huge

rows of cages packed withhumans and animals. Domiscanned first for sentries orother means of alarms, butnone were positioned on thetier of walkway circling thecavernous room. Still, shecrawled to the edge of thebalcony, peering over anddown.She could see that there

were dozens of cells, andstartedtocountthem,firstby

rows, then by columns,“horizontal and vertical” asshe’d been taught by Lakeshwhen it came to figuringthings such as area, butquickly, she realized therecould have been millionsdownthere.Sheunsealedherfaceplate and took a breath,and smelled the stink of anentire city full of people andanimals. She noticed therewere people moving in the

spacesbetween thecellsand,resealing the faceplate, shesaw that they were wheelingaroundcartsofsludge,takingthemofftowardasidetunnel.Of course being mind-

controlledmeantthatyoustillrequired normal bodilyfunctions. Those who wereactuallymoving aroundweregoing about the task ofkeeping bodily wastes frommaking the air all but

unbreathable. Domi scannedfor other entrances and sawthat there were differentformsofcartsbeingwheeledin from just beneath her.These were loaded with riceandbeans.Subsistencefoods.Domi smirked. “Explains

thesmell.”Forwhateverpurposethese

peoplewere being kept, theywere being kept alive and in

good health. She didn’t seeany signs of abuse or morethan token captivity. Thosewiththefoodopenedthecellswithout needing to unlockthem, and the thralls movedsilently, orderly, receivingtheir platefuls of food andcupsofwater.Somuch forkeeping them

all as slaves and prisoners,Domi mused. Vanth wasactually providing for their

well-being, so they wouldn’tstarve or dehydrate. Thenagain,keepingthemaliveandhealthy might have been theonly means of keeping herpower sources. There was amix of humans and animalsdown there that, together,could provide enoughmentalenergy todoalmostanythingthedemigoddesswanted.Domi looked around and

noticed a stairwell. She

debated going down into thepit of prisoners, but alsonoticed that there was noroom for one of the GearSkeletons to climb the stairs.There must have been someotherplaceof storage for thewarmachines.The other reason she

declined to go down therewas that there was a goodchance someone would beawake and alert enough to

transmit her presence toVanth.Bettertoobservefromafar than toget in close.Shetook several digitalphotographs using theshadow suit hood, storingthem for when they wereonce again out in the open.She slinked back along thecorridor that lead here andheard the clanking of a gateinthedistance.Shefrozeinaniche in thewall,waiting for

thearrivaloftheSpartansandthe NewOlympians that hadappeared before, and hadgrantedCATBeta themeanstoenterthiscomplex.The movements of the

mechanical giants seemedmuch slower now, andaccordingly,thehumansfromGreece kept to the moreleisurelypaceoftheirrobots.Peering through the dark,

she made out the figures as

they carried somethingbetween them. It wasEdwards’s Manta. Theyhauled it along as if it werejustalargechairbetweentwomovers. The mind-controlledsoldiers stayed around them,guarding,butalsousing theirflashlightstoguidethegiantsand their burden. The groupmadeittoanintersectionthenturnedoff.Domi waited a few

moments, then jogged offafter them, keeping herprofilelow,herfootstepssoft,though the heavy stomps ofOlympian footwear androbotic claw treads mademore than sufficient ambientnoise to conceal a dancingdinosaur.Domi stayed with her

stealthtraining,nevermakingamoveoranoise thatwouldbetray her position, never

committing to a movementthatwouldleaveherstuckoutin the open to an observer.Sheshadowedthegroup,whodidn’t seem to care if theywere followed or not. Thatdidn’t mean she wasn’tremaining on her toes,though.Onemistakeand thiswhole mountain could comecrashingdownonherandheralliesinCATBeta.She continued counting

down the time to Edwards’sdeadline in her mind; she’donlybeenexploringforaboutsix minutes. So far she’dmanaged to pick up a lot ofinformation about the truescope and nature of Vanth.Continuingalong,shepausedas the Spartans took theManta into an undergroundhangar, settling it downgently on its landing gear.With a quick scan of the

hangar, Domi noticed thatthere was a third Spartan,matching the insignias of thesuits taken by Vanth’s song.Itwasstandinginastallnextto the other two. TheseparticularGearSkeletonshadsimilar but crudely paintedinsignias and decals that, bycomparison,showedthemforthefraudstheywere.Domi also noticed one

other thing. The “pilots”

inside those armored giantswere far from human. Itlooked as if someone hadturned a person into doughandhurledthemintoapilot’sseatratherthananamputeeoradwarvenpilot.Shewrinkledhernoseindisgustasthetwosuits strode over and parkedthemselves. Soldiersimmediately began bringingfood to the meltedmonstrosities inside the

chestsoftherobots,unseemlyheads turning and stretchingonneckstogumatspoonfulsofriceandbeans.Theinsidesoftheirmouths

were without teeth and theirtongues were bulbous,swollen and pink, flatteningout to let the spoonfuls landonthem,beforeslurpingbackbetween lips. It remindedDomi of a desert tortoisegnawing at a pulpy cactus,

except the turtle was cute tothe feral girl. This inspiredherateverysecondtochopitinto pieces with an ax thenburntheremains.Domi closed her eyes and

took a cleansing breath,steelinghernervesagainstthedisgusting sight. Her distasteat what was on display didnot prevent her fromsnapping pictures on herhood’s optics. The rest of

Cerberuswasgoingtogetaneyeful, no holds barred. Thethings down here wereatrocities, a familiar-seemingabomination, but these livingspitballs, all tentacles andpseudopods, were somethingnew that Brigid Baptistewould have to know about.The truth of the “servile”Spartans was a lie laid bareby the existence of thesesluglikehorrors.

The soldiers themselvestook off their helmets andthey, too, seemed to be farfromthemindlessdronesthatthe Cerberus explorers hadencountered so far. Theirfaces were coated in someform of dust or paint thatmade them seem pallid andlifeless. They were also nothuman, not if their glassy,milky eyes had anything tosay about it. These things

were naturally without anydetail or structure to theireyes save for the pinpointpupilatthecenter.She kept “snapping”

photos of these creatures.Theywere hairless, stretchedand distorted in theirappearance, the Olympianarmor the only thing thatmadethemappearnormal.Asthey doffed their uniforms,Domi could see that their

color was a natural grayish,and was immediatelyreminded of Quavell and theother hybrids. These weren’tquitethesame,though,asthesimilarities were vagueenough to delay herobservationofthisfact.Theymight have been a part ofVanthandCharun’struerace,as the Quad V hybrids hadbeen designed from theground up to be one of the

servantracesofthebarons.Indeed, the barons

themselves were hybrids,with ancient Annunaki DNAplanted into the human race.When Tiamat returned andunleashed her signal toevolve, the barons literallyshed their old skins, growingfrom five-foot spindlycreatures to seven-foot,muscular and beautifulgodlings. The Quad Vs had

been removed from theequation, the hundreds orthousands of these creaturesgrowing to six feet inheight,their wills andminds sappedtobecometheNephilim.Dominarrowedhereyes.The Nephilim were Quad

V hybrids whose minds andindividuality were stolen orsublimatedand thenmutated.Breshadalsocreatedhisownwarrior drones—the Fomori.

Allofthissoundedahellofalot like the activity Vanthinitiatedwith theItaliansandthe missing Olympianexpedition; all those humansleft milling around in theircells.Shetriedlisteninginonthe

conversations of the unusualaliens, but they didn’t speak.This added to their aliennature, if only for theknowledge that Vanth was

suspected of possessingtelepathicabilities,aswellasother entities that they’dencountered.AllofthismadeDomikeepherselfhiddenandcamouflagedwith evenmoreparanoidurgency.Brigidhadengaged CAT Beta inposthypnotic suggestions thatgave their surface thoughtsgood cover, should they bediscovered. They were alsoutilizing their Commtacts to

produce a form of whitenoise, rendering theminvisibleonradiofrequenciesthe Cerberus scientistsassumed telepathy operatedon.Itwasallexperimental,and

for all Domi knew, thecreaturesinfrontofherweresimply humoring her,ignoringthenosylittleapeasshe crawled around theirbasement.

If that was the case, thenKane and the others were ingreatdangerabove.Domi frowned beneath the

faceplateofherarmor.ThesethingsfromStyx—“Stygians”asBrigidlabeledthem—werebeyondthekindofthreattheyhad been anticipating. Alltheir less-lethal combat gearwas intended to hold offinnocentbutmindlessthrongsofhumans sentagainst them.

TherewerehumansandbirdsusedastheeyesofVanth,butitappearedthatwhenitcameto military action, theseprotean meat puppets weretheonestodothatwork.Movement sounded in the

corridorleadingfromthegateandDomi stilled and calmedherself, emptying her mind.There was one last Stygian,wearing the Olympian fieldarmor, walking back. It

carriedabloodylumpoffleshin both hands. The lumplooked like the squirmy,sluglike head of the thingsbonded with the GearSkeletons.Aseveredhead.The soldier came closer

and Domi continued to takepictures. The waxy eyesblinked,rippling,oozingfleshacting as lids, demonstratingthat theseveredpartwasstillalive. Domi also got to see

thattheneckstumphadfusedwith the Stygian holding it,the fleshy protuberanceentering the opened belly ofthe armor and connecting tothethingbeneath.The soldier and its grisly

charge passed her by, notnoticing her, and continuedinto the robot hangar. Domiwatched as the neck cameunstuck from its bearer, andshefoughttheurgetoshiver,

her skin spawning goosebumps as the disembodiedhead was placed onto theflesh of one of the other“pilots.”The dully gumming

creaturebarelyacknowledgedthe new mind merging withits body, until the new headopeneditswoundofamouth,moaning for spoonfuls offood.Then, theoriginalheadbegan licking the gore and

blood off its new conjoinedbrother.Domi steeled herself,

ignoring the churning in herbelly.Shedidn’tenvy thosewho

would see these pictures orthisvidwhenshesentitbacktoCerberus.

Chapter18

IttookahalfanhourforCATBetatocomecloseenoughtothe surface to transmit theirfindings home. Lakesh hadbeen on the edge of his seatawaitingthenews.“Any problems?” Lakesh

asked.

“Nope. As long as therewas an open conduit to thesurface, even with an irongate in the way, the signalwas clear,” Bry said. “Ofcourse,theyhadtotransmititto one of the satellites ontheir horizon, from theirperspective.”“I’mgladyouwereableto

maneuver one to be in linewith the entrance to theunderground pyramid.”

Lakesh sighed. “Otherwise,who knows how long wewould have to wait for themtogetoutof…whatisthat?”Bry glanced at the screen

Lakesh was watching.Brewster Philboyd was onhand and turned away,spewing his coffee into agarbage can. Philboyd begandry heaving, his tormentamplifiedbytheechoesinthesmallmetalbucket.

“That’s—” Philboydgagged “—nothing thatshouldbe.”Lakesh observed Domi’s

photographs of the contentsof the Gear Skeletons insideVanth’shangar.He’dalreadymade notice of the threecaptured war suits, but themolten, distorted blobs offlesh and muscle sittingwithin the cockpits of theextant armors were at once

disturbing and enthralling.Thoughhewasn’tabiologist,he could see where theamorphous nature of thepilots was a boon to theirability to interface with thecontrolsystems,especiallyashe couldn’t see where acommand node could beinsertedontotheirforms.Healsowasacutelyaware

of how similar a set of fleshsculpting had returned him

from a 250-year-oldcryogenically preserved manphysicallyinhiseighties toaman inhis late forties.Flesh,bone and even his bionicparts had been broken downand rebuilt to the molecularscale byEnlil in his guise asSamtheImperator.That bit of transformation

ofoldanddyingcellsto“newones” was one of the fewreasonswhyLakeshcouldgo

outonmissions,occasionally,and actually be a suitablelover to Domi. He realizedthat, quite easily, Sam couldhave made him into anymanner of abomination. Helooked through the pictures,elicitinggrunts fromBryandPhilboyd.The armored soldiers,

however, were an evengreater revelation. Lakeshhadbeen inon theProjectof

Unification; one of the greatminds behind the barons andtheirmeansofcrossingmilesandkeepingthegreatvillesintouch with each other viamat-trans and the remarkabletechnologiesstoredwithintheredoubts. He realized thathumanity’s fate had beenhijacked by tyrannical forcesfromthetimethathumankindwas first crawling on allfours.

The Stygians were similarto the hybrids, but therewassufficient difference thatLakeshwaswonderingiftheywere some manner ofprototypecreatures,perhapsahalfway breed between theQuad V and Balam, the lastArchon who had overseenand limited the growth ofhumanity’s intellect andindependence. Balam hadwavered from his original

mission as minion of theAnnunaki and their baronialincarnations.There was nothing to say

that these creatures were notsome intermediate form ofservitor race. Over the pastyear Lakesh and the rest ofCerberus had been gainingnew insights into the worldwhen Annunaki overlordswere the unsubtle rulers ofEarth, before their

hibernation,theirdescentintothe background due to theiraccords with the Tuatha deDanaan.The Igigi were what the

Nephilim had once been,before Enlil’s terrible act,lobotomizing the race into aseemingly endless army ofwarrior drones. Perhaps itwasn’t a lobotomizing of anentire species, but a cloningand genetic manipulation.

The Nephilim were not ondisplay here, though. It wastheStygians,andLakeshsawone of them enter, wieldingthe apparently severed headofoneofitsallies.Judgingbythe similarity of theappearance of the “skeletonpilots”andthefleshylinkagewith the humanoid Stygian,this must have been anotherpilot.Lakesh had received the

report of the battle with thecyclopsfromKaneandGrant.This had been the mind

operating the giant warrior,thethingthatCATAlphahadfought, shoulder to shoulderwith Charun, against. Grantmayhaveshowedthathewasable to operate the deadlyhammer of the Etruscangodling,but a small sliverofthe creature survived,possibly for the sake that

Kane and Grant had beenspentafter theirwarwith thegigantic abomination andthreeofitssmallercomrades.Tired, unwilling to stickaround the abattoir, the twomen and Charun returned tothe buried pyramid, lettingthe “mindless thralls” do thecleanup work and toconveniently bring thesurvivingseedof thecyclopshome.

Lakesh would have to askDeForeabout this.Whileshewas nominally the chiefmedic at Cerberus, herstrengthswere in biology, soshe would understand thesethings much better. If thatthing could withstand aplasma discharge of the kindthat Grant and Kanedescribed, they’d need toknow a lotmore about theseentities.

For now, Lakeshforestalled the ill feelings inhisgutandbegancomposinga quick, cryptic note forBrigid Baptiste to receiveduring their next bit ofcontact.Lakesh simply hoped he’d

still be able to warn CATAlpha of the true extent oftheirtrap.

***

SMARAGDAWASGLADwhenDomi returned to theirhideout in the storage cell.She’d been trying to processthe memories of the passageof her fellow soldiers. Herallegedfellowsoldiers.Finally, when Domi

returned and explained whatshe’d seen, the Olympiansoldier let out a breath ofrelief.“I thought my mind was

playing tricks on me,” shetold CAT Beta. “None ofthem looked right as theypassedby.”She looked over the

pictures, shared via suit-to-suit electrical conductivityrather than by transmission,on her suit’s forearm sleeve,configured as a monitor.“Then it’s likely that mypeoplearedowninthepit?”“I know you’d love to go

downthere,”Domisaid.“OnlyifCharunandVanth

are kept busy,” Smaragdastated.“Face it,weheard thesoundofthathammerstrikingoutside. We’re all loaded upwith some nice firearms, butthatissometerrifyingshit.”“Not looking forward to

fighting him, either,” Domiadmitted.“That much is obvious,”

Edwards murmured. “All

right,soMyrtoisnotgoingtoget stupid and jump the gunto rescue her partners.Great.We’re all being smart aboutthis.”“Smart is a relative thing.

After all,we’re stuck inherewith aliens, including alien-piloted robots, and locked inby a several-ton, wrought-irongate,”Sinclairsaid.“Always looking on the

brightside,”Domianswered.

“Well, you came backfairlyquickly,”Edwardssaid.“How much more did youexplore?”“Wecouldlookforanother

exit to the surface,” Selaagreed.“But thechancesare,thewayupandoutwouldberight through the hangarwherethealiensare.”“And going through them

would raise enough of aracket to bring Vanth and

Charun running. Or even ifwe snuck past them…”Edwardsnoted.“Wewait for them,”Domi

said. “Commtacts on passivepickup. Hear when they’retalking.”“You think they’ll bring

them down here to see theprisoners?”Smaragdaasked.“Beendealingwithenough

of these types,” Domianswered.“Lovetoshowoff.

Show how smart they are.TheirI-love-mewall.”“Even if that means it’ll

turn Kane and the othersagainst them?” Smaragdacontinued.Dominodded.“Enlilnever

minded.Walkedusallaroundhis ship.Thought hewas theshit.”Smaragda nodded. “Hera

was the samewaywith you,too.TheoldHera,thatis.She

let you in, even though youmight have figured out herscam.”“Shewasbalancing threats

atthetime.TheHydraewerenow under the control ofMarduk,” Sinclair added.“Andwewere the only oneswhocouldhelpherstophim.Well, Kane, Grant andBrigid.”“You helped, too,” Domi

returned.

Sinclair shook her head.“We all know who the starsofthisshoware.”“This world…more

complex every passing day,”Domisaid.“Weget involvedasmuchastheydo.Wecarryourweight.”“But every day, we get a

little closer to beingdisposable,” Sinclairmurmured.“No,” Domi countered.

“We’re all needed to keepbuilding.Protectingfuture.”“Yeah, Sela,” Edwards

added. “What’d that actorsay? No small roles, onlysmallactors?”“Speakforyourself,Tiny,”

Sinclaircountered.“Allright.JustthewaythatLakeshtalksabout their damn confluenceofluck…”“Hey, we’re still here,”

Edwards said. “It’s not like

we’re red shirts. Just keepgoing,onestepafteranother.And don’t be stupid. Weweren’t picked because wemakemistakes.”“Just remember, we’re

human,notlegends,”Sinclairsaid.“So’re Kane and others,”

Domi added. “Smart enoughto avoid mistakes. Toughenough to survive when wemake ’em. Quick enough to

learn from ’em, too. Whythey picked you two. More’n’one-dimensional.”“More than just hammers

looking for nails,” Sinclairagreed. “Okay. Even so,we’re going to be waitingawhile.”“But now we know,”

Smaragda said. “We knowthey’re not using our peopleas soldiers, and that one ofour Spartan pilots didn’t die

to give Kane and Grant agoodshowasacyclops.”“Things are looking rosy

all over, but I wouldn’t gettoo comfortable,” Sinclairadded.Domi narrowed her ruby-

red eyes. “Why you thinksittingbackatdoor?”“All right. Just remember,

someone has to take the roleof the grumpy bastard,”Sinclair told her. “I’m just

looking on the bad side ofthings…”“Expect worst. Enjoy

disappointment,” Domiconcluded.“You’re getting too smart

for your own good, girl,”Sinclairchuckled.Edwards smirked. “Let’s

hope we stay too smart forthegoodofVanth.”Smaragda uncapped her

canteen and took a sip. “I’ll

drinktothat.”Thefourpeoplepassedthe

watercanaround,bidingtheirtime, knowing that sooner orlaterthewarriorsofCerberusweregoing tohave to riseasone to do battle togetheragainst theEtruscangodlingsand their Stygian minions.Thanks to Domi, they knewthe odds, not limited tomerely a dozen soldiers andthreebrutalrobots,butalsoa

million humans and animalskept in thedeepest pit of thepyramid.

***

ITWAS A victory feast, withhuman thralls—womenmostly—bringingfoodbeforethe battered but victoriousCharun and his honoredguests. Brigid was includedwiththem,forheclaimedthat

itwasunderherobservationsandoverwatch thatKaneandGrant had been able to helpthe demigod prevail againstthe cyclops and his twistedbrethren.Brigid felt as if she were

beingparanoidasshesniffedand tentatively tasted eachglass of wine and morsel offood. Indeed, they weredealing with aliens whosemental and physical

capabilities were such thatdrugsorpoisonwouldbethefurthest thing from theirminds. Vanth herselfdemonstratedasongdesignedto infiltrate a human brainand leave the person it wasattached to a drone withoutfree will. Herbs or toxinswere beneath suchcapabilities, and yet shecouldn’t help but feel thenecessitytobecareful.

Vanth smiledatheracrossthe great feast table in thecavernous hall in whichCharunconductedhisrevelry.Hergoldeneyeswereatoncewarm and alienating, andBrigid partitioned her mind,burying her concerns andworries deepwithin, creatingbarriersofuselessandnearlyendlesstrivia.“You are used to dining

with those who may be

devils,MissBaptiste,”Vanthobserved, her voice smoothand sensuous, like silkreimaginedassonicwaves.Brigid wondered why she

would even need her songwith seductive tones thatthreatened even to enthrall astraightwomanasherself.“Yes,” she answered,

sipping her wine. It wasclassic Italian wine, fortifiedconcentrate, diluted with

clean spring water. To drinkthe original fruit of this vinebefore its diminishmentwouldbetoriskone’shealth.She recalled that a goblet offortified wine was howCaligula assassinated hisbrother, the sheer weight ofits alcoholic contentpoisoningtheyoungman,yetlooking to the rest ofRomansociety as “an honestmistake.”

“You say you have dealtwith the likes of Enlil…soyouknowofourstruggles.”“My ordeals have been

with Marduk and hisfollowers, co-opting ourgodhood. Before we weredriventoourslumber,CharunandIsawhimmasqueradeasZeus.Charun and Iwere notguards, but those who caredforthesoulsandspiritsofourpeople,”Vanth stated. “Back

then, the power of believerswassomethingworthwarringfor. We gained our role aspsychopomps in that wemanaged to rescue ourworshipers from theoverlord’sdominion.”“Sometimes you brought

them back whole and othertimesyouwereabletoreleasetheir essences,” Brigidsurmised.Vanth nodded. “I presume

you are aware of quantumtheory.”“Many aspects, though the

math can be overwhelming,”Brigidresponded.“Then you understand the

concept that the reality thatyou and I currently sit in issomething that is merely ashadow. A tesseract of anoriginal,”Vanthsaid.Brigid nodded. “I’ve

alwaysbeenmoreofafanof

thebeer-headdescriptor.Thatweliveinthequantumfoam,while the totalityof reality isactually the fluid we arefloatingon.”Vanth smiled. “Right.And

each person, their existence,their essence, while it mightlook like something differentand unique, is all composedof the exact same cosmicenergy. When an organicdies, the vitality that made

them alive does not dissipatedue to the laws ofconservation of matter andenergy.”“It returns from the

quantum foam to the cosmicfluid,”Brigidconcluded.Vanth took a deep breath,

closing her eyes in almostorgasmicrelief.Brigidbitherlower lip, steeling herselfagainst themagnificence andsheer magnetism of the

woman in front of her. “Youdonotrealizehowwonderfulit is to talk to someone whocan entertain these thoughts,letaloneunderstandthem.”Brigid glanced over at

Charun,whowaslaughingasGrant and Kane joked withhim. The eight-foot titanpickeduphistankardofmeadandtookadeepdraught.“So,youaremoreintouch

with this quantum whole,”

Brigidstated.“Wecantracetheenergies,

the threads. Indeed, inreturning to the foam-and-bubbles theory, our universeisfromthenextbubbleover,”Vanth said. “We’ve calledour home Styx…buthumanityhasgoneandmadethat out to be a river to theafterlife.”“Which, in the terms of

quantum theory, a wormhole

between our universeswouldbe akin to such a river,”Brigid said. “Not the riverStyx,buttherivertoStyx.”“Which in your English

would still be named theRiverStyx,”Vanth said. “Togive ourselves a commonterminology. We can agreeuponthis,correct?”Brigid nodded. She sipped

some more. The food wasdelicious, but she couldn’t

helpbutwonderatwheretherest of the population of thiscountryside had gone. Therewere far fewer humansworking in the pyramid thanshe would have expectedgiven the sparseness of theEtruscanlands.According to the New

Olympians, others had sentexpeditions into this land,seeking out those who hadformerly been traders and

customers.Thoseexpeditionsfaded intonothingness,neverreturning,andthiswasontheheels of the loss of threecaravans traveling through.Even via satellite, the Italianpeninsula was notablydepopulated. One year ago,according to infrared scans,there were several hundredthousand humans, as well asattendant livestock, living inthesurroundingterrain.

Now, except for thesmaller animals, birds and acouple of small towns, therewere barely two percent ofthelifeformsvisible.While it was possible that

Vanthmayhaveexterminatedthem all, this pyramidwas asignificant source of heat.Measurements showed thatsomewhere in its halls andchambers, the heat signatureof a million mammals was

gathered.“Right now, I have

sequenced the people andlivestock together in atelepathic algorithm,” Vanthexplained. “An organicsearch engine that issearching for the frequencythrough which we can openup our River Styx and allowforeasypassagebetween thetwo.”“Evencattleandsheepcan

beusedforfiguringthisout?”Brigidasked.“Every brain cell can be

used as a binary computer,eventhoseoflowermammalsand avians,” Vanth stated.“The capacity of math assimple as one and none isthereforeveninsects.”Brigidraisedaneyebrow.“No,Ihaven’thijackedthe

bugs,” Vanth told her. “Firstoff…I don’t care much for

thelittlecreepycrawlies.Andsecond, a million vertebratesisaperfectcontiguoussystemforascertainingtheportalandopeningit.”“You’ll be able to open it

without an Annunakithresholdorourinterphaser?”Brigidasked.Vanth nodded. “My torch

is our technology for thatpurpose. We just need thecombination to the lock, to

useanotheranalogy.”Brigid took a deep breath.

“Ihatetoseemdistrusting…”“You have a proper

purpose to be so,” Vanthcountered. “From theinformation I’ve gleanedaboutyourhistorywithotherpan- and extraterrestrialentities, you cannot havegotten a good impression ofour kind. I would love toinform you that not all of us

arethesame.”“No. We’ve encountered

benevolence,aswell,”Brigidreturned.“Enkiisthegreatestof theseexamples, aswellasBalamandQuavell.”“But you see me,

borrowing the minds ofothers of your species,without asking,” Vanthadmitted.Brigid nodded. “That is a

frightening and imposing

concept. To be hijacked tobecome part of a massivecalculator.”“Theyareallsafeandwell

beneath the pyramid. Theyare shielded from even themightiest of mankind’snuclear weaponry, cradledunder one thousand feet ofthis arcology,” Vanth toldher. “You do sense thesimilarity between this andthemegalithic ville you used

to reside in—Cobaltville,correct?”Brigid nodded. “Safe.

What about their otherneeds?”“They are being kept fed,

bathed, and theiraccommodations are beinghygienically maintained byhumans we’ve programmedfor that task,” Vanth said.“Andoncewe are donewiththem, then we will free

them.”“Unharmed,” Brigid

returned.Vanth nodded. “I swear

uponmyoath as defender ofthese lands. Ihaveprotected,not conquered. I have nottaken that for which I haverepaid. And the wonders Igive unto humanity inrepayment for opening thedoor back to our home shallbeendless.”

Brigid looked towardCharun and her fellowadventurers. Her instinctsweretinglingandherbeliefinthebenevolenceofVanthwasshaky for now. Was thisdemigoddess seducing herwith soothing voice and liesby omission? Or was shesincere and genuinelypleadingherinnocence?“Endless wonders,” Brigid

repeated. “Let’s drink to

that.”Vanth poured some more

wine,forthebothofthem.Toendless wonder…not endlesshorror.

Chapter19

Kane could feel Charun’sdisappointment at beingdraggedawayfromthe table,from feasting and carousing,and forced to accompanyVanth and Brigid on theirtour through the mightypyramid.

“This is not fair.We havewon a mighty victory,”Charunsaid.“This is how Brigid

celebrates,” Grant offered.“Knowledgeisjoytoher.”Charun wrinkled his nose,

sniffing in disdain. “Just aswell.There is little fun tobehad when carousing withinsensate thralls. In theircalculation mode, they agreetoanyandallsuggestions.”

“Not much sport in thealready drugged,” Kaneagreed. “That immediatelyputsyouaheadofmostoftheenemieswe’vebattled.”Charun looked down at

Kane, then roared withlaughter,drawingstares fromBrigidandVanthupaheadofthem.“Use your inside laughter,

mylove,”Vanthchided.“This ismy inside laugh,”

Charun countered. Kane sawthewinkinthebigman’seyeinhis response toher. Itwasa human enough action,disarminglyso.TheseentitieshadelementsincommonwithhimandBrigid,includingthefamiliar chiding and jokingtogether. If there had been athirdmember of their group,Kane would almost havethought these godlings hadbasedthemselvesoff…

“So how much did youlearn about us from theOlympians?”Kaneasked.“Not as much as I would

haveliked,butenoughtoseethat your reputation ofcourage and proficiency aswarriorswasnot exaggeratedby their memories,” Charunstated.Kane nodded. “Especially

with Grant wielding yourhammer.”

“That was a surprise,”Charun admitted. “But then,it has been a long time sinceyou battled alongside thesoldiersofNewOlympus.”“AllIdidwasnotresistthe

weapon,” Grant said. “Itknew where it wanted to goandIhelpedit.”“You’ve said that before,”

Charun pointed out. As theywerenow,VanthandCharunwere both wearing their

loincloths and nothing more.Weapons, armor and wingpacks had been returned totheirproperstorage, fornonewoulddareassailthehomeoftheEtruscangods,orsoKaneimagined the thinking ofthese beings. He was busyprojecting thoughts andlikenessesontothem,butkepthis true doubts and fearssmothered deep down in hisgut. He wasn’t allowing his

prejudices to rise to thesurface, though, ever sincehe’d started adventuringalongside Brigid Baptiste,both he and Grant hadleavenedtheiroldandcrankyways. There were still initialknee-jerk reactions, and tonsof suspicions,but theydidn’tletthemblindthemtotherealevidence of their eyes andears.Theyjudgednowondeeds,

not words, but no one couldbe immune to negative firstimpressions, not when you’dspent a life in lawenforcementandbeentrainedto look for the worst, thesigns of danger among thoseyoumeet.No,Kanewas notthe same man he was sixyears ago, but some thingsneverchanged.Especially the tenet of “be

polite,becourteous,buthave

aplan tokill everyone in theroom.”Just because you weren’t

judgingbooksbytheircoversdidn’tmeantheystillweren’tfull of lies and deceit, andoften enough, those coversdidmatch their contents.Butnow, Kane wanted to beabsolutely certain, not to letprejudices color anyevidence.He returned to examining

thepair.Vanthdidn’tseemtocare that her feminine assetswere all but bared for all tosee, a string around her hipsholdingupthelengthoflinenthat hid her genitals in atoken nod to modesty inmixed human company. Herfull, luscious breasts werepert and,Kane had to admit,hypnotizing in their soft,roundedperfection.Henotedthat Grant tended to focus

intently on her face orsomethingelseratherthangetdrawnintothosetits.Hercomfortatnearnudity

almost seemed like a dare toeither of themen. Her battlearmorwasnearlytransparent,or it was designed with thesame tapestry of her skin, sothat when she went intobattle, you saw her as if shewerenaked,butherfleshwasprotectedagainstallelements

andharm.“Hell, if I had a body like

that, I’d charge into battlenaked, too,” Brigid hadadmitted when they’d firstarrived via Manta. Thatmemory brought a smile toKane’s lips as the image ofVanth was replaced withBrigidherself,lookingbaretoalltheworldyetstillwrappedin alien alloy cloth toughenough to turn small arms

fire.Baptiste, forgive me for

that, he thought as theylooked through hallsdecorated with ancientartifacts. The pyramid wasclean,and itwasaplace thatarchaeologists would havekilled to enter had theyknown of its existence inanother age. Hell, there wasenough gold and silver tobring in pirates from across

the globe seeking wealth.Gemstones and artwork fromthe time when the gods letman assume he was thepinnacleof lifeon theplanetwereondisplay,aswell.Thewealth of history here

isincredible,Kanemused.Insome rooms he saw theleather spines of booksstuffed onto shelves, as wellaswound scrolls and storagetubes for more of the same.

Something Brigid hadmentionedniggledatthebackof his mind. “The library ofAlexandria.”Charunlookeddown.“Ah,

Alexandria. An almostimpressive collection, muchofitstolenfromourlands.”Kane tilted his head

questioningly.“We were here first,”

Charun explained. “Withoutus, there never would have

been a Greece, or a Rome.Alexandria was put togetherforthem.”Kane understood the

emphasis in Charun’sstatementwasacursetowardtheAnnunaki.Methinks you protest too

much,Kane thought, tappingalinethatBrigidhadusedonmore than one occasion. Hewasstartingtowonderiftheyweren’t kith and kin to Enlil

andhislot.Once more, he found

himself fighting againstancientprejudices, remindinghimself that therewere thoseofAnnunakibloodwhowerenotevil.Balamhadamixtureof genes including that race,and he’d warned and aidedCerberus against theoverlords. Fand’s father wasEnlilhimself,andyetshewasa trusted ally, calling upon

Kane and the others instruggles against ancientevils. Then there was Enlil’sbrother, the benevolent Enki,andhisspawn,theNagahandthe Watatsumi who’dsplintered off from theirIndian brethren acrossmillennia and catastrophes.The mere presence of theDNAoftheoverlordswasnotacondemnation; itwasjustasign that they were simply

different from human. TheNagah and Watatsumi haddemonstrated that they werejustashumanasanyoneKanehadmet.Maybe Charun’s disgust

with Enlil was such that herejected his Annunakiheritage, ormaybe it was alljustatrick.Andyet,KanehadhisSin

Eater on his forearm, hisfighting knife in its boot

sheath and was still clad inhis protective shadow suit.ThesamewentforGrant,andBrigid had her weapon, aswell.If they truly were tyrants,

looking to usurp humanity,why would they have beenallowedtheirmindsyet?Whywould they be left armed?Charun had even allowedGrant to replace his spenthandgrenonhisbelt,theone

weapon that could even theodds between a mere humanand the godly hammer ofCharun.There was no way that

Charun and Vanth wouldhave been dumb or trustingenough not to consider theCerberus explorers a threat.He wondered if his weaponwouldevenoperate.Butevenif there was some means ofmagnetically disabling the

Sin Eater, that wouldn’trender his knife or Grant’sgrenuseless.Wouldit?Or maybe they just don’t

care if they get shot orstabbed. Maybe they feel sophysicallysuperiorthathand-to-handwithaknifewouldbesuicide for any human, andmere bullets only sting, notslay.You’re projecting again,

Kane.

“Charun, you look a littlebored. Why not show uswherethefunstuffis?”Kaneasked.“The weapons or the

wenches?” the demigodasked.“Or the liquor?” Grant

added.Charun chuckled and then

gave Grant a tap on theshoulder. “Now I know whyyou and my hammer

coalesced sowell.You thinkmuchlikeme.”Grant shrugged and

smirked. “The best things inlifearesimple.”“You are as wise as you

are brave,” Charunexclaimed.“Honey?”“Yes, we heard. Even

using his inside voice, Grantisnotsoquiet,either,”Vanthreplied.Theannoyanceinhervoice

was not harsh, even gentle.As if she was having fun.Kane had been there manytimes before with Brigid intheir conversations andinteractions.And there was that

familiarity again, that mirrorimage between Charun andVanth and Kane and Brigid.Over the course of hisadventures, Kane had seenglimpsesthathis lifewasnot

confined to the body hecurrentlyinhabited,butratherhewasa streamof energy, athread of life entwiningmultiple people, from farback into prehistory andstretchingtoadistantfuture.Kanewanted toaskBrigid

if a psychopomp could pickupandpatternsuch thingsassouls.Andtherewasstillthefact

thatVanth’ssonghadbeenin

Brigid’shead.Wasitjusthersong or was it the demigodherself? Brigid had madevery certain to hypnotizeCAT Alpha and CAT Beta.Were their perceptionsinfluenced by whateverremained inside Brigid’sbrain?Kane had been stuck like

thisoncebefore,withNeekrahavingallegedlytornhimoutof his own mind and

stranding him in a comatosestate. Time in the illusionpassed quickly, so that heperceived the turning ofcenturieseventhoughhewasonly out for the space of adayandsomechange.MaybeBrigid thought that she hadbeen shielding the membersof the teams against thepsychicinterferenceofVanthand Charun, but in truth,she’d laid them bare and

vulnerable.Oralmostallofthemwere

renderedhelpless.Kane’s posthypnotic

suggestions were removed,hismindandwillpowerbeingtoo strong for suchmanipulation, rebellingat thecommandtoforgetanddispelhis curiosity and thoughts.Had his own subconsciousfound a way to buck thesystem, to dispel whatever

influence Brigid had placedupon him? After all, theposthypnotic suggestionswereconceivedasameansofpreventing their minds frombetraying them by actuallyacknowledging theirsuspicionsandprejudices.The ways of the

subconsciousmindweresuchthat Kane could have knownexactly the kind of dangerBrigid had been putting him

into with her hypnosis, andthencouldhavemadeenoughofafusstogethimtonegatethat conditioning. Of course,thisnowmeantthatKanewasalone, the rest of his alliesagainsthim.Or would that actually be

what Vanth and Charunwanted him to believe? Thewhole situation with theseentities and their telepathicpowers was one that could

leave Kane doubtingeverything, even if he wasseeing something right infront of his eyes. TravelingdownonelineofpossibilitiesoranotherwassomethingthatcouldbringKane to theedgeofmadness.As he was trying to

determinewhichendwasup,heandGranthadentered thechamber where Charun saidthat the best of his “toys”

werelocated.Kanewantedtocallitahangar,buttherewasno real exit to the outsideskies.Here,hesawtheMantathatEdwardshadlost,aswellas the three OlympianSpartan suits in stallsspecifically designed forthem.Therewereother stallsalong the wall of the samenature, including two withroboticshapeshiddenbeneathtarps.

“You have your ownGearSkeletons?”Kaneasked.Charun nodded. “Yes.We

kept them around andactually repainted ours tomatch those of NewOlympus.”“To infiltrate?” Grant

questioned.“To keep our robots from

being chopped to pieces. Infact, thosewerethesuits thatwere transporting Edwards’s

Manta to and from thehillside,” Charun said. “Thisis a courtesy as we did notwant to create wear and tearupon the Olympian amputeepilotsandtheirmecha.”Kane blinked in surprise.

“No wear and tear on thepilotsortherobots.”“Thecalculationprocess is

not one that endangers thoseinvolved,so longaswehavethe staff to keep them fed,

wateredandcleaned,”Charunexplained.Grant strolled along,

looking over the Olympiansuits, then lifted the tarpcovering the two duplicatesthat had been utilized. Kanejogged up beside his friend,peeking behind the curtain.Charun strode over andpulleddownthetarp.“There are similarities in

thebasicconstruction,butwe

hadtoimprovisesomepanelsonourstomatchthearmoredcockpits of your friends,”Charun said. The fronthatches to each of thesearmor units were open, andKane could see the emptycockpits.Henoticedthattheirtorsoswerelarger.“These weren’t built for

trans-adapts,” Kane said.“Nor whatever midgets thatpiloted the original skeletons

oftheOlympians.”“No.Thesedonothavethe

cybernetic interface nodulethat can plug into a spine,either,” Charun told them.“Rather, take a look at theheadrestofthechair.”Kane squinted and noticed

a small crown with stones,possessing the smoothnessofriver stones and thetranslucence of gems orquartz crystal. These were a

familiar sight, his havingnoted similar artifacts in theAnnunakiskimmers.“The gems form a matrix

around a sentient mind andrespond to its commands,”Charun explained. “Givenyour experience with ourcousins…”“TheAnnunaki.Youadmit

to being related to them?”Kaneasked.Charun nodded. “Though

we are not from the sameworld as they. In fact, youcansaythattheAnnunakiareour twistedmirror images inthis dimension. Thus ourdistaste.”“So you truly are from

another universe,” Grantmused. “We’ve experiencedother casements, as well.Some of those realitiesechoed our own…somewerevastlydifferent.”

“We haven’t accessedthose in a long time, thoughwe’re aware of otherdimensions and pocketuniverses,”Kaneadded.“OnethingIwanttoknowwasthatwe brought our interphaserbut you aren’t interested inusingit.”“If anything, your

technology is not as ours,”Charun told them. “Yourdevice can be used to help

openanaperture,butwehavethe means of opening thatdimensionalfloodgatebacktoStyx.We just need the codeto open it. And theinterphaser won’t do that forus. But you should thankBrigid for me. It wasthoughtfulofyou.”“Thanks. I’ll tell her,”

Kane returned. “Though,wouldn’t Vanth be the onesaying that, as they’re both

talking and touring side byside?”“Thetruthbetold,I’mnot

certain if Vanth’s recallextends to matters ofconversational courtesy,”Charunsaid.“Asyoucantell,mostmenendupgoingstupidaround her, and that tends tomake women hate her.Fortunatelyyou’reamongtherareof theapes thatdoesnotallow their hormones to

distract them from theimportantthings.”“Trust me,” Grant

interjected. “Kane tends togetplentyofdistraction.”Kane rolled his eyes,

pretending to maintaininterest in the tour, thediscussionsgoingonbetweenGrantandCharun.All the while, he returned

to his mind, trying toinventory itself, looking for

signs of interference, ofsabotage.He recalled Brigid

Baptiste’s co-option, herhijacking by Ullikummis tobecomehisgodlyprophet,hisright hand as the villainousBrigid Haight. Though shehad been under his control,there had still been a BrigidBaptisteinsideHaight’shead,locked into a mental versionof a safe room to keep her

true identity while allowingthesonofEnlil tobelievehewas in command. When thetime was right, Brigidrestored herself to heroriginal personality,successfully throwing off thefetters of Ullikummis andfoiling his plans towrest theEarth fromhis fatherand thehumanshebattledwith.HadBrigid givenKane an

outside bit of suspicion, the

doubtthatBrigidwasentirelyherself when she worked toinuretherestof theCerberusteams against Vanth’spsychicsong?A shadow flickered in the

corner of Kane’s eye and ittookeverythinginhiswillnotto suddenly react to the newpresence. There was aphysical manifestation at hisshoulder and he caught aglimpse of red-gold curls

spilling across his peripheralvision.“The word to break the

conditioning of the others isanam-chara,” Brigid’s voicewhispered in his ear. “I waserroneous in the belief thatI’d dispelled the song ofdomination completely frommyconsciousness.”Kane nodded grimly to

himself. Since thismanifestation of Brigid was

one solely perceptible to hisconsciousness, he didn’tspeak aloud.Was this why Istarted wondering if thosetwoandtheirrelationshipwasso close to ours? BecauseCharun calls Vanth his brideandyouandI…?“We are different.

Something closer than theyare,butIneededyoutothinkof that term, I planted thecrumb for you to break

loose,”Brigidsaid.And just what am I

supposed to do now? Kanelooked around the arsenal. Itwas vaguely interesting, butthe truth of the matter was,they were in an enemyfortress. This far down intothe pyramid, his Commtactwouldn’t pick up a signal.And am I supposed to breakyououtofyourhypnosis?“I can handlemyself,” the

Brigid message told him.“But I told Domi and theothers to hole up in a saferoom.You should be able topick them up as they havetheirCommtactsonpassive.”Kane looked sideways at

Charun and Grant. The twomenwerestillconversing.Hewasfreenow,andhisdoubtsweredispelled like smoke. IsCharuninthiswithVanth,orissheconninghim?

Brigid stepped in front ofhim,frowning.“Charunisthebrainsofthisoperation.”The demigod looked at

Kanedirectly,hiseyesaflamefromwithin.“Vanth is a willing

accomplice, but it’s Charunwhoisthewielderofthesongand who has the telepathiccapabilities,”Brigidwarned.Kane frowned asCharun’s

tuskssnaggedhisupperlipin

asneering,smugsmile.More movement sounded

behind him, bare feetslappingthestonefloorofthearsenal. Grant turned, dazedandconfusedatthearrivalofthenewcomers.Kanerealizedthattroublehadarrivedintheform of the Etruscandemigod’s reinforcements.He clicked his Commtact tobroadcast, all frequencies,knowing he’d need all the

help he could get. Thingswere going to turn violent atanymoment.“Anam-chara,” Kane

uttered,butnotbeforeCharunsnatchedthejawplateoffhispartnerGrant.“Oh,no…Kanehas fallen

under the control of Vanth,Grant,” Charun stated, hisvoice stentorian, to the pointwhere the Cerberusadventurer could feel the

impactofeachsyllable.“Youhavetosubduehimbeforeheturnsagainstus,Grant.”The big former

Magistrate’s eyes grewmilky, watching as Charunstaggeredbackward.“Kane?” Grant asked.

“Kane!Snapoutof it!Don’tshoothim!Kane!”Suddenly, in themiddleof

the arsenal of Charun, Kanewas confronted by the one

weaponhecouldnotdestroy.His friend, his brother byblood, sweat and tears. AndGrant lunged forward, theglazeofhiseyestellingKanethat Grant felt he wascompletelyoutofcontrol.He wanted to speak

another word, but a suddengrasp seized his throat. AndCharun, sitting against thewall, grinned, his eyestwinkling as he denied Kane

the means of breaking thisspell.Grant’s fist hammered

deep into Kane’s stomach,and despite the non-Newtonian polymersstiffening to lessen the blow,all the breath was expelledfromKane’slungs.

Chapter20

Domiandtheothersheardthevoice of Kane over theirCommtacts, meaning that hemust have been close;otherwise the walls ofinterveningstonewouldhavemade reception impossible.His words were familiar, the

affectionate term that he andBrigidBaptiste held for eachother.Anam-chara. Itwasa term

fromCelticspiritualtradition,and was a belief that thehuman soul radiated allaround the physical form inan aura. When two peoplecame near each other, therewere instances where thataura opened and channels oftrust and understanding

immediately opened betweenthe two individuals. Whenthat occurred, the Celtictradition stated that one hadfound their soul friend, or inthe ancient tongue of theCelts, the anam-chara.Though Domi doubted thatkind of deep, almostsymbiotic bond from thebeginning,therewasnodoubtthateachcompletedtheother.She’d also noticed part of

thatbetweenKaneandGrant,as well, which was probablywhat Lakesh saw when hementioned the confluence ofpersonalities that always leadCATAlphatovictoryagainstimposing odds. However,between Kane and Brigid,this was what seemedstrongest.Domi, however, realized

thatshewasinsideapyramidthat Charun and Vanth

allowed CAT Beta toinfiltrate. The two demigodshad drawn from Brigid theplans of both teams to dealwith the Etruscan entities.However, Charun and Vanthhadnotcountedonthementalresilienceof the flame-hairedarchivist. She’d hypnotizedthe group to the holes thatthey had funneled theCerberus Away Teamstoward, but there were other

measures that Brigid hadimplanted in them. Ratherthan continuing to wanderaroundthepyramid,allowingthe minions of the demigodsto entrap them, Brigid hadarrangedforthemtoseekoutatrulydefensibleposition.This storage room was

such a place. The door wassturdy enough to withstandattack,yet toosmall toallowoneoftheroboticwarriorsto

reachveryfarinto.Thewallswere simply too thick foreven a skeleton of secondaryorichalcumtosunder,andthechamberwasdeepenough tobeoutof rangeofagraspingclaw. There were thick,durable crates that the fourpeople had assembled into abarricadeinstinctively.Fists pounded at the door

and the CAT Beta membersmoved behind their

assembled cover. Shelvingunits were stocked withweapons and ammunition, aswell,providingDomiandherallieswith themeans toholdoutagainstaprolongedsiege.Of course, all of those

factors protecting the CATmeantthat theycouldn’trushto Kane’s aid. Over theirCommtacts, the four alliesheard their friendgruntingasheengagedinamelee.

The door shook as fistsstruckit.“Youaretrapped,humans!

Surrender!” came the shoutfrom the other side. Domirecognized the alienresonance, as if the voicewere echoing in upon itself,vibrating along differentwavelengths.Thiswasakintothe tones of the Annunaki,although these creatureshardly had the depth and

poweroftheoverlords.Thesemusthavebeensubordinates,mere minions, though theirchallengewasoneofmalice,so these weren’t emotionlessdronesor thralls. “Throwoutyourweapons!”“All right,” Domi

conceded, shouting loud.“Give’emweapons.”Edwards smirked, his Sin

Eater snapping into the palmofhishand.“Bulletsfirst?”

“Duh,”Domiresponded.Edwards winked at

Smaragda. “That means weblow the crap out of thesealienscum.”Smaragdachuckled.“Iwas

hopingyoumeantthat.”CAT Beta aimed their

weaponsat thedoorbutonlyDomi andEdwards fired, theferal girl’s .45 and theMagistrate’spistolhavingthepunchtocutthroughthedoor

between them and theiropponent. The two gunshotswere loud in the small room,even with their hoods on tofilter their hearing, but theaudio pickups rewarded thetwo shooters with the soundof strangled pain and a bodydroppingtothefloor.While it might have

seemed more impressive forall fourof them tocut loose,hosing streams of bullets

throughthedoor,theywantedtomaintain their coverage asmuch as possible. Such avulgar display of firepowerwould have been a waste ofammunition and weakenedtheir first line of defense.Rather, the marksmanship ofDomi and Edwards hadeliminated one of theiropponents withoutcompromisingthedoor.That did not prevent their

foes from opening fire, andfrom the racket, Domi couldtell that the Stygians wereusing the captured rifles ofthe Olympians. The door’sthickness absorbed most ofthevolleyofreturnfire,onlya few projectiles here andthere managing to punch allthewaythrough,theirenergyspent and turning them fromlethal bullet into impotentrain clattering on the stone

floor. Already, Domi wasglad at their defensiveposition being an advantagethat grew. As long as thehumanoid minions of Vanthand Charun wasted theirammunition, they would beless likely and capable ofbringing the fight to CATBeta,whilethecooler,calmerheads of the four defenderswaited for an opportunity tofightbackeffectively.

“Brainsandbrawn,”Domigrowled as she let theStygians spend their energyand time in their futile initialassault.

***

BRIGID BAPTISTE HEARDKane speak thewords of herposthypnotic suggestion, thekey word that would breakthe conditioning that she’d

unfortunately inflicted uponthe others. She took a stepaway from Vanth as theyentered one of the librariesshe’dbeenboastingabout.The half-naked goddess

casually followed Brigid’sdefensive movement, herefforts to create distancebetween them, and her lush,beautifullipsturnedupintoasmile.“So, you’ve finally

dropped your pretenses?”Vanthinquired.Brigid narrowed her eyes.

“You are the one who hasbeen lying and subvertingminds,myownincluded.”“Subverting my mind,”

Vanth mimicked, except asshespokesheturnedBrigid’stonehigher,whinier,showingdisdain for the humanwoman. “Your minds? Youwerebuiltfromthegroundup

tobeslaves,servantstoaliengods.”“And yet we’ve sent them

scattered to the four cornersof theEarth,strippedof theirpower and superiority,”Brigidchallenged.Shepulledthe TP-9 from its holster,leveling it at Vanth. “I willnot fire upon an unarmed,helpless opponent, but if youprove that you’re notharmless…”

“You seek to instill fearintome?”Vanthasked.“Asachild, I hunted the mightiestof beasts, naked, unarmed.The creature’s tusk marksstilllinemybelly,butIbrokeitsneck.”Brigidglanceddowntothe

stomach of the seven-footwoman,seeing thefaint linesof a long-healed cut. Shefocused on the sights oncemore, matching Vanth’s

glare. “So, you believe youcan take a spray of bulletswithoutharm?”“I am she who mothered

the legends of Artemis andAtlanta,” Vanth growled.“These limbs have shatteredtree trunks as if they weretwigs. Without a weapon, Iammighty.With them, I aminvincible!”Brigid circled back toward

the doorway, relying on her

impeccable photographicmemory to navigate withoutlookingwhereshestepped.Vanth’s lip curled in

dismissal. “You threaten mewith a rain of lead and fire,and yet you cannot pull thetrigger?”“And you just see me

holdingmy firearmwith onehand,notwonderingwhattheother is doing,” Brigidreturned.

Vanth’s eyes glanced toBrigid’s other hand, whichwas empty. She looked backalongtheCerberusarchivist’spath and saw a small disklyingontheground.Amoment later a brilliant

flare of light blazed in theroom. Brigid Baptiste didn’tdelude herself that she’dcarry enough firepower towound a god, but if Vanth’svision and other senses were

of the same superhumannature as her physique, thenthe brilliance of one millioncandle-powerblazingintohereyeswouldbuyhermoments,ifnotminutes.Vanth screamed, agonized

by the flash, and Brigidwhirled,duckingintothehall.Though her own vision hadblurred, Brigid relied on thatphotographicmemorytomapout her course of escape and

evasion. Behind her, Vanthroared in fury, furnitureshattering under hammerblows from those “barehands” the demigoddessboastedof.“Witch! I shall peel the

flesh from your scalp, crushyour skull and drink yourbrains!”Vanthbellowed.Now I see the species

resemblance to Charun,Brigid mused as she hurtled

down one corridor afteranother. By the time she’drun a hundred yards fromVanth, her emerald eyescould clearly take in hersurroundings once more.Vanth’srantingsandcrashingfistswerestilldistantbehind,which meant Brigid had theopportunitytofindthedetourCharun had led Kane andGrantoffupon.That bit of navigationwas

simplicity for her, and shecharged on, finding astairwell that throbbed withthe continuous explosions ofdistantgunfire.“Domi and the others are

awake, as well,” Brigidmused as she descended thesteps. “AndVanth lied aboutbeing the only two entitiesfrom herworld to be on thissideofthewormhole.”Taking the steps quickly,

jumping when she could,Brigidwasgladfor thebraceshe’d wound around herformerly sprained ankle, aswell as the day’s worth ofrehabilitation of the tenderjoint. Each landing was aspike of discomfort, but itwas nothing more than areminderofhermortality,notacripplinglossoffooting.Reaching the floor where

the gunfire resounded most

strongly, Brigid entered thecorridor. She paused onlylong enough to pull more ofherpackageofsurprisesfromits hiding space inside herboot and the wrap at herankle.Vanth’s screech at the top

of the stairwell informedBrigid of the demigoddess’sarrival. After seeing the wayCharun had armored up, sheknew that Vanth was also

likely to be fully decked outwith armor and her othergear.Brigid put an adhesive

patchonthebackofherslim,flatautomatedmunition,setitto motion-sensor mode andcontinued onward. The hi-exdevice was designed for usein multiple manners, almostallof themantipersonnelandcapable of damaging lightarmor upon detonation. In

some instances, it could beusedfordemolition,couldbeburiedandwouldgooffwiththe vibration of a group oftroopswalking past, or stuckto a wall, utilizing infraredbeamsastripwires.Itwasamazinghowclever

mankind had been in theproduction of weapons ofdeath and destruction, Brigidthought, but then she wasthankful. There was an

enragedgoddessonherheels,so showing disgust at theaptitude of humanity towardwarfare and armory wasintellectually dishonest andincongruous. She glancedback to see Vanth hoverdown to the entrance to thislevel,glowing,featherywhitewings unfurled behind herback.“Now what toys do you

hav—”Vanthbegan,floating

forward.Themunitiononthewall detected her and thecorridor shook as if athunderbolt had struck it.Brigid kept going, knowingthat Vanth’s armor wouldprovidemore protection thanthe light mine couldovercome.Brigid entered an armory,

seeing their lost Manta aswell as a group of slender,pallid humanoids looking on

toward some spectacle. Shechanged direction, letting thebulk of the transonic craftcover hermovements, but asshe neared the nose of theMantashesawthatKaneandGrant were engaged in apitchedbattlewitheachother.“Oh, that is unfortunate,”

Brigid murmured as Grantlifted Kane from the groundbyhisthroatwithbothhands.

***

GRANT FELT THE flutter offingersalonghisjawline,andthen he was no longer incontact with the outsideworld via the cyberneticcommunicator he’d beenwearing only a momentbefore. The plate, wornoutside and attached viapintles to the bone beneaththe skin, was another of the

wonders of Manitius basetechnology that the explorersof Cerberus had added totheir adventuring kit. Theywere meant to maintain aconstant flow ofcommunication between theCAT members and CerberusRedoubt,ensuringthatnoonewouldbelostoroutoftouchforlong.Thetruthwasthat,aswith

any technology, there were

times when it wouldn’t orcouldn’t work. Especially inthe face of opposition thathad its own communicationsnetworks and a modicum ofelectronic countermeasuresand radio jamming. Still, theease of the Commtact overbulky, regular radios wasworth being stuck with ametal plate on yourcheekbone that could bereduced to an expensive

decoration rather than aphonetohome.Charun, beside him, had

been jarred from his reveriein showingGrant around theStygians’armory,turningandlooking on in shock. “Ohno…Kane has fallen underthecontrolofVanth,Grant!”The words had landed

inside Grant’s brain like anavalanche, the stones sharpand heavy as they battered

against any thoughts he triedtoentertain.“…under the control of

Vanth,” Grant repeated. Hisvision blurred and his heartrate suddenly accelerated.Genuine shock and surprisebubbled up within him andsuddenly Charun staggered,hischestsplashedwithblood.Grant easily recognized thechatter of a SinEater,whichmade his confusion all the

stronger as he turned backand saw Kane, gun in hand,smoke wisping from the endofthebarrel.“Vanth betrayed me.” It

wasasoftwhisperinGrant’sear. He imagined it as awhisper,butinallprobabilityCharun was speaking to himdirectly,mindtomind.“Kane?Whatdoyouthink

you’re doing?” Grant asked,stepping between the

staggered,bloodyCharunandhis friend. He looked Kaneover,buttherewerenowordsfrom his friend. If anything,Kaneclawedat his throat, asifsomethingwasstuckthere.Anger flashed in Kane’s

coldblueeyesasheliftedtheSinEateragain, levelingitatthe wounded demigod, hisfinger taking up the slack onthemachinepistol’strigger.“Kane?” Grant asked.

“Kane!Snapoutof it!Don’tshoothim!Kane!”With that shout, Grant

hurled himself forward,heedless of the danger tohimself. Kane raised his gunoncemoreandGrantchargedin, his fist a piston of steelslamming into his friend’sstomach to keep him frompulling the trigger andgunning down the helpless,woundeddemigod.Theblow

knocked the wind out ofKane,muchtoGrant’srelief.The shadow suit’s protectiveabilities prevented thepossibility of an organrupture, but also allowedenoughforcethroughtokeepthe gunman from firing atCharun.Charun had just said that

he’d been betrayed by hislover, Vanth, and that theselfsame goddess had seized

command of his friend’sthoughts. No matter whatkindofcontrolthealienwitchcould have wielded overKane, therewas little chancethat he’d gun down Grant.Even so, he was glad theshadow suit provided somemeasure of small-armsprotection.With a leap, he was atop

Kane, shoving his arm aside.The gun didn’t fire, so that

meant Kane did have somemeasureofself-control.Grantsqueezedhardonhisfriend’swrist in the hope of makingthe smaller man drop theweapon. “You’re not in yourright mind. You can’t killCharun!”Gunfire resounded in the

distance, almost as if thefloodgates of sanity hadshattered, waves of madnessflushing through the

hallways.Kane could only issue a

croakfromhislipsandGranttookthatasasignofVanth’scommand of his mind. In aflash, something hardslammedagainstGrant’sjaw,snapping his head up andback.Itwasn’tKane’sclosedfist,ratherhisforearm.Grantrecognized the martial artsmaneuver, one that wasmeanttoapplythemostforce

possible to inflict a burst ofsensory input on nerves andblood vessels at the junctureofneckandjaw.Properly placed, the blow

could render an opponentinsensate without causingbone damage. The impactwas not delivered with aclosed fist, as itwould breakknuckles and render fingersstiff and useless. Rather, aforearm or elbow—both

thicker and more heavilyprotected than the lightercarpal bones—delivered thestunningattack.Grant’s instincts had

kicked inswiftlyenough thathe’d avoided the bulk of thepunch,buthewasstilldazed.Putting Kane down withoutkillinghimwasgoingtobeachallenge, as both men wereequally well-trained, andwhere Grant possessed

superior strength, Kane wasfasterandmoreagile.Grant also possessed a

longer reach, so heimmediately pushed Kaneawaytohisarm’slength.ThestiffenededgeofKane’shandslicedthroughtheair,missingGrant’sface.Thekaratechopwas something a little moredangerous, butwhen focusedonthesideoftheneckorthatcluster of nerves and blood

vessels, had the same effectas a forearm smash. Thekarate chop also had thepotential of hitting too hard,possiblybreakinganenemy’sneck. Even with the non-Newtonian cushioning of hisshadow suit, Grant realizedthat Vanth’s mind controlwaspushingKanetodeadliermeasures.Withakicktothestomach,

he vaulted Kane halfway

acrossthefloor.“Don’tmakeme hurt you,

bro. Say something. Let meknow that naked bitch hasn’tgotyouasherpuppet!”Grantdemanded.Kane gathered himself up,

glaring silently back at him.He pointed to his throat, butstill stood in a defensivemartialartsposture.Grant kept his distance,

circling. He’d see white,

slender figures in thecornersofhiseyes,buttheyfadedtheinstant he tried to focus onthem. They couldn’t havebeenanactivethreat,notwithGrantdistractedlikethis.The only reason they

wouldn’tbeinterfering…They’re not interfering

becauseyou’reontheirside.Grantpaused.Kanewasn’t

taking the offensive, and hewasn’t looking for his

firearm,either.There were huge gaps in

thelogicofhisbattlewithhisfriend, and that went doubleashelookedandnoticedthatthe Sin Eater was stillretracted, flat along Kane’sforearm. He’d neverunleashed it, and thus hadn’tlost it when Grant tackledhim.Anger surged through the

big man as he realized he’d

justbeenduped,havingfalleninto an illusion cast byCharun.Of course, he still felt the

impulse to battle againstKane. This was somethingthat had slithered underGrant’s conscious defenses,whichwasdoublydisturbing.Hadn’t Brigid Baptisteimplanted posthypnoticsuggestions into theCerberusexpedition to protect them

fromthis?“Damned aliens,” Grant

snarled. He lunged forwardand wrapped both handsaround Kane’s throat, liftinghis friend up. It was anaggressive move, one thathadn’t inspired an ounce ofresistance from the voice atthe back of his mind,shoutingforhimtoputKanedown like the rabiddoghe’dbecome.

GrantonlyhopedthecollarofKane’s suitwasabsorbingthebulkoftheforce,asithadearlierwithhisinitialpunch.“Kick that bastard in the

head,” Grant hissed to hisfriend.Kane’s eyes flared with

recognitionandagreement.Withamightysurge,Grant

whirled,hurlingKanetowardthefallenCharun.Twistinginmidair, Kane brought both

feet up so that he couldconnect with the Etruscangiant. Soles stiffened to thehardness of steel plates andCharun found himselfcrashingagainstthewallwith200 pounds of fighting-madCerberuswarriorkickingout.Kane’s momentum wasincreased by the power ofGrant’s throw, and the twomen had actually flooredCharun.

ThestrangepressureinsideGrant’s skull disappeared inaninstant.“Anam-chara!” Kane

rasped,finallyabletospeak.Evenmorestaticdissipated

from Grant’s mind and helooked around to see theslender, pale creatures he’dbarely been able toacknowledge under theministrationsofmindcontrol.Of course, the moment they

sawthathehadbeenreleasedfrom domination underCharun’s spell, theyimmediately struck a retreat.Theyhadshoweduptoenjoythe carnage that would haveoccurred when the twofriends engaged in a bloodybrawl, and foolishly did sowithout weapons at hand.Now, having underestimatedGrantandKane,theyrealizedthat discretion would keep

them alivemuch longer thanstanding in front of twoarmedandtrainedwarriors.Brigid Baptiste swung

aroundthenoseoftheManta,her TP-9 in both hands andleveled toward the fleeingStygians, making them runevenmorequicklyaway.“Weneed togonow,” she

said. She must have realizedthechangeindemeanorofthetwo former combatants.

“Vanthisbehindme…”“Thisway,”Kanecroaked.

“It sounds like Beta’s in themiddleofafirefight.”Grant let his Sin Eater

launch into his grasp. “Howrude.Weinvitethemtoallofourgunbattles.Let’sregistersomecomplaints!”Kane grinned. “It’s so

much better having you onmysidethanagainstme.”As one, Brigid, Kane and

Grant rushed down thecorridortowardtheirbesiegedallies.

Chapter21

So far, the Stygians outsidethe door to CAT Beta’shideout had wasted a lot oftheir ammunition, and hadonly succeeded in leavingragged gaps in the door’spanels. Domi turned andmade certain that her allies

wereallinfullhoods.“Gas them,” Domi said.

She’dgottenaglancethroughtheholestorninthedoorandcould tell that while theywore appropriated Olympianarmor, they had forgone thehelmets.Itwasanuncertainstrategy

since therewas no guaranteetheir body chemistry andbiologywerecloseenoughtohuman to be adversely

affected by clouds of peppergas. However, if their senseof smell and touch, if theyhadsimilarlysensitivemucusmembranes tohumans,Domicouldattest to theconclusionthatteargaswouldsendthemscurryingaway.Smaragda fired her under-

barrel gren launcher on herrifle. The 40 mm shellpunchedthroughaweakened,bullet-eaten section of door,

andwhentheroundstruckthefar wall, it popped loudly.Hissing smoke gushed intothe corridor and they werealmost instantly rewardedwith the sound of raspingcoughsandgasps.SinclairandEdwards,who

had switched to his shotgunonthecommandtogasthem,fired their 12-gauge variantsof tear gas shells, adding tothe billowing, eye-burning

miststhatreplacedtheroarofautofire with the sounds ofspitting, retching andwheezing.“There’s a reasonwhywe

wear helmets on thebattlefield,”Smaragda stated.She thumbed another shellinto the breech of herlauncher.“What?” Domi asked

bluntly,pointingtotheroundsheloaded.

Smaragda looked down.“Flash-bang.”“Boom,”Domisaidwitha

grin.No longerneeding theirsuits to be in camouflagemode,theteamletthesecondskins return to their shadowyblack, hoods turnedtranslucent for the ease ofrecognition andcommunication. The blackfaceplates were good forstealthandintimidation,buta

conversation lacking facialexpressions wasunnecessarily troublesome,especially for Domi, whotended to lose most of hervocabulary in times of stressandconflict.Smaragda grinned in reply

andfiredthelauncher.The hoods protected the

hearing of those inside thestorage room, audio pickupsfiltering out the massive

pressure wave, but for theStygians trying to root themout,itwasunadulteratedpain.The stun gren shook loosesplinters and remnants ofdoor that had been hangingon by threads, and Domicould see one of the pallidaliens clutching the sides ofhis head. Though thecreatures had no apparentexternal ears, that didn’tmean they didn’t have

eardrums that could beruptured.The blast wave also did a

number on their vision, asblack,thicktearsflowedfromtheir almond eyes and slitnostrils. Domi recalledBrigid’s explanation of theeffect of dangerously loudflash-bang grens; that thesound was accompanied bylevels of pressure that burstsmall blood vessels in vital

areas suchas the sinusesandeye lining in some cases.With their sinus membranesalreadyundergreatstressdueto the tear gas, the Stygianswere undoubtedly goingthrough hell as the alreadyfilled chambers of their skullwereexacerbatedandflushedwithblood.Gunfire rattled in the

corridor, which caughtDomi’s attention. It didn’t

take more than an instant torecognize it was the gunfirefrom her friends’ pistols, notthe appropriated Olympianrifles. Slender, haggardfigures lurched through thechoking tear gas in an effortto flee the arrival of CATAlpha.A black-gloved hand

reached in front of the doorandgave a rapon a solidbitofremnant.

“Excuseme, is themanofthe house around?” Brigidcalledout.“And the ladies, too,”

Edwards shouted back.“What took you guys solong?”“Wouldyoubelieveactsof

god?”Brigidasked.Domi ran to the door,

opening it for her friends.“We staying here or movingalong?”

“I’d say we’re moving,”Kane returned. “Especially ifVanth isn’t going to wastetime on the scrambledCharun.”Domi snapped her fingers,

waving the rest of her teamintothecorridor.SelaSinclairled the way, motioning thedirection from which CATBeta had entered the bowelsof thepyramid.Domipausedlong enough to see Grant

setting up a pair of flatdemolitionschargesalongthewalls.“It slowed her down once

before,” Brigid said, startingto run and follow Kane andtheothers.Dominodded.“Good.”She

turned toward Grant, callingout,“Hurryup!”“I’m coming!” Grant

growled, punching thecontrols to activate the wall

mines.Domi caught the reaction

of the big man as he lookedaway from the wall, thenspun and raced toward them.Instantslaterthewalleruptedunder a thundering crash, ablast much larger thananything the trip-wire minecould have produced. Domicould have sworn, in themoment before the tunnelwasshakenby theexplosion,

that she saw a black arrowslicingthroughtheair.Whatever the case, Grant

skidded on the floor, thenscrambled to his feet.“Vanth’shere!”DomihelpedGrantgethis

footing again, and the pairexploded into motion, racingaway from the spreadingcloudofdustanddebris.Vanth had definitely

showed up ready for all-out

war, and she wasn’t stayingher hand, or the quiver ofarrows she wore. Thosearrows struck with the forceof thunderbolts and, rightnow, the teams wereequipped more for dealingnonlethally with mind-controlled minions than withdeadly enemies whosearcherywasasdestructiveasanti-tankmissiles.“She’s making room

between us and them. Sheneeds to getCharun back onhis feet and into his armor,”Grant explained. “Still, that’sa hell of a bow and arrowset.”“Damn right,” Domi

agreedastheychargedalong.Grant and Domi finally

caughtupwiththeothersandsaw Kane and Edwards hardat work cranking up thewrought-iron gate from the

inside.NowthattheEtruscangodlings knew of thepresence of the CAT teams,there was little to be lost byusing the official controls onthe door. Working together,thetwomenusedaleverandasetofchainsandpulleys tolifttheseveral-tonirongate.Brigidpulledthelastofher

paper-thin explosive chargesandplaceditalongthechain.“What’sthatgoingtodo?”

Grantasked.“It’llslowdownVanthand

Charun,” Brigid said. “I’lldetonate it by remotecontrol.”“Did you see that arrow?

Or did you forget about thehammer strike?” Grantcountered.“In close quarters, it’ll put

them at a disadvantage,”Brigid told him. “Trust me,I’m thinking ahead on this

one.”“Comeon,”Kanegrowled.

“The longer we ditherhere…”“And the prisoners?”

Smaragda asked. “We’retrapping my friends downthere?”Brigid gave Smaragda a

shove past the gate. “We’renot forgetting our promise toyouandNewOlympus.Trustus.”

Domi and Grant duckedbeneath the lowering gate,Brigid scurrying throughimmediatelyafter.Shetappeda control on her forearm andthe sound of her munitiondetonating was instantlyfollowed by the clattering ofunravelingchains.From there, it was a hard

runbacktothesurface.

***

SMARAGDA SAT IN theforest, her arms crossed,elbows resting on her knees.Shefeltgoodtogetoutoftheshadowsuithood,feelingthewindonherfaceandthroughher prematurely whitenedhair. Though she wasphysically free from theconstraints of theenvironmentally sealed suit,theworldwasdarkandheavyaroundher.

Thegoodnewswas that itwasn’t her fellow Olympiantroopers who wereaccompanying the roboticarmor suits. They were notwandering around as mentalslaves.Instead they were

corralled, like cattle, theirminds hijacked for thepurpose of punching a holethrough to an alien universe.AccordingtoBrigidBaptiste,

the flame-haired scientificgenius of this expedition,theiridleexistenceswouldbeonly a temporary condition,asoncethedimensionalwarpwasopened,therewouldbeaneed for bodies for theinvaders.“Charun and Vanth are

likely Igigi,” Brigidexplained. “The nonelevatedcastes of Annunaki society.However, eitherbydesignor

accident, their originalidentities were usurped andoverwritten bytransdimensionalduplicates.”“If they can overwrite the

Annunaki, then what chancedo humans have?” Smaragdaasked. “You’re saying thatmyfriendswillceasetoexist,and in their place, in theirskins, fiends will appear andbecome a part of an armyofconquest.”

Brigid looked at her, lipssealed tight. Smaragda couldsee the thoughts churningbehindthewoman’seyes,andsheimmediatelyfeltregretatclaiming there was no hope.If there was a human beingalive with the brilliance torescue both her brothersoldiers and hundreds ofthousandsofItalianpeninsuladwellers, it was BrigidBaptiste.

“I’msorry,”Smaragdasaidquickly. “What would youneedmetodo?”“Rightnow,we’regoingto

let the enemy come to us,”she said. “Vanth andCharunhave been embarrassed, andthey are angry. They willcomelookingforus.”“But we can tell that they

haven’t started with thesearch parties,” Grant added.“According to Lakesh, who

has three satellites lookingdownon theirpyramid, therehas been no movement fromeither of the entranceswe’veencountered. There are otheropenings, but no activitythere,either.”“You found other

openings,” Edwards asked.“Airducts?”“Definitely,” Grant

confirmed. “Otherwise,things would become

unbreathabledownthere.”“Given the human and

livestock cells, it’s not thehealthiest atmosphere downin the pit,” Domi said. Hernose crinkled at the memoryof the smell. “But that wasone thing Vanth didn’t lieabout. They’ve been takencareof.”“They want all the shells

theycanget,”Kanemuttered.“Not to mention their

squirmy little pale freaks,”Sela Sinclair added. Sheglanced over to Domi.“Sorry,Domi.”Domi waved off the

mention of the pallid natureofthealienhumanoids.“Howare we going to handle thetwo of them and their allieswhen they do come huntingforourheads?”“It will depend on who

they send after us,” Brigid

explained. “We’re lucky tohave Edwards as our packmule…and you already havesufficient less-lethalfirepower todealwith thrallssent in place of the standardtroops.”“You think they’ll take a

shotatuswiththelocalsandour missing Olympianplatoon?”Smaragdaasked.“It’d be the one thing that

would stayourhand,”Brigid

told her. “And, frankly, evenif they send out a mob ofhuman zombies,we’re goingto have to remain careful.Rubber slugs still cankill bybreaking necks or snappingribs and puncturing lungs.Also,whilerare, teargascancausearespiratoryarrest.”“So theirbest shot atus is

throwing their captives downourthroat,”Kaneagreed.“If they wish to capture

us,” Brigid returned. “Don’tforget theirotherweapons, ifthey deem it practical tosimplyexterminateus.”“Wejusthavetofigureout

howmuch Annunaki assholeis part of their DNA,” Kaneoffered.“If theyareanythinglikeEnlil,they’llsnatchusupand drag us before them forhours of gloating andspeechifying before puttingusoutofourmisery.”

“If that,” Grant agreed.“Those bastards could talkLakeshtodeath.”Domi pursed her lips.

Edwards sat next toSmaragdaandleanedclosetoher ear. “Grant justdisrespected Domi’sboyfriend.”“He can talk and talk,”

Domi admitted to Smaragda.Domi still glared at Grant.“Benice.”

“We’re blowing off steamhere,”Kanesaid.“Rightnow,all we’ve got planned iswaiting for the bad guys toattackus.”Smaragda looked around.

“I wish that Vanth andCharun hadn’t been sothorough in depleting thefauna of the area. Ifsomething were coming,we’d be better able to noticeforthefrightenedanimals.”

Domirosetoherfeet,evenas Edwards rested a gentlehandonhershoulders.“Don’t worry. We’ve got

the satellites watching thewholearea,andwe’realreadyimmunized against theillusion of the black fog byBrigid’s hypnosis,” Edwardstoldher.“There’snowaywecan—”“Shutup,Edwards.”Domi

cuthimoff.

Kanestood,alsolookinginthe direction where Domiscanned.“You forgot about the

black fog, Baptiste?” Kaneasked.“I did not. I merely

discounted it as a form ofpsychic illusion, transmittedvia communicator,” Brigidreturned. “But, apparently Iwas mistaken in the truenature of the Stygian flood.

Whatareyousensing?”“The birds, which

shouldn’t be reacting, areflying back toward thepyramid,”Domisaid.Smaragdascrambledtoher

feet.“We’vebeenwonderingif they were being used asspies for those two. Whatif…?”Smaragda focused on her

memories.

***

…THERE WERE BIRDS on thebranches of the trees alongthe road, but they made nosound. They were still, nonervous tics that she’d seenother birds display as they,even in rest, continuedturning their heads, makingcertain nothingwas creepinguponthem.Thevisiblebirds,however, was not what had

trulydisturbedher.There were trees, heavy

and dense with foliage, butthe impunity of nests ofhidden birds was notaccompanied by the riot oftweetsandchirpsthatwarnedany intruder of howoutnumberedtheywouldbeifthey dared enter the thicket.Thecountrysidewassilent.Smaragda stepped off the

road, closing on one of the

closest trees. Her menwatched as she slung therifle, then drew the falcatablade. With a twist, sherapped the spine against alow-hanging branch where asongbirdperched.The creature turned its

attention toward her, blinkedwith eyes slow and gummy,but did not launch. Even theturn of its head was casual,unconcerned, not the flicker

movement of a normal bird.Smaragda gave the branchanother tapwith the spineofhersword.Thesongbirdtooka clumsy sideways stepfurtheralongthebranch,thenunfurleditswings.Just before she could tap

the branch a third time, thesongbird took off, wingsflapping powerfully, movingwith thenaturalstrengthandspeed of the creature, the

limbs beating with theurgencynecessarytokeepthetinythingaloft.Itwasn’tasifthesongbirdwasinsomesortof debilitating trance. It flewstraightandtrue.It just didn’t seem to care.

Thenormallyskittishcreaturewould have taken off onSmaragda’s approach, letalone stay in place for tworapsonitsperch…“Brigid, one bird flew

away before the fog firstappeared,”Smaragdastated.Brigid cast her eyes

upward, a typical action ofthose seeking to rememberexactdetails.Thisonlytookamoment as the swift-mindedwomanlookedaround.“Yournotice of the animals andtheir odd behavior triggeredthedefensemechanism.”“Rustling all around us,”

Domi said. “All the small

mammals I haven’t noticedareback.Withavengeance.”“No wonder individual

bullets didn’t do anything tothe cloud mass,” Sinclairsaid. “Birds and hordes ofrodents don’t react togunfire.”Smaragda grimaced. “Can

thesesuitswithstandtheteethandnailsofrats?”“Within reason,” Brigid

said.

The Greek warrior tuggedher hood on; the othersfollowingsuit.“Run or fight?” Sinclair

asked.“Lay down tear gas and

wait to see if they want todare it,” Kane returned.“Their instincts might makethemturnaway.”Grant and Edwards, both

armed with the less-lethalloaded shotguns, opened up,

firing into the forestsurrounding them. Ferretrounds burst on impact withtreetrunks,releasingtheeye-burning gases. Kane andSinclair rolled conventionaltear gas grens, adding to thewall of choking, blindingsmoke. Safe in their fullysealed environmental suits,theywouldbefine.Theonlydownsideoftheir

tear gas plan was that

eventually the clouds woulddissipate and the throngs ofsmall creatures would maketheirwaythrough.Even now, Smaragda

focused her suit’s optics andsaw the fluid, seethingswarm. It was an easilyidentifiable black cloudbehindthepepper-spraymist,blotting out the trees behind.Itwasalsoasolidentity.“This is not good,” Brigid

said. “Iwas afraid of this. IfVanth and Charun couldconstruct a cyclops orFomori-style entities, thenthey could alter the biomassavailableintheformofbirdsand small mammals into…that.”“Oops?”Sinclairasked.Brigid nodded. “A terrible

miscalculation andassumptiononmypart.”“We’re also locked off

from communication withCerberus,” Sinclair added.“Fortunately, if Vanth orCharun are releasing theirsongs, the filters are keepingitoutofourCommtacts.”Atendrilstretched through

the tear gas cloud, lashingtoward the Cerberus teams,and Smaragda opened firewith her rifle. The assaultweapon chattered, flamesbelching from the muzzle.

EdwardsandGrantwerealsocutting loose, punching theferretroundsintothelungingtentacle. The pseudopod ofinky darkness twisted, losingits stretching momentumforward, and the shotgunshellsshotouthotstreamsofgases from their tear-gasreservoirs.Allofthissenttherubbery limb into retreat,backbeyondthecloud.Bynow,everyonewasup,

armed,readytofightfortheirlives.“Climbing,” Domi

announced,pointingtowardatree trunk that was nowenveloped in the tarlikebiomass of the Stygianhorror. The blob surgedupward as if it was underpressure, and Smaragdacouldn’t imagine how such athing could exist without askeletal structure. She then

realizedthatitlikelydidhavemore than sufficient skeletonandmusclemass,consideringit had the bone structures ofmillionsofsmallcreatures.Kane fired on the branch,

hisSinEaterchoppingat thebough and snapping it offbefore the black abominationcould loom above the groupofadventurers.“Retreat! Sela!” Kane

shouted.

With that, Sela Sinclairwhirled with her Taser inhand. There were lengths ofthebonelessmassbehind thegroup, as they truly werefacing an amorphous entity.Sinclair fired her Taser, andthe tongs of theneuroelectrical weapon stuckin the inky skin of thecreature.Apullofthetriggerandahundredthousandvoltssuddenlyflowedintothebulk

ofthecreature.Black tendrils thrashed

violentlyandthetwoarmsofdarkness suddenly retreated,making an opening for theCerberus warriors to escapethrough. Smaragda pausedlong enough to turn and firethe gren launcher under herrifle’sbarrel into thebodyofthebeast.It was a flash-bang gren,

and while there was no

shrapnel put off by the 40mmshell,whatitdidproducewas a thunderousblast andablazingbrightlight.Thelightwouldn’t do anything to anorganism that apparently hadnovisual organs, but if therewas one thing Smaragdaknewaboutsound,itwasthatit was amplified in fluidbodies.The shock wave of the

flash-bang gren was deeply

muffled by the bulk of thecreature,butthekeeningwailthatunleashedfromtheentitymade up for it. Smaragdawhirled and followed theothers as they chargedthrough the forest. This wasall toofamiliar to thehorrorsthathadgonebefore,herwildcharge to escape themonstrosity the first timeshe’dencounteredit.She couldn’t help feeling

likea failurenow,butasshewatched the Cerberuswarriors pause and continueshooting at the bloblikeabomination, she realizedthey were leading this thingtoapositionwheretheycouldcounter it with strategy andintelligence.Feeling a spasm of hope,

Smaragda rushed forward,leaping over a flailingpseudopod and landing in

Edwards’sarms.“Come on, whitey, we’re

going to show this snot ballhow we treat monsters,” hetold her. His smile was justone more thing giving her ahope that they could rescueherbrothersinarms.

Chapter22

“Baptiste, what’ve you gotformulating in your head?”Kane asked as he ran,keepingpacewithBrigid.Thatdayoftherapyforher

ankle and the bindings hadworkedwonders,becauseshewas easily at the lead of the

pack.Herinjuredfootheldupto this frantic gait, and therewaslittledistractingherfromthetaskathand.“Sofar,wehaveconfirmed

that heat and sound havenegative stimulus on thecreature,”Brigidstated.“Something hot and loud.

Gunshaveboth—”“But thecreaturehadbeen

struckatnearmuzzle-contactrange with the lightmachine

guns mounted on a Spartanwar skeleton,” Brigidreturned. “If the dark thingcouldn’tbewardedoffbythetemperaturesgeneratedbyanM-240 firing on full-auto,then we need somethingmore.”“Dark thing?”Kaneasked.

“Sowhyare they reactingsobadly to the teargas rounds?Those shouldn’t be burningashotlyasmuzzle-blasts.”

“Then it has to besomething in the tear gasitself,” Brigid replied. Sheglanced back and saw theothers following. Sheimmediately began a mentalbreakdownof the ingredientsfor the gases used in thoserounds.Brigid immediately

corrected herself on thepresenceofthepepper-based,oleo-resin in those CS

canisters.Peppersprayand2-chlorobenzomalononitrilehadsimilar inflammatory effectson eyes and mucus tissues,but the cyanocarbon of teargaswasadifferentcompoundentirely. For one thing, OCspray was capsicum mixedwith ethanol, which dried itout into a waxy resin.Subsequently, that materialwas carried in a solutioncalled propelene glycol,

which could cause severeallergicreactionsbutwasnotdangerous. CS gas, however,was dissolved in methylisobutyl ketone, an organiccompound that may or maynot have been the activeingredient causingclastogenic mutation inmammaliancells.Studies were not

conclusive by 2001, whichwas when the world went to

hell. But Brigid Baptistefoundone focuspointon thepotentialdangersandtoxicityof CS gas. Clastogenicalterationwasachromosomalchange,geneticdamage.The creature behind them

was made up of avian andmammalian creatures, thesum total of thousands,perhapsmillions,ofmiceandother rodents, as well assongbirds. If one portion of

the aerosolized cyanocarboncould have a drastic adverseeffectonthemammalianpartof the alien entity, then therewas little doubt that itwas adirectinjectionoftheteargasvia ferret shells that hadcausedtheorganismpain.“Wethought itwaspained

by breathing the tear gas,”Brigid said, loud enough forall tohearas theymadetheirwaytoanopenfield.“Thatis

notthecase.”“Direct injection?”

Edwards asked. “Becausenothing short of punching aferret shell into the bastardseems to cause it to react…Myrto’s flash-bang tricknotwithstanding.”“Correct,” Brigid

responded.“WeneedtomakethisthingingesttheCS.Ithasa chromosomal effect onmammals,andthiscreatureis

at least thirty percentmammalian.”“And because the creature

itself is a manipulatedbiomass, anything that hurtsits DNA hurts the processmaking it a whole entity,”Sinclairagreed.“Simple. Shoot it,” Domi

concluded.“Load up,” Grant ordered.

He plucked his hand grenfrom his belt andwhipped it

full-force toward thesemifluid entity. “I’ll give itsomethingtochewon.”The small egg-shaped

bombspiraledthroughtheair,bouncingoff of thepudding-like skin of the blob. Itrebounded into the air abovethe amorphous atrocity, andon its way back down,erupted full-force. Severalouncesofhi-exandametalliccore created pressure and

heat, as well as a sheet ofhigh-velocity splinters. Cutand slashed violently, theamalgamatedmassshudderedand partially retreated to thetree line. There was a briefmoment of respite as thebattered blob seemed toobserve its prey, trying tofigure out an approach thatwouldnotcauseitinjury.Kane handed off one of

their remaining hand-thrown

tear gas canisters to Brigid.He’d dumped the load of hisshotgun onto the ground,leaving the neoprene batonslugs in the dirt whilereplenishing the magazinetube with more CS shells.The antibarricadeammunition might not havehad the volume in it that thecanister or a 40 mm grenheld, but so far, thoseshotgun-launched rounds had

managed to burn and deterthealiengestalt.Brigid suddenly watched

thethingcollapseuponitself,disappearing as if its bodilycohesionburstapart.“Watch your feet!” Brigid

warned.“It’sgonenearlytwodimensional and isconformingtotheground!”Thegrassesoftheclearing

began tomoveas ifbesetbyphantom breezes. Though

Brigid couldn’t feel themoving air on her skin, herfaceplate registered that therewas no wind in the vicinity.Whatever caused the knee-length grass to rustle wasmovement caused frombelow.“We need to make it pull

into a more cohesive form,”shesaid.“Right.It’snotbigenough

or thick enough to keep a

shell insideit,”Grantagreed.“Edwards?”The burly CAT Beta

warrior aimed his less-lethalshotgun at the ground, butrather than triggering the 12-gauge, he cut loose with theunder-barrel Taser. The twindarts zipped out and into themovinggrassblades.AssoonasEdwardssawthatthewiresconnected to the barbs weremoving along, he triggered

thebattery.Suddenly a tarlike mound

bubbledupoverthetopofthegrass,theamorphouscreatureunleashingitswailinaspine-scraping warble of a milliondifferenttinyvoices.TendrilswhippedouttowardEdwards,thick, cloying strandswindingaroundhisarmsandshotgun.Therewas a brief pulse of

panic for Brigid as she saw

those slack pseudopodstighten around his arms, butthen Smaragda drew hersword and lashed at thesnarlingtentacles.Herfalcatapiercedthetarryblacknessofthe amorphous anomaly. Atthe same moment SinclairgaveEdwardsazapwithherTaser,theshadowsuitatonceinsulating her teammateagainst the voltage sent fromher shock weapon and

conducting the electricalenergyintotheremnantfleshthatclungtohim.As the charge rolled

through, tiny sparrowsfluttered away on the wing,while rodents toppled to thedirt. Elements that had beenhalved by Smaragda’s swordstroke fell in wet, bloodysplatters.Too bad there were no

weapons that could direct

electricity on a larger scale,Brigid thought, but shemaintainedherconcentration.Where one “bubble” of theabominationfaded, twomorerose,andGrantpumpedateargas shell into one of them.Domi’sknifewasout,andtheferal girl slashed andflickered, interceptingpseudopods and tendrils,Kanemirroringheractionsontheotherside.Bladesandtear

gas cartridges were keepingthis horror at bay, but theywere battling a creaturewhosebiomasswasmeasuredin tons, and the shockedelements being broken offmeasured in ounces perorganism.ThatmeantaloadofCSor

ketone was going to have tobedisgorgedintotheheartofthebeastandthatrequiredanalmost suicidal tactic. Then

again, as Brigid recalled, thesoldiers taken by thisplasmoid terror were stillalive.“Kane. Gas canister,”

Brigidordered.“Anyoneelsewith a hand-thrown unit. Tome!”Kane lobbed his tear gas

grentoher.Brigid quickly drew a

length of cord from a beltpouch,slippingitthroughthe

ring pins of the two grens.She was pleasantly surprisedthat Edwards had broughtenough for the whole class.Sevenoftheshellslayontheground in front of her as shequicklystrung thecotterpinstobetuggedoutallatonce.At the same time, ferret

rounds, bullets and bladesslashed violently, battingaway or burning into thewrithing, surging Stygian

force that threatened tooverwhelm the Cerberusexplorers.Already, through her

peripheral vision, Brigidcould make out the slowingof her allies, their armsgrowingtired,nottomentionthat their supply of shotgun-basedgasroundswasrunningout, and no one wasinterested in burning off thelast of their more ineffectual

rounds. Regular bullets weremerepinprickstotherubberyfleshofthisfiend.“All right, let it grabme!”

Brigidshouted.“No,” Smaragda called. “I

owethisthing!”Brigid looked toward the

woman. She admitted toherself that she didn’t relishthe concept of beingswallowed whole andsmothered by the spawn of

CharunandVanth,butsofar,she was of the opinion thatshe couldn’t allow anyoneelse to go through thisdangerouscourseofaction.Itwas her “harebrainedscheme.” She couldn’t letanyoneelseriskabsorption.But Smaragda, behind the

transparent faceplate of hershadowsuithood,wasdeadlyserious as she extended herhand to catch the cluster of

tear gas grens that she’d justmade.If there was one thing

Brigid Baptiste was certainof, it was that the NewOlympian soldier had morethan sufficient motivation todeliver a load ofchromosome-damagingchemicalsintotheheartofthecreature that had frightenedevery lick of color from herhair,ontopofkidnappingher

closest friends and allies intheworld.Brigidlobbedthecircletof

tear gas grens to the Greekwoman, who put them intoher breadbasket rather thanclutch at the cord connectingthem. Smaragda’s wits wereabout her, and simplysnatching one out of the airwould have wasted that grencanister as she removed itssafetypin.

Smaragda gave her falcataa whirl, handing it off toEdwardshandle-first.“Coverme,”shesaid.The biggest member of

CATBetanoddedgrimly,hisfistclosingaroundthehaftofthesword.“Allthewaytothegatesofhell.”With that solemn

pronouncement, the twopeople turned toward thebloblike horror. The five

other Cerberus warriorsstopped shooting andretreated, pulling back to lettheir friends become the baitforanabomination.

***

TO EDWARDS, THE LOGICwas simple. The Cerberusteams might have beenwilling to sacrifice an ally tothe formless alien

monstrosity,at leastas farasthe callous Etruscan deitieswould have assumed. TheAnnunaki contemporarieswere masters of crueldisregard. Edwards couldeven imagine Enlil assumingthat CAT Beta themselveswere nothing more thandisposable cannon fodder tobuyKaneandtheotherstimeto succeed, so Vanth andCharuncouldn’tbethatmuch

different.And as soon as Edwards

threw in with Smaragda,standing fast to shield herwith three feet of hooked,battle-sharpened sword inhishand, the bloblikeabomination realized thatthere was something up,somethingthatcouldthreatenit.Ormaybeitwasoneofthedemigodsbackatthepyramidwho was doing the thinking

for the tarry tons of biomassbeing wielded as a giganticweapon.Afterall,noamountofthetinybrainsofmiceandbirds could assemble into asinglecohesiveconsciousnesswilling to endanger itself inbattlewithhumans.Edwardshadyet toentera

field where birds werepresent and the flock didn’tchoose to turn and run, atleast without the presence of

eggsorchickstodefend.No,theabominableamalgamwasbeingcontrolledbytelepathicpuppet strings. Powerfulwings wrapped aroundSmaragda and Edwards,fingers reaching out to eachother to intertwine andcompletely encircle the pairofwarriors.Yes,thiscreaturewas doing things no normalmammal or avian would do.It was more amoeba than

even the most coherentswarm.“This had better work,”

Edwardssaid.Smaragda remained

impassive as shewound tapearound the hulls of the teargas grens. Now it was nolonger seven loose canisters,butasolidwhole.Onetugofthesafetypinsandthespoonsholding the nozzles shutwouldrelease.Teargasgrens

didn’t explode; they vomitedout their payloads. And allEdwards had to do was tomakeaproperopening.The creature swelled, and

suddenly all of that puddingskin parted, showing offgrisly pink inner tissues, rawnerve endings stretching outtoweboverthetwohumans.Edwards realized that he

wouldn’t have to split openthe outside of the creature to

gettheteargasinside.Tarry black lips of flesh

elongated, blotting out theskyoverthepairasSmaragdaclutched her weapon as if itwereaprize.Edwards swunghis sword,

the keen edge severingthreadsofneuronsandaxonsas if they were gossamer,continuing to put up thecharade that he didn’t wantSmaragda and himself

swallowedbytheirenemy.Eveninsidethefullysealed

shadow suit, Edwardsrealized there was very littlethat could be done to resistthehorriblecreature thatwasbringing down its rubberybulk. He lashed out, thefalcata cutting deep into apink semblance of muscle,butmorewormliketendrilsofpink, white and red fleshsnapped out and seized his

sword arm. Now, panicrushed through the CATwarrior.Therewasnoneedtoact, as the strength of theStygian entity was beyondanything he could hope tomatch. His boots left thegroundandhekickedwildly.Therewasnoleverage,sohewas a plaything in the graspofagiant thatdidn’t respondtopunchesorbullets.Suddenly an arm wound

around his waist. This onehad weight to it, but it wasnothing like the graspingpower slurping him up intothetissuesofthealienshape-shifter. He couldn’t see forthemass pressing against hisfaceplate,turninghisuniverseintoawindowof tumorsandthrobbingpolyps.He didn’t need to see

Smaragda, however, to knowthatitwasher.WithEdwards

in the midst of beingswallowed, she’d leaped upand joined with him. Therewas suction tugging theskintight polymers fromEdwards,tryingtodrawawaythe shadow suit to create adirect contact with his skin.He remembered Brigid andSmaragda’s description ofhowthethinghadswallowedan entire platoon of NewOlympian troops, and knew

thattheslightesttouchtobarefleshwouldproveparalyzing.That suction had to come

fromsomewhere,though,andas soon as the turgid,inflamed flesh was aroundSmaragda, the wholethrobbing mass suddenlybegan tossing Edwards as ifheweretrappedinoneofthelaundrymachinesbackat theredoubt. Hurled and twistedaround,hecouldnowseethat

Smaragda was inside thiscavity with him, as was thetear gas unit. Seven jets ofwhite, eye-burning chemicalblew outward, and therippling pink flesh aroundthem started breaking down,twisting apart as rabbits andsquirrels started filling thischamberofmutatedmeat.The falcata fell between

thesquirmingvolesandfieldmice, and Edwards reached

forit.Hisfirstinstinctwastobegin chopping his way out,but to do that would be togive the tear gas ameans ofescape into the atmosphererather than into its bulk. Thebirds provided enough of askinandcohesionthatitkeptthespreading,chokingcloudsthrough its system.Whatevertechnology altered thecellularstructuresofthelocalfauna into thisentity, at least

for the mammals, was beingcounteractedbythechemicalsthat seemed to directlydamage the chromosomes ofa good portion of its totalbulk. With coughing andwheezing tiny creaturestwisting and clawing,gnawing for their means ofescape, the tarry black formwas being assailed fromwithin in a second wave oftorment.

Smaragda scrambled toEdwards’s side, holding outherhandforhim.Hegraspedhers and looked at thedisintegrating walls aroundthem. Chemicals and alienpowers were waging wararound them, as Edwardsnoticedsomeofthesecrittersbeing slurped back into thebiomass, but even with eachmouse swallowed, a half-dozensquirrelswerereleased

from the bulky mass. Teargas blinded and agonizedanimals chewed, and jets ofblood erupted, smearing thewholemess.“How much longer?”

Smaragda asked, battingaway at enraged or simplyconfused creatures boundingtoescapetheseethingclouds.Arcs of cracked blue

rippled along the skin.Weakenedanddisorientedby

thebadmealithadeaten,thetarry abomination was nowvictim to hundreds ofthousands of volts ofelectricity from Tasers andstun guns Edwards had beenhauling all of this time. Astheshocksrippedthroughthecreature, the sky appearedabove them, sky that wasfilled with fleeing songbirds,crowsandhawks,allburstingto freedom from the

nightmare of oneness theyhadsufferedunder theforcesoftheEtruscandemigods.Sinclair and Domi rushed

to their allies asKane,Grantand Brigid continuedpumping Taser shocks intotheremainingpieces.Butthistime,however,theblackened,rubbery entity wasdisintegrating without theinducement of electricalcharges.

Vanth and Charun hadreleased their tiniest ofpawns,andnowtheCerberusteams were together in avacated field. The formersegments of the biomass hadseparated, and except for afew scores of dead creatures,all of them were running orflying all out to escape thearea.“Did we kill the big bad

beast?” Edwards asked,

slowly getting to his feet asSela andDomi had an easiertime lifting the smallerSmaragda than they evercouldhoistinghimup.“We dispersed its biomass

sufficiently that Charun nolonger maintained itsstructural integrity,” Brigidsaid.“Smallerwords?”Edwards

asked. The tug-of-war andrumblings in the belly of the

abomination had left himwith little patience fortechnicaljargon.“The mice and birdies are

alive. The crap keeping ittogether is gone,” Brigidclarified.Edwards smiled. “That, I

understood.”Kane and Grant gave the

big man claps on his broadshoulders.“Feelingbetter?”“Betterhow?”

“Not beating yourself upover falling once?” Kaneaddedtohisquestion.“Are you going to hit me

with that stale old shit about‘fall down once, stand uptwice’?”Edwardscountered.Kanewrinkledhisnose.“If

you’re going to put it thatway…”“I’m yanking you, man,”

Edwards said, disarming anytensionwithachuckle.

“One threat down,”Brigidpronounced. “But we’ve stillgot two demigods and theirStygianminions.”Edwards felt his shoulders

slump. “I wish I hadn’tunderstoodthat.”The thunderous footsteps

in the distance warned theCerberus adventurers of thegravityoftheirposition.This thing was far from

finished.

Chapter23

Charun sliced through theskies, headed for where theyhad lost contact with theirprotean emissary onlymoments ago. His wingharness propelled him alongas if he were a bullet, anysense of wind resistance

deletedbytheverybubbleofantigravity that pushed himalong.Thefielddeflectedtheairinfrontofhim,partofthemechanism that allowed himto smash through Grant’sMantadaysbefore.Therewasatouchofregret

on the part of Charun as hesailed toward the battlefield,his hammer clutched in hismighty hands. Grant and theothers, they had been so

easily mentally disarmed,given to feel a sense ofcamaraderie with the twogodlings,buyingintoataleofneedandmistakenidentityortranslation of thoughts. Hecould have had them as partofhisworld, if it all hadnotbeen for thedamnedwoman,BrigidBaptiste.Grant showed his worth,

thewayinwhichhewasabletohandlethemightyhammer,

learning the true symbioticnature of the intelligentmetals that made up theweapon. Where Kane hadstruggled with the artifact,Grant knew that a Zenapproach, abondingwith thehammer, was the means bywhichonetookcontrolofthedeadly piece of alienweaponry and focused itspowerwithdeadlyefficiency.The body that Charun

currently was burdened withwas starting to lose itscohesion, while Grant’swouldgivethedemigodyearsmore tosurvive in thisworldwhilethemillionbrainsatthebottom of the pyramidengaged in forcing open theaperture between universes,the route to home and to hisbelovedminions.Back home was the true

form that could contain the

power of Charun’s soul. Thepoor fool who had beenpresent when his seed wasplanted. Not the beautiful,darkwomanNathalie,theonewho actually sowed him, butrather the local guide, anItalian farmer well on in hisyears, who’d told her of thehiddenpyramid.Charun recalled having

been tempted to make thewoman his bride, to implant

her with the geneticinformationtocreateabrand-newVanth,buthishandwasstopped by a subconsciouscommand, a force frombeyond him. The nameHurbon was associated withthe hesitation, one that toldCharun there were moreimportant things forNathalieto do than serve as atemporaryshell.Instead, simmering inside

the skin of the now-erasedfarmer, Charun had returnedtotheman’shomeandfoundthelocal’swife.Shehadbeenas withered as Charun’s“human suit,” sixty yearsmaking her skin hang inwrinkled drapes on herskeleton. All it took was akiss, a penetration of energy,and the seed that had beenonebecametwo.TherestofthesonsofStyx

who inhabited the pyramidwerecomposedofachicken-coop full of birds. Thegenetic data, and the feast oftheStygiansuponeveryotherlivingcreatureinthebarnsofthe farm, turned the smallpoultry into the reedy butpowerfullybuiltwarriorswhocould be grown even largerandmorepowerful.Once Charun had brought

his family back together,

there was only the task ofamassingthosenecessary.At first it was a town or

two disappearing. Over thepast several months thedisappearances becameepidemic;convoysvanishing,even expeditions from thecoastarrivingtowonderwhythe center of the peninsulabecame a black hole fromwhere thousands were neverseen again. Several hundred

thousand human brains, andeven all of the largermammals that Charun hadn’tcrafted into themeat suit fortheir recently fallen cyclops,orthesmallcreaturesmoldedinto the Abyssal blob, werenowgathered in the city-sizeprisonbeneaththepyramid.“This is disrupting us,

love.”Vanthspokeacrossthemileswithhermindtouchinghis.“Weweresoclosetothe

finalequationandnow…”“Continue your focus, my

bride,” Charun admonished.“The humans will surrenderortheyshallbecrushed.”“Crushed,”Vanthrepeated.Charun knew that tone of

mind, her disdain stinginghimlikeanopen-handedslap.“Bride,mindthywords.”“They have cast down

others of our ilk before,”Vanth warned. “Just because

you have girded your loinsandbroughtyourself to thematthepeakofyourarmorandweaponrydoesnotmeanthatyouwillfarebetter.”“Already, you think that I

havenot learnedmy lesson,”Charun growled as hehovered above the clearingwhere he andVanth had lastfelt the presence of theAbyssal. He scanned around,his armor augmenting his

already formidable senses,andyet foundnothingon theground. It wasmereminutesafter the savage battle andthere was no sign of humanlife.He alit, his draconian

wings folding back againsthis shoulder blades. Therewere signs and elements ofthe battle, shell casings andthe bisected corpses ofsparrows and voles. He bent

and lifted one halvedcreature.He cursed the luck that

they had come equipped todeal harmlessly with groupsof mind-controlled people,and the very gases theyintended to slow and dispelthrongs of thralls had alsoproved to counteract theatomic matrices that turnedmillionsoftinycreaturesintoan unstoppable whole. He

crushed the half squirrel, itsdelicate bones snapping andits meat liquefying in hispowerfulgrasp.Hewipedhispalm against the ground andstoodtall,lookingaround.During his flyover and

hover, his augmented visionhadsweptforamileineverydirection,andthoughthemenand women of Cerberus hadbeenlaudedfortheirphysicalprowess, there was no way

theycouldhaverunasfarandasfastasthis.Thatmeant that they were

present but had renderedthemselves all but invisibleand undetectable thanks tothe optic camouflagetechnologies of their shadowsuits.Withoutheatsignaturesand sealed airtight…theymight as well have beenphantoms.Kaneandhisallieswanted

to dictate the terms of theirnext encounter, which wassomething Charun could notallow.The battle he’d forced

Grant and Kane into hadspilled back onto him and,withouthisarmor,withouthisweapons, the frail fleshcontaining the power of hisbirthright was easily felled.WithabodysuchasGrant’s,he’d be unstoppable and

closer to his original heightandbuild.Of course, Vanth had

promised that with theincredible intellect of BrigidBaptiste,hewouldn’thavetoworry about shadows, meresubstitutebodies.Theirhomeworld was almost open, andCharun’s hordeswould bringhis slumbering form across,unitinghimwiththefleshthathewasmeantfor.

“Humans! I grow tired ofyour games! Bring me thewomanBaptiste,andweshallbe gone from your livesevermore!”Charun glanced around.

“Notaker?”Charundrovethehandleof

his hammer into the soil andthen stepped away from it.“Whatdoyouwant?”“You wish a fair battle?”

hecalledashepeeledoffthe

headpieceofhisarmor.“You,sevenagainstone?”Hebeganpullingoutofthe

near-fabric-like top of hissmart-metal body armor.“You wish to prove yourselfagainstagod?”Nothing. No one moved.

Hewas alone and apparentlyaddressing a field full ofmouse and bird corpses,stripping himself down. Hishead still hurt from catching

the hundreds of pounds offorce Kane had developedwhenhewashurledviolentlyby Grant. That impact, andthebackofhisheadcrashingagainstasolidstonewall,hadrendered Charun insensateandhelpless.Allhecoulddowas watch as Kane, Grantand Brigid had fled thearsenal to rush to the rescueof their allies trapped in thestoragechamber.

“We had all seven of youunder our roof. We couldhave snuffed you out! Butthatisnotourway.Thatwasnot our need!” Charunbellowed.Within moments figures

were at the tree line, butCharun knew that it wasmerely the automatons fromhis own arsenal. They stoodthere, scanning around,utilizing camera mounts of

their own to sweep for signsofthehumans.Charun initiated a

telepathic contact with hisStygian pilots. Have youmadeanycontact?Negative, sire. We saw

none. We heard none. Nonestruckatus.“This is maddening!”

Charunfrowned.“Where could you stupid

little humans have gone?”

Charun asked, hoping hismockery would inspire themintostupidity.He spent fifteen minutes,

walking around, finding onlyemptytear-gasgrenhullsandother spentcasings,but therewere no footprints, no spoorand no infrared imagery.There wasn’t even an activeCommtact that he could usehisownsmart-metalarmortohome in on as he pulled it

backoverhischestandarms.Husband…return home.

Leave the humans towanderaround,confusedandlost.Vanth had a compelling

point,andaccordingtoher,itwould be only days, notmonths, until the resurgenceof their portal. To crawl intoVanth’s supple, loving armsandtotasteeventhewitheredshadow of her true flesh,would be the sweetest of

release, a recharge for hisnext encounter with the menandwomenofCerberus.His leathery wings

unfurled, stretched to almosttranslucent tautness. Theyappeared as living flesh, butthey were more akin to thepolymers that made up thesuitsofhishumanopponents,including theability toeithercarry or insulate against theelectric charges necessary to

produce a gravity-defyingionicfield.Charun extended his hand

and the war hammer rosefrom the ground,cartwheelingtohisgrasp.Withbutathought,hewas

airborne, spearing into thedimmingsky.His Stygian warriors,

manning the Gear Skeletons,would continue their huntthrough the night. Nothing

could interrupt theirtelepathic contact with him,and with Brigid Baptiste’sinterphaser under theircontrol in the pyramid, theCerberus explorers weretrappedandisolated.Let the humans stew—let

them fret and worry. Theirending would come, as hadthose ofmillions beforewhostoodinthepathofCharun.

***

KANE SCANNED HIS backtrail, thegrowingshadowsofevening being taken intoaccount and adapted by hisoptic camouflage on hisshadow suit. The arrival ofCharun himself had beensomething of a surprise,especially as he hadn’texpected the demigod to behands-on in his hunt for the

humans. The trio of Stygian“snot-pilots” in the GearSkeletons seemed perfectlycapable of crushing them ontheir own, especially sincethey didn’t have the kind offighting power that Charunhad inadvertently bestoweduponGrantwithhishammer.Moving with every bit ofstealth and grace he had, hewasaphantom.He saw Domi motion,

letting him know of herarrival at their rendezvous.They’d only traveled fourhundred yards in the time ittook for Charun and hisbounding automatons toarrive, but it was still roomenough for the sevenmembersoftheexpeditiontodisappear into nooks andcrannies of the ground, thefoliage and the roots of theforest.Kanewasn’tabig fan

of hiding, but in the face ofopposition that could crush ahuman skull with the samefacility that a man couldcrush a grape, discretionwasthebetterpartofvalor.Right now he and the rest

of the team were homing inon him, following the soundof clicks he made with histongue. It was one thing tousesomethinghigh-tech, likeaninfraredemitterthatwould

showup on the optics of therobots, but the noises hemade were in imitation ofinsect chirps. Unlike Domi,the others were visible tohim, but only because heknewexactlywhattolookforin terms of signs of motionamong his camouflagedfriends.Finallythesmallpartywas

reassembled,andallhundredsof yards from the towering

automatons skulking throughtheforestfortheirtrails.“I can’t wait to pick up a

rocketlauncheranddealwiththoseblobs,”Grantgrumbled.“Me, either,” Edwards

agreed. “But how is thatgoing to happen with thethree of those things lookingforus?”“Brigid, just what was in

that interphaser housing thatyoubrought?”Kaneasked.

The archivist smiled. “Oh,that little thing? I wasconsidering different optionswhenIhaditbroughtin.Thefirstthoughtwasafail-safe…a compact but powerfulexplosivedevice.”“That’s what I thought

when I handled it,” Kanesaid.“Butitwasstilltoolightto be even a suitcase-sizenuclear warhead, and there’sno way that anything else

could have been packed inthere with enough power todissuade Charun and Vanth.If I didn’t know any better,I’d have thought that you’dbrought a regular interphaserinwiththehousing.”Brigidfrowned.“Andwhat

would the purpose of thatbe?”Kane smirked. “You

brought in a working, full-powered interphaser so that

thecavalrycouldbecalledin.At the same time, the extramass has something to dowith a jammer. A frequencyjammer to do to Charun andVanth what they’ve done toourCommtacts.”“I triggered thecountdown

for the broadcast of thatfrequency the moment Ifound you two,” Brigidanswered. “In five moreminutes,thesongofVanthis

going to disappear from theairwavesandamillionpeoplearegoingtoawaken.”“That could get messy,”

Grantsaid.“It could, if there weren’t

three Spartans ready toprotect them from theStygians, and Charun’sarmored minions werealready occupied with us,”Brigidsaid.“That sounds like a great

plan,” Smaragda offered, butthere was doubt drippingfrom that statement. “But thepilots of those armors areinside the cells hundreds offeet below the arsenal, ifthat’s where they put yourinterphaser.”“Thatisexactlywherethey

would have put theinterphaser,” Brigidcorrected.“Theythinkittobeadangerousweapon, and the

arsenal has been constructedso as to minimize potentialdamage to the rest of thepyramidintheinstanceofanexplosion.”“Butnot in the instanceof

three Olympians beingbrought in throughaparallaxpoint,” Smaragda concluded.“So…”“Blowing up the very

humans we’re coming torescue is highly

counterproductiveandagainstourethics,”Brigidadded.Kane nodded. “I was

wondering what would eventheodds.Buthowaboutus?”“Activate your Commtacts

now,” Brigid said. “Weshould be in communicationwithourride.”“Our ride?” Edwards

asked. “The only ship wehave access to is a MantabackinGreece…”

“Left with theincomparable mechanicFast,”Brigidadded.Thecrackofasonicboom

as the aforementioned shipentered the atmospherepunctuated Baptiste’sstatement.“Mantascancarryone,two

people at the most,” SelaSinclairnoted.“Inside its sealed cockpit?

Yes, it’s at best a crowded

two-seater,” Kane said. “Butwe’re in full-bodyenvironmental suits. Suitsthatallowitswearerstowalkon the surface of the moonwith only an oxygenattachment.”Domi looked down, then

smiled. “We can hang fromtheoutside,onharnesses.”Edwards chuckled. “You

arealmostdiabolical,Brigid.”“Almost?” Brigid asked,

raising an eyebrow. “Whichof you guys want to fly it?It’s being brought in viaremotecontrol.”Kane and Edwards both

pointedtoGrantimmediately.“He’s the best pilot we

have,”Kaneadded.“Good,” Grant said. “The

weaponssystems?”“Hephaestus was told not

to alter them,” Brigidanswered. She tapped her

forearm. “You’ll have theremote piloting controls onyour shadow suit forearmdisplay.”Grant looked down. “This

looksawfullyfamiliar…”“Naturally.Weneededyou

to be familiar with theoperation of the Manta,”Brigidexplained.Grantnodded.“Hangon…

I’m going to give us a fewmore minutes before the

armorsharassus.”Brigid nodded. “That was

anticipated.”

***

AS SOON AS Grant wasplugged in to the Manta’sremote-control network,suddenly he was surroundedinhishoodbyallthedisplaysandcontrollayoutsnecessary.As he moved his hands, he

realizedthathewasinsideofa virtual cockpit, and heimmediately took control ofthe joystick and the throttle.Even the newly mountedweaponsystemswerepartofthe computer-generatedcommand module on theManta. Suddenly, theCerberus pilot was wherehe’dbeenhoursago.AndtheMantaswitchedto

hover mode, guns deploying

asheflickedcontrols.Attheedgeof theclearing

the three robots of Charunand Vanth stood, looking upat the newcomer andinfiltrator. They each hadsomeformofheavymachinegun in theirhands,carriedasif they were gigantic rifles.Before they could doanything, though, Grantactivated the Browningmachine guns on his Manta,

spraying the lead shipwith awave of half-inch-wide,armor-piercing slugs. Whilethebulletsdidn’tpenetrateordamage the secondaryorichalcum frame, the steelplates that protected thecockpitofGrant’s first targetsuddenlybecameasieve.Hot lead burned into the

pilot of the alien-controlledrobot and its semifluid bodystructure did not make it

immunetoimpactscapableofliquefying armor plate. Thecontrol couch beneath theamorphous pilot was alsochewed awry, the internalsystemsof theStygianarmorbursting apart in a wave ofdestruction.Gutted by heavy-caliber

fire, the robot toppledbackward.Theothers reactedtothesuddenrainoffireanddoom, scrambling to evade

thehoveringManta.Grant didn’t intend to let

his element of surprise getawayfromhimforamoment,however. He hit the throttleand tore off, swooping lowenough above the GearSkeletons that they werebowled over by the Manta’sthrusters.Sent out of control by the

suddenrush,Grantswunghisship upward, armed the

unaimedartillery rocketpodsontheship,thenloopedbacktoward the ground. Missiles—77 mm—ripped from thepods, and struck eitherdirectlyor incloseproximityto Charun’s robot minions.Hi-exes erupted with suchviolence,Grantcouldfeelthetremors through the soles ofhis boots. He couldn’t seewhat was happening to thetwin robots he’d hammered

with artillery rockets as heswooped the Manta up andaway to keep the ship fromcrashing.At least not right away.

Withinamomenthewasableto get a rear camera view ofthe ground, and the dust-penetrating infrared lensessaw that while the nearlyinvulnerable frames of therobots were still extant,everythingelse thathadbeen

boltedonorwassittinginthecockpit had been forciblyremoved by the pressuresreleasedondetonation.Grant swung the Manta

back toward the section ofwood they were placed in.Along theway, he swept theskies in the direction ofCharun’s pyramid. Thewinged demigod was overthere, but he was tornbetween the suddenmayhem

under his roof and theviolenceoccurringagainsthissoldiers.Grant brought the ship

down and landed it in aclearingjustlargeenoughfortheManta.Securitystrapsranall along the topof the sleekship,aswellasnewcowlingsthat could shield the ridersoutsidefromhighwinds.“I was wondering why it

looked and maneuvered a

little different,”Grantmusedas he climbed up to thecockpit.“Spaceforsix.”“And the pilot,” Brigid

said. “There are alsoreplacements for the less-lethal ammunition in thecompartmentwithyou.”Grant reached in, pulling

out twowar bags.He took apeekin.“Realshotgunand40mm shells. Not the less-lethal.”

“I said replacements, did Inot?”Brigidasked.Grant grinned. “What

happened to getting tiredaboutustalkingaboutenoughfirepower?”Brigid strapped herself

onto the hull. “That goes outthe window when you go inmy brain and make me apuppet.YoucanhandmemyCopperhead and grenlauncher when we get to the

pyramid.”Grant closed the cockpit,

advancing through the pre-liftoff checklist with a broadsmile.This time, the gods were

goingtobetheonestofeelafewthunderbolts.

Chapter24

The wave of disorientationpassedforDianaPantopoulosand she was suddenly in awhole new area wherein oldhumanweapons and artifactswereondisplay.Betweenherand two of her personalsquadron mates was the

interphaserthatreleasedtheminto the pyramid of CharunandVanth.In thebaseof thedevice was a powerfultransmitter that, by allaccounts,shouldbedrowningoutthestrangesignalthathadseized and controlled thehundreds of thousands ofpeople on the Etruscanpeninsula.The three of them arrived

withoutwheelchairs, but that

was really a matter ofconvenience when they werearound people who weretaller than they were. Dianamovedalongonallfours,herstrongarmsandthestumpsofheramputatedlegsgivingherasmuchmobilityasayoung,swift monkey. Sure enough,Diana was glad to see theSpartan units up against thewall, their Sandcat armorplate chests open. So secure

were the demigods that theyhadn’tleftguards.Why would they? They

assumed that their seizure ofthis pyramid had cut it offfrom outside interference.Brigid Baptiste and thescience team at CerberusRedoubthadbeendoingalotof number crunching, mind-bending dimensional physicsthat allowed them to piercethebubbleofpowersevering

the parallax point from therestoftheplanet.“This is going to suck if

theyemptiedthegunsandtherest of the gear,” one ofDiana’s squadron matespointedout.“We’ll still have the

Skeletons’ limbs,” Dianasaid.Shesnatchedahandholdonthecalfofoneofthesuits,and her well-muscled armslifted her up. Climbing was

easy, thanks to the fact thateach of the amputee pilotspresent was a victim oflower-body trauma ratherthanupper-bodystress.Everyamputeewasgivenhoursandhours of rehabilitationtraining to render them ableto move around, wheels ornot.Dianaandhertwopartners,

however,hadbeenchosenforthefactthattheyhad,pound-

for-pound, the best upper-body strength and agility ofany of the New Olympianpilots.All that time in the gym

with the weight machinesmadeDianafeelahellofalotbetter, especially as now shewas back on the front lineswithher fellowwarriors.SheswungherselfintothecockpitoftheSpartanwithgraceandease. The interface was still

intactandsheplugged it intohercybernodule.Once connected to the

mobile armor suit, she wasimmediatelybackinbusiness.The hands of the suit closedher cockpit for her as shechecked all the displays.“ChargedEnergyModules atfull strength, guns areloaded.”“Same here,” called her

allies. Even through the

closed shells of their controlnodes,theyheardthecriesofalarm.Artem15 took her first

stepsina longtime,crossingthe arsenal and stooping toseeagroupof slender,pallidcreatures racing down thehall.Eachofthemborearifleandopenedfireonherassheappeared in the doorway.Bullets pinged impotentlyagainst the armored skin of

her suit, and for a momentArtem15 thought that thesepoor,deludedbeingscouldbespared.Thensherealizedthatthese aliens had taken morethan twenty of her soldierscaptive but also hadthousands more under mindcontrol, and they wererushing to the armory in aneffort to prevent any rescueattempt.The shoulder-mounted

machinegunsswiveledtolifeat her mental command, andsherestedon theknucklesofher massive hands, allowingthe weapons plenty of roomtofireonthealiens.Thetwinlight weapons followed thefocusofhervision,atleastinrelation to theviewscreen infront of her face, and in thenext moment both of themerupted, spitting thunder andfire.

The two Stygians at thefront of the formation werestill cutting loose with theirrifles when slashing streamsof 7.62 mm bullets rippedthem in two. One of theM-240shadarateoffireof950rounds perminute.With twoguns cutting loosesimultaneously, the wall ofdeath hacking into the pallidalienswasanobscenedisplayof force. It took only a few

seconds to turn half a dozenarmed troopers to sixmangled, shredded corpseslying in pools of gore andburst tissue. The slaincreatures were ignored fornow as Artem15 and herallies headed out into thecorridor.The interphaser housing’s

jammer had made it so thatBrigid and the rest of theCAT teams could inform

Diana of the setup for thepyramid, one that nowappeared on a data monitorjust off her shoulder. If therewas something that gave theNew Olympian a sense ofhope, it was that they wereunder the direction andguidance of one of the mostthorough and intelligentwomen in theworld.Havingused the passive GPSinformationfromCATBeta’s

suits and their exploration ofthe lower levels of thepyramid, Artem15 and herSpartan guard were fullyaware of the path to thecaptivesoftheEtruscangods.Artem15 led the way, her

escorts pausing only to rip adooroffofitshingesandjamit into the rock as a barrieragainst pursuit. The quartersfor the fifteen-footautomatonsweretightenough

that they had to move downcorridors in single file, butthelastthingtheyneededwasfor Charun and Vanth toshow up and easily maketheir way in pursuit of themobilesuits.“Fiddy, set up a barricade

here,” Artem15 ordered.“Weapons free. Especiallytheexplosivespears.”“Yeah. I remember the

briefing aboutVanth and her

explosive arrows,” Spartan50, nicknamed Fiddy,answered. He accepted thesheathsforgren-tippedspearsfromSpartan46andherown.“On me, Four-Six,”

Artem15 added. “We’regoing to look for a way outfortheprisoners.”With that, the three robots

became two. Artem15 hatedleavingoneofherowninthelineoffire,butthereweretoo

many people in need of helpandtherehadtobesomethingthat could hold the Etruscandeitiesatbay.This being a Spartan

expeditionary suit, and notthe true Artem15, she didn’thave her heat spear, a “herosuit”weapon.Insteadthewarspears were simply old RPGshells on sticks, thrownwithmore than sufficient roboticstrength to burst the impact

fuse on the warheads.Artem15’s arsenal was boththe standard explosive shellsand a superheated spearheadon a conducting staff thatcouldcarvesteelandstoneletaloneflesh.Thatwouldhavebeennice

to have, but she’d makemayhem with what she had.The shoulder guns alone andthe powerful, wall-smashingfists of the Gear Skeleton

wouldhavetosuffice.And then, Artem15 and

Spartan 46 were on thebalcony overlooking theprison of the pit. The depthand breadth of the chamberwas nothing short of epic,easily eclipsing every otherstructure she’d seen exceptfor the Tartarus Crack inwhich Marduk had left hisvast clone vats and thehundreds of ancient

automatons that wouldbecome the backbone of theNewOlympianmilitary.Looking through her

cameras,Dianacouldseethatthe people down thereseemedtobeawakeningfromtheir hypnotic slumber. Notjust humans, but alsolivestockintheformofcattle,sheep and horses werepresent.Theyapsofdogsandyowlsofcatsalsomanagedto

reachherears.Thepyramidshook.“Fiddy?”Another distant explosion

resounded. “Winged bitchshowed up and tried toimpress me with her boomstick!”“Fallbackifyouhaveto,”

Artem15ordered.“If,”Spartan50addedwith

defiance.“As you were,” Artem15

returned. “Come on. Let’slook to see if there’s a pathout of here for the crowd.Therehad tobeaway in forallofthem,andnotdownthenarrowladders.”Spartan 46 grunted in

agreement. “I can’t recall thelast time I saw sheep doingladders,doyou?”Diana let out a chuckle.

“Climbing time. We’ll lookforamajorramp.”

The two robots dug theirfinger and toe claws into thewall and scaled their waydown into the pit, aware ofthepreciouscargotheyhadtoprotect from the demonsabove and their ownfootsteps.

***

THEMANTAALITonitsgearand Kane hit the release on

his harness. He carried hisshotgun again, and this timeinstead of rubber slugs andtear-gasshells,hewasarmedfor war. He paused only tograbapackofspareshellsforthe weapon. Kane knew thatusingagrenlauncherinclosequarterswouldbringasmuchharm tohimandhisalliesasit would to his opposition,given the general nature oftheweapon,but these rounds

were meant for punchingdeep through lightarmoranddetonating inside their targetwithout sprayingindiscriminate shrapneleverywhere.Hehookedtheammopack

to his harness and thumbedtheexplosive12-gaugeshellsinto its tubular magazine.Charunhadbeenpulledfromthe battlefield, even as hisStygian pilots had been torn

to shreds under Grant’scounterattack,and thatmeanttherewerealliesinthedepthsof the pyramid who’dengagedVanth and his othermonstrousminions.The last thing he wanted

was to have even a fullyarmed and equippedOlympianSpartanstandaloneagainst the two alien entitiesand their forces. Certainly,the pair had lost control of

their amorphous giant, thecreature who’d swallowedthreesuchwarriorrobotsandaplatoonofsoldiers,butthatdidn’t mean they werecompletelydisarmed.Kane reached the peak of

the mountain and saw thatCharun had left the hatchopen. He caught sight of ashadowmovingatthebottomoftheladder,sotheCerberusleader pumped a single shot

into the hole. The detonationofhisshotgungrenwasloud,andabloodiedStygianguardlimpedintoview,holdingthebroken pieces of his rifle inhishands.Kane slung the shotgun

and snagged the ladder. Thefriction of his grasp and thepressure of his boots on thesidesoftheladderhelpedhimslide down in a controlleddrop that deposited him into

the entrance foyer of thepyramid. The stunned andwounded Stygian let thebrokenpiecesofhis rifle fallaway, one tri-fingered handpluckingaknifefromhisbelteven as Kane let go of theladderanddroppedtherestofthewaytotheground.With the reflexes of a

panther, Kane duckedbeneath the wounded alien’sslash, realizing the creature

he was up against might nothave been operating at peakcapacity but still possessedprowessequaltothefinestofthe Magistrate corps. TheStygian reversed the point ofits knife and stabbed, thepoint snagging the shoulderof Kane’s suit. Polymerssplit, slicing open, but stillmanaged to protect thehumanskinbeneath.Kane spun, as if to whirl

away from the deadly attackof his alien foe, but droppeddown to one knee and swepthis leg across the ankles ofthe humanoid. The Stygian’sspindly legs snarled againsteach other under the swift,savage lash, and it comicallywindmilled its arms in aneffort to stay upright. In thenextmomenthe’dcrashedonthe hard stone floor, andKanepounced, comingdown

with hisweight focused ontothepeakofhiselbowagainstthe breastbone of the alienminion.Ribs snapped under the

elbow drop, Kane’s jointprotected by the non-Newtonian polymershardening like steel. Thatvery protective quality alsomade the force of the blowincrease as the elbow wasnow as if it were encased in

armor plate, rendering theprotective cage of bonearound the humanoid’s vitalorgans a mass of splintersstabbingandslashingthroughlungsandbloodvessels.Inky-green blood spurted

from the abomination’s lipsanditscolorlesseyesblinkedinshockandhorror.Kanerolledawayfromthe

fallenfoe’storso,spinningonhisbackside so that he could

bring his booted feet aroundto bear on the opposingentity’s head and neck. Aswift scissor kick pulverizedjawbone and groundvertebrae to chunks, endingthe thing’s suffering withinmoments.Kanescrambled tohis feet

and looked up the ladder,Grant taking the lead downtheladder,Brigidabovehim.“Beta, I’m picking up

comms from the Olympians.They’re looking for the exit.The main exit,” Kane said.“Uplink with Cerberus andlook for that door leadingunderground and go thatway!”“Sureyouwon’tneedus?”

Edwardsasked.“Over a half million

humans need you more thanwe do. Now go!” Kaneordered.

“Onit,”Domireturned.“Close thedoor,Baptiste,”

Kane said. “And leave asurprise in case we chasethembackupthisway.”Brigidbracedherselfatthe

top of the ladder and Granthandedupalargerversionofthe flatmine she’dhidden inheranklebraceearlier.“Thisshouldshearevenan

armored Annunaki in two,”Brigidsaid,securingit.

“Then don’t arm it toosoon,”Grantoffered.“As if I’d forget that, or

anystep,”Brigidreplied.In moments they were

down with Kane, guns outandready.

***

THE SOUND OF Lakesh overher Commtact made Domifeel whole again, his Indian

accent and deep voicesoothinghernerveslikesalveonaburn.Itdidn’tmatterthatshewas in full rundown theside of a mountain, loadedwithgrensandaCopperheadrifle. It didn’t matter that, afewhundredfeetbeneathher,two alien entities claiminggodhood were still trying toget to over half a millionhuman captives and assortedlivestock.

It just mattered that herlove’svoicewasinherear.“We’re looking for the

mainentrancetotheEtruscanpyramid, and using ground-penetrating radar as well asuploads of the layouttransmitted by both you andBrigid.We’vefoundastrongpossibility,” Lakesh said.“Adjust your heading fortydegreeswest,beloved.”“Thank you, Moe,” Domi

said.“Howbigistheopeningwe’relookingfor?”“It’s actively concealed,”

Lakesh responded. “Someformofcamouflagenettingisover the cave, and therewasno thermal reading on thecrack.”Domi skidded, adjusting

her heading. Behind her,Sinclair, Edwards andSmaragda took to the newcourse, as well, Edwards

laden down with one of thetwowarbagsthathadarrivedon the Manta. Domi led theway with her Copperhead,whichshouldbesufficientforeven a Stygian soldierwearing New Olympianarmor, thanks to its high-velocity armor-piercingbullets.But if thatwasn’t thecase, she had a bolt-action,magazine-fed shotgunattachedinfrontofthetrigger

guard, in theplaceof theoldforegrip handle. The XM-26was a 5-shot 12-gauge thatstripped off shotgun shellsfrom its box, and could berapidlyreloaded.Of course, Cerberus

Redoubt had loaded the warbag with light antiarmorshells intended for vehiclesakin to Sandcats andDeathbird helicopters, andhopefully that kind of

firepowerwouldbesufficientto hurt Charun and Vanth.Domi didn’t envy that Kanewouldgetashotatthemfirst,especiallysinceshewasdeadcertaintherewerelikelyotherthreats guarding the caveentrance.They reached the

camouflagenettingandDomislung her rifle. Grabbing herknife from its sheath, shestarted slashing, creating a

holeinthecaveentrance.Shecould see that the ramp waseasily fifty yards wide andtallenoughforeventheNewOlympian Spartan mobilesuits to walk withoutstooping.Hereyesadjustedtothedarknessandshesnaggedahandfulofnettingtouseasa climbing rope to descend.The entrance continuedbeneath her, a slanted fieldthat would disgorge onto

ground dozens of yardsfarther. It was just simplerand quicker to drop downfromtheupperlipofthecaveentrance.Asshegotdown,herruby-

red eyes scanned thedarkness. There wassomething wrong, somethingdangerous that spurred herinstincts to full life. Shebrought down theCopperhead-shotguncombo.

“Slow and easy,” Domicalled upward. “Companydownhere.”Dustrainedfromwhereher

comrades stopped at the roofof the cave entrance,reassuringher.“I’ll scout,” she informed

them.“Dammit,” Edwards

cursed.Domi ignored his

frustration and treaded into

the cave. She alternatedbetween infrared illuminationandheralreadylight-sensitiveeyes. The setting sun hadturned the cave inky-black,but something was presentthatheralreadycannysensescould feel but were notshowing up on her shadowsuit’sopticsoraudiopickups.Thensheheardthefaintest

of rustles, saw small cloudsofdustandsandfallingfrom

risingshapes.Of course. They hid under

tarps,hidingthemaswehidein our shadow suits, shethought. Her instincts hadn’tlet her down, realizing thatthere would be guardspresent, and theywould seekthe same means ofconcealmentashadbeenusedacross millennia of humanwarfare. Domi whirledtoward one of the rising

figures, letting theCopperheadsnarlouta salvoofhigh-speeddeath.The tarp shook and

vibrated under the rain ofbullets, but the form beneathcontinued surging forward, adeep, vibrant growlresonating inside a deep,powerfulchest.It was a Fomori-style

creature and probablysomething that was also

protected by bullet-resistantfabrics or fabric-like metals.Itwastoocloseforhertoriskthe shotgun gren or to doanything else but throwherself into a somersault asthe tented titan lungedforward.Domihitatuck-and-roll,gettingoutofthepathofthe monstrosity, itscamouflaging tarpaulinfluttering to the ground andrevealing its massive,

deformedbulk.Domiwasonherfeetinaninstant,trackingandshootingatthecreature’sexposedback.While 4.85 mm rounds

mighthavebeeneffectiveonhuman-sizefoes,evenbehindballistic body armor, to theStygian giant her salvo ofautomatic fire was nothingmore than the scratching ofan irritating itch. At morethansevenfeetinheight,and

looking to weigh in at fivehundred pounds, the creatureboasted four thick arms andoneandahalffaces,atrioofglistening eyes locking ontoher. The one and a halfmouths were ugly scars thattwisted into a gleeful pair ofsmiles, and four large handsopened, a dozen fingersclawingtheairforher.“Food!” her Commtact

translatedforher.

Domi triggered the M-26and the antiarmor shellboomedloudenoughtorattleher teeth in the confines ofthe cave. The Fomoriwhirled, one of its quartet ofarms hanging by threads ofskinandstretchedsinewfromaravagedtorso.Despite that horrific

damage, it still continued itssingle-minded approach, twomore of the things throwing

off their disguises, gibberinglaughterechoinginthecave.Domi worked the bolt on

her under-barrel shotgunwhen the snarl of Edwards’sSin Eater heralded theeradication of the alienabomination’sskull.SelaSinclairandSmaragda

cutloosewiththeirshotguns,chopping a second of thehorrors apart with a salvo ofarmor-piercing, explosive

slugs, thunderclaps strikingquicklyandcertainly.The third of the Fomori

was caught flat-footed, leftindecisive as to whether toattack the small black-cladgirl, charge toward thenewcomers or flee to fightanotherday.Thatmomentofindecision meant that Domiand Edwards were able toboth take good aim at itsmisshapen skull and rain

damnationontoit.Aflurryof9 mm bullets and anexplosive slug sent a rain ofblood and tissue mistingacross the interior of thecavern.“Told you wait,” Domi

said. She took out hermagazine and loaded tworeplacementshellsintoit.“Andweheardtherewasa

party going on,” Sinclairreturned.“Ain’tnoparty like

aCATBetaparty.”Domismiled.“Thanks.”“Anytime, boss,” Edwards

said. “Now let’s get to thepit.”The four warriors

continued down into thedarkness.

Chapter25

Vanth tore her tattered wingharness from her shoulders,hurling it to the ground indisgust. She watched as herlover approached,hammer inhand, trepidation slowing hisgait.“Mybride?”Charunasked.

“You had to bring theinterphaserintoourarmory?”Vanthasked.Hersmart-metalarmor sleeve was healing itstear, quickly, but the wingharness, having receivedmuch more damage, wasshornapart.“Thatwashowtheygotin?

But how did they get—?”Charunbegan.“Howdidtheyactivatethe

three battle robots that you

left with quivers full ofexploding spears?” Vanthasked. She drew her torch,then extended the flame likethe blade of a sword. “Howdid they render me as anEarthbound fool by throwingsaid bombs at me with theforceofagiant?”“My love…” Charun

started to speak but Vanthslashed at the air betweenthem,lettingoutascreechof

frustration.Vanth glared at him. “Let

usinvitethemunderourroof.They will suspect nothing.Our song has alreadysubjugated their greatestmind.”“Still your tongue!”

Charunbellowed.Hescannedaround the corridor and sawthat Vanth’s arrows andquiver were not present.“Whereisyourbow?”

Vanth’s rage flashed tomorbid guilt, her beautiful,lushmouthturningdownwardatthementionofherarchery.“You lost it to a human?”

Charunasked.“My arrows detonated,”

Vanth admitted, steppingback. “My arrows detonatedbecauseyou—”Charun snatched the

femalebyherwrist,draggingher off balance, disregarding

the flaming sword in hergrasp.“BecauseIwhat?”“Because you invited

those…mewling little apesunder our roof!” Vanthshouted.Charun let his hammer

hang in the air, backhandinghisbridewitheveryounceofstrengthhecouldmuster.Hercheekandjawwereleftlivid,lips dripping blood beneaththesplitmaskshewore.Even

behind the shielding for hereyes, Charun could see themwelling up with tears ofdespair and rage. “Becauseyou were foolish in yourinvulnerability.”Charun slapped her again,

hermetal mask peeling evenfurther away, her lips burstlike overgorged worms. Hetightened his grasp at herwrist, pulling her in closeruntilhercheekwaspunctured

ononeofhistusks.“You blame me for your

failures?” Charun whispered.“You tell me that it was myfault that our scheme didn’twork?”“The humans…” Vanth

began.Charun threw her to the

ground and took the torchfromherhand.“Thehumans.The humans are too mighty,too willful. Brigid Baptiste

somehow managed to staveoff your suggestions becauseshewasbrilliant.Doyounotrecall the origin of thisspecies? The simplicity andcomplacency inserted intotheir DNA? They were borntokneelandserve!”Vanthlookedup,herblood

dripping on the stone floorbeneathher.Charun observed the

intersection and he saw

scattered segments of theblack bow that Vanthwielded, a holy devicemadeof the same materials as hisownhammer.Theyhadbeendriven apart, and scorched,charredby thedetonationsofpowerful energy crystals.That explained the shreddedwingharnessofVanth’s.Shehad survived the chain-fireexplosion of her deadlyarrowsonlybyusingherown

wings as a shield; after all,that was part of the purposeof the appendages.Certainly,they allowed for easiersteering and maneuvering inflight, but the wings’ mainpurpose was to protect theirbacks,andtheirabilitytofoldaround their front was afeature that had carried thebattle for Charun on manyoccasions.Absently,Charun gave the

torch blade a twirl, admiringits balance. It was nothingcomparedtohishammer,andyet, with it, Vanth hadshowed the ability to carvemountains…suchas thisone.Thedetonationsofherarrowsshowed the sturdiness of thegranite halls she’d carvedthrough the interior of thismountain. Even afterthousands of years ofhibernation, this homestead

stood mighty against theelements. Certainly, it hadbeen buried under soil androck, and entrances had tohave been reconstructed bythe mightiest of theirFomorian forces, but theStygian pyramid was indeedstillpowerful.How could he have been

blamed for thinking that theinterphaserwassomeformofbomb, especially since he’d

been reading that in BrigidBaptiste’s thoughts all thewhilehethoughthehadthemall under his influence? Hadthebombinthehousinggoneoff, all they would have lostwouldhavebeenanythingnotconstructed of secondaryorichalcum, a mighty alloythatfewpowersonthisplanetcoulddent.And yet there was that

failuretocompletelyinfiltrate

and connive inside the mindof the human woman. Shehad managed to deludeCharun and Vanth all thewhile making it seem as ifsheweretheirperfectpuppet,even leading both of theCerberus teams into ambushsituations, trapping themfirmly. The plan had been toleave them seeminglyunaware of how easily theyhad gotten through the front

door,onlytobeensnaredinaweb spun by one of theirown.Butshe’dknown.She’d put the blocks in

placetomakeitonlyseemasifthey’dwalkedintothetrap.Once there was a propercommand given, the meeklambs to slaughter showedjust what kind of lions theywere, flattening Charun andstunningVanth.Theyhadlost

a dozen Stygian humanoidsthen.He felt the sudden input,

theshockandacheofthreeofhis Fomori shock troops atthe ramp entrance to thepyramid. All of them haddied.ThatmeanttheCerberuswarriors were invading frombelow, making their waydirectlytowardthethrongsofmammals assembled for thepurpose of housing an army

of amillionStygiandemons.The apes and their livestockwouldbetransformedintotheshock troopsofaconqueringinterdimensionalarmy,butallof that was under assaultnow. The kind of energynecessary to make thatwormholeopeningwasgone.Their brains were freed.

Thewhispersandmurmursofall of thoseminds threatenedto wash Charun’s own

thoughts away. Toomany ofthem were present. Thebreakdown of the tethers onthe sentients and even thedroning thoughts of foodwere becoming a rising tidethat menaced hisindividuality.“Vanth, my bride, I

apologizeforthemistakeI’vemade,”Charunsaid.She was quiet now, her

hands folded to her face.

Maybe he had gone too farthis time with his rebuke.After all, the two of themthought they had everythingundercontrol.Anyfailureonherpartwasweightedagainsthim,aswell.Hekneltbesideher,resting

his hand on her shoulder.“Mybride…”“The humans,” Vanth

whispered. “Angry.Confused. Do you not feel

them?Hearthem?”“Takeyour torch,”Charun

ordered. Her eyes werebloodshot and full of tears.This was far more thanCharun’s slaps, the pain,swelling and bleeding he’dinflicted upon her. This waspsychic trauma. “My bride,your torch will shield yourmind.”Vanth lashedout,hernails

raking his war mask, the

smart metal parting undersharpened claws of theslightly greater, far lessflexible hardness. Throughthe rip, Charun felt thethoughtsof their captives,nolonger enthralled, no longerdominatedby the task forcedinto their minds by the songofVanth.Hepressedhisownwarmask shut and the smartmetal stitched itself closed,sealing against the external

pressure of hundreds ofthousandsofconsciousnesses.“Diabolical humans,”

Charun growled. He pulledVanth to her feet, pressingher mask closed. “Ignorethem,shieldyourself!”“So many…so angry,”

Vanth repeated again andagain.“Toomuch…”“Shield yourself!” Charun

roared, pressing the edges ofherrippedheadpiecetogether

in a vain effort to isolate herfrom the collective humanityinthepitbeneath.“They…”Vanthbegan.She turned away from

Charun, looking back fromwherehe’dentered.There was Kane, standing

between him and the warhammer, shotgun in hand.GrantandBrigidwerebehindhim. Though they were cladhead to toe in their shadow

suits, their faceswerevisiblethrough the faceplates ontheirhoods,andeachofthemregardedthepairofdemigodswithgrimresolve.Charun pushed Vanth

aside, wielding her torch.“There is no hope for you,mortals.”“If that’s so, why are you

so eager to fight?” Kaneasked.Grant touched the

hammer’shandle, closinghisfist around it. He gave themighty weapon a tug andCharun watched as itwobbled.BrigidBaptiste’ssmilewas

blasphemous against theEtruscan deity. “Havingtroubleconcentrating?”“‘Concentrating’?” Vanth

repeated.“What are you doing?”

Charun asked, holding the

flaming spire of the torchbetweenhimandthehumans.He tugged on Vanth’sshoulder, trying to get herbehindhim.“Scrambling your

particularbrandoftelepathy,”Brigidanswered.“‘…of telepathy,’” Vanth

repeated.Charunfelthernailsstab through his leggings,prickingintohisthighs.“Or you could say your

frequency,” Brigid correctedherself. “The same oneyou’ve been using on yourprisoners.”“‘…your prisoners.’”

Vanthmouthed the words asherclawssliced into theskinand muscle of Charun’s leftleg.Hebackhandedherhard.Shebarelybudged.“No way to treat a lady,

Char,” Grant said. Heupended the hammer, giving

it a twirl. He twisted thehandleandsuddenlythefour-piece unit broke apart, asmaller hammer going toKane’shand.“Wecoulddothiswithour

shotguns,”Kanemocked.Thesmart metal of the hammerseemed tomold to the imageof what a warrior like Kanewould wield: a plain Celtic-stylebattle-ax,completewithswooping beard, adding

cutting length and depth tothe blade. For Grant, hisweapon retained its hammerstyling, except there was ablunt, flattened end and aspikedpointattheback.“Butyou were so keen on Granthandlingthehammerthat…”Charun concentrated with

allofhismightandsuddenlythe two humans were spuntoward each other, theirweaponsalsospinningtoward

each other. This was hisweapon and no mere apewould—Charun staggered, his

concentration broken by thedetonationofa12-gaugegrenagainst his war mask. Onlythe power of his armor kepthim from harm, but as hestaggered backward he couldseeBrigidBaptisteridingouttherecoilonhershotgun.“Yeah, getting poetic with

your own weapons wasstupid,” Grant growled. HeopenedfireandCharun’sribsreceived a hammering blowthatsentthetitanreelingoncemore. With a flourish, heswung the torch and a waveof heat and light smashedagainst the trio of Cerberuswarriors,bowlingthemover.Vanth’s torch hadn’t quite

put out thekindof powerhewanted. Charun was too

distracted,toostunned,bytheonslaught to focus all of hisenergy into commanding theweapon. As well, it wasattunedtoVanth,andherfacewas slack and beset upon bywakingnightmares.“Tome,”Charun growled,

and the four sections of hishammer flew from wherethey had been dropped,reachinghishand.More hammering

explosions pepperedCharun’sbroadchest,evenashe wrestled his chosenartifact into itsoriginal form.“Run,Vanth!”“…anth…anth…Vanth,”

the female demigodmurmured, crawling forwardonherhandsandknees.Charun sneered as he

finally assembled thehammer.The roar of machine guns

filled the air, butCharun feltnone of that. At first heattributed the lack ofsensation to the puny natureof human weaponry, but aspray of blood splashed onthe floor at his feet. Helooked down and saw hisbride, riddled with bullets,herblankeyesglazingover.“Vanth?”Charunasked.Spartan 50 lurched into

Charun’s view and the angry

Etruscan deity brought thewar hammer up. Thedetonation of an explosivespearhead shook the entirecorridor, but Charun hadshielded himself and hismate. Her armor was stillsplit, torn open, and thehuman form she wore wasriddled with bullets beneath.The frail oldwoman, despitebeing pumped with thestrength of a god, had been

unable to deal with theonslaught of blazing bulletspunchingintoher.Charunlookedupfromthe

lifeless form at his feet,regarding Spartan 50 as hishammer’sshieldburstbulletsin midair against itsshimmeringplasmascreen.“She died at your hands?”

Charunasked.“It’s about time she went

down,” Spartan 50

challenged.“Younext.”Charun let thehammer lay

and leaped at the GearSkeleton.HisfingerstoreintotheSandcatarmoraroundtherobot’s cockpit. He roared atthetopofhislungs,thesamekind of nail enhancementsthat had drawn his bloodmaking short work of thesteelplatingmeant toprotectthe amputee pilot of theOlympian battle suit. Metal

peeled and parted under hisonslaught, even as thehammer’s plasma fieldmelted the barrels of theshoulder-mounted machineguns.Tearing his foe’s shielding

free,helookedattheamputeewithin. Strong arms, nubs oflegs cut off at mid-thigh, abeard. He wore a simplecoverall and there was littleabout this baby-like

humanoid, this mewling ape,that distinguished him as thekind of warrior to slay agoddess.Even then, Spartan 50

pulled a handgun from aholsteronhischest,aimingitatCharun’sface.“You expect me to beg?”

thepilotasked.Bullets rang off of the

facial armor of the demigodashesankhisfingersintothe

Olympian’s chest, shatteringribs and lacerating heart andlungs.Withamightywrench,Charun tore the organs fromhis bride’s murderer, lettinggoresplashalloverhim.“You maniac!” came a

shoutfrombehind.It was Kane, and the man

openedupwithhisSinEater.The hammer swatted bulletsfrom the air, but the warriorfrom Cerberus emptied his

whole magazine in an efforttodrawbloodfromCharun.“Maniac?Maniac?”Charun wrenched the

corpse of the pilot from itscouch and hurled it as amissile at Kane, bowling theman over. “My wife is deadat the hands of yourmisbegotten species, andyoudareinsultme?”“Don’t use the shotguns,”

Charun heard Brigid say.

“His hammer is detonatingany projectiles sent towardhim.”Charunlookeddownatthe

waistofthemobilebattlesuitand found one of thewarheads in its quiver. “Yes.Ifyouwillnotblowyourselfup,thenIshalldothejobforyou!”Grant plucked something

from his belt and rolled itlow, rebounding it off the

wall so it went past thedemigod in his resplendentarmor.“Whatare—?”Thecorridorbecameaball

oflightandthunder.

***

THE EXPLOSION OF severalspear grens, cooked off byGrant’s own hand-rolledgren, bought Brigid and him

enough time to drag Kanefrom beneath the corpse ofthe murdered Olympian.Standingatgroundzeroofsomuchdevastationwouldhavetotally obliterated any othercreature, but the thing stoodthere, blinded and deafenedbythemultipleblasts.Kane grimaced as he

kickedtohisfeetwhilebeingdraggedalongbyhis friends,and then he clapped both of

themtolethimknowhewasabouttomoveonhisown.“So, we’re back to

shooting this bastard?”Grantasked.The ground shook beneath

their feet. Charun had gottenhishammerbackinhandandhe’d tapped the floor. Atseveral feet thick, the stoneslabs that made up thestructure between the levelsof the pyramidwere great at

transmitting the kind ofvibrations that rattled thethreeofthem.“Well, he dealt with that

amountofexplosiveswithoutconcern,” Brigid said. “Idon’t think even the armor-piercing shells we have candoanythingagainsthim.”“He’spissed,”Kaneadded.

“We’redealingwithonlyoneof them now, but he’s gonefullberserk.”

Grantpausedastheygottothefoyer.“Brigid…”“I disarmed it via radio,”

shesaid.Grantsurgeduptheladder,

snatching the explosiveminefrom where she’d placed it.He opened the hatch and gotout onto the top of thepyramid. There, a few yardsdown from the peak, theMantawasparked.“Can the two of you buy

me a few moments?” Grantasked.Brigid nodded as Kane

joinedthem.“Distracthim?”“Slow him down,” Grant

said.“I’llbeintheManta.”Kane gave a one percent

salute to show that he waswilling to follow his friend’slead. He took Grant’s warbag.“Any idea what he’s up

to?”Kaneasked.Brigid nodded. “I’d rather

not say anything, though.Hemightbelistening.”“Through several feet of

solidstone?”Kaneasked.“Icouldhearyouonthefar

side of the moon, yousnivelingmonkeys!”Charun’s rage and volume

were unmistakable. Kanereached into the war bag,looking down into the hatch.

The demigod strode into theopen, wielding his hammer,glaringuptheladder.“You wish to slow me?”

Charun asked. He spread hisarms.“Doyourworst!”Kanedecidedtoobligethe

ancient alien, dropping acoupleoflivegrensdownthehole. Brigid was on the lid,slamming it shut to containtheexplosion.Kane’s teeth shook at the

rumble, which seemedunusuallystrongforacoupleofgrenblasts.“Shouldn’t the

countersignal be interferingwithwhateverdoomiepowersCharunhas?”Kaneasked.The top of the pyramid

shook once more, seethingand cracking under apowerful force bursting fromwithin. Kane and Brigid losttheir footing, but he

recovered, bracing her fromfallingintoacrumblingriftinthepeak.“Let’s get off the top of

this,”Brigidreplied.Kane didn’t argue; he

simply grabbed her by thewaist and the two of thembounded across the growingchasm in thehilltop.As theyreached the other side,another thunderous boomresounded. This wasn’t the

explosives anymore.Someonewasliterallytearingthe top off of the pyramid,andaslideofdirtandpebbleswashed the two Cerberusexplorers another severalyardsdownthehillside.With a last, powerful

surge,onesectionofthepeakdisappeared and Charun andhis hammer erupted throughthe broken stone. His wingharnessliftedhimthroughthe

hole,andKanewassurprisedto see that the wall he’dpunched through was easilythree feet thick.Thehammersparked with arcs of blueplasma.“Humans,”Charunsnarled.“Maniac,” Kane returned.

Hebroughtuphisshotgunasthe bat-winged horrorhovered.“Prepare to pay for your

trespasses,”Charunwarned.

Amoment later somethingbigger,darker,loomedbehindtheflyingwarrior.Charun looked back over

hisshoulder.Grant’sMantahovered,ten

yardsfromtheEtruscantitan.Hepoweredupthespotlightsfor the craft, casting Charunin silhouette for Kane andBrigid.Overtheloudspeaker,Grant’s challenge wasunmistakable.

“Pick on someone yourownsize,asshole.”

Chapter26

Charun hovered in front ofGrant. With his armor andwarmask,hewaseasilyeightfeet in height. His betuskedfeatures twisted; a face thatwas born of ugly hatredechoed in his actions andwords over the past several

minutes.Thebeaklikenoseofthe blue, pallid man-beastwas set between eyes thatwere red and livid with amixture of suffering andanger. Batlike wings thatspread to a span of twentyfeet waved and undulated.They didn’t beat, but theydidn’t have to as they weremore for steering,maneuvering and shielding,the actual impetus of

Charun’s flight originatingwith a field of ionic energythat severed gravity’s graspuponhim.Inthemeantime,Grantwas

in a stub-winged, sleek,bronze craft that bore morethanapassingresemblancetotheseacreaturefromwhichittook its name. The Manta.The ship had been built forthe purposes of ManitiusMoon Base, but had quickly

grown in utility for theexplorers and warriors ofCerberus Redoubt. Notusually equipped with gunsandmissiles, this time it hadbeen so armed, as well asrecently bedecked withstreamlinednacellesinwhichit could carry passengersoutside. Of course, thattransport could only be donesafelywithintheconfinesofaManitius-designed shadow

suit complete with itsenvironmental seal, evenunder the protectivewindshieldshells.Grant tilted the Manta

further away from Kane andBrigid, hover jets lifting theshipfromthebrokenpeakofthepyramid.Charun rose, as well, but

he didn’t seek to stay thesamedistancefromthescramjet.

“You wish to pit yourflying skills againstmine? Inthe same thing I brokewhenfirst we laid eyes upon eachother?” Charun asked. HisvoicewasloudandclearoverGrant’s Commtact. Brigid’sploy of breaking the radiojamming of Charun’shammer,aswellasthemind-cloudingsongofthedeceasedVanth, had cleared theairwaves for such

communication.Grant nodded, then

grimaced, forgetting that hisopponent could not seethrough the cockpit glass.“We battle in the sky. Youandme.”Charun rolled his head

back and laughed, but therewas no mirth or warmth inthe cacophony leaving histwisted lips. “You expectmetocareenoughtoallowyoua

fairfight?”“I didn’t think you were

that much of a coward,Tusks,”Granttaunted.“Maniac. Coward. Just for

that, after exterminating youand your pathetic friends, Iwill create a death camp andslaughter millions just inresponse to your insults,”Charun said. With that, heburst skyward, acceleratingfar faster than Grant could

have imagined, going fromzero to supersonic in thespaceofinstants.Grantlethispilotcouchtilt

back and he took off inpursuit of his enemy. Manandmachineversusalienandnearly magical technology,andalready,Grantwasawarethathewasbehindthecurve.G-forces, the results of high-velocity maneuvers and thecrush of acceleration, were

somethingCharun apparentlycould ignore without care.The shadow suit and thepilot’s couch in the Mantaprovided some compensationfor such stresses, but theEtruscan demigod wastaunting in the ease withwhichhedefiedphysics.Grant hit the throttle and

followed Charun’s course.All the while the weight ofinertia squeezed him. He

knewthatfighterpilotscouldhandle g-forces, theequivalent of one level ofgravityon ahumanbody,uptonineGswhileengaging indogfightingoverthespaceofa few minutes. However, inthe instance of using anejector seat, people couldsurviveuptoforty-fiveGsforanejector-seat launch. Itwasan iffy set of circumstances,though. The Manta’s

maneuverability, only in thedirest of maneuvers, couldeasily top that ashe flew theshipintheformofadogfight.With most of his artilleryrockets havingbeenused, allhe had left were the .50-caliber heavy machine gunsmountedontheship.Machine guns that

Charun’s hammer had “de-fanged”inanearlierdogfightagainstEdwards.

In moments Grant wassupersonic, at amuch slowerrate than Charun had gone,andalreadyhewaslookingatthe radar screens for signsofhisopponent.Charun was approaching

fromtherearof theMantaatMach 3, and Grant hit thethrusters on his ship, jettinghigherintothesky.Hedidn’tthinkthataltitudewouldhavean adverse effect on the

demigod,butiftherewasonethingGrantcouldhopefor,itwastonegateanyofhisfoe’sadvantages. That meantreaching escape velocity. Hekepttheshipclimbinghigherandhigher.Fireballs of blue plasma

slashed through the night,showing up on his radarscreens as solid objectsthemselves. Grant foundhimself both relieved that

Charunwasn’t hurling rocks,but the plasma bolts weremovingwithspeedthatcouldeat the distance between thetwo of them. They were attwelvemilesinheightandhespiraled the Manta intoevasion of the dischargesfrom Charun’s mightyhammer.“I thought you said you

wanted to battle! Not runaround like a frightened

chicken,” Charun called out.“You were the one mockingmy strength of will andresolve!”“You act like your shit

impresses me, Char,” Grantreturned. Fifteen miles,twenty miles. He used therearview camera to see howCharunwasmaneuvering;hiswings had gone fromundulatingtoflatandstill.And for every maneuver

Grantmade,Charunadjusted,aswell.Hejustwasn’tdoingso as fast. The air was thinenough that those artificialwings couldn’t grab andcarveagainstwindresistance.However, Grant could alsosee that those wings wereglowing with electricalenergy.The sensors on the Manta

indicated they were highlyionized and were producing

pure thrust to make thosemaneuvers.“Come get some,” Grant

saidfinally.Hehitthebrakes,twenty miles up, allowingCharun to close the gapbetweenthem.Charun cut loose with his

hammer, but the plasmablastswerewideofGrantandhisship.“You looking for me to

flinch,Char?”Grantasked.

“I’m looking for you todie, ape!” the alien snarled.“Mybride—”“Is rotting where she

belongs. In a tomb!” Grantshouted,cuttinghimoff.Get him mad. Get him to

forgeteverything.The hammer in Charun’s

handreleasedablazeof rageand, for a moment, Grantfearedthefireballwasahugewall of energy coming

straight for him. No, thatwasn’t the case. It wasmultiple streams of plasmathat formed the walls of atunnel between the twoairbornefoes.“Come to me!” Charun

bellowed.Grant hit the afterburners

ontheMantaandacceleratedtowardthewingedentity.As soon as they were

within two miles of each

other, the range closingswiftly, Grant triggered theBrowning machine guns.Their recoil and the forcefulslugstheyspitweretoomuchfor the moorings thatconnected them to his craft.The .50-caliber blastersweretornfromtheirpods,spiralingoffintothenight,thenutsandbolts sealing them shorn bythe sheer physics of thesituation.

The sight of the machineguns falling away elicited achuckle from the demigod.He let go of his hammer,lettingithoverintheair.Yeah, I figured you could

do that, Grant thought. Afterall, it had flown back toCharun’s side before, and hehad nearly forced him andKane to bludgeon each otherto death with the damnedthing.Hoveringwas aminor

stunt for the ancienttechnology.Charunstoppedandstarted

flying backward after a fewmoments,allowingtheMantatotouchhim.Hisclawedtoesscratchedatthecockpitoftheship.Charun perched on the

noseoftheManta,hissmart-metal gloves and bootsallowing him to stick to theaircraft, even as they hurtled

through the thin atmosphereat twentymilesup, thespeedofsoundlongpassed.Grant opened the cockpit

andthedemigodlaughed.“You want to make this a

fist…”Grant’s SinEater drowned

out whatever the Etruscancreature wanted to say, hisbullets slashing at thearmored war mask. Charunand his wings formed a

stopgapwindshield, but evenwith that, even with hisshadow suit providingenvironmental protection, icycold slashed at Grant. Thisdidn’t matter, though, as hetook the deadly mine he’dtakenfromthepyramidhatch.The Sin Eater clacked on

an empty chamber andCharun’s bloodied featureswere visible through hisshreddedarmor.

“Youthoughtthatcoulddosomething to me?” Charunasked.Granthurledthemine,and

its electro-adhesive basestuck solidly to the alien’shead.Grant’stossalsocarriedenough forceandmomentumto rock the demigod on hisheels, rock him far backenough for him to hit thecontrolstoclosethecockpit.Grant hit the thrusters,

taking the Manta to orbitalvelocity.Evenintheminimalatmosphere at this altitude,Charun’s wings served asenoughof aparachute topryhimoff thehullof the scramjet, all the while he battledwith the mine that clung tohis naked face aswell as hissmart-metalarmor.The jolting alterations of

momentum, and Charun’ssudden deceleration,

weakened the wing harnessdrastically.A radio signal detonated

themine.All of that ionized energy

being put off by the flightsystems on Charun’s armordied out. If the mine hadn’ttakenoffthedemigod’shead,it had deprived him of hiswings,ofthethrustthatcouldsever him from the grasp ofgravity.

Whichever the false god’sfate, Grant knew one thing.Falling from twenty-twomilesabovetheEarth,“godlyarmor or not,” was notsurvivable.Even ifhe landedin the Mediterranean, he’dstrike with such velocity thewater would be as solid asbasalt.Grant adjusted course,

slowing so he didn’t tear theManta apart as it made its

waybacktothepyramid.Every mile of the trip,

Grant kept his eye on theradar, but all he saw was alarge, inert form sailingbackunder the greedy grasp ofgravity.

***

“THE HAMMERDISAPPEAREDfromradar,butonly because it was heading

beyondEarth’sorbit,”Lakeshexplained as the heroes ofCerberus and of NewOlympus were gathered.“Vanth’s torch also tookflight, joining thehammer asitflewintospace.”“Didn’t Charun andVanth

say they were from anotheruniverse?”Dianaaskedattheheadofthefeasttable.“They did,” Brigid

explained.“Buttheyoperated

on Earth with the Annunaki.They originally inhabited thebodies of lesser Annunaki,and had stolen theirtechnology.”“So, the hammer and the

torch went back to Nibiru?”Kaneasked.Lakesh nodded. “The path

of the artifacts would haveput them on a coursesomewhere beyond Jupiter,whichwaswherewe assume

istheAnnunakihomeworld.”“Any regrets about not

beingabletousetheirsecretsto reach their homedimension?” Aristotle askedBrigid.Brigid shook her head.

“TheStygian realmand theirinhabitants, at least throughthedoorwaywecanaccessonthisworld, is not a placeweshould seek to make contactwith anytime soon. I can

vouch foroverhalfamillionItaliansthatkeepingthatdoorclosed is in the best interestsofallinvolved.”“Here, here,” Aristotle

agreed. “Though, it is ashame that Charun’s tantrumclosed off so many sectionsofthepyramid.”“When we have the time,

we’ll start excavations,”Lakesh promised. “We stillhave much of your base to

breakfromisolation.”Aristotle nodded. He

lookedoveratDiana,whoforthe first time wore her hairpulledbackinaponytail.Shewasn’t hiding her features.The infiltration of theEtruscan pyramid had helpedher shed her own feeling ofisolation and alienation.“Speaking of alone, wheredidGrantgo?”“He is around,” Grant

heardBrigidsay.“Hehashisownthoughtstogoover…”Spartan 50—Ignacio

“Fiddy”Phoebus—wasbeinghonored for his ultimatesacrifice. His grave wasaddedtothehonoreddeadofthe nation of New Olympus.He’d perished in battleagainst false gods, havingbrought the end ofVanth byhisinitiative.No one compared to the

accomplishment of Grant ineliminating Charun. Bothmenhadovercome their foesthroughtheuseoftechnologyandwits.And yet Grant stood aloof

fromthemourners.Hehadn’thad a chance to know theyoung Ignacio as anythingmorethanjustanotherfaceinthe crowd, remarkable onlyforthathesatinawheelchair,signifying that some earlier

battlehadlefthimdiminishedenough to fit into a cockpitmeantforasmallerspeciesofhumanoid.Spartan 50 was dead, but

his memory would live on.No one else would take thatname,aswas thecase foralldeceasedbattlesuitpilotsandtheircallsigns.Thismuchwasmadeclear

as there were Spartan callsigns that reached into the

low 200s, many having diedintheHydraewars.GrantnoticedthatEdwards

had wandered off, hand inhand with Myrto Smaragda,thetwoofthemsharingquietwhispers and tender looks.The shade of gloom that hadhovered over Edwards’sfeatures since his dominationbyUllikummis had faded, atleast in the presence of theyoungwarriorwoman.

Smaragda’sshockofwhitehair hadn’t showed signs ofdarkening, but the lonelinessand isolation she’d displayedhad lessened, her platoonreturned. When IgnacioPhoebuswasloweredintotheground, however, the tearshad come to her cheeksunashamedly. Tears hadcome unashamedly to all thewarriors present, men andwomen.

They had become brothersandsistersforthesimplefactthat they risked their lives inthe protection of those whocouldnotfight,eitherforlackofstrength,lackofskill, lackof arms to engage in thatbattle.Humanity, in crawlingfrom the wreckage wroughtupon it by Annunakiinterference, was showingsignsthatithadlearnedfromthe petty tribalism of the

ancient days. Be they thesoldiersofNewOlympus,thesamurai of New Edo, thetroops of Aten, or the CATteams of Cerberus, they hadallalliedforasinglecause.Defenseoftheweak.No,Grantwasn’t feelinga

lickofsatisfactionforhavingkilled a god. His anger wasassuaged, but the sense oflosshefeltwiththemurderofSpartan 50 still hung on his

shoulders.KaneandBrigidappeared,

Kanehavingbroughtabottleof ouzo from the celebrationof Ignacio’s life and themourningofhispassing.“Deep thoughts?” Brigid

asked.“Youhavetoaskmethat?”

Grantinquiredback.“Not really,” Brigid

responded.Grant accepted the bottle

ofouzoand tooka longdragon it. He liked the hint oflicorice that leavened andsweetened the spirit. Heswallowed, the burn tinglinginhischest.“Thanks,”GranttoldKane.“I was afraid you were

going todosomethingstupidbackthere,”Kanetoldhim.“Like what? Open my

cockpit at the edge of spacewithanangrygiantlookingto

tearmeapart?”Grantasked.“Nah,” Kane said. “You

punch gods in the kidneyeveryTuesday.”Grantchuckled.“I think he’s referring to

feeling like you didn’taccomplish anything,” Brigidsaid.“IstoppedCharun.Alotof

people are safe because ofthat,”Granttoldthem.Kane nodded. “We’ve

bought some more time formankindtocrawlupfromthewreckage.”Grant smiled. “Isn’t that

whatwe’vebeendoing sincewe first blew out ofCobaltville all those yearsago?”“That goes without

debate,” Brigid said as shetook thebottleanddownedaswig.“Nowcomeonbacktothefeast.”

ShehandedthebottleofftoKane.“What’s the rush?” Grant

askedthearchivist.“Because sooner or later,

your God-punch Tuesday isgoing to roll around again.Andgivenourrecentstringofopponents…I have a feelingit’llcomemuchsooner.”“Let’s celebrate some life

beforethat,”Kaneadded.Grantnodded.

The three soul friendsreturnedtothegreathall.Eat. Drink. Be merry.

Someday theywouldallpassfrom this Earth, but untilthen, freedom would beprotectedand fought for, andlifewouldbelived.

*****

WehopeyouenjoyedthisHarlequinebook.Connect

withusonHarlequin.comforinfoonournewreleases,

accesstoexclusiveoffers,freeonlinereadsandmuch

more!

Otherwaystokeepintouch:

Harlequin.com/newslettersFacebook.com/HarlequinBooksTwitter.com/HarlequinBooks

HarlequinBlog.com

FirsteditionAugust2015

ISBN-13:9781460385265

AngelofDoom

Copyright©2015byWorldwideLibrary

SpecialthankstoDouglasP.Wojtowiczforhiscontributiontothiswork.

Allrightsreserved.Except

foruseinanyreview,thereproductionorutilizationofthisworkinwholeorinpartinanyformbyanyelectronic,mechanicalorothermeans,nowknownorhereinafterinvented,includingxerography,photocopyingandrecording,orinanyinformationstorageorretrievalsystem,isforbiddenwithoutthewrittenpermissionofthepublisher,

WorldwideLibrary,225DuncanMillRoad,DonMills,OntarioM3B3K9,Canada.

Thisisaworkoffiction.Names,characters,placesandincidentsareeithertheproductoftheauthor’simaginationorareusedfictitiously,andanyresemblancetoactualpersons,livingordead,

businessestablishments,eventsorlocalesisentirelycoincidental.

®andTMaretrademarksofthepublisher.Trademarksindicatedwith®areregisteredintheUnitedStatesPatentandTrademarkOffice,theCanadianIntellectualPropertyOfficeandinothercountries.

www.Harlequin.com