The Blood Eagle In The Big Easy Part 19

"While there are only two ent.i.ties emitting on that particular frequency I found another frequency, corrupted as it may be, a few miles away from their location.." Mir looked more and more confused as he spoke. "It's a weak signal but there are thousands of them!" Fear gripped him as he suddenly looked weary. "They don't seem strong enough currently to be a threat but there's something about them I find familiar. I just can't place it."

Seeing that look on his face tied knots in my stomach, making me highly uneasy. "Is it something I should be concerned with while hunting down these two?"

He stomped across the office as he threw his hands up irritated. "I just don't know for sure." He growled as he turned around with equal amounts of anger and fear mixed across his face. "If I could only find the memory I could tell you with more a.s.surance but since I can't I ask that you proceed with caution."

Falling back into my chair I let out a huff as I considered this new wrinkle. "Do what you can to keep an eye on whatever *they' may be. For now let's focus on dealing with Smith and his mistress."

According to the readings that Mir compiled Smith was emitting up as a very strong signal implied that he most likely had at least two implants. This meant that he would be blessed with double the abilities of his little creepy buddies. Boy was my day shaping up nicely! We surmised it was Smith who created the firestorm that took the lives of several people during our raid on the compound twenty years ago. He was clever, powerful and nursed a pretty big hatred of all things me! Mir was able to track his movements over the last twelve hours and noticed that he patrolled the perimeter every two hours while Gullveig stayed back in one of the dilapidated administrative buildings. My best bet was to catch him alone on the far side of the park during one of his regular patrols.

About an hour later I gave Gregory a call and gave him the scoop as we quickly finalized the plan. Getting up to grab my gear I quickly remembered that it was mostly burned up or buried in my old office. Over the years I had grown to dislike fire! While it purified an area it was one of the more destructive elements, destroying a part of your soul as it took your home. Guess it was a good thing that I wasn't sure someone like me even had a soul after all the things I'd done in my life.

Grabbing my coat I headed for the stairs taking them two at a time. According to the records Mir provided, we had an armory on the main floor in the restricted sector. Hitting the last step I opened the heavy metal door only to be greeted by Justine who stood there waiting for me.

"You do realize there are stalking laws these days right?" Her smile was breathtaking. h.e.l.l even at my advanced age I can appreciate beauty when I see it. For the record after the first hundred years of celibacy you get over the whole age difference debacle that your mind gets caught up in. Normally I had a rule about dating anyone under thirty five but there are always exceptions.

Giving me a sly wink as she seemed to know what I was thinking she looped her arm in mine as she guided me across the lobby. "You spent the night in your office didn't you?" It was a rhetorical question as she already knew the answer. "Look, you can go to the armory in a minute. First you will join me for breakfast, it's the least you could do."

Okay that's just creepy. How the f.u.c.k did she know where I was headed? Then it hit me and I stopped short causing her to nearly trip. "Least I could do?"

"Exactly!" She tugged my arm turning me toward the cafeteria. "I was hired under false pretenses!" Smirking as she pulled me along. "Besides who wants to hunt bad guys on an empty stomach?"

She had a point and I was hungry. Smith would still be there in an hour, and if not thankfully Mir could track his movements. "It's a date then?" I aksed She giggled as she blushed crimson. "Breakfast hardly rates as a date. How about we call this a preliminary date?"

"Seriously?" Stopping to open the door and letting her pa.s.s through before following. "There are preliminary dates these days? Things have really gotten complicated."

It was nice to sit for a few minutes and forget about the outside world as we ate our breakfast. She was an interesting woman both inside and out. She was older than I thought but at my age a decade really didn't make that much of a difference in the scheme of things. She served in Afghanistan for two years before leaving the armed forces and returning home to take a job at Charity Hospital and eventually ended up in my employment. Time slowed for me whenever she smiled. While I didn't like to admit it I was captivated by her sense of humor, intelligence and beauty. This was the furthest thing from the right time she could have picked for a preliminary date but when I thought about it when was there ever a good time? I was always on the hunt for something and if it wasn't Gullveig it would be something else.

This was also hardly the time to be hypocritical after the advice I had given Kira about seizing the moment and such. The hour pa.s.sed and our time together was over more quickly than I would have liked but there was work to be done. She a.s.sured me I had pa.s.sed the preliminary qualifications for an actual date and when I got back from the days work we could finalize our plans. It was hardly the time for semantics and use of the word *if' instead of *when', so I excused myself and headed for the armory in a far better frame of mind.

The armory officer was exceedingly helpful as I retrieved six new PX4's, flash bangs, as well as several actual grenades. It didn't take more than fifteen minutes to compile the items but it took a further forty to fill out the paperwork involved. Returning to my office I changed into the body armor I picked up and stowed my gear in a duffle bag. As I was checking the last few items to make sure they were secure I heard the door swing open. I didn't even have to turn around to know it was Nicholas and Kira chomping at the bit to be included in the mission.

They were coming along, but they weren't going to like what I had to say. "You two can calm down you're both coming."

"d.a.m.n right we are!" Nicholas grumbled as he marched across the office. "She killed my mother and I want my pound of flesh."

Digging in the bag I pulled four pistols out of the side compartment handing two to Nicholas and placing the others to my left for Kira. "You do know how to use those right?"

Nicholas dropped the clip and cleared the chamber before I got the words out of my mouth. Eyeing the weapon closely he demonstrated his comfort level with the weapon. "I'm familiar."

Kira and Nicholas were dressed in similar body armor to my own. Surprisingly Kira picked up her weapons in silence holstering them as she waited for the catch. "You two will be coordinating with the SOG ensuring no one escapes the park."

"Like h.e.l.l we will!" Nicholas bellowed.

Kira put a hand on his shoulder as she gently pulled him back. She fondled the handle of her pistol as she made one of her mother's highly disapproving looks. "So you plan on going in alone against them?"

"Not exactly."

Nicholas tried to take a step forward but Kira held him in place. "Let's hear what he has to say." Giving me a stern look she kept Nicholas in check. "Who knows, he might actually have a plan."

They would coordinate their efforts with Gregory and the SOG to secure the area. While they handled the perimeter I would already be inside the park hunting Smith. The goal was to catch Smith at the building nearest the merry-go-round. Hopefully I could catch him by surprise and end the situation quickly without raising Gullveig's suspicions. If I failed in that option they were to enter the park immediately through the main gates to keep her busy till I arrived.

If things went smoothly we could initiate phase two of the plan by using our O.D.I.N. implants to keep in constant communication to coordinate our arrival. Once Smith was down we would proceed to Gullveig location as a unit and terminate her physical form. According to Mir the three of us were incompatible hosts for her but Gregory and his team were not. This was the main reason to keep Gregory and the SOG as far away as possible. The only reason she was able to inhabit her current body was due to the fact she took it within the first few hours of birth before the O.D.I.N system could reject the invasion. With The Staff of Gungnir we would be able to terminate her even in her ethereal form or such was the working theory.

While they had their reservations they agreed that there weren't a lot of other options. Kira and Nicholas headed out to meet Gregory who had been even less receptive of the plan. It was only the fact Gullveig could escape while destroying one or more of his men that he finally agreed. Everything had been set in motion, but something continued to tug at my memory as I headed for the door. Mir seemed to know more that he had divulged to me but there was no time to deal with that now. It was something we discuss later. Closing the door I headed for the stairs once more as the hand of fate weighed heavily on my soul.

Chapter 28.

The day was warm even as the skies above turned charcoal gray as a thunderstorm rolled in off the lake. It wouldn't be long before the sky opened up to cleanse the land of its impurities. Justine slowed the car to a near crawl as I rolled out onto a barren stretch of Paris Road near the rear entrance of the park. Using my s.h.i.+elds to camouflage my arrival I blended into the background as I entered and cut through the park. Mir was taking the continuous communications a little too literal as the three of us shared visual and auditory feed. It didn't take as long as I thought to adjust to the extraneous input but it was still a bit disconcerting to see through their eyes.

What had once been a joyous place to bring children had turned into something much more sinister. A suffocating blanket of dread accompanied the unnatural silence that enveloped the park. Nature, neglect and the elements had taken a toll on the once vibrant theme park which now lay in a creepy, crumbling, hollowed out hulk of what it had once been. The atmosphere here twisted itself into the eerie mirror image of what it once was. The stench of rot and decay permeated the area as if searching for something new to corrupt. The aging behemoth of a roller coaster that once marked the highlight of the park now barely stood as its supports rusted and fell away. I couldn't help but s.h.i.+ver at the sheer perversion as nature and man fought for supremacy. The park refused to give up the ghost as nature had long ago won the battle leaving this dismal reminder of how helpless man was against the awesome power of the elements.

Mir's alert pulled me from my revelry letting me know that Smith was slightly ahead of schedule forcing me to adjust my plan on the fly. Given the fact I couldn't make the original point of interception, *Barb's Ice Cream Shop', I fell back on plan B. This meant that I would need to take my chances of being crushed if the supports for the coaster gave way as I pa.s.sed under the crippled beast to the *Funhouse'.

Given the state of decay and the creepy jester that lay broken and slumped over the opening as it desperately clung to its prized Mardi Gras beads, the place was closer akin to a haunted house. From what I saw there wasn't anything fun left to the entire park let alone the rotting building that had once brought such joy to its visitors. Quietly I made my way through the broken door crouching in the darkness as I waited for Smith to pa.s.s.

Focusing on the feed Mir was streaming in my minds eye I was able to watch his progress through the virtual reality overlaid in real time with the world around me. It was the longest five minutes of my life as Ryker took his time strolling through the devastated theme park with hardly a care in the world. As he approached he slowed, seeming to sense my presence.

"I can feel you..." Smith taunted. "Come out and play, I've been waiting a long time for this." He made a show of pulling off his jacket and hanging it on the broken ticket stand just a few feet from where I stood. "I always wanted to know which of us was better."

Stepping out of the shadow I s.h.i.+mmered back into reality with my s.h.i.+elds in tact as I closed the distance between us then hammering his jaw with a hard right hook. "Considering I'm not a pedifile the answer is simple really."

Even though he rolled with the punch he still hit the ground hard enough to draw blood from several sc.r.a.pes. Pus.h.i.+ng himself to his feet he wiped the blood from his cheek as he gave me an appraising look. "Cheap shot, on both accounts." Spitting blood as he gave me a wicked smile. "I like girls of all ages. h.e.l.l, your daughter is a pretty little thing!"

Now that's a just good way to p.i.s.s me off! In response to his smarta.s.s remark I threw a kick to his midsection doubling him over as I grabbed the back of his head and slamming it into my knee. His nose bloomed crimson as blood ran freely. As he staggered back and fell on his a.s.s I slowly took a step forward.

Wiping his nose he chuckled. "I hope that's not the best you got to offer."

He swept his long legs out quickly catching me at the knee as he took my legs out from under me. Landing hard against the pavement I felt him scramble atop me as he pummeled my face and chest with quick heavy blows.

Throwing my weight to one side I pushed him off of me. Getting to my feet first I kicked him hard in the ribs and cracking a couple of them, though unfortunately the propulsion of the kick helped him to his feet. He was stronger and tougher than he looked which meant I was in for a long hard fight.

He went on the offensive as he launched himself at me, catching me in the throat with an elbow, causing my s.h.i.+elds to give slightly under the pressure of the blow. He quickly followed with a knee to the midsection lifting me off the ground as he pushed me away, causing me to skid across the asphalt.

"You're what's she's afraid of?" He advanced on me kicking hard against my midsection. "Pathetic! Your s.h.i.+elds won't last forever and when their down, I'm going to enjoy making you bleed."

Rolling to my knees I blocked his next kick using its force to help me up. Wrapping fire around my right fist I slammed it hard against his jaw causing it to blister as the skin burned away.

His amus.e.m.e.nt was suddenly gone as he grimaced in pain. He kicked me hard in the midsection throwing me back a few feet, allowing him room to work. Spreading his fingers on his left hand darkness filled the empty s.p.a.ce until his whole hand was shrouded in an inky residue. Diving to the side as he flung the ichor toward me, it landed on the metal door frame where it became animated. The darkness oozed around the frame, disintegrating everything it touched including several inches of the cinderblock wall before winking out of existence. Quickly making a mental note for future reference, the black, inky, whatever the h.e.l.l you call it, was something I should probably avoid.

From the stunned look on his face I suspected most people were not quick enough to avoid his inky little friend. I got to my feet as he stumbled back a few steps trying to call forth more of the darkness. Luckily it didn't appear he had the ability to repeat the action again so quickly. Closing the gap between us I threw an elbow at his throat. Even though he was obviously taxed from the effort of calling forth the darkness he was able to move to one side causing me to only catch him in the shoulder.

He fell back against the wall of the *funhouse' and his hands suddenly glowed. The blue paint of the wall behind him turned black from the heat of his body. The sudden lack of oxygen burned my lungs as the air superheated around me. Forcing more of my will into my s.h.i.+elds I pulled a knife from its sheath and drove it through his right shoulder and was rewarded as he screamed out in pain.

He caught me hard in the face with his elbow, throwing me to one side as he quickly pulled the blade from his flesh. "You're going to pay for that!" He grunted as he threw the knife to the side. "When I finish with you I'm going to find that pretty little daughter of yours, Kira I think her name is, and she and I are going to have some fun!" Licking his lips he lost himself to the thought. "She will beg for death before its all over, and who knows, you might wind up with a grandchild out of the deal! What do you think of that? She'll like..."

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as I slammed my will against his chest sending him through the weakened cinderblock wall.

Rage rolled over me as it washed away the pain, leaving only the burning desire to ensure the man wouldn't be a threat to anyone ever again. "You should've kept your mouth shut!"

The biggest mistake people make during a fight is talking instead of finis.h.i.+ng the job. Second biggest mistake is saying something to p.i.s.s the other guy off and Smith just made both. Allowing my anger to fuel my abilities I stalked through the broken wall. Smith was on all fours, trying to get to his feet when I put all my strength in a hard right kick to his ribs spinning him in the air and landing hard on his back. Holding out my right hand I summoned the discarded blade and caught it by the hilt a half second later. Two or three of Smith's ribs were broken and at least one of them punctured his lung, causing him to cough blood as he tried to right himself.

He tried to summon fire once more as I swatted his hands aside and slid my blade through the nook of his elbow making him to scream in agony. My fury had fully taken hold of me. I slammed my knee against his face knocking out a couple of teeth in the process. Blood ran freely across his burned and blistered face as I continued to advance on him. He crab walked away from me but it was of no use. I slammed my boot into his left knee shattering it.

He screamed again as he flailed uselessly on the floor. His sharp intake of breath caused him to choke on his own fluids. He was slowly drowning to death but I didn't care. I wanted to make him pay for his sins.

"You're not supposed to do this, you're one of the good guys." He pleaded.

Slamming my boot against his right ankle I felt it give way under the pressure. "That's a matter of perspective..." I sent a hard kick to his groin causing him to choke as he got the dry heaves. "I lose perspective when you start talking about my daughter."

Kneeling beside him I slowly slipped my blade through the iliacus, which is that soft spot between your pubic bone and hip. His lungs refused him enough air to scream so he mostly gurgled and choked as the blood frothed on his lips.

"You're going to die here, in this G.o.d awful place, very shortly." Twisting the blade as I yanked it free his body tensed in pain. "We have a few minutes." I slammed my fist into his already broken ribs sending another one through his already ragged lung. "Make peace with whatever G.o.d you believe in."

"That's the man I remember." A smile crossed his lips before another wave of pain hit him. "I remember that look when you killed my father during your raid twenty years ago."

The thought of him destroying Gregory's daughter filled my mind. "Is that why you molested Gregory's daughter?"

"That's such an ugly term." He coughed again as I slowly forced my blade through the palm of his right hand. "She liked it!"

Turning the blade I pulled it towards me splitting his hand in two as it exited between the ring and middle finger. "You shouldn't threaten a man's daughter."

Slamming the hilt into his wrist it shattered. "Just kill me!"

That was too simple and much too easy for a man such as he! He had threatened to harm Kira and that was more than I could bear. "Not yet." Moving around his p.r.o.ne form I dropped to my right knee, quickly breaking two more ribs on his uninjured side. "You have yet to pay for the sins I know about, let alone the ones that I don't."

His eyes glazed over as he convulsed as his body continued to starve from oxygen deprivation.

"Dad, please!" Kira's voice broken as I could see her wipe tears from her eyes. "Please stop."

Anger continued to course through me but I pulled it back as I spun the knife in my hand before driving it through Smith's left eye. He convulsed as his body objected to this last grievous insult before going still.

"Thank you." Kira whimpered.

"He deserved worse." Nicholas growled as he opened the car door. "Let's move."

Nicholas was angry and he had every right to be, Smith had cut his mother open and Gullveig had made him watch. Kira was confused and angry. She had never been baptized in the heat of battle and as such didn't realize that to fight monsters you sometimes had to become one. She was a healer not a warrior and it showed through her mercy toward a man who threatened her harm. I could only hope that she would one day gain a balance between the two.

Nicholas looked back at Kira who was still sitting in the drivers seat. "We need to go!" His voice was hard and reserved. "We have a job to do."

Kira looked back at him. "I don't know if I can do this."

"You can stay back if you need to." It was a lot to ask of someone to force them into a situation they weren't ready for. "Nicholas and I can handle this alone. Make sure the others stay put till we're done."

"Thank you." Kira whispered as she adjusted herself before getting out of the car to meet with Gregory.

"I'm coming through the gate now." Nicholas strode through the turnstiles breaking the arms off one as he pa.s.sed through. "We end this today!"

With barely a thought I faded into the background as I hurried through the haunting remains of the park to catch up with the wrathful young man intent on finding justice for the wrongs heaped upon him. Justice doesn't always fall in line with the law of the land. For example O. J. Simpson was able to buy a not guilty verdict. What I did to Smith was more akin to justice even though it went against the letter of the law. He was owed a very long and painful death which he was denied. My daughter had granted the man a small mercy which was more than he deserved.

Nicholas paused as he entered the park reading a heavily graffitied welcome sign which read, *Welcome to Zombieland Kids'. Shaking his head he continued through the eerily empty streets. Kicking a half rotted teddybear out of his way as he pa.s.sed the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Metropolitan building to the pathetic inoperable fountain.

Cutting through the gra.s.s I was forced to jump over one of the fallen bungee swing arms. From there I took the long way around the broken parachute ride which littered the ground with several rusted chains and broken plastic seats. s.h.i.+mmering into view a few feet away from Nicholas I slowed my pace to an easy walk as he turned to greet me with hardened steel in his eyes. His resolve to see this to its end was clearly seen in his demeanour. He was hardly at peace with it but understood what had to be done. I had to admire his tenacious nature in one so young.

Chapter 29.

A strong north wind churned the gray skies above as thunder rolled in the distance. The chill in the air had less to do with the temperature and more to do with a deep foreboding sense of an impending doom. I could smell the muddy waters of the lake as Mother Nature put on a spectacular display of her powers as a steady wind seemed to push us toward our destiny. s.h.i.+vering as the adrenaline rush subsided from my encounter with Smith I studied the virtual overlay of the Metropolitan Building.

Communicating with Nicholas via the Nexus we formulated our plan of attack. Once inside we would split up and attack Gullveig from different directions in the hopes of gaining the upperhand. Even now I was able to feel her power through the broken building before us. Her anger and hatred rolled through the land in waves like some sort of perverted heartbeat. Nicholas could feel it whether or not he realized it as he swayed in time with its rhythm.

As we entered the building through the side entrance we kept a close eye on the glowing figure of Gullveig at the heart of the dilapidated structure's virtual overlay. My senses were nearly overwhelmed as the scent of rotting meat, mold and feces hung heavily in the air. For a moment I thought Nicholas would pa.s.s out, but he quickly regained control of his body.

Without Mir's visual guidance we would have been hopelessly lost. The place was barely recognizable. The flood waters of Katrina had collapsed walls, filling the hallways with debris. Add to that the fact that the trespa.s.sers had been less than kind as they vandalized what little remained. Piles of trash, broken sheetrock and left over mud made our progress tedious. As we approached the first intersection Nicholas found his path blocked by part of the roof that had collapsed. He was forced to backtrack through one of the broken offices, cutting through one of the many gaping holes.

Officially on my own I steadied my nerves, focusing on the task at hand. Allowing my senses to stretch out before me the only life force I could detect was Gullveig's. As a side note, when even the rodents have left the building you might want to reconsider your destination. I however didn't have that particular luxury. Keeping an eye on Nicholas I was able to monitor his progress, what little there was. He was being forced to take alternate routes due to the copious amount of debris.

Considering my history with Gullveig I wasn't sure she would expect me to bring anyone along for the ride. I was really hoping that would be all the extra edge we'd need to put her down once and for all. If she were expecting me to try and take her alive to be brought to some type of justice... Well she was sadly mistaken. Things had gone much too far and she was too dangerous for anything but her eminent demise to be an option.

I couldn't wait all day for Nicholas to get in position so I proceeded on my own. Quickly able to traverse the path she and Smith probably used during their tenure here, I was soon at one of the last working doors. The filth covered rusty door was all that stood between my ancient enemy and myself. Taking one last deep breath to steady my nerves, I pulled the door from its hinges. This had once been a overly large room for private parties but now the bare cement floors were covered in dried mud from the lake and recently discarded food containers. Obviously she had been living here for sometime now.

Gullveig on the other hand looked as if she had taken a bath or three since she'd kidnapped Galvez. Someone had trimmed her hair, applied makeup and dressed her in the latest tactical gear. If it weren't for the fact she was a remorseless killer I could have appreciated her supermodel beauty. d.a.m.n, I had to give Helena extra credit for birthing such attractive children. She stood there in middle of the room smiling at me. It was the type of smile that sent s.h.i.+vers up your spine. Pulling off her jacket she tossed it to the side.

"You haven't changed in all these years!" Giving me a wide berth she slowly started to circle the room. "However do you do it?"

Dropping my coat I fell in sync with her movements. "I dunno, good living, eating right and not being a total douchebag psycho killer?"

She gave me a quick smile while cracking her knuckles. "Oh don't be like that. I remember when you couldn't get enough of me!"

My mind was flooded with clouded thoughts and strong l.u.s.t filled emotions. What the f.u.c.k was that? Shaking free of the carnal fog I gave her the finger. "Cute trick, but let's try to stay out of the fiction section."

She moved so quickly that it barely registered that she was behind me before she tenderly kissed my neck. "I'm hurt that you don't remember." I felt a sharp pain on my face as her blade dug into the soft flesh of my right cheek before she returned to her position opposite me.

I was definitely feeling out cla.s.sed and I was clearly fighting out of my league. She held the advantage since she seemed fully aware of her abilities and I was only just now beginning to see my potential.