Red Twilight: A Dawning Of Power

Chapter 9 The Stone-faced Ghost

El and Lacerti smash open boxes in the storeroom with great proficiency, digging around but finding only mountains of useless stuff like books, soap products, and car parts. One sad, lonely Trash watches them with some interest. Snake, Jacob, and Spooky argue amongst themselves, trying to grasp the situation, while Larry sets himself unenthusiastically.

Trash approaches El. "You don't talk much, do you?" she says in a weary tone.

"No," El answers simply, focused on his work. "Talk is meaningless."

"So what is important then?"

"The SOP." El pulls a stuffed animal from a box and hands it to her after staring at it for a moment.

"SOP? What's that?"

"The standard operational procedures." El picks up a hunter's bow and nods approvingly.

"Are you a soldier?" Trash asks, trying to understand the enigmatic man.

"I am Incognito, a ghost. I have no birth certificate, no social security number, no credit cards or bank accounts. My image is sculpted to leave no impression. I am Fugowy {a tern his father used to describe the unseen}," El explains.

"How can that happen to someone?"

"I was my father's shadow. I walked his walk, and I learned to talk his talk. His father was the same to him."

"You must have really loved your father."

El stops working for a moment. You're a real annoyance, you know that? he thinks to himself, remembering his father. In the course of his father's work as an old-world gangster, El remembers seeing men tortured. Here, in the situation they are in, he is reminded of the constant stream of shady company and the cold, calculated deals that accompanied his father, but most importantly, he is reminded of the rules.

"I hated him, and loved my mother. My father didn't believe in normal things, like relationsh.i.p.s, friends, toys. He had only two loves in the world, and it wasn't my mother or me." El gets lost in his own mind. "My father's dance partners were his work and his partner. He taught me everything; his work, his fighting skill, how to drive, and the value of faith. There are only two things you can trust in life—yourself and your shotgun." El looks at Lacerti. "Any man alone is a man simply waiting for death, but two with absolute trust can fend off most any enemy."

Trash smiles l.u.s.tfully. "You're cute," she says, grinning.

Irritated by the young woman's attention, El slams down a box lid and pivots to face her. Pointing sternly he says, "You are a teenager suffering from Cinderella syndrome, which is sad, but is fact for one in fifty women. I have my share of difficulties in life and one of them is solitude, but I can't imagine your pain, and I would enjoy you not dragging me into your private hell."

"Cinderella syndrome?" Trash asks, puzzled.

"The inability to control s.e.x.u.a.l urges or command one's mating drive."

Trash seems cut by El's words. She crosses the room to isolate herself rather than listen to further verbal abuse. El watches as Lacerti puts a comforting hand on Trash's shoulder as she passes, and she pats his hand as she continues on her way. El shoots Lacerti a cool glance as if to remind him of the mission. Lacerti shakes his head disapprovingly before the men continue to work in silence.

After finishing his search, El makes his way to Lacerti's side. "What do you have?"

Lacerti draws two custom Blacktails with folding blade attachments, fully loaded with fifteen rounds each, pointing to a box labeled "Andy's Guns and survivor gear." El nods his approval.

The bald man opens the box and looks to the group. "Who has combat training amongst you?" he demands as he starts to distribute a small arsenal. Larry and Snake are provided with ammo to reload their guns, El gives Trash and Spooky a pair of 9-millimeters, and Jacob is provided with a pump-action shotgun and half a box of shells.

***

In the bas.e.m.e.nt, Pistol cracks open a door. His eyes grow wide as he catches a glimpse of the winged wolf from upstairs talking with a snake woman and a shadowy man with purple eyes and raven black hair dressed in a trench coat. Pistol hides around the corner, pushing Ashley behind him and barring her with his whip. The Lamia speaks. "The men upstairs are hunters." "I figured," the Wolfin responds.

"They have a cleric."

"I saw that."

"And the Belmond."

"I know."

"We're f.u.c.k.e.d."

The shadowy man smiles sinisterly. "The last child of Belmond," he chuckles. "Saves me the trouble of looking for him."

The Lamia looks at him. "What will you do, Lord Cravixs?"

"If he is as proud as his ancestors, he will burn with them." Cravixs steps into darkness, becoming a part of it. The Wolfin sniffs the air, then starts to move to the door.

Pistol bites his lip. The Wolfin steps into the hall, following the scent.

"Hi," Pistol laughs nervously as the wolf creature comes into view. It howls to get the attention of the other monsters. Pistol coldc.o.c.ks him, toppling the beast. He picks up Ashley and runs away, flying up the steps to the bar only to find it riddled with monsters.

"Big mistake," he mutters.

The Wolfin has recovered and he charges around the corner, chasing Pistol and the girl. Pistol snaps his whip from side to side, clearing a path for Ashley and him to run along. The man throws Ashley onto the stage as he spins around and wh.i.p.s the Wolfin, creating a moon-shaped burn on its forehead. He flails the whip again, but this time the Wolfin grabs it. Pistol pulls a street fighter's knife from his belt and flings it, grazing the Wolfin's wrist. The wound causes the creature to release the whip, allowing Pistol to run onto the stage after Ashley. The ghouls give chase after them as well.

Ashley and Pistol attempt to run backstage, but the door is jammed. Thinking quickly, Pistol decides to snap his whip at the catwalk ladder and drag it into reach. He pushes Ashley up the ladder and starts to climb himself. The Wolfin leaps over the undead to reach them and Pistol, hearing him coming, hangs from the ladder upside-down by his legs. He backhands the monster, but the beast grabs him and the ladder and shakes both. As the ladder shudders and creaks, Ashley screams, nearly losing her grip. "Charlie!" she calls.

Pistol head butts the beast, dazing himself. The Wolfin slashes Pistol across the c.h.e.s.t with sharp claws. Pistol elbows the monster's arm, buckling the joint, then looses a palm punch. The blow makes the monster lose its grip, and Pistol gives it a healthy knee to the groin. The Wolfin falls to the ground, breaking the lower part the ladder on its way. Finally, the man can spin around and continue his ascension.

Below, the mass of monsters begins tearing at the Wolfin. It bursts out of the pack and curses, "Damn Belmond!"

Pistol winks and waves at it with his whip in plain sight. "Don't look so smug; if I don't kill you, something even less human will!" the Wolfin howls.

Pistol crawls onto the catwalk and falls onto his back, panting for air. He may act unshakable, but fear and excitement will tucker one out faster than one may think. Pistol's will is strong, but so are the forces at work here. Ashley kneels over her rescuer, tucking her dress under her knees. "Charlie, are you OK?"

Pistol takes off his leather coat as he finds the strength to sit up. His arms are banged up real good, scratched and bleeding, and his shirt is half shredded from the fight. Thank God for armor, he thinks to himself. He hands his coat to Ashley and takes her arms. "Here, put it on over your dress; it's heavy and baggy. If something grabs you, it will have to eat a lot of fabric before it will find skin. Don't try to fight—run if you have to. Run till the sun is up and someone comes looking for you."

"Charlie," she says, a sad look on her face, "what's wrong?"

Honestly, he thinks, a lot is wrong, but he can't say that to this little girl. "I'm hurt," he responds. "It's not too bad, I think. But if the things down there come up here, I will fight as long as I can, and I want you to keep running until I catch up."

Pistol wipes her face as she nods, understanding that Pistol is strong, but that unlike in the stories her father would tell her, sometimes the valiant knights lack the power to overcome all evils.