HA SATAN (THE ADVERSARY): An Elena Duran/Corazon Negro Story 2/12
Vi Moreau (vmoreau@DIRECTVINTERNET.COM)
Mon, 16 Sep 2002 13:44:37 -0400
HA SATAN (THE ADVERSARY)
An Elena Duran-Corazon Negro Story 2/12
vmoreau@directvinternet.com & divad72@prodigy.net.mx
"I've never been to Glastonbury before," Elena Duran commented as they got
out of their rented vehicle. Wide-eyed, she looked over the empty streets of
the quiet town. "I know country communities rise and sleep with the sun, but
this is ridiculous; it's not that late! Where is everybody? This looks like
a ghost town."
Beside her, Corazon Negro nodded. "I know what you mean. The town is
mysteriously at peace." He thought for a moment. "Remember the town with the
Immortal Sleepwalkers in Haiti?" he said to her, and she nodded gravely.
"It's like a black shadow has landed here."
"Lilitu's minions," whispered Prince Heru-sa-aset of Egypt, the third member
of their party. He shook his shaved head, plainly worried. The three had
come from his fortress in the Ural Mountains to Glastonbury in order to meet
with Myrddin, another member of the Ancient Gathering. They need to find him
before Lilitu did, no matter the cost. Myrddin could be their last chance to
understand the mystery that surrounded the hag. "Do not worry, my darling.
We are together in this," Heru-sa-aset told Elena.
"I wasn't worried," Elena answered. Then she thought about the Sleepwalkers
in Haiti and shuddered. "Well, maybe a little."
Corazon Negro shook his head and flashed a smile. "We need to find the way
to enter Myrddin's cave."
"Yes," Elena agreed. "Maybe if we..."
Elena never finished the sentence. Two men appeared in front of them at the
corner of the street. They were Hunters, and they reached for their guns and
opened fire.
The battle of Glastonbury had begun.
The three Immortal quickly ran to take cover behind a lonely car on the
street.
"What the fuck?" Elena asked. "They are mortals!"
"Hunters," Heru-sa-aset declared with dark tones. "And it's getting worse.
Look behind us."
Corazon Negro turned his head to see. Heru-sa-aset was right. Two more
Hunters were coming from behind. "Well, so much for our being inconspicuous.
Are you ready, my love?" he asked Elena.
"Just like old times, eh?" she answered, taking a deep breath, getting
ready for the fight. "I'm ready."
"Take the ones in front. Leave the others to me," Heru-sa-aset suggested,
the he departed. He moved so fast that in few instants he was in front of
the new arrivals. Though his opponents were trained killers, with reflexes
and strength faster than any common mortal, they were helpless against the
Prince.
Heru-sa-aset moved with the sinuous grace of a king cobra. With his right
hand he grabbed one killer by the neck. With his left, he snared the other
man by the shoulder. Both tried to resist, but the Prince was inconceivably
strong. Seemingly without effort, he jerked his two victims into the air.
They slammed into each other with a crunch of breaking bones. They features
shattered with the impact. Smashing them together again broke the rib cages
and spines. Contemptuously, Heru-sa-aset dropped the pair to the ground and
whirled away to look at Elena and Corazon Negro.
Elena had seen the Prince's attack and was fascinated. Such agility! Such
strength! For a moment, she remembered the offer made by the Prince to her
to become his student. She had had many excellent teachers over the
centuries, both mortal and Immortal. If she survived this final war, she'd
gladly become his acolyte.
"I know they're mortals, but we must shoot to kill, my love," Corazon Negro
said beside her. He already had a pistol in his hand.
The time for watching and reflecting was over. Elena pulled a Skorpion
machine gun out of her coat with her left hand. Ordinarily she didn't like
guns and didn't use them; but recently they had become almost as
indispensable as her sword, and she'd become a very good shot. Normally she
preferred a heavier gun, like a .45, but she knew in close quarters the
portable machine gun worked best.
More Hunters had arrived by now. Almost eight killers were now coming.
Evidently, the Hunters had all received a signal to attack. Unfortunately
for them, their intended victims had also been expecting the message. And
they reacted much faster.
Grunting obscenities, two huskily gentlemen dressed in black began wildly
spraying the street with bullets. Coolly, Elena and Corazon Negro aimed and
fired. At this distance, they couldn't miss. The killers dropped like rag
dolls. A third and fourth man, forcing their way through the rain of
projectiles, met their Maker in similar fashion.
Elena and Corazon Negro continued shooting as Heru-sa-aset ran beside them
to meet the Hunters. Catching sight of an attractive young woman armed with
a butcher knife and with homicidal look in her eyes, the Prince brought her
down, breaking her neck with a nonchalance brought about from centuries of
executions. Another killer, armed with two stilettos, jumped toward
Heru-sa-aset. The Prince ducked under the killer's wild swings and thrust
his fist into the man's open mouth. Most of the man's head simply vanished.
Returning their weapons to their holsters, Elena and Corazon Negro took out
their swords and ran to help the Prince as the remaining Hunters tried to
reload their guns. Moving like shadows, the Mapuche and the Aztec quickly
dispatched their foes.
The entire fight lasted less than two minutes. Only the three Immortals and
the ten or so dead were on the street. Corazon Negro and Elena scanned the
area while reloading. There was no sign of anybody else -- including the
police.
"This was quick," Elena said. "I didn't even have time to be scared."
"These were the sacrificial lambs," Corazon Negro spoke. In one hand he held
his Maquahuitl. "They were here merely to confirm our identities. I'm sure
the real shock troops are on the way."
As if in response to the Aztec remarks, two black touring sedans roared down
the street, heading in their direction. Heavy-duty machine guns, poking out
of the armor-plated windows, shrieked a song of lead.
Elena and Corazon Negro hit the pavement. Only Heru-sa-aset seemed
unconcerned. The Immortal's brows knitted in concentration. He made no other
move.
The walls fronting the street trembled as a hail of bullets tore at them.
However, by some miracle, the gunfire never touched Heru-sa-aset. The lead
seemed to bend around the ancient Immortal. He stood untouched in a torrent
of gunfire.
!Que barbaridad! Such great power! Elena thought, as she watched. I wonder
if he can teach
me that!
An instant later, the machine gun in the first car coughed, made a grinding
noise, and stopped firing. A load bullet had accidentally caught in the
muzzle. It happened so fast there wasn't enough time for the triggerman to
stop firing. With a roar, the rear of the first car burst into fire as the
machine gun exploded. Tires screeching, the car lurched across the street
and slammed into the wall. Another explosion rocked the car as the extra
magazines of ammunition exploded. Flames engulfed it. No one emerged.
Seeing the fate of the lead car, the driver of the second vehicle
immediately slammed on the brakes. Gears screamed as the car began skidding
to a halt. But before it could come to a full stop, the auto hit a patch of
oil left when the other car first exploded. Brakes locked, tires turned.
Still speeding, the second vehicle whipped about in a wide circle, out of
control, then slammed into the burning wreckage of the first auto. It, too,
caught on fire. Shrieks of agony poured from the vehicle but, surprisingly,
no one came tumbling out onto the street.
Elena was almost at the point of trying to rescue the Hunters -- even
killers
deserved a better death than burning alive, she thought, remembering the
times she'd burned. But before she could act, the car seemed to jump up into
the air as the machine gun and drums of ammunition detonated. She shuddered.
Heru-sa-aset walked toward Elena and Corazon Negro. "Do not concern yourself
with the fate of this killers, Elena," said the Prince. "You did what was
necessary. Those men meant to kill us. If it was us burning, they'd be
laughing."
Elena nodded. "If the street had been full of people, they would still have
attacked us, no matter the body count of innocents. They just wanted to kill
us, no matter the price! You are right; a competent assassin never stains
his hands with innocent blood. They paid the price for their ineptness."
Corazon Negro glanced about. The street was deserted. All was quiet, except
for the roar of the burning cars. "No sirens," he remarked. "That's not
good."
"I'll say. Where are those pesky police?" Elena asked.
Heru-sa-aset closed his eyes. He shook his head. "I sense a great danger
approaching from four different directions. More Hunters."
"Hunting parties," said Corazon Negro grabbing Elena's hand. "The
authorities have been paid off. We are on our own."
"Just the way we like it, my love," Elena said caressing his cheek. "Let's
get out of here! A moving target..."
"We're here for one purpose-to locate Myrddin at all costs," commented
Heru-sa-aset, bringing them back to their duty. "He lives in the tunnels
beneath the town. One of the entrances to his lair, I believe, is hidden
somewhere near the cemetery."
Elena nodded. The cemetery again, of course just like in Haiti all those
years ago. She felt like a vampire hunter.
"It's just a block away," Corazon Negro said, remembering the map. Hand in
hand, he and Elena crossed the street. "We have no more time to lose."
========
Island of Nod
Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean
March 25, 2013
The intercom buzzed on August Medici's desk. Reaching over, the Hunter
chieftain pressed the speaker button. "Well?" he asked.
"Our agents have made positive identification of their quarry in the
vicinity of Glastonbury," declared a voice. "Both Elena Duran and Corazon
Negro are definitely there."
"Excellent," said Medici. Across the desk, seated in a comfortable easy
chair, was Naema. Resting across her lap was her long staff. Her face
registered no expression at the news. "When will the attack begin?" Medici
continued.
The line was silent for a moment. There was a noticeable lack of enthusiasm
in the voice when it resumed speaking. "The first attempt ended minutes
ago," said the voice, speaking slowly, cautiously. "It was not successful.
All of our agents in the vicinity were destroyed. Not one survived. A tall
man with shaved head was with Elena and Corazon Negro. Another Immortal, we
can guess."
"Heru-sa-aset, I suspect," said Naema grinning. "He does not believe in
leaving loose ends."
"He and the other two proved to be unkillable," the voice continued in the
speaker. "The few instances our forces came close enough to mount a serious
attack, bad luck plagued their every action. Cars exploded as gas tanks
ruptured, fires erupted inside their cars, and weapons misfired or jammed.
It was as if the laws of chance turned against them."
"There was no luck," said Naema softly, so that only Medici could hear her.
A grim expression crossed her lips. "As most members of the Ancient
Gathering, the Egyptian possesses great powers."
Medici nodded. He appeared to be remarkably composed, considering the bad
news he was receiving. It didn't matter. The initial contact meant nothing.
That his agents were being slaughtered was equally unimportant. The final
results were all that mattered. "I assume our representatives resumed the
attack?" he asked the speaker.
"Of course. We have our orders. Right now our targets are being watched,
next time-"
Sarcasm dripped from Medici's voice. "Next time you won't fail. I sent
enough troops to do the job, so do it. It is your one chance to redeem
yourself. I want these bastards destroyed. Do you understand? No more
mistakes."
"As you command," said the voice from the speaker, its tone dull with shock.
The intercom clicked off.
"How convenient," said Naema, with a wave of a hand. A member of the
original Ancient Gathering and a Headless Child, she was not concerned about
the fate of underlings. "I feel certain this night is going to be fun."
"Meaning?" Medici asked.
"Local folktales state that there is an entrance to Myrddin's lair located
somewhere near the cemetery."
"Interesting," answered Medici, "but unimportant. My representatives in the
town found four secret portals to the tunnels scattered throughout the
municipality. Each of them descends into the lower depths from a different
direction. We have this Myrddin surrounded. All that remains is to spring
the trap, crushing him and our enemies like bugs."
"If the fighting started minutes ago," said Naema rising from her chair,
"They are probably well on their way to Myrddin's lair. Waiting too long to
attack would be a terrible miscalculation. Together, the four of them will
prove to be formidable opponents."
"I know what you mean," said Medici, picking a throwing ax off the wall
behind him-the entire wall was covered with blades. He felt much more secure
being armed when Naema was standing. The touch of cold steel always
comforted him. "We will find them and destroy them in the caves," he said
with assurance.
"Myrddin and Heru-sa-aset are very powerful," Naema said smiling. "Elena and
Corazon Negro may be younger, but they had powerful mentors."
Medici sneered. "Why am I not trembling? After our meeting with the
Watchers, I instructed my top killers throughout England to assemble in
Glastonbury. These are no ordinary Hunters. They are the finest, most
dangerous murderers of my organization. An army of assassins, they are armed
with the most up-to-date technology and weapons available. Doppler echo guns
and motion detectors will make finding Myrddin and the others a trivial
exercise." He smiled at Naema. "We have the advantage. Within hours, those
four nuisances will be no more."
"I hope so," Naema commented icily. "For your sake."
Medici's grip tightened on the ax. "I thought we were together in this."
"You presume too much," Naema said, her voice grew colder. "If those members
of the Ancient Gathering somehow survive the night, I will have made four
extremely powerful enemies. Days ago, I met with Aylon, the Old Man of the
Mountain in his fortress in Alamut. He agreed to work with me. However, I
could not make my move back then. We went our separate ways. Aylon went to
Scotland, trying to find Zarach. Supposedly, I went to Glastonbury to help
Myrddin. Instead, I came here by Lilitu's orders."
Medici watched Naema. The black beauty sounded concerned. "Zarach,
Heru-sa-aset, Aylon and Myrddin are unquestionably deadly foes. However,
compared to the new Dreamer, the Aztec called Corazon Negro, they are little
more than nuisance, even when the Indio doesn't realize yet his full
potential. Even Lilitu fears the power of the new Dreamer."
Medici nodded. Reaching into the pocket of his suit, he pulled out a compact
cellular phone. Eyes burning, he pressed a four-button code. The connection,
made by satellite, took less than ten seconds. "Now," he said into the
mouthpiece. Then broke the connection.
"The hunt has begun," he declared, his eyes burning. "My agents will report
as soon as contact is made. The tunnels will serve as the tomb of our
enemies."
Naema smiled. "Destroy those four bastards," she declared, "or you will
pay."