Exodus (16 page)

XVI

“I think it may very well be time we leave.”

Anthony wasn’t sure he’d heard him right.  “It’s time we do what?”  He mumbled. 

“Leave.”  Daviathan repeated, the sound echoing in Anthony’s head.

There was a loud crack and then the scraggily haired man was standing in front of him.  Anthony grinned and sat up.  His face had become familiar to him; it was a welcome sight in his dimly lit cell.

Daviathan smiled back and then spoke.  “I brought someone with me, someone who has longed to meet you.”

Anthony looked around the cramped cell.  There was certainly no space for anyone to hide.

“Um, is he invisible?”  Anthony asked, trying not to sound condescending.

“Lupercus, get in here.”  Daviathan said aloud.

There was another crack and a man appeared next to him.  He was the same height, but broader than Daviathan.  His hair was the most brilliant golden color Anthony had ever seen.  His eyes were a radiant orange like the color of the sun.  His veins pulsed under his copper colored skin.

“Is this the boy?  I tell you Daviathan he doesn’t look like much.”  Lupercus smirked.

Anthony had to admit, if he’d seen himself huddled in the dingy cell he’d think the same thing.  His hair had grown past his shoulders and knotted together.  He’d lost at least thirty pounds and the parts of his face that weren’t covered by his rope-like hair were smeared with dirt and grime.

“He’s seventeen Lupercus, seventeen human years.  Just look at him, look at him and tell me he is not the one.”

Lupercus sighed and took a step forward.  Instinctively, Anthony squirmed away and cowered in the corner.  Lupercus paused and raised an eyebrow.

“I mean you no harm child.  Let’s have a look at you.”

Anthony slowly stood up.  His legs shook wildly and he leaned against the wall to steady himself.  He looked to Daviathan and he nodded back at him.  Hesitantly, Anthony took a step closer.

“What do you call yourself?”  Lupercus asked.

“Anthony.”  He responded, barely above a whisper.

“What does he know of us?”  Lupercus looked to Daviathan.

“Nothing, he was raised as one of the humans.  He knows nothing of our ways, nothing of his true power.” 

“Hmph, you risk much Daviathan.  My charge is now the safe keeping of the two proximas.  With any luck they will be enough.  You risk discovery prior to their maturity, and for what?  We can’t humor every delusion you have.  The centum is lost to us.”

Lupercus turned to walk away.  Daviathan grabbed his shoulder and spun him back around.

“Lupercus look at him!  Look at him and tell me you think otherwise.”  Daviathan demanded.   

Lupercus stared into him.  His orange eyes flickered like the ambers of a flame.  He took a deep breath and then turned back to Anthony.

“Give me your hand boy.” 

Anthony held his arm out and Lupercus grabbed him around the wrist.  There was nothing at first and then a surge of energy like an electric shock, shot through his fingers.

Lupercus stumbled backwards.  He fell into the wall and grabbed his chest.  He breathed heavily, staring at Anthony in awe.

“This…this can’t be.”  Lupercus gasped.

He looked to Daviathan in bewilderment.  His mind raced with questions.  Straightening himself up, he pushed off the wall and warily walked towards Anthony.

“It’s not possible.”  He whispered.

He gently grabbed the sides of Anthony’s face and swept the thick tangled hair out of the way.  He stared into his eyes and for a moment everything vanished.  It was just Anthony and Lupercus.

They were standing in emptiness.  All around them there was nothing, not blackness, but the absence of matter.

“I can see them now.”  Lupercus said.  “You look so much alike.”  His eyes began to tear.  “It’s fitting that they named you Anthony.  You are known to our kind as Lux Caelunem.”

Anthony smiled at him.  He was unsure why, but he felt as though he knew him.

“Who are you?”  Anthony asked.

“I am…well I guess in words you would understand I am your god father.”

Anthony’s mouth fell open.  “Do you know who my real parents are?”

Lupercus’ face fell, but he did not break eye contact.  “Your parents died long ago.  They sacrificed themselves for you…and your brothers naturally.”

“I have brothers?”  Anthony exclaimed.

“Oh yes two of them, Telum Dues and Scuto Celeritas.  These days they’ve chosen to go by more human names however, Devin and Cayden.”

    “Lupercus!”  A voice called.  Anthony heard it like a soft echo on the wind.

“Lupercus!  They are coming.”  It was Daviathan’s voice and it had a dire sense of urgency.

“We will talk more when you are safe.”  Lupercus said.

And with that they were back inside of his cell.  Daviathan was pacing about the floor and stopped when they appeared.

“So it is true?”  He asked desperately.

“Yes, he is the centum.”

“Then you know what we must do.”

“I do.”

Anthony looked from one to the other in complete confusion.  They carried on the conversation like he wasn’t there.

“Get word to the old woman and let the others know.  We must do this soon, for I fear they may already know too much.”

Lupercus nodded then turned to Anthony and smiled. “We have much to catch up on.  I know you have many questions and I will answer them all when the time comes.”  He touched the side of Anthony’s face.  “It is so good to see you.”  And with that he vanished.

“We will be free of this place soon.  I know nothing makes sense, but it will.”  Daviathan said as he stepped towards him.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang and the rattling of keys.  Daviathan whipped around, right as the heavy iron door swung open.

A hairy faced guard loomed in the doorway, swaying back and forth like a baby giant.  His black hair was clipped into a buzz cut.  Sweat drizzled down the contours of his filthy face like a river and splashed onto the floor.

Next to him was a tiny man, dressed in scrubs and a lab coat.  He was young, barely out of college and the expression on his face screamed fear.  A silver pen was tucked behind his ear and he hugged a brown clipboard to his chest.

“What the…”  The guard yelled.

He shoved the smaller man into the hallway and dove forward.  Anthony leapt backwards out of the way, and slid across the floor.  Daviathan turned his head to the side, but didn’t move, he simply looked at the guard with mild interest.

He rammed into Daviathan like a linebacker, sending them both flying back into the wall.  They collided with such force that the stone cracked and the walls shook.

Daviathan grunted then smashed his fist into the man’s face like a jackhammer.  The guard staggered away, grabbing his face in pain.  He growled lowly and shook his head.

Layers of skin started to fall to the floor, revealing his animal like features.  His lips snarled back, exposing teeth the size of dinner knives.  His hands stretched into claws like a lizard.  His eyeballs sunk in, almost vaporizing into black holes.

“Ya filthy inbred swine!”  The guard spat as he lunged again at Daviathan.

His claws tore into Daviathan’s arm, raking across his chest.  Blood splattered onto the wall as he bellowed in agony.  Stumbling backwards, he positioned himself between Anthony and the guard.

“No more!”  Daviathan yelled.  “We’ve suffered your kind long enough.”

The guard rolled his head back and began to laugh.  The high pitched cackling echoed down the hallway.  “Suffered my kind.”  He smirked.  “Look around you.  We built this; we molded your precious dimensions to our will.  We put you here.”  His voice growled.

As Daviathan sat listening, his wounds had already healed.  His skin hardened and his eyes started to pulse brighter and brighter.

“Yes, they are our dimensions.  Shame you never asked yourself why we chose to stay.”

Daviathan surged at him, wrapping his arms around the guard’s torso.  With a flash they both vanished.  Anthony jumped to his feet.  The other man was outside staring into the cell in shock.  He locked eyes with Anthony and then tore off down the hallway.

With a loud pop Daviathan returned.  He quickly scanned the room.  “Which way…which way did he go?  We cannot let him alert the others.”

Anthony pointed down the hall and Daviathan took off after him.  Minutes later Daviathan walked back through the cell door closing it behind him.

XVII

“Cut the lights!”  Steve whispered.

Mit dove at the wall, swiping the switch before he tumbled to the floor.  He quickly slid behind the couch and hunkered down with the rest of the group.

“There’s no way someone just finds this place.”  Mikey said.

Nickie looked at him with fear in her eyes.  The images of Mr. Clark’s house burning to ashes were fresh in all of their minds.  It was a fear they lived with every night, that someone would find them and do the same thing.

A pair of headlights shined through the window into the living room.  A car door closed and they could hear the sound of several footsteps crunching on the gravel outside.  A loud thud meant someone had just stepped onto the wooden landing right outside of the front door.

“Where’s the car?”  Mikey asked, looking to Steve.

“I moved it down by the river.”

“Good call, but I think we’re gonna need to get to it soon.”

“Will both of you just shut up!”  Mit snapped.

The handle wiggled back and forth and someone pushed against the heavy door.  Nickie shivered and crouched lower to the ground.

“This has got to be it.”  A man’s voice called from outside.

“Honey!  Honey, you took a wrong turn.”  A woman yelled back.  “The street is called Lakeview Vista, not Lake Vista.”

“Yeah dad, I don’t think this really qualifies as a luxury cabin.”  A young girl said.

There was a pause and then the sound of footsteps heading away.  Mikey crawled to the window and peeked out of it.  A man and a teenage girl were walking back to an SUV.  Two young boys followed close behind them.  A skinny redheaded woman was sitting in the passenger seat smiling at them.

Mikey turned back to the couch and grinned.  “A hot chick, her dad and some rugrats.”

As the SUV backed down the trail they collectively sighed.  Nickie laid her head back and relaxed against the sofa.  Mikey joined Steve and Mit in the kitchen where they resumed making their final run through for tomorrow’s mission.

“God, I’ll be glad when this is all over.”  Mikey said as he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“When what is over?”  “Steve looked at him and shook his head.  “This is just starting.  You’ve seen what they can do.  You think we’re gonna march in there, snatch Anthony and no one will notice?”

“I was just saying.”  Mikey mumbled.

“Just saying what?  We shot a few cans in the back and now we’re an assault team?”

“Jesus Steve.  Why do you have to be so negative?”  Nickie asked as she walked into the kitchen.

“Are you serious?  I’m the only one being realistic.  What do we do after this?  Where do we go?  We get Anthony and then what?  If the Brady Bunch found this place, how long before someone else does?”

“Steve’s right.”  Mit declared.  “We need to figure out what’s next.  We need to find out what’s really going on.”

“Well isn’t that what Mr. Clark was doing?  He left us everything in that box, there has to be something that can help us.  Something other than those bottles of cow farts.”  Mikey said pointing at the vials of Zaspar that were sitting on the counter.

“First things first.  We get Anthony and come back here then we can plan for what comes next.  Let’s all just get some sleep.  We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”  Mit gave a half-hearted smile and then headed to the room.

A phone buzzed and he turned around.  Nickie ran to her bag and grabbed it.

“You were supposed to break that damn thing!”  Steve screamed.

“It’s my freaking mom!  What did you expect me to do?”

“What we all did.”  Steve shot back.  “You knew what we were doing, we talked about this.”

Nickie raised her middle finger and scowled at Steve.  “Hello mom.  Yes, yes I’m fine.  I told you I’d be back next week.  We can talk about it then.”

Everyone stared at her as she paced back and forth on the phone.  Since the night after they first arrived at the cabin, they had already dealt with their parents.  They’d all made up random stories, which proved to be easier than they thought.

Mit’s parents had left for Ireland at the beginning of the summer and assumed he’d be staying with Mikey anyway.  Mikey’s parents were fine with him spending weeks on end at Steve’s house and Steve’s parents seemed to never notice if he was home or not.

On Mit’s orders, after they’d made their calls, they destroyed their phones and threw them in the lake.  Nickie had obviously kept a spare.

“Why?  Why would he do that?”  Nickie started to yell at her mom.  “Well I don’t care.  I don’t need Mark to find me.  Oh my god mom can’t your just trust me for once, I’m freaking eighteen!  Well tell him not to worry anyway cause he’s not gonna find me.  I’m not even in California anymore!”  Nickie shouted then hung up the phone.

Mit stared at her in disbelief.  She seemed to understand what she had done the minute she hung up.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry.  I wasn’t thinking.”

Steve grabbed the phone from her hand and smashed it onto the floor.  He stomped on it and turned to Mikey.

“Start packing the car, we’re leaving tonight.”