The Paladin (22 page)

"Where on earth did you get that that thing?"

"I got it when I turned sweet sixteen," she said with a grin. "Comes in handy in my line of work."

"Just what kind of kindergarten did you teach at?"

***

Silas moved silently along the side of the Beck house using the extensive landscaping as cover.
Beck has done well since I have been gone. This house is enormous.

John Beck's house sat upon a low ridge, just to the north of Bryson City. While the town below the ridge took the brunt of the storm's fury, the big house escaped with only a few fallen trees and loose shingles.

Avoiding a bank of tall windows, he came upon a side door.

No sign of anyone about. Place is as quite as a tomb. It's all up to Maggie now.

***

Maggie moved past the free-form swimming pool to a small brick building sitting by itself. She could hear the hum of a gasoline engine from within.

Carefully, she tried the door and found it unlocked. Nudging it open, she slipped inside.

The small, windowless structure had a single door that fastened from the outside.

Maggie easily found the off switch and shut down the generator. Using Kali, she severed the thick cable that fed the house. Maggie left the generator and took refuge behind the pool house.

***

Checking his watch and confident that the power was disabled Silas tested the door and found it locked. Taking the six-foot pry bar in his hand, he placed one end in the jamb and popped the door open. Anxiously he waited, but there wasn't any response to the sharp noise.

Silas leaned the steel bar against the side of the house.
This is too easy. If I had any sense I would run, but I have to find that vessel.

Cautiously, Silas entered the dark, silent house. Moving into the empty garage, he entered a door and found himself in the kitchen. He glanced around with wonder at the immaculate room gleaming with stainless-steel appliances.

Moving through a swinging door, he made his way into the elegant dining room and nearly stumbled over a body.

In shock, Silas stared at the dead woman; from her uniform, he knew her to be a maid. Silas snorted in disgust. With all the wasted blood, he knew Celeste didn't do this.

Looking up from the body, he spied another maid draped partially over an end table.

"Welcome, young man, to our little trap," said Mrs. Anderson.

The two men who had been waiting on either side of the wide doorway seized Silas.

"Longtime, no see, kid," said Albert Pope with a wicked grin. "Never thought I would see that pretty face of yours again."

Across the spacious living room, sitting in a wide wingback chair, was Mrs. Anderson. Gone was her illusion of the elderly schoolteacher. She appeared as her true self.

She was dressed in a long blood red silk robe and her head was swathed in a matching turban. To Silas the witch looked like a predatory serpent.

"I knew that the Paladin had an accomplice, but I didn't expect it to be you, Mr. Cole."

"I think you should have stayed in that hole, kid," said Albert Pope."I can't believe you thought we would fall for this."

"I was hoping," said Silas. "Why kill those poor women?"

"All part of the plan," said Mrs. Anderson.

"Wasn't us," said Don with a laugh.

"Yeah, you are one blood-thirsty asshole," said Albert.

"You want to frame me for murder?"

"We wanted to frame the Paladin," said Mrs. Anderson. "But with you involved, it will work even better. No one in this god-forsaken town will doubt another Cole going bad. This is wonderful, dear Zack. "

"Looks like you have this all figured out."

"Yes," she said. "Now be a good fellow and tell us where the Paladin is and your death will be quick and painless."

"Slips my mind at the moment," said Silas.

"Hold him still," she said. "I will take what need from his mind."

Silas looked at Don and said, "I really find this hard, especially after what you did, but I forgive you, both of you."

"Well, that's real sweet of you, kid," said Albert with a laugh.

"I just hope that you can forgive me for this."

Exhibiting strength well beyond that of an ordinary man, Silas stamped hard on Don's instep, crushing it. Crying in pain, Don loosened his grip on Silas's arm. Silas jerked his right arm up and out of the smaller man's grasp. He then delivered a sharp, chopping blow with the edge of his hand to Don's large hooknose. Don staggered back, screaming curses and clutching at his face as blood spurted from his ruined nose.

Silas balled his freed fist and with unbelievable speed slammed it into Albert's face.

With a deep grunt, coupled with the snapping of bones, the big redhead flew off his feet and slammed into a Steinway a few feet away. The brutal thug slid to the floor, dead.

Mrs. Anderson muttered a spell. With a wave of her hand, she cast an odd distortion at Silas.

Silas grabbed the wounded Don by the front of his shirt and held him before him like a shield. The spell hit Don and he screamed, withered, and died.

Taking a step forward, Silas launched the corpse at the witch and they collapsed in a tangled heap. Before she could escape, Silas was on her and clutched her tightly by the throat.

"That was a mistake," she gasped.

Silas suddenly felt a spasm of nausea course through his body. To his horror, he lost control of his body as his hands opened and the witch slipped free.

"What have you done to me?"

"The puppet doesn't talk back to its master," she said.

With a wave of her hand, she tossed Silas about the room like a ragdoll.

"Let go of him!" Maggie screamed as she ran into the room brandishing Kali.

A flick of her wrist, and Silas flew out a window with a mighty crash.

"You bitch!" Maggie cried as she swung Kali."If you have hurt him, I'll cut your heart out!"

"Temper, temper," said Mrs. Anderson as she muttered another spell.

Maggie screamed as the world around her was plunged into darkness.

The witch chuckled as she withdrew a small knife.

Blinded, Maggie swung Kali wildly.
Kali, help me!

"Hang on, Maggie,"
she said.

The enchanted blade moved and slashed toward the witch.

"Oh, now that isn't fair," Mrs. Anderson said with a laugh. "Kuuuunderhundersomm!"

Suddenly, to Kali's senses, hundreds of witches appeared.

"Maggie, she has cast a spell…I see her everywhere!"

"We need to get away from her," said Maggie.

"I am impressed, my dear," said the witch. "Where did you acquire Kali? She has been lost for several hundred years. Give her to me and I'll let you go."

"Go to hell!" Maggie screamed and lunged at the voice.

"No matter, when you are dead, Kali will be mine."

The witch turned suddenly, as Silas leaped back through the shattered window. With the spells cast upon on Maggie and Kali, the witch had lost control of Silas.

Broken and bloody, he snatched up the piano bench and smashed Mrs. Anderson to the ground. The witch groaned and tried to rise. Silas slammed a boot down on her chest, knocking the breath from her.

The witch's concentration was broken and Maggie's vision returned.

With an oath, Maggie surged forward and held Kali millimeters from the witch's quivering throat.

"M-mercy," stammered the witch. She could hear Kali whining for her life and raw fear flooded her black soul.

"Where is the Collamarr?" asked Silas, wiping blood from an ugly gash that ran across his face. "Talk fast witch, ‘cause hell is about a quarter of an inch away."

"Amen!" said Maggie. "Try anything cute, you old bitch, and I'll serve up witch sushi."

Wide eyed, Mrs. Anderson looked at her own reflection in the mystic blade and she saw grinning death beckoning for her.

"Not here…it is at my house. Get that damn thing away from me! Without my help, you could never breach my defenses."

"So, how do we get in?" asked Silas, wincing in pain. "I think you broke my arm."

"We will have to go together or you will never set eyes on the vessel again."

"Fat chance," said Maggie. "I trust you as far as I can throw you. Tell us how to get in, or so help me—"

"Time is up," the witch said with a smile. "The police are on their way."

The faint sound of approaching sirens made Maggie turn her head and grimace.

"Do you smell smoke?" asked Mrs. Anderson, smiling.

Thick black smoke began to rise from the ventilation ducts.

"They set the house on fire," said Silas. "We are caught between a rock and a hard place."

"Shit," said Maggie. "I'm not going to jail!"

"Win some, you lose some, Paladin," said the witch. "Now give me your lovely knife and I'll show you a way out, or you two idiots are screwed."

"Beck has done a number on us," said Maggie. "But I won't deal with a murdering thing like you. Give my regards to Bill Long."

"No!" cried the witch.

Maggie grabbed Silas's hand before plunging Kali into the witch. Mrs. Anderson uttered a bloodcurdling cry of agony as her life force flowed into Kali. The massive jolt of living energy washed over Maggie and Silas like a wave of pure joy.

As the sensation dissipated, Silas pulled away, and to his amazement, found his terrible wounds, both cuts and even broken bones had healed.

"Amazing," he said.

"Tasty,"
purred Kali.

"Now we go, Ghost Boy," said Maggie grabbing his arm.

27

John and Celeste Beck sat under a colorful sun umbrella watching the police cars roar past.

"Almost like watching a parade," he said. Drawing on a Cuban cigar, he blew a cloud of smoke and waved.

"Yes, it is, John," said Celeste. "Champagne?"

"Yes, please," he said holding out his fluted glass.

"To the death of John Beck and the birth of a new life. This old world will never be the same."

"Amen," she said. "So, what happens now?"

"Jonny Law will find my house an inferno. After the ashes are sifted, they will assume that Maggie had broken in and murdered me along with my entire household staff. Unfortunately for her, she perished in the terrible fire she started."

"What if she survives?"

"Escape the schoolteacher?" asked Beck. "Preposterous! However, there is only one road leading to the house, and as you can see, the police are blocking it. If the poor girl does survive, she will no doubt spend the rest of her life on death row." Beck laughed. "Maggie should have thought twice before matching wits with me. I suppose that whoever sent her will have to look for a new Paladin."

"I take it that we are about to resume our travels?"

"No, my dear," he said. "Our old way of life is over. By the way, did you finish the DVDs I selected for you?"

"Yes, but I will admit that some of it was over my head. It is amazing how man's knowledge has exploded while I was gone. They are almost to the level of the pre-flood world."

"Exactly," he said, lighting a fresh cigar. "We can't hide on the fringe of society anymore. It would not be long until we were found out. Besides, well before we came to Bryson City, I was getting tired of always being on the run."

"What do you propose?"

"As you well know, civilization is like a house of cards, if we use your…gift, we can bring it down. In the aftermath, we will run roughshod over what is left. No more hiding, no more deception."

"My 'gift,' as you put it, aroused the power of God and destroyed my creators."

"I don't want to eliminate mankind," he said blowing a cloud of smoke. "I merely wish to cull the herd a bit. There are over five billion souls on this miserable rock. Four and a half more than we need."

"I am far too weak for such an undertaking," she said. "To build up to such a feat would require a vast feeding. We are talking hundreds of humans."

"Then I guess we should get started. I directed the rest of my security men to rendezvous here. Their deaths should whet your appetite as well as clean up a few loose ends."

"But what about what you said about modern police methods finding us?"

"By the time the truth is known it will be too late to stop us."

Beck's phone rang.

"Dana, my dear, how is the alibi going?"

"Like clockwork, sir," she said. "It is as airtight as could be had."

"Excellent," he said. "It seems that as we speak, we are having guests to our fire sale."

"What about the pest?"

"No doubt moved on to greener pastures. My dear, we must part ways for a while. You will keep in touch with me at this number. You are not to record it in any way or share it with anyone. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir. What about Harold?"

"Dana, Harold has been an exemplary employee, but to be honest, I trust that nigger about as far as I can throw him. He will be useful in the days to come, but under no circumstances is he to have the number, or know where we are holed up."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, run along and play the part of an outraged, grieving woman demanding justice."

"I promise to be a sight," she said coolly.

"That's my girl."

***

Silas and Maggie ran through the smoke-filled house, encountering more bodies.

"This place is a slaughterhouse!" said Silas.

As they ran, they heard a crashing boom as the police hammered open the elegant front door.

"It would not do to be caught here," he said as they burst through a door into Beck's private library.

"What the hell?" exclaimed Maggie.

Sitting on Beck's desk was a large white poster board. Written in bold font it read:

THE GETAWAY CAR IS BY THE POOL.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

LOVE, LARRY.

The pair burst through the French doors and out onto the carefully manicured lawn.

"Stop, police officers!"

Maggie and Silas ignored the command and ran along the now blazing house.

As they rounded the pool house, Maggie saw their ride and laughed.