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Chapter -17- Fox Hunt

September 16, 12:04am PDT Pier 80, San Francisco ...

** "Do you still have faith of that which came before we were alive to see?"** asked Tamamo-no-Mae.

Sinopa nodded.

Tamamo turned to Sinopa and said, "We should say a prayer. That our actions be swift, graceful, and victorious in the name of Kuni-toko-tachi no mikoto. Just as he was swift, graceful and victorious in doing the work of the Creator, which bore Heaven and Earth out of chaos - we now do the work expected of us by the divinity to which we must have everlasting faith." She reached for Sinopa's hands.

Sinopa remained quiet and reverent.

Tamamo, in the possessed body, bowed her head, so that her forehead came to rest against Sinopa's own.

They chanted softly together in prayer of victory in battle.

At the conclusion of their quietly murmured prayer, Tamamo reached behind her back and, from thin air, withdrew a brilliant sword from an unseen sheath.

Sinopa stepped back.

Tamamo offered the three-tail a smile. "Your sword was finely crafted for having just been fashioned, Sinopa. But I wield only the kogitsune-maru in battle."

Sinopa pursed her lips. "It cost three million yen, sensei. But no amount of yen will purchase a blade forged as brilliantly as the one you wield."

"Mm, I have a small collection in my home. A Muramasa, a Masamune, and, of course..." She twirled the glowing fiery blade by its handle. "This Munechika, which is my favorite."

"Hai, sensei. The kogitsune-maru is a fine blade."

Tamamo offered a brief smile. "Perhaps, one day when you're ready, I will allow you the honor of taking it into battle. But tonight, that honor is mine." She held the blade aloft, admiring it.

Sinopa cut her gaze to the shipping container, briefly. "I am ready."

Tamamo twirled the weapon once in each hand. She moved it back to her right palm and offered an almost sardonic grin.

"You will be using muscles your vessel is not used to stretching. If you injure yourself, you will be the death of her in battle."

Tamamo turned back to her student. "You know so little about possession, because you have your physical body, Sinopa. Now, as a newly liminal being, she has become flooded by what the humans call a 'hormone' from their 'adrenal gland.' Do not question my knowledge - I have proven beyond wise in all areas of academia."

Sinopa turned away so that her teacher would not see her grimace.

Tamamo continued speaking. "Besides, from working the docks, this vessel is rather strong and tone for a female human." Tamamo twirled her sword, again, causing a deep 'whooshing' sound. "And the endorphin release ... I have not felt the rush before battle in far too long. It is intoxicating. Come, then!"

"Hai, sensei," murmured Sinopa, worried for the dockworker's body. She unsheathed her own katana once more, and shifted the spare one to her shoulder, so that it rested along her back.

The two women came around the corner of the metallic container with a casual stride. Their confident gait attracted attention from the men in the black gear.

The first ones to see the kitsune reached for their ski mask and pulled them down to cover their faces. The mercenary on the left whistled long and loud to attract the attention of his coworkers.

The men put down their working tools, ropes and pallet jacks. They reached for handguns on their hips or against their ribcages.

A series of soft metallic clicking sounds - the slides atop of each pistol - could be heard over the intermittent breeze that swept across the dock.

They pointed their weapons forward, towards the approaching women.

"HEY!" Everyone froze at the sound of a young girl's voice. The entire group canted their heads back towards the city, seeing a young lady and middle aged man approach. "I'm here to party crash!"

Tamamo narrowed her gaze and held her hand up towards the approaching blond girl. "This fight is my honor, succubus! You may spectate." Tamamo narrowed her gaze further.

The succubus held her left hand up, using her telekinesis to jam the weapons of the mercenaries. "I'm not trying to barge in on your honor, lady. I'm just here to find your ginger friend."

Sinopa arched her brows.

The succubus added, "I'm Karla Howard."

"Hai," said Tamamo. "You are the daughter of Azazel Cambion. He had a sister, Meridiana, who was famous for her secret romance to Pope Sylvester the Second. I know much about you, Ms. Howard. Now, let us commence with our battle!"

Karla clapped her hands with a laugh. "You know my family? That's awesome!" She re-extended her left hand towards the armed men in black Kevlar.

One of the mercenaries shouted, "Who are you people and what are you doing here?" He kept his gun pointed at Tamamo's possessed body.

"Hai," said Sinopa. "We are kitsune. A pleasure to meet you again, Karla-san."

Donovan glanced to Karla, adjacent to him, and said, "So your father was an incubus? I didn't know that incubi or succubi could reproduce."

Karla grimaced and looked away.

"Karla?" Donovan tilted his head. "Did I say something wrong?"

She drew a deep breath and turned to him, feigning a practiced smile. "It's succubae, honey." Her tone sounded bright, but her eyes said otherwise. "And the Malleus Maleficarum didn't have all its facts straight."

"So it's possible?"

Karla pursed her lips but kept the forced smile. She nodded."

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked again.

"Not at all, honey. You're totally fine." She cleared her throat and added, "It's difficult to impregnate a succubus but not impossible; an incubus has a low sperm count. Very low." She panned her gaze back at the two women with Japanese swords. "I doubt the Kojiki nor the Nihon Shoki had _all_the details perfect, either. Am I right, ladies?"

Tamamo scoffed. "Do not compare our origin mythology to the Catholic witch slaying manual."

Sinopa frowned. "With all due respect, the succubus was not comparing them, she was stating that all human-written work has _some_inconsistencies."

"Exactly!" Karla's expression brightened. "We're all friends here, ladies. I have no beef with you two."

Another mercenary shouted, "Shut up!" He turned towards Karla and Donovan, pointing his weapon towards the couple. "Identify yourselves!"

"Oh shit!" exclaimed a third mercenary. "That's her! The blonde that keeps killing our squads! She can teleport and throw objects!"

"Release their weapons!" Tamamo shouted. "I wish to battle!" She grimaced with a sigh and added, "Soshite itadakemasu ka."

"Oh fine," said Karla. She lowered her left hand.

Several of the men responded by shooting towards Karla. The rounds stopped and hovered in place. She turned to Donovan. "I knew they were going to do that. Men with weapons are so predictable."

Donovan remained silent.

Tamamo groaned in dismay. "You're distracting them."

Karla plucked one of the bullets from the air and flicked it over her shoulder. The rest of the bullets dropped to the ground. "No, no, boys. I was told to spectate. You're supposed to attack the two babes with swords." Karla turned to Donovan, and, in a softer voice, said, "Ever seen a demigoddess fight? This is exciting."

Donovan sighed but said nothing.

Tamamo let out an exuberant battle cry and charged the group.

Karla blinked and folded her arms, impressed. "Did she just say Banzai?"

"I do believe I heard that word somewhere in her statement," Donovan murmured in reply. "However, these women do not appear Japanese."

"Yeah, no kidding." Karla trailed off.

A flash of fire sprouted up like a pillar near the squad.

Karla flinched. "That seems so familiar to me."

Another fire exploded out of thin air up on the cargo ship. An alarm sounded on the cargo vessel, with flashing LED lights on various sections of the ship's main deck.

"Holy crap. I love the whole fire thing," said Karla, while watching the two women dive into battle, full on.

A wall of fire rose up, boxing in the attackers on one side.

Karla pursed her lips.

Donovan turned to her. "Something wrong?"

"I'm not sure. I just thought of someone I've not seen in a very long time. Darius. I think he was burned in a fire at one point. I can't ... remember." She shrugged and shook her head. "Don't mind me. I'm just being weird and hormonal or something. Let's watch the show."

Up near the metal shipping containers, Sinopa reached for a tessen fan and opened it. She lined up the fan with the angle of a weapon pointed at her.

As predicted, the mercenary fired his gun at Sinopa at shoulder height.

The round struck her angled metal fan, deflecting the bullet.

Sinopa pivoted on her foot and swung her katana blade.

The sword sliced through the gunner's hands and separated the handle from the handgun. Bullets spilled across the concrete and blood gushed in unison to the attacker's shout of agony.

Sinopa glanced down at a welt in her tessen fan. Her sore left palm was red from using a metal fan to deflect a bullet.

She placed her thumb over the welt mark in the metal fan and created heat to push the welt out of the metal.

Sinopa snapped the tessen fan shut and grimaced. Her left palm healed and the pain faded.

Tamamo, several feet away, pulled her sword from one man's chest. Tamamo flipped her blade around and drove the sword backwards into a man approaching her from behind.

The elder demigoddess beamed, high on adrenaline. Her sword jutted from the attacker's chest.

Tamamo put her foot on the dying body in front of her. She kick-flipped away from him, performing a somersault over the man behind her.

The sword moved with Tamamo's backflip. When she landed behind the second attacker, she pulled her sword free from his back.

The mercenary dropped to the ground on the left and right, split vertically in two halves.

Meanwhile, nearby, Sinopa thrust her left hand outwards. A fist-sized fireball launched from her palm and struck a nearby mercenary in the chest.

The attacker's gear ignited in flame. He ran to the edge of the dock, screaming in agony. The mercenary dove into the water.

Sinopa turned about and extended her sword arm. Her katana glanced across a soldier's gun, knocking it from his hands.

He dove away from her to evade her next attack.

Back by the nearest lamppost, Karla shifted her weight while watching. "I wish I had popcorn. Battle scenes are so much more epic in real life than they are in movies."

"That's because you're more emotionally engaged due to the fact that what you're seeing is real," Donovan told her.

"I want popcorn," the succubus said. "Slathered in butter."

Donovan kept his eyes forward, watching the battle.

Karla stretched a bit. "Y'know, back when I used to watch a lot of TV in the 80's and 90's, I used to think those TV commercials said, 'Orlando Lakes butter.' I always pictured Mickey Mouse selling butter by the stick to little kids."

"Karla..."

"No, seriously. It's why I bought their butter. I liked the mental imagery."

"Karla..."

"No, Donnie. It's true. You know what? If Land O' Lakes changed their name to LOL Butter, they'd increase their sales to the youth crowd."

"Karla..." Donovan eyed her and shook his head.

"What?"

"Nothing." He turned his attention back to the combat unfolding twenty-five feet away. A hint of a grin touched the man's lips. "Honestly, 'LOL Butter' sounds like a butter substitute. I wouldn't buy it."

"Honey, you're so cute. But, honestly, unless you made it yourself, all butter is fake, Donnie." She put her hands on her hips and huffed with indignation.

He stole a glance at the succubus. "I heard that sigh - what's wrong?"

Karla shrugged. "They're going to kill all the bad guys before I get to fight."

"It's dishonorable to interrupt a battle unless invited. Japanese or otherwise."

"Oh fine." Karla stuck out her lower lip and blew air up, causing her bangs to flit about. "You're no fun."

Donovan remained silent.

Up by the shipping containers, the two kitsune came back to back.

The mercenaries flanked Tamamo and Sinopa, creating a horseshoe, with the ship and water blocking in the two women.

The nearby wall of fire faded and fizzled out. Tamamo twirled her sword with an air of confidence. "We appear to be at a standoff. They fear you, Sinopa-chan. One of them has shot you, and you did not die. Now they're worried for their lives."

One of the mercenaries told his fellow men, "Separate the head, guys."

Sinopa grimaced. "Now what do you suggest, Tamamo-sama?"

"Kitsune-ken?" Tamamo asked.

"Seriously? You know of that game?"

Tamamo smiled again. "Did you forget? 'Knowledgeable in all things,' little one." Tamamo brought her left hand from the bottom of the handle of her sword and held it out.

Sinopa mirrored the gesture. The two women lifted and then thrust their hands outward three times, followed by a finishing gesture.

Karla, a little ways a way, squinted her eyes. "Are they playing Rock, Paper, Scissors? Seems trite." Her grin broadened. "I like it."

"I'm not sure," Donovan replied.

Tamamo appeared delighted to have won the little game. "You thought I would have chosen hunter?" Tamamo scoffed with a grin. "Fox bewitches your village headman. I win. The spotlight is mine. Watch and learn, young one, as I put them all on their backs."

Sinopa lowered her blade and relaxed her posture.

Tamamo turned back to the mercenary group and clutched her left hand into a fist. A massive fireball erupted on the cargo ship, knocking all the mercenaries to the ground. "Now!"

Sinopa followed suit, pouncing upon the nearest soldier. She drove her sword into the man's chest just as he lifted his arm to fire his pistol.

Tamamo gracefully swayed her right arm outwards, cleaving two heads from the shoulders of the distracted mercenaries.

Two gunmen remained. They quickly got to their feet.

Tamamo-no-Mae stumbled. She looked down and blinked.

Sinopa could see the confusion on her teacher's face.

Tamamo looked at the body of the man Sinopa had just defeated. The elder kitsune gazed down at the dockhand's overalls she wore.

A dark ink-like stain spread through the denim. "I ... they didn't have such sil...silly objects in my day in this realm." Tamamo slowly lowered to her knees, struggling to keep her balance so as not to fall over.

Sinopa turned to face Tamamo, eyes wide.

"Uso." Tamamo clenched her jaw. "Chikusho ... not again." Her sword, the kogitsune-maru, vanished. "Shimatta." She dabbed at the wound and winced. "...Uzai."

"Tamamo-sama..." Sinopa swallowed down emotion. "Your wound is fatal."

"Sou ne," Tamamo muttered. The body of the dockworker woman reached into the pouch of her overalls and withdrew a glowing ball. Orange stars swirled within.

Tamamo clutched it in her palm and said, "You were right, Sinopa. I've endangered this vessel. I disregarded your wis...dom."

"Release her," Sinopa said softly.

"Shikata ga nai." The woman flopped over onto her side, dead. The glowing ball disappeared from her palm.

The mercenary nearest to the dockworker pointed his pistol down and shot the body several times, causing it to flinch from each administered round.

Sinopa's eyes widened. She stared at the body, now abandoned by her sensei. Her gaze lifted to the man holding the pistol.

The other soldier pointed his gun at Sinopa and said, "Stop! It's over, goddamn it!"

"IIE!" Crevan drove her katana through the man's chest and used her left hand to blast the other man with a ball of fire.

The second mercenary flew back over fifteen feet and struck the forklift. The fire on his clothes ignited the propane tank on the back of the machine, causing it to explode.

The other gunner slid back from Sinopa's blade. He dropped to the concrete with a thunk.

Back by the light pole, Karla stomped her foot. "I told you she'd kill everyone before we could get in on this fight." Karla sighed. "Wait here." The succubus disappeared.

Karla reappeared besides the dockworker's body and put her fingers on the woman's neck. "Oh man, she's dead."

"Iie," Sinopa said again, in a softer tone. She pronounced the word 'Ee-yeh.'

Karla tilted his heread and looked back at Sinopa.

"Iie," Sinopa repeated. "It means 'no.' She is not dead. Tamamo-sama has returned to the celestial realm. This vessel, however, has lost her life and for that, this woman should be mourned."

Karla stood up.

"Omatase shimashita." Sinopa bowed her head to Karla. She nodded towards Donovan, in the distance, and added, "Omata!" Sinopa turned back to Karla and frowned. "I am sorry you witnessed this - Tamamo-sama acted as though she knew you."

Karla shook her head. "I don't know anyone named 'Tamamo.' Sorry, honey."

"I misunderstood. She only speaks terse to someone she deems as familiar. I must have misunderstood her."

"Well, she did claim to know my father." Karla shrugged.

"Ah, yes. Still, I have never seen her treat someone in such a way unless she felt familiar with them."

Karla shrugged.

Sinopa frowned. "May I ask, with all due respect, what brings you here?"

"I was looking for you," said Karla. "My friend Nathanial wants to see you."

"Nathan Carrington?"

"Yeah."

Sinopa's expression softened.

Karla returned the countenance. "What brings you here to Pier 80, honey?"

"We sought to find an artifact that was stolen from the Emperor of Japan. I believe it may have been shipped here on that cargo vessel."

"Yeah if there's anything left of it," Karla mused with a chuckle. "Your buddy blew the shit out of it."

"Pardon?"

"I mean, now what are you going to do?"

"Maa ne..." Sinopa shrugged and looked down at the dockworker again. "Forgive me - I feel foolish."

"Don't feel bad. You kicked ass and you looked beautiful while doing it." Karla offered a soft smile.

Sinopa glanced up at Karla and saw sincerity in the young blond woman's gaze. Sinopa smiled somewhat. "Jouzu desune."

"Ha." Karla grinned.

Sinopa moved her sword to its sheath but it was too badly damaged to go all the way into the case. "Mendokusai. It will not go into the saya." She looked up at Karla, adding, "Scabbard. It will not go into the scabbard."

"Can you fix it?"

"Perhaps as a temporary measure." Sinopa traced her fingers over the blade, heating it enough to smooth the blade.

Karla eyed Sinopa curiously. "How much does something like that cost?"

"Far too much to disrespect it." She lowered her voice. "Over three million yen."

"That's like twenty-to-thirty grand, right?"

"Roughly." Sinopa closed her hand. The blade cooled. She gently blew across the metal. "Why must everything be so..." Sinopa shook her head and trailed off, thinking of a proper way to word what she felt. She ground her molars together and muttered, "muzui."

"Pardon?"

"Muzukashii." Sinopa turned from Karla and gazed upon the burning ship.

"The cops should be here any minute. The fire department, the Coast Guard..."

Sinopa fidgeted with her sword, running her fingers along the nicks in the blade with a sigh. "Chotto matte."

Karla stepped in front of Sinopa and clasped her hands over the kitsune's shoulders. "Osu! Muri shinaide."

Sinopa's eyes returned to Karla. "You speak Japanese?"

"I picked up a few sayings. The Japanese are kawaii desu ne."

Sinopa chuckled. "Hai. I agree, but I am partial."

Karla's eyes sparkled with mirth. "Anata-wa kawaii desu."

Sinopa scoffed with a weary smile of amusement. "Maji?"

Karla gestured to herself with a grin. "Chou-baka. Kyapi kyapi gyaru." She held her hands outward, posing.

Sinopa laughed.

Karla's grin broadened.

Sinopa cleared her throat, growing serious again. "Thank you for bringing levity to the mood."

"It's what I do." Karla reached up and ran her fingers through Sinopa's long hair, finding a hidden red-furred ear beneath the lengthy locks. "By the way, I love your red hair."

"Arigato." The kitsune cleared her throat. "I thought the succubus of myth was strictly heterosexual?"

"My kind adapted ways to feed on women." Karla hooked a thumb over her shoulder, gesturing back towards Donovan. "He's just a friend."

Sinopa cleared her throat again. "I have a boyfriend."

"Oh, I remember. And he's adorable."

"I should have allowed him to accompany me. Perhaps then Tamamo would not have been shot." Sinopa lowered her gaze to the dead man that shot the dockworker, earlier.

"That mercenary was a dick," Karla said. "You going to be okay?"

"Daijoubu." Sinopa nudged the body with her sandal. "Koitsu," she muttered with a shake of her head.

Karla said, "We should go before the emergency responders show up."

Sinopa glanced back at the cargo ship. She tilted her head again and blew across the blade of her recently repaired sword.

The vessel had flashing fire alarms lighting various sections of the bulkheads. However, the ship was not on fire. It appeared unscathed and unblemished.

Karla tilted her head, looking over Sinopa's shoulder at the vessel. The succubus blinked in confusion.

Sinopa smiled. "We kitsune possess the gift of elemental control, such as fire. But to cause such an explosion? No. Tamamo ignited the air with heat. The rapidness of such caused an intense clap of thunder - much like the way this realm creates lightning. But there is no fire. Nothing exploded."

Karla glanced back at Sinopa. "How in the world?" She dropped her hands at her sides.

Sinopa smiled again. "My kind is famous for our tricks and deceptions. My sensei merely deceived their eyes and ears. But the distraction wasn't enough to keep the man I killed from firing his weapon." Sinopa lowered her eyes to the dead dockworker. "I am partially responsible for the death of this woman."

Karla frowned.

"But Tamamo-no-Mae's rash decision of folly should never have happened to begin with. She is intelligent but impetuous. I was a fool to have invited her."

"You had a bad feeling?"

"Kimochi warui," said Sinopa. "That roughly translates to having a bad feeling. I knew better, but I believed in Tamamo-no-Mae. Now a woman is dead."

Karla felt the name was familiar but she couldn't place it. "That's the name of some woman in Japanese mythology, right?"

"Her decision to meddle in the affairs of humans has always given her a bad name. It has, at times, painted her as an antagonist in the stories of our worshipers. Sadly, Tamamo's actions were typically misunderstood moments ... a series of poor choices in action, if you will."

Karla sighed. She put a hand on the kitsune's shoulder. "Sometimes, hon, the smartest and most intellectual people have little or no common sense. And that often gets them into all sorts of trouble."

"There is a wisdom to your words."

Karla tilted her head. "So ... wait, you have worshippers?"

"Some worship the kitsune as messenger deities."

"I heard a rumor that the relationship between gods and people is the exact opposite of how most people think."

Sinopa tilted her head.

Karla shrugged. "I mean, most people think they need God or a group of gods to survive. The rumor I heard suggests it's the other way around."

"No one is sure which is correct," said Sinopa. "Most of us, deities of the Celestial Realm, believe we need humanity to survive. Humans, however, believe they need gods to survive."

"So what do you believe in?"

Sinopa eased her cooled katana into its case. "I cease to exist without the faith of the human soul. It is far more powerful than any heavenly being."

"So, wait," Karla paused, blinked, and said, "So when people all believed the earth was flat ... it could have actually have been flat at one point?"

Sinopa offered a dry laugh and shook her head. "You are silly."

Karla tilted her head.

Sinopa withdrew her sword, checked the blade, and returned it to the case again. "The human soul can shape reality to a degree but not change the laws of nature. There is one ultimate being that created life throughout the universe. That being exists whether or not people believe such."

"You mean like ... 'capital G God' or something?"

"That divine being created a power in the human soul to give life through the power of faith. Humans have created their own protectors by the power of their faith, alone."

"That's a little deeper than the rumor I heard. Jesus," Karla mused.

Sinopa tied a piece of her sash through an eyelet on the end of the sword sheath, so that it rested behind her. "It is my believe that we all, humans and deities alike, serve a purpose. It is the faith of both our races that empowers 'He-who-created-the-Hitorigami, and breathed life into all kami, and the gods of all religions.'"

Karla stared. She licked her lips and said, "The gods of all religions? How many people are up there?"

Sinopa smiled. "Your people give them many names. Angels. Saints. Demigods. Titans. Olympians. The list is rather long."

"Well then." Karla licked her lips again and stepped back. "Whatever hubris I had left ... is rapidly dwindling. C'mon. Let's find your unknown artifact."

"Hai. You have my gratitude." Sinopa nodded back towards Donovan, "and to your friend."

"Not a problem. Let's get started on searching these containers. I'll have Donovan cloak the area in a wall of shadows to ensure privacy for now."

"I have one question, first."

"Sure."

Sinopa approached the first of several shipping containers, offloaded from the cargo ship. She burned the lock to slag and opened the doors. "I've never read the Malleus Maleficarum. I thought it was something akin to a guide for witch trials? I thought you were a succubus."

"Yeah. And it claimed demons, like incubi and succubae, were in Satanic pacts with witches, and a bunch of other stupid stuff." Karla grinned and crossed her arms beneath her bustline. "It was crap. A few years after that stupid book was published, the Catholic Church condemned it as garbage."

"Ah. That is why Tamamo was insulted when you mentioned it in conjunction with Japanese texts - western organized religion deemed one book a farce, while the Japanese texts were considered truth."

"Yeah, I didn't mean to insult her," said Karla. "Do you think we'll find what you're looking for in here?"

"I will remain optimistic. Hope is important. Almost as important as faith."

"I don't have faith in anything but myself."

Sinopa nodded. "At least you have faith in something." She held her hand up, creating a candle-like light source. Sinopa stepped into the first of several shipping containers.

"What are we looking for? How big will it be?"

"Quite small. Small enough to fit in your hand. However, the object is something only the Emperor would recognize."

"Then how do we know what we're looking for?"

"It will be ornate, with Japanese lettering for decoration." Sinopa offered an apologetic smile. "I understand if you do not wish to..."

"I'm here to help," said Karla. "I couldn't fight anyone, but at least I can help you look through these containers. It would take hours to do it by yourself."

"Thank you." She turned and bowed toward Karla. "Sinopa Crevan. It is a pleasure to meet you again."

"Karla Howard. And the pleasure is all mine." She replied to Sinopa's bow with a curtsy. "Let's split up. Each of us can take a container."

"Again, thank you. I am honored to have your help."

"I'm just doing it because you're kawaii, babe." Karla grinned, pronouncing the word to rhyme with 'Hawaii.'

X

X

September 16, 2:40am PDT Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco ...

** "Say, what time is it over there?"** Rufus shifted the cellphone to his other ear. "Yeah, hoss, it's the middle of the friggin' night over here. My flight leaves at six in the morning. I'm just kinda' spinning my wheels over here."

Rufus walked down a street at the heart of San Francisco.

The southerner paused a moment and listened to a reply over his cellphone. He chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah. I arrived over at Pier-80 just a bit ago. But get this ... the place was crawling in cops."

Rue paused again, listening to the voice on the other end of the line.

"Nah, son. The cargo ship was locked down. I dunno what in th' hell happened. I'm following the scent of a mercenary to see where it leads. So how's South Africa?" Rue thumbed his cellphone screen, switching to speakerphone mode.

Collobulous' voice came over the phone's speaker. "Peaceful where I'm at. Do your best to find that thing Sire wanted, and I'll see you when you get here."

"Ayup."

"You have a layover in Ireland. I suggest you speak to your family."

"I ain't seen Aunt Lili in..."

"Actually, I have to go. I'm sorry, Rue. I will talk to you soon. Go visit your family, mate. You still stuck on your sister and seeing your family will help. Just trust me. Take care, bruddah."

"You too, brother." Rue thumbed the screen and ended the call. He slid the phone into his pocket and sniffed at the air.

Rue walked into the historically cultured heart of town. He crossed the street and stopped in front of a store called, 'A Pane in the Glass.'

Rufus peered in through the windows and sniffed the air again. "That's definitely the same thug-ass bitch from the docks."

Rufus gave a gentle tug on a fashionable chain that hung from his neck. He made his way back towards the alley behind the store and sniffed again.

A voice asked, "What're you doing over there?"

Rufus paused in mid-sniff. He turned about, slowly, until he came face to face with a rather elderly looking white male with a short grey crew cut.

The two men exchanged glances, sizing up the other with their gaze.

Rue grinned at the old man's confidence. "Oh, me? I'm jus' sniffin' around, hoss."

The old man eyed Rufus with a smirk. "Rufus Darken?"

Rue blinked. "You some sort of mind reader or somethin'?"

"No..." The old man folded his arms.

"Well, unless you's a mind reader, I don't rightly see how you could'a known my name?"

The old man scoffed. "Did you have your own name on your mind? Isn't that how the whole mind-reading thing works? You've got to be actively thinking words for them to hear it, right?"

"Hell, I dunno." Rufus mimicked the old man's posture, crossed his own arms over his chest. "How ya' know my name, y'ole fart?"

"Let's just say I know an oracle. That work for you?"

"It might."

"Good. What're you doing here, outside of Evan's store? Do you know him yet, or something?"

"Uh ... I can't really say I know anyone named Evan. Sorry." Rue shrugged. "I was tracking someone from Pier-80."

"Yeah?" The old man grinned. "I'm Nathanial Carrington. And I'm willing to wager the moron you're hunting wears black gear, body armor, and typically walks around armed." Nathan's grin broadened. "Am I right?"

"I found his gear in the trunk of a car." Rue looked the old man over again. "If you know an oracle, and if you know about them jack-hole morons that go around shooting people ... does that mean you're in-the-know?"

Nathan held his left hand out, palm up. A spark of electricity appeared, hovering above his palm. It grew in intensity and size, illuminating the alley. "Does this answer your question, dog breath?"

"Heh." Rue smiled at the old man's personality. "Yeah, guess it does, y'ole coot. What're you doing out here at this hour? Shouldn't you be in bed with a sweater and some applesauce?"

Nathan chuckled. "I came out here to make sure you didn't catch Parvo, kid. There's supposed to be a sickness going around the Bay Area."

"Parvo huh?" Rufus gave another tug at the chain-link necklace he wore. "Hell, I like you - you're perdy funny for a stodgy ole' fogy."

"At least I ain't funny lookin,' when I use my ability."

Rue laughed. "Yeah, well ... due to the, ah, 'success' of those mercenaries' campaigns, I guess that puts us on the same team, huh?"

"Guess so."

"How'd you outrun those guys anyways?"

"I hobble fast when I'm not being 'stodgy.'"

Rue grinned. "You ever fight any of those guys in black?"

"Yeah. Wiping out Falcon's Inquisition squads with bolts of lightning is way better than retirement."

"Retirement from what?"

"You ever heard of the Four Horsemen? I'm The Reaper, kid."

"Holy hell, you're a legend, old man."

"I guess I was but I retired from fighting Specials who break the law." Nathan ran a hand up through his short grey crew cut. "Hunters are a different story." Nathan shrugged gingerly from arthritis in his back. "To be honest, I had no idea you'd come to San Fran. I thought you'd be in Miami or Africa at this point."

"Damn..." Rufus offered a wry grin. "You really must know one hell of an informed oracle."

"Not as informed as I thought. I never knew you were going to be in San Francisco. I thought you were going to Ireland, then straight to South Africa."

Rue nodded. "Well, I jus' came from Miami. A friend of mine asked me to look for a Japanese object in a briefcase that came in on a shipping container. I was too late, so the mission was a bust."

"Huh." Nathan rubbed his chin. "Who told you the object was Japanese?"

Rue shrugged. "My friend told me."

"Your friend is well informed."

"Reckon so. Anyhow, I'm headed to the airport in the morning."

"What're your plans tonight, kid?"

"I got a lot to do. Pier 80 looked like a war-zone. So ... I tracked one of the bad guys that eluded the cops."

"You know what's in the briefcase?"

Rufus shook his head. "Nah. I have no idea what I'm supposed to be taking. I was told it's a Japanese trinket in a briefcase with the number '437' on the label. After the job, I'm supposed to fly out in the morning."

"Four thirty-seven huh? Why would you volunteer that information to me?"

"Because you're the last Esoteric Council cop left alive, old man. Ain't no point in lying to you about it."

"Good dog."

Rue chuckled. "So, your seer told you what I can do, huh?"

"Yeah." Nathan unfolded his arms. "I know more than I want to know."

"You need help? What all do you know, pal?"

"I'm trying to change how things play out," Nathan said. "I'm trying to make everything happen differently than it's being foretold."

"So you's working for the seer, trying to make things right?"

"Yeah, kid."

"I'm listening, boss."

"I ain't your boss, Rufus. Anyway, the briefcase, 437, has an artifact in it that belonged to the Emperor of Japan. It needs to be _returned_to the Emperor."

"My boss wants it."

"Yeah, but your boss is a piece of shit."

"I've had my suspicions about Sire."

"Good."

"What else you know, Mr. Reaper?"

"The Reaper died in retirement. I'm just Nathan, now."

"A'ite. So what else you know, Nathan?"

Nathanial reached up and rubbed his sore left shoulder. "I know that you're a descendant of Fenrisúlfr. And I know that chain." Nathan reached out, poking a gnarled old finger against the necklace, "This is supposed to be a mock-up of the Gleipnir for the sake of fashion. Right? Thin as silken ribbon, stronger than any iron chain. Yeah?"

"Ayup. I suppose you know a hell of a lot about me."

"Yeah. Guess I do. You learn a lot when you're approaching a hundred 'n fifty years old, pup."

"That's all? Just a hundred 'n fifty? Hell, that's not old. You might as well still be forty in this community."

"I forgot you're older than me." Nathan grinned. "In dog years."

"Heh, that I am."

"Anyway, that artifact from the briefcase will wind up in the wrong hands. If you're hunting for it, then I bet that kitsune is looking for it, too. Which means Karla is looking for it."

Rue tilted his head.

Nathan shrugged again. "How about we finish tracking whatever it is that you smell ... and we go pay that guy a visit and demand to know where it is?"

"I'm down with that. You gunna be able t' keep up without a walker?"

Nathanial disappeared in a brilliant, blinding flash. He reappeared directly behind Rufus, leaving the ground charred beneath his feet. "Listen up, kid ... I ride the lightning. So the question is ... are you going to be able to keep up without a headstart? Now get that nose into high gear."

"How'n the hell you know so much, old man?"

"I told'ja. It's Nathan. And that's my secret. Besides. The chicks dig the whole 'man of mystery' thing. Now let's go change prophecy, yeah?"

"I ain't never worked with a community legend 'afore. Let's go, old timer." Rue grinned and sniffed at the air. "This way."

X

X

A little while later ...Just a few miles north ...

** "So, like, all the kid makes there is glass stuff?"** Rufus glanced sidelong at Nathan. They walked together through San Francisco together.

"Yeah. He's known for making anything out of glass that people want. He sets a one-week turnaround time so that no one knows he's using anything more than traditional means to make stuff for them."

"How does anyone pay rent making glass stuff?"

Nathan chuckled. "He's got a pretty good presence on the internet. You're right, though. The rent in the Haight is high. Apparently, with all that he does, his most popular item is some sort of glass chair. I don't know what's special about it, but the kid sells them to insanely rich people as the new 'trendy object' that celebrities want."

"How come I never done heard about it, huh?"

Nathanial shrugged. "Maybe because Oprah hasn't talked about it in front of a camera; she's apparently too busy sitting in it. Plus the kids charges enough that he doesn't become overwhelmed by buyers."

"Dayum. He really makes good coin on a glass chair?"

"I think it's made some special way so that it's always comfortable, and never gets hot when left in the sun. I have no idea what's so special about it, but he makes enough to support himself and the store."

Rue reached back and tied off his long dark hair, so that it was in a ponytail. "What's he do with all that money?"

"He won't tell anyone where he lives, but trust me ... it's a nice condo. The rest of his money goes into a collection of nerdy stuff - tabletop gaming books, computers and sleek tablets..."

"Heh, kids." Rue grinned.

"He's only twenty. He over spent his means up until he came up with the idea for his chair. Anyway ... are we close?"

Rufus sniffed again. "Aw hell yeah, we're close." Rue stopped on the corner of Vallejo Street, paused, and sniffed again. "The scent forks. It goes right over to that cop station. Why would the dude ...was he arrested, you think? Why would it go all over town, then come up to North Beach? There's lots of stations closer to Pier-80 that could've processed'em."

Nathan narrowed his eyes. "Because the mercenary was a cop working out of Central Station."

"Aw hell. That's some shit, bud."

"Yeah, that's some bullshit."

"Now what?"

Nathan ran his fingers back through his shirt grey crew cut. "Okay. So our guy goes in and stops by the job. He probably came here and picked up his personal car. You said the trail forks ... where else does it go at the split?"

"This'a way." The pair headed southeast.

They walked for a while in silence. Two men, too manly to talk.

A few miles down, the two made their way to Mission Street.

Several sections had buildings that had been recently condemned, with a few more that were now just large lots of dirt and construction.

Rue and Nathan made their way to an intersection with an abandoned church. Scaffolding wrapped around the sides, and tarps covered the roof.

Rufus stopped and sniffed at the air. He nodded for Nathanial to follow.

Rue continued past the nightclub and said, "That place ain't even finished and it already smells like debauchery, son."

Nathanial glanced back at it and narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. You have no idea." He shook his head with a frown.

Up ahead, Nathan saw a warehouse with four silver vans parked on the side. The old man opened his hands and closed them a few times, able to crack his knuckles in this way.

"What'cha see?"

Nathan nodded forward. "The vans. Now we're talking. You ready to change history and save the world?"

"Uh ... reckon so, pops. But how're we going to do that in this warehouse?"

"By hopefully changing the outcome of, well, everything." Nathan shook his head. "It's either that or I wind up out in a field, south of the Sausalito Vortac Tower, in the fight of my life."

Rue tilted his head.

"That's another option, but I'd really rather not wind up there. Long story and I don't wanna talk about it."

"Yeah, sure, hoss. Just one thing: what's a ...Vortac?"

"Goofy space-age looking sombrero tower. It's for airplanes and jets. Anyhow ... are you ready to kick the door in on that warehouse and level it?"

Rue chuckled. "No offense, pops, but ... ain't we out numbered? I mean, y'know. Going in there with Bull is one thing. Me 'n him, we work well together. But I dunno if you 'n me got chemistry, old timer."

"Trust me." Nathan smiled. "You and I can handle this." Nathanial pulled out his cellphone and called Karla. He put it on speakerphone. On the third ring, a girl answered the line. "Hey, sweetcheeks. I need you to do a favor for me."

"Nathan!" Her voice suggested that she'd been drinking. "Aw, man, you gotta meet the kitsune! That girl can _hang, man! We just had sake until the bar closed. Even Donovan had a couple_!"

Nathanial groaned. "So much for having backup right now." He took a slow breath, shook his head, and calmly said, "Okay. Here's what I need you to do. Drop 'Foxy Lady' off with her boyfriend and tell them to head out to the Sausalito Vortac tower. They can look it up online or something. It's sort of a backup plan."

"Go on, babe. I'm listening!"

Nathan grimaced. "If Sinopa and Jules don't see me in a field a little ways south ... right around nine in the morning ... then that's a good thing. In that case, I'll meet her up there and give her the briefcase thing - provided you don't already have it."

"No, we couldn't find it. It wasn't on the stupid boat. I tore that place apart. We teleported out when the cops showed."

"Yeah. I heard it looked like a war zone."

"Yeah. That was me. I used telekinesis to tear the place up."

"I figured. Listen, I'm about to raid Falcon's warehouse. I'll text you the address. Meet me here in one hour. Bring Donovan. Be ready to rumble."

"Okay, I'll go grab some coffee and toast. I know where the warehouse is. Fox Parker was supposed to be there, and you said they moved him."

"Right. That's the place, Karla."

"See you in an hour. Don't go starting the fight without me. I've already missed out on one good fight. I'd hate to miss out on two in a row."

"Don't worry. I'm just going to soften them up for you. See you in an hour."

"Aw man."

"That's what you get for getting drunk. Now go sober up." Nathanial ended the call and pocketed his phone.

"What's your plan?" Rue asked.

"Karla and Donovan will show up to rescue us if it's too much to handle. Are you ready to wolf out on these guys?"

"Aw hells-to-the-yeah, I'm ready. You'd better be a badass, else I'mma be disappointed."

"I don't show off these days. I just get the job done right the first time."

Rue grinned but remained quiet.

The two approached the side of the warehouse, made their way between the vans, and stopped adjacent to a pickup truck.

Nathanial lifted a tarp off the back of the truck bed. He eyed a strange machine adjacent to a gasoline generator. Nathan frowned. "Damn. I know what that thing is."

"Yeah? Wha's that?"

"Trouble." Nathan eyed it. "If I sabotage it, they might change their tactics and more people could die."

"So let's not give these slobs a chance to use this thing."

Nathan nodded in agreement. "C'mon." Nathan went for a small side entrance door and put his hand on the knob. He paused. His hand incandesced briefly.

Rue remained quiet.

Nathan grimaced, giving the door more juice. A muffled click came from the door. "Heh."

"How'd you unlock it?"

Nathan afforded Rufus with a wrinkly aged smile. "Magnetic locks don't work very well against me. You ready?"

Rue nodded. "I'm jus' hopin' I dun regret this, son."

"Yeah. Same." Nathan opened the door.

Together, they stepped into the warehouse.

The large first area housed more vans. There were lockers against the far wall, and various odds and ends, from towing gear to seemingly random machinery.

At the far end of the room, they saw several pallets with shrink-wrap.

Nathan narrowed his gaze. "You smell anyone close? Adrenaline surge? Possible attackers?"

Rufus sniffed long and loud. He shook his head. "They have a weird ventilation system in here. I can barely smell you and you's standin' right next to me, man."

"They're smart," Nathan murmured. "I'll give'em that much." Nathan ran his fingers back through his short grey hair. "C'mon, let's start with those cargo containers over there. I'd laugh if it was that easy."

The two crossed the large warehouse and approached the group of pallets.

Nathanial motioned to the plastic stretchy sheet that covered the cargo boxes. "Alright. You're up."

Rue tilted his head.

"I got arthritis. Go on, Rufus. Tear that crap."

"Yeah, yeah." Rufus carefully ripped the plastic, tensing his arms in the sections that were wrapped the thickest. He made his way straight down to the wooden pallet, pulled the excess free, and balled it up.

"Good dog."

"A'ite ... let's see what we done got for Christmas, yeah?"

Nathanial ran his fingers over the first wooden crate. The nails and carpenter staples holding the containers together magnetically pulled free. The first box came apart with ease.

The two men rummaged through the filler fluff.

Not finding anything that seemed important, they moved onto the next box.

Rufus pulled the plastic wrap from the crate.

Nathan tilted his head from left to right, popping his neck. "So why're you going to Africa anyhow?"

"Bull 'n I have to meet this dude that has some artifact. The guy who hired me to grab it called it a 'power core.' He said it's real important that we get it to some guy named Steven Milford, and don't let anyone else take it."

Nathanial blinked and glanced back at Rufus. "Yeah. It _is_important. That power core needs to disappear and if anyone will know what to do it with it ... it's Steven. Have you met'em?"

"Naw."

"He's the oldest man on Earth."

"No shit?"

"No shit," Nathan said with a nod. "But he doesn't look a day over thirty-five. You'll meet him eventually, I'm sure of that. So long as you keep your head attached to your shoulders, that is."

"You tellin' me that I cain't miss mah flight huh? Life and death sorta thing?"

"Yeah." Nathan lowered his voice somewhat. "That's what I'm telling you." Nathan shook his head with a slight chuckle. Heh. I didn't realize it was going to be you who takes that thing back."

Rue balled up the plastic wrap.

"That's a comforting thought, to be honest. If that thing falls into the wrong hands ... well ... let's just find this briefcase and get you to the airport. It's important that you go to Africa and get this thing. Trust me."

"A'ite, a'ite, now. I'll handle it soon enough. We're supposed to stay in Africa until the dude who has it comes through. God only knows how long this will take."

"November."

Rue eyed Nathan.

"I'm serious. November. There's a name I want you to memorize - Patience Ubysh. Look her up in Johannesburg. Just keep an eye on her. If she gets into trouble, watch her back."

"Who is she?"

"She's a human who wrote a paper on ancient supernaturals. The Esoteric Council made sure to stifle it, and the science community laughed at her. But she's smart, and she's going to help Karla's team in the future."

"You want me to introduce myself?"

"No offense, but I don't want her to be scared away. Just hang back and keep an eye on her. If she runs, you make sure nobody follows her - that sort of thing."

"Gotcha."

"Alright, wolf. Enough yammering. Let's get back to these cargo crates."

Rue nodded with a wry grin.

They started working on all the cargo boxes. Rufus unwrapped them all. The two went through each one, one by one.

Nathan grimaced. "It's not here."

"We'll find the briefcase, old man. Calm down."

"I'm also looking for something else."

"You wanna share?"

Nathan frowned. "Green stone about the size of my thumbnail. It will have a weird glyph symbol carved into it."

"What's the deal?"

"Can't let Falcon have that."

"Why not?"

"Because, Rufus. That's why. If he gets it, things get messy."

"Fair enough."

The two continued searching through the cargo boxes.

Within twenty minutes, they were on their seventh box.

Nathan pulled a briefcase from the seventh container and grinned brightly. "Well now. Would'ja look at that - it's labeled 437."

"Jackpot. This th' thing that goes to yer sake-drinking pal? Is she cute?"

"Her name is Sinopa. Yeah, she's taken. All right, let's get the hell out of here."

"Wait." Rufus reached for the briefcase and used his strength to pop the clasps.

Nathan created a spark of electricity between his thumb and forefinger, illuminating the briefcase.

They looked at one another and back into the empty briefcase. In unison, they both muttered, "Shit."

The warehouse's main lighting came on, brightly illuminating the large building.

Rollup doors opened on both sides of the warehouse. Mercenaries, too numerous to count, rushed in from both sides.

Nathanial and Rufus exchanged glances. Again, they both muttered, "Shit," in unison.

X

X

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Next chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/534409