City of gods - Hellenica (27 page)

The Mermaids continued to push the boat out into the ocean, and Gunnar had the team lie flat on the bottom; there were a few guards on the docks with flashlights, still oblivious to their presence. The Mermaids picked up speed, and soon their boat was cruising at a decent clip. It wasn’t that fast, but it was quiet, and when they cut through the aquarium’s outer nets, they barely made a sound.

/***/

Dagon’s crew noticed the missing Mermaids twenty minutes later. The lighthouses on the coast lit up and they heard the faint whine of an alarm signal. They saw several speedboats travel from the coast and even saw a few helicopters travel from the island.

“We have no power, no radio and no lights,” said Gunnar, “so we’ll be able to hide a little bit more.”

“What will happen when they catch up to us?” asked Tommy.

“We fight,” said Gunnar.

“There’s hundreds of them,” said Tommy. “Perhaps we should—”

“We’re gods, they’re mortals,” interrupted Gunnar. “We fight.”

Saoirse peeked above the boat’s edge and saw the speedboats searching a few kilometers from them. The Mermaids were pushing their boat surprisingly fast, but it was nothing compared to one of the Dagon’s cruisers. If they were spotted they’d be surrounded in a matter of minutes. Saoirse put her head down and tried to be quiet, but couldn’t resist looking back. Every time she peeked over the edge, the helicopter got closer and another speedboat had been launched into the water.

“We’ve got a few minutes left,” said Gunnar. “When they come we’ve got to board one of their vessels, and then take it over. Kayana, you touch people, just enough to stun them. Tommy, you use your suit, and Saoirse, have your hyaena attack them. We’ll take the boat and then—”

They saw a blinding light and felt a blast of air from above; they looked up to see the helicopter hovering above them. They looked back to see five speedboats now surrounded them, slowed to the Mermaids’ pace. Each speedboat had five armed guards with their weapons out, and the wind blasted them as the helicopter sank down until it was a few meters above the boat.

Gunnar tried to bark out instructions, but it was just too loud. The helicopter extended a ramp down to their boat, and several armed men prepared themselves to board. Gunnar had pulled out several weapons, Kross was growling and Kayana had removed her gloves.
If we take out these men, then what?
thought Saoirse.
This is not our way.

One of the men was listening to something on his headset, nodded, and then went back into the helicopter. The helicopter closed its hatch flew back into the sky. The men in the boats holstered their guns and decreased their speed. The helicopter started flying away, and soon all the boats were headed back to the island. Dagon’s lighthouse relaxed its alarm and dimmed its lights. Soon it was completely quiet again.

“What happened?” said Tommy with a laugh.

“I have no idea,” said Gunnar with a smile.

“We’re near the island that holds the Mermaid,” said Kayana, “and we’re no longer in Dagon’s territory.”

“But they just left without a fight,” asked Gunnar.

“I sensed fear in them,” said Kayana. “They fear the members of this island.”

Saoirse looked around and saw the surrounding sea littered with the island’s own boats; their vessels were modernly built, with powerful electric engines and heavy weaponry on each bow. She then looked at the land ahead; it looked familiar. Gunnar turned pale and looked at her for confirmation.

“This is where our Mermaid is being kept,” said Saoirse. “And they’ll give us safe harbor;
all
of us. They know me well here; this is the island of the Amazons.”

THE BOMB

Gunnar looked for a way out, but there was none. The Mermaids powering the boat were now lounging on the beach, and even if he had a working vessel, the Amazon ships behind them had already made a blockade. His pulse quickened and he tried to quash the deep sense of dread that grew within his chest. He made a mental inventory of the weapons he had on him, not to fight the Amazons per se, but to use on himself.
Don’t find yourself captive by Amazons
, his Spartan teachers would say.
Die nobly, or die like a coward if need be. But don’t find yourself alive and in their clutches, for they do horrible things
.

“We must leave this place,” said Gunnar under his breath as the Amazons started to surround them.

“We should not,” said Kayana. “We should be here.”

“We need to leave,” said Gunnar.

“No,” said Kayana. “This is our place to be.”

Gunnar saw that he was the only one amongst his group that was visibly frightened; the rest of his team was glad to be saved, and the Amazons grinned in return with weapons undrawn
. I can’t abandon my team
, he thought,
but if the Amazons corner me, I’ll not hesitate to do what needs to be done
.

Gunnar could see a small building in the forest ahead, and beyond that, several paved roads. The Amazons had clearly embraced modernization.
But they still keep to their old ways,
thought Gunnar.
Deep in their prisons, they’re just as cruel as they’ve been for centuries.

Two Amazon speedboats came up to the shore behind them and landed on the beach. They shined their light on the Horsemen from behind and two soldiers came out of each boat and pointed their weapons at Gunnar. From the building ahead, three more Amazons came out. The lead one was a large, muscular girl, taller and broader than even
Alkippe back at the Academy.

“My name is
Orithia
,” said the Amazon. “State who you are, and why these Mermaids have brought you to our shores.”

The group was quiet; they were used to Gunnar leading, but he couldn’t open his mouth.
Silence is on my side,
he thought.
If I speak, they’ll recognize my accent.
He nodded towards Saoirse and she stepped forward.

“We’re from the Academy,” said Saoirse. “The Amazon nation took me from Elysia and sent me there, with President Hippolyta personally arranging it. We’re seeking a sister of these Mermaids who is taking refuge here. She’s brought a course of action that may lead to the destruction of the Academy that you yourselves have helped build. We don’t believe the Mermaid to be at fault; we just want to know who has tricked her into doing such a nefarious deed.”

Orithia went up close to them and looked them up and down. She had two guards with her; one was short and athletic, the other was even taller and broader than Orithia and had yellow, broken teeth that looked like they belonged in a dying ape. Orithia had the guards frisk them for weapons. The short one frisked Saoirse, finding nothing, and then frisked Tommy, not knowing what to do with his suit. Orithia waved her on.

The tall one started to frisk Kayana, but Kayana blocked her before she reached exposed skin.

“I wouldn’t advise you to touch me, ogress,” said Kayana. “If you do so, you’ll die within a fortnight.”

Orithia nodded to the tall Amazon and she left Kayana alone.
They know exactly who we are
, thought Gunnar.

The big girl with bad teeth proceeded to frisk Gunnar. She was taller than he was, and though not as muscular, she was bulkier. Her yellowed mouth snarled as she frisked him, and her breath was atrocious. She found weapon after weapon in attachments on his pants, and soon there was a pile of guns, knives and sharp objects on the sand below.

“Is this all you have, warrior?” asked Orithia.

“Yes,” said Gunnar, trying to hide his Spartan accent.

The big girl snarled once more.

“I know he has more,” said the Amazon through her rotten teeth. “Beware this one.”

Her voice was rough, lower than Gunnar’s.

“No,” said Orithia, “if they’re from the Academy, we should give them the benefit of the doubt. We’ll bring them in for questioning.”

The hulking girl spat and walked away. The Amazons behind them kept their guns down but still surrounded them, and they all started to march deep into the island. Soon they were on paved roads, walking through the capital city that the Amazons had built. It was clean, modern and mostly uniform.
Ostentatious houses and displays of wealth were rare here
, thought Gunnar.
Being the alpha female holds little importance in Amazon society
. Women stared from their windows as they walked past, and little girls approached before running away giggling. Some of the younger girls cried in horror at the sight of Gunnar and Tommy.

“Apologies,” said Orithia. “They’ve never seen a man before.”

They’ve seen a man before,
thought Gunnar.
When they were young they saw you kill their brothers and fathers in front of them.

They walked out of the town and back into a forested area, but they were still on a paved road. The island was a lot more civilized than Gunnar thought it would be, but he still kept up his guard.

They walked deeper and deeper into the forest until they reached a small grey building; it was clearly the entrance to an underground bunker. Saoirse, Kayana, Kross and Tommy entered the building and went down the stairs without hesitation, but Gunnar balked. He’d heard about these bunkers in the Agoge.
Once you go in, you won’t see the sun again
, his teachers told him.
You’ll die in prison or end up in an “Amazon marriage.” So don’t go in.

The concept of the
Amazon marriage
could have been myth, but it still scared Gunnar. If the Amazons caught a particularly strong, handsome or brave Spartan warrior, they’d keep him for breeding purposes. The Amazons didn’t want their enemies to think of their island as a pleasure palace, so after they were done with the warrior they’d execute him in a particularly cruel way, and then send his body back to his homeland as proof.

“Go in,” said the tall Amazon, her breath smelling of meat. “We have some questions for you.”

She smiled, and her teeth glistened with yellow spittle. After he balked, she gave him a shove. He still didn’t go into the bunker, and when she went to shove him again he pushed her aside and then threw her towards her comrades. They raised their weapons and started to yell. He knew their weapons were most effective at distance, so he came in close to them and disarmed the nearest one with a single move. He used the guard as a shield, and then backed up.

“I’m not going to hurt anyone,” said Gunnar, forgetting to hide his Spartan accent.

He shoved his hostage at the group and ran the other way, deeper into the forest. He heard some yells, and then some laughter. Then he heard quiet. It was dark in the woods, but still well lit; the island was so well developed that the city’s glow cast light everywhere. He thought about his next move; he’d have to get to the beach and capture one of their boats. But where would he go? Dagon most likely wanted him dead, as did the Academy.

Then die on your feet
, he thought.
Just do not die here.

He heard a rustling behind him and was surprised to see the massive Amazon giving chase. She seemed too bulky to have stamina, but there she was, matching him stride for stride. She seemed to know the woods better than he did, so every turn he made, she seemed to gain ground.

After five minutes of running, he realized he wouldn’t be able to shake her.
You’ll have to fight
, he thought,
but don’t kill her. If you kill an Amazon on their own island, they’ll do such bad things that your legend of suffering will become a warning for centuries to come.
He reached into a hidden compartment on his upper thigh and got platinum knuckles. One punch would knock her out, and he’d pull it to make sure he did no further damage.

He turned around to face her, but instead of stopping she ran full speed into him, tackling him against a tree. He felt the wood crack with the impact of her force. She pushed him down, grappling with skill that he’d never seen before, not even in the pit. She left him prostrate on the floor and started punching him. He held up his hands to block, but it was no use; her punches found a way to hit his face and body, and when they didn’t they pushed his hands into his face.

He finally managed to dodge a punch, and used the momentary momentum to punch her in the stomach with his platinum knuckles. She fell off a bit and he pushed her away, and then got to his feet. She coughed a bit and then smiled.

“I’ve waited my whole life to fight a Spartan one on one,” she said. “Please give me everything you have.”

Gunnar stood his ground and she attacked him low, trying to grapple once more. He dodged her dive, and then tried to punch her in the back of the head, but missed. She moved her feet around and tripped him up, then jumped on his back and put him in a choke hold. He tried to get out, but her technique was flawless; she leveraged her body against his so that he couldn’t move. He struggled and struggled, but couldn’t gain any traction. He was beginning to black out and put everything he had into one last move; he would push her to his left and throw her off.

He tried the move, but she fell under him, still gripping his neck. He felt his arms go weak for a moment, and then he blacked out.

/***/

Gunnar woke up to a sharp kick into his midsection. He went to protect himself, but soon realized that he was shackled. He looked up to see the yellow-toothed girl towering over him and wearing his platinum knuckles.

“Never thought I’d capture my own Spartan, let alone
the
Gunnar Redstone,” she said. “My name’s Pyrgomache. Time to go underground; we’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

Pyrgomache punched him in the temple, and once again all he knew was darkness.

/***/

Gunnar woke up, bound to a chair and naked except for a cloth across his waist. He was in a modern-looking room with a flat-screen monitor at one end and a commode at the other.
This is a holding cell at least
, he thought,
not a place of torture.
Still, he remembered that Amazons would do horrible things to unconscious Spartans. He looked at his toes and then felt for pains in his body. Except for a throbbing headache in his temple, he seemed to be all there.

He felt the ropes around his wrists; they weren’t rope. They were handcuffs made of some odd flexible alloy. He wasn’t uncomfortable; there was a mirror against the far wall and he could see that his wound had been dressed appropriately.
Still
, he thought,
Amazons are known to treat their victims well before they make an example out of them.

He jiggled the chain slightly to test the chair; it was expertly bound and there was nothing he could do. He wondered where his compatriots were. If Pyrgomache came back, could they mount a rescue?
Would
they mount a rescue?

The door opened and another retinue of Amazon guards came in, including Pyrgomache. Gunnar stared her down and even managed to smile, but inside he was terrified. Strangely though, Pygromache didn’t look at him, let alone try to intimidate him further. Instead, she stood up straight with the rest of the guards and surrounded Gunnar.

“Attention!” yelled an Amazon from outside. “May I present President Hippolyta!”

All the guards stood up even straighter and stared away from the door. President Hippolyta walked in with two more armed guards, and Gunnar tried not to look at her. He’d heard grand and horrible legends of her, that she’d slayed a thousand men in battle and oversaw all Amazon torture sessions personally. But from the corner of his eye, she simply looked like a well-dressed old woman.

“At ease,” President Hippolyta commanded.

The guards relaxed and put their eyes back on Gunnar once more. President Hippolyta took a key from her pocket and showed Gunnar. Without telling him what it was, she unbuckled his constraints and soon he was free. He shook off the shackles then went to the far wall to put some distance in between them. His loin cloth fell off, and President Hippolyta nodded at an assistant to get a replacement. Soon the assistant came back in with a shirt and some pants.

“Trust,” said Hippolyta, holding the key. “It’s lacking in our society, don’t you agree?”

Gunnar didn’t answer. He knew the head captor would always befriend him; it was an old psychological trick.

“The Spartans taught you well,” she said, “but I’m not playing a game here, nor am I your enemy. It’s true, the Amazons and the Spartans have been quite cruel to each other over the years, but this is a different time now.”

“Is it?” asked Gunnar. “You still hold Spartan prisoners to this day, if you haven’t killed them.”