Crossfire (Book 1) (The Omega Group) (3 page)

Steve stared in shock at his daughter lying unconscious on
the floor. He’d come into the living room to see who was at the door when
Mirissa held out her hand and collapsed to the floor.
She was wearing the
ring. Please tell me this isn’t happening.

He’d already checked her pulse and found it a strong and
steady thirty-five beats per minute. For anyone else this would warrant an
immediate trip to the hospital, but for Mirissa, thirty-five BPM was her normal
resting heart rate. The world’s top athletes had resting heart rates of
forty-nine to fifty-five, but this was another one of Mirissa’s amazing quirks.
Her metabolism, her ability to heal impossibly fast, her astounding athletic
ability were all a part of who she was. He had hoped that who she was would
turn out to be a normal, happy young woman.

Steve carried Mirissa to the couch and gently laid her out,
placing her favorite pillow under her head. Once he was sure she was
comfortable and wouldn’t roll off onto the floor, he went to the basement to
retrieve the box he had hoped he would never need.

At the bottom of the basement stairs, Steve stopped to take
a deep breath. Was he ready for this? Was his daughter ready for this? He’d
started Mirissa in martial arts training when she was still just a child, and,
using his own experience as a Navy SEAL, had himself trained her to be an
expert marksman with both handguns and rifles. If anyone could be ready for
what was to come, it was Mirissa.

Steve moved the old metal shelves that were leaning against
the wall behind the stairs and pulled on a handle that was inlaid into the
floor. With the creak of unused hinges, the trap door opened to expose a small,
hidden chamber measuring two feet across and a foot in depth. Inside was a
single item: an intricately carved wooden chest that hadn’t seen the light of
day for over ten years.

The chest was heavier than he remembered, or perhaps the
years had just taken their toll on him, and Steve had to struggle to get it up
to the living room. Mirissa was still exactly where he’d left her, looking
peaceful in her slumber. It crossed his mind that there may not be many more
peaceful moments to come for his daughter.

Pushing that thought from his head, Steve focused on the
task at hand, explaining the unexplainable to his teenage daughter.

As he prepared to settle in for what might be a long wait
for Mirissa’s return to him, he noticed a small corner of paper sticking out
beneath the lid of the chest. He was sure that it had not been there when he
and his wife last put the chest in its hiding place. Myrine would never have
been so careless as to leave one of her papers hanging out where anyone could
grab it. The chest itself was locked up tight and could only be opened with the
sacred ring his wife, and now his daughter, wore. Could Myrine have left this
paper hanging there intentionally? His wife was anything but sloppy and would
have known Steve would retrieve the chest at some point, so perhaps this was
for him.

He pulled gently at the corner of paper and it slid out
easily. Just one sheet of paper with a short note on it in Myrine’s
handwriting.

My love,

I want you to know that I love you and Mirissa more than
I ever thought possible. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever believe I could
have such happiness in my life.

You know my history, my responsibilities, and my destiny,
yet you still chose to love me, and for that I will be forever grateful.

I know you will never forgive me for leaving you and our
daughter so suddenly. It was the most painful decision I’ve ever had to make,
and yet it had to be done.

I know that this isn’t much of an explanation, but it is
the best I can do right now. I hope, in time, I will be able to tell you
everything. Both of you.

I will love you both forever.

                                   
Myrine

The tears flowed down Steve’s face as though a dam had
broken. The memories of his life with Myrine came flooding back to him, and
with them, the memories of the day she left.

“Don’t forget Mirissa’s piano recital tonight,” Myrine said
over her shoulder as she poured herself a much-needed cup of coffee. The Kakos
she had been tracking last night had proven much more difficult to deal with
than she had expected and, as a result, she was sorely lacking in sleep.
Missing out on sleep was something, Steve knew, that didn’t bode well for his
wife’s mood.

“How could I possibly forget? It’s her first recital and she
hasn’t stopped talking about it for weeks. I even picked up a dozen roses
yesterday for when she gets her standing ovation,” Steve said with that cheeky
grin.

How had he gotten so lucky? He had a gorgeous, super hero
wife, and an incredibly beautiful and talented daughter. Whoever was
responsible for giving him this amazing family deserved his heart-felt
gratitude.

Myrine took another sip of her coffee and said, “My day is
pretty hectic today so I’ll meet you at the music hall at six o’clock so I can
give Mirissa a big hug and kiss before she gets on stage. Is there anything you
need me to pick up?”

“Nope. Mr. Mom has everything under control.” Steve had just
retired from the Navy six months ago and decided to take some time to be with
his family before starting a new job. After all of the long tours he’d had
overseas, he sometimes felt as though he’d spent more time away from them than
with them. So, as soon as he retired, he decided to become Mr. Mom. A nickname
that Myrine had coined, much to his chagrin.

“Go and save the world, sweetheart, and we’ll see you
tonight.”

 Just then, Mirissa walked down the stairs in her
princess nightgown, rubbing her eyes and holding on to her teddy bear, Rex.
Steve loved the way she looked first thing in the morning – all innocent and
vulnerable and tugging at his heartstrings.

Myrine stopped in mid stride as she was walking through the
front door, turned around, and said “I’ll see you at your recital tonight,
sweetie. You are going to be amazing.” She gave Mirissa a big hug and whispered
in her ear “I’ll love you forever; I’ll like you for always. As long as I’m
living, my baby you’ll be.” It was from a book they read to Mirissa when she
was still a toddler and it had become their special way of saying goodbye ever
since.

Steve gave Myrine a kiss and then went into the kitchen to
make his daughter her favorite chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast.

Steve had decided to keep Mirissa busy enough that day to
not let her have any time to get nervous about her very first piano recital.
They went to the park and threw the Frisbee around, and then they were off to
their favorite diner for a really unhealthy lunch. The rest of the afternoon
was spent shopping at Mirissa’s favorite stores in the mall and, before he knew
it, it was time to head home.

Mirissa chose a frilly blue dress with silver shoes and was
busy getting ready for her musical debut when Steve went to the car to hide the
roses he was going to give her later. He noticed a nondescript gray sedan
parked on the corner with a lone occupant behind the wheel. At the time it
didn’t register as important, but later on, when it was too late, it would.

The music hall was almost full by 6:15 that evening and
Steve was worried that Myrine would be late. He’d tried to call her, but it
kept going straight through to voicemail, so he took his seat in the front row,
with a video camera ready to record this auspicious occasion.

Fifteen minutes later, Mirissa walked out on stage with an
ear-to-ear smile. She stepped up to the piano, sat on the bench, and looked out
to the audience - and the empty seat that her mother should have filled. The
smile left her face as she sent a questioning look to her father that he didn’t
have an answer for. All he could do was give her his best, supportive smile as
she started her first song.

Forty-five minutes later, as he applauded louder than he
thought possible, his daughter curtsied in front of the crowd that was on their
feet to honor her. The crowd that was missing the one person his daughter
desperately needed to be there. The one person that, unknown to them at the
time, was gone for good.

A knock at the front door brought Steve back to the present
and, after a quick check to make sure his daughter was still all right, he wiped
the tears from his face and opened the door with the intention of getting rid
of whatever salesperson was there.

“Mr. Colson?” the twenty-something man asked. He was tall,
like Steve, and obviously physically fit, with close-cropped sandy blond hair.
An athlete, Steve thought.

“Yes. I’m Steve Colson,” he replied.

“My name is Greco, and I am Mirissa’s Guardian. May I speak
with her, please?”

Considering his daughter’s current state, this probably
wasn’t the best time, but Steve didn’t see any point in delaying the
inevitable. Without a word, he stepped back to allow Greco into the living room
where Mirissa was still lying unconscious on the couch.

“You allowed her to put on the ring before my arrival?”
Greco asked. He appeared angry at the obvious breach in protocol.

“Look, I didn’t
allow
her to do anything. I didn’t
even know she had that damned ring.” Steve’s temper was starting to flare and
he was glad that this man was here to take the brunt of it. Served him right
for bringing his only daughter into a life that took away her mother.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Greco said in a more conciliatory tone.
“This is just… unusual.”

The sound of movement from the couch caught Steve’s
attention and he immediately went to his daughter’s side. As her eyes fluttered
open, she said, “I just had the strangest dream, Dad. I was in the woods with a
whole bunch of girls just like me and we were training for some battle and
there was a woman there with the same name as Mom, and a statue and…”

“Tritonia” Steve half sighed.

Mirissa’s eyes grew wide. “It wasn’t a dream, was it?”
Mirissa asked, looking somewhat shocked and scared of the answer.

“No, it wasn’t,” Greco interrupted.

At the sight of this stranger in the living room, Mirissa
bolted upright, almost tearing the new prom gown she was wearing.

“My name is Greco. I am your Guardian,” he began,” and we
have much to do.”

As Greco made himself comfortable in one of the armchairs,
Mirissa excused herself, saying she wanted to change into something less
ridiculous, and headed upstairs.

 There was a long silence while Steve processed
everything that had happened. “Please, don’t bring her into this,” he begged.
“Let her be a normal teenager.”

“Mr. Colson, it was my understanding that you have always
been aware of Mirissa’s situation. Have you not been training her for more than
ten years to ensure her readiness?

Greco was right. Although Steve had told himself that he put
his daughter in all of those martial arts classes for physical fitness, that
wasn’t entirely true. Deep down, he’d always known this day would come. He also
knew it was his duty to get Mirissa as ready as she could possibly be. He’d
even added sharpshooting to the long list of ways his daughter could defend
herself. Not because her bloodline required it, but because it was something
that he could bring to the table. A way he could be a part of the life he
always knew she’d lead.

“Is that true, Daddy?” Mirissa was now at the bottom of the
stairs with a look of betrayal on her face.

“Yeah, baby, it is.” He couldn’t remember the last time
she’d called him Daddy and it broke his heart to hear her say it with such
disappointment in her voice.

Mirissa walked into the living room and looked at each man
in turn. “Start at the beginning, and don’t leave anything out,” she commanded.

For the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening,
Mirissa received instructions about the Amazons, the Greek Gods, and
Kakodaemons, or Kakos, as they were now known.

At the turn of the fifth century BC, the Amazons were a
well-known, and well-feared, tribe of female warriors. Their prowess with the
bow and arrow was legendary and, as a result, their tribe spread throughout
Greece, Turkey, Asia Minor, and even northern Africa.

Contrary to popular beliefs at the time, the Amazon tribe was
peaceful by nature, spending much of their time studiously learning about the
world around them. Their society was the inspiration for the famous “ideal
society” that Plato spoke of in his dialogue,
The Republic
. They became
experts in farming, designing irrigation systems that rivaled those of Egypt,
and developed their skills as warriors until they were a formidable force for
any army. They were ruled by a Queen that was elected based on her wisdom and
courage, and they flourished for years.

The Amazons fought many battles against armies that
threatened their way of life and, as worshippers of Artemis, the Greek Goddess
of the Hunt, they fought also to defend her. Unlike other societies of the
time, they did not fight to gain territory or riches; they chose their battles
based on who needed their help.

Regardless of their great skills and talent as warriors, the
armies they fought were less angry about being defeated, than they were about being
defeated by an army of women. As their reputation grew, so did the animosity
toward them.

When a Greek army defeated one of the Amazon tribes, instead
of killing their prisoners, as was the Greek way, they followed the advice of
Ares, Artemis’s half-brother and the God of War. They chose to humiliate the
legendary Amazons by taking them back to Greece and forcing them into what the
Greeks considered a more suitable life for females.

Ares wanted to do more than just humiliate the Amazons. He
wanted to destroy them. Armies throughout his kingdom had long revered Ares,
but the Amazons had begun to change that. With every army that was plundered by
the female warriors, Artemis grew in strength and power. She was no longer
simply the Goddess of the Hunt, but was referred to by many as the Goddess of
War. Even Zeus, their father, had begun to speak more highly of Artemis than he
did of Ares.

In a last ditch effort to thwart the Amazons and regain his
standing, Ares struck a deal with the God of the Underworld, Hades. Hades
created a race of demons, the Kakodaemons, which possessed all of the abilities
needed to defeat the Amazons—strength, agility and stamina—as well as an
all-encompassing hunger to do so. In return, Ares promised that the souls of
all that were killed by the Kakodaemons would be sent directly to Hades to
spend eternity in his underworld hell.

When the Amazons joined the Trojan War to help defend King
Priamos against the Greeks, Ares sent his Kakodaemons to join the Greek army.
In one of the bloodiest battles ever fought, the Amazons were defeated and more
than half of their forces were slain.

In their battle against the Athenians, the Amazons were once
again annihilated by the Kakodaemons hiding among the enemy soldiers. Battle
after battle was fought, and lost, by the once mighty Amazons, and their
prayers to Artemis begged for answers and for help.

When Artemis found out what her half-brother had done, she
vowed to make things right for her Amazons and for all mankind. She knew that
the Kakodaemons’ hunger would drive them to annihilate the humans as well as
the Amazons.

First, she contacted her friend, Persephone, who was married
to Hades, and told her what he’d done. Persephone then convinced her husband to
make amends by giving the Kakodaemons a weakness that would make them less of a
threat to mankind. He agreed, and altered the demons so they could never again
walk in daylight.

Then, Artemis brought all of her remaining warriors to the
island of Tritonia and imbued them with supernatural healing powers and
unequaled strength and agility. She told them everything she knew about the
Kakodaemons and made ridding the world of the vile creatures their sole
purpose.

For hundreds of years the Amazons lived on Tritonia and
trained to fulfill their purpose. In secrecy they travelled throughout their
former homelands and quietly dispatched the Kakodaemons.

Artemis and Ares were now at war.