Tales Of The Sazi 02 - Moon's Web (32 page)

I'm near the garage entrance. I will not play into the fear the thing is attempting to instill. I will go for assistance. The wolves are better suited to the dark, and Tony has second sight. I move quickly, but am not fast enough. Still, I am near the entrance. I only need to reach the outsi…

The thing drops down in front of me just before the opening, a black silhouette against the light of the street lamps. The shape is wrong… there are too many appendages… it cannot be what I am seeing, or think I see.

"I've been waiting for you," it says in a voice that is both hiss and trill. I move quickly, darting around it with all of my speed, but it moves in a blur that the eye cannot follow. I am trapped. Before I can blink, I am caught. I struggle with all of my might, but I feel a sudden stabbing pain in my chest. I thrash as something starts to spread in me. It hurts like fire and I scream. Robart, where are you? Oh, very good, said another voice inside my head. Let's back that up a bit. I saw Aspen walk into the scene, and the image of Asri screaming froze in time.

What are you talking about? I hear myself ask. How are you here with me ?

You have hindsight. Tony. It is a memory you see, not visions of the future to be trapped in until it ends. Aspen stepped up to Asri and put a hand right through. They are not real in the here and now, and you can take what information you require and then leave. She raised her hand and pulled, like opening a curtain. Like so. The image blurred and changed. The scene reversed in time until it was just before Asri spotted the entrance.

Now, Aspen continued, Let's see what she saw. She moved her hand forward just a bit and the movements slowly progressed, as though it was a frame-by-frame fast forward on a video. She looked at me and smiled. Yes! Precisely! I should have thought of that explanation. It's much better than mine. It is like a movie video. I felt myself start. You can hear my thoughts? She put hands on her hips, while the image stood still, waiting. Well, of course. If you'd just step out here, we could stand together and watch this. It's your mind, Tony. You can picture yourself inside.

Okay, let's give it a try. I thought of myself standing next to Aspen, and poof! There I was. The image of Asri grew until it was the size of a theater screen. I reached out my hand to push it back a little, like stepping back a few rows of seats, and the picture shrunk. Now, this is just too cool!

Yes! Aspen exclaimed. You're getting it. But we don't have much time, so you'll have to practice on your own when there aren't lives at stake.

She moved her hand again and the scene replayed. When the shadow dropped at the entrance, she froze the vision. What is that? I've never seen anything like that before.

I shook my head and shrugged. Got me. It just looks like a blob. There's not enough light. Can we add some

?

Unfortunately, no. The vision is what it is. You can only view what the person remembers seeing. Not true! I thought instantly. When I was in Leyla's past, I saw the scene played out in third person. I saw things happen after she left the scene.

Aspen smiled in my head. Of course you did. You weren't seeing Lelya's experiences at sixteen— you were seeing her vision of her sixteen-year-old self, when she was eight. It's a common problem with catching the thoughts of a seer. But no more instruction— we need help here. Let me get Lucas. I didn't even have time to respond to the concept of a vision within a vision, before I felt unearthly power slide across my mind. Aspen reappeared and pointed to the black blob. There! You've been around the longest of us all. What is that?

There was suddenly lights and motion and I struggled to breathe. The image exploded into a thousand sharp fragments and then I was awake again, inside the hotel on the couch. Bobby was next to me, and Nana was removing my shaking hand from his neck. My face was covered in sweat and I couldn't seem to warm myself. I felt Sue shuddering in the background, despite the warmth of the restaurant. A chirping sound reached my ears and I fought to move my eyes toward the sound. Lucas's cell phone was ringing. He looked pale and drawn, somehow years older than just a few minutes before.

"Santiago," he said tersely.

"Lucas! Thank the gods I reached you in time," It was the voice of Jack, or Colecos, or whatever the hell name he was using. The voice rushed on. "I remembered what the poison was. But, I'm almost afraid to say it out loud."

All the sound and motion in the room had stopped. Faces were turned to Lucas and the effect was sort of like that old television commercial about the stock broker, E. F. Hutton.

Lucas fought to ignore them by keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the plush oriental rug. "You don't have to say it. Jack. I've seen it— it really is here."

"But… we killed them all! I know we did!"

Lucas uttered a short bark of a laugh. "Ever hear of a double recessive gene?" There was a long pause where there was only breathing in the room. A glance around showed a wide variety of expressions. Ivan and Nikoli were in a state of shock, with open mouths and wide eyes. Charles looked positively furious, as did a couple of the council members. Aspen was nowhere to be seen, and Raven and Nana managed to ignore the conversation by continuing to work on healing Bobby from whatever had attacked Asri. I hadn't realized that Raven was a healer.

"Do I need to come?"

Lucas shook his head, even though the other man wouldn't see. "You can't come. You aren't welcome in this territory, Jack. The council is meeting here. You'd never make it."

The laugh that followed was bitter but amused. "I go where I please, Lucas— much as Aspen does. The council can be damned, and I hope they hear me! I can assure you all that I am better than the alternative in this case!" Another pause and the voice was suddenly deadly serious. "If you survive, call me in the next twenty-four hours. If you don't, I do plan to retrieve the sword from storage and visit Nikoli's territory, because I will not allow those things to decimate our kind. Do you have anyone there with any skill at all? You know what is required for this task."

Lucas looked up and scanned the crowd. I swore under my breath as his eyes fixed on me and he smiled.

"I've got just the man for the job— a new turn. He might beat your old record on the course some day." A burst of loud laughter made Lucas hold the phone away from his ear. "Ha! Hardly likely, Inteque, but nearly anybody is faster than you. Remember— twenty-four hours. Otherwise, the esteemed council will gaze upon my face once more."

Lucas pressed the End button on the phone and looked up into the. shocked faces of the assembled crowd. He stared them all down, looking serene. He'd apparently made his decision and he would stand by it. Charles spoke first. His voice was just short of rage. "He killed one of my best friends, Lucas, as you well know! I will remove him from the face of the earth if he shows up— file or no file!" Lucas walked over to the old man who was trembling and red with fury. He spoke quietly, but with strength.

"It's a spider, Charles. I will bargain with whatever devil I must. If I die— and I probably will— he is your only hope. No one else, including yourself, has ever fought one."

Charles's face had gone pale and he stumbled enough that he had to catch himself on a table to keep from falling. The rage had evaporated. He was still trembling, but for another reason. The scent of his fear hit everyone in the room. "But they're extinct… "

"Apparently not." Lucas's face was cold. His determination rode over the scents of fear and anger. It made him dangerous. Sort of like me.

The shrieking pitch of Angelique's voice made me shudder. "But were-spiders are merely zee myth! Zee story to frighten children."

Lucas turned to her and opened his mouth to reply, but Nana beat him to it. "No, they are NOT, you foolish bird!" She stood and the weight of years fell away from her, to reveal a shining, powerful woman in her prime.

"They wiped out all but a handful of the red wolf pack, and the dragons, all of the cheetahs, the eagles, and most of the jaguars— until Colecos was the last. I was surprised that he didn't go insane before he did. They feed on our kind! And humans. And any other thing that lives, including their own elders when there is no other." She turned from face to startled face. "You all know me! You know that I do not suggest death lightly. But the spiders would destroy the earth as we know it if they are allowed to survive!" Lucas nodded his head. "Right, then. Tony, we'll need every weapon in that box upstairs! You've just gotten your first Sazi assassination job! Congratul— "

I didn't hear the rest of the word, because Sue was suddenly in my head. Tony! I just saw Asri with some woman. She looked sick. I recognized the woman and I'm afraid. She was in the mall back home— one of those perfume sprayers in the department store. She came through the whole crowd just to spray Barbara right in the face. I remember Asri complaining that someone had done the same thing to her a few days ago, but I didn't connect them. I know something's wrong. She may be the Sazi you're looking for. Pamela and I are going to follow them.

I felt panic suffuse through me. No, wait, Sue! You don't underst…

Her voice took on a hard edge, cold and calculating, and very much like me. I do understand, Tony. I've been listening. It's time for me to grow up and be an adult. This is the thing I have to do alone. I just know it. We'll be careful, but you need eyes and ears out here, and I'm it— for a change. I'll let you know where they end up. She cut off contact.

I came back to myself with a shake of my head. I looked at Lucas, who had apparently just finished saying something to the crowd, because they were starting to scurry about. "Sue saw Asri with a woman. She and Pamela are going to follow at a distance and tell us where they land. I told her it was a bad idea, but… " Lucas was checking the edge on a sword that had appeared from somewhere and he swore furiously. Nikoli was standing by, looking concerned. Lucas took a deep breath. "No, actually, Tony, it's a good idea. I'd hate for anything to happen to Sue, but this is more important than any one person. I know it's dangerous, but if they keep a distance, they should be fine."

He glanced at the couch, where Bobby was breathing shallowly. Both Nana and Raven were feeding power into him, but it was just barely keeping him alive. "I hope I can say the same about Bobby." Nikoli approached carrying a sword that he handed hilt first to Lucas. "No, Nikoli, this has been a wall decoration too long. Get someone to sharpen it. If we don't come back— Jack, Raven and Ivan are the next line of defense. You, Charles and the cats are after them. Find as many swords and weapons as you can. I pray that there is only the one, and that she hasn't laid eggs."

Nikoli nodded and left. He was putting his pride aside and taking orders from the older wolf with an ease that surprised me.

I found Yurgi, who broke into a cold sweat at the news that Pamela and Sue were out tracking the thing that had everyone panicked. He wanted desperately to come with us, but he would only be a liability. I decided to give him something else to think about, so I asked him to run a very special errand for me— to buy a Christmas present for Sue. I had something special in mind. I told him where the case of batteries was in the apartment and gave him a key. I told him to take as many as he needed. As a bonus for helping, he could get something for Pamela with the gold, too for when we got back. My confidence made him feel better. If he noticed the black pepper, he didn't mention it.

Lucas tapped me on the shoulder as I was finishing my instructions. "How did I get elected to go with you?" I asked as we bolted up the stairs to my suite, and the weapons. "There are ten other people downstairs with more power."

I swung open the door to the room and Lucas grabbed the box from the floor and opened it. "And they all offered to come, while you were talking to Sue. But I've watched you, Tony. Power means nothing against the spiders. Speed and accuracy are what count. It'll take us both, with everything we've got, to bring this lady down." He shuddered and drew a deep breath. "I've got to tell you— there's a good chance we won't walk away from this."

I shrugged. Death holds little horror for me. I've faced it too often. "Yeah? So what's new? In case you didn't notice, I'm pretty stubborn about holding onto life."

A tired smile and a shake of his head were my reply.

« ^ »

The warehouse where Sue directed us to go was only a few blocks from the hotel. We were moving slower than usual because of the sheer volume of weapons we carried. All of my guns— minus the. 17 HMR, which was too small for the task— along with a wide variety of weapons from Nikoli's arsenal in a canvas duffel bag. We had a stock of both silver and lead ammo, and some bowie knives long enough they nearly were swords. I see her, Tony! Babs is still alive— but she looks bad. She and Asri have been put in some sort of… well, web, and are suspended from the ceiling about… wow, it must be forty feet high. There's no way I can free them.

I related the message to Lucas quietly, and he nodded.

We heard a scream in the distance. I started to bolt forward, but Lucas held me back. "That's just what she wants, Tony. Hang back and see if you can reach Sue."

Sue? What's happening?

It got Pamela, Tony! Oh, God, it was awful! It's HUGE and incredibly fast. It took her inside with the others. Are you okay?

I felt her take a deep breath. It's harder than I thought to be a grown-up. But I'll be fine. That thing will be back, Sue! Stay out of sight, but look around for a window. I want to see that monster. I threw open the screen in my mind and was suddenly inside of Sue— seeing through her eyes, feeling her heart pound. I tried to slow her breathing, struggled to focus her mind. The first thing I noticed was a strange sound. It was a half-sentient wailing trill that made the hair on Sue's neck stand on end. I tried to describe it to Lucas, who was waiting patiently for some word. "It's making some sort of weird sound

— like a hundred crickets on angel dust. It's got Pamela now, and the others are in some sort of webbing near the ceiling."

Lucas went even paler. His skin had lost most of its natural tan. "It's the nesting song. It is ready to lay eggs. The women are sacrifices for the children to feed on when they hatch. They'll be alive, but paralyzed. That's the connection we all missed. The ladies must all be pregnant. It's the preferred food for the young ones and probably why Mila was killed, too; for her enzymes. The female spiders don't need a male to breed if they can take the fluids of a pregnant Sazi."

No wonder Nikoli was so broken up. I remember Yurgi mentioning that Nikoli didn't have any children.

"We can't wait any more. We have to move."

This time I held him back. "Just a second. Let's see if we can find out more about it. Do you remember what they look like? Let's make sure we're dealing with the same baddie."

He nodded. "The ones I fought stood about three foot high, but they're about four foot around. Pale brown to yellow. Eight slender legs without hair, and armor plated body. The eyes are multi-faceted. Same one?" I slid back into Sue's mind. She was watching the spider inject Pamela with something from a fang. She screamed once and Sue started to cry. I pushed through her pain. Focus, Sue! We'll get them. Lucas says they'll stay alive until the eggs hatch, so we've got a little time. Just give me your senses so we know what we're dealing with.

Sue closed her eyes briefly and then calmed a tiny bit.

When she opened her eyes, we watched the spider move, as it wrapped Pamela in the same webbing as the others. Yep, pale brown, no hair— this was our baby. It glowed with an unearthly silver-grey light that fluxed and roiled. It wasn't a color I'd ever encountered. The whole scene was something out of a particularly bad nightmare, or an H.P. Lovecraft story. This particular Sazi was definitely Cthulu mythos fodder. It made me wonder just how much fiction some fiction is.

"It's the same one," I replied to Lucas. "It's wrapped Pamela in webbing."

"Get Sue out of there. It'll be back for her once the other is secure. It can smell a human at close to a mile. It won't allow any witnesses to live."

Get away from there, Sue. Lucas says it'll be back for you.

Her voice in my head was calm, but determined. I won't hide, Tony. I won't leave Barbara, Asri and Pamela to that… thing.

It can smell you, Sue! You have to leave!

I felt her move toward the purse on her shoulder, as though I could see her. No, it can't smell me. I sort of…

well, borrowed Bobby's cologne yesterday— it's a form of teeth, like Lelya said. But I forgot to spray Pamela. That was stupid of me! No, I'll stay here to watch until you get here. I'll keep out of sight. She cut off contact, slamming the screen door in my face.

"She's being stubborn," I whispered. "She used some of the Wolven cologne and is keeping out of sight, but she won't leave until we get there."

Lucas pursed his lips and started forward again. "It might work. Jack and I hadn't developed the cologne when we fought them. It shouldn't recognize the smell. I hope she didn't use it all. We'll put on some, as well, when we get to her."

We moved in shadows, keeping to the darkest black as we skirted ancient, decaying edifices that rose to greet a pale, unfeeling moon. Jeez— now I was thinking in Lovecraft-ese, not exactly confidence inspiring. Enough of that.

I listened for any sound as we slipped silently forward. We'd taken a few minutes back at the hotel to get ready. Now we were both wearing black, face camo and gloves. We moved silently as shadows. Lucas let me lead the way, following Sue's direction and scent. I watched him move with lethal ease. Eyes and ears took in everything— even the scurrying of rodents didn't escape his notice. He'd lowered his inner light until it was non-existent and had lessened his breathing until it was barely audible. I watched his nostrils flare for any hint of danger as the breeze drifted by us, pushing our scents back behind.

We both stopped at the sing-song rise and fall of the spider's trill. The sound and the horrible smell made me shiver, and once again the terrors of forbidden, ancient gods tickled my mind. Natural instinct made me want to bolt and run. I struggled against the urge to leave. I couldn't imagine what would it have been like to go into a spider den— to confront dozens, or hundreds, of these things who were eating your people alive and I wasn't about to touch Lucas to find out.

He lifted one hand the slightest bit and jerked a finger to our right. I moved across the alley without a sound. Sue was hiding behind a dumpster near the window. I raised my head a bit to catch Lucas's eye and moved my head and eyes toward the dilapidated metal box. He gave a short nod and then we moved forward together until we reached her side.

"Anything new?" Lucas whispered so low that I could barely hear.

Sue had taken the hint, and shook her head mutely. She spoke directly into my mind. It's been spinning a lot of silk since it hung Pamela on the ceiling, but it doesn't seem to be sticky. It's been fluffing it in the corner near that balcony. I think it's some sort of nest.

I nodded and relayed the information to Lucas, close to his ear. He looked up and around. He raised up a finger and moved it back and forth. Sue didn't understand the question, but I did. How did the spider get inside, Sue? Did it go through a door or the roof, or what?

She opened her mouth and raised her brows in understanding. There's a hole in the wall in back. I saw it when I followed the spider after she took Pamela. It's pretty small. The spider had to squeeze to go through and then reach back to take Pamela through. But by then she was paralyzed. I might have saved her if not for that.

I put a hand on her shoulder and winked. Don't beat yourself up. This thing has taken down the best of the best. The fact that you're still alive is pretty damn good.

She smiled and nodded. Lucas let out a small annoyed breath. Oops! I forgot to bring him up to date. I leaned close. "There's a hole in the back wall, but Sue says it's pretty small. One at a time, I think, with Sue keeping watch on the mark?"

He blinked his eyes in agreement. He pointed to me and then to himself. He winked at Sue and squeezed her shoulder lightly, and then touched her nose. He pointed a finger at her and then at the window and then leaned close to her ear. "Keep in touch with Tony. If you see the spider leave, for any reason, let him know." As we were walking to the back of the building, I heard a noise to our left. I touched Lucas's shoulder, but he'd heard it too. We split and dropped into the shadows, our weapons cocked and ready. I smelled thick jungle vines and pain before I saw shadowy movement next to the building across the alley.

"What are you doing here, Agent?"

"We're mated, Lucas. She's in my head all the time now. I'd tried to ignore it, but I can't. I know where she is and I know the trouble they're in. I couldn't just keep driving a frigging limo while she's in danger!" Even though Lucas gave him a disgusted look, his scent was pleased. Bobby noticed. It reminded me that we'd forgotten to spray ourselves. Lucas apparently recognized Bobby's scent as well. I turned my hand inward and moved my finger up and down to imitate spraying. He shook his head in annoyance. He'd forgotten, too.

Lucas moved close to Bobby and we all returned to Sue's side. She shook her head. No change. She's still building the nest.

I opened my palm and moved my fingers in and out several times. Cologne? Did you use it all?

She shook her head and opened her purse. She handed me the small bottle. There was still plenty for us all. After I'd sprayed myself, I handed it to Bobby. He looked at the bottle and glanced at Sue with raised brows and annoyance before passing it to Lucas.

She had the good grace to blush.

Lucas sprayed himself and then grabbed my chin. Before I could react, he tilted my head and spritzed some of the fluid directly up my nose. I struggled not to cough and sneeze.

Lucas held my nose closed and put his other hand over my mouth. I shuddered and tried to remove his hands so I could breathe. He leaned close and hissed into my ear. "Leave it! As we get closer to the spider, the scent can get too strong. The odor will disorient you. This will last about an hour. If we haven't killed it by then, we're out of luck anyway. It'll have laid the eggs and we'll be spider food." I held my breath for a second and the stinging from the cologne abated. When Lucas removed his pinching fingers, I could breathe again. I watched he and Bobby do the same thing to themselves with the bottle. I suddenly couldn't smell a damn thing, as though I had a head cold. I rubbed my nose on my sleeve to remove the remaining liquid, and blinked wetness from my eyes.

I stared at Bobby for a moment. His normally ebony skin was like coffee with two creams. He swayed twice and had to catch his balance on the side of the building. Lucas shook his head angrily. "Mbutu, you're in no condition to fight." Lucas's nearly silent words were terse. "Go home. We'll manage." Bobby took a deep breath. He looked pale and wan, but determined. "I can't, Lucas. I really can't. Think what you would do if it was Tatya up there. I have to try to save her."

Lucas shook his head. "They're over forty feet up, suspended from a rafter by webbing. We'll have to wait until we bring down the spider to get them."

Bobby shook his head but smiled. He'd apparently already planned this out. I'd bet Asri's predicament, along with a possible solution, was being projected into his head. Asri's no slouch in tactics. "You forget, boss, I'm from a long line of a tree climbers, and nearly forty feet long myself. You get the spider— I'll get the ladies. They're all tiny. I can change forms, slither up, and tear apart the support webbing with my teeth. Then I'll lower them down with my tail, change back, and bring them all out. Of course, you'll have to keep it busy." Sue's voice sounded pleased in my head. And I can use my silver knife to cut the silk. Then we can take them back to the healers. I bet it will work.

I shrugged my shoulders. It sounded like a good plan to me. Sue nodded as well. Lucas sighed. He knew he was outnumbered. He threw up his hands and shouldered his AR-15, filled with silver bullets that Nikoli just happened to have on hand. Oh, yeah— silver is a big affront!

Lucas pointed at Bobby with narrowed eyes and hissed, "Do not get in our way, Bobby. I won't risk this thing getting out of the building to find another nest. I don't want to, but I will put you down. Do I make myself clear?"

Bobby got a surprised look, but it hardened. He nodded once curtly. "Eminently. We're all expendable— I get it."

Sue's face was likewise shocked. Her fearful eves turned to me and I could feel her panic pound my heart. I pushed it aside coldly and shook my head.

He's right, Sue. Learn this now— everybody is expendable when the prize is big enough. I accepted it a long time ago. The more useful you are, the longer you'll live. But if you cause trouble, you won't last. I would suggest you keep your head down. Don't doubt that Lucas will put you down, too, if you get in the way. He's already admitted he doesn't expect himself to survive.

Sue glanced at Lucas, who had picked up the duffel and was taking a deep breath with closed eyes. He was centering himself. I do it, too. She turned her eyes to me and nodded more confidently than she felt in my head. I smiled and winked.

It's okay to be scared, Sue, as long as you keep moving. It takes a lot of practice to go where only fools dare to tread.

She shook her head as I stood and moved to crouch next to Lucas. Not practice. It takes a lot of skill, Tony. That too, love. That too.

I couldn't resist anymore, and I knew the other two would do the same thing if they could. I grabbed her and held her close for a moment and kissed her slowly. I ignored the grumbles from the other two as I let my body soak in warmth and sunshine and the intense physical pleasure that rode over my skin and tore the breath from my chest.

She didn't want to let go, but I finally pushed her back to arm's length.

"But Tony," she whispered, "What if… "

I smiled. "Then we had everything that most people can only dream of. Promise me that if anything happens to us in there, you'll keep going. Start a new life far away from the pack and be just as strong and capable and happy as I know you can be. I want you to be a whole person, Sue. I want you to be my equal, and more. I'm sorry for everything I've put you through, and don't want you to think I really meant the things I said last night. I didn't. I swear."