Ancient Prophecy (25 page)

Alex rolled across the bed and brought the dagger up under the man’s sword arm and pierced his heart. Alex froze and listened for any other sounds as he lowered the magician into the bed. After a few moments, the Ranger moved to the doorway and peered in. The room was a small kitchen and nobody else seemed to be in the mood for a late night snack.

Retracing his path to the center of the suite where he had entered, Alex peered through the last doorway. Sprawled on an enormous bed was a figure who had to be President Mitchel. Alex stepped over to the figure and drew his sword, placing the tip snugly against the man’s throat.

“You will be able to breathe lightly and live for a while longer, but a deep breath or a loud voice will end your life quickly,” Alex whispered.

Mitchel’s eyes popped open in fear and Alex saw his arm move.

“I should also point out that any movement, like flexing a finger, will cause me to push this sword clear through to your pillow. It won’t be very pleasant.”

“What do you want?” the Cordonian President whispered.

Alex saw the President’s eyes dart towards the door. “Nobody is coming. They are all dead. Their magic failed. Where is John Secor?”

“Cell in basement,” Mitchel whispered. “Who are you?”

Alex ignored the question. “Your men took something that belongs to me from Atar’s Cove. Where is it?”

“You’re Jenneva’s boyfriend?” breathed the President and Alex put more pressure on the sword. “All right! I sent it to Sarac already...by courier.”

“What did you send to Sarac?” demanded Alex.

The President’s eyes were puzzled. “Book...the Book of the Beginning.”

“What about the baby?” gritted Alex.

“Baby?” rasped President Mitchel. “No baby...only the book...Dalgar did not mention any baby.”

“How do I get to the basement and unlock the cell?” inquired Alex.

Alex saw the President’s eyes flash at the desk next to the bed. “Straight down the stairs,” pleaded the President. “I will take you.” When Alex followed his gaze, Mitchel tried to bring his other hand up.

Alex shoved his sword through the President’s throat and pillow and into the bed. He wiped his sword on the sheets and went over to the desk. In the drawer was a set of keys. Alex pocketed the keys and made his way to the stairway. Peering down the stairs to the first floor, Alex detected no movement. Slowly, he descended the steps to the first floor and continued down to the basement.

The door at the bottom of the stairs was probably locked and surely would have a guard on the other side who could use the peer hole to see who was coming. Alex backtracked to the Presidential Suite and liberated a black robe and hood. He quickly donned the garments and quietly returned to the basement door. In another hour it would start to get light and he was taking too long to accomplish his task.

Alex pulled the hood down to hide his face and examined the keys for one the same size as the lock. Not wanting to sound like someone who was unfamiliar with the keys, he held the three possible keys between different fingers so that he could try them all in a short period of time. The second key clicked in the lock and Alex let the door swing open.

Suddenly, the guard pulled the door open and peered into Alex’s face. Using the only weapon he could quickly utilize, Colonel Tork shoved the key into the guard’s eye and pushed the man into the basement wall. The guard was stunned as Alex pulled a dagger and sliced the man’s throat.

Alex stiffened at the sound of the voice. “Bravo, Colonel Tork. You do not earn your reputation from idle boasting. Welcome to Kantor.”

Alex looked up and down the corridor and could not place the voice. Finally, he looked deep into the shadows of the nearest cell and saw the man near the rear wall. Alex turned and closed the basement door before anyone noticed it open. Returning to the cell he peered into the darkness.

General Fernandez rose and walked to the bars. “You have managed well getting in, but how do you manage to get out?”

“What are you doing in a cell?” queried Alex.

“I’m afraid I was too much of a patriot,” grinned the General. He nodded towards the next cell. “I am afraid our friend, John Secor, has not fared as well.”

Alex moved to the next cell and peered in. John Secor hung from chains, appearing more dead than alive. Alex unlocked the cell door and entered. He looked at John Secor and was horrified. Mitchel should not have had such a quick death, but Alex knew he could not redo it. He walked back to General Fernandez’s cell. “General,” Alex inquired, “if I let you free how do I know that I can trust you?”

“Our friend, John Secor, trusted me,” offered the General. “That is why I am in this cell. He came to me about the treachery that got Mitchel elected. Before I was able to act upon it, I was arrested. They tortured him for information and some of that information included his having talked to me. When they realized that I did not have him arrested, they arrested me.”

Alex unlocked the General’s cell door and returned to John Secor’s cell. The General walked up behind him. “Alex, call me Julio. Anyone that I owe my life to gets to call me Julio.”

“Well, Julio,” ordered Alex, “hold John up while I undo these cuffs.” Swiftly, they had John unshackled and laid on the cot.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Julio said. “How are we getting out of here?”

“I noticed your Army is on alert,” mentioned Alex. “Are they planning on attacking Targa soon?”

“I don’t know where you have been, Alex,” answered Fernandez, “but the war has already started. Mitchel ordered the attack yesterday.”

“Can you stop it?” inquired the Ranger Colonel.

“Not while Mitchel is in office,” declared the Cordonian General. “In fact, I will be killed if I am found loose.”

Alex turned and faced the General. “Mitchel is no longer President. His closest twelve Black Devils are with him.”

General Fernandez whistled softly. “I have many things to learn from you, my friend. I would not have believed it humanly possible. You must have many of your Rangers with you.”

“I came alone,” replied Alex impatiently. “Can you stop the war?”

“I will give you my life trying, friend,” answered Julio solemnly. “How do you plan on getting out of here?”

“With your help,” offered Alex. “Grab his arm and help me get him up the stairs.”

The three men exited the basement and climbed the stairs. At the first floor they had to wait for a guard to pass through the hallway before they could continue up. When they reached the third floor General Fernandez saw the opening in the roof.

Kaz, lower the rope.

General Fernandez watched in fascination as the horse on the roof lowered a rope. “You will never cease to amaze me, Alexander Tork. I won’t even ask how you got the horse up on the roof, just tell me how much time you need to get safely away. The only way that I can realistically claim to be free is to concoct a story about President Mitchel releasing me when he realized his mistake. Even then, the story will only hold if I give everyone something more important to worry about, such as an escaped prisoner and a dead President.”

“As soon as I get John safely on the horse, you can scream all you want, Julio,” Alex replied and climbed up the rope. “Tie the rope around his waist and hold it taut so he doesn’t hit the side of the opening.”

General Fernandez did as he was instructed and they soon had John Secor up on the roof. Alex lifted him up and placed him on Kaz’s back. John was awake, but anything he said was incoherent.

“I am afraid he is asking you to kill him,” suggested General Fernandez.”

“If he dies, he will die in Targa where he belongs,” declared Alex.

“I cannot argue with that,” the General replied sadly. “For what it is worth, Alex, I am sorry for what has happened to John. The Cordonian people loved him and he loved them in return. He will be missed.”

“I’m sorry, Julio,” sighed Alex. “My anger should not be directed at you or the Cordonian people. Targa had the same problem with Mordac posing as King Austin. Farewell, my friend. May we meet again.”

General Fernandez waved as Alex hopped on his horse and trotted across the roof. He was not in a position to see Kaz’s wings come out and the unicorn lift off into the dim sky. The General turned and proceeded down the stairs. He entered the Presidential Suite and reviewed the carnage. Curious, he paused at one of the bodies with a quill sticking out of it. He removed the quill and examined it. Smiling broadly, he moved through all of the rooms and collected all the quills he could find and stuck them in a flower box.

He moved down to the first floor and stood in the middle of the hallway and started shouting for the guards. The first guards skidded to a halt in amazement at seeing the General, but he quickly issued orders to them and they did not have time to ponder the General’s change in favor. The rest of the soldiers to arrive already saw others following the General’s orders and did not even consider the problem. Within moments the entire Presidential Palace was awake and searching for the intruder.

Shouts erupted from the second floor announcing the death of the President. General Fernandez marched up the stairs to the second floor and entered the Presidential Suite. A crowd of soldiers was gathered in the President’s bedroom when the General arrived. The crowd parted for the senior officer and General Fernandez paused an appropriate amount of time before speaking.

“The President is dead. I am assuming Command of the country until an emergency election can be held. You and you, get runners to notify all Troop Commanders of the President’s death and my Command. The rest of you scour the Presidential Palace. I want the assassin apprehended or you’ll all be marching to the Front. I’ll be in my office.”

General Fernandez turned and stormed out of the room. None of the soldiers detected his smile.

Kaz carried Alex and John Secor over the rooftops heading southeast. They circled back over the water and Kaz set down on the end of the dock where the Dalek Shipping Company was located. Kaz automatically launched into his horse impression and walked down the dock to the warehouse. Alex jumped off and opened the warehouse door and led Kaz through. He closed the door and headed for Oscar’s private office and the closet within. Quickly, he maneuvered through the Doors to Lord Habas’s library. Lord Habas was waiting and helped Alex dismount John Secor. Lord Habas laid John on a cot and told Alex to summon the King’s Physician.

Within minutes the Physician arrived and the King and his party were not far behind. Jenneva ran and threw her arms around Alex and cried. King Byron walked over and laid his hand on Alex’s shoulder.

“We are glad to you have back, son,” the King whispered. “Was there any sign of Oscar?”

“No,” Alex answered. “President Mitchel seemed unaware of any baby or anything other than the Book of the Beginning.”

“You spoke to the Cordonian President?” gasped General Clark.

“Just before I killed him,” replied Alex coldly. “General Fernandez was in jail, as well. I freed him and he helped me get John up to the roof. He promised to try and get the Cordonian troops recalled from the war. I believe he will try.”

“General Gregor,” ordered King Byron, “send word to the Front. If the Cordonian troops withdraw, they are not to be chased.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” saluted General Gregor.

“Dalgar commanded the raid,” spat Alex, “and the Book of the Beginning has been delivered to Sarac.”

“You two need to get some sleep,” King Byron said to Alex and Jenneva. “I am sorry to say it, but Targa is going to need some more of your help and you will need to be fresh. Use Prince Oscar’s room. I don’t think we will be seeing him today.”

Jenneva pulled gently at Alex’s sleeve and led him down the corridor. “Don’t ever let me doubt your abilities again, Alexander Tork. And don’t you ever exclude me again. Waiting for you not to return is the worst feeling you could ever imagine.”

Alex swept Jenneva up into his arms and carried her down the corridor. “You won’t ever find me away from your side again.”

Lattimer marched into Sarac’s office and sat in a chair waiting for Sarac to notice him. Several minutes went by and still Sarac seemed to be so engrossed in the Book of the Beginning that he failed to notice his visitor. Lattimer loudly cleared his throat and Sarac’s eyes rose over the top of the large tome.

“Ah, Lattimer,” greeted the Dark One. “I trust the release of the ogres has gone well. Have you directed them to push south into Targa?”

“They are already on their way,” clarified Lattimer. “The castle atop Kalas Mountain was also completed ahead of schedule.”

“Excellent!” exclaimed Sarac. “Make arrangements to have my goods moved immediately. You were correct in advising me to use ogre labor on that project. You are to be commended.”

“Your belongings are already on the way,” offered Lattimer, “but there are some problems with the plan.”

“It appears that everything is progressing satisfactorily,” commented the leader of the Black Devils. “What type of problems do we have?”

“The Sordoan Army is bogged down,” reported Lattimer. “The Targans have thrown everything they have against the Sordoans and the leadership of the Sordoan Army has little enthusiasm for the fight.”

“Are you saying that Borundi doesn't know what he is doing?” inquired Sarac.

“Borundi is no longer a factor,” stated Lattimer. “Borundi was killed in Trekum. From the reports, I believe it was done by Jenneva and her boyfriend, Alexander Tork.”

“That woman is becoming a thorn in my side,” spat Sarac. “What about Aurora and the baby?”

“Aurora is dead, but the baby cannot be found,” admitted Lattimer. “The populace prevented the guards from capturing Jenneva and Alex, as well. I’m not sure the Sordoan Army will prevail.”

“The Sordoan Army is of little consequence,” pondered Sarac. “The ogres will distract the Targan Army, but the child must be found and destroyed. I should have commanded Mitchel to make sure that Jenneva was killed at Atar’s Cove, though.”

“Mitchel is also no longer a factor,” declared Lattimer. “Someone broke into the Presidential Palace and killed Mitchel and twelve of his devotees.”