Rise of the Nephilim Read online

  Eric answered, “Four males, one female. One of us is a Catholic priest.”

  The man on the radio confirmed, “You are cleared to evacuate. We will be waiting out front.”

  “You heard the man,” Eric said, as he reattached his radio to his utility belt. “Now is as good a time as any to get out of here.”

  The group gathered their belongings and queued up behind Eric, while Brad established himself as the rear guard. Jude kept close Eric to assist him if they met any resistance. Father Gallo hung back with Brad in the relative safety of the back.

  Eric peered outside the room to determine if any danger remained and saw no cause for alarm. The group slowly vacated their temporary refuge, remaining alert for any surprises. The hallway and mezzanine further down were grotesquely quiet amid the bodies littering the floor.

  The reality of the attack was finally beginning to sink in for Jude. He felt a mix of nausea and tears welling inside him now that he had the luxury of soaking in the carnage caused by the Nephilim. It had taken an entire police force to subdue, per his own estimate, merely a dozen of them, including a few human fighters. How could they fight against that kind of power?

  His thoughts were cut short, when he caught his foot on a something and stumbled to remain upright. He stifled a sharp cry, as he looked down into the blank eyes of a dead monk. He realized with sadness that he had met the man on their journey to Singapore only a few months ago. The look in those glassy orbs begged Jude to tell them why such a horror had fallen upon them. Jude choked back a sob and silently asked for the monk’s forgiveness. He tried to mouth the man’s name in silent memorial, but realized he could not remember it. He was just another anonymous casualty of war, his very existence already transforming into a footnote in the pages of history.

  Eric gripped Jude’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze of understanding. He nodded, knowing no words could diminish his reaction to the hellish scene surrounding them. He knew no amount of experience could make it easier. It had taken him years to learn how to partition the emotion of battle from the need to maintain situational awareness. He merely tugged gently on Jude’s shirt sleeve to signal the need to get out of the building. They could do the dead no favors right now.

  The small cadre entered the mezzanine without incident and descended the stairs into the main lobby. They hustled past the upended registration tables, barely glancing at the fallen cronies of the Nephilim. The number of fallen policemen and damage done to the surroundings suggested that some of them had been possessed before they were neutralized in the battle for the entrance.

  The party picked up speed as they came closer to the entrance of the complex and pocketed their weapons in order to not alarm the peacekeepers outside. A breath of mountain air caressed Jude’s face, reinvigorating his frayed nerves and beckoning him further away from the building. They halted only when an amplified voice ordered them to do so. The group stood in front of a defensive arc of Genevese police, all pointing their weapons in their direction. Jude and the others instinctively raised their hands in surrender.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Drop your weapons and come forward slowly”, ordered the man behind the megaphone. Jude noted that he must be their erstwhile radio contact. “If you cooperate, you won’t be harmed.”

  Jude and Emily cautiously complied, immediately followed by Eric and Brad. Relieved of their arms, the five survivors marched toward the opening gap in the barrier line. A hyper-alert detail of guards met them halfway and led them behind the line toward a black trailer protruding with antennae and satellite dishes. A handful of personnel were inside intently coordinating audio and visual communication between the teams inside the convention center.

  A man in a dark gray suit and blue tie, exuding the air of command and carrying an orange megaphone, detached himself from the crowd and made a course to intercept the group. He was giving orders on a Bluetooth headset in a patois of mixed French and German unique to the area. He cut off his conversation, as he neared them.

  “Bonjour,” he greeted them with a thick accent, as he surveyed the bunch. He walked up to Eric and offered his hand, “Herr Strauss, I assume? I am Captain Louis Beaulac. I am happy to know you found your way out safely after our conversation. It seems you and your associate are two of the few security personnel to make it out alive. We would like to request you attend an immediate debriefing about what happened inside. The terrorists seem to be using some kind of unidentified energy weapon. My superiors are asking questions I cannot answer.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t have many answers myself, Captain,” Eric answered and glanced at Emily, questioning how much she was willing to divulge at present. She gave him a slow shake of her head. “I’m willing to help however I can, though. Is it acceptable if I contact my superiors first? My cell phone is fried.”

  “Of course,” the captain told him. “Head to the communications trailer and someone will assist.”

  The officer turned to address Jude, Emily, and Gallo. “Do any of you need medical assistance or psychological counseling? We have an aid tent nearby, if so.” All three of the civilians responded in the negative.

  Gallo spoke up, “If at all possible, I would like to get back to my hotel. This ordeal has been incredibly exhausting. I also need to make some calls.”

  Beaulac nodded and pulled out a small metal box from his back pocket filled with business cards that he passed out to everyone. “Please, get some rest and call my office as soon as you can. We still have much to do here, so we can spare you for now. Be careful, though. We do not know how many of these people remain in Geneva. Do you need protection?”

  Gallo protested that they did not. Emily and Jude agreed. When he returned, Eric insisted that he and Brad guide the group back to the hotel before their own debriefing with the Genevese police. The captain consented and, after checking their Swiss concealed carry permits, sent for the two professional soldiers’ pistols. Re-equipped, the party walked down the block back to their hotel.

  “I think we should stick to the alley ways”, suggested Gallo. “The captain was right. We don’t know how many Nephilim are in the city. I have no doubt we’ll be targeted if we are seen.”

  “You’re right,” said Emily. “I gave away my presence when I used my power. They may not know precisely where I am because of the commotion, but they are probably on high alert. We need to stay inconspicuous.”

  Eric and Brad agreed the tactic was sound. They devised a plan to traverse the surrounding parks to minimize possible detection, and slowly make their way back to the hotel. Once the convention center was finally out of sight, Jude could feel himself beginning to unwind from the incident. It seemed everyone else was, as well. Even though they remained in a solemn mood, their posture relaxed and they made some successful attempts at small talk. A small amount of normalcy was finding its way back into their lives.

  They left the parks and wandered the smaller service roads inside the city proper. Emily took advantage the spare time to explain the situation in detail to Brad and Eric. They were bewildered at the story, but pledged to do whatever they could to help her and the Grigori repel the Nephilim threat. Jude had begun entertaining them with stories of his travels, when Emily held up her hand for silence.

  “I think I sense one of them one up ahead,” she said quietly.

  “Stay here,” warned Eric, “I’ll check it out. Brad, you watch our six.”

  “I’m coming with you,” insisted Jude. “You may need a second pair of eyes, and I’m tired of feeling like extra weight.”

  “Very well,” relented Eric when he saw the resolve in Jude’s eyes. “But be careful and stay behind me.”

  Jude nodded, “You don’t have to tell me twice. Beaulac didn’t give my gun back, after all. I won’t get in your way.”

  “Be careful,” Emily said, pulling him close and gave him a fierce kiss.

  “I will,” assured Jude, as he released her. “Let’s go, Eric.”

  The two le
ft the group in a cross alley and crept down the main path. They carefully scanned the street on their approach for anything suspicious. Jude made sure to stay low behind Eric, in case any more gun fire erupted, while Eric kept his hand at the ready on the holster at his hip. They approached the narrow opening between buildings on both sides and carefully searched up and down the street for any sign of the possessed person Emily mentioned. Jude strained his eyes to peer through the bustling crowd of people traversing the sidewalks. He was growing frustrated at the lack of results when Eric released a quick, low whistle for his attention.

  He followed Eric’s directed nod in an attempt to discern what the man was seeing. Nothing stood out for a few seconds until his eyes stopped upon a small street-side café. At one of the tables sat a thirty-something blonde woman on a laptop, who was intently staring into the crowd and deconstructing every person that walked by. To the standard passer-by, it might seem as if she was merely waiting on someone, trying to find them in the crowd. Jude felt there was definitely something “off” about her, as he continued to watch her. He was certain she was the Nephilim they were looking for.

  Eric crouched down and made his way over to Jude for a chat. “We can get around her, if we cut back and go west a couple of blocks,” he said, keeping an eye on their quarry. “I don’t want to risk her picking us out of the crowd with that freaky sense thing Emily can do.”

  “Sounds good,” agreed Jude wholeheartedly. “I’m ready to get the hell out of here.”

  He tried to leave, but Eric held him still. “Wait a sec,” he cautioned. “She’s getting up.”

  Jude watched the lady stand up and gather her things. She looked up and down the street and began to walk in the direction opposite them. Jude breathed a silent sigh of relief. Suddenly, the lady stopped, turned around, and looked right at them. She smiled at their startled expression and held her hand up in imitation of a pistol. She mimed pulling the trigger and mouthed the word “pow”. He dove to the concrete and heard the distinctive crack of gunfire echoing nearby.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Jude’s mind reeled. Surely that woman didn’t have that kind of power! He lay on the ground in shock trying to envision the invisible projectile that had been hurled at them. A quick damage check revealed no wounds, and Eric’s colorful description of the situation indicated he was okay and just as surprised as Jude.

  Another crack rang out, accompanied by a scream. This time, Jude could tell the noise had come from behind them in the alleyway. His stomach knotted up and turned sour. Only one thing lay behind them at the moment.

  “Emily!” he shouted and jumped to his feet and ran back the way they came. The woman on the street became a distant memory, as he picked up speed. He could hear Eric yelling at him to slow down, but nothing could keep him from his objective. His mind was now soaking in adrenaline and running on pure instinct.

  The hundred yards or so it took to reach the area where he had left the rest of the group felt as if it was only a few steps in his current state of mind. He blindly rounded the corner at full speed, clipping his shoulder against the corner of the building by accident. The force of the impact sent him spinning to the ground, as the white-washed limestone wall broke apart and showered him with debris. He managed to roll over, but was pinned to the ground by Gallo’s foot.

  “What the hell, man?” he asked incredulously. “Where is everyone?”

  He saw Brad’s pistol in the priest’s hand. His blood ran cold. Gallo jovial eyes had been replaced with a predator’s

  “Antonio, where is Emily?”

  Gallo remained silent and aimed the gun down at Jude’s face. Jude closed his eyes and braced for death.

  He heard another gunshot, but he didn’t feel any pain. Gallo released an inhuman sound and Jude heard the clatter of the weapon against the ground. He opened his eyes again and saw the priest holding his upper arm, blood dripping from his elbow. Eric had caught up and opened fire on him.

  Gallo ran, as deflected bullets dug themselves into the surrounding concrete and plaster, and disappeared around a corner.

  Jude propped himself up and found himself staring straight into Brad’s vacant eyes. Blood oozed down the side of his head from the hole in his temple. Jude retched, but still retained some clarity. He had to find Emily. He stood up weakly and stumbled a little further down the alley, calling her name. He passed a row of garbage cans and finally heard a faint voice answering back.

  Emily was there, lying among the refuse where she had been tossed. A bloody dagger of broken glass lay at her side, where she had pulled it from her abdomen. She was holding a makeshift compress to the wound, but a deep red stain was already blossoming around her hands and was pooling underneath her. She was quickly turning a sickly grayish hue.

  “Oh my God!” Jude said in disbelief as he knelt down beside her and helped her press down the strip of cloth. “What the hell happened?”

  “We were betrayed,” she replied painfully. “Is Brad…?”

  “He’s dead,” Jude said sadly. “Just hold on ok? Eric!” He yelled behind him. “Eric, get an ambulance now!” He turned back to Emily. “What happened to Gallo? Are you going to be ok?”

  “Gallo… is Nephilim,” Emily whispered before coughing up blood. “Azazel has seduced him.”

  Jude tried to keep her talking and awake, “Stay with me! What do you mean about him being Nephilim? How long has he been like that?”

  “I don’t know,” replied Emily. “He hid it well. Jude, please be careful. Azazel is ruthless. You are not safe as long as he considers you a threat. You must flee.”

  Jude gave a nervous laugh, as he strained to listen for the faint approach of emergency sirens responding to the gunfire, “Come on now. I can’t go anywhere with you like this. You just take it easy, ok? Inanna, can’t you do anything?”

  “I’m sorry, Jude,” the Grigori answered through Emily. The musical undertone of her voice was fading. “It’s too late.”

  “Dammit, Inanna! You can’t just give up on her! What kind of celestial being are you, if you just abandon her now?”

  Emily’s face smiled ruefully, “I can’t even do that now, Jude. We’ve been together for too long, and the power I’ve expended today solidified the entanglement. Emily and I will go into the void together. Jude, please save Antonio. Tell him I forgive him.”

  Tears rolled down Jude’s face. “The ambulance will be here soon. Don’t let go, ok. You’re going to be alright”

  Emily’s eyelids were beginning to droop. She gazed into the growing pool of blood flowing from her wound, fighting for each wet, ragged breath.

  “It’s ok, Jude,” she said in a hollow voice, as tears began to flow down her face also. “Thank you for reminding me what it was like to feel again. I wish we could have had more time together.”

  She gave his hand a hard squeeze, and Emily’s voice returned. “I just…. want you to know that both of us…. Inanna and I…..”

  She paused to catch her breath again, and her body slowly sagged. Jude waited, willing her to move again, but she remained still. Through the curtain of tears that veiled his vision, he reached out and closed Emily’s eyes.

  “I love you too,” he whispered, as he cradled her head in his hands and stroked her soft black hair. For the first time in ages, he wept.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Eric met the paramedics at the entrance to the alleyway, as they responded to reports of the shooting called in by frantic bystanders out on the street. Despite his lack of knowledge of the local dialect, he was able to communicate his need and urgency well enough to get them to follow him swiftly. Jude stumbled up to them and pointed down the alleyway. They ran past him, but Eric stopped him to make sure he was okay. He noticed the blood on Jude’s suit jacket.

  “Jude!” Eric yelled, shaking him out of his daze. “What happened back there? Don’t tell me…”

  “She’s dead,” Jude managed to choke out. “He killed her…”

  Eric c
ontinued to pry him for information. “You mean Gallo? Why did he do that? What happened to Brad?”

  Jude finally made eye contact with Eric and shook his head. “Brad didn’t make it. Gallo… is one of them now.”

  Eric was dumbfounded. “Oh my God… We need to go now, Jude. We have to get out of Geneva.”

  “I can’t just leave her here!” Jude screamed, as Eric began pulling him away.

  “You can’t help her now!” Eric hissed. “Don’t you see, Jude? We’re going to be hunted like rats if we don’t get out of here as soon as possible. If Gallo is possessed, then every plan we’ve made up until now is compromised. If we go anywhere near the hotel or the conference center again, we’re probably as good as dead. If we stay here, then we’ll have to deal with the police, and we’ll be sitting ducks. We need to catch the first train out of here.”

  Jude nodded reflexively and followed behind Eric away from the remains of their friends. It was hard to believe Emily was gone. She and Inanna had been so strong, but in their one moment of weakness, he had not been there. And what about Gallo? How long had he been under Nephilim control? Jude knew the man had been acting out of character lately, but he would never have imagined this scenario. Where could they turn?

  “We have to get back to the Vatican,” he suggested to Eric. “I have unfinished business there.”

  “Do you think that’s safe?” Eric asked. “What if others within the Vatican have been taken? If you didn’t notice, every single one of those things back at the conference was using a religious figure as a conduit.”

  “I don’t know how they got to so many of them,” Jude insisted, “but we do know it can be safer where people have strong convictions. I need to report to the Vicar, at the very least.”