09-08-2016, 01:20 PM
They followed the girl as she wound the way down and they descended into the earth. The tunnels were silent except for the hum of distant machinery and the sounds of their steps. The air was warm from the pipes that lined the walls and humidity settled around him like a blanket, tried to crawl down his throat when he breathed through his mouth. The trickle of sweat down his temples and on his neck was only a minor inconvenience, though. The fabric beneath the armor was lightweight and designed to wick away any sweat a body produced.
But these impressions were only passing in the back of his mind. At the forefront was something else. Anticipation. Hunger. Excitement. Far greater than he'd ever felt on any hunt he'd every had. Each step brought them closer. Every footfall signaled the beginning of the end. The Atharim would continue on to carry out their charge and keep humanity safe from the gods. But with Apollyon gone, the greatest threat would be eliminated. It could be ended here and now.
Any doubt or hesitation- any fear that he was misinterpreting or forgetting something- was pushed back with each step, every one dropped into an abyss whose waves rippled in the darkness until peace returned to the surface. He focused on what was ahead even as he memorized each twist and turn, for their retreat. He'd not depend on the girl for that, now. He'd checked and triple checked his weapons and had them ready.
The battle would be soon at hand. Dank tunnel gave way to dirt and then to something nicer, the breeze of an air circulation system bring freshness and reprieve, the temperature differentials producing a slight breeze that suddenly seemed to freeze the sweat that matted his hair and temples and neck.
And suddenly there they were. Their path had taken less than 20 minutes and the return route was safe. A door stood in front of them. Armande used an electronic lock pick and it swung open. Almost too easy. It was as if the universe had set this up. The slaying of the beast. It had been foreordained. He sent drones in checking the way. Very likely, security would be here soon. A hallway presented itself, elevator door to one side, stairs to the other, walls and floors clean and lit under halogen lamps. And in front of them was a simple door.
The entire structure matched what he knew of Soviet Era bunkers. The dangers would always have been from above and the greatest defense were the hundreds of meters of earth between them. That and the additional shielding that surrounded the entire structure. They had passed through that outer shell and were inside the heart now. Here shielding was placed at bulkheads throughout, usually load bearing walls, sectioning off areas to prevent any outside leakages from spreading further. The entire complex that housed this section, including Apollyon's apartments- the appellation amused him. So banal for such a demonic and dangerous creature- would have that shield, but probably not this wall and door itself. Again, another risk, but he had no choice. The Ijiraq had paid off.
Even through the thick wooden door he heard a scream and felt a smile tug at his face. The scream was that of a man, ripped from the depths of his being, his entire soul torn and flayed.
No. He was not smiling.
He laughed, a deep rumbling chuckle that he felt in his chest and swung his gaze to look at Martin. The gleam in his eyes danced a fiery blue flame. He nodded to his friend. "Now we can begin."
Armande pulled both of his ADDS emitters and pointed them at the door and switched them on. He had no idea how thick it was. Doubling the amount of radiant energy blasting its way through would increase its effectiveness. Martin had his device as well, which would triple the amount, once he set the charges.
He could almost see the microwaves flowing out the front, into the door, through it, and into the room. He could imagine the room beyond filling with the ambient energy, the people inside feeling themselves warming from the inside, in their stomachs and in their heads, their vision wavering and flickering as if underwater.
They would not know what was happening to them, even as they were cooked from inside out, the liquid in their spleen and kidneys and brain and blood vessels getting hotter and hotter, eventually boiling over and outward. The metal jamb surround the door arced at the joints. He adjusted his hold so one hand was free and tentatively pressed the back of it against the metal. The heat of it could be felt through his gloves.
"Place the charges on the door" he said to Martin. They would wait another few minutes and then blow it.
He could almost envision the scene they would find. The smile on his face tightened.
But these impressions were only passing in the back of his mind. At the forefront was something else. Anticipation. Hunger. Excitement. Far greater than he'd ever felt on any hunt he'd every had. Each step brought them closer. Every footfall signaled the beginning of the end. The Atharim would continue on to carry out their charge and keep humanity safe from the gods. But with Apollyon gone, the greatest threat would be eliminated. It could be ended here and now.
Any doubt or hesitation- any fear that he was misinterpreting or forgetting something- was pushed back with each step, every one dropped into an abyss whose waves rippled in the darkness until peace returned to the surface. He focused on what was ahead even as he memorized each twist and turn, for their retreat. He'd not depend on the girl for that, now. He'd checked and triple checked his weapons and had them ready.
The battle would be soon at hand. Dank tunnel gave way to dirt and then to something nicer, the breeze of an air circulation system bring freshness and reprieve, the temperature differentials producing a slight breeze that suddenly seemed to freeze the sweat that matted his hair and temples and neck.
And suddenly there they were. Their path had taken less than 20 minutes and the return route was safe. A door stood in front of them. Armande used an electronic lock pick and it swung open. Almost too easy. It was as if the universe had set this up. The slaying of the beast. It had been foreordained. He sent drones in checking the way. Very likely, security would be here soon. A hallway presented itself, elevator door to one side, stairs to the other, walls and floors clean and lit under halogen lamps. And in front of them was a simple door.
The entire structure matched what he knew of Soviet Era bunkers. The dangers would always have been from above and the greatest defense were the hundreds of meters of earth between them. That and the additional shielding that surrounded the entire structure. They had passed through that outer shell and were inside the heart now. Here shielding was placed at bulkheads throughout, usually load bearing walls, sectioning off areas to prevent any outside leakages from spreading further. The entire complex that housed this section, including Apollyon's apartments- the appellation amused him. So banal for such a demonic and dangerous creature- would have that shield, but probably not this wall and door itself. Again, another risk, but he had no choice. The Ijiraq had paid off.
Even through the thick wooden door he heard a scream and felt a smile tug at his face. The scream was that of a man, ripped from the depths of his being, his entire soul torn and flayed.
No. He was not smiling.
He laughed, a deep rumbling chuckle that he felt in his chest and swung his gaze to look at Martin. The gleam in his eyes danced a fiery blue flame. He nodded to his friend. "Now we can begin."
Armande pulled both of his ADDS emitters and pointed them at the door and switched them on. He had no idea how thick it was. Doubling the amount of radiant energy blasting its way through would increase its effectiveness. Martin had his device as well, which would triple the amount, once he set the charges.
He could almost see the microwaves flowing out the front, into the door, through it, and into the room. He could imagine the room beyond filling with the ambient energy, the people inside feeling themselves warming from the inside, in their stomachs and in their heads, their vision wavering and flickering as if underwater.
They would not know what was happening to them, even as they were cooked from inside out, the liquid in their spleen and kidneys and brain and blood vessels getting hotter and hotter, eventually boiling over and outward. The metal jamb surround the door arced at the joints. He adjusted his hold so one hand was free and tentatively pressed the back of it against the metal. The heat of it could be felt through his gloves.
"Place the charges on the door" he said to Martin. They would wait another few minutes and then blow it.
He could almost envision the scene they would find. The smile on his face tightened.