01-10-2018, 04:06 PM
Continued from - a night to forget
The metal door swung open on free hinges. Nothing waited them on the street ahead except the darkness of late night. He wasn't sure how long they'd been down there, but apparently it was longer than he realized. Probably explained why he was starving. Thoughts of food were pushed aside, though. That feeling of being two inches tall returned. A menace clutched his heart tighter and tighter, but it was difficult to pinpoint. He exchanged dark glances with Jared and Soren, wondering if they sensed it too.
An immense amount of power surged frighteningly nearby. He held out an arm that the group remain behind and under the cover of the stairwell. He reached for his firearm, but stopped at the last minute and instead focused on his own source of power. His heart beat steady and calm, and the moment it flooded into his grasp he choked the power into his will. The thrill of dominance and light pushed new life through his veins. The dark world illuminated. Flashes of light and pulses of sound filtered all his senses. He swung his gaze first one way down the street, then shook his head and turned the other. "That way,"
he said to himself, pinpointing the power's origin.
It was too much to ignore. Don't do anything stupid, Natalie's voice echoed in his mind, but distantly. There were three channelers in their group and they just trapped another behind them. Or so they thought.
"It must be Pavlo,"
he said to the group. There could have easily been another way out of the tunnels. The lines on Nox's map were numerous. Not to mention there were likely to be undiscovered paths even still. He would need Soren and Jared beside him, though.
He turned back to them, and the special operations officer emerged as he did. Another surge of power flared around the corner. Then, a scream and screeching of tires. "Jared, with me. We'll take the path closest that way."
He pointed to the building's corner. Then to Soren, "Take the far side. In case we are seen first, you'll have the advantage of surprise."
Again, Jared and Jay were the two soldiers. Soren was just another bloke not too eager to run into the thick of a battle, Jay noticed. Not that he blamed him.
Then he looked to Natalie and his gaze softened. "Stay here. Stay safe."
He looked at her a moment more, silently promising to do nothing stupid. Then a wave of his hand and he took off.
At the corner, he hugged the edge of the building and carefully peered around the side. A woman jumped from a van and sprinted down an alley and out of sight. Pavlo had to be down that alley. The van must have been his escape.
"Jared, stop the van."
He ordered and then took the corner.
He ran, but he couldn't focus on the flows with enough concentration to damage the tires or block the vehicle in a trap. So he focused on the beacon of power instead and hoped Jared could take it out.
Sirens were coming closer, but likely still streets away. He had to get to Pavlo before the police did. Pavlo was not likely to take arrest very willingly.
He ran past the van and plunged into the ally at full speed. Air whipped past his face. The power outlined every shadow. Two women were there. He ignored the bodies. There were piles of rocks and cement shards everywhere. Broken windows glinted on the pavement. Trash was overturned. Dumpsters pushed away. Pavlo had been busy.
Jay sped past the women, ignoring them for now. They were alive, which was good enough for him. The beacon of power that drew him close disappeared, but Jay no longer needed it. A big sphere of rock sat still in the middle of the ally.
Drawn close, he knew Pavlo was under there. He could sense the echo of power having been wielded, and he hesitantly reached out and touched the surface of the dome. And it crumbled to dust.
His fists curled, ready to strike. But he body beneath was not Alistair Pavlo.
His jaw dropped. "Oh my god. Nox!"
He rolled the guy over and felt for a heartbeat.
The metal door swung open on free hinges. Nothing waited them on the street ahead except the darkness of late night. He wasn't sure how long they'd been down there, but apparently it was longer than he realized. Probably explained why he was starving. Thoughts of food were pushed aside, though. That feeling of being two inches tall returned. A menace clutched his heart tighter and tighter, but it was difficult to pinpoint. He exchanged dark glances with Jared and Soren, wondering if they sensed it too.
An immense amount of power surged frighteningly nearby. He held out an arm that the group remain behind and under the cover of the stairwell. He reached for his firearm, but stopped at the last minute and instead focused on his own source of power. His heart beat steady and calm, and the moment it flooded into his grasp he choked the power into his will. The thrill of dominance and light pushed new life through his veins. The dark world illuminated. Flashes of light and pulses of sound filtered all his senses. He swung his gaze first one way down the street, then shook his head and turned the other. "That way,"
he said to himself, pinpointing the power's origin.
It was too much to ignore. Don't do anything stupid, Natalie's voice echoed in his mind, but distantly. There were three channelers in their group and they just trapped another behind them. Or so they thought.
"It must be Pavlo,"
he said to the group. There could have easily been another way out of the tunnels. The lines on Nox's map were numerous. Not to mention there were likely to be undiscovered paths even still. He would need Soren and Jared beside him, though.
He turned back to them, and the special operations officer emerged as he did. Another surge of power flared around the corner. Then, a scream and screeching of tires. "Jared, with me. We'll take the path closest that way."
He pointed to the building's corner. Then to Soren, "Take the far side. In case we are seen first, you'll have the advantage of surprise."
Again, Jared and Jay were the two soldiers. Soren was just another bloke not too eager to run into the thick of a battle, Jay noticed. Not that he blamed him.
Then he looked to Natalie and his gaze softened. "Stay here. Stay safe."
He looked at her a moment more, silently promising to do nothing stupid. Then a wave of his hand and he took off.
At the corner, he hugged the edge of the building and carefully peered around the side. A woman jumped from a van and sprinted down an alley and out of sight. Pavlo had to be down that alley. The van must have been his escape.
"Jared, stop the van."
He ordered and then took the corner.
He ran, but he couldn't focus on the flows with enough concentration to damage the tires or block the vehicle in a trap. So he focused on the beacon of power instead and hoped Jared could take it out.
Sirens were coming closer, but likely still streets away. He had to get to Pavlo before the police did. Pavlo was not likely to take arrest very willingly.
He ran past the van and plunged into the ally at full speed. Air whipped past his face. The power outlined every shadow. Two women were there. He ignored the bodies. There were piles of rocks and cement shards everywhere. Broken windows glinted on the pavement. Trash was overturned. Dumpsters pushed away. Pavlo had been busy.
Jay sped past the women, ignoring them for now. They were alive, which was good enough for him. The beacon of power that drew him close disappeared, but Jay no longer needed it. A big sphere of rock sat still in the middle of the ally.
Drawn close, he knew Pavlo was under there. He could sense the echo of power having been wielded, and he hesitantly reached out and touched the surface of the dome. And it crumbled to dust.
His fists curled, ready to strike. But he body beneath was not Alistair Pavlo.
His jaw dropped. "Oh my god. Nox!"
He rolled the guy over and felt for a heartbeat.
Only darkness shows you the light.