Chapter Eighteen

Huxley retraced his path back toward Kenmore Square, but veered off to the south, down Mass Ave before he got there. He didn’t know what compelled him, but he was tired—too tired to fight whatever internal fucked-up-ed-ness took over. He felt like his body didn’t belong to him, which right now seemed okay.

He found himself at a stop a few blocks away from a twelve-story building on his left. It was clearly under construction. Its facade lay covered with scaffolding and green protective netting to keep things from falling on pedestrians below, but the material looked tattered in a way that had Huxley thinking that work had been stopped on the renovation for quite some time.

He felt his heart beating harder in his chest. He maneuvered his car into a parking spot. It wasn’t tough. Boston at 1:30 in the morning became fairly accommodating.

Keeping his eyes moving, watching out for immortals—or Matthew and his henchmen—Huxley jogged across what in the daytime would have been a busy intersection. He approached the building, hugging its glass storefronts at street level. He would send a mind link to the compound and call for backup, but none of the gods would be able to approach without being “seen.” Hux didn’t want to take that chance. He’d go it alone. There would be time enough to contact everyone if his instincts proved correct.

He worked out a plan, and if all went as calculated, he could have the gods help within seconds of needing it…if Dani and Eresh were in the building.

Huxley tried the glass door that led inside and surprisingly, found it unlocked. He eased his way in quietly and slipped to the stairs. Not going to use the elevator and alert someone to his presence. His body buzzed with adrenaline and something else he couldn’t name. Everything inside his gut told him he was getting close. Light from the street outside illuminated his way to the second floor.

Silently he edged open the first door and found a dark, empty space. Then Huxley remembered that Ereshkigal had been able to see the Citgo sign. He decided to start at the top floor and work his way down. His sneaker-clad feet made little noise as he ascended the next ten flights of stairs, his breathing coming in short puffs. He thanked the gods he was in good shape and not easily winded.

The staircase stopped abruptly. He’d hit the twelfth floor. Pushing open the stairwell door, there was nothing to see. No sounds, no smells, no ambient light. Right. The door closed with a small snick and his feet sped rapidly down to the level below.

Again, nothing. This time he took a minute to look around. He got a not-so-vacant feeling here. Several rooms on this floor had been cleared of debris, and looked to have been used recently. His pulse accelerated.

Back to the stairs and down one more flight. A quick check around and then down again. Still nothing, but every other floor showed signs of use. This had to be the right place.

He gently eased open the door marked with an eight, and sucked in a quick breath. This floor felt alive. He could sense it in the temperature, the smells, and the small, nearly imperceptible background noises. This was it. He could almost recognize Dani’s presence. Now all he had to do was find the hostages without alerting the kidnappers.

He tried his mind link with the gods back in the Blue Hills. Yup. Nothing. He’d figured as much. Beletseri’s ore. It blocked him in the same way Ereshkigal had been hidden from them. It didn’t worry him. He had something equally as good up his sleeve.

He tried the first door on his right. It opened easily and when he looked in, he saw nothing. Closing it softly, he padded across the way and tried the door on the left. Locked. He scratched lightly and waited.

When he heard nothing, he got to his knees, scratched again and whispered under the door. “Dani.” Movement came from within the room.

Footsteps approached from the opposite side.

“Who’s there?” It was tremulous, but it was definitely her. Huxley bit back an elated cheer. He got to his feet.

“Dani, it’s Hux.” He kept his voice down. “Can you open the door?”

“No,” she told him. “They’ve locked us in. God, Huxley. I’m so glad you’re here, but if they catch you, they’ll kill you—”

Huxley cut her off. “Is the queen with you?” He held out hope that they were both in the same place.

“Yes. She’s with me, but they have her chained with osmium so she can’t use her powers.” A slight pause ensued. “They figure I’m less of a threat because I’m not restrained.”

“Okay. Now listen carefully, Dani. I want you to go to Ereshkigal and stay with her,” he instructed. “I’m going to break down the door, and when I do, all hell is going to break loose. Do you have anything you can hide behind?” He hoped the room would afford the two some protection.

“We can turn her bed on its side and get behind it. The mattress appears thick. Will that suffice?” Dani sounded hopeful.

“It’ll have to. Go do it. Now.”

He tested the locked door again, and started to raise his foot to connect with the door when a click sounded behind him. He put his foot down and turned slowly only to have a flashlight shined directly into his eyes.

“Well, well. If it isn’t the pesky human. Huxley, if I’m not mistaken?” Matthew’s slimy voice came out of the dark. “You seem to keep turning up like a bad penny.” He tilted his head toward the door Huxley had been about to breach. “Would you like to get in?” he asked. “I’ll accommodate you. Move away from it. I have the key.”

As the flashlight lowered slightly, Huxley could see several guns pointed in his direction, and complied with Matthew’s wishes. If the asshole unlocked the door, it would certainly save Hux having to break it down.

“Go for it, dickwad.” Huxley backed away, no fear in his voice.

“Ah, sticks and stones you know.” Matthew tsked as he unlocked the door. He held it open and gestured. “After you.”

Huxley entered the room and someone hit the light switch behind him. The illumination wasn’t the greatest. Only a couple overhead fixtures had been supplied with low-wattage bulbs, but Hux could see the overturned bed, and that Dani and the queen huddled behind it, peering over the top.

“Are you two all right?” Hux asked the kidnapped women, all the while sending his eyes darting about the room. He took in another made-up cot and an easy chair.

“We’re fine, Huxley. What about you?” Ereshkigal’s regal voice rang out, obviously diminished, but uncowed by her months of captivity.

“Fine and dandy,” he assured her, still looking around. “I just can’t seem to find what I’m looking for.”

Matthew probably assumed he searched for something to use as a weapon. “You’re shit out of luck, Huxley my boy. These rooms have been stripped down. You won’t find anything to help you.” He indicated to two of his men behind him. “Gentlemen, close the door behind you and have at him. But no guns,” Matthew instructed. His henchmen did as requested and eased forward. “The buildings around here are pretty close and we don’t want the neighbors hearing anything unusual.”

His men handed their firearms to Matthew as they walked by him and toward Huxley who backed himself into a corner so that neither man could get behind him.

The first one approached, drawing a knife from a sheath under his arm, and crouched, waiting for Huxley’s first move. Hux stood quietly, hopefully appearing indifferent. He rocked on the balls of his feet. “Take your best shot,” he taunted.

The guy was not patient. He lunged. Huxley used one arm to sweep the weapon aside, and used the other to grab the man’s wrist, twisting it in such a way that everyone in the room could hear it snap. The knife fell from useless fingers to the floor. Huxley brought a knee up into the yowling man’s face and put him out of his misery.

“Next,” he said, his eyes steely with determination.

The subsequent combatant proved less anxious. He eyed Huxley as he removed two knives—one from each of his boots—and wove back and forth across the room from ten feet away, looking for his chance.

Huxley purposely let his eyes drift toward the women, and his opponent jumped on that apparent weakness to whip one knife across the divide, directly at Hux’s chest. Both women screamed, but Huxley dropped and rolled, the weapon glancing harmlessly off his arm. His speed made the humans in the room blink.

“Did you fucking see that?” the guy now in possession of only one knife said. “Nobody moves that fast.”

And true to that assessment, Hux regained his feet, flew across the room, disarmed his opponent without so much as a blink, and used the butt of the knife to knock the guy out cold before turning on Matthew to continue the fight.

Beletseri’s right-hand man had seen enough. “Shit. There’s something not quite right about you. Nedu?” Matthew called, “Nedu. Get in here.”

The north gate god appeared, looking disgruntled. “What the fuck, human? I was attempting to sleep.”

“Sleep later,” Matthew said. “We have a troublesome human to kill. He’s already taken down two of my men, and we don’t have a lot of them to spare.”

Nedu eyed Huxley and scowled. “Do I know you?”

“Nope. I’ve never been to Hell, buddy,” he taunted. “And I’ll bet they never let you into Maine.”

“Insolent human.” Nedu shook his head. “But I’m feeling benevolent tonight. If you’re nice, I’ll let you die quickly.”

Huxley snorted. “Don’t do me any favors.” He eyed Nedu up and down, hand clenching the knife. This wouldn’t be an easy fight. The guy was not only immortal, but he had one of those thick, squat, muscled bodies that tended to give the taller, leaner Huxley a bit of trouble. Not only that, but the guy suddenly sported a deadly sharp khopesh, which he’d acquired out of nowhere. Huxley recognized the unusual, sickle-shaped sword through his time spent with the Blue Hills gods.

Without warning, the god attacked. He hacked viciously to the right and left, attempting to anticipate which way Huxley would move. Huxley realized the minute the god figured that something was up.

“Why are you so fast, mortal? No one but gods move that quickly.”

“Must be good genes,” Huxley huffed, remaining calm even in the face of an opponent so strong. He readied himself again.

Nedu attacked viciously. This time his range went wider. He grew smart, and countered the positions that Huxley had previously favored. Huxley grunted. The asshole god was rewarded again and again by his cunning. Huxley’s skin slowly became peppered with small slices. The god lunged forward again, and shit. This time he knocked Huxley’s knife from his hand.

“Have you heard of death by a thousand cuts?” the god snarled. “Well I’m going to do it with a mere hundred.”

Dani gasped from across the room. Yup. He was screwed unless he could disarm Nedu. The guy had some serious moves. Hux inched toward the upholstered chair in the room and pretended to hide behind it.

“Furniture will not help you,” Nedu scoffed, and this time without a lot of forethought, the god lunged over the top, aiming for Huxley’s head. Precisely what Huxley wanted. He ducked to the side at the last second, shoving the chair toward Nedu, then tipped it with the god astride backward to the floor.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Huxley yanked the large overstuffed cushion from the tipped chair and leaped atop the god. He smothered Nedu’s sword arm with the pillow and bashed him repeatedly in the face with his right elbow. The god howled, but Huxley didn’t let up. In this position, he felt equal of the immortal.

He’d mashed the god’s face bloody, when the door burst open.

“What is the noise in here?” Beletseri’s eyes blazed and she took in the scenario. “Who are you?” she hissed in his direction.

“Leave him be, Bel.” The queen’s voice filled the void.

Huxley took the opportunity to move quickly to his feet after he’d disarmed Nedu, wiping blood from his face in an attempt to see.

“You have no say here, bitch. Shut up before I end your miserable existence,” Beletseri spat, then turned back to her men. “Who is he, Matthew?”

“This is Huxley, my lady,” Matthew ground out. “He’s the brother of Marduk’s and Dagon’s Chosen. He—”

“Silence,” Beletseri screeched and held up a hand. Finished listening, she approached Huxley, sauntering to his side.

She invaded his mind, ordering his sword arm down. Dammit. He seemed to have no choice but to drop his weapon.

“Puny human,” she said. “But not so human, eh?” She held Hux immobile with her mind and played a hand down his cheek. Hux fought hard to keep her out of his brain with a small degree of success.

“You don’t have to block your thoughts from me, my dear.” She took his chin in one hand. “What I need to know is written all over your face.” With one flick of her hand, she sent the khopesh flying straight into a wall. Only then did she release her hold on Huxley.

He heard Dani’s worried gasp.

“You’re related to Enlil, that’s easy to see,” Bel sneered. “But what is equally as apparent is your resemblance to dear old Shulmanu, our once-upon-a-time king and father to Ereshkigal.” She tapped her lip and her voice dripped with distaste. “Might I ask how that particular bit of genesplicing occurred?”

“You can ask, but it doesn’t mean anyone will tell you.” Huxley kept his gaze level.

“Hmm. I think I like you, and perhaps…” Her eyes narrowed. “Boys?” Her look encompassed Matthew and Nedu. “Don’t kill him. He may be useful. Simply incapacitate him for a while.” She ran her eyes up and down Huxley’s body. “I may have to tie him to my bed, but I think it will be worth the trouble.”

Huxley roared his displeasure, flashes of his past rearing up before his eyes. “Never.” He lunged for Beletseri.

She froze him in place. “Oh,” she smirked cheekily. “Did I forget to mention that, in this new world of mine, you don’t get to say no?” She snapped her fingers at Matthew and turned to leave the room, indicating that his two underlings should follow her.

“Teach him a lesson, gentlemen,” she told Nedu and Matthew. “And don’t fuck it up.”

Nedu picked himself up off the floor and approached Huxley from behind. Hux’s limbs refused to respond correctly, still held in thrall by Beletseri. He could move, but not enough to defend himself. Nedu grabbed Huxley, pinned both of his arms behind him, and held him immobile while Matthew approached with an evil grin.

“Now we’ll have some fun,” the asshole spouted. He walked back and forth in front of Huxley for a moment, taunting him.

Dani and Ereshkigal witnessed the beating with cries of despair as Matthew systematically punched Huxley in the face. First one eye, then the other. Huxley refused to make a sound, but forced himself instead to grin between punches. His nose made an awful crunch, and then Matthew’s fist connected with his jaw and blood spewed from his mouth. Still, Huxley refused to give them satisfaction. He flashed Matthew a bloody smile.

Dani had seen enough. As the horrible thug beat on Huxley’s chest, it looked like a slaughter in progress. She crouched low and surreptitiously retrieved one of the knives that had fallen earlier to the floor. Heart pounding and fear coursing through her, she heeded one of Huxley’s self-defense lessons and launched her body toward the back of Matthew’s knees, buckling them from behind.

She’d certainly surprised him, because he went down hard. Dani spun to plunge the knife into him, so angry she didn’t even think, but he proved fast and strong. He stopped her arm just an inch short of his chest.

“No,” she yelled as he held on and squeezed. It was a losing battle. He easily shook the blade free from her grip. The minute she was weaponless, he punched her hard in the face.

Dani was so shocked that she almost didn’t feel it. Unarmed, he shoved her over and rolled her aside. Once he made it to his feet, he sent a vicious kick to her middle.

“Ahh,” Dani cried out in pain.

From somewhere above her, she heard Huxley. “Dani. Move away.”

“He’s right, bitch. Don’t interfere with my work.” Matthew growled.

Dani-Lee moaned as Huxley struggled against Nedu, who still held him.

“Noo,” she cried as Matthew stalked toward him. This wouldn’t be good. With all of the prick’s might, he drove his fist up under Huxley’s ribcage, knocking all the fight—and the consciousness—right out of him. Dani whimpered as Huxley fell limp.

Nedu let him drop to the floor. “I think we’re done here,” the god said snidely, wiping his hands down his pants.

Matthew aimed one last kick at Hux, where he lay still and bloodied. Then he and the god left the room, locking it behind them.

Ereshkigal came to Dani first. “Are you okay?” But she had already moved.

“I have to help him,” she sobbed to the queen, crawling on her knees to where Huxley lay. Her face swelled fast, but she ignored it. “Who knows what kind of damage they’ve done.”

“The human hit him hard here.” Huxley lay crumpled on his right side and Ereshkigal pointed to a spot on his left.

“Oh God.” Dani felt the color drain from her face. Please let it not be that. Dani rolled Huxley gently to his back. She took his pulse.

“It’s rapid,” she spoke out loud, trying to remain calm. Dani palpated Huxley’s abdomen. It was hard, too hard. “Shit.”

“What is it?” Ereshkigal asked, clearly seeing the horror on Dani’s face.

“Ruptured spleen.” Dani bowed her head, near to tears.

“Is that bad?” the queen asked.

“This one is.” Dani looked up and bit her lip. “If he doesn’t get to a hospital within the next hour, he’ll bleed to death.”