“But to kill a demon…” Naomi left the rest unsaid.
“It’s too late to run.” Warren knew he was telling himself that more thanher. He turned to the zombies and brought them to heel. They moved around him and remained waiting his orders. “Demons have been killed before. They all fearit. I’ll just have to find a way to kill this one.” He looked at her. “Whatabout you?”
“What do you mean?” Naomi stared at him. “This has nothing to do with me.”
“Will you be safe here?” Warren nodded toward the shadows clustered aroundboth the doors where Cabalists hid and stared at them.
Naomi glanced at the shadows, then turned back to him. Her face turned hard. “Do you care?”
Warren chose to ignore the immediate scathing response he had in mind. “Iasked,” he reminded.
“Will I be any safer with you than here?”
“They’re going to blame you for the First Seer’s death.”
“He asked me to bring you here. This isn’t my fault.”
“All right.” Warren turned to go.
“Wait.”
When Warren turned back to her, she was struggling to inch up the wall to a standing position. He offered his hand, the human one. For a moment she hesitated, then she took his hand and allowed him to help her to her feet.
Together, surrounded by the zombies, they walked back out of the building and into the night. Warren didn’t even think of asking the Cabalists for a night’sshelter. They would have better luck sleeping among the monsters that prowl the darkness along the way.
Even if he survived the return trip, he didn’t know how he was supposed tosurvive assassinating a demon as powerful as Fulaghar.
FIFTEEN
Simon spotted the demons on his HUD only a second before the suit’s AI calledhis attention to them. “Warning,” the feminine voice announced. “There arehostiles in the area that are converging on your position.”
As he leaned forward to take a fresh position in the seat, Simon opened the frequency they were using between the ATVs. Suit-to-suit communication was strong, but all data exchanged between the two vehicles needed to be instantly absorbed and calibrated by the onboard ATV AIs.
“Do you see them, Nathan?” Simon asked.
“I do,” Nathan responded.
“Autopilot disengaged,” the suit AI relayed. “Human driver has control ofthis vehicle.”
The slight shift of control as Nathan took over was small but Simon felt it. The ride became less smooth and more directed. The AI’s reaction time wasfaster, but its interpretive skill regarding dangers and opportunity lagged a little in comparison. Plus, hands-on steering provided a degree of unpredictability.
“Weapons?” Simon called.
“All systems green,” Danielle replied. Her voice held an edge.
Tension filled Simon. During “the last four years, he’d gotten someexperience with engagements from inside the ATV. Although the vehicle was well armed and armored, he preferred to be inthe open and standing on his own two feet with a sword and pistol in hand. That was how Templar were most taught to fight.
Armored vehicle engagements on the simulators were a low protocol. But they had practiced them for times when rapid deployment was needed, or for quick supply runs. He had practiced with the ATVsevery Templar had that had access tothemand had thought they were totally cool at the time.
It’s different when you’re laying your life on the line in one of them.
Simon glanced at the corner of the HUD to see behind him and make sure the rest of the Templar were aware of the situation. All of the warriors shifted in their sling-seats as they checked weapons and readied themselves. Leah was in motion also.
“Billy,” Simon said, “give Leah her rifle.”
One of the Templar reached back and brought out the Cluster Rifle. He handed it over to Leah, who gave him a nod of thanks.
Simon turned his attention back to the HUD. The demons were less than a mile away now. They had been picked up by the long-range sensor drones that were tied into the comm array.
The sensor drones were something the British military hadn’t gotten accessto. The Templar had wanted to keep that surprise to themselves. Generally, each ATV carried six units that operated in threes to provide adequate triangulation. They referenced GPS satellites in deep space in low earth orbit for spatial recognition.
Covered in palladium armor, the drones were designed to be hard to destroy. They were wedge shaped with wide wings and a low profile that presented an almost nonexistent radar signature. Powered by nanospring technology, the sensor dronesoffered an operation life of four-hour shifts. They only had to return to the ATV for thirty minutes on a charger to return to full readiness. As one came in, another went out to take its place in rotation.
The sensors operated on a wide video and audio spectrum. With access to databases on board the ATVs, they could quickly sort out potential enemy targets.
There was no mistaking the demon forces lying in wait.
The question was whether the demon patrol was random or there by design? Simon knew every Templar warrior was asking himself or herself the same question.
And he didn’t have an answer.
“Can we take evasive action?” Simon asked. He looked at the maps of the areaavailable to him through the HUD.
The area was overgrown with trees and brush. They had stayed off the main roads intentionally, in hopes of lessening the chances of encountering demons. From the reports that had reached them, Simon knew demons still patrolled many of the main thoroughfares and the coastal areas.
Demon numbers had steadily increased over the last four years while human population in the area had decreased. Simon didn’t know for sure how was in therest of the world, but he was pretty certain that everyone else was suffering the same problems.
“We can try,” Nathan said. “But you’re looking at a lot of broken countrysideout there. Rocks, fallen trees, and dense brush. If we veer from the track we’velaid out, we’re going to be out in no man’s land.”
The caravan was operating on recent information from
