The Damascus Chronicles (32 page)

At once Michael understood his transformation and knew the purpose of his life. Lao then went into his room and brought out two blades that were crafted from fine metal, a splendid saber and a perfectly balanced katana.

“These were Jubel’s when I trained him. I want you to have these; you will need them,” said Lao, bowing his head in respect. Destiny had called his student this night.

Just then Darius, Marianna, Danny, and Serena came to report to Lao what they had found; they were shocked to see Michael in his new form. Michael explained what had happened. Serena then noticed that her own body had changed just like Michael’s, for her soul had been linked to his. “What has happened to me,” Serena shrieked.

“The two become one, redemption to walk in light. The children of darkness will become children of the light, for this is what is said in the prophecy,” said Darius firmly.

“It is coming,” said Marianna, as their beings were transformed as well.

“We might just be able to win this war,” said Darius boldly.

A hellish wind blew the heavy doors of the dojo open and the group saw in the sky a massive storm of wind, snow, and red lighting descending upon the city.

“The Shirakai!” cried Marianna.

“Damn bastards, they must have followed us,” said Darius.

“Oh shit!” Serena swore as they saw the three creatures shooting down from the sky to attack. “Guys, I think we should get the fuck out of here now!” screamed Rocko with fear.

Lao looked at them all and said calmly “Leave it to me.” This upset Suki.

“But father, you’ll be killed!” said Suki with fear.

“Leave me all of you, go now!” ordered Lao. Leaping into the sky he drew his katana. Using his sage’s powers he turned his clothes into Hachiman armor in the royal colors of red and gold. Lao’s eyes turned green, drawing on his mystical energy to begin battle with the three Shirakai beings. Beams of lightning and fire blazed through the sky like a vortex appearing from another world. Lao summoned forth a chi orb and chanted, “SHAMI KARI ZA!” catapulting the orb into the sky, which blasted hurricane winds and scattered the enemies. They fell to the ground, screaming unholy screams of defeat, silenced until the next battle began. Lao sheathed his blade and then plummeted down to the ground, crushing the pavement with his feet. Then he got up and brushed off the bits of rubble stuck on his armor like it was nothing, and the armor changed back into his regular clothing. “Unbelievable!” said Danny.

“For an old guy he sure gets around,” said Darius.

“Jealous,” chuckled Lao.

“Maybe,” said Darius boldly.

“You’re safe now. Head to the Tengu Pagoda Casino and get the statue. Hurry! Before they have time to regroup,” commanded Lao. Then he disappeared in a cloud of smoke and was gone.

“Wait everyone,” said Suki, as she hurried back into the dojo, pulling a secret lever on one of the statues on the bookshelf.

“Damn!” said Darius as a multitude of combat firearms stocked with ammunition appeared in a secret compartment.

“I believe in modern warfare myself, come on!” said Suki as she tossed everyone a pistol or machine gun.

“Let me guess, you’re into gun running too,” said Michael.

“Everyone has to eat,” said Suki. The group took off in Suki’s old service van, speeding to the Tengu Pagoda Casino.

Chow Ling and Kung Kung slept in the back of the van as Marianna planned how they would sneak into the casino. “Listen, does anyone have a plan on how we’re going to get up to the statue without being noticed?”

Rocko looked around the interior of the van, taking in the cardboard boxes that were stuffed into the back. “Hey what’s in the boxes?” he asked.

“Old janitor uniforms, my father also runs a cleaning service, why?” replied Suki shortly, as she was driving. An idea came to Danny’s mind and he hopped through to the back of the van, opening a box and pulling out a janitor’s jumpsuit. They all looked at the outfits and had the same idea.

“Danny! You’re a damn genius!” Serena exclaimed.

“Let’s suit up,” said Darius as he grabbed one of the uniforms. They parked the car in one of the casino’s indoor parking lots and quickly changed into their disguises. Michael prepped his guns and pulled out his saber, cleaning the blade with a handkerchief.

“Let’s go in for the kill,” said Serena.

They all checked their weapons for priming. Kung Kung panted and with Chow Ling fluttered in the air; they wanted to join their companions in the heist, but Suki petted them and shook her head, telling them to hide nearby until they were needed. The two creatures obeyed and hid behind the massive stacks of wooden crates and boxes in the maintenance storage lot. The van crept into back service parking lot as Michael and his team infiltrated the area, proceeding to the penthouse floor via one of the service elevators.

“Remember, just be natural,” said Michael, winking at his friends.

“Easy for you to say. This jumpsuit is hugging my nuts,” complained Danny.

“Keep talking and you’ll only have one,” joked Serena as she lowered her pistol to Fredricks’ crotch. “Just kidding.”

Danny was relieved.

“Really mature, Serena,” said Darius.

Swiping a couple of mops, access cards, and cleaning carts from the janitor supply room they pick locked, the crew walked through the casino floor as they heard the sounds of a busy casino. Flashing their IDs to a nearby security guard, the team was allowed access to Mohachi’s office on the top floor.

The vast room seemed deserted, with no signs of life. It was dark and little light came into the room from the windows. Marianna pulled out a flashlight from her coat pocket to search for a main light switch. The rest of them looked around the room for the statue, finding it in a display case.

“This is too easy, something doesn’t feel right,” said Danny.

“Just your imagination,” replied Serena as she found the light and turned it on. All around the room were Mohachi’s guards, armed with Uzi’s loaded and ready to shoot.

“Uh oh,” said Rocko.

“Kill all of them. Mr. Yung’s orders!” screamed one of the guards.

“We should have killed him,” said Serena under her breath. Michael unsheathed his saber, and then warped behind one of the guards, poking his back. The guard turned and saw Michael just as his blade cut straight through the guard’s head. Bullets flew around the room as Marianna and Darius avoided the shots, blasting away as the guard’s flesh and gushes of blood splattered the walls and furniture in the room. Danny and Rocko jumped over a table for cover as a guard fired from the corner of the room; Danny pulled out his sawed off shotgun and fired, blowing chunks of the wall to bits. The guard fired back and Rocko grabbed a pistol that had belonged to one of the dead guards and fired, hitting another guard in the legs, taking him down. When the smoke had cleared, the room was bathed in gore with dismembered body parts on the floor in pools of blood. The team could hear footsteps approaching the room.

“Time to go,” said Michael, grabbing the Shira statue. Suddenly from out of the inner darkness a blast of wind and thick smoke enshrouded the room and time ceased. Everything was motionless, caught in a frozen block of time; the vampires saw every mortal freeze.

“What the hell!” exclaimed Darius. The shadows in the room spilt apart as a cloaked man in a silk black robe with long hair and a battle-scarred face came out of the shadows. With him was another man. “Congratulations, Damascus, you have made yourself worthy of the game,” said the man.

“Who are you!” shouted Michael.

“My name is Reynard Desbode.”

“You mean it was a test?” asked Darius.

“Yes you fool, a test to see if the children and allies of my greatest enemy could stand up to the challenges I laid out for them. Mohachi was just a pawn in the game. I, on the other hand, am the king.”

“Get on with it then,” said Michael bitterly.

“I wish to offer you all a chance for power, power beyond all the glory that this defiled world has to offer. Abandon this futile crusade of yours; join me and become gods,” Reynard Desbode offered.

“Forget it,” said Michael.

“Oh come now, Damascus; surely you don’t believe that I would let you leave here alive. If you’re notfor me then you’re against me.”

“Pity,” said Alazar Desbode chuckled wickedly as he tossed a bomb into the middle of their group. The two men disappeared into a cloud of smoke. Time was then set back in motion.

“Oh shit!” screamed Serena.

Michael and Darius grabbed the others and they smashed through the door just as the bomb exploded, and they were swept through the hall by burning fires. SWAT teams ran through the hall to intercept the intruders.

“Halt, you’re under arrest!” screamed the captain, enraged.

“Not tonight, buddy!” smiled Michael as he threw a tear gas bomb in front of the SWAT team. The exploding gas caused confusion that let Michael and the others escape; they ran to the elevator. But the SWAT team on the lower floor beat them to the punch, shutting off the main service switch and causing the elevator to shut down.

“Just great,” said Michael as he tried to pry open the door that was jammed. Darius helped him open the sealed doors only to find armed guards waiting for them. Thinking fast, Suki sent a chi ball at the guards, blasting the SWAT team against the wall and disabling them. Michael and company raced down the lower flights of stairs and through the main casino floor with the statue in hand, as the guards fired their guns in pursuit.

“Everyone get down, get the fuck down!” screamed Michael to the casino-goers as they ran through the crowded casino, firing shots back. Danny was hit in the shoulder; the bullet went clean through.

“Mother Fucker!!” screamed Danny as he fell down in pain.

“Oh no you damn don’t, come on!” screamed Michael as he hoisted Danny up and bolted for the main service door to the parking area. Suki whistled for her pets to come and help them, and Kung Kung and Chow Ling sprang to action.

“Decoy!” commanded Suki. Her pets understood and transformed into a likeness of Damascus and his friends leading the armed swat team on a wild goose chase through the streets, while Suki and the others hopped into the van and took off on the freeway back into the Oriental District. Danny was in poor shape, bleeding all over the upholstery of the van.

“Shit, hold on Danny man, come on buddy, you can make it!” screamed Rocko.

“Quick, find a cloth and apply pressure to the wound!” said Marianna.

Serena grabbed an old linen cleaning cloth from one of the boxes in the van and tightly wrapped it around Danny’s wounded shoulder.

“Thanks,” said Danny.

“That was too close back there,” said Darius, unloading his Uzi.

“At least we got what we came for,” said Suki. “Quick let’s get back to the dojo and inspect the map; then we’ll be able to find the location off the map,” said Michael. They all agreed and sped off to Lao’s dojo.

“Damn it!” Michael slammed his fist on Lao’s table upon learning that the statue had been switched with a fake; all that trouble for nothing. “What the hell are we going to do now? This was all a waste!” screamed Michael in frustration.

“Relax, Damascus; be cool as you say,” said Darius.

“I would be more concerned with Reynard Desbode. He almost killed us; luckily, we all got out of the room before the bomb went off,” said Serena.

“Incompetent. I could have done better than him,” spouted off Darius.

“Shut up Darius, this isn’t funny,” yelled Michael in disgust.

“Screw you,” fired back Darius in anger.

“Stop it, both of you,” yelled Suki, pushing the two away from each other.

“Fine. He’s not even a full-blood vampire anyway,” smirked Darius.

“What makes you think I give a damn what you say?” smirked back Michael, brushing himself off. Suddenly, the phone rang, catching the heated group off guard. Suki ran to answer in the commotion, frantically dropping the phone then picking up the receiver to her ear. “Hello! Hello!” she said nervously.

“Suki, this is your cousin, Shang Nishimora,” said the Japanese man over the phone.

“It’s your brother, Ken: he’s dead,” said Shang sadly.

“Dead!” Suki cried, distraught.

“Some witnesses saw men in black robes take him. I found his body dumped in the slums. Come to Tokyo at once with your friends. Your father is here with me now,” ordered Shang.

“Yes, we will immediately!” said Suki as she hung up the phone.

“So,” asked Michael.

“Dark agents. They are already in Tokyo,” answered a shaken Suki.

“Then what are we standing here for? Let’s grab a flight; we have to stop these bastards before they get to the book,” said Michael.

Kung Kung and Chow Ling then flew in the door. Suki bowed to them and sent them back to her room to rest. Rocko then spoke up. “Listen you guys, I’ve had my fill of fighting monsters for one day. Danny is hurt pretty badly; perhaps the rest of you should go while I watch after him until he’s healed up,” said Rocko.