The Peregrine Omnibus Volume One (56 page)

The Peregrine didn’t bother letting this reunion continue to play out. He was certain that no good was going to come of this—after all, if Atwill was here to talk things out calmly, he wouldn’t have brought armed companions with him, he reasoned. The Peregrine took out one of the women by hurling his dagger. It caught her in the neck, sending her down in a spray of red.

The other two women opened fire but found their target impossible to hit. The Peregrine dove to his right, evading a strafing line of fire and taking refuge behind Adam’s couch. He paused a moment, withdrawing his second pistol, before rising and returning fire with both guns blazing.

Both of the females went flying backwards as the Peregrine’s attacks hit home. They landed at the feet of Kevin Atwill, who remained where he was, having not moved once during the entire exchange.

“It’s time to stop this, Atwill,” Max whispered, turning his guns on the masked figure. “No matter what’s happened to you, we can get you some help.”

“Help?” Atwill chuckled. “I’m long past that. Are there things about my situation that I’d like to change? Of course! But there are definite advantages to all this. I’m not the man I used to be, so to speak.”

Adam surprised both the Peregrine and Atwill by screaming and jumping to his feet. He sprinted towards his old friend, obviously intending to strike back at the figure who’d haunted him for so long.

“Adam, no!” the Peregrine shouted, knowing that there was no way he could fire with the two men now grappling. Cursing under his breath, the Peregrine moved forward to try and separate them.

Atwill, meanwhile, had grabbed hold of the flailing Adam. “Look at me, my friend. Look at what you did to me.”

The Peregrine grabbed hold of Atwill’s shoulder but it was too late. Atwill had reached up and pulled away his mask, staring straight into Adam’s eyes. Max barely had time to turn away before he too, was caught in the dangerous man’s gaze.

A sound like cracking ice filled the air and the Peregrine used all his strength to toss Atwill away. The villain tumbled down onto the floor and the Peregrine spared a quick glance at Adam, who was quickly falling prey to the strange mineral covering produced by the Gordon effect.

The Peregrine pulled off his jacket and threw it towards Atwill, letting the material cover the man’s face. Max then jumped atop him, pressing the barrel of a gun against the side of Atwill’s head. “Do you feel that?” he barked. “That’s a gun! I’ll use it if I have to!”

Atwill’s laughter continued, mocking and mad. He reached up and grabbed hold of the Peregrine’s gun, which immediately began to change like Adam had—a dark substance spreading across its surface.

Max threw the gun away, jumping back just before the substance reached his gloves. Atwill rose up, shaking his head. “I am a man reborn, Mr. Peregrine… I have powers that come from the gods themselves.” Atwill reached up to pull away the Peregrine’s jacket and reveal his face but the sounds of sirens outside made him pause. He tossed away the garment and bent quickly to seize his mask. Before the Peregrine could launch another attack, a large billowing cloud of smoke engulfed Atwill.

Max snatched out at the air but failed to make contact with Atwill. The villain was becoming insubstantial, vanishing into the ether.

Within seconds, the Peregrine was the only living thing left in Adam Wood’s house. Well aware that the police were outside, Max elected to avoid putting McKenzie into a difficult position and so he fled out the back, anger flaring inside his heart.

You’re not getting away with these murders, Atwill. I promise you that.

CHAPTER VII

Ghostly Whispers

Evelyn didn’t know much about the mysterious woman named Whisper and that was probably for the best, at least as far as Max Davies was concerned. Whisper was lovely, with lustrous dark hair and an ample figure that was prominently displayed by her tight black dresses. The plunging neckline seemed to draw one’s eyes towards that area of her anatomy but the Peregrine was made of sterner stuff than most men—so his eyes only occasionally veered down the path of lustful desire.

Max’s wife wasn’t a particularly jealous person but the air of sexuality that pervaded Whisper’s home would have set any woman ill at ease.

The Peregrine had come here straightaway after his encounter with Kevin Atwill, knowing the time had come to call upon a higher authority for help. Whisper’s home was in downtown Atlanta, an unassuming business sign hanging out front, inviting visitors to come inside for palm readings and the like.

The Peregrine’s past dealings with her had come during an affair involving the mad monk Rasputin but she’d been willing to aid him on other occasions since—and now was the time to take her up on it.

“Can you tell me where he is?” he inquired, feeling the aches and pains that come when you’re nearly 42 and you’ve just thrown your body around to avoid being shot.

Whisper stared at him from behind her table, upon which lay a variety of scrying tools. Smoke from cinnamon-scented incense filled the air between the vigilante and his ally. “Your father was here earlier today,” she said, not answering his question but instead causing his mind to veer off into new pathways.

Max’s father had haunted him for over three decades, sending forth painful visions of future crimes so that the Peregrine could prevent them from happening. Several years ago, Max’s father had told him he would not be returning from beyond the void and that there strained relationship would have to be put to bed at last. They had reconciled only for Warren Davies to return to aid him once more with Whisper’s assistance. Since then, Max had not seen his father, though he’d often felt his presence.

“What did he say?” Max asked, unable to stay focused on the mystery surrounding Atwill. Seeing his father gunned down by criminals remained one of the defining moments in his life.

“He said to tell you that there were forces still massing against you. You’ve attracted the attention of many demons and their masters.”

The Peregrine narrowed his eyes, unable to believe that his father would materialize just to pass on something that his son knew already. “Anything else?”

“No. Nothing else.”

“Atwill,” the Peregrine said, dismissing the conversation track about his father. They had made peace with each other but Max had no time to waste on idle chitchat. If his father had information that was truly useful, he would welcome it. “Can you find him?”

Whisper closed her eyes and leaned forward, letting the trails of smoke around her dance like maddened snakes. She was ravishingly beautiful but there was an air of danger that surrounded her and it always kept the Peregrine on edge. “You have worried him. Since his transformation, no one has ever been able to resist his powers. He sees you as an obstacle in his path that must be cleared. If you do not stop him first, he will target you with every fiber of his being.”

The Peregrine shifted, not frightened in the least. He had been the target of vampires, chaos gods and devils—one man with a porcelain mask didn’t terrify him.

Whisper’s voice maintained its ethereal manner as she continued, revealing what her inner eye was showing her. “He has moved his operations to a large boat, anchored just off Cumberland Island. He has nearly a dozen women with him, all trained killers.” When Whisper opened her eyes again, she smiled softly at the Peregrine. “That’s all I can see.”

“You’ve told me plenty.” The Peregrine nodded in thanks and began to move to the door. He paused briefly, glancing back at Whisper and softening his tone. “If my father comes to see you again…”

“Yes?”

“Tell him that William has his eyes.”

Whisper watched as the Peregrine exited her home, hurrying towards his waiting car. From the darkness behind her, a figure emerged, looking much like Max Davies, only with subtle differences. “You should have spoken to him,” she said reproachfully. “There’s no reason for such distance between you.”

Warren Davies saw his son driving away and shook his head. “I manipulated him for years, Whisper. He’s forgiven me but he hasn’t forgotten. I don’t want to do anything to suggest I’m doing it still.”

“But you are, aren’t you?” she asked, staring at him pointedly.

“My son has a destiny,” Warren replied. “I’m sorry that it’s brought him pain and heartache but it’s been balanced out by the wife and son he’s gained. My death… it forged him into something greater than he would have been otherwise. That’s a good thing.”

“
You
forged him into what he is,” Whisper reminded him. “Haunting him, urging him on to better himself, to cast aside a normal life so that he might take your vengeance upon the underworld…”

“I didn’t do that for
me
. I did it for the
world
.”

Whisper turned away, knowing that this argument would resolve nothing. “Just keep reminding yourself that he’s your son and not your weapon.”

Warren began to fade away, the heat still rising in his words. “I’ve never forgotten that, Whisper. Not once.”

CHAPTER VIII

Evil Waters

Two days had passed since the attack in Adam Wood’s home. Two days full of rain and cloudy skies.

From the deck of his private yacht, Kevin Atwill could see the expanse of land that was Cumberland Island quite well. One of the Sea Islands, Cumberland stretched for some 17.5 miles, making it one of the largest of Georgia’s barrier islands. With no bridge connecting the island to the continental United States, the most convenient boat access came from the town of St. Marys.

Along the western edge of the island were saltwater marshes, filled with huge oak trees wrapped up in Spanish moss. But the part of the island that most impressed Atwill were the beaches, miles of pristine white sand upon which wild horses and loggerhead sea turtles could be spotted on occasion.

“I have brought your tea,” Maria said, standing attentively at his side, a steaming cup held in her hands.

Atwill looked at her, his hideous features hidden behind his porcelain mask. Once, in his old life, he could have had women like her with ease. He’d been attractive and funny, capable of breaking through the defenses of almost any women alive.

He could still have her now, of course, but her responses would have been borne out of duty and not lust.

Atwill had remained locked away in those caves for an interminable amount of time, alone in the dark with the spirits of the Gorgons. They’d taunted and teased, teaching him their dark arts while pricking his brain. He’d gone a bit mad but had retained more of his sanity than most men would have.

The girls had come for him at some point, drawn by mystic signs that only they could see. They were descended from the original servants of the Gorgons and they had remained vigilant throughout the years, waiting for the Chosen One. They’d nursed Atwill back to health, careful to avoid his gaze, until he’d been strong enough to lead a small band of them out of the jungles and into the United States.

“Thank you, Maria.” Atwill took the tea from her and pushed his mask up slightly, enough so that his lips could press against the rim. “I’m not sure how much longer we’ll have.”

“I don’t understand,” she replied, staring out at the water so that her eyes didn’t accidentally stray to his uncovered features.

“The man I faced today… he’s known as the Peregrine. He hunts people like me. He
kills
people like me.”

“But you are the Chosen One!” Maria blurted out.

“I am just a man,” Atwill cautioned. “A greatly changed one… but just a man. The Peregrine is aided by forces from beyond this plane, just as I am.”

“But surely his forces are not more powerful than the Gorgons!”

Atwill was silent for a moment and Maria risked a brief glance in his direction. He had pulled his mask back into place and was now holding his tea cup down at his side.

“The Gorgons,” Atwill finally began. “Were the last members of a dying race. Three sisters unable to cross-breed with humanity, the two survivors were lost after the death of Medusa. They fled to the United States because they were scared of dying. They were the targets of men and women just like this Peregrine—hunters who preyed on the creatures birthed in darkness.”

“Are you afraid of him?” Maria asked, somewhat taken aback by the turn in his mood and manner. She’d never seen him as anything other than a terrifying and beautiful monster… but now she could see him as a tortured human being. Without thinking, she reached out to take his hand in a comforting manner.

Atwill stiffened at the touch and something snapped inside him. He gripped her hand so hard that she cried out and pulled her to him, shifting his hand up to her throat. “I will kill him,” he hissed into her ear, his voice muffled by his mask. “I’m not sure how long we have before he comes here, Maria. That’s what I meant before. Not that I was afraid of him… I fear nothing and no one!”

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, trying to pull away.

“No. But you will be. I promise you that.” Atwill started to push the mask away with his free hand but a sudden pain blazed through him and he lost his grip on the girl completely. He staggered back, the sound of a fired pistol slowly sinking into his stunned consciousness. He looked down at his wounded hand, blood beginning to seep from a small circular hole in the center of his palm. “What the hell…?” Atwill muttered, beginning to sway a bit from the sudden onslaught of pain.

Maria had lost her earlier fear, her adrenaline now fully realized. Trained since birth to defend the Chosen One, she fell naturally into that role, even though she had been seconds away from being murdered. “There!” she shouted, pointing towards a figure that stood on the beach, a smoking pistol held in one hand.

“It’s him,” Atwill muttered, noticing how the moonlight could be seen reflecting off the gunman’s eyes. “The damned Peregrine.”

“Should I get the others?” Maria asked, meaning the other women who served onboard the yacht.

“No,” Atwill said with a shake of his head. “I’m going ashore alone.”

“But…”

Atwill ignored her, moving towards one of the small emergency rafts that could bear him back to the island. “The Peregrine dies tonight, Maria. And then I’m going after everyone else who ever bothered to stand in my way!”