The Hammer Commission Page 12

  "It was a month before I could stand to even be in the darkness. Last night was the first night I've slept for more than four hours."

  He looked at her as he finished, the look in her eyes surprised him. She was impressed!

  “Wow, you survived that?” Hope said eyes wide.

  “I don’t even know what ‘that’ was,” Mark said confused once again.

  “Helena might, she’s a bit more studied than the rest of us. Might have been a vampire, they can be pretty nasty. But that whole area back there is so old who knows what kind of ancient evils you might stumble on.”

  “Vampires don’t exist!” Mark protested, “They’re just stories!”

  “Oh?” Hope said and pulled him close and wrapped that wonderfully body of hers around him, “Then how come you found and killed one? You saw what you saw, you did what you did. Proof enough for me.”

  “They said I couldn’t have seen what I did. That the combat and the stress bent my mind.”

  Hope laughed, “You’re not crazy. I don’t sleep with crazy.” She rubbed her face against his in a curious manner that he found he liked. “Listen,” She continued, “I was born in these mountains, I grew up here, and I have lived most of my life here. The world is old and we are still young. There are many things still hidden out there that people don’t understand. That wound on your back is proof enough that what happened, happened.”

  “They said it was some rare sort of infection.”

  “Un-huh. It’s rare all right, but that's not an infection. I’ll have to get Helena to look at it.”

  “You’re not going to do some freaky Wiccan witch craft thing, are you?” Mark said sounding suspicious.

  “No. But why should you care? Modern science has failed, time for something else.”

  Mark had to admit she had a point.

  She gave him a nuzzle and a little kiss, “I need to go. I’ll talk to my sisters; maybe even bring them by next time.”

  Mark blushed as he thought about three more naked women.

  Hope laughed, “You can look at them all you want. Now take care of yourself and make sure you eat more. I’ll be back tomorrow night at the latest.”

  Mark nodded and watched rather transfixed as she slipped out of his bedroll, left the tent, and then took off at a trot into the woods. He lost sight of her fairly quickly.

  % % % % %

  9

  "So where are we going now?" Judith asked as they got into the car.

  "Poland." Mark said turning on the GPS and programming their destination in it. He was still hurting and tired. Judith would probably have to drive a good deal of it.

  "Poland? Where in Poland?"

  "Dzialdowo." He said putting the car in gear and leaving the lot.

  "Never heard of it. Let me guess, Nazi concentration camp site?"

  "Got it in one. It's where the other team was ambushed and killed."

  "Why go there?"

  "I want to make sure that there really wasn't some old trap that they set off. Concentration camps were devil lairs. They needed all those people to keep Hitler's pet devils and demons fed."

  Judith visible shivered at that. "What an asshole. So why the new car?" She said changing the subject.

  "Harder to track than a rental would be, and someone is definitely tracking us."

  "Oh I understand that! But why a new one?"

  "Two reasons. The first is the police won't be surprised a new car isn't registered yet and are more likely not to bother us. Especially if its an expensive one."

  "And the other reason?" Judith prompted after a minute.

  Mark looked embarrassed. "It's Rafael's money, so I figured why not? I always wanted a Mercedes AMG."

  "I'd make some snide comment about 'boys and their toys' but I'm a huge Top Gear UK fan and always wanted to drive one too!" Judith laughed.

  "Good, cause once we're out of Paris I want to pick up some food, and then you can drive while I sleep."

  "You should have let the doctor look at that you know."

  "It would have led to difficulties," Mark told her. "We're on a tight schedule; the GPS puts this trip at fifteen to sixteen hours. Then we may end up driving straight through to Manresa, that'll take a day."

  "Well let me see if I can find a food store on this thing," Judith said turning her attention to the GPS. "The sooner I get to drive, the more I'll be enjoying the trip!"

  Mark smiled at that, she was finally starting to show some enthusiasm. That was good. He hoped she was a good driver too, he really needed to rest, his back was itching like crazy and he still needed to eat to fuel his body for all the repairs it was making.

  When Judith found a place on the GPS he drove straight to it, and after stocking up on a meats, cheeses, an a few liters of water that he could eat and drink while she drove he did just that.

  "You got a hollow leg or something?" she said surprised at how much he put away.

  "Or something." He yawned and put what was left back in the grocery bag and reclined the seat. "Wake me if anything interesting happens."

  "Sure thing!"

  "Try not to get too many speeding tickets," he chuckled and closing his eyes quickly fell asleep.

  % % % % %

  "So just when were you planning on telling me about yourself, eh my friend?"

  Mark blinked, or tried to at least. He was sitting in a bar in Brussels, one of Jake and his favorites. The food was fantastic, the bar maids pretty, the drinks strong, and they had a deal with the owner that let them rent the room above the bar when they were in town.

  He looked at Jake, who was sitting across the table from him, he looked completely normal, except of course for the huge white wings sprouting from his back.

  "Wings Jake? Really?" Mark said trying not to laugh.

  "I happen to like them. They make me look dignified!"

  Mark leaned back and looked at him. Damned if he wasn't right.

  "Ah, you see, no?"

  "This isn't just a dream, is it Jake?"

  "Non, it is a slight, how shall I say? A bending of the rules."

  "That's not good, is it?"

  "Non, not at all. Things have gotten very umm, let us say confused. There are a lot of rules being bent, some even broken; but the broken ones, they are not on our side."

  "I hope that's good. So why are you here?"

  "Other than to show off my new wings and berate you for not confiding in me?" Jake laughed.

  Mark shook his head and smiled, even dead Jake was still Jake. For some reason that made him feel a lot better about things. "Yes, other than that."

  "You need an Artifact."

  "I know that Jake! Mark grumbled.

  "No, you need an Artifact."

  "Great, I'll get right on it. But where can I get one?"

  "There is a collector in Cologne that has one. Quite illegally it would seem. Your confiscating it for the Church is well within your duties."

  "Got an address?"

  "Moi? Non. But your GPS on the other hand..."

  Mark smiled, "Thanks Jake, you are a lifesaver. They treating you well up there?"

  "You will like it when your time comes, trust me on that. Pay my respects to Father Gregory when you see him again."

  "Isn't he up there?" Mark said surprised.

  "Of course not, he's still alive. You know that Mark!"

  Mark nodded chiding himself, "It is easy to forget the rules of the soul sometimes, especially when someone has been in a coma for that long."

  "It is a small thing, don't let it eat at you too long," Jake told him. "Well I must be on my way. Tell your lovely wives that I said hello and would love to know how someone as ugly as you found not one, but four such lovely ladies."

  Mark laughed, "Until I see you again Jake, I miss you."

  "I miss you as well my friend, but do not rush to catch up with me, I am content to wait to see you again, and the longer the better. Oh, and tell your partner, she deserves to know."

  "I'll think
about it."

  "Do not think too long."

  % % % % %

  Mark woke up then rather suddenly. "Where are we?"

  "Just crossed into Germany about a half hour ago."

  "They didn't make you wake me?"

  "Eh, flashed the badge, showed yours too, pointed to the bandages. They were quite sympathetic."

  "Huh. We need to make a pit stop." He checked the GPS; sure enough there was an address in it now. He changed their destination.

  "That's good; I could stand to hit the ladies room. What's that?" She asked noticing as he put the new destination in.

  "That's our artifact!" Mark said smiling.

  "So, do we call for backup?" Judith asked as they sat out in front of a rather nice looking house in the center of the town.

  "Can't, we do that and I'm sure it will get back to Father Flores and he'll be on us like white on rice. Just put your badge on, look serious and follow my lead."

  "Guns?"

  "Huh, what about them?"

  "Should we bring them?"

  Mark was about to say no, then stopped and looked at her.

  "Nothing says 'Police' like a conspicuous firearm. Stops all sorts of questions with most folks." She said with a smirk.

  "Guns," Mark nodded agreeing.

  "You don't deal with people much, do you Mark?"

  "Normally Jake dealt with people, and I dealt with the monsters."

  "Oh, why was that?"

  "Cause they like to talk to me."

  "Uh-huh. You ever gonna to tell me why that is? Or you gonna to keep dodging that question?"

  "You must have been one hell of a cop," Mark said getting out of the car and going around to the trunk.

  "Which is why I know when you're dodging the subject." She told him as they got out their holsters and handguns and put them on.

  Mark nodded. "Yeah, Jake's kind of pissed I never told him about it. When this is over I'll tell you about it."

  "Kind of pissed? What, you been talking to him lately?" Judith said with a smirk.

  "Who do you think told me about this place and put it in the GPS?"

  Judith blanched slightly. "You're not kidding, are you?"

  "Nope. Was nice to see him again, even if it was only in a dream."

  "Sounds more like a nightmare, meeting your dead partner again."

  Mark shook his head, "Trust me, I'm an expert on nightmares, this was nothing at all like that."

  She just nodded and they both walked up to the door then. "Nice house."

  "Notice how it's not shoehorned in like the others?"

  "Yeah, they've got a little money at least."

  Mark pressed the door bell. On the second press it opened.

  "Yes? How may I be of service?" A man who was obvious a butler opened the door.

  "Interpol," Judith said holding up her badge, "mind if we come in?" and without asking for an answer pushed right by the man surprising him.

  Mark was rather surprised too and followed her in.

  "Where is Master Fontaine this afternoon?" Judith said.

  Mark wondered how she got the name.

  "The Master is out of the house, and I must protest, this is highly irregular!"

  "Don't worry your head none. Your Master is in possession of some rather expensive stolen property. We're here to retrieve it."

  "What? The Master would never..."

  "Can it." Judith ordered and Mark was amazed as the Butler shut right up. "We don't know if he knows it is stolen, he may very well be a victim in this. However, we can either recover the object now, keep it nice and quiet and not involve the courts, or the press.

  "Or we could go have a talk with the press and the local judge and do this all nice and legal. Of course your Master's name would be dragged through the mud, his career ruined, and you most likely out of a job for failure to insure that certain things be kept quiet. I mean this is part of your duties as a manservant, is it not? Discretion?"

  Mark was impressed; Judith quickly backed him into a corner and kept him there while dropping all sorts of hints that she knew who his boss was and just how much trouble he could be in, trouble she was trying to avoid. She had also put her hand on her hip while talking, an almost unconscious display of her holster and the gun in it.

  He'd never seen someone so effectively bullied before.

  "May I examine your badges again please?"

  "Of course." She said handing it over.

  "Yours too sir?" He asked Mark after returning hers.

  Mark complied.

  "Satisfied? Judith asked when he returned Mark's.

  "I suspect Master Fontaine will be quite cross when he learns of this."

  "Better to be cross in private than to be disgraced in public." She turned to Mark, "Where to?"

  "Take us to your Master's private study." Mark said.

  "This way. May I ask what you are looking for?"

  "It is an antiquity that belongs to the Catholic Church. It has taken us a good many years to track this one down."

  The butler frowned. "I'm not sure that I recall any of those in the Master's collection."

  "You'd be surprised," Mark said and left it at that.

  The study was on the second floor, adjoining the bedroom. Mark looked around as they entered the room, whoever this Fontaine guy was he had a rather impressive collection of renaissance and medieval art and other items. Assuming it was all original and not fakes or forgeries Mark figured there were a couple million euros of antiques in the room. It didn’t take him long to spot what they had come here for, it was a small metal cross hanging on a silver chain. It was actually hanging from a book stand that had a very rare first edition Gutenberg bible on it.

  Mark picked it up and crossed himself. It wasn't very fancy, just a basic cross with some simple design work filed into it; but it radiated power, after ten years on the Commission he could actually feel it now. Whoever this cross had belonged to was a very holy and just person; just handling it gave him a sense of peace.

  "That's it?" The butler said surprised as Mark picked it up.

  "Yes, this is it."

  "The Master bought that last week from a street vendor on the square; I believe he paid a euro for it!"

  Mark nodded at the butler’s comment, people often thought artifacts were fancy expensive items encrusted with gems and made from gold. They didn't realize that most holy people didn't have a lot of money, and the money they did have they usually spent on doing God's work. Most artifacts looked just as plain as this one.

  Mark got out his wallet and pulled out a hundred Euro note. "In that case consider this compensation. Thank you for your help, I will see to it that the cross is returned to its rightful place."

  The butler looked relieved, "Now I see why you didn't want to involve official channels. For something as plain as that cross I can understand your desire for discretion.

  Judith nodded, "Exactly. Thank you for your help. We'll be on our way now."

  "Think his Master will be happy?" Judith asked as they drove off.

  "Maybe, depends on if he knew what it was or not. There is a pretty big black market for artifacts, I thought we were going to have to hunt down one of the dealers and raid their private stash. How this one slipped through the cracks is beyond me. How did you know the owner's name?"

  "Spotted the mail on the table in the hallway, which was why I pushed in, to get the name."

  "You continue to impress Judith."

  She grinned. "Still think I'm going to get you killed?"

  "Oh, of course. But I'm feeling way more confident of your abilities to do what is necessary while I'm busy expiring."

  "You take all of the fun out of everything," she grumbled.

  "I'm just trying to get you used to the idea so if it does happen you keep your head in the game and do what's needful."

  Judith glanced over at the cross in his hands as she navigated the streets to get them back on the main road. "So, that's it huh? How old is that
thing?"

  Mark shrugged, "Couple hundred years at least, probably going to take the people back at the Abbey a long time to figure out who it belonged to."

  "Well why don't you go back to sleep and chat with your friend, you still look pretty tired and it's a long way to go yet."

  "You just don't want to give up driving the car." Mark said with a smirk.

  "Of course not! It’s a friggin' AMG! Portland cops don’t make the kind of money it takes to buy one of these! Hey, think you could leave it to me in your will? Seeing as you're so sure you're going to be pushing off soon and all that?"

  "I'd rather not encourage you to actually help them." Mark sighed shaking his head and reclining the car seat again.

  "Yup, no fun at all..."

  10

  "Wake up Mark, we're almost there."

  Mark yawned and stretched in the seat. The clock on the dash said two a.m.

  "Sleep well?"

  "Best sleep I've had in a while," He admitted. "Well let's see how it looks," he said and started peeling the bandages off.

  "Holy shit!" Judith exclaimed glancing at his skin, where there had been gashes before there was now just pink flesh.

  "Watch the road," he warned. "Father Otto was good enough to bless the wounds and pour holy water over them. That definitely helped."

  "That's not natural," Judith said scowling as she watched the road.

  "Depends on what your definition of natural is," Mark said and started working on the bandages on his back. That was a little more difficult inside the car, "technically its actually completely natural. For me. For you it wouldn't be."

  "I'm still waiting for an explanation."

  "I'm working up to it, trust me." Mark sighed.

  "How about you trust me?" Judith said. "You know all of this mystical shit is kind of hard to take. And suddenly finding out that you're not exactly 'normal', well that isn't easy to take either."

  "Yeah, I understand. When Father Gregory recruited me, well he was a bit surprised when I told him. But he told me to keep it a secret, that people wouldn't understand. That there could be issues. I didn't tell Jake for the eight years we were together. Rafael only knows because he's powerful enough now to sense it.