Mythical (Stone Soldiers #1) Read online

  The door swung to its half-open position and stopped.

  Mark and Maria took a tentative step forward, out of the elevator. They held their weapons at hip-height, side by side.

  From beyond the blast door came a strange skittering noise. Claws. Claws on tile. The basilisk suddenly darted out from behind the door.

  It was a hideous creature. Nearly twelve feet long, with a vaguely reptilian head, surrounded by a boney plate with spikes- like a dinosaur. Beyond its head the creature had a bright plumage of feathers down to its shoulders. Like its shimmering scales, the feathers were blood red.

  A purple, forked tongue darted in and out of the lizard’s mouth as it tasted the air. It immediately tasted the scent of the two humans. It hissed and turned to face Mark and Maria.

  “Don't shoot its eyes!” Maria reminded Mark.

  Mark already had his Thompson up, held tight against his shoulder, lining his sights up. He fired a quick burst at the side of the basilisk facing him.

  The .45 caliber rounds slammed into the beast’s scales, directly behind its front legs. A perfect kill shot, directly over the heart. Except the rounds ricocheted off the scales.

  Mark looked over at his wife, worry on his face. “You didn't tell me it was bulletproof.”

  The basilisk felt the impact of the bullets. It roared in anger then turned toward the far end of hall and Mark and Maria.

  Maria stepped forward, lifting her shotgun to her shoulder as her husband had taught her. “You aren’t using a big enough gun!”

  Maria aimed and fired her shotgun as the basilisk began running toward them. The massive deer slug went wide, missing the charging basilisk and tearing a chunk out of the wall.

  Mark decided this was a bad plan and it was time to change it. He threw down his Thompson.

  “Sorry, dear,” he said, shoving his wife back into the elevator while he watched the approaching basilisk.

  Mark quickly pulled an incendiary grenade off his belt, glad the creature couldn’t run that fast.

  Maria nearly fell down in the elevator, but quickly recovered. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of the grenade in Mark’s hand.

  “Mark! No!” she yelled.

  Mark pulled the pin on the grenade in his hand then gave it an underhanded toss forward.

  The basilisk skidded to a halt, perplexed by the approaching canister. Then it opened its mouth and swallowed the grenade. A second later, it spit the grenade back out.

  “Oh, crap,” Mark said as the grenade bounced and rolled across the floor, back toward him.

  Only a dozen feet away from Mark, the grenade detonated- releasing a cloud of fire and molten metal. A split-second after that, a second detonation erupted- the gas lines overhead exploding.

  ***

  When Mark’s ears stopped ringing and his vision cleared, he found himself under a large concrete beam. Fire burned in the hallway and most of the lights were out. Mark tried to get up, but the debris covering his chest and legs wouldn’t budge. All he could do was turn his head enough to look into the elevator.

  Maria was standing up in the elevator- blood trickling down her face from a scalp wound while the left sleeve of her lab coat burned. Maria hastily began to remove the jacket.

  Mark suddenly realized that the debris covering him wasn’t just crushing him beneath its weight- the debris was on fire. Mark struggled against the burning debris. He began to feel the heat from the flames.

  Maria finally got her labcoat off and threw it down. She had to hold on to the open doors of the elevator to stay standing. Suddenly, she spied Mark, pinned under the flaming debris.

  “Mark!” Maria screamed. She turned and lunged for the fire extinguisher in the elevator.

  Mark began to scream. He was in agonizing pain- the fire had finally reached his flesh.

  Maria ripped the fire extinguisher from the wall and fumbled with the safety pin while her husband slowly burned to death.

  Maria turned back to Mark, swinging the fire extinguisher around. Her flesh began to turn gray in color, and her movements slowed until she remained frozen in place.

  The last image Mark saw before the flames engulfed his head was of his wife turning to stone.

  CHAPTER SIX

  After Mark’s bombshell revelation about his death in 1962, the confused teens decided it was time to go. Logan was hurt, and needed to go to a doctor. Kendall was only too willing to take him. Carlos had reluctantly agreed to go along.

  Josie volunteered herself and Jimmy to help their new, amnesiac friend out- by taking him back to the burnt-up boat. And while he wouldn’t elaborate on his death in 1962, Mark agreed it was a good idea to return to the boat wreck.

  Tents were taken down and the camp packed up. The teens all dressed for the day- ditching their off-road riding gear in favor of shorts and t-shirts, with sneakers or sandals. Then they started putting their motorcycles away.

  Carlos, now in plaid Bermuda shorts, bright green flips flops and a white t-shirt, struggled to put his motorcycle on the trailer behind Kendall’s truck with two other bikes.

  Kendall and Logan were at the back of Kendall’s truck- now wearing tan shorts, sneakers, and matching t-shirts bearing their school’s logo, the Aztecs. Kendall was wrapping Logan’s ribs with duct tape, over his shirt.

  Mark watched the work quietly. He’d ditched his one boot, and stood barefoot in the sand, in only his combat pants. The hot sun beat down on his tan skin and his fish pendant necklace.

  And he wasn’t even sweating in the heat. That really irritated Jimmy, now wearing sneakers, khaki pants and an untucked, gray, short-sleeve shirt. Jimmy was sweating profusely as he tried to push his motorcycle up a short ramp, into the back of his own Ford kingcab truck

  “So you remember burning to death in 1962. But nothing since?” Josie asked from the bed of the truck.

  Josie too had changed. She now wore short, blue jean shorts, a bright, pink t-shirt and leather sandals. Her hair was back in a long pony tail. She’d also put on makeup, which made her look remarkably different.

  “There are some definite gaps,” Mark answered.

  “But it is starting to come back?”

  Mark walked over to the struggling Jimmy and put a hand on his shoulder. Jimmy stopped his efforts, then watched in horror as Mark lifted the motorcycle with one hand. He carried the bike around to the side of the truck and lifted it up and over, and into the bed.

  “Yes,” Mark said to Josie, as he stepped back.

  Josie steadied the motorcycle and began to fasten it in place with tie down straps.

  Jimmy glared at Mark. “I could have done that.”

  “You’re welcome,” Mark replied, turning to go get Josie’s motorcycle.

  Jimmy noticed Josie was watching Mark closely. No doubt checking out his bulging muscles.

  “Can we get this guy some clothes?” Jimmy demanded.

  Mark looked questioningly at Jimmy.

  Josie turned to Kendall’s truck and shouted over at Carlos. “Carlos! You have any more of those nightgowns of yours?”

  Carlos had just gotten his motorcycle onto the trailer along with Kendall and Logan’s. His face twisted up in indignation and he almost stamped a foot on the ground.

  “They’re not nightgowns!” Carlos snapped back.

  Carlos stomped around the trailer, to the cab of the truck. He opened the door and began rummaging around in his duffel bag on the back seat. He pulled out a black t-shirt and stormed over to Mark with it.

  “Here!” Carlos said, offering the shirt to Mark. “It’s a Two-X, it should fit you just fine.”

  Mark accepted the shirt and started to put it on. “Thanks.”

  Despite the big-man’s size, the shirt barely fit. It clung to Mark like it was painted on.

  Mark looked down at the front of the shirt and the letters K-E-$-H-A.

  “I don't get it,” Mark said, looking back to Carlos.

  “Kesha, man!”
Carlos exclaimed. “She's a famous musician.”

  On the back of Kendall’s truck, Logan started to laugh- which caused him pain that made him wince. “Carlos is in love with her.”

  Mark frowned. “No- I mean, why do you have such big shirts?”

  Kendall and Logan laughed. Jimmy frowned while he struggled to get Josie's motorcycle up into the truck.

  “I like to wear loose clothes when I sleep,” a perturbed Carlos replied.

  Jimmy finally managed to get Josie’s motorcycle up into the truck. Josie, trying not to snicker at Carlos’ and Mark’s conversation, began to lash it down.

  From his perch on the rear of Kendall’s truck, Logan decided to join in. “How come you don't put your hair up in curlers, too?”

  Carlos turned to glare at Logan. His face was turning red- partly from anger, partly from embarrassment.

  Josie decided it was time to drop it, before Carlos and Logan came to blows. She jumped down out of the bed of the truck.

  “I guess we’re all ready, then,” Josie said, stepping in front of Carlos so he couldn’t glare at Logan.

  Jimmy finished closing up the tailgate of his truck.

  Mark turned to look off into the morning desert. “It’s that way, right?”

  “Yep,” Josie said, still watching Carlos.

  Carlos finally stopped his fuming and walked around Josie, headed toward Kendall’s truck. Mark followed Carlos.

  Kendall helped Logan down, then helped him into the truck. Carlos also got in, riding in back, while Logan rode shotgun.

  While Josie watched her friends, and Mark, Jimmy stepped up beside her.

  “Why are we helping him?” Jimmy asked.

  “Because he needs our help,” Josie responded. “We can't just leave him out in the desert.”

  “I don't trust him,” Jimmy pouted. “And when did you start helping people?”

  Josie realized that was very true- she’d never been much of a people-person. She had a handful of friends and that was it. She couldn’t explain why, but she felt compelled to help this Mark Kenslir- whoever he really was.

  Beside Kendall’s truck, Mark held out two thousand-dollar bills to Logan.

  “Sorry I shot down your summer vacation, boys,” he said.

  Logan eyed Mark suspiciously but took the money.

  “Sorry about the ribs, kid,” Mark added.

  Logan shrugged, but said nothing. He was in too much pain to argue. And he was still just a little afraid of the now-generous stranger.

  From the back seat, Carlos chimed in. “Hope you get your memory back, mister.”

  Mark stepped back from the truck. “Thanks.”

  Mark turned and walked away from the truck, back towards Josie and Jimmy. When he was out of earshot, Kendall and Logan turned around to glare at Carlos.

  “Hope you get your memory back,” Kendall mockingly said. “Why didn’t you ask for his autograph, too?”

  “He could still be a superhero,” Carlos said defensively. “Maybe he just forgot.”

  Logan, despite the pain it caused him, reached over the seat and punched Carlos in the arm. “He could be a super villain, too, dumbass.”

  Carlos rubbed his arm but said nothing.

  “We're just going to leave them out here with that freak?” Logan asked Kendall. He was genuinely worried about Josie. And maybe even Jimmy.

  “Josie can handle herself,” Kendall said. “But no, we're going to go find some cops and report this.”

  Back at Jimmy’s truck, Mark climbed into the cab, sitting in the front passenger seat. Josie slid over, next to Jimmy, who was driving.

  “Ready to go see if any of those memories come back?” she asked enthusiastically.

  Mark pointed ahead. “Let’s split.”

  ***

  The drive to the boat took longer than Jimmy wanted. It was an uncomfortable, slow ride over the desert sand. His truck couldn’t navigate as well as his motorcycle had.

  Any other time, Jimmy would have loved having Josie pressed up against him, every bump and jump of the truck making her unintentionally rub against him.

  Unfortunately, he had realized that every time Josie bumped into him, she was also bumping into this Mark stranger. With his bulging muscles and tan skin. It made Jimmy wish for a paved road.

  As they neared the boat wreck, Mark finally broke the silence.

  “Are you sure your friends will be all right?”

  Josie smiled. “They're big boys, they can find their way back home on their own.”

  There she was, smiling at him again, Jimmy thought to himself. Dammit.

  “They'd rather take their chances with the desert than you, anyways,” Jimmy almost growled.

  Mark leaned around Josie to look at the driving teen. This kid needed an attitude adjustment. And a haircut.

  Jimmy pressed on the brake and brought his truck to a smooth stop on the edge of the wreckage.

  “Here we are,” Jimmy announced, putting the truck in park.

  The trio quickly exited the truck. Jimmy immediately noticed Josie got out on Mark’s side. Despite the fact this was easier than trying to slide around the steering wheel, Jimmy was jealous. Again.

  The boat was clearly burnt. And broken. What had once been a long, sleek, twenty-five foot runabout, designed for hauling water skiers, was now just a mass of twisted metal and melted fiberglass and plastic. Sitting in the middle of a large black stain on the desert.

  The trio walked around in the wreckage, poking at unrecognizable chunks with their boots. Or, in Mark’s case, his bare feet.

  “What's the nearest body of water to here?” Mark asked as he continued his inspection.

  “Pick a direction- there’s no water for twenty miles or more,” Josie answered.

  Jimmy had been wondering about that too. Mark and his whole coming-back-from-the-dead thing was pretty weird. But a boat in the middle of the desert- miles from any water- that was strange as well.

  Amidst the soot and ash from what must have been a raging fire, Josie saw an odd shape on the ground next to the broken, burnt boat. Almost as big as a softball, oblong. She reached down and picked it up. It was heavy, and hard, like a stone.

  Jimmy leaned in, trying to see what Josie had found. “Whatcha got?”

  Mark stepped over to join them just as Josie turned the item over in her hand for a better look. All three immediately recognized what she held.

  A human heart- made of stone. Complete with the stubs of stone arteries sticking out from it.

  “That looks like a human heart,” Mark commented.

  Thank you, Mr. Obvious, Jimmy thought to himself.

  Mark reached out a finger and touched the heart. As soon as he contacted the burnt stone, a faint, green glow emanated from around his fingertip. The glow began to spread out over the heart. As it did so, the stone turned to flesh.

  Josie gasped. She dropped the heart as it turned from stone to squishy flesh. Even its weight had changed. As it fell, the heart quickly turned back to stone, landing with a thud in the sand.

  Jimmy was amazed. “How'd you do that?”

  Mark was frowning. “It's a little ability I have- to nullify magic and other supernatural things.”

  “Magic?” Josie said dubiously. She was finally able to tear her gaze away from the once-more stone heart.

  “What? You don't believe in magic?” Mark asked.

  “I’ve never seen any,” Josie replied, although she wondered if she might just have.

  “So, you can come back from the dead, you're bullet-proof, super strong and you can nullify magic?” Jimmy asked. And you’re a bulging muscle man with bronze skin, Jimmy thought to himself. I can’t compete with that.

  Mark was looking back at the wreckage now, as he spoke. “Yes- but it used to be I didn't have to touch things... I could just walk near them and shut them down.”

  Mark started to walk away from the two baffled teens. He headed for the spot he reme
mbered waking up in the burnt wreckage. Crouching down, he picked around in the ashes. He found buckles and rivets- remnants of military belts and web straps. A harness of some type that had supported a lot of gear.

  Josie and Jimmy stood quietly, side by side, watching Mark. Jimmy leaned in close, trying to whisper.

  “Why are we here?” he asked.

  Josie was fascinated. “Seeing where he died might jog his memory.”

  “That's not what I meant,” Jimmy said. “Why are we out here, in the middle of nowhere,

  helping this guy?

  “And don’t give me that he needs help, stuff, either,” he added.

  Josie turned to face her friend. Concern showed on her face. “What’s wrong with you, Jimmy?”

  It just wasn’t like Jimmy to be like this. He was the one always telling her she should get out more. That she should be more willing to help others. Wasn’t that what she was trying to do now?

  “I don't trust this guy,” Jimmy said.

  “Well, I do,” Josie replied. She trusted Mark. She didn’t know why, but she didn’t feel in any danger.

  Beneath the ashes and debris from the harness he had clearly once worn, Mark found other items. A gigantic, semi-automatic pistol, its handgrips melted off, the metal blackened. Brass casings, thicker than bananas- grenades? He finally found a knife in the debris.

  A Kabar. He recognized it immediately.

  He’d carried that same knife in Korea. The leather-disks that had made up the handle were dried and burnt, but it was the same knife he’d always tucked into a boot sheath. His last backup. His lucky knife.

  Mark picked the knife out of the ashes and dusted it off.

  Jimmy wasn’t willing to let the conversation with Josie end there. “This is because of your dad, right?”

  Josie looked at Jimmy as though he were an escapee from a mental institution. “My dad? What are you talking about?”

  “Your dad died fighting a fire, you meet this guy- who died in a fire.” It made sense to Jimmy. Josie had been haunted by nightmares about her father being burnt alive for years. Even though she’d only been two when it happened.

  “Died in a fire?” Josie asked, a little angry at the suggestion. “Do you realize how crazy you sound? He's standing right there.”

  Josie pointed to Mark to emphasize the point.

  Mark stood up, sliding the old Kabar knife into his left pocket. He turned to face the kids.