False Gods Read online

  False Gods

  by TS Paul

  ARCANE CORPS BOOK ONE

  IN THE FEDERAL WITCH WORLD

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Legal Stuff

  Dedications

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Author Notes

  Author - T S Paul

  Coming Soon!

  Legal Stuff

  Copyright © 2018 TS Paul, All Rights Reserved.

  Reproduction of any kind is strictly prohibited unless written permission granted by the authors.

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  No actual Unicorns, Demons, Fae, Dragons, Mermaids, or Witches were harmed in the making of this book. Promise.

  Cover designed by Heather Hamilton-Senter

  Editing by Diane Velasquez, Dorene Johnson, and Kat Lind

  Dedications

  Special thanks to my wife Heather who keeps me grounded and to Merlin the Cat, we are his minions and to all the members of Phoenix Prime.

  Chapter 1

  “Are you sure Madeline?” Mr. Right spoke to his empty office. The wireless connector attached to his head allowed him to see and hear callers as if he was in the room with them.

  “Completely. I just finished a conversation with Italian Special Forces Command. The entire town is overrun with Demonic entities. Their Swiss Guard scout didn’t see anything over a Class Three, but they could be hiding at the entry point.” FBI Academy Director Madeline Mills described the intrusion.

  “And that point is?” Mr. Right asked.

  Director Mills sighed, “As we suspected. The monastery complex is inhabited by the Strega. Our counterparts in Roman Intel are kicking themselves for not noticing this location sooner. Even the locals thought it was a real church operation.”

  The Strega Witches organization had been in existence for more than a century. American intelligence suspected they were much older than that. Much of the Mafia in Italy and the United States were controlled in one form or another by the Witches and their associates, the Missionaries of Death. The Missionaries were assassins of the first order. Their organization traced a direct lineage from Hassan-i Sabbah. The old man of the mountain, the creator of the Fedayeen. Recently both groups were involved in the kidnapping and the attempted murder of Agatha Blackmore and her team of FBI Agents.

  “Years of searching and they were right under our noses the entire time. Do you have any intel on the number of Witches in residence?” Mr. Right queried as he quickly typed on his computer.

  “Not yet. The Italian’s sent several scouts into the area. Only one reported back in. I redirected him to the enclave after contact. So far the Demons are directing all their attention at the civilians trapped in the town of Montemaggiore Belsito,” Madeline replied.

  Mr. Right winced. “Do you know how many innocents are still alive?”

  “Not many. The operative reported they were holed up inside the basilica, but he witnessed the Demons forcing their way inside. The town has a population of less than thirty-five hundred. There could possibly still be survivors or holdouts in outlying buildings or government offices.” This was one of the hardest parts of Madeline’s job.

  “Our back up? Will the Italians play ball, or do we have to get Rome’s approval first?” Mr. Right asked.

  “After what almost happened in 1945, the Holy See is on top of things. The Italian government and military will allow us to drop on the Strega, but they wish to contain the incursion themselves first,” Madeline replied.

  Mr. Right groaned. In 1945 the Demon horde spread outward from Germany in all directions after a high-ranking Demon Prince was brought to Earth. It’s assumed that the human sorcerer that raised him was eaten when he lost control of the host. For more than five years the world governments battled the horde. Much was owed to the Russian and American governments for stemming the tide. Most of central Europe was still in ruins seventy years later.

  “I’m afraid to even ask what they have to combat this. Do they have any chance at all?” Mr. Right asked. His hands were flying over the keyboard as he took the base to red alert and activated all the security protocols.

  “For the scouting operation, they had the combat brigade at Aosta as a backup along with a few naval units. The forces on Sicily consist of three motorized infantry battalions and an armored brigade. They have some training groups and engineering battalions as well on the island. The biggest issue is logistics with units spread out all over the place. Their only saving grace is the navy. The Italian fleet is on maneuvers in the Tyrrhenian Sea near Naples,” Madeline replied.

  Mr. Right nodded to himself. “That will help. If they can keep the majority of the Demons from jumping the gap into Italy proper, we might have a chance. Call in all the favors you can with Rome and get permission for us to drop. The Swiss Guard is good, but they don’t have the experience with the supernatural that we do.”

  Madeline chuckled, “They still haven’t forgiven you for crashing through the west portico of the Vatican, have they?”

  “No, they haven’t. It didn’t help that the Vampire disintegrated as soon as the sun hit his body. Too many questions and not enough evidence. Make the call.”

  “Do you need the Bs for this one? They’ve asked.” Madeline pointed out.

  Mr. Right hesitated for a moment. Beatrice and Betty were some of the best and worst members of the ARCANE strike teams he’d ever served with. They were frighteningly ruthless and resourceful, true legends in the organization. “Not at this time. Tell them they’re the backup if everything goes to hell. Make the call, we’ll be ready here.”

  Blinking forcefully, Mr. Right hung up his virtual phone. He looked past his desk at the symbol on the wall for just a moment. It was a picture of the United States superimposed upon a globe of the world. A large pentagram of protection was impressed over it with the words Recta fronte finem beneath it. ‘Hold the line to the end.’ That was the motto ARCANE’s first Grand Master proclaimed in 1948 when the project was established. Human mages were the true saviors of humanity. Without their assistance, Earth’s military might not have beaten back the horde in California. It was an unforgiving time period. Shaking his head, he looked down at his screen and activated the recall.

  Alarms and sirens all over the base hidden below the Indian Springs Auxiliary Air Station began shrieking. Mr. Right was activating the lockdown sequence. All leaves were canceled and operatives ordered to report in. This was the only priority for the base. Demons trumped all things.

  Only the commander and head of security on the base above knew what was truly below them. The cover story was the base had advanced research and development for new types of aircraft. Local townspeople and conspiracy nuts believed there to be flying saucers hidden in the base. It didn’t help that no one was ever seen to enter or leave the buildings. Ever.

  A small factory and distribution center located outside the actual base was the main entrance and fallback position for the organization. The name on the sign outside read ‘Aircraft Research, Controls, Armaments, and New Equipment. A.R.C.A.N.E.’ It was enough.

  It wasn’t unusual for corporate jets and helicopters to fly in and out of the facility. Some actual research and testing was done to dissuade the looky-loos. Every morning military police units had to drag off costumed-clad-space-nuts who congreg
ated along the fence lines looking for little green men or flying saucers. They actually made Mr. Right’s job that much easier. Who’s looking for spec ops when all they want are aliens?

  “Boss?”

  Mr. Right looked up from his computer to the man standing in the doorway. “Yes, Mr. Left?”

  “Is this for real?” The bigger man pointed upward at the flashing lights and sound.

  Calmly, Mr. Right answered, “It is. We need to mobilize everything and everyone. Demon incursion in Sicily.”

  “Should I recall the surveillance teams? We could use the manpower increase,” Mr. Left asked.

  The administrator looked up at the ceiling for a moment. There were teams of human operatives in different roles trailing important paranormal targets within the confines of the United States. At any given time, units were standing by to either support or eliminate potential threats.

  “Good idea, Mr. Left. Pull in everyone except those shadowing the Species Council members.”

  Mr. Left pursed his lips. “Some of our strongest operatives are on those teams. Can we swap them out?”

  ARCANE’s charter establishing the agency dated from the Magical Security Act of 1959. The group was created as a counterbalance to the FBI Academy, the Magical Division, and Crowley prison. Lawmakers wanted the option to fight back if needed. Secret experiments and trials conducted by the army pre-Demon War upon paranormal and Magick users had shown that only brute force could catch them unawares. All teams were made up of snipers and heavy assault groups.

  “All but those covering the Blackmore Witches. Marcella is potentially the largest threat internally.” Mr. Right instructed.

  “And the granddaughter? Should we leave that team as well?”

  Mr. Right shook his head. “No. She’s more of an asset than a threat. Madeline intends to use her as a backup for the teams. It will be up to her to hold the line if we fail.”

  “She’s not one of us, sir. Can we involve one of them in ARCANE’s business?” The larger man asked.

  “It won’t matter if we’re all dead anyway. Demons are the largest threat. If Agatha becomes an issue, the Bs have their instructions already. They should be able to get in close enough to do the deed. They volunteered if we should need them, by-the-way.” Mr. Right commented to him.

  Mr. Left winced and looked very apprehensive. “Those two scare me.”

  “As well they should. Sweet on the outside, stone cold killers on the inside. Two of the best operatives we EVER trained. They are best used where they are. It won’t matter if we fail, regardless. We need to get moving. I’ve issued orders for transport as well as coordinated with California. Have the West Coast teams prepare for any and all changes at the Conception site. This could get very nasty.”

  >>

  Team leader and special operations commander Xavier Cedar rolled out of his bunk ready for action. His left-hand scrabbling under the pillow looking for a weapon. The endless alarm and flashing lights woke him from a dead-like eight-hour sleep. It was always hard coming in off one of ARCANE’s missions. He and his team of ‘specialists’ were in from Chile where they took down a Culebron monster. Just yesterday they’d loaded the giant snake-like creature into a cargo plane for transport.

  Frowning, Xavier stared at the lights for a moment. “Computer, hit the lights and switch off all alarms in my section.”

  The sirens stopped as fluorescent lights popped on with a loud hum. This section of the base was built in the mid to late 1970s when those lights were extremely popular.

  The commander said one additional word before standing upright, “Status?”

  “A Demon incursion has been detected in central highland Sicily. Team Wood has been selected to infiltrate the enemy’s stronghold and close any and all entry points. More details to come at the priority one briefing in one hour and ten minutes.” The computer’s voice was still a bit choppy but sounded motherly. Rumor had it that one of the legendary Bs was the source.

  “Ugh, Demons.” The commander touched the screen on his desk and began reading the alert announcement. He rubbed the back of his head with his hands.

  “Feeling hungover this morning, Skip?”

  Xavier looked up into the pair of bright, shiny, green eyes belonging to Victoria Pepper. She was the happier half of the team’s Mages.

  “Demons first thing in the morning is always a chore,” Xavier remarked as he stood to greet the woman who saved his life daily.

  “We eat Demons for breakfast. Remember those eggs we found in the Andes? They made some tasty omelets.” The female mage made yum yum noises.

  Xavier shook his head. “Those weren’t from a Demon. They belonged to that really big bird that attacked our campsite just as Ace was serving breakfast. Rocs aren’t big on egg stealers.”

  “Eh. Rocs, Demons, same thing in my book. They all need killing,” Victoria replied.

  “Those eggs were tasty though, and…” Xavier paused motioning with his hands, “we got to shoot down a really BIG bird!”

  “You are just encouraging her, you know.”

  Both Xavier and Victoria looked across the hall. A man dressed all in black with flaming red hair stood there.

  The commander looked the newcomer over and frowned. Pointing downward he exclaimed, “Is that sand on your boots?”

  Human Mage Hamilton Sinn looked down his own body to the chunks of sand and rock salt covering his boots. “What if it is?”

  “You were out there again, weren’t you? Against orders. Orders that were given to you by both Right and Left. What was it this time?” The commander demanded.

  Hamilton’s face was totally unreadable. The Mage was the one enigma on the team in that his history was blank. Up until five years ago, Hamilton Sinn didn’t exist. At least not officially. After a moment’s silence, he spoke, “Practice. These rooms are too sterile. My Magick must flow, it needs the energy of the Earth to propagate. Standing outside, alone in the desert, I can follow the ley lines and concentrate better.”

  Xavier glared at his subordinate. “We are supposed to be a secret organization here. That area of the White Sands lakebed is off limits for a reason, Mr. Sinn!”

  “Those saucer nuts wouldn’t have seen me anyway. My standard glamour is as a dust devil. I always take precautions,” Hamilton replied.

  “And what about the workers up there?” Xavier pointed upward toward the ceiling. “They aren’t supposed to know we’re here.”

  “Oh.” Hamilton looked sheepishly at his boss. “Sorry?”

  Xavier rolled his eyes and shook his head. “If we survive the next mission we are going to have a serious talk about this. Now, where are TJ and Ace?”

  Victoria looked up from her cell phone and the game she was playing. “You know Ace, he’s either at the range or down in the armory. No idea about TJ.”

  Hamilton shook his head. “Don’t look at me. I was outside.”

  Cursing under his breath, Xavier stepped over to his computer again. “Locate operatives Tao Jung Lee and Robert Jenkins, please.”

  The screen in front of the commander lit up and what many on the base called a sexbot voice came on. “Operative Jenkins is currently in armory storage room four. Do you need assistance contacting him?”

  “Yes, have the operative join his team in briefing room one, in twenty minutes. What about the other one?” Xavier asked.

  The computer responded with, “One moment.”

  Suddenly the entire screen lit up with red and white flashes. “Warning! Operative Lee is in restricted area Zeta Twelve. Security alert sent.”

  “Dammit! Victoria? Take Hamilton here and get to the briefing. I have to go save TJ from security, again.” Xavier popped open his closet and began dressing.

  >>

  TJ was finishing up the third Kata and moving on to his second set when his communicator sounded. It wasn’t even daylight yet, and his team was on stand down. No way it was for him. It wouldn’t be the first time he was pinged instead of a
nother unit.

  Born Tao Jung Lee, TJ learned at an early age that different was a bad thing. His parents were traditionalists and demanded that their son carry the family name. It was one thing for them to call him that in Chinese and another for his classmates in school. After being nearly beaten to death at his inner-city school, TJ swore he’d never be a victim again. Enter martial arts. Karate was followed by Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Taekwondo, and others. It became an obsession.

  Eventually, he learned to focus and fine tune his chi. Under certain circumstances, TJ could break bones and shatter organs by projecting his power. It was these skills that brought him to the attention of ARCANE.

  “Freeze!”

  TJ slowed his movements and paused. Raising one eyebrow, he peered over the edge of the gigantic air-cooling system he was atop as the lights in the room switched on. Three heavily armed internal security troops were standing in the middle of the room.

  “See anyone?” The larger of the three asked.

  One man shone his light into all the nooks and crannies of the wall. “Not unless they’re tiny. Could it be another false positive from the sensors?”

  The third man frowned and looked down at his digital module. “I’ll call it in. Third shift had a similar problem down here two days ago. We may need to get the techs in to replace everything.”

  “No way that’s going to happen. Not with the alert. We might have a chance to do it once all the operatives ship out. I’ll pass it on to command but don’t get your hopes up. Just log it.” The tall man directed as he waved at the door.

  All three men left the room switching off the lights as they left. TJ contemplated what he’d heard. A mass exodus of operatives wasn’t a false alarm. He quickly searched for his communicator.

  “TJ are you in here?”

  TJ stared at the communicator. How did it switch on by itself? Holding it up to his ear he replied, “Go ahead, Xavier.”

  “Where are you? I don’t see you!”

  Pulling the unit away from his ear he shook it. He could hear Xavier but not from this.