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          The flight to Sydney was long, and Darren and Pat were dozing in the dimly lit First Class cabin.  They had already seen “Thor: The Dark World” so they skipped the cabin movie and chatted with one another in their minds, content to be together.

          To the other passengers they didn’t look like the large muscular devastatingly handsome men they really were.  No, to the outside world they looked like an elderly Asian couple traveling to Sydney on vacation. 

          I’m still stoked about this, Pat.  I’ve always wanted to visit Australia but never had the chance.  This is gonna be awesome.  We need to try to hit Balmoral, I hear the guys on the beach there are over the top hot.

          Pat: What?  I’m not hot enough for you? 

          Darren laughed: You know you are so don’t even go there.

          Pat:  Actually I’m with you… and seeing how much hotter you are than all those other guys combined’ll make me feel special.  And it’ll be fun to watch them drool over you.

          Even though they were joking around, Pat’s comment warmed Darren deep in his heart.  They weren’t completely merged at the moment because they didn’t want to have to mask their auras in case there happened to be any Enemy agents on the plane, but they were deep enough that Darren felt the all-encompassing love he and Pat shared.  Sharing half your Soul with another man does that.

          Darren:  OK, if just being in Australia wasn’t enough to make me horny, that statement just got you laid tonight.

          Pat:  But you get laid every night.  Usually two or three times a night.

          Darren laughed:  Fucker.

          Pat:  You got that right!

          Darren reached over and took hold of Pat’s big warm hand.  He squeezed it lovingly and brought it up to his face to kiss the back of it.  Pat had such nice strong hands and his touch could send Darren into orbit with the gentlest of caresses. Pat was a lot like Ken in that he was a very physical man; he loved to touch Darren and the other guys, always squeezing a shoulder or arm or thigh when he was close.  Darren loved nothing more than to feel his lover’s hands on him even when they weren’t making out.  It was just comforting.

          Their mental chatter slowed as they both got drowsy in the dimly lit cabin.   They held hands and quietly rested in each other’s Minds and Hearts, content to be silent and with one another as the plane continued its path over the ocean.

          Darren’s mind drifted back a few weeks to right after they got back from their camping trip at the Tree….

*  *  *  *  *

          Ken called a group meeting the morning after they got back.   He wanted the doctor and Albrecht brought up to speed on everything that happened on their camping trip, especially their encounter with the mysterious stranger named Luke and the Song that Lane had Dreamt.  He wanted their input on who Luke might be and also on interpreting the parts of the Song they weren’t sure about.

          The doctor and Albrecht both paled when they heard what Raphael said about the man who called himself Luke.  The doctor was always a serious-minded man, but they rarely saw him as forceful as he was when he told them, “Mind what Raphael said!  Never speak his name. EVER.  I cannot stress this enough.  When a time comes that we must discuss him more openly I will show you how to properly ward yourselves… it is not something that is easily or casually done.”

          Ken replied, “Alright, doc.  As always you know best.  Brad and you other yahoos can take care of the Mental part.  We’ll do that today before everyone leaves.

          “Meeting him was an eye opener and no mistake, but it certainly wasn’t the only one.  Bill, go ahead and share with the rest of us what you found from the Dark Nephelem that Istariel and our other cousins destroyed.”

          Brad passed control of their link to Bill, who masterfully took them all much deeper and into a Construct of the Operations Room.  Everyone appeared around the conference table in full assault gear.

          Bill stood up and moved over in front of the Ops board, “OK guys, hold onto your hats.  We have names and locations of two key Enemy Agents. I shared this with Pat and Dar early this morning and they’ve already loaded the info into the new computers and database, so it’s available on your tablets once you’ve sync’d up.” 

          Ken held up his hand and interjected, “Sorry Bill, just a sec.  I know this is important but I want to say something quickly while it’s on my mind.  I’ve wanted to say this for a while and what you said just illustrates my point even more.  Pat and Dar, you guys have been more than pullin’ your weight lately with all the hard work and extra hours you’ve been puttin’ in.  The new computers are badass and I want you to know it hasn’t gone unnoticed by any of us.  I know it’ll happen to all of us eventually as we find tasks that are better suited to our Primary Avatars, but right now yours are helpin’ us get this fight back up and runnin’ and on the offensive in a major way.  Never think we’re taking you for granted, OK?”

          Darren and Pat both flushed at the praise.   Lane was sitting beside Darren and reached over and ruffled his hair.  As closely merged as they always were when they were together as a group, Darren and Pat felt what Ken was saying; they felt it from all their Team mates.  But all of them learned over time that, even though they knew how each other felt, there was still value in telling someone verbally how you feel.  It was a reinforcement of the bond they shared and how they supported one another.

          Pat said, “Just doin’ our part, guys.  But thanks for sayin’ it.  You know we appreciate it.”

          With a grin and a nod Ken indicated to Bill to continue.  An image of two men appeared on the Ops board.

          Bill continued, “OK…the Dark Nephelem’s name was Ulariel.  We acquired the names of two major players from him. He took his direct instruction from a mortal Agent of the Enemy who’s based in Sydney, Australia.  That man’s name is Trenton Ashmore.  Ulariel didn’t know much about him, but was terrified of him, which tells us he must be pretty badass if a Nephelem, even a minor one, was afraid of him.

          “The other Agent’s name is Gerald Laurent.  Ulariel knew of Laurent but never had direct contact with him.  Ulariel was uncertain if Laurent was a peer of Ashmore’s, taking direction from him, or a superior.  Laurent is located in British Columbia, Canada.  Ulariel was also scared of him, so he’s definitely a player of some kind.”

          The doctor interjected, “Both of those locations are former strongholds of The Order in times past.  Nearly two centuries ago, the Enemy eradicated all existence of The Order in those areas.  There is no telling what you will find if you go into either place, but you will need to be extremely careful and be on your guard at all times.”

          Darren spoke up, “Ken, doc…. I’ve been wanting to bring something up for a while, and it might be coincidental, but those two areas are significant to me.”

          Ken smirked slightly and looked at Darren. “If I’ve learned anythin’ about livin’ with B is that there’s very little coincidence anymore.  If you have a gut feelin’ Dar, let’s hear it.”

          “Well you know how I have the safe spot to jump to here in the Lab, right?  I’ve been wanting to expand on that in a big way.  The idea of our having safe houses or bunkers in other parts of the world has been floating around in the back of my mind.  Places that are inaccessible except by teleportation.  Sydney was one of the places that’s been bouncing around in the back of my mind and BC in Canada too.  There are a few other places as well, but since those two came up today somehow I don’t think it’s random chance.

          “In light of what happened here recently, I think it would be prudent to have a number of places we can jump to quickly, not just for safety but for quickly getting to other parts of the world when we need to.”

          Ken noticed a gleam in the doctor’s eyes when Darren mentioned his idea.

          “I think the doc has already been thinkin’ about somethin’ like this and was waitin’ for us to think of it on our own.”

          The doctor got an innocent look on his face, but the smirk on Albrecht’s face told him he was right.  Albrecht gave Ken a subtle wink of acknowledgement and he grinned back.

          Ken continued, “OK, Dar.  That sounds like a great idea.  We’ll get started on the implementation ASAP.  You’re the financial guru so why don’t you get with the doc and start planning the budget and we can get things rolling.”

          Darren replied, “Why not kill two birds with one stone?  Pat and I can head to Sydney next week to get things started on the bunker and we can gather some intel on Ashmore while we’re there.”

          Ken scowled, “I’m not sure about that, Dar.  It’s not that I don’t trust you two, but you heard what the doc said.  We aren’t sure what we’ll find in Sydney as far as how strong or open The Enemy is there. And this Ashmore guy must be pretty tough if Ulariel was scared shitless of him.  I’d rather you take at least one other group with you.”

          Kevin said, “Bill and I can head to Canada, and Dar and Pat can hit Sydney.  That leaves you six here as backup for either of us.  We need to act quickly on these two guys, Ken.  There’s no telling how soon they’ll get the word that Ulariel is dead or missing and they might disappear on us.”

          Brad interjected, “I’m not sure I like it either, Ken, but we do need to act fast.  We can stay in touch on a regular basis, and we can all gather within seconds if it really comes down to it.”

          Ken still looked apprehensive, but said, “OK guys.  But light intel only and take no risks.  Get with us if you even have a twitch in your gut that somethin’s up.  And fly commercial instead of teleporting, to avoid detection by The Enemy.”

          They spent what seemed to them another few hours discussing details and ironing out a plan for the two teams to do some recon and find good locations to start construction on the bunkers.

          Darren had already drawn up an elaborate Visio diagram of how he thought the bunkers should be laid out.  They would be completely self-contained below ground with enough room for all of them to stay comfortably.  They would be supplied with the equivalent of MREs for food, and have generators and fuel to keep running for weeks if necessary.   The only obstacle he hadn’t overcome other than old fashioned air tanks, was how to maintain fresh water and oxygen in a closed environment and to deal with circulating the carbon dioxide back out of the facility.

          The doctor assured him that wouldn’t be a problem and they could modify the design to take that into account.

          When Bill brought them all back up and out of his Construct only a few minutes had passed.  They all broke up to start their prospective tasks to get the new plans rolling.  All of them felt a small excitement in their gut… they were on the offense now and feeling proactive in the fight against the Enemy.  It felt good.

*  *  *  *  *

As soon as the plane touched down, Darren and Patrick felt something odd tickling at the edge of their shields.  It wasn’t overtly oppressive, but they felt it.  It was the strong aura of The Enemy in this place.  Even though the sun was shining and the weather hot and clear, they both felt a slight chill down their spines.  They shifted their Sight and it was as though there was a murky cloud over everything as far as their eyes could see.

          They were extra careful going through customs and getting to their hotel; even though they knew no one could see them as they truly were, they felt exposed and vulnerable.  Once they were at the hotel, they found a secluded corner by a closed bar, and after he was sure no one was watching, Darren dropped their illusions.

They checked in under their normal appearance but with false IDs provided by the doctor.  Once in their room they set wards up for additional protections.

          Pat looked at Darren as he was unpacking his suitcase; he could tell Dar was jetlagged.  Pat’s own physiology didn’t make him immune to jetlag but it didn’t affect him nearly as much.  Pat or Ken or any of the “Bodies” could go for days without sleep if necessary. 

          Dar said, “I think I’m going take a quick shower to try and wake myself up.  I’d rather just stay up ‘til tonight and push through to get used to the time change.”

          As Darren started getting undressed, Pat stopped and watched him.  Darren was incredibly cute and handsome at the same time.  His dark brown hair and green eyes framed a square face and a strong jawline; the dimples that appeared when he smiled melted Patrick.  His thick solid frame, 5’10” tall and 235lbs of muscle was mouthwatering to look at.  His body was ... perfect, and just stunning to look at.  The light dusting of hair on his chest and the treasure trail running over his sculpted abs… Pat was hard before Darren finished getting his pants off.

          Fuck, Dar.  Every time I see you like this I can’t believe what a lucky man I am.  You are so fucking handsome.  What did I ever do to deserve a man like you in my life?

          Darren looked up and he could see the combination of love and lust in his partner’s eyes.  Pat moved forward and ran his hands lightly over Darren’s muscles, starting at his traps and tracing down over his shoulders and biceps.  The feather-light touch with the adoration behind it caused Darren to get hard in seconds.  Patrick’s hands moved back up and traced the outline of Darren’s hard pecs and ran his fingers through the sparse but perfect hair on his chest, and then used his thumbs to lightly press and rub his nipples.

          Darren’s body trembled at Pat’s touch.  He was flush and warm as Pat held him and moved them both onto the bed.  The bed creaked loudly at Patrick’s weight and they both grinned.

          Darren laughed in his mind and thought:  Hot hotel sex in Australia.  This is one check box off my bucket list for sure. 

Darren reached up and cupped Pat’s cheek in his hand, his thumb rubbing lightly over Pat’s five o’clock shadow.  And just for the record Pat… it’s me who’s the lucky one. Darren’s dimples appeared and he added:  OK so we both feel like we won the lotto.

          Pat cupped Darren’s face with one hand and started a deep passionate kiss while his other hand pressed down and started rubbing gently but firmly across Darren’s hard chest and shoulders.  Darren’s belt and pants started to unbuckle on their own and he raised his hips as they slid down and off to drop on the floor.  He was now completely naked and cradled in the arms of the man he loved more than anything.

          Outside the bedroom Darren was a solid and confident man, but in the bedroom with Pat he had a slight submissive streak.  He wasn’t into any kind of domination or humiliation; he just liked to be held and feel protected, and liked for Pat to take the initiative.

          Pat moved one leg up so his kneecap was touching Darren’s tight balls and the lower part of his shaft.   Pat continued the kiss, sensually driving his tongue deep into Darren’s mouth while his big arms wrapped around Darren’s body.  Darren was so turned on he was breathing hard, and he began softly moaning in pleasure.  With each push of Pat’s tongue into his mouth, the head of Darren’s straining dick would flare and he would arch his back slightly and press his balls and lower shaft more tightly against Pat’s knee.

          Darren’s dick got harder and harder and the head flared tightly from the slight friction of Pat’s leg.  Darren’s moans got more urgent; his dick was throbbing and twitching and the head was flaring as a steady stream of precum was dripping onto his stomach.  With one last arch of his back, without his dick being touched other than the feeling of Pat’s warm knee against his tight balls and his tongue in his mouth, Darren’s dick started shooting white hot cum all over his chest and abs.  He came so hard his body convulsed, causing all his muscles to contract tightly.  Pat’s mouth didn’t leave his, but his hands and arms moved to hold onto Darren’s body tightly through his orgasm.  Being held like that while in the throes of a powerful orgasm sent Darren to another place; a place of pure physical and emotional joy and contentment.  It was extremely profound for him and it always took him a while to come back from that place.

          Pat held him and caressed his body, letting Darren come back to himself and ride out the pleasure of his orgasm.  When Darren’s breathing returned to normal, Pat pulled back slightly and they made eye contact.  Pat was running the back of his finger over Darren’s face, tracing his jawline and chin in tender intimacy. They smiled at one another.

          Holy shit, Dar.  It still amazes me how I can do that to you.  While they looked into each other’s eyes, Pat used his other hand to lightly trace his fingers up and down Darren’s still rigid dick, smearing the precum and dripping cum around the head and shaft.

          A single tear fell out of the corner of Darren’s handsome face.  He put one hand up on Pat’s chest and a bright yellow Light engulfed then both, joining their Hearts and Souls.

          The Love they felt for one another was a hot fire; the most powerful force in their lives.  They had gotten over questioning how the doctor could ever have combined their Souls; how they could be One being and yet two separate men who loved each other beyond reason.

          Pat felt the slight pulse of energy and suddenly he was naked; Darren had teleported his clothes off him; he heard them drop onto the floor at the foot of the bed.  Now naked, Pat got back down on top of Darren, pressing their bodies together.

          Darren shifted his sight and saw Pat’s dark brown eyes rimmed with his own green; further proof of the bond between them.

          Lay back Pat, and let me take care of you now.

          Pat rolled over and Darren crawled on top his big body and straddled Pat’s waist.  Red fire flared from Darren’s hands as he started caressing Pat’s body in all the places he knew drove Pat wild.  Pat was already hard after seeing Darren shoot hands free from just his kiss, and the red flow of energy added fuel to the ongoing fire in his loins; it was like throwing a lit match onto a can of gasoline.

          Darren leaned over and put his weight on his elbows so he could continue to kiss Pat and look into his eyes.  With his mind he positioned Pat’s hard dick at the opening of his waiting ass and he slowly sank down and let Pat’s thick hard dick fill him up; his own cum had Pat’s shaft fully lubricated.  There was no better feeling in the world to Darren than feeling the fullness of Pat’s dick inside of him.  It was another piece of the puzzle that the two men shared, and when they were together like that it was perfect.  As Pat’s cum-coated dick slid up into Darren, Pat felt his mind receive a boost of energy as it more fully opened.

          Ohhhh fuck, Dar… your ass is perfect... so hot and tight.  It was made for my dick.

          Pat began moving his hips, starting out slow and then over a few minutes he built up speed until his dick was almost a blur from plowing in and out of Darren’s hot tight ass so fast.

          Darren’s face was red and his eyes were watering, but he never broke eye contact with his lover.  He moved up slightly so he could hold Pat’s face in his hands and use his fingers to brush the hair back off his forehead, or palm and knead his tight pecs.

          Pat kept it up until he saw the involuntary flexing and spasms of Darren’s body.  Once again Darren’s dick was getting harder and harder and the head was flaring and oozing precum.  Darren threw back his head and every muscle in his body was as tight as a steel cord, and white hot cum started shooting all over Pat’s abs and chest.  With Darren’s orgasm, his ass started involuntarily clenching Pat’s thick dick and it pushed him over the edge as he started shooting cum up into his lover.  Darren felt the surge of strength immediately and he used the newfound strength to clench his ass muscles around Pat’s dick, milking it like a hot velvet glove.

          Pat looked up at Darren’s amazing body, now covered in a light sheen of sweat and all pumped up from his efforts.  The veins in his biceps, shoulders, and chest were clearly showing now from his exertions.   Darren was a very physical lover and Pat never got tired of looking at his handsome face and incredible body.  Like Ken, Pat really appreciated how Darren pushed his body to look like it did.  He did it for himself but also for Pat, and he always made sure Darren knew he didn’t take any of it for granted.

          They were so deeply merged that Darren knew Pat was getting off on looking at his body.  It warmed his heart and made the effort all worthwhile.

          Darren started scooping up his cum that was splattered all over Pat’s body and fed it to him.  They both felt the additional mental rush as Pat’s mind opened up even more when Darren’s cum entered his mouth.  Darren pulled them both down deeper and they lost themselves in one another for a few minutes; resting their sweaty bodies together, holding each other gently and caressing one another, their Minds and Hearts doing the same.

          Whenever they did this both of them always had a difficult time coming back to themselves.  The feeling of contentment each of them felt when they were One was so all consuming and perfect they never wanted it to end.

          In the Spiritual Realm they were shining like a small star and Pat had to make a more conscious effort to mask their auras.  If he didn’t it would have been like setting off a beacon for the Enemy in this place.  Darren did a quick scan to see if anyone in the adjacent rooms might have felt anything.  The rooms were empty except for a woman in the room next to them who was taking a nap.  He almost didn’t notice it at first because it was so faint, but the woman was pregnant and the fetus was awake and felt the Love emanating from Pat and him as they made love.

          He smiled to himself and felt Pat’s question in his mind.

          I just scanned the rooms around us to make sure no one felt anything.   The lady in the room next to us is pregnant and her baby felt us.  It’s too young to have any thoughts, but the innocence and emotion from it are breathtakingly pure.  It’s so refreshing to know that we all start out that way at least.

          Pat reached out with his Mind and felt the child’s emotional joy at what she felt emanating from them.  It made him happy to inadvertently bring joy to such a small being, and he smiled.

          They both jumped in the shower and washed each other, enjoying the feel of soaping up each other’s muscled bodies and washing each other’s hair.  They both got hard again, but other than some mild groping they didn’t push it any further.  After the burst of energy he got from their lovemaking Darren no longer felt the need to take a nap.  They were both ravenously hungry and went out to find something to eat.

          The hotel restaurant looked pretty good, but Darren wanted to try some of the local cuisine.  He was a natural explorer and never wanted to eat at food chains.  He only felt mildly guilty about scanning through the concierge’s mind to find a good restaurant.  Sure enough she was instructed to direct customers to a few specific restaurants that had ties to the hotel, but her favorite local fish place was called Fishmonger’s.   He also now knew far more about her than he ever wanted to and it was a painful and uncomfortable experience. He had to remind himself that he and Pat used to be just like her; well not that bad. She was a piece of work!

          She couldn’t interpret the look Darren gave her as he and Pat left the hotel.  It seemed like a strong mix of pity and compassion.   She let the thoughts go, choosing to remember Darren’s handsome face and amazing body; she was sure he was checking her out.

          The food better be worth that!

          Pat gave Darren a tight mental hug and squeezed his shoulder and briefly brought the two of them tighter together to wash out the negative residual emotions.  Darren sighed, then smiled and thought:  I knew you were here for a reason.

          Pat grinned at his lover in response.  Those dimples let him know his actions worked.

          They walked to the restaurant and again Darren was only mildly guilty about bumping their name up on the list to get a table.  After two appetizers each, two entrées each, and a huge shared dessert they were both finally satisfied.

          After lunch, Darren wanted to walk around for a bit to see the city.  It was almost time for their check-in with Brad, so they wandered down to the harbor to watch the boats and find a spot to sit.

          Right on time they both heard Brad’s voice in their heads.

          Hey guys!  You make it there alright?

          Darren:  Yeah the flight was easy… no screaming children or anything!

          Brad laughed and thought: That’s good.  So have you seen or felt anything odd yet?

          Pat: Yeah, we have.  As soon as we touched down, we both felt a slight pressure against our shields.  It’s subtle but everywhere.  We aren’t sure what it is yet if it’s runes they have all over the place or something more powerful.

          Ken:  OK you guys know to stay on your toes.  You’re in uncharted territory and we still don’t know anything about this Ashmore guy.

          Darren:  I’m going to start work on the bunker plans first thing tomorrow.  Today we’re out on the town.  Just ate a fantastic lunch and are out for a walk along the harbor.  I think I’d like to hit one of the bars for a bit before we head back to the room.  All in the name of recon for intel of course.

          Ken knew that Darren sounded like he was joking but gathering intel was exactly what they were doing.  Darren and Pat were two of the best on the team at recon, and he trusted them implicitly to get the job done and stay safe.

          Ken:  Alright fellas.  You know who you are and why you’re there.  You two are badass Navy Seals and part of The Order.  Be careful and stick to the plan and watch each other’s backs – and I don’t mean your asses either.

          Darren and Pat both smiled when Ken said that.

          Pat:  We’re good, Ken.  We’ll check in tomorrow morning and let you know how much the Australian nightlife sucks ass.  Any word from Kevin and Bill yet?

          Brad:  They’re good.  They arrived on schedule and are getting set up.

          Darren:  OK folks.  Good thing we don’t get charged international rates for this.  We’ll talk with you losers tomorrow.

          Ken and Brad:  Good night guys. Love ya.

*  *  *  *  *

          Pat and Darren found one of the premiere gay clubs in Sydney; of all the Team they loved to dance and socialize the most.  With their hyper metabolisms neither one of them got drunk easily, or if they did they sobered up in a matter of minutes, but they still held the drinks to a minimum and kept up the appearances.

          The men in Sydney were everything they had heard about.  The eye candy was over the top.  Nearly everyone seemed to be extremely fit—it was so unlike the United States.  The two of them garnered more than their fair share of attention and were approached numerous times with offers of a good time.

          They both periodically shifted their Sight and looked for telltale signs of the Enemy.  Sure enough there were a few men who were at least lightly shielded and they saw a couple that might have been the muscular Protectors.  Pat kept their Auras tightly dampened the entire evening, but they made a note of the faces they had suspicions about.

*  *  *  *  *

          That night Pat woke up when he heard Darren moan in his sleep.  Normally they cuddled and stayed together the entire night, but Darren was on his back at the edge of the bed.  He was drenched in sweat and his body was trembling.  His tattoo was flaring bright and spitting small arcs of color.

          Pat knew immediately that Darren was having some type of Dream.  This was exactly how Bryan described Lane when he was having one of his.  That hadn’t happened to Darren yet with any intensity, and as much as he hated to do it he had to wait for the event to run its course.

          Darren had just finished making out with Pat in their room and he scanned the area to make sure no one felt their aura.  There was a woman sleeping in the room next door who was pregnant… her fetus felt the Love he and Pat emitted but the mother was oblivious.

          The raw innocence of the unborn child was so refreshing.  Darren looked a little deeper.  Something was wrong with the child.  He delved deeper and looked at its energy centers.  It was filled with various birth defects and already ill-formed.  He knew the child would not survive to term as it was and even if it did would not live very long; a few years at the very most and that very uncomfortably.

          A heavy sadness filled Darren at that thought.  To have such perfect Innocence lost from the world—before it even had a chance at Life—was heartbreaking.

          He couldn’t see as far or as accurately into the Timelines as Lane but he knew the child was special in some way.  He felt he should intervene… he could correct all the genetic damage and restore the child to what she should be.  He could see in her tiny energy centers how everything wanted to be.

          He felt a wave of terror suddenly coming off the child, and he felt an overwhelming need to intervene on her behalf.

          He felt another presence… not the mother.  It was evil and every time the child sensed it pain soon followed.  Within seconds, unbearable pain wracked the tiny body, not even formed yet in its mother’s womb.  Darren felt the pain as if it was his own….

          Darren jolted awake, sitting up in bed as he did.  He was covered in sweat and his chest was heaving.  His eyes were white and his tattoo was bright and tears were streaming down his face.

          The terror of the child filled every fiber of his being and he was shaking like a leaf.   He was still feeling the residual pain from the child as its energy centers and DNA were being shifted around mercilessly.  Every cell in his body was on fire.

          As soon as Darren sat up Pat threw his arms around his lover and pulled him into a tight embrace.  He knew something traumatic had happened and the first thing he wanted Dar to feel was the comfort and safety of his arms and Mind wrapped around him.

          Pat’s mind flooded into Darren’s:  It’s alright, Dar.  I’m here!  You’re safe in my arms, love!

          It took a few minutes for Darren to come back to himself.  The emotional aftershocks were severe and intense.  He clutched Pat with all his strength, and as amped up as he was, Pat actually had a little trouble breathing.  He pulled Darren tighter against him with one arm and kept filling his Mind with soothing thoughts while caressing his tense body with his other hand.

          Darren knew what Lane went through with some of the harsher Dreams he had, but this is the first one Darren experienced himself.  Even reliving the experience while deeply merged with Lane wasn’t quite the same as going through it personally.

          Fuck Pat.  We have to help.  We have to.

          Tell me Dar.  Share it with me so I can help.

          Darren immersed himself into the Heart and Soul of his lover and took comfort in the liquid golden light.  His pain lessened as their Souls merged, and he felt Pat’s presence fill him up, shielding him from the harshness of what had just happened.  Pat caressed his Mind and Soul just as he had done to his body, trying to bring him comfort.

          OK Dar.  Open up and let me see.  I’m with you love, now and always.  You never have to go through this alone.  I talked with Bry about this knowing that eventually you’d have Dreams like Lane.  I know how disturbing and sometimes painful the Dreams can be… I really do Understand it.

          Fuck Pat.  OK.  I’ll show you.  We need to talk to the doc and Albrecht about this right away.  I think you’ll agree once you see.

          Darren let the block down he was holding the experience behind and Pat absorbed it.  He tensed and his breath caught in his big chest when the same fear and pain gripped him.  They both held on to one another for a few more minutes to let the emotional aftershock calm down.

          Shit, Dar how can that be?  She’s an unborn child; hardly developed.  Her brain shouldn’t be advanced enough yet to feel any of that.

          I know!  But it is and she’s terrified! 

          OK, I agree we need to talk to the doc.  I’m not charged up enough mentally right now to be much help in reaching him but we can still do it.  I’ll have to be careful to mask that much of a buildup from both of us.  You can Listen and borrow Power from the animal Spirits and I’ll draw from the Tree.  We’re mini versions of Lane, Loy, and Bryan all rolled into the two of us.  This is what we’ve trained ourselves to do.

          They both forced themselves to relax and their eyes turned white.  The imagery of the Tree and the Spirits wasn’t as strong as when Bryan and Loy did it but they felt the Power building up.  Darren also Listened but he noticed for the first time how quiet it was here.  That was worth mentioning as well.

          For anyone who could see into the Spiritual Realm, the Hotel was suddenly filled with animal spirits.  Pets of people who lived nearby stopped and stood still, lending their support.  Roots and branches of the Tree covered the hallways and intertwined through the rooms.  Maids scattered about the building walked right through the images, oblivious to them, but their moods lightened slightly when they did.

          Pat immediately started masking their Auras as they got brighter and brighter.  They completely merged and filled one another up, and Darren cast his thoughts across the globe to the other side of the planet. 

          Doc!  Albrecht!  Can you hear me?

          Darren my boy!  What is wrong?

          Brad:  Dar?  I can hear you loud and clear.  What’s happening?!

          Darren shared everything about his Dream with them.  As with so many times recently, the doctor’s first reply was, “Oh my!”

          Darren:  What do you think we should do, doc?  I don’t think I can sit by and let whatever is happening continue; the child can’t survive much more of whatever is being done to it.  I know we aren’t supposed to interfere with things like that.  But this is different… that child is Aware and scared shitless and totally defenseless.  She doesn’t have the intellectual capacity to understand any of what is happening to her other than feeling the unbearable pain she’s being subjected to.

          Albrecht:  If the condition of the child is a direct result of some scheme of The Enemy, you know they will be aware if you intervene. 

          Brad:  This can’t be a coincidence, guys.  Either on Their side or ours I have a feeling this situation is a created circumstance.  Ken, do you want to call the mission?

          Ken:  My first reaction is to say yes.  Get the hell out of there and come home.  I’m not taking risks with you guys.  There’s too much at stake here.

          Brad:  I’m sensing a but…

          Ken:  B, what does your Intuition say about this?

          Brad:  That it’s a dangerous fucking situation.  But Dar and Pat are highly trained Navy Seals and Hybrid Nephelem badasses.  I don’t like them being at risk any more than you do but we’re at war and risks sometimes have to be taken.  If we ran from the Master in that basement we wouldn’t have figured out how to stop him.  They’re big boys and can look after themselves.  It’s what we’ve all trained so hard to do.

          Darren’s own intuition kicked in and he realized Ken’s hesitation.

          Darren:  Ken, you can’t protect us all the time, Brother.  I love you, but you aren’t responsible for us this time.  We’re on an isolated mission.  Me and Pat love you like you’re our own flesh and blood but you have to trust us.  Trust that we can do this or get home safe if it goes sour.

          They heard Ken’s heavy mental sigh.  It spoke volumes to them about how much he cared for them and he was terrified for their sakes.  But he was their leader and they were in a war and sometimes hard decisions had to be made.

          Ken:  I do trust you guys, you know that.  And I know that out of all of us you two are the best suited to be there.  I’m trustin’ that in this cosmic chess game we’re in you have a Purpose there.  But be ready to evac at a second’s notice.  I know it’ll be hard Darren, but do whatever you have to do to get the two of you out of there if things go south.

          Darren:  You got it boss.  We’ll stay sharp Ken, never fear. 

          Aaron:  Trust your instincts as to how to proceed with the unborn child. If you do in fact have a Purpose there, listen to your hearts as to how to proceed.

          Darren:  There’s just one more thing guys.  This could wait ‘til our next check in but since we’re all together I’ll pass it on.  When I powered up to reach you, there was hardly any Music of any kind to tap into.  There’s some but it’s weak and faint; more like static.  I’m not sure what could cause that but I thought it was worth mentioning.

          Aaron:  Very curious.  My first hypothesis would be that the Presence of the Enemy is the cause.  They slowly bleed the Will and Life Energy out of an area as they take control.  It could be that they have been there long enough that the quiet you are experiencing in the Spiritual Realm is a longer term side effect of their tenure there.  I will continue to think on it and perhaps come up with an experiment or two to test my theory.  Just be aware that aspect will not be as strong for you to draw on if you need to generate Power quickly.

          Pat:  OK, guys.  We’re on it.  Love you all and big hugs around.  We’ll check in later as planned and keep you apprised.

*  *  *  *  *

          Darren chuckled to himself and shook his head slightly:  So it’s up to us after all, lover boy.   I was hoping for something more than a Yoda-like vagueness in what we should do. 

          Take it as a compliment, Dar.  It means we’re all grown up and get to make our own decisions.  It proves they trust us to do what we think is best, and that what we think is best might actually be best.  Did that make sense?

          Probably not to anybody but me, but yeah.

          Fucker.

          They both laughed inside their minds.

*  *  *  *  *

          Darren was what most of the guys referred to as a workaholic.  While he and Pat waited for the husband to come back to the room next door, he got on his laptop and started the preliminary work on finding a suitable piece of real estate that would work for the bunker. 

          After talking his original idea over with everyone, they decided to make the facility larger and more self-contained than Darren’s original draft.  There would be multiple rooms and equipment; it turned out to be a mini-version of the Lab and even had a workout room.  It was evident that the doctor had given thought to the idea already and he modified Darren’s plans accordingly.

          While Darren worked on that, Pat contacted a few high end construction companies and set up appointments to talk about hiring crews. 

          Not only was Darren a workaholic but he was hypersexual as well.  Once he had the ball rolling and was at a point where he was waiting for people to get back to him, he glanced over at Pat.  Pat saw him out of his peripheral vision and got a smile on his face; he knew what that look meant.  He glanced over and raised an eyebrow and then cupped the growing bulge in his shorts.

          Darren:  We missed making out this morning because of my Dream.  We both need to be charged up while we’re here don’t you think?

          Pat chuckled and thought: Dar… you don’t need to come up with a lame ass excuse to get my dick.

          Darren grinned and thought:  OK then let’s get naked!

          Darren disappeared from the chair at the desk and appeared over Pat on the bed.  His clothes, now devoid of his body, stayed at the chair for a brief second before they collapsed into a pile.

          Darren hovered over his lover, making eye contact.  As always, the emotion they felt between them was comfortable and perfect.  Pat’s arms reached up and pulled Darren down on top of him, and he wrapped his arms around Darren’s strong back bringing his hands up and around Darren’s shoulders from behind.  They started kissing and the glow started right away.  Pat shielded them but not before the baby next door felt it.

          Darren sensed the child’s reaction and he brought it into a very light link with them; enough for it to feel the Love and warmth emanating from them.  After the trauma and fear she had been experiencing he wanted her to feel safe and loved.

*  *  *  *  *

          For the next hour they lay naked and in each other’s arms, Minds, and Hearts.  They talked in their heads and their hands roamed over each other in the comfortable way they had with each other; gentle caresses and soothing, loving touches.

          When Pat heard the ding of an email on Darren’s notebook it got them both up and moving. 

          About mid-morning Pat heard the door to the room next to them unlock.  A few minutes later he heard the woman crying.  The next thing he felt shocked and surprised him; he felt a cold black aura of Power coming through the wall!

          Darren felt it too and threw a shield around both of them immediately.  Pat was still masking their Auras so he was sure whoever it was in the room next to them hadn’t felt their presence.

          They felt another wave of fear coming from the child.  This time it wasn’t only fear; horrifying pain was making its little body squirm.  The child was screaming in its Mind at whatever was being done to it.  It was pure emotion as the child didn’t have the intellectual capacity yet to form thoughts; all it felt was agony as havoc was being wreaked on its genetic code.  In their Minds that made what was happening to her even worse.  The idea of an Innocent unborn child, defenseless and being subjected to torture enraged the two of them.

          Darren reacted instinctively.  His eyes turned white and he delved into Pat completely and pulled the strength he needed from their collective Souls.  He breathed in the Light that they emitted when they were together and let it fill him up.  Then he brought the full force of his formidable Mind down to bear on the man who was harming the child.

          The man had shields up, but Darren’s attack was both powerful and swift; he and the others had grown into their Nephelem heritage and were far more powerful since their original Awakening.  He shattered the barriers effortlessly and took control of the man’s mind and locked him down; painfully.   He looked deeply into the Mind and Soul of the servant of the Enemy and he was chilled at what he saw. 

The man was intentionally altering the energy flows of the fetus, trying to re-arrange its genetic code to suit a pattern that he was holding in his mind.  He wasn’t nearly as skilled or as powerful as Darren or any of his Team mates, so his attempts were somewhat chaotic and random; it was torture to the child, but he didn’t care.  He relished in the pain he inflicted on the fetus and it made Darren and Pat sick to their stomachs.

The man didn’t know what the genetic code would do to the child, he merely knew that he needed to recreate the image had been imprinted into his Mind by Ashmore. 

Darren saw that the man had been a lifelong servant of the Enemy and was Evil down to his core.  There was no way they could let him loose to tell Ashmore that they were here in his territory.

Since they were merged Pat saw everything Darren did.  He saw and Understood the trap in the man’s mind just before it went off. 

Dar!

Darren barely had time to stop the death trigger that was inside the Agent’s Mind.  It would have killed him instantly – Darren barely had the strength to stop the trigger; whoever placed it was incredibly strong.

Fuck Pat!  I’m sorry but I need…

Do it!

Darren pulled heavily from Pat’s own strength to supplement his own.  With no Music to Listen to immediately, it would take more time to find Spirits or for Pat to draw from the Tree than he had. 

Darren shattered the trigger with a spear of mental energy.  It must have been painful because the man passed out with a groan loud enough for them to hear through the wall.

They both rushed into the hallway and to the door.  The man and the woman were unconscious so Darren couldn’t piggy back off either one of them to get a visual to teleport into the room.

Pat looked at the lock and saw how it worked.  Understanding the electronic intricacies of the mechanism, Pat fed Darren the information through their link.  Darren’s eyes turned white briefly and the light on the lock turned green and it opened.

The man was on the floor where he had passed out.  The mother was on the bed unconscious.  Her face was wet with tears of pain.  There was an elaborate medical setup around her bed; I.V. and a feeding tube as well as an oxygen tent.  Darren read her energy centers and realized she must have been kept unconscious most of the time; she had acute muscle atrophy but her vital signs were relatively normal and stable.  She was merely being used as an incubator for the child.

Darren put a strong impulse into the man’s brain to stay asleep until either Darren or Pat woke him up.

Fuck me, Pat!  This isn’t how I wanted any of this to go down.  What the hell are we doing to do with this guy?

Sorry Dar, but it looks like we only have a few options and none of them are pretty.  We can’t just kill him.  I say we reset him and send a message.  It might not be the wisest thing to do but I’m tired of tip toeing around these pussies.  That and it saves his life and gets rid of another Enemy Agent.

I can’t say I disagree.  I just hope we can weather the storm we’re about to start.  I feel like we need to be here and get this bunker going along with the other locations.  There’s a Pattern in what we’re starting with the bunkers, I’m sure of it now.  I’m hoping you’ll see it once we get things moving.

Darren scanned the mother more deeply.  She had little memory of the last two months… the Enemy was just using her body as a vessel for the child.  He had a feeling she would not survive the birth or if she did not long after.  More than likely the Enemy would have just killed her as soon as the baby was born.  He could see from the scar tissues and her energy flows that she had given birth multiple times before; her body was nearly worn out.

Let’s take care of the mother and the baby first and then we’ll deal with douche bag here.  Time to Power up.

Pat moved over behind Darren and wrapped his big arms around his lover.  He pulled their bodies close together so they could feel the strength and warmth of one another.  Pat buried his face into the crook of Darren’s shoulder and Darren leaned his head back pressing the side of his face against Pat’s.  Darren’s hands gripped Pat’s powerful forearms, squeezing them tight in his affection.

In the middle of all that was happening Darren once again felt the overwhelming connection they shared.  Their breath caught and their eyes were wet with the painful but exquisite intimacy they shared.  Fuck, I love you Pat.

Their Avatars flared to life as one, spitting arcs of color as the Runes combined.  Animal Spirits appeared, swimming in the air around them and through the branches of the ghostly tree that now filled the room they were in.  They felt the Spiritual and Life energy fill them up.  After their trip to the Valley of the Tree their capacity was vastly increased and they shone brighter than ever in the Spiritual Realm, holding more power than ever inside them.

Darren focused on the child, opening up her tiny energy centers.  Her life was so fragile at this stage that he was as delicate as he could be; he briefly wished Lane were here for this task; he was the Primary Healer out of all of them.  But Darren had learned well; he took a small breath to steady himself and he opened up the child’s Heart and brought her into their Link, so she could feel the comfort of their presence.

They both sent soothing thoughts her way:  It’s OK, sweet pea.  They aren’t going to hurt you ever again.

Darren carefully and gently altered her delicate energy flows, correcting all the damage the Enemy had wrought on her tiny body; this time she felt a warm tingling sensation rather than excruciating pain.  All the genetic defects and imperfections faded and she became as she was originally intended.  The only thing he didn’t chance was closing her Heart and Mind.  Now that she was Aware, even though it was only on an emotional level right now, he was afraid if he blocked that part of her it might cause problems down the road.  His Intuition was telling him not to shut that part of her down.

You’re going to grow up to be a very special lady.

He felt the contentment and peace coming from her, no longer in pain and once again physically normal.  He felt her tiny Mind reaching out to him for comfort just as her little hands would one day wrap around his finger to feel his presence.  Darren couldn’t help but smile at that and he instinctively pulled her closer just as he would any of his Brothers who were in need of comfort and needed to feel Loved. 

He changed his focus to the mother and after assessing all the damage that had been done to her body, he healed the physical damage that the Enemy Agent had caused while manipulating the child’s genetics.  He restored life to her atrophied muscles, tendons, and ligaments.  Her pale complexion flushed as health flooded back into her.  Darren corrected many small imperfections he saw in her body.  He wanted her to be as healthy as possible to take care of the child.

Pat looked at the mother and the child and his Avatar flared again; he saw a web of lines and arcs connecting the two of them and he Understood what was happening.  There was a gaping hole he saw that needed to be plugged.

Dar you need to open up the mother’s Mind and Heart as well if she’s going to be able to raise the child. 

Darren looked through his lover’s Avatar and Understood what Pat was getting at.  The mother needed to be Aware to be able to comfort and care for the Child.  If she wasn’t, it would turn into a disaster for both of them.  They would have to send her to the doctor so he could teach her about the new part of herself.  Her life, whether she wanted it or not, had just become vastly different than she could ever have imagined. 

He removed the block in her Mind that kept it closed; it was difficult without help from Brad and the others but he pushed through.  Once he finished with the mother he set an impulse on her to continue sleeping until he woke her up. He looked deeply inside her; he held her hand so his Avatar would Read her as well as his Mind. 

She was not a nice person; she came from a broken home and was a runaway.  The Enemy found her and played on all her fears and weaknesses until she ended up as she was now.  His stomach clenched in concern for the child; he didn’t have any confidence that this woman could rise to the challenge of raising an Aware child.

He felt Pat’s presence envelope him.  Dar, we can’t fix everything today.  The doc can help her; if anyone can he can.  There are a lot of options for her and no decision needs to be made today.  We’ll make sure the baby is safe one way or another, love.  I promise you that.

Pat knew what Darren needed to hear.  Darren took a deep breath and nodded, comforted and settled by Pat’s words.

OK, Pat you’re up now.  Reset the bastard and let’s take another Agent out of the playing field.

Pat’s handsome brow furrowed slightly as he concentrated and pulled Darren even tighter against his body; he squeezed his eyes shut as he breathed in Darren’s essence.  Their Love was the main fuel for the part of his Avatar that came from Rick.  The Light they were emitting so strongly in the Spiritual Realm took on a liquid quality and it started pouring into the man, filling up his body and his Dark Soul; it literally started leaking out of his eyes and mouth once he was full.  Even unconscious he writhed in pain as the Evil was literally burned out of him.  Every crack and crevice in his dry arid Soul was filled and in a silent explosion of Light the Darkness was not just incinerated but annihilated as though it had never been.  It was a physically excruciating process and once it was finished he lay breathing heavily and was drenched in sweat.

Darren sent his thoughts across the globe once more and called out:  Doc?  Albrecht?

It took a moment but he got a sleepy sounding reply.  Yes, Darren?  What is it, my boy?

I’m sorry to wake you, doc, but we have another guest we need to send you.  The woman and her unborn child.

Darren filled the doctor and Albrecht in on what had transpired with the woman and the Enemy Agent.  The doctor felt Darren’s high level of concern about the woman.

We’re keeping the agent here with us, at least for now.  I’m sorry for the short notice, doc, but everything happened rather quickly on our end. 

We are definitely going to need to expand our facilities if this continues.

I’m sorry, doc, but I didn’t know what else to do.

You absolutely did the right thing, Darren.  I am not complaining, it is early and I am grumpy.  I will assess the woman and I promise to consult you before I make any decisions concerning her welfare or the welfare of the child.

Darren felt relieved and surprised that the doctor would include him on such decisions.

Thanks doc.  Incoming!

The woman vanished off the bed as Darren sent her body literally halfway around the world to his safe spot in the lab.

*  *  *  *  *

They both rested for the remainder of the day and made love again to comfort, refresh, and restore themselves.  While they lay naked together, arms and legs wrapped around each other’s body, they talked about their plan for that night.  If they were going to make a statement they were going to make it boldly and in public.  They decided they would go back to Arq, the gay bar in downtown Sydney they visited the previous night.

They took Danny, the Enemy Agent, with them.  He was very docile and did whatever they told him to… he had no clue who he was and had no memory of his prior life; he was a new being and completely innocent.  They put him at a table with a drink and told him to stay put while they danced.

Darren and Pat were great dancers and loved to go out to the bars in Atlanta.  Of all the Team they were the most social except for Bill and Kevin, and loved to hit the bars and dance until the early hours of the morning.

The club was loud and busy and full of some of the hottest men in Sydney.    As the evening wore on the dance floor filled up and Darren and Pat put on a show for everyone.  The two incredibly handsome Americans, with their amazing bodies, drew tons of local attention, which is precisely what they wanted.  Pat stopped masking their Auras as soon as they got to the club, knowing they would shine like a beacon in this place and get Ashmore’s attention.

They kept the waitress busy ordering nonstop appetizers and drinks to keep them going.  While the DJ was taking a break they went back to their table with Danny to cool down.  It was hot with all the bodies on the dance floor and they were both sweating.  While they were finishing their drinks they both felt the chill at the edge of their Minds at the same time.  Looking at the entrance they saw a small entourage entering the club.

Once they laid eyes on him they felt how powerful his Aura was.  He was incredibly strong.  He was a big man, muscular, and he looked to be in his mid-thirties.  He was devilishly handsome and was sporting a goatee and mustache.  He was dressed casually in nice ass-hugging jeans and collared shirt that was half unbuttoned, revealing his defined and muscular hairy chest. They knew he had the body of one of the Protectors and the speed and strength to go with it.  Also quite visible was an Amulet around his neck; as soon as Pat saw it he realized that was the source of the incredible strength they felt.  Ashmore was powerful in his own right; his mind was as open as any one of the “suits” back home, but that Amulet was a battery for stored energies.  Pat realized at once where all the Music here was… that Amulet somehow siphoned it off and stored it for him to use.

Taking no chances, Darren and Pat merged completely while Darren shielded them with all their combined strength; he felt Ashmore’s Darkness pushing against him.

Ashmore’s posse fanned out around him as he approached their table.

Pat gave him one of those head to toe glances that he knew was a little insulting; the kind guys at the gym give you when they sum you up quickly and dismiss you as if saying to themselves “I can take him.”

In a perfect Australian accent he irreverently said, “Hey Trent, how ya goin’, mate?”

Trenton Ashmore smiled, showing his perfect white teeth, “I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage.”

Darren replied, “I’m surprised your boss hasn’t filled you in on us.”

Ashmore grinned and said, “You flatter yourselves.  He doesn’t think you worth the effort or I’m sure he would have.”

He glanced over at Danny and his eyes flashed briefly.  His brow furrowed and he said, “I wish you hadn’t done that.  Good help is so hard to find.”

Pat grinned back saying, “Sorry about that.  The woman and her child are out of your reach now too.”

Ashmore laughed, “Pity! But I have a few dozen more just like her so I’m sure I won’t miss her that much.  However I won’t allow you to take any more like her away from me.  I’m in a generous mood tonight.  I will give you until tomorrow night to book a flight and leave here never to return.  If you defy me and stay I will destroy you both and send your bodies back to your precious doctor in the States in body bags.”

Darren laughed, “Damn, Trent.  Bit melodramatic don’t ya think?  What?  Are we gonna have a gunfight at high noon in front of the sheriff’s office?”

“Nothing so quaint.  No we will simply hunt you down and kill you if you stay.  You’re in my territory and are no match for me.  We’ve held this place for hundreds of years and there are more of us here than you can imagine.”

He sure is full of himself, Pat.  I guess we shouldn’t have expected anything less.

Yeah, he’s a pompous ass alright.

Ashmore continued, “So stay and enjoy your last night here; the drinks are on me.  I will track you to make sure you leave as planned.  If you choose to disobey me the consequences will be dire.”

With that Ashmore turned and left, his posse filing out behind him.  They noticed that one or two of the Protectors stayed, trying to blend into the crowd.  If Pat and Darren weren’t so experienced at surveillance they might have missed them.

Neither Darren nor Pat believed a word Ashmore said.  They knew he would try to take them out; probably soon and maybe even that night.

They kept their guard up but continued to dance until the bar was about to close; they were completely ready for an attack at any time.  The dance floor was packed and they took full advantage of the cover of bodies.  During the last song, Darren waited until the strobe lights started and he shifted their appearance to a couple of young Aussie studs he had seen earlier in the evening. 

As soon as they seemingly disappeared the Protectors that were trying to watch them started running around, pushing people out of the way and causing a ruckus.  Darren and Pat took their time and made their way out of the bar onto the street… they both thought it a bit humorous to watch the agents in a panic trying to find them.  They did notice that one of the Protectors grabbed Danny as he was docilely sitting at their table and knocked him out; he picked Danny up as though he was helping a drunk friend and disappeared out the back.

Pat thought:  Fuck, one of them just got Danny and took him out back; I’d love to see the look on Ashmore’s face when he realizes he can’t undo what we did.  It’d be nice to go ahead and get the confrontation out of the way.  We both know it’s coming.

Darren: I know what you mean, but we need to stay under cover.  The bunker is our main concern and we need to stay here long enough to get that project finished.  We’ll just be extra careful to stay low and keep off their radar.  Let Ashmore think we put our tails between our legs and ran home to the States.

Pat: As much as it rubs me the wrong way, I agree.  Hey, speaking of rubbin’… let’s get back to the room.  I feel like rubbin’ my hands all over that gorgeous body of yours.

Darren: Hot damn… I never thought you were gonna get there.  I know how horny you get on Spec Ops.  I thought you were slowin’ down on me.

Pat: That’s gonna cost you, mister.

Darren smiled, showing his dimples and replied:  I’m counting on it!

*  *  *  *  *

Luke watched as Darren and Pat changed their appearance and left the bar.  Ashmore’s underlings were in a panic… no doubt terrified of their boss’s reaction when he discovered they lost their targets.

He smiled to himself as the thoughts he had were formulated into a plan.  Yes, he’d like to push a few buttons and see how these two young members of The Order would react in an extreme situation.  Just how far would they go to save lives, and how many lives of the Enemy would they be willing to take given the right circumstances?

It had been a while since he had spent so much time on Earth in the Physical Realm.  He always found incredible joy at how easily the creatures of this world were manipulated for his own pleasure.

He was sure these new members of The Order would be no different, even with their Nephelem bloodlines.

*  *  *  *  *

As soon as they got back to their room and the door was shut and locked behind them, Darren dropped their illusion.  Pat flicked on the light switch and saw a package waiting on the bed.

He nearly knocked the wind out of Darren as he swept his partner behind him and shouted in his mind:  Dar!  Get behind me!

The second he saw the package, his Avatar flared to life and bright images filled his vision.  The object inside the wrapping was immensely powerful and waiting for some kind of key to open it.  He could see a connection between Darren and whatever was wrapped up.  The scariest part was that his Avatar wasn’t telling him what the connection was.  He could see the connection but not its Purpose.

Darren took a tentative look over Pat’s shoulder.  When nothing happened for a few seconds he thought: It might be OK, Pat… neither one of us is picking up on any danger. 

Sorry love, but where you’re concerned I’m not takin’ any chances.

Hold on… let me unwrap it.

Darren lifted the wrapping off the bed with his Mind, and the small cords binding it together pulled apart.  The wrappings looked like silk but they were old and no longer white… age had dimmed them to a murky tan.   Since it looked so old he was being extremely careful not to use too heavy of a “touch.”

Inside the wrapping was a large, leather-bound book.  There were faded symbols on the cover, and they were shocked to see that the symbols looked amazingly similar to the runes on their tattoos.  

Darren noticed there were silk ribbons marking some of the pages in the book.  He tried to open the book to one of those pages but he couldn’t; something was holding it shut and it was too strong for him break without risking damage to the ancient volume.

Darren and Pat both shifted their Sight and were nearly blinded by the brightness shining from the book in the Spiritual Realm.  Neither one of them were getting any intuitive feeling of danger.  In fact their intuition was telling them nothing.

Well, here goes nothing. 

The book was extremely old and worn and the symbols on the cover were barely visible, but with Pat’s exceptional eyesight and his Avatar showing him the connection to Darren, he suddenly realized that the symbols were the combination of the tattoos of everyone on the Team.  The new combined Runes of both the Physical and the Mental partners; those Runes only appeared when all ten members of the Team were deeply joined and synchronizing their Avatars.

Darren felt Pat’s realization and it made him feel all the more confident that it was OK for him to touch it.  He let the book float gently down into his outstretched hand.  As soon as it came in contact with his skin both the seal and his tattoo flared brightly for a brief moment, spitting bright colors of energy.

There was a slight pop and they both knew that the book could now be opened.  Darren had an odd sensation… the part of his Avatar that came from Bill normally told him everything about an object once he touched it.  He knew it was meant for him but other than that everything else about the book was a blank.  It was as if someone had cleansed it of any Psychic imprint prior to that point in time.  Whoever left it obviously wanted to stay anonymous.

Fuck Pat, I don’t know what to make of this.

Me neither.  It worries me that my Avatar isn’t telling me what this is.  It’s got to be damn powerful if that’s the case.  Even Ken’s Avatar worked against Michael.

Hey Pat, I remember that sound.  That day in the Lab, at our Awakening, the doc had a small crystal he used to unlock the box that held the harnesses we had to wear.

It must be a similar type of warding.

Alright Pat… moment of truth here.  Let’s see what this is all about. 

The cover of the book lifted and they saw writing in a language neither one of them had ever seen before.  Darren flipped it open to the first silk ribbon marking a page.  There was a large elaborate Rune with more of the script both below the Rune and around the borders.  It almost looked like notes or instructions.

Pat’s eyes flared white as he looked at the Rune.  Understanding flooded into his mind.  The Rune was incredibly powerful… so much more than the runes the doctor had taught them or anything he had seen the Enemy use so far.  This Rune would take a significant amount of Power to create and would be close to invulnerable once it was in place.

Darren was reading everything through Pat and they both gasped.  Someone must have left this for them as a gift and a huge boon in their fight against the Enemy!  Who it might be they didn’t know… at least not yet.  But the book was filled with Runes, all just as powerful as the first one they looked at and many other pages of the flowing script that they couldn’t read.

When Pat and Darren were so deeply linked, their Avatars were completely complimentary to one another… it was like their minds and abilities expanded.  It had something to do with the fact that their Avatars were both so oriented into the Physical Realm… Darren’s ability to interact with it and Pat’s ability to Understand almost anything that existed.  When they were together it was like they were an overclocked CPU, and the part of Darren’s Avatar that came from Bill made the two of them that much more potent together.

The thought hit them both at the same time and they looked at one another and grinned.

Darren:  Yeah, buddy!  Fuck, Pat do you know what this’ll mean?  If we incorporate some of these Runes into the construction of the Bunker it will make the place nearly impenetrable from the Enemy!

Pat:  This is so badass!  Who in the world could have left this for us and why did it have to be anonymous?

Darren:  Whoever it was probably broke a Rule.  I can’t imagine anyone wanting us to have this knowledge.  Remember what Raphael said when we were at the Tree, about … that guy we met?  He said that there was a Mandate of some kind against mankind being given certain information and … that guy… was breaking the Rules; they just couldn’t catch him doing it.  The Amulets that Istariel and his cousins were imprisoned in… I bet those Runes are in this book once we look through it.

Pat:  The book was keyed to you, Dar.  I wonder why or even  how?  I think it might be better if we don’t know, although I’m sure the doc will ask and want to look into it.  It could even be from… that guy, but I’m not sure why he would want us to have this kind of Power at our disposal.

Darren:  Do you think we should call Ramiel or Saraqael?  If there’s a chance this could be from you know who they need to know.  I don’t get any bad vibes when I think about that so I really don’t think it has anything to do with ... him.  But as powerful as he is he might have found a way around our Avatars.  Brad and Ken didn’t sense anything from him when they ran into him at the Tree either.

Pat:  Let’s talk to the doc first.  We need everybody in on this one. 

Pat grinned and thought:  You ready to set up a conference call?

They looked into one another’s eyes as Darren brought their Souls together.  Their eye’s turned white and a hot wind started to blow around them.  Linked as they were they both had the same thought and it made them smile; they loved how handsome they looked to one another when the wind blew through their hair and the warmth of their Souls shone through.  They reached out and pulled Power from the Tree and the nearby animal Spirits.  When they were both filled with Power and Pat had their Auras shielded, Darren cast his thoughts across the world:

Brad?  Doc?  We need to talk!

Usually a response came almost immediately but he didn’t feel anything on the other end.

Oh, fuck.  I think communications are down.  Just like with Loy and Rick when they found that Amalgam over near Augusta. 

Yeah, but we’re prepared and they were caught off guard.  We figured something like this might happen.  That Amulet of Ashmore’s is giving him the strength to block us.  If we see him again grab it off him as soon as you see it.  He’ll be a fucking pansy without it.

We still aren’t sure how much he knows about our powers individually.  The Master may not have shared everything with him about us.  I didn’t sense that he was lying when he made those comments.

That’s absolutely idiotic of them if it’s true.  There might be some friction or rivalry going on between them we don’t know about.  I’m sure Ashmore likes his autonomy here and that Amulet makes him pretty darn powerful.

Good thing we have a backup plan.  Our normal check in time is in about an hour so we’ll just have to wait.  We have enough time to change our appearance and switch hotels; we can’t be too safe.  And now that we have this book we need to keep it safe at all costs; it’s gotta be important and it’s far too powerful to fall into Their hands.

In the next hour they checked out of the hotel under their normal appearance.  Neither one of them picked up or sensed anyone following them but Darren changed their appearance in a secluded spot before they left the hotel.  This time they went as a wealthy African couple and checked in at the Sydney Intercontinental Hotel on Macquarie Street.  Their room was beautiful and overlooked the harbor.

*  *  *  *  *

They took extra time to ward the entire suite before unpacking their bags.  Just to be sure, right at the designated time, they both Powered up and Darren called out to Brad but got no response. 

Darren:  Well, it was worth a shot.  I’m not sure how long Ashmore can keep that shield up.  

Pat:  I say let him keep it up as long as he wants… that’s got to be a huge power drain no matter how strong he is.  The more energy he wastes on it the less he’ll have for us if it comes to a showdown.  Personally I can’t wait to get my hands on him and kick his ass.

Darren could read his lover like a book.  Pat’s protective nature towards him was coming out and he was acting studly. 

Darren smirked and asked:  What if I want to kick his ass?

Pat’s response was to pull Darren into a quick hug and kiss him.  I’m not going to let him get near you, Dar.  Him or any of his goons.

Darren:  Fuck, I love it when you get this way.  It really turns me on.

Pat just gave him a knowing grin and kissed him again, cupping his face gently with his hands as he did so.  To Darren, knowing how incredibly strong Pat was physically, the gentle touches sent shivers through his entire body.

Darren had to snap himself out of it before things got out of control.  OK Pat, let’s hold onto these feelings.  We need to take care of business first.  Darren laughed, knowing that Pat would purposefully twist his words.  Pat got the dimples he wanted and put his hands down.

*  *  *  *  *

Pat and Darren lay down on the bed next to one another and held hands.  They both took a deep breath and as they exhaled they fell into one another, merging completely.  The sharp intake of breath and the watery eyes that always accompanied the exquisite intimacy they shared indicated how powerful the feelings they shared for each other were.

A ball of light rose from their chests and bobbed gently in the air before coming together to merge into one larger sphere.  A gentle breeze blew through the entire suite, ruffling the fresh flowers on the table and causing the curtains to billow out slightly.

In another second the ball of light simply vanished as it slipped across the Veil into the Spiritual Realm.

*  *  *  *  *

They had been practicing how to find each other quickly across the Veil.  To Pat, just as it was with Ken, it made no sense that distance didn’t matter in this place.  Darren took to it like a fish in water just as Brad did.  It was a part of his Avatar and he was wired for it.  Pat’s Avatar, being so oriented to the Physical Realm, wasn’t much use across the Veil and it made him nervous.  He saw some connections but it wasn’t what he was used to.

In a very short time they felt the presence of their brothers around them.  Five balls of Light and ten Minds and Hearts floated together in a circle.

Ken:  Hey guys!  We’re glad you’re here and safe.  We were worried.

Pat:  We appreciate the concern, guys.  Things are happening just as we predicted.  We’re making good progress on finding a site for the bunker.   Dar should be making an offer on some real estate in the next few days.  But we had a real surprise tonight; we sure wish the doc and Albrecht could be here.  We need to have a serious discussion and we’ll need their input.

Darren: When we got back to our room tonight there was a package waiting for us on the bed.  Our room was heavily warded so no one should have been able to get in or out without our knowing.  When we unwrapped the package it was an old book… it had a powerful Binding keeping it shut.  It was keyed to my Avatar… as soon as I touched it, it opened right up.  Guys, it’s fucking amazing… it’s filled with incredibly powerful runes… it looks like the language of our Avatars.  We can’t read the text but Pat can get a good Understanding of each Rune’s purpose.  They’re immensely powerful.

Darren and Pat shared what they had seen of the book so far with everyone. 

          The most common reply was:  Holy shit!

          With all of them linked and their thought processes so closely bound together, the same thought occurred to most of the guys that had already occurred to Darren and Pat.  If they could incorporate some of those Runes permanently into the structure of the bunkers they would be nearly impregnable against the Enemy.  It would be just like having the Trees at their Houses.

          Brad:  That’s some serious mojo.  And you have no idea who left it for you?  You would think it had to be someone looking out for us, but who?  And why did they do it anonymously? 

          Darren:  No clue at all, Brad.  The thought occurred to us that it might even be that guy from the Valley.  Neither Pat nor I had any sense of foul play or danger, though.  But then again you and Ken didn’t either when he showed up in the Valley. 

          Lane:  Do you guys think we should call in one of the Arch-Angels?  You heard Michael… if we have even the slightest inclination that it might be related to you know who he said to call out.

          Ken:  I’m not quite ready to do that, Lane.  At least until we’ve had a chance to talk to the doc and Albrecht.  Besides that…. My main man B here has an idea on how to break through that barrier so we can go back to normal communications.  If we can do that then we can include the doc and Albrecht directly.

          Brad:  Yeah guys… I’m not sure if you can get out but I think we can get in as long as you know when we’re going to make the attempt.  We can text you as well as just set up a regular schedule.   Let’s try it in an hour and if it works we can bring the doc and Albrecht in on it.  If it doesn’t we can meet back here quickly.

          Bryan:  OK, you fuckers.  Be safe.  You know we love you.  We’ll talk to you in a bit.

          They all closed in for the equivalent of a group hug.  The white ribbon of Power streaming through all of them, connecting them completely, tightened ever so slightly.  They all felt the support and Love they had for one another and had become so accustomed to.  For some reason they felt the need to express their affections for one another; sensing how delicate things still were.  If the mission went south and Pat or Darren got hurt or killed it would devastate all of them.

          They all felt a flood of Conviction and Strength come from Ken.  Stay strong fellas.  Remember you’re badass… just don’t get cocky.

          They all felt Darren’s lighthearted reply… I’m depending on Pat for the cocky part!

          All the balls of Light disappeared, slipping back into the Physical Realm so they could return to their bodies.

*  *  *  *  *

          An hour later Darren and Pat heard and felt Brad’s presence in their Minds.

          Hey again, fellas.  This seems to be working.  Kev… show Pat what you’re doing so it will make things easier.

          Pat pulled the information Kevin was feeding him on how to focus his Avatar like a laser against Ashmore’s barrier rather than trying to dampen the entire block.  Basically they were making a needle sized hole for them to communicate through and mask their Auras so it wouldn’t be detected.

          Darren and Pat both grinned and thought:  Badass, guys. 

          Darren laughed and thought:  I always knew you fellas would be good for something.

          Kevin:  Yeah, we do our best.  It’s not hard though with you two sissies.

          They kept the banter to a minimum, sensing the doctor was in the link.  They heard his voice:  Darren… Patrick… I am proud of you both.  You are doing an excellent job so far from what Kenneth tells me.  So what is this book that you discovered in your hotel room?

          Darren held the book and his eyes turned white as he felt the doctor using his eyes to look at it.

          His fingers traced the runic language on the cover that none of them could read.  The emotional jolt from the doctor and Albrecht was extremely strong and very jumbled.

          Aaron: Oh my!  This cannot be!  Albrecht!  It’s…

          Albrecht’s voice sounded grim as he finished … The Book of Loagaeth!  Aaron, that’s not possible! 

          Ken interjected:  So you know what it is?  Is it dangerous or helpful?  Any idea who left it for us and why?

          Aaron:  Oh my!  This is very disturbing.  The Book of Loagaeth is written in the First Language.  It is the language of Creation; the language the runic symbols of your Avatars come from.

          Albrecht:  The book has been hidden for thousands of years in a sacred place along with some other very important and powerful artifacts.  If the Book was taken there’s no telling what else might be missing.  The thought of those artifacts in the wrong hands and out in the world again is very disturbing.

          Ken:  Where is this place?  Should we go and find out what’s happened there?

          Aaron:  It might be possible.  It should have been impossible for anyone to get into the Vault.  Other than yourselves I cannot think of anyone who might be able to even get there, let alone get in.  There are extremely powerful wards guarding it.  Which makes me wonder who entered and how they were able to take the Book.

          Lane:  Doc, Albrecht… the last Song I Dreamt.  What was stolen must be returned… could it be the Book?  Or something else from that place?

          Aaron:  It is quite possible, my boy.  If you can focus on trying to discover that it would be most helpful.

          Ken:  Doc… as long as we have the Book can it be of use to us?  If the knowledge in it and the Runes are so powerful… wouldn’t it give us a huge advantage?

          Albrecht:  It would, Ken.  I know you all have perfect memories.  Darren you should memorize the entire Book and then share it with your Brothers.  Aaron and I can help you translate as much as we can… but there is no one on Earth that can fully read or comprehend what is in that Book.

          Brad:  Should we call in one of our Angelic relatives to help?

          Aaron:  I am fearful of doing so, Bradford.  They might help but the knowledge is so powerful I am not sure what their reaction would be.  And we still do not know who put the Book in our possession.  And it seems that the Book is somehow keyed to Darren now.  Until we learn how that was done and how it works I am not sure it is safe to try to return the Book.  It may simply return to Darren no matter what we try to do with it.

          Brad:  Should we destroy it once we have it memorized?

          Albrecht:  I’m not sure that would be possible… or wise.  Yes the Book is dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands, but a powerful artifact such as this cannot be easily destroyed.  As far as we know it’s the only Tome in existence that records the First Language.  Everything I’ve learned has been from notes of Order scholars that had glimpses of the books ages ago.  I’ve never laid eyes on it myself.

          Ken:  So guys, it looks like your mission just got a bit more complicated.  You have to keep the Book safe and out of the Enemy’s hands.  If you have to bail to keep it safe then so be it.  We can always go back later to finish the bunker.  Ashmore can’t know about the Book or get his hands on it.

          Pat:  We’ve got it covered, boss man.  We’re laying low right now.  We met Ashmore face to face earlier tonight.  He showed up at a bar we were at… he took the bait.  He had a bunch of goons with him. 

          They shared the conversation with everyone.

          Darren:  We’re going to lay low and let him think we’ve left while we finish the bunker.  In our downtime we’ll try to track down where his base of operations is.  Doc, if you and Albrecht can translate any of the more powerful Runes we can go ahead and plan to incorporate them into the construction of the bunker.  Pat’s interviewing construction companies that we’ll be able to use.  Best case scenario we should be able to start in a few weeks.

          Ken:  OK guys… keep up the good work.  Be careful and we’ll keep to our regular schedule for staying in touch.  If you have an emergency and need to reach us, give us a 711 text and we’ll group up and get with you ASAP.

          Darren and Pat:  Love you fellas.  Talk soon.

          The next few weeks went by quickly.  Darren and Pat changed their appearance every other day and switched hotels.  They were both excellent at surveillance and were sure they had given Ashmore’s goons the slip.  After a few days, the barrier that blocked their communications went away, so they assumed Ashmore thought they had left the country.

          Darren found a perfect location for their bunker… it was near Uluru in the surrounding rocky countryside.  He acquired it dirt cheap because it was in the middle of nowhere.  He also got a small plot of land on the outskirts of Sydney where the construction workers would think they were going to work, as a cover.

          Darren had his work cut out for him teleporting all the construction materials to the site and the workers back and forth, plus modifying their memories so they wouldn’t remember anything once they were finished.

          Getting the initial room was the most difficult.  Darren needed a visual of some sort to teleport so they experimented with some sonar equipment similar to what archaeologists used to discover the Dead Sea Scrolls.  At first, he was grabbing chunks of the rock and once he got a big enough area to view on the sonar he felt comfortable jumping down into that spot.  That was the starting point; he kept enlarging it as he could, pulling constantly on Pat for strength.  They had to channel massive amounts of Power but after a few days it was big enough to get a generator down and some oxygen tanks to start the work.

          A few more days and it was ready to start bringing in the construction workers to help mine out the area to match the floor plan.  The doctor and Albrecht, with the help of Ken, Bryan, and Rick had managed to decipher some significant Runes that would make the entire facility not only invisible to the Enemy but also nearly impregnable to scrying or Dark Spells.  Anything Evil would literally not be able to get in, and if it somehow did, it would be burned up by the Light almost instantly.

          Pat kept expressing his concern over how hard Darren was pushing himself.  The only thing that kept him going day to day was making love to Pat and getting the extra energy boost.  On the upside, the mental workout he was getting by exercising his powers was making him stronger and stronger.  Pat could see the effects on his body just as if he had been working out more strenuously than normal in the gym. 

          Pat did everything he could to help and took extra care of his partner; constantly giving him back rubs and foot rubs and holding him tight.  They took showers together every day and Pat washed every inch of Darren’s body.  Darren was usually exhausted and extremely grateful, and always happy with the love making that ensued.

          After they had been at it for nearly a month, the facility was really starting to shape up.  Darren had coordinated with the guys back at the Lab and they had been sending much of the equipment and furniture through.  That was something Pat could help with… with his strength moving everything into place was easy.  The original generators were no longer needed once the doctor sent some of his new equipment. 

          Darren was blown away at the device the doctor sent.  He was a wizard at physics and he realized, once he looked at the device through Pat’s Avatar, that the doctor had created a perpetual energy device capable of powering the entire facility.  In all likelihood it would never exhaust itself, but even if it did the original generators were still in the first room he had carved out of the rock.

          Similar devices were purposed for creating fresh air and water and recycling both as needed.  The science behind the devices was beyond brilliant and incorporated both physical and metaphysical principles. 

          They were impressed yet again at the genius of the doctor and how humble he was for such a brilliant man.

          The last and hardest part would be powering up the Runes they had deciphered.  It was going to take the entire Team for those.  Bill and Kevin were in Canada and not readily available for a few more weeks, so they would have to wait.

          Pat and Darren decided to move into the new facility.  It was so much larger than Darren had first envisioned, and far more sophisticated.  He and Pat both looked in awe at what they had accomplished and they felt extremely proud.

          Pat: Fuck Dar, when we get more of these places built around the world it’s going to be badass.  With the new computers we helped the doc build and all the new technology, we can tap into video cameras in any city in Australia that has them and use them for jump spots to get around.

          Darren: I wouldn’t be surprised if the doc asks us to send up a satellite for him.  I wouldn’t put anything past him these days.  I guess when he and Albrecht were still forced to stay apart before we were Awake he had to hold back on anything metaphysical, but now he can cut lose. 

          If we don’t need the construction guys anymore I’ll do a full modification of their memories tomorrow.  The day to day mods have been OK but I’m going to make it seem as though they never met us and were building another facility in the city the entire time. 

          It already feels like a new home.  I’m up for christening it tonight if you are.  Pat had a huge grin on his handsome face when Darren thought that.

          Darren returned the grin and moved into his lover’s arms.  I’m all for that, Pat.  I’m ready for a vacation after this.  I wanted to come to Australia but we really haven’t gotten to do much of anything while we’ve been here.  Once we get the Runes powered up in a few weeks I’m going to ask Ken and the doc for a few weeks to ourselves.

          Fuck yeah, Dar.  I’m sure no one’ll have a problem with that.

          How about this afternoon we kick off early and go to the beach for a bit?  I’d really like to get some sun. 

          Sounds good to me.  Let’s hit Balmoral, I know you wanted to go there.  It’s going to be a hot sunny day and it’ll be perfect.

          I love you, Pat.  It’ll be perfect ‘cause we’ll be together.

          Awwww Dar.  Why are you bein’ so sweet?

          Dar got that cute grin on his face that melted Pat’s heart:  Just tired I guess.  I’ll get over it soon enough.

          Pat grinned back:  Fucker.

          No that’s your job.

*  *  *  *  *

That morning, Trenton Ashmore was having his breakfast out on the balcony of his estate looking over the water.  The house he called home was a small palace in Sydney, with a breathtaking view of the harbor.  He liked to have water views wherever he went.

Ashmore always prided himself on never being surprised.  As powerful as he was, especially with his Amulet, he felt he didn’t have to fear any man.  He barely kept his composure when a man appeared out of thin air in his breakfast room.

As soon as the man appeared, Ashmore’s Protectors pulled their guns with lighting speed.  The man didn’t flinch; and he didn’t look concerned at all. 

“G’day, mate!” 

Ashmore just stared at him, assessing him.  Whoever this man was he must be powerful to show up as he did.  He was either supremely confident or an idiot.

The man raised his eyebrow and asked, “Mind if I join?  I’m a bit famished!”

Ashmore finally said, “You have balls coming in here unannounced.  I’m not sure how you pulled that off.  Go ahead and eat and then I’ll decide if you get to leave or not.”

“Thanks, mate.  You won’t regret it.  I have a bit of news for ya.”

Ashmore waved off his Protectors and they put their guns away, but were vigilant in their stance; ready to jump at a moments notice.

“What could you possibly have to tell me that I don’t already know.”

“Those two fellas from The Order.  They never left.  They’ve been hangin’ out right under your nose this entire time.  Thought you’d like ta know.”

“You’re certain of this?”

“Spot on, mate.  Saw ‘em myself just yesterday.  Rumor has it they’ll be catching some sun up at Balmoral later t’day.”

“And how do you know this?  Why should I believe anything you tell me?”

“I recon you don’t have a reason.  Just being a mate.  Sorry we’ve never met.  Name’s Luke.” 

Ashmore reached out to touch the man’s mind and while his face didn’t reflect the fear he felt running down his spine at what he felt, his Black Soul shivered at the Evil that was sitting across the table from him.

Luke smiled and winked as he took in his eggs.  “Great grub!  Hat’s off to your chef.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I thought you’d want to know.  Your diggers aren’t doin’ a very good job of keepin’ an eye out for ‘em.  Thought I’d help you pick up the slack a bit.”

“Are you from…  Him?”

“Naw, but I’m mates with him too.  Drop by every now and then to keep him straight.”

“I see.  Well I’ll make sure those two won’t make it back home alive.”

Luke raised his glass of orange juice and said, “Good on ya, mate!  Half yer luck!”

Ashmore bowed his head slightly.  He was an incredibly arrogant man but he knew the being in front of him could snuff him out of existence with a thought.  That brought some temporary humility; forced of course but necessity to survive.

“Don’t underestimate them, Trent.  I’d take a lot of blokes with me to make sure they don’t give you the slip.  They’re crafty buggers.  Cheeky too.”

“Consider them already gone.”

“Cheers then, mate.  See ya soon.”  

He stood up as if getting ready to leave and said, “Oh yeah… one small piece of advice.  That pretty little trinket around your neck… make sure it’s not visible when you confront them.”

With that he vanished.  No sound or motion; he was just gone.

Ashmore sat for a few minutes in total silence taking in what just happened.  He had a vague idea who the man was that just so casually visited him.  He had heard rumors that The Master reported to someone else.  No one believed those rumors, but now… the Power and the Darkness that his mind brushed against were like nothing he had ever come across before.  He knew he had to be successful or he would be in trouble.

He finished his breakfast and put down his napkin.  He had a frown on his face, which his followers knew wasn’t a good sign.  When he had that look on his face someone usually died.

“Chip.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Round up everyone from Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne.  Get them here now.”

“Everyone, sir?”

“Something wrong with your ears?”

“No, sir.”

There was no way he was going to botch this.  It might be overkill but he couldn’t take chances; three hundred men ought to be more than enough to squash two blokes from The Order who were on their own.

His eyes turned black and he lowered his head briefly in concentration.  The shield he had taken down went back up.

“Dougie.”

Another Protector stepped over and said, “Yes, Mr. Ashmore?”

“All the cell towers in the area around Sydney need to be out of commission for a few hours once I give the word.  Get things ready.”

The man looked a little hesitant; that was a tall order and would bring a lot of unwanted attention to their operation.

“You have a problem, Dougie?”

“No, sir.  I’ll have things in order for when you give the word.”

“See that you do.”

He was going to corner those two blokes from The Order like rats and cut off their heads.  He would send their heads back across the ocean to The Master as a gift.  He knew they were powerful… he had heard the rumors.  But with three hundred men along with him, augmented by his Amulet, there was no way they could escape.  He expected some casualties but that was an acceptable loss; especially to further his position with the Master and more importantly this man named Luke.

*  *  *  *  *

Balmoral was everything that they expected.  The beach was amazing and the guys were all fit and extremely hot.  As well built and handsome as Pat and Darren were they got a lot of looks and a number of guys stopped to chat them up.

They were approached by one extremely handsome man that looked familiar.  It only took a second to recognize him as the pilot on their flight.  Of course he didn’t recognize them but he was very friendly and invited them to a cookout at his house just down the beach.  They took him up on his offer and had a wonderful time.  Their host had a partner who was also extremely hot but a little younger.  When they left a little later it was with an open invitation to return anytime.

A few hours in the bright sun had them both glistening with sweat; Pat tanned more easily than Darren because of his hyper physiology; his skin healed so quickly that he tanned and never burned.  Darren’s shoulders were getting red so they decided to gather their towels and cooler and head back to their rental car.

Even after a relaxing afternoon they were alert and observant.  They both noticed they were being followed at the same time.  Darren’s intuition kicked in just after that with an uneasy feeling.

Pat, we have trouble. 

I’m feeling it too, Dar.  Let’s get in the car and head out.  We can lose them on the way back.

          They slipped on some shorts over their speedos and put on t-shirts, hopped in the car and acted as though nothing was wrong.  As soon as they pulled out onto the main road they noticed a number of vehicles following them.

          Darren knew that Pat had their Auras shielded so he channeled a small amount of energy and his sunburned shoulders instantly tanned.  If they were going to have to fight he didn’t want to deal with the sting of a sunburn.

          Darren: How in the world did they find us?

          Pat: It doesn’t matter now.  We’ll have to try and ditch them. 

          As skilled a driver as Pat was there were too many vehicles following to lose them.   Darren tried texting the Team in case they needed back up but he noticed he had no cell reception at all; his intuition told him it wasn’t just a coincidence.

          Darren called out with his Mind as loudly as he could for Brad or the doctor but there was only silence.  He felt the barrier was back up so even if he was fully Powered up he wouldn’t have been able to reach them unannounced.

          Fuck!  The barrier’s back up and there’s no cell reception either... They had this planned.

          Well as much as I hate it we can take ‘em on directly.  There aren’t that many of them.  Remember… we can’t hold back or pull any punches, Dar.  I know you don’t like hurting them any more than I do but we need to make it out of this in one piece.  Dar, maybe you should go back to the bunker.  You can reach the doc from there.  If you can reach the guys you can all pull me out. 

          There’s no way I’m leaving you, Pat.  No way in hell.

          Pat sighed but he knew he wouldn’t leave Darren either so it was not worth arguing over unless things got really out of hand.  He wasn’t worried yet.  The Enemy didn’t know how strong they were and he was confident that their training would see them through.

          Pat:  They have the home field advantage of knowing the area.  I’m not going to be able to lose them with so many following.  I’m going to find someplace more secluded and we’ll pull off the road.

          Darren felt pressure against his shield and knew the suits in the area were joining the fight.  They were closely linked so Pat felt it too.

          After a few minutes Pat found a large construction area that was in the process of being cleared and leveled.  There didn’t seem to be any workers around.  The car skidded to a halt and they both hopped out, but didn’t run.

          They took off their sunglasses and took each other’s hand and delved into one another completely.  Immediately their breath caught and their eyes watered as the Love they had for one another filled them up.   They were so fully immersed in one another that they were one being.  In the Spiritual Realm they were shining like a small sun even in broad daylight.  Pat stopped suppressing their Auras so that the Enemy would feel them without question.

          The first Protectors to reach them felt the Light coming off them and they literally held their arms up as if trying to shield themselves from what they felt.  The Light coming off them burned their Black Souls like fire.

          One of them pulled out a gun and fired but Darren reversed the trajectory of the bullet and the man fell dead.  With their Sight shifted and with Pat’s Avatar showing them the connections between all the men, they knew communications went out quickly and that gunfire wasn’t an option.

          Darren called on the animal Spirits and Pat called on the Tree.  They weren’t sure if the Enemy could see the ghostly images that appeared around them, but they felt the Aura of Light and Strength increase.  It pushed against their Black shields.

          Within a very short time dozens of other cars showed up.  Well-dressed men joined the ranks and began to shield the Protectors.  They couldn’t believe how many men were showing up.  Darren and Pat’s intuition was telling them something was very wrong about this… they had been too careful for this to happen.

          One last car pulled up and Ashmore got out.  Darren noticed immediately that the Amulet was hidden underneath his clothes.

          Pat quickly summed up that he and Darren were surrounded by Ashmore and nearly 300 Enemy Agents.  Approximately one third were suits and the rest were Protectors and they were all augmented by the power of the Amulet Ashmore was wearing.

          Darren tried to reach out and teleport Ashmore directly to him but to his surprise it didn’t work.  He grabbed ahold of Ashmore’s shirt with his Mind and ripped it open, revealing his hairy, tanned and well-muscled torso.  Surprise registered on Ashmore’s face but he had the body of a Protector, with their speed and agility.  He twisted his body around so Darren had no line of sight to the Amulet and he grabbed it in his large hand and broke the chain so it was enclosed in his fist and not visible.

          As strong as Darren had gotten, he couldn’t match Ashmore’s physical strength and couldn’t pry his hand open to teleport the Amulet out of his grasp.

          Pat saw what was going on and Understood it.  The Amulet was sapping all the Music from the area and Ashmore was augmenting his servants and his own abilities with the Power it gave him. 

          On their visit to the Tree, all the Team’s capacity had been augmented and stretched.  The Power that Darren and Pat were holding was more than they ever thought they could.  But with Pat’s Avatar he could see how strong the Protectors were from the boost in Power they were receiving from Ashmore.  The suits were stronger as well.  Pat and Darren would be overwhelmed shortly; they both realized it at the same time. 

          This is fucked up, Dar.  This didn’t just happen… there’s another hand at play here but I can’t see whose yet.  I think I know, but there’s no proof and without proof we can’t call for help.

          Ashmore’s face was angry as he moved forward.  His shields clashed with Darren and Pat’s, vile Black against pure White.  Sparks flew in the Spiritual Realm and thunder cracked across the skies of Sydney, reflecting the Battle that was starting.  A hot wind gusted, blowing the hats off some of the well-dressed men.

          Darren and Pat held firm and didn’t let their faces show the strain they were feeling.

          “I thought I told you to leave.  You will now suffer the consequences for disobeying me.”

          Pat replied, “Yeah whatever, douchebag.  We saw the men you left to try to kill us that night.  You aren’t fooling anyone.  You were never going to let us leave.”

          Ashmore smiled, showing his perfect white teeth.  He was devastatingly handsome in his own way; dark tan, dark eyes with short black hair and a close cropped but full beard covering his face.  He cocked his head to the side and he had an “oh well you can’t blame a guy for trying” look on his face.

          They both felt the pressure increase on their shields as Ashmore motioned for all his men to begin their assault.

          Darren felt Pat steel himself for the fight.  He felt Pat’s fear, not of the fight but of Darren getting hurt.  Darren knew Pat would sacrifice himself if necessary to save him and he wasn’t going to let that happen.

          He wasn’t sure where the idea came from but he knew exactly what to do to save them both.  His gut wrenched ice cold at the thought… but this was war.  The Team didn’t start it but it seemed like they were all born to finish it.  What scared him most was not what he was about to do but that he could do it.  He would face any consequences emotional or otherwise after the fact.  He had to keep Pat safe and he could only see one sure fire way of them both getting out of this alive.

          His dilemma lasted the barest fraction of a second.  He didn’t have the strength to teleport both of them and hold the shield.  He couldn’t fight nearly a hundred suits by himself… he couldn’t pull strength from Pat because Pat would need everything to face the Protectors.   He couldn’t see the Amulet to pull it off Ashmore and he was augmenting Their strength with it. 

          Darren’s face became calm; almost stony.

          I’m sorry, Pat.

          Dar… what are you gonna do?!

          What I have to. 

Pat could hear the undercurrent of his unspoken thought and it almost broke his heart. Please don’t hate me, Pat.

          With those words Darren looked at the small army of the Enemy approaching them through his lover’s Avatar.  His eyes turned white and his tattoo flared and as he looked through Pat’s eyes he saw the colorful lines and vector arcs that filled his vision and all the data and information that went with it.  He knew exactly how much pressure to apply and where to do what he had to do… it was so much easier than he expected and that scared him.

          Darren’s Avatar was unique… in all the history of The Order no one had ever had a Blessing of a Nephelem such as his that affected the Physical Realm.  The things he had already helped the doctor accomplish were astounding.  The new technology he had created with the doctor’s guidance put them light years ahead of even the most sophisticated government computers.  He was proud of what he and Pat had done.  Agents of the Enemy had died at his hand before… but he had always reflected their bullets or attacks back at them.  This time he was on the offensive and it was his Mind and Avatar that was the weapon. 

          A sound like small static pops started in a wave at the front of the Enemy, bearing down on them, and just as the Protectors in front started to fall the popping noise made its way to the back.  With each pop, Darren’s Soul flinched in anguish at what he was doing.  All three hundred men fell to the ground dead, with their necks snapped clean.

          Ashmore’s face looked surprised at first and then turned almost purple with rage.   Darren felt that rage against their shields… without the men to augment all that Power flooded back into Ashmore and was starting to bear down directly on him and Pat.

          It was a stalemate in the short term.  Darren and Pat were pushed to their limits to fight off Ashmore’s assault.  White and Black Power clashed as thunder and lightning raged throughout the sky, reflecting the battle.

          The ghostly image of the Tree was getting more solid in the Spiritual Realm as Pat pulled from its Life Energy.  Animal Spirits were flying and swimming around and through the branches of the Tree lending their strength. A huge pack of ghostly wild dingos attacked Ashmore’s shield; attacking it savagely to no effect.

          Darren felt a light brush against his Mind and the pressure against his shields lightened slightly.  A large ball of light, an Ancient and Powerful Spirit came down and hovered in front of him.

          The Spirit in front of them coalesced into the form of a giant sea turtle; floating gently in front of them as if were swimming in the ocean.  Pat could see and Darren could sense it was very Old and been through the Cycle of Life thousands of times.

          He felt the strength from the Spirit bolstering their own and empowering their shield, but he knew the Spirit would deplete itself to help them.  After all the death he caused and witnessed he couldn’t let such a bright light leave the world.

          NO!  I won’t let you sacrifice yourself!

          Her gently soothing voice filled his mind: Shaman, you have returned to free this Land from the bondage of the Dark.  The Talisman their Shaman wields is Powerful and I see even you will not win this fight without aid.  I freely give you my Essence to Power your spells.  Chaos and Entropy have ruled here too long… restore Balance to this Place.

          No! Go get help!  Find our friends and guide them here!  I swear we will hold out long enough for you to reach them!  Fly!

          Her gentle voice resonated in their Minds:  Very well. Hold to the Light! I will be as swift as I can.

          They both felt the pressure increase on their shields as she withdrew her support and her incorporeal form vanished from the Physical Realm.

          *  *  *  *  *

          Loy and Rick lay spooned together like always, with Loy to the inside.  Rick had one arm under Loy’s with his hand pressed against Loy’s furry muscled chest, pushing their bodies together even in sleep.

          Just as Rick was startled by the soft light that suddenly filled the room, Loy jerked awake as a loud voice filled his Mind.

          Shaman!  Make haste!  Your Brethren cannot hold on much longer!

          They both sat up in bed, startled, and were amazed to see the ghostly image of a giant sea turtle floating in their bedroom.  It was so large most of its body was through the walls.   Its fins were gently swaying as though it was swimming in the air.

          Hurry!  They fight the Dark Shaman but his Talisman is too strong!  Even now it might be too late!

          Loy let out a Fuck me!  Brad! Lane! Bill! Pat and Dar are in trouble and they need our help yesterday!

          With all the training they had been putting themselves through, the Mentalists all had triggers set to alert each other even if they were asleep.  Loy’s cry went into their subconscious and they all woke immediately.  It was literally only a second or two before he felt all of them enter his Mind along with their partners.

          Loy’s mental voice was urgent, he could read the Ancient Spirit who was in his room and saw the urgency.  The thought that this might be a trap crossed his mind briefly but she had to be benevolent or the Tree guarding their house would never have let her get close.

          The Ancient Spirit turned and vanished, returning through the Spiritual Realm and racing as fast as possible back to Darren and Pat.

          No time to gather fellas, we need to do this remote.  We’ll have to punch through the barrier; Pat and Dar are fighting Ashmore and won’t be listening for us!

          Lane looked to the Heavens and sent his Soul out into the Milky Way.  He plucked the string of a comet’s tail and the sound reverberated through the cosmos.  He soaked in the Music and transferred the Power to Bryan and his Brothers.  Loy called on the animal Spirits and Bryan called on the Tree. 

          Each of the men embraced their partner in bed with them, clutching each other tight.  Their eyes turned white as the Power filled them.  Brad brought their Minds and Souls all together and carried them across the globe to the far side of the planet.

          They all felt and saw the barrier in the Spiritual Realm.  It was like a giant dome of Darkness.  Brad could sense how powerful it was, but with all eight of them together, and as large as the dome was, he knew he could break through.  If Ashmore had concentrated his strength just over the area where he was fighting Darren and Pat they might not have been able to breach it.

          Brad pulled Power from everyone in the Link and with a white Spear of Energy he shattered the Dome.  Lightning flared across the skies as the loudest crack of thunder in the history of Australia reverberated through the air.

*  *  *  *  *

          Trenton felt his shield shatter.  It struck his mind a blow such as he never felt before.  He knew that help had arrived for these two retched Warriors before him.  It infuriated him that he hadn’t been able to destroy them yet.  He could feel Pat and Darren weakening but they were tough; far tougher than he thought they would be.

          With the barrier gone, the energy he was using to maintain it flooded back into the Amulet.   He was overconfident and the thought of fleeing never occurred to him.  In his anger he wanted to kill them one by one until they were all dead.  He wanted to see the decimation on their faces as they started losing their lives and realized that The Order was through once and for all; he had more than enough Power.

          He knew the man named Luke would be happy with that and he hoped it would raise his status further up in the chain.  If he was the one that decimated The Order, something The Master had not yet been able to accomplish, he might even become his replacement.

*  *  *  *  *

          Luke was watching, completely hidden and shrouded.  He was enjoying the confrontation and was thrilled when Darren single handedly killed all those pawns.  That was the kind of reaction he was looking for.  He was confident that Ashmore was about to die, but even if he didn’t, Luke’s plan moved forward either way.

          *  *  *  *  *

          Darren and Pat were completely on the defensive and Ashmore was quickly wearing them down.  Black smoky tendrils of energy like whips came out of the Amulet in his hand and struck their shields relentlessly.

          Darren felt each blow in his Mind as if it was a physical blow.  Pat was holding him tight and filling him with every ounce of strength he could and doing his best to absorb what he could to spare his lover.  He was dampening as much of Ashmore’s power as he could but Ashmore was so strong with the Amulet he was hardly making a dent.  Even if Kevin were here and they all synchronized their Avatars he wasn’t sure they could turn him off.

          Ashmore’s eyes narrowed and his handsome brow furrowed in concentration.  He began building a final attack to destroy these two men before the others could join the fight.

          Cold wind whipped around his body as he drew on the Amulet for the final blow.  A black bolt of power rained down from the clouds, aimed at Pat and Darren.  It was more than enough to destroy their failing defenses and kill them both.

          A high wailing scream of anguish took him by surprise.  The Ancient Spirit interposed itself and took the full force of his attack.  She knew it was powerful enough to destroy the two Shaman and she couldn’t let that happen.  She was Old and Powerful but she was no match for the attack that Ashmore sent to kill Pat and Darren.  She absorbed the attack and her Essence was shredded; her form writhed in the air in pain as she faded away into nothing, her screams fading with her dying Spirit.

          Just as the Spirit was fading away into nothing, Brad and the others dove into Pat and Darren, filling them up and bolstering their shields.

          All of them felt a horrible grief at her selfless act on their behalf; but her sacrifice saved Pat and Darren’s lives and gave them all the extra fraction of a second they needed to come together.

          No words were needed as all ten men became one and joined the fight together; Pat and Darren were now the vessels for the Power of the entire Team.  Inside their Minds and Bodies their Avatars flared and the co-joined Runes formed into the new united and complex Rune.  The one that was on the cover of the Book.

*  *  *  *  *

          Ashmore looked on in disbelief as he watched and heard what was happening.  His face clouded with anger and frustration and he immediately went on the offensive again.

          Darren’s eyes, bright white again with the Power that was now in him, were leaking tears; they covered his face.  His sorrow for the Spirit that sacrificed itself for them was heartbreaking; it was out of the Cycle of Life forever.  On top of that, he felt self-loathing over killing all the Agents; slaughtering them so easily and taking their lives.  He was sure that out of the many he killed some must have been coerced innocents.

          Amidst all that sorrow and pain he also felt anger; anger at the Enemy for creating this situation and bringing him to the point where he had to make such decisions.

          Pat and the others felt all of Darren’s conflicted emotions through their Link; Pat’s heart was breaking for his lover.  He knew Darren was on the brink of shutting down.  He wasn’t a violent man and hated taking life; even when they were Seals he always had a hard time with the deaths they caused under orders.  It affected him deeply and it always took him time to recover, although he understood the necessity.

          Pat knew that Darren was steeling himself to kill Ashmore too and he couldn’t allow that.  They were so deeply together he could feel all the pain inside his lover as if it were his own; everyone felt it.  Pat would do anything he needed to, to prevent Darren from hurting himself any further.

          Catching Darren off guard, Pat pulled all the Power they were sharing into himself; the pain of holding so much was excruciating.  There was more than enough for him to maintain the shield over both of them for the brief second it would take.  His eyes had never been so bright or Powerful before.  White fire literally licked all over his body.

          The bright ribbon of Power flowing between them held the energies of all ten men; it became a whip in Pat’s hands and he launched a bolt of Power at Ashmore, giving everything they had; Ashmore’s Black shield shattered with the impact.  Simultaneously, Pat launched his body, putting all his strength, training, and Understanding to bear, knowing precisely where to strike and how hard; he was doing exactly what Darren had done earlier.  The Conviction that came from Ken’s Avatar filled him; he was fulfilling the Purpose they were born to fill and fighting the Enemy.  As hard as it might be, it had to be done and he accepted that.  He nearly severed Ashmore’s hand and his head at the same time. 

          Ashmore screamed in pain and his eyes were filled with shock as he felt his shields shatter.  He had never felt an attack so strong and he felt fear for the first time in hundreds of years.   He saw Pat’s huge body flying towards him, but even with the speed and agility of his modified physique he couldn’t avoid the attack.  He felt the bones in his wrist and arm snap, causing his hand to open and drop the Amulet; instantly all the extra Power that was in him was gone; without that his Mind and Body were no match for even one of the Team.  He felt his neck snap as Pat’s forearm nearly decapitated him with the impact of his 430 pound frame.

          The last thing Ashmore felt, and it caused him more pain than the physical attack against him, was what he saw and felt in Pat’s eyes.  Through the White Light he saw pity and sadness for what Pat was forced to do.  Ashmore’s Dark Soul screamed in anger and hatred at what he saw in those eyes.  It was the last thing he felt as his Dark Soul left his body.

          Pat nimbly rolled to his feet in a defensive posture, ready and alert for anything else that might be coming their way.

          Everything was suddenly silent except for their harsh breathing.  The image of the Tree slowly faded and the spirits dissipated; a few animals came and nuzzled Darren before fading away, as if trying to comfort him.  Their chests were heaving and they were both covered in sweat.  There were just over three hundred dead bodies lying on the ground around them.

          Their eyes went back to their normal color and Darren’s were completely bloodshot from the tears running down his face.  Pat rushed over and knelt down, pulling Darren close against him and holding him tight.  He could feel Darren’s body start to shake as he began to cry.

          Pat:  Shhhh. I love you, Dar.  It’s OK man, I’m here.

          Brad: We’re all with you guys.  Lean on us; we’re here to carry the burden together.  It’s the only way we’re going to make it through times like this.

          Ken:  You guys were badass.  All your training is what kept you alive.  I know you’re hurting right now, Dar, but you two need to get out of there before anyone else shows up. 

          Brad:  I’m going to keep our connection going so you can feel us but I’m going to leave it light to give you some privacy.  You did what had to be done.  You did good even though it was hard.

          Pat and Darren both sent their heartfelt thanks to their Brothers in arms.  They both felt the support and comfort of their presence in the back of their minds and they could be back fully merged with a thought if need be.

          Pat continued running his hands over Darren’s body trying to bring him any comfort he could.  He kissed the top of Darren’s head and stroked his cheek and rubbed his back and shoulders; just holding him close and letting him feel loved.  He Understood what Darren needed right now.

          Darren:  Fuck, it hurts.  I just… killed them.  It was so easy.  What am I?  Please don’t hate me.

          Pat:  I could never hate you, love.  You’re the same handsome, incredible, brave man I fell in love with, Dar.  I’m so sorry things went down the way they did.  You saved us both.

          Darren:  I’m a monster. 

          Pat:  No you’re not.  You’re the man I fell in love with.  The man I can’t imagine being without for the rest of my life.  You’re everything to me, Dar.  You care so much; it’s one of the things that I’ve always loved about you.  I know it hurts love but you are NOT a monster.  Except in bed.

          Darren cracked a small smile at Pat’s comment and thought:  Thanks for finishing it with Ashmore. 

          Pat:  I wasn’t going to let you hurt yourself any more if I could help it.  We both did what we had to do.  You were amazing.  It’s part of what we do now.  I know it’ll take some time to get over today but don’t let it eat you up.  Even if there were a few innocent guys in that crowd, think of how much good we did today by taking Ashmore out and clearing out so many of his followers.  They pushed it and escalated it… and we finished it.  We took a stand and made them know who they’re dealing with.

          Darren was holding onto Pat so tightly his knuckles were white.  He was having trouble getting his breathing under control as sobs wracked his body.  Pat continued to cradle him and stroke his face and hair, trying to calm him down and bring him some comfort.   

Darren:  I’m scared, Pat.

Pat: I know.  But you don’t need to be.  I’m with you.

Darren:  It scares the shit out of me, you know; what I can do now.

Pat:  I’ll never let you go, Dar.  Ever.  You’re the same man I’ve always loved.  Just like the soldier you are, you did what needed to be done regardless of the consequences to yourself.  I hate that part of it, but we knew there was going to be a burden in all this.  It just hasn’t been the burden we thought.  But you did good today; believe me.  You know I Understand this shit.

Darren held Pat tighter and buried his face into Pat’s chest and shoulder.  He inhaled the scent of his lover and felt his big strong body protecting him and loving him.  They were still deeply merged and he completely immersed himself in the Love between them.  They held onto one another and went so Deep that time stood still.

They stayed in their Souls together and rested in their bond.  They were in that dark space and were naked together, holding onto one another there just as they were in the world.

They were both shocked when they heard a voice, “You did well, Darren.  Both of you did.”

It was Ramiel, Darren’s angelic grandfather.  His presence was physically stunning like all the Arch-Angels.  Powerful body, with a very thick build; not a body builder but thick and solid from hard work.  He had brown hair and green eyes.  He was dressed in shorts and a tank top with tennis shoes; he looked like he was ready for a stroll in the sun.

He smiled and nodded a greeting as he continued, “Hello again.  I know what you did was difficult, Darren.  I realize how much hurt you feel inside from your actions. I watched and was with you even though you were unaware.  It saddens me greatly to see you so distraught.”

Pat looked up relieved and said, “Thanks for coming.  I’m not sure how you can be here but I’m glad you came.”

Ramiel grinned and replied, “This is the place where your Souls are One.  Any one of Us can find a kindred Soul.  You are like a beacon of Light for me to see, Darren.

“Even though we only recently met, I’ve been watching you for some time.  If you weren’t here so deeply inside one another I would not be able to talk to you.  Ever since your visit to the Tree, my Brothers and I have all been extra vigilant to keep outside involvement in this war at bay.  We cannot permit it to escalate to a scale that will destroy your world.  I have no proof, but I sensed another hand at play in the events you just experienced, so I stayed close by.”

Pat snarled, “That fucker… we knew something wasn’t right.  He set us up.”

Ramiel, “Indeed.  He is that...  and I suspect he did.  You have done well not to mention his name.”

Darren sniffed and wiping his eyes said, “Thanks for coming to see me.  I know it’s difficult and I want you to know it means a lot.”

Ramiel smiled and said, “You might find this concept difficult, Darren, because you are still naturally bound inside of Time.  Time for you is linear.  Eventually when your bodies perish your Souls will no longer be bound within Time.  To me we have already known each other for an eternity.  You have come to mean a great deal to me over the years you have not yet lived.”

Pat smirked and said, “That’s a mind fuck.”

Ramiel laughed slightly and replied, “Indeed it is.  It is but another Paradox between the Spiritual and the Physical Realms.  You will learn more over time and eventually you will come to completely understand it.”

Pat looked at Ramiel closely and could see a deep sadness in his eyes.  With the two of them so tightly merged, their thoughts were nearly one.  Darren picked up on Pat’s awareness and got a concerned look on his face and asked, “Grandfather, are you alright?”

Ramiel’s smile was sad and he said, “I lost a great friend today.  The Spirit that sacrificed itself for you was a dear friend of mine.  I have known her for thousands of years.  She was a gentle and kind Spirit and very wise for her kind.”

Darren said, “We are sorry.  Her help turned the tide.  We were shocked when she showed up.  I was also surprised that she spoke with us.  I never knew animal spirits could speak.”

Ramiel lowered his head slightly, “That was my doing.  Many ages ago I Gifted her the ability to speak so she could communicate as a Spirit Guide to the Shaman of this land.  One of my Provinces is Bringer of Visions.”

They both looked surprised.  Pat started to ask, “So you’ve been responsible for …”

“Yes, Patrick.  Some, but not all, of Lane’s Dreams have come from me.”

Pat shook his head and asked, “What about the Dream Dar had regarding the woman with the unborn child?”

Ramiel said, “That was not of my doing.  Lane’s Avatar along with Darren’s and those of his other three brothers have the ability to ascertain information through the Ether and bestow Dreams as well.  Those are Dreams and not Visions.  A subtle difference but different all the same.”

Pat had a small epiphany about how interconnected their lives were with their Angelic ancestors.  Pat’s Avatar flared briefly and he Understood something that just came into his mind.

Pat’s eyes were wide with wonder as he said, “You’re the one that guided the doctor when he spliced our DNA with yours and the other Arch-Angels.”

Ramiel nodded, “Yes, that was I.  The doctor’s memory is very good and he is a gifted man; his theories were correct on creating hybrid Nephelem; however, we did not allow random chance as to whose DNA you each ended up with.  That choice was made eons ago, precisely for what is happening today.  The doctor is unaware of our interference.”

That comment stunned both men.

Darren commented, “I’m glad you shared that with us but I’m surprised it didn’t break some kind of Rule.”

Ramiel replied, “That information has no bearing on your Fate and in no way unbalances the Conflict.  There is much that I cannot tell you, but that I was able to impart upon you.”

Pat felt Darren’s thought about the Book, but before he could phrase the question Pat gave him an almost imperceptible nod indicating not to ask.  He felt it was best not to mention it quite yet.

Ramiel continued, “Even though Time is nearly standing still here, I have spent all the time I can with you for now.  Remember: either I or one of my Brothers will be watching over you nearly all the time.

“And remember both of you: you did well today.  I know it hurt to kill so many, but it speaks highly of your character and humility to feel the way you do.  I will risk one minor transgression and tell you that none of those men were held against their will or forced into servitude.”

Darren and Pat both felt a small sense of relief at that information.

As Ramiel prepared to leave, Darren smiled but looked hesitant.  He saw the look on Darren’s face and held his arms out.  Darren and Pat both got a firm hug of farewell and with the sound of fluttering wings he vanished.

Pat smiled and pulled Darren back into a tight embrace, “You know it still knocks me on my ass that we have Arch-Angels as relatives.  I’m glad you got to see him again.  I want to see Saraqael again too.”

Darren replied, “Yeah, I’m sorry he didn’t show up.”

Pat smiled and said, “I’ll admit it would have been great but I have everything I need right here in my arms.”

 Pat took Darren’s face in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away the remaining tears.  He didn’t say anything; he looked into Darren’s eyes; the eyes he could sink into forever; emerald green ringed with his own dark brown.  He loved Darren’s eyes and how they twinkled when he was happy.  That look in his eye coupled with his dimples melted Pat’s heart.

I do love you Dar, more than anything.  You know it.  And I know you know it, but I can’t stop saying it.  What we did today had to be done.  I know how much you’re hurting inside because I’m in you right now, Mind, Heart, and Soul.  Let my love wash that hurt away.  The memory will be there but for now let me love you and focus on that.

Darren’s eyes teared up again, but this time from the depth of emotion that he felt for Pat and how lucky he was to share half his Soul with such a beautiful man.

Thanks, Pat.  For everything; for loving me and knowing what I need and when I need it.  You’re the most perfect man in the world to me.  I really don’t know what I’d do without you, love.

Pat got a smirk on his handsome face and thought:  Yeah, me neither.

That got the dimples he was looking for and he pulled Darren’s face against his bare chest, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and cradling him and holding him like he needed.  The feeling of Pat’s chest hair, warm and soft, against his cheek was soothing.  He loved to drift off to sleep with his head on Pat’s chest and he lay there for a while just feeling the skin of their bodies together and taking comfort in the closeness.

After a few minutes they both started getting turned on by the closeness and the caresses.  Pat shifted them around and he held himself over Darren and made love to him for what seemed like hours.  It ranged from slow and gentle to a serious jackhammering.  Even though this was in a Spiritual place and the bodies they were in were just manifestations of their Minds, they made love until they were both sweaty masses of satisfied muscle.

After they had both had numerous orgasms each, and they were finally sated, Pat was still laying down on top of Darren.  Darren had his arms and legs wrapped around his lover, wanting to hold him tight and feel the weight of his body on top of him.  He loved to feel Pat on top of him like this and run his hands over Pat’s heavy muscled shoulders and back.  He also loved to feel his hairy chest and stomach against his own.

Darren finally broke the silence and thought:  You know one of the best things about making out here?

What’s that, love?

We don’t need to shower or clean up.

Pat chuckled at that and thought:  Yeah technically you’re right but as soon as we get back to the bunker and call in to debrief the others we’re going to take a long hot shower together.  I want one more serving of your hot ass before we crash for the night.

Let’s pick up some food on the way back.  I’m already starving and I know you are too.  The MREs in the bunker are for emergencies and I’ve always hated them anyway. At least without Bryan to doctor them up.

*  *  *  *  *

When Darren finally brought them back up to their bodies, only a few seconds had passed.  Seeing all the bodies brought back all the feelings for a few minutes.  Pat put his arm over Darren’s shoulder and guided him over to the car.  They got in and started to pull out, leaving the bodies for either the Enemy to clean up, assuming there was anyone left to clean up, or for the police to find.  Just as they were pulling away, Darren held out his hand and Ashmore’s Amulet, covered in blood, appeared in his hand.

As soon as it touched his skin, he knew how it worked.  He knew who made it and everything about it and he was stunned at what he discovered.  A Nephelem named Orophir was the creator of the Amulet.  He knew it was Evil and that it needed to be destroyed.  He put it in the bag they were using in the back seat.  He felt dirty just touching it, but it reaffirmed that Ashmore needed to be stopped and they did a good thing. 

          They got their food and made their way back to the parking garage they were housing the car in.  They grabbed their bag, Powered up, and Darren teleported them both to the bunker.

*  *  *  *  *

          As soon as Pat and Darren were out of sight Luke appeared.  He was careful because he knew that Ramiel was close by but with Patrick and Darren gone he had no reason to stay.

          He looked down at Ashmore’s body and all the others at his feet. 

          He smiled to himself.  Yes, they did exactly as I knew they would.  They will be as easy to mold as I thought.

          *  *  *  *  *

          The already familiar surroundings of the bunker made it seem like a second home to them, and they both breathed easier once they were there.  Neither one of them could wait to get the final Runes activated and in place to make the bunker truly impregnable and safe.  Until then, they were still vulnerable to a Spiritual or Psychic attack if the Enemy discovered their location.  At least there was no way for anyone to physically reach them.

          The doctor had surprised them with one of his modifications to the equipment; he had large ultra-high resolution LED screens placed all over the walls that could be used as Ops boards, but when not in use they looked like windows to the outside world.  Darren had set up surveillance cameras all over the area above the bunker.  The screens were showing the beautiful sunny area of Uluru and the surrounding rocky landscape.

          The emotional high from the danger was wearing off and they were both exhausted.  Once they ate their food they were both ready to crash, but they had to check in with everyone for a quick debriefing.  There might be immediate repercussions to deal with and the debriefing couldn’t wait. 

          Darren pulled out the Amulet and set it on the table in the main conference room.  Pat looked at it and saw and Understood how it worked and everything about it.  He saw the Evil in it as much as Darren felt it through the part of his Avatar that came from Bill.   

          Darren and Pat both noticed a subtle difference once they brought the Amulet back.  It was passively soaking up all the Music in the area… there didn’t seem to be a way to turn it off. 

          Right on schedule, they both felt Brad’s voice and consciousness in their minds:

          Hey guys!

          Immediately the presence of the entire Team flood into them as Brad pulled them deeper into the Link.  They were both always astounded at how strong Brad was Mentally compared to the rest of them; he so easily included them from halfway around the world like they were in the same room with him in Atlanta.

          They went over all the details and events of the day that led to the confrontation.  Everyone brought them in close and surrounded them with the intimate brotherly bond they all shared, letting it soak into them like nothing else could.  They were always astounded by the individual strengths and traits among their Brothers; each one of them brought something different to the table, from Bryan’s stoic solid presence and Lane’s mirth to Loy’s emotional support.  They felt Rick’s Avatar already unraveling the hurt and pain inside them.  The relief and the caring touches of all their Souls together was so powerful they didn’t know what they would do without it. 

          They felt the hurt Darren was going through from having to kill three hundred of the Agents as if the hurt was their own.  They felt his fear of what he was able to do so easily; and could again. 

          Ken:  Dar, listen to me buddy.  You are not a monster… I can tell how you see yourself now, but it’s not true.  You were strong and did what needed to be done.  Don’t be scared of the Power you have now; embrace it.  You’re such an important part of us… shit bro, none of us would know what to do without you by our side.  Not for your ability, which is apparently off the chart badass, but you.

          Back in the Lab, Brad and the others could see Ken’s and Brad’s Avatars flare to life, spitting bright arcs of color.  One by one all of their Avatars brightened; the arcs flew into the bright white ribbon of power running through them; completing the circle and making all of them One.

          The doctor felt it again when their Avatars joined in; that intangible difference that occurred when they were all together.  There was not only a completeness, but something far more profound.  It was that supernatural something that would allow them to restore Mankind and remove the Curse once The Master was defeated.

          Darren and Pat both felt Ken’s Conviction and Brad’s Compassion.  The feelings were backed up by everyone on the Team and it healed the deepest part of the hurt of what they had just gone through.  They felt Lane and the Song inside of him, which was especially powerful to them now while the Amulet was next to them.

          Ken:  Fuck, guys I’m so sorry you had to go through that by yourselves. 

          Pat:  We still aren’t sure how Ashmore found out where we’d be.  We were beyond careful.  Ramiel said he felt another hand at play, so we are pretty sure someone tipped Ashmore off.  There’s really only one person we can think of who could be responsible, but again there was no proof.  As if The Master wasn’t bad enough for us to deal with, now we have this guy breathing down our necks too.

          Darren:  Bill, you might want to take a look at this and see if you can pick up anything that I missed.  A Nephelem by the name of Orophir made it.  It seems to soak up any and all ambient Music from whatever area it’s in and stores it like a battery for whoever is wearing it.  Ashmore augmented himself and all his soldiers, both the suits and the Protectors, with it. 

          Darren felt Bill’s mind flow more fully into his for a brief second.  Bill synchronized their Avatars and looked at the Amulet through Darren’s touch; there were some minor additional details he picked up, but nothing significant.

          Bill:  Doc, Darren had it right… this thing is Evil and needs to be destroyed.

          Aaron:  We will all be at the bunker tomorrow for the Rune placement and activation.  Albrecht and I can instruct you on how to destroy it safely then.  Darren and Patrick, I wish to say again how well you have done and how proud we all are of what you have accomplished.  Before we continue on to any additional facilities, you both need to take some time to yourselves and relax in one another.

          Pat: Thanks doc, we were actually going to ask.  Putting the bunker together really took its toll on Dar.  He won’t admit it but you can see as well as I that he bore the brunt of it.

          Aaron:  I agree completely, Patrick.  I consider this a highly successful experiment and prototype facility for the others.  Moving forward, I believe all of you should be present to share the load in the construction.  If circumstances with Trenton Ashmore and Gerald Laurent had not dictated otherwise I would have insisted in this case as well.

          Darren:  Speaking of Laurent… Bill and Kev, how did things to up in Canada?

          Kevin:  We made great progress in finding a spot for the bunker, but The Master showed up so we had to lay low for a while.  We’ll need to be really careful moving forward there.  The doc had us come back home until your bunker is completed so we can all head back together.

          Darren:  If that’s the case we’ll can the idea of a vacation and head there ASAP after we finish this place.

          Ken:  No way, Dar.  You guys totally need that time; and you deserve it. Consider it an order.  There’s no hurry on the bunker there.  Besides, you said you had other ideas on locations so we can start someplace a little safer.

          Pat and Darren smiled.

          Brad:  Ok ladies, you two relax and go christen the facility.  I know you want to!  We’ll check in with you mid-morning your time and head over to finalize empowering and placing the Runes.

          Pat:  OK fellas.  Thanks again for the support.  You all know you mean the world to us and we couldn’t make it without you fu… sorry doc!  Guys.  We’ll see ya’ll tomorrow.

*  *  *  *  *

          True to their word Pat and Darren christened the bunker; again and again and again.  Finally exhausted they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

*  *  *  *  *

          The next morning Darren took Pat and himself back to the car park.  They decided to go grocery shopping since all the guys were coming to help with the final task of activating the Runes.  With the time difference they would most likely be wanting a late dinner.  The appliances the doc had provided were state of the art and the refrigerator was enormous.  With all ten men having hyper metabolisms and eating enough for four normal men each on a daily basis they needed lots of room for food.

          They bought enough to last a few days for everyone, not knowing how long it would take for everything to be completed.

          They Powered up and Darren got Pat, himself and all the food back to the bunker.  They made breakfast and had everything cleaned up just as they heard Brad’s voice in their minds.

          You fellas ready for some company?

          We just got all the food sorted… we knew you yahoos would be showing up any minute.  Bryan is gonna love the new kitchen setup.

          Darren trotted back to the platform that was dedicated to being the “safe” spot that all of them would memorize for this very purpose.

          Through the Link that Brad already had active Darren synchronized their Avatars and pulled everyone, including the doctor and Albrecht, into the bunker.

          As soon as they appeared, everybody dropped the bags they were carrying onto the floor and swept Pat and Darren up into a massive group hug.

          Brad kept the Link up, including the doctor and Albrecht, and took them all extremely deep.  The expression of Love and support they all felt for Pat and Darren was as profound as ever.  They both got a little teary eyed, but their eyes were smiling and Darren’s dimples were in full force.  Even though they had been communicating daily through their Link, they hadn’t seen each other for over a month.  It was the longest any of them had been away yet, and to everyone’s surprise they were all a little unsettled by it.  As great as the mental and emotional bond they all shared was through the Link, there was still something special about actually physically touching one another.  There was nothing better than a hug from someone you cared about and who cared for you.

          Pat and Darren played host, to the amusement of everyone.  The doctor seemed exceptionally excited, especially for him as he rarely showed any emotion.

          Pat found him at the main Operations console while everyone else was still with Darren going through their quarters to get settled in.

          Doc, I gotta tell you, you absolutely outdid yourself on all this.  This place is more state of the art than the Lab back home!

          Yes Patrick, it is.  I plan to correct that soon enough.  I wished to see how some of these new systems would work here first but they have been running flawlessly the last few weeks.  I have been running remote diagnostics non-stop since you installed them.

          I was a little dubious at first but those LED panels you sent are awesome.  It really helps to see outside; makes it not quite so claustrophobic.  When the air system kicks in you almost feel like you’re outside; the air smells unbelievably clean and fresh.

          The doctor just gave a small smirk that Pat interpreted as “yes I know.”  He grinned back.  He and Darren couldn’t keep the smiles off their faces; it felt so nice to have everyone around them again.       

*  *  *  *  *

          It didn’t take Bryan long to find the kitchen.  Darren found him with his head in the fully stocked refrigerator; he could practically see the wheels turning in Bryan’s mind coming up with a menu for dinner.

          He slapped Bryan on the back and laughingly thought:  Knock yourself out, Bry.

          Bryan grinned back and he stood up straight, grabbed Darren into a quick side headlock, and gave him a noogie. 

          I missed you, fucker. 

          Ditto, Bry.  It’s not the same checkin’ in once or twice a day through the link.  I mean, that’s great, but it’s no substitute for having your fat ass in front of me.

          Fat ass hell!  You fucker!  You mean these rock solid globes of granite?

          Darren couldn’t help but laugh.  Yeah those… good thing you’re a top!  You’d grind Lane’s dick to powder with that ass!

          Yeah, that’s what he said!  Now help me get dinner started, you fucker.  You did great with the groceries.  We weren’t lookin’ forward to MREs.

          Well we weren’t either.  Tomorrow me and Pat would love to take you guys to a seafood place we found.  It’s fantastic.  If you can learn to make the crumbled calamari like they do I might have to convince you to ditch Lane and move in with me!

          *  *  *  *  *

          The night continued with a great meal and spending time with one another.  The doctor and Albrecht had to be sent back just for the night so Sally and the others wouldn’t be alone.  They would come back for the Rune activation once everyone was ready.

*  *  *  *  *

          Everyone had their own soundproofed private quarters but that didn’t shield the Aura they all generated when they all made love to one another that night.  Pat and Darren were busy themselves, but they soaked in the feeling of all their Brothers around them.  They had missed that feeling so much.

          The next morning, Bryan cooked a big breakfast for everyone and then they were all ready to get started.  They all laughed when the doctor and Albrecht showed up with Long John Silver’s bags for their own dinner.  Apparently the doc had hooked Albrecht on it as well.

*  *  *  *  *

          The doctor stood at the podium while everyone else sat around the conference table.  The Book of Loagaeth was in front of him.

          His face was more serious than usual as he started, “With Patrick’s help, Albrecht and I have chosen a number of Runes we believe will be the most beneficial for this facility.   There is a question that I must ask and I hope it does not make you uncomfortable.”

          His comment raised a few eyebrows.

          He paused for a moment while he stared at the Book and then continued, “There are Runes in the Book that affect the Light as well as the Dark.  I wish to know your thoughts about protecting this facility against both.”

          Even though Pat knew those Runes were in the Book, once his Avatar gave him their Purpose, the thought never occurred to him.  A ripple of shock went through the Link.  There were many thoughts of “holy shit!” or similar exclamations amongst the Team.

          A ball of light appeared in front of the Operations Board and rapidly grew into the form of Raphael.  He looked impeccable as always and was dressed in his customary brown leather jacket, tight white t-shirt, and jeans.

          He smiled and looked directly at Brad and said, “Hello Brad.  It’s nice to see you again.”

          The doctor did not look pleased at the interruption.

          Raphael continued, “You’re fortunate that Ramiel told me of his suspicions.  I’ve been staying close since Darren and Patrick’s encounter.”

          Raphael raised his hand and made a strange gesture; they all felt a slight wave of Power come off him.

          “I’ve warded the room so we may speak freely.  It is my belief that the Being who introduced himself to you as Luke, is the one who betrayed your presence to Trenton Ashmore.”

          Darren spoke up and added, “Do you think it was Luke who left the Book for us as well?”

          “I don’t know who left you the Book of Loagaeth.  There is some concern that you have it but it is not in our Province to interfere.  Personally I am glad it has come into your hands.  It presents a unique opportunity for you at this juncture.”

          Raphael looked at the  doctor and grinned, “I know you have concerns about me and my brethren, Aaron, and I believe I interrupted your meeting just as you were about to bring up the idea of making this new facility safe from us as well.”

          The doctor didn’t bat an eye, “Yes.  I was just proposing the idea that we might consider making this bunker safe from both sides; the Light and the Dark.”

          “I think that is a most excellent idea.”

          The doctor raised an eyebrow, inviting Raphael to elaborate.

          “If you protect this place from the Dark, Luke will not be able to see or hear anything that occurs here or in any facility you similarly ward. I would suggest you do that at your main Lab as soon as possible.  If you leave your facilities open to others of my kind I think you are putting yourself at risk.  You must know by now that we are your Protectors and would do nothing to intentionally to harm you.  My fear is that you might be betrayed by someone with good intentions.  Luke is a master of subtlety and it is very possible that he might trick others of the Light into betraying you inadvertently.”

          Brad spoke up, “Aren’t you breaking a Rule by telling us this? I don’t want you getting into trouble on our account.”

          “Thank you Brad, but I’m not breaking any Rule.  I’m not giving you information that will sway the Balance… I am simply sharing my opinion and wisdom.  I cannot say Michael or some of my other Brothers would agree with my thinking, but I think you would be prudent to follow my advice.”

          He looked at the Ops board and it came to life with a series of images; more Runes than the doctor had on his diagram.  “These are the Runes I suggest you use.  I included the number and placement for maximum effect.”

          “I know my presence here upsets the good doctor so I will leave you now to decide how you wish to proceed.”

          Raphael looked at Brad and his voice filled Brad’s mind: I’m sorry I haven’t spent more time getting to know you, Brad.  I wish to rectify that soon.”

          Brad’s face broke into a wide smile.  Of course!  I’ve been wanting the same thing since I first realized who you are.  I think it would be great!

          Raphael’s face broke into a beatific smile and he began to slowly transform into a ball of light.  They all heard his voice in their minds:  Keep the Light, my children.  And with that he was gone.

          Everyone sat in silence for a minute.  Brad still had a smile on his face.

          Ken: What are you smiling about?

          Brad: Raphael said he wants to get to know me better and spend some time with me soon. 

          Ken: Fuck yeah, B!  That’s awesome, man. 

          Brad:  I’ll want you there with me.  You know that, right?

          Ken:  If you want me there B I’ll be right by your side.  But if you need some private time with him it’s cool with me.  I can totally see where you get your looks from, you know.  You‘re just about as good looking as your grandfather!

          Brad laughed:  You are so full of shit!  You’re just trying to get laid tonight.

          Ken got that devilish little kid grin on his face:  Oh hell, there go your mad seduction skills again.

          Brad: Damn straight, mister.  Don’t you forget who’s running this show.

          Ken reached under the table and grabbed Brad’s hand and squeezed it tight.  He winked at Brad and then cleared his throat, “Ok ladies.  I want to hear any and all opinions about what just happened and then we’ll make a decision.  Doc, if you don’t mind, you and Albrecht go last so you don’t influence any of these yahoos.”

          For the next hour they all discussed the pros and cons of making the facility fully impregnable and invulnerable to both the Light and the Dark.  It ended up being unanimous that they decided to follow Raphael’s advice.  

          The doctor was in agreement with Raphael for other reasons, mainly his mistrust of the Arch-Angels where the Team was concerned.  As difficult as it was for him to admit, there was an element of truth to Luke’s words at the Tree.  The Arch-Angles always had an agenda and he felt that they would hold those agendas above the interest of his charges.  Even though his reasons were different than the others it was still a unanimous vote.

          It took everyone an exhausting week to place and empower all the Runes that Raphael suggested.  They all spent one more night together and then the doctor put the facility into ‘sleep’ mode and they went back to the Lab.

*  *  *  *  *

          Luke was sitting at a little café in Paris, enjoying a cup of coffee when his head suddenly snapped up.  A frown crossed his face and thunder rumbled in the clear blue sky.  He stopped sensing the new Warriors of The Order.  There were few things that could cause that and he guessed immediately what happened.  A feeling of cold anxiety was felt all over Paris that day.  The next day the papers reported an exorbitant number of deaths in the city.  Freak accidents, murders, elderly people dying in their sleep… all seemed like random acts, but they were ripples of Luke’s anger.

          He felt better the next morning when he could sense them again.  But he knew it was only a matter of time before it happened again.  With the knowledge of the Runes in their hands it escalated matters. 

          After giving the matter some thought a smile spread across his devilishly handsome face.  He had his Nephelem child Orophir to make items for him and to pass on forbidden Knowledge to the Enemy.  He knew he was breaking the Mandate that restricted the passage of certain knowledge on to mortals.  The fact that someone of the Light actually broke a Rule to counteract his own actions thrilled him and made him almost giddy.  They were usually so timid and restricted and placed limitations on themselves.  The fact that one of them grew a pair of balls delighted him.  He might finally have a worthy adversary after all these millennia.

*  *  *  *  *

          Pat and Darren spent three weeks in Australia relaxing and spending time with one another.  It was a great time together and Darren got to visit all the places he had ever heard or read about.  Even though everyone was staying at their own homes during the evenings, they all ate together with Sally and the others at the Lab.  They continued to train every day and stay around the Lab; it was time well spent with their friends and they did everything possible to continue to make their stay as comfortable as possible.

          Drew loved having all the guys around to play with him.  Henry and Liz were happy together.  Sally had taken on a role as assistant to the doctor; at first out of boredom but when he saw how skilled she was at keeping things organized and running smoothly he appreciated her help.  The Keenans were low key and seemed happy to be together.

          The doctor and Albrecht were making good progress on finding suitable places for everyone to live.  With the new Runes from the Book they could make safe houses that would be truly safe. 

          The first night Pat and Darren spent back in the lab, after a huge meal with everyone and all the “guests”, they shared the pictures they had on their phones of their vacation. 

          *  *  *  *  *

          That night Bryan woke up when he felt Lane’s body twitch.  He looked over and knew immediately that Lane was having a Dream, but this time his eyes were open and glowing with a bright white Light that illuminated the room.  His tattoo was bright and spitting sparks.  He was covered in sweat and his body was pumped up.  He was in some sort of trance and he threw the covers off and stood up.  This was something Bryan had never seen happen before and it alarmed him.

          At the other houses all the partners were experiencing the same thing.  Brad, Loy, Bill, and Darren were all exhibiting the same behavior.  Their Avatars were linked and synchronized with Lane’s.  Some major event was happening and it was affecting all of them.

          Unaware that he was even doing it, Darren reached out and synchronized their Avatars and pulled everyone into the safe spot in the lab.  Ken, Bryan, Kevin, Rick, and Pat were all awake and appeared with their partners. 

          Ken and the others appeared in a circle around their partners; Lane and the others appeared at the vector points of Lane’s Primary Avatar and their hands reached out to grasp one another.  Their energy centers opened up and a bright white ribbon of power started flowing between them.  The Power started flowing faster and faster, and a hot wind was blowing in the room around them.

          An image started forming in the air in the middle of their circle.   Ken and the others were still charged up mentally, so Ken bright them all together.  Pat’s Avatar synchronized with theirs and they all realized what they were seeing wasn’t an image… it was a window to an alternate reality.  Through the window they saw Ken and Bryan talking.  Something was wrong… the scene was vastly different than it should have been. 

They felt how… wrong it was.  They saw immediately that Ken and Bryan weren’t Awake.  Ken was wearing a t-shirt that pulled high on his biceps and they could tell that he had no tattoo.  They looked haggard and worn out, both physically and mentally.

          The window stayed open for a few more seconds when suddenly with a bright flash Lane and the others woke up.  The window closed and they all let out a “holy shit!” before dropping to their knees exhausted.

          Ken grabbed ahold of Brad and pulled him close, as did the others.  Ken brought Brad and the others into his Link and they all refreshed their partners from their own strength.

          “B!  Talk to me!  What just happened?!”

          “Fuck Ken, we have to help them!”

          To be continued….

*************************

Ok that’s it for Chapter 18… I hope you enjoyed it!  I've already got a good start on Chapter 19 :)

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