The story so far...
We're a little over mid-way through NaNoWriMo, and I'm a little under mid-way - but I'll be catching up over the weekend. Here's another short excerpt from the story that I'm submitting both for the NaNoWriMo Excerpt Carnival and for the NaNoWriMo Excerpt Contest, both hosted on The Write Stuff.
"Well this is hardly an ideal situation! Shouldn't we be concentrating on this... this thing that got out?" Lex was pacing back and forth. And he was flapping. Al didn't need to see his wings to know they were fluttering away. He was like a puffed up pigeon when he got agitated. A whiney, puffed up pigeon.
"In the grand scheme of things, Gideon's familial connections are not a high priority, not when something that powerful is acting with impunity and..." Al's hand shot out, pressing against Lex's chest. He came to a sudden halt, and his voice died away. Al's eyes narrowed. "Not helping. And really, really annoying." He brushed past Lex and strode over to Mancini's desk. The Cardinal's gaze turned from Lex, who looked on the verge of exploding, to Al. "Thank you Al. Now, as I was saying..." Al sat on the edge of the Cardinal's desk, and crossed his legs. He smiled at the Cardinal, and leaned forward. "Forgive my colleague, he is easily agitated. However, pretty boy does have a point. We've got a big bad something on the loose, and you've just sent our numero uno off to play happy families in the Highlands with an arms dealer. So excuse me for not getting the connection. This could wait until we get our own situation under control, couldn't it?"
Mancini stared at Al, who returned the gaze. They sat for a moment, in silence, glaring at each other. Al was the first to break eye contact, and looked down at the desk. "Ah." He slowly got off the desk, and stood up. "Sorry about that."
Mancini gave a slight smile, but without any humour behind it. "Thank you." He stood up and turned towards the window, to look out across the City. "Do you feel that Maria is somehow unequal to the task of leading this investigation? Hmmm?" He turned towards them. "Or perhaps that you two can't cope on your own?" Al and Lex looked at each other. It was a good tactic, avoid answering the question and instead play on insecurities, And it might work. On humans. Al cocked his head towards the Cardinal. Lex simply rolled his eyes.
"Ah, don't give me that - you know we got no problems with Maria, with acting on our own. We just don't get why Gideon's out on his own when he should be here - we know he wants to be here, he wants answers about what happened."
"I have no doubt that he does, and he’ll get them. From you, and from Maria."
The door to the room swung open and Maria entered without knocking. "I just saw Gideon leaving the..." She stopped when she saw Al and Lex in the room too. "My apologies." She bowed slightly towards the Cardinal. "I hadn't realised you were in a meeting."
"Sit down Maria, and you Lex - on a chair Al, not my desk this time if you please." Mancini returned to his own seat and lowered himself into it. "Well, this saves me giving you all orders individually. Gideon has been called to other duties, temporarily. A situation has developed and Gideon is best placed to assess and deal with this situation."
"A situation is developing here too - Gideon should be here! I..." She corrected herself. "We need him here." The Cardinal raised an eyebrow, and looked at Maria. It was rare for Maria to question his decisions, let alone come out and disagree with them. Lex looked astonished - he was used to Al's wilful disobedience, but never Maria. She, like him, understood the structure, the hierarchy. Order. Duty. Just like Gideon. Al sat back and smiled. Good girl.
"Maria, while Gideon is absent I am placing you in command of the Watch. You are to head the investigation into the attack in San Francisco. You two..." he glanced over Maria's shoulder. "Will answer directly to Maria." He returned his attention to Maria. "And you will answer directly to me, am I understood?" They nodded.
"Eminence, where is Gideon going? What if I need to contact him about the investigation?"
"I will contact him on your behalf. Gideon is having to go dark for a while, for his own safety and for the benefit of the mission. His exact location is not relevant, all that matters is..."
"He’s gone to Scotland." Al interrupted the Cardinal. He stood up and walked over to the desk. "Ooh, big secret. I know, pretty boy knows, why not just let Maria know?" He squatted down beside Maria and looked up at her. "Gid’s been sent to talk to his daddy - he’s been up to some naughty shit in the sandbox, and the Cardinal wants to know what toys he has." He turned to the Cardinal and smiled. "Ain’t that right?"
Mancini sighed. "All right, fine, but this goes no further. Understood?" He waited long enough for them to give their assent, then continued. "Calvin Strangechild has, despite the best efforts of the UK government, the US government, the UN weapon's inspectors and our own efforts, managed to send another Mil-Int Systems Recon team into Iraq. And unlike last time it isn't weapons' grade material we are concerned about. This is an archaeological team. They are digging for something, and they may already have removed it. So, Gideon has gone to find out what his father has discovered, and neutralise it, if it should pose a threat."
"As much as I dislike antiquaries plundering, I really don't see why this concerns us, and why Gideon was sent." Maria edged forward on her chair. "The last time was a favour to our source in the UN. If Major Strangechild is tomb raiding, then we should leave it up to the locals."
"He's digging in El-Sadiq."
Maria's eyes narrowed. That place still haunted Gideon. She could hear him sometimes, in the night, reliving the experience in his dreams. When the terror passed, and Gideon calmed down, she wanted to comfort him, tell him she was sorry. El-Sadiq haunted Gideon because of what happened to him there. It haunted Maria too. She was responsible for his being sent there. She identified the location. She passed on the orders. Yes, but who gave you those orders Maria? Who set you on the path to finding El-Sadiq? Mancini. And does he feel guilty? Maria's eyes darkened, the blackness of the pupils seeping into the deep brown iris, then the whites of the eyes. She dug her nails into the arm of the chair.
The story so far...Gideon Strangechild is the field commander of a clandestine group operating within the Vatican. Whilst investigating a surge in paranormal activity in San Francisco on Hallowe'en, Gideon's lieutenants, Al and Lex, discover the bodies of five teenagers, surrounded by occult paraphenalia. The support team sent with Al and Lex are attacked and killed by the same entity that killed the teenagers.
Despite the severity of the situation, and the loss of an entire field unit, Gideon is ordered to leave the Vatican by his superior, Cardinal Mancini. Gideon's father, a notorious arms dealer, has uncovered something in Iraq, something connected with Gideon's past, and the dreams that continue to plague him. Mancini sends Gideon home to confront his father, leaving his team to deal with the attack on their own...
"Well this is hardly an ideal situation! Shouldn't we be concentrating on this... this thing that got out?" Lex was pacing back and forth. And he was flapping. Al didn't need to see his wings to know they were fluttering away. He was like a puffed up pigeon when he got agitated. A whiney, puffed up pigeon.
"In the grand scheme of things, Gideon's familial connections are not a high priority, not when something that powerful is acting with impunity and..." Al's hand shot out, pressing against Lex's chest. He came to a sudden halt, and his voice died away. Al's eyes narrowed. "Not helping. And really, really annoying." He brushed past Lex and strode over to Mancini's desk. The Cardinal's gaze turned from Lex, who looked on the verge of exploding, to Al. "Thank you Al. Now, as I was saying..." Al sat on the edge of the Cardinal's desk, and crossed his legs. He smiled at the Cardinal, and leaned forward. "Forgive my colleague, he is easily agitated. However, pretty boy does have a point. We've got a big bad something on the loose, and you've just sent our numero uno off to play happy families in the Highlands with an arms dealer. So excuse me for not getting the connection. This could wait until we get our own situation under control, couldn't it?"
Mancini stared at Al, who returned the gaze. They sat for a moment, in silence, glaring at each other. Al was the first to break eye contact, and looked down at the desk. "Ah." He slowly got off the desk, and stood up. "Sorry about that."
Mancini gave a slight smile, but without any humour behind it. "Thank you." He stood up and turned towards the window, to look out across the City. "Do you feel that Maria is somehow unequal to the task of leading this investigation? Hmmm?" He turned towards them. "Or perhaps that you two can't cope on your own?" Al and Lex looked at each other. It was a good tactic, avoid answering the question and instead play on insecurities, And it might work. On humans. Al cocked his head towards the Cardinal. Lex simply rolled his eyes.
"Ah, don't give me that - you know we got no problems with Maria, with acting on our own. We just don't get why Gideon's out on his own when he should be here - we know he wants to be here, he wants answers about what happened."
"I have no doubt that he does, and he’ll get them. From you, and from Maria."
The door to the room swung open and Maria entered without knocking. "I just saw Gideon leaving the..." She stopped when she saw Al and Lex in the room too. "My apologies." She bowed slightly towards the Cardinal. "I hadn't realised you were in a meeting."
"Sit down Maria, and you Lex - on a chair Al, not my desk this time if you please." Mancini returned to his own seat and lowered himself into it. "Well, this saves me giving you all orders individually. Gideon has been called to other duties, temporarily. A situation has developed and Gideon is best placed to assess and deal with this situation."
"A situation is developing here too - Gideon should be here! I..." She corrected herself. "We need him here." The Cardinal raised an eyebrow, and looked at Maria. It was rare for Maria to question his decisions, let alone come out and disagree with them. Lex looked astonished - he was used to Al's wilful disobedience, but never Maria. She, like him, understood the structure, the hierarchy. Order. Duty. Just like Gideon. Al sat back and smiled. Good girl.
"Maria, while Gideon is absent I am placing you in command of the Watch. You are to head the investigation into the attack in San Francisco. You two..." he glanced over Maria's shoulder. "Will answer directly to Maria." He returned his attention to Maria. "And you will answer directly to me, am I understood?" They nodded.
"Eminence, where is Gideon going? What if I need to contact him about the investigation?"
"I will contact him on your behalf. Gideon is having to go dark for a while, for his own safety and for the benefit of the mission. His exact location is not relevant, all that matters is..."
"He’s gone to Scotland." Al interrupted the Cardinal. He stood up and walked over to the desk. "Ooh, big secret. I know, pretty boy knows, why not just let Maria know?" He squatted down beside Maria and looked up at her. "Gid’s been sent to talk to his daddy - he’s been up to some naughty shit in the sandbox, and the Cardinal wants to know what toys he has." He turned to the Cardinal and smiled. "Ain’t that right?"
Mancini sighed. "All right, fine, but this goes no further. Understood?" He waited long enough for them to give their assent, then continued. "Calvin Strangechild has, despite the best efforts of the UK government, the US government, the UN weapon's inspectors and our own efforts, managed to send another Mil-Int Systems Recon team into Iraq. And unlike last time it isn't weapons' grade material we are concerned about. This is an archaeological team. They are digging for something, and they may already have removed it. So, Gideon has gone to find out what his father has discovered, and neutralise it, if it should pose a threat."
"As much as I dislike antiquaries plundering, I really don't see why this concerns us, and why Gideon was sent." Maria edged forward on her chair. "The last time was a favour to our source in the UN. If Major Strangechild is tomb raiding, then we should leave it up to the locals."
"He's digging in El-Sadiq."
Maria's eyes narrowed. That place still haunted Gideon. She could hear him sometimes, in the night, reliving the experience in his dreams. When the terror passed, and Gideon calmed down, she wanted to comfort him, tell him she was sorry. El-Sadiq haunted Gideon because of what happened to him there. It haunted Maria too. She was responsible for his being sent there. She identified the location. She passed on the orders. Yes, but who gave you those orders Maria? Who set you on the path to finding El-Sadiq? Mancini. And does he feel guilty? Maria's eyes darkened, the blackness of the pupils seeping into the deep brown iris, then the whites of the eyes. She dug her nails into the arm of the chair.
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