Synarchy Book 2: The Ascension Read online

  Alex slowly nodded. “Would you answer a few questions I have?”

  “Of course.”

  “Has the Peruvian door always been a, well, portal to your world?” In Southern Peru, in the Hayu Marca mountain region, a place local Indians called “City of the Gods,” was a door carved out of natural rock. Alexandro had used the door and the required key, a small square stone tablet engraved with unique writing that Alexandro suspected was the language of the Angels, to travel to Hevan.

  Michael smiled. “Yes. Centuries ago, we spoke frequently with the people who lived in that region. When Enlil found out, he had the key hidden away. We were quite pleased when your allies stole it back.”

  Alex chuckled. “Liliana was very good at that. One last question, what is the true meaning of a fallen angel?”

  Amusement drifted across Michael’s face. “I’m a fallen angel, Alexandro. Or, I was.”

  Alex quirked a brow. “I’m very interested to hear the story behind that.”

  “Long before the Anunnaki visited your race, the Angels and the Anunnaki shared a love of war-mongering. We were a military people, almost like your Spartans. We were bred to be beautiful, strong, civilized warriors of the sky and ground. Our King was Samael, the best of us. He had a young face, always wore a flowing cloak around his wings, and had long red hair tied to a ponytail. A pentagram was engraved on his breastplate. He was an Angel of Death, one of the fiercest warriors I have ever seen, and my teacher for a time.” A faraway look came to sit in Michael’s eyes. “I shall never forget him. “

  “You are not a war-mongering people now. What happened?”

  Michael looked back at Alexandro and his mouth quirked. “Lilith and Lucifer. Our own Jesus and Mary, you might say. We had no faith, no spirituality of any sort, until they came along. It was Lilith who opened up our Akashic records and made us see. She did this during the time we and the Anunnaki were on your planet. We were assisting the Anunnaki in their mining efforts and enslaving you. Lucifer, who was not only spiritual, but a brilliant scientist, worked closely with Enki in E.Den. He taught a great many things to the Anunnaki Magi about Alchemy. Once the Angels started awakening, though, we realized we needed to change. Samael did not awaken initially, and of course, he was furious. He and the Anunnaki rose up against us. Around the time of your great flood was one of the great wars in the galaxy. For a short period, myself and thousands of other angels were cast out of Hevan; the fallen Angels. Eventually, Samael, too, realized that we were only disconnected from the Source of all things, laid down his arms against us, and stepped down from the throne. We elected Lilith as our new queen, and she and Anu signed a treaty of peace.”

  Alexandro felt like a child listening to a fantastic fairy tale. He leaned forward in his chair, his cigar forgotten. “Why is there such animosity towards Lucifer? I know the bible is a misconstrued blend of truth and pure fiction, but he is quite hated.”

  Michael nodded. “So is Lilith. In your culture, you think of her as a demoness. It is because of a love story. Belial was Enlil’s best friend, a great Anunnaki warrior. On his visits to Hevan, he developed feelings for Lilith. He became seduced by her beauty, you could say. He was so enamored of her, he even asked for a way to change into an Angel so he could be with her. She refused to even approach Lucifer with the subject, because her love was for Lucifer. Belial wasn’t pleased by this. Anunnaki do not like hearing that there are things they cannot have. He challenged Lucifer during the war, and Lucifer killed him. Enlil was furious, of course.”

  Alex whistled lowly. “There is so much we just don’t know.”

  “Soon, Alex.” Michael patted him on the knee. “Come with me. I would like to introduce you to Gabriel before you leave, and I have a gift for you to take home to Tony.”

  §

  June 13, 2012 - 5:55 PM

  Denver, Colorado

  Denver International Airport

  The Denver International Airport was another prime example of how the Brotherhood hid in plain sight. Tony stood out on one of the runways that were usually inactive, except when the Brotherhood needed them, waiting for Caesar. Conspiracy theorists had a field day with this place, and as usual, they got a lot of the information correct. The runways were constructed in the shape of a swastika. While the Nazis had given the symbol some really bad PR, before Hitler decided to use it, the swastika was the archetype for the rotations of time and consciousness. It had also been used by the Hittites and Celts and was found on the buildings on ancient sites like Troy. Aside from the runways, and the fact that the airport sat on top of a major underground military installation called Blue Moon, the inside of the Airport was another anomaly that often had people scratching their heads. A Masonic capstone sat in the south eastern side of the terminal which had been coined The Great Hall. The capstone was said to be a time capsule filled with completely insignificant things; that, of course, being a lie. An arm bent at a 45 degree angle rose out of the capstone, and at the end of the arm was a keypad. There was some significance to a 45 degree angle because of its practical ability to illustrate the law of the conversation of energy. Energy could be neither created nor destroyed. It simply was, sitting there, waiting for something to tell it what to do. Aside from the hidden symbology, when the proper code was keyed in, the capstone opened a portal directly to the Anunnaki vessel, the Babel.

  Flicking the cigarette he was finished smoking to the pavement, Tony tracked the approaching sedan’s movement as it came to a stop and Caesar climbed out.

  Caesar was worked up. Ever since he received the order to return to Alcyone and finish off the triplets, he’d done nothing but think about what he was going to say to Vasco before he killed him, and how he was going to kill him. When he saw Tony, some of his excitement began to fade. He didn’t like DeMarco much, and hated having to report to him. “Joining me, sir?”

  “Change of orders.”

  Caesar’s steps came to an abrupt halt. “Excuse me?”

  Tony’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he took a step closer to Caesar. “Change of fucking orders.”

  Caesar reined himself in. DeMarco outranked him, and that meant everything in their world. “I’m listening. Sir.”

  “Integrate and observe. Keep reporting back. Allow Kayla to keep handling Olivia and Amadeo as she sees fit. Keep the body count at zero, right now.” Tony lightly slapped Caesar’s cheek. “You’ll get your chance to kill ’em soon enough.”

  Caesar wanted to growl in frustration, but called upon his patience. There was little else he could do. Orders were orders. “Yes, sir. What about the scientists?”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of ’em.” Tony stepped aside. “Have a nice flight.” He watched the rigid line of Caesar’s back as Caesar walked up the staircase and disappeared inside the cabin of the plane.

  Tony turned around. It was a lucky fucking thing for them that not all the Anunnaki were opposed to freeing humanity. He shook out another cigarette as he climbed into his SUV. Just as the engine turned over, a low growl from the backseat made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Lifting his eyes to the rearview mirror, Tony saw the hulking, ugly Igigi. Resembling the mythical gargoyles, Igigis were the Anunnaki’s personal messengers.

  “You can’t find a better way to announce yourself?” Tony scolded. He hated talking to Igigis. They spoke telepathically, and the noise that invaded his mind was hoarse, and downright eerie.

  The Igigi looked at Tony with its glowing red eyes. You are being bestowed with the highest honor. Report to the Holy See the day of the Summer Solstice.

  Tony slowly nodded. “Thanks. I’ll be there.”

  The Igigi didn’t linger for conversation. It pushed open the door to Tony’s car and took off into the early evening. Usually, Igigis moved so quickly that people rarely saw them. If people did, they quickly brushed the sighting off as nothing.

  Tony leaned his head back against the headrest and lit up his cigarette. He was a 33rd degree Illuminati, one level belo
w his brother. Most people believed that the degrees stopped at the 33rd, but they were wrong. Once the 33rd degree of Free Masonry ended, the Seeker then became Enlightened, Illuminated, an Illuminati. Not all 33rd Masons were accepted into the real brotherhood. It was the first level of real trust, and the only one Tony needed. For a decade, now, he’d run a black ops division of the NSA, usually right out of the Blue Moon Base. With this promotion, he’d be given the security clearance needed to get Simone into the underground bases, and Vasco into the Brotherhoods party the night of the solstice.

  Tony took a hard drag off his cigarette and slowly frowned. It also meant something horrific was going to happen. By his hands.

  §

  June 14, 2012 - 10:44 AM

  Alexandria, VA

  SVT Think Tank

  Robert Terenzio carried his mother’s features, and his father’s love of science. He was the only one— an anomaly, really—that came from Liliana Terenzio’s bloodline and had turned to neither business nor weapons, but to academia. This was not to say he didn’t know how to use a gun. He was an excellent shot, thanks to his mother’s insistence that he learn. He also loved a good chess game. He just wasn’t the violent sort.

  He was slightly overweight, but smart with his wardrobe. Going to the gym twice a week was only helping slightly, because like a good Italian, when it was meal time, it was meal time. He was of average height, with his father’s thick eyebrows, and dark brown hair. His eyes were also green, not gray—another anomaly. Regardless of his few differences, his mother was proud of him, which never failed to provide him with a little-boy-like delight, and Marcello had considered him an asset. Though Marcello had been closely involved in SVT Think Tank, Robert had often come up with the more ingenious security enhancements that had allowed SVT Securities to collect information more secretively and efficiently. Maybe he wasn’t that far off the marker, after all.

  Six Omega Cadre trailed Robert as he entered the SVT Think Tank. They wore full combat gear, but for propriety’s sake had left their assault rifles in the SUV. Each carried dual .40 mm handguns at their waists, and the expression on every man’s face, and the one woman’s, was hard and alert. The Omega Cadre were not simply muscled idiots that were only useful when being told what to do. Omega General Tia Kahlo was a hardass, but intelligent. Stupidity on any level was unacceptable. If a soldier couldn’t think for him- or herself, they got voted off the island real quick.

  That knowledge help put Robert’s safety concerns at ease, because two of the Cadre carried a thick, closed container. It contained a very powerful weapon that had been stolen, over a century ago, from the Brotherhood by Stefano’s sister, Liliana, at her brother’s request. The weapon had been built by Nikola Tesla himself, and in a briefcase handcuffed to Robert’s arm were the blueprints that the Terenzios needed to make more of them. For Robert, working on a design by Nikola Tesla was like writing a bestselling novel or winning the Super Bowl; amazing and damn near surreal. Considering how solid their team of scientists was, building five more was going to be a lot of fun.

  §

  Abe threw open the door to the accumulator, sweating. “Holy fucking shit.”

  Shirley and Derek looked up from where they were monitoring Abe’s meditation session on the computers. “I’ve got to hear this,” Shirley said.

  “What happened, Abe?”

  “I don’t know.” Abe walked quickly over to the water cooler, and drained three paper cups before he could speak. “I felt… I felt this explosion. A surge of energy racing up my spine, and it exploded from the top of my head, and I could pretty much see it, but my eyes were closed.”

  Shirley smiled reassuringly and walked over to him, rubbing his back comfortably. “Easy there, big fella.”

  “Was it uncomfortable?” Derek asked, watching him closely.

  “No.” Abe frowned. “I laughed at first, it felt so good. But then it just kept going, and I felt like I was going to float away or something. The energy just kept coming, and it finally freaked me out a little.” He turned back to the cooler and filled up the paper cup again, draining the water in a quick gulp.

  “I think you just had a Kundalini activation,” Shirley said.

  Derek grinned faintly. “That’s pretty funny that the skeptic out of the group gets one of those.”

  Abe eyed Shirley. “What the hell is a Kundalini activation?”

  “The medical symbol, the caduceus, is actually a representation of a Kundalini awakening. Kundalini energy is said to coil like a serpent at the base of the spine, and when awakened it spirals upwards, and merges with the crown chakra. Supposedly it’s a very powerful form of awakening,” Shirley said.

  “Potentially dangerous, too, from the few things I just read, because the energy is so powerful. You’re going to want to meditate pretty frequently now, Abe,” Derek cautioned.

  “I bet him being in the accumulator helped eased some of the physical symptoms.” Shirley looked at the machine, then back at Abe. “You’d probably be really freaking out right about now if not for the accumulator.”

  Abe rubbed a hand across his jaw. “Great. I’ve officially lost it.”

  Derek chuckled. “Or finally gotten it.”

  “I’m jealous. I didn’t have a Kundalini activation when I went,” Shirley huffed.

  Just then, the elevator doors dinged opened. Robert and his Cadre came crowding into the lab. He smiled warmly and excitedly. “Geek squad.” It was his affectionate term for the three scientists. “Ready for the mother of all projects?”

  “Does it come with a raise?” Shirley teased as she stepped forward to kiss Robert’s cheek.

  “You bet we are.” Derek said, rubbing his hands together. Abe nodded at the group and got himself another cup of water.

  “If you can build it, I’ll definitely consider it.” Robert directed the Cadre to set the container on one of the empty tables, and then put the briefcase, still chained to his wrist, next to it. It took Robert a few moments to get himself detached, and then pull out Tesla’s blueprints and spread them across an empty table.

  Derek slid his glasses on, and Shirley and Abe stood next to him, looking down at the intricate drawings and instructions.

  “What do you think?” Robert asked after a few minutes.

  “This is amazing,” Shirley said, barely above a whisper.

  “It can really do that?” Abe looked over at the container that was still closed, and then back at the blueprints.

  Derek rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at Robert. “Once we get the nomenclature down, and with a working model to follow, this shouldn’t be too hard, actually.”

  “That’s what I wanted to hear.” Robert smiled and took off his blazer. “Let’s get started.”

  Chapter 8

  “An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come.”

  -Victor Hugo

  June 20, 2012 - 10:11 AM

  Alcyone Island

  Dion Corporation Board Room

  Vasco stood in front of the long window that exposed a calm ocean from the 47th floor of the Dion Corporation building. It was time to shake things up, plant a few seeds, and pull back the curtain on a few motives. It was time to let the entire family know what direction it would be taking over the next six months.

  “I like this first order of business. Dear Family, for a few decades, we’ve been secretly at war with this race of aliens that controls the world. We’re about to put the smack down. In or out.” Lucien sat to the right of Vasco’s chair, which was at the head of the table, and lit up a cigarette.

  “I can’t wait to see the look on Amadeo’s and Olivia’s faces.” Simone’s dark gray eyes glittered with the hard edge of anticipation.

  “Think Kayla will crack? I’m betting she doesn’t even blink,” Lucien said.

  “I’m a lot more curious as to who they contact first,” Vasco said, turning away from the window. The three of them would have to tread carefully, but they had
decided it would be impossible to move the family in the direction they needed to while they were under the cover of shadow. They didn’t have a lot of time, and things would move a lot faster if they could operate out in the open. The only reason they were not going to take Olivia, Amadeo and Kayla out of play was because doing so would lead to questions as to how they knew, and that might point a finger back at DeMarco. It was imperative that they keep their relations with that family secret, so DeMarco could continue to operate from the inside.

  A light rap came on the conference room doors, before Caleb pushed one open and stepped inside. He walked up to the table and updated them without preamble. “We’ve run the preliminaries on what you’re looking at from your army, and it’s good. They’re not so loyal to Amadeo alone that you’ll lose all of them should it go that route. Half, at most. The air force is utterly loyal to Archer, Isabella and Christopher.”

  Involuntarily, the faintest trace of a smile sneaked onto Simone’s mouth when Caleb came into the room. It faded away in the next breath, replaced by the more serious expression from the news he was feeding them. He was proving his worth a thousand times over, and she wondered where the hell she’d been that she hadn’t noticed what an asset he obviously had been to Grandfather. Plus she just generally liked him. “What about the Omega Cadre?”

  Caleb looked over at Simone. “Yours without question.” There was double meaning in that sentence, but she wouldn’t know that. Yet.

  “And Olivia’s sector of SVT Sec?” Vasco asked, moving to sit down.

  “Trickier to quietly get information on. At this point, we have to assume that the agents she’s in direct contact with will follow her lead. The others will do as you say,” Caleb said.

  “So, unless they bring in outside forces, if it goes down like that, they’re out numbered,” Lucien said blowing a thick cloud of smoke into the well ventilated air.