NEW WAYS TO DIE
Major Richard Blaine is leading his Spartan 300 through an accursed village in hopes of finding the laboratory of a SS scientist who has mangled his experiments
without triggering the deaths of all those who trust him.
NEW WAYS TO DIE
“We travel, some of us forever,to seek other states, other lives, other souls.”
―
Anaïs Nin wrote:
“Each friendrepresents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only bythis meeting that a new world is born.”
In that sense, the Spartan 300had spawned twenty-one worlds. And each of us was the richer for it.
Sentient admonished,
‘I would not mention the eroticauthor, Anaïs Nin, in what is now quaintly called “polite society,” thoughNurse Reynolds might enjoy chastising you for it.
Besides, that particularquote is from one of her diaries not yet published.’
‘Then how do I know it?’
‘As I moved you up and downlinear time to acquire those useful hands, your consciousness plucked odd itemshere and there at the whim of your mischievous unconscious much like an errantXanthium strumarium.’
‘A what?’
‘Oh, if you insist on the crudeterm, a cocklebur.”
Cloverfield interrupted myconfusing talk with Sentient,
“Not to be disrespectful, mate, but you look damnodd, leading us with that bandaged left hand held up high like the staff ofMoses.”
“I get the best reading of whereto go this way.”
“Does this ‘leading’ cause you anypain?” asked Rachel in a concerned tone of voice.
“It’s … not pleasant. But if St.Marok taught me anything, it is how to endure.”
Theo snapped like the veteransergeant he was,
“Less talking, more looking. We’re knee deep in hell-watershere.”
“You’re right, Theo. Sorry.”
He snapped even harsher.
“You’rea major. You don’t apologize to a nom-com.”
“I do to a friend.”
That got everyone quiet. Out ofembarrassment or deep thoughts, I couldn’t tell … and didn’t want to.
That eerie fog returned … butonly teasing us from the far corners of blackened buildings.
I figured Mr.Morton was playing with us as a cat with a helpless mouse.
Let him. An amused enemy mademistakes. Though I would be hard-pressed to remember him making even one.
‘You still live. He was foolishto let you leave New Orleans not his slave.’
‘Maybe. Or maybe I am doing hisbidding without realizing it of my own free will.’
‘There is that. It would amusehim more.’
‘Great. Even when you tell me Iam right, it goes down hard.’
I put my left hand down.
“We’re there.
Cloverfield huffed,
“Thistwo-story building is unblemished. How is that possible?”
“Probably like the eye of thehurricane.”
Taylor muttered, “Probably?”
“Hey, I am making this up as I goalong.”
I turned to Theo.
“I’m going upthose steps alone. You, ah, make sure my back is ….”
He sighed a gush of pent-up blastof frustration at my not talking military jargon.
“We’ll set up a wide perimeterwith recon scouts at either end of this street.”
He walked directly in front ofme.
“But you are not going up there alone.”
“Of course not, silly,” laughedNurse Reynolds. “I’m going up with him.”
“No, Rachel. I am.”
“Hush, Master-Sergeant Savalas. Weare not yet married, nor are we like to be if you keep barking ultimatums atme.
Besides, Theo, I am lighter than you, far lighter than any of the Spartans.I will go up the steps in front of the Major, tripping any trap before he goesup.”
“I don’t want that,” I said.
“Oh, bother!” she laughed andwheeled around me and up the black steps with all the grace and speed of agymnast.
I held my breath along with Theo,but she made it to the landing without any explosions. My Sergeant and I bothlet out a sigh of relief.
Cloverfield chuckled,
“And since Iwas a MI6 operative before I was assigned to you, I will take the high road.”
Though the front of the buildingseemed egg skin smooth, he scaled it easily like a mountain-climber born.
He laughed as he paused at thewindow.
“If the cards are stacked against you, reshuffle the deck. Hello, thereseems to be a trip wire or three here.”
“A half dozen Sentient informsme. There is a master lock pick set on the right side of your helmet where yourear would be.”
He reached up and found it. Hetwisted it and took it off his helmet, studying it.
“Oh, ho, now this lookspromising.”
“Be careful, James,” called outRachel, “there is a massive lock on this door I may need your help with.”
I shook my head, holding up my rightforefinger from which sprouted a nasty-looking skeleton key.
“I’ll be rightthere.”
I walked cautiously up thestairs, remembering how Mr. Morton had rigged a bomb to go off only when hisintended victim’s brain waves triggered it.
‘Nothing in life is certain. Fatedoes not owe you anything, and if it decides to take something from you itwill.
You must accept this truth. Accept the dreadful possibility that yourblind optimism is merely a fancied lie.’
‘You’re a real beacon in thestorm, Sentient.’
I took a deep breath and moved upthe stairs, trying not to clench up with each step. It was slow going.
Step.
Deep breath.
Step.
Fighting not to swallow hard.
Step.
Flinching a bit when the woodcreaked.
Step.
Nearly jumping out of my skinwhen Cloverfield snapped,
“Hold on there, mate. What’sgoing on?”
I managed to swallow with a drythroat.
“Mr. Morton once devised a bomb that would only go off when the exactset of brain waves of his intended target were within a foot of it.”
“Bloody Hell!” cursed Rachel. “Then,my little ballet act was for ….”
My clear visor on my Spartanhelmet went bright arterial red. Sentient took over my body, flinging my right armup high.
A flexible metal cable shot out ofthe palm of my bandaged right hand.
With a rasping hiss, the cable lassoed out.
It looped around the metal landing railing where Rachel stood open-mouthed.
‘Hold onto it tight! You’re goingfor a ride! Tuck up those big feet under that rump.’
My back snapped painfully as I waswhipped quickly up through the air.
The winds of my flight made me want to sneeze.
‘Don’t you dare! You must lookheroic. Sneeze, and I drop you!’
I heroically fought the sneeze …and won.
The step hiding Mr. Morton’sdeadly bomb went off, deafening me for a heartbeat.
The bomb had been a smallone. He only wanted to kill me in front of my still alive demoralized men.
Sentient took over my body again,making me land like a human cougar beside Rachel.
I had to appear unfazed. I winkedat Rachel.
“Think MI6 taught Cloverfieldthat trick?”
He looked over at me. He lookedas shaken as I felt.
“So, those hands were worth the pain, right?”
I didn’t hesitate. “No.”
He snorted, “Didn’t think so.”
I smiled at Rachel. “Makes youeager to pick that lock, huh?’
“Do I look like a ruddy fool?”
