All things Max and the Gatekeeper

Here is chapter one to book V in the Max and the Gatekeeper series. I hope you enjoy it.

Camps

Boom! Boom! Boom! A loud bass drum vibrated through the air.

“Do you think they have a chance?” asked Sundance, a tall average built man, his reddish hair pulled back with a leather tie. He was dressed in black clothing.

“Not without our help,” responded Sam, a twenty-something male. Thin, of medium-height, and freckled-faced with straight brown hair, he stared through his binoculars. Sam spied a make-shift fort, roughly the size of two football fields, surrounded by a wall of piled debris consisting of trees, bricks, old cars, and barbed wire piled approximately twenty feet high. The two men lay nestled among a cluster of tall weeds at the top of a small hill.

“I sometimes think there aren’t enough of us to win this war,” Sundance lamented. “Look at the sheer numbers we’re up against. It’s like a million to one. Granted, we have the technological advantage but, magically, we are behind the curve. They are destroying camps, towns, and cities left and right, or assimilating them.”

“Don’t worry. We are bringing in more every day. We have some powerful allies on our side fighting the same fight all over the universe. We will take Hudich’s empire one piece at a time,” Sam replied.

“I hope you’re right. I, for one, would like to know more. Don’t get me wrong. I love the weapons, but I would like my magical skills to be up to snuff,” Sundance said. “And those drums mean we aren’t in for a good night. The enemy is coming.”

“Your talents will improve, just give it time. You can’t run a marathon without proper training,” Sam continued. “It was only two years ago, I could only do a few things and they kept me and my friend, Linda, alive until help arrived.” He handed the binoculars to Sundance.

“Let’s hope we can keep these people alive a little longer too,” Sundance muttered.

“We need to get them word to keep all the lights on. Trying to hide in the dark only puts them at greater risk,” Sam noted.

“You and I know that, but you know how fond these groups are of strangers. It’s hard to trust anyone now-a-days, but you can’t blame them. Not only are there evil things roaming the lands, but clans fighting over food, land, and other supplies.” Sundance focused on a section of the wall. “I think I found the front gate.”

“Where?” Sam tried to spot the area with his naked eyes.

“The center of the left wall. There are an awful lot of guards at that location. Most of the other sections only have a handful of watchmen,” Sundance indicated. “So, how do you want to do this?”

Boom! Boom! Boom! The drums pounded out again.

“Have we tried to establish radio contact?” Sam questioned, studying the section of wall his friend had pointed out.

“I put Jim on it.” Sundance passed the binoculars back to Sam.

“Let’s move back and see if he’s had any luck.” Sam slid down the small hill, with Sundance right behind him.

They wove their way back into a small stand of trees at the bottom of a gully and out of sight of the camp. A man named Jim sat in the shade with an old radio, trying to make contact on each frequency. Another dozen men occupied positions to watch the perimeter of the small base, each carrying a small arsenal of advanced Olik-type weapons.

“What’s the word?” Sam asked Jim as he continued to fiddle with the radio.

“Well, I’ve had a couple of nice conversations with a few folks who are either in hiding or trying to lure victims out into the open. As far as the complex, nada.” Jim frowned. “I’ve been warning them about the coming attack. If they are listening, they should know.”

“Keep trying.” Sam patted him on the shoulder.

“So, what do you want to do?” Sundance asked.

“I guess I’m going to have to go knock on their front door.” Sam started handing his weapons to Sundance. “I’ll keep my radio, although they will probably confiscate it. Take my communicator. If you think this is going to get ugly, call for backup.”

“Will backup be able to respond in time?” Sundance questioned, accepting all of Sam’s equipment.

“I hope so.” Sam shrugged his shoulders. “Because there is no guarantee these people will believe me or let me go after I get in. You will have a hard time reaching me in that situation.”

“Are you sure you want to go in?” Sundance questioned with raised eyebrows.

“Yeah.” Sam checked his watch. “We only have about five hours until sunset. We better hurry. I want to give them as much time as possible, so at least they can release me before dark.”

“Five hours isn’t a lot of time to convince them to head west,” Sundance observed.

“First things first, I’m just going to try to convince them to let us help them and keep the lights on. I’ll worry about getting them to head to the Rocky Mountains later.”

“Good thinking.”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“You better follow me up to a safe distance. I don’t want to be caught out there by something we haven’t seen,” Sam said.

The two men found a dry riverbed which allowed them to move without being seen from the makeshift fort. The wind rustled the leaves and the weeds, creating the only sound in what seemed like a lifeless world. No birds or other wildlife stirred or made noises of any kind. An occasional disturbance would reach them from the direction of the camp, but it was obvious they were trying to be as quiet as possible.

Sam brought them to a halt when they were almost in a direct line with the entrance. They waited in the trees, studying the layout and listening for the unknown.

Sam’s heart rate increased and his palms turned sweaty. “Well.” He swallowed.

“Good luck. I’ll cover you as far as I can without being spotted,” Sundance promised. “Be extra careful. You know how crazy these drums make people.”

Sam climbed out of the riverbed and up a small hill towards the fort. When he reached full view of the structure, he raised his hands above his head and started forward slowly.

It wasn’t until he was within fifty yards that he could make out all the weapons pointed at him. There were at least a dozen assault rifles trained on him as he continued to take one slow step at a time. “I come in peace,” he shouted when he was within thirty yards of the gate.

“That’s far enough,” a voice commanded through a megaphone. “Either turn around now or lay down on the ground. If you attempt to come any closer, you will be shot.”

Sam kept his hands in the air while getting into a kneeling position and then brought them down to lie on the ground.

The instant he was flat the gate flew open and several four wheelers zipped out of the gate, along with about a dozen armed men. The vehicles created a dust cloud as they circled him, their engines breaking the tense silence.

“Hands behind your back,” a man screamed when the group reached his location and everyone pointed weapons at him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Sam placed his hands behind his back and a man tied them together while driving his knee painfully into Sam’s spine. Once he was secured, a couple men stepped forward and lifted Sam off the ground.

“I come in peace,” Sam repeated.

“Shut up.” One of the men punched him hard in the gut, causing Sam to double over in pain and gasp for air. “We’ll ask the questions. You wanted to come inside, well that will be under our conditions. If we don’t like your answers, we will either expel you or kill you.”

“Aren’t you glad you approached the gate,” another said and chuckled in his ear before a hood was pulled over his head and the world went dark. “If your friends want to see you again, they better stop pounding on those drums.”

Sam felt like a sack of potatoes. His captors didn’t seem too concerned with how well they treated their prisoner. He was bumped, kicked, and shoved. With his hands bound behind his back, he had no way to break his fall. Every time he stumbled he hit the ground hard. Then someone would immediately yank him back to his feet.

They made him march blindly for what seemed like several hundred yards before they removed his hood. He stood in an otherwise darkened room, with extremely bright lights blinding his vision. Sam couldn’t tell how many people were in the room. Only shadowy outlines danced occasionally at the periphery of his vision between the lights.

“Who are you? What reason do you have for approaching our walls?” a deep voice roared at him. “And what’s with the war drums?”

“My name is Sam. I am here to help you,” Sam stated boldly. “I am not connected to those drums.”

“Here…to help us.”

A roar of laughter told Sam there was a large crowd gathered in the room.

“What makes you think we need your help?” the same deep voice asked. “We are well protected and well informed. We know about your group of men down in the riverbed. And I’m sure your army is nearby. What is your real purpose here?”

“We came to help you. You are in extremely great danger,” Sam stated. “If you last the night, you will need to head west. There is a well-organized society in the Rocky Mountains. You will be safe with them.”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“Really? We just up and leave with twenty-five hundred people and supplies. That sounds like a ploy to get us out in the open so you and your people can slaughter us and steal our property.” A female voice spoke this time.

“I guarantee you. We are here to help. We only stand a real chance if we join forces,” Sam urged. “You are vastly outnumbered and you are not as well informed as you think you are. You have been cut off from the real news.”

“We have our sources,” a different man interjected.

“What sources? Those news broadcasts? They are lies and propaganda meant to trick you into thinking you are safe. I’ve been out there. I’ve seen what’s coming tonight and it isn’t anything you can defend against.” Sam spoke more confidently than before.

“This is just another con artist trying to trick us into losing our possessions or worse,” another bellowed. “Toss him over the wall or slay him, but I don’t want to hear any more lies.”

The crowd volume in the room continued to grow with everyone trying to speak on top of each other.

“Give me a chance to prove myself,” Sam shouted above the din, bringing silence.

“And how do you plan to do that?”

“By fighting with you tonight. My men and I can keep you alive if you listen to me,” Sam informed them.

“We don’t need this fool. We have already withstood several assaults in the past and against great odds,” one argued.

The roar of the crowd started to build again. The tone and the comments were not in Sam’s favor. Slowly and steadily a chant began and continued to grow. “Throw him out! Throw him out!”

“This battle will not be like any other,” Sam yelled as loud as he could.

“How?” The crowd roared together.

“What do you know?”

“Throw him out!”

“The things you are about to fight will not be only human!” Sam shouted again. “They will not spare women or children.”

The chant changed to laughter and calls of “You’re mad! You’re crazy!”

“You won’t be dealing with conventional weapons,” Sam continued to holler above the mocking throng.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“QUIET!” a loud deep voice shouted above the crowd and the roar disappeared. “What sort of weapons are we facing?”

“Magical weapons,” Sam spoke in a normal voice.

“He’s out of his mind!” The roars and chants returned, more raucous than before. “Throw him out.”
“He’s wasting our time. This is some kind of ploy.”

“I can prove it,” Sam shouted again.

“He’s trying to trick us. He’s a devil. Toss him out.”

“QUIET!” the same deep voice shouted again. “Before I came to you, I was in a battle that matches his description. Creatures stormed out of the dark and slaughtered us. We managed to kill a few but we were outnumbered and outmatched. The battle was over quickly. It was only blind luck that I survived. The other few survivors were carried away.”

“I and my men can help you. It will not be easy but if you want to survive you must do as I say,” Sam affirmed.

“You said you can prove they will fight with magical weapons. How?” another questioned.

“Like this. Izginim se.” Sam disappeared right in front of them.

“Where did he go?” Several gasped.

“I told you he’s a devil,” others exclaimed.

“Do you really think I’m your prisoner?” Sam spoke from a new section of the room, turning the heads of the crowd. A few seconds later he spoke again, “I am here to help. Otherwise, I could leave at will on my own power.”

He used a spell to untie his bindings and slipped into the bleachers until he was standing by the man who supported his story. “Prikazim se!” He reappeared.

Most of the people in the immediate area where Sam showed himself, scrambled away from him in fear. The man who had supported Sam’s claims jumped a little but remained where he was.

“How did you do that?” the man asked.

“Magic. It’s real and I can teach you how to use it. My name is Sam and I am really here to help.” Sam extended his hand.

The man eyed it for a moment, then accepted it. “I’m John.”

Boom! Boom! Boom! The drum beats grew louder and stronger.

“Don’t trust him. It is the power of the devil that is going to fight devils,” a woman shouted in a shaky voice.

“Have you not heard a house divided cannot stand? How could the kingdom of the devil stand if I destroy his followers with his power?” Sam reasoned. “Those drums will continue to increase as the enemy approaches. If you want my help, we need to start preparing now. Otherwise, my men and I will leave you to your fate.”

“Why would you help us?” one questioned. “Don’t get me wrong. I want your help, but why?”

“Because you are needed. There is a bigger war being waged. We can’t win without the help of people standing for good.”

John rose to his feet and waved his arms, silencing the crowd. “All in favor of accepting help from Sam and his men, say ‘aye.’”

There was a loud chorus of “ayes.”

“Those against?” John asked.

A small spattering of “nays” returned.

“The ayes have it,” John pronounced. “Now, Sam, what’s first?”

“Send someone to retrieve my men from the riverbed. We also need to gather all the lights you can find. We need to make this place look like a tree on Christmas morning,” Sam ordered.

“Won’t that give away our position?” a man questioned.

“Yes, but what chases away darkness better than light?” Sam smiled.

“What else do we need to do?” John asked.

“Do you have maps of the surrounding areas, and what kind of supplies do you have, especially weapons? We need to set up a planning area. I may be able to bring in additional help,” Sam responded.

“How? More magic?” the people questioned curiously.

“Not exactly, but it may seem that way.” Sam smiled, trying to ease people’s fear of the unknown.

“What do you need maps for? Offense?” a short stalky man asked.

“Anyone who tries to go on the attack tonight will be lost, but we might be able to lay down some traps.”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“Do your people make regular runs outside the camp on four wheelers?” Sam questioned.

“Yes,” John responded.

“Start sending people out on regular patrols and mock errands. We need to create a lot of dust. That should allow us to set some surprises.”

###

Within a half an hour, Sundance and the others had been brought inside the fort, and had set up an operations center in the area where Sam was questioned. Plus, they had designated a spot to open the gateway.

“Why aren’t we just taking these people out?” Sundance asked.

“Unfortunately, we aren’t the only battle going on at the moment. Access to the gateway is tight right now. There are missions being run through it non-stop. When we have a window, they will bring us through. Plus, always running from your enemy isn’t a good thing. And, reducing their numbers is always a positive,” Sam advised.

“I can’t argue with that, but there are women and children here. Maybe we need more gateways?”

“There are plans for that as well.” Sam patted Sundance on the shoulder.

Boom! Boom! Boom, sent shockwaves through the air. An occasional inhuman, hair-raising scream joined the chorus of drums, which added even more tension to the situation. By now everyone pretty much ignored the drums, rushing about to get things done, when the scream stopped everyone in their tracks.

“How much fuel do you have? Or is there a supply nearby?” Sam questioned after a group stood around studying several maps for a while.

“I’m Mark. We have a good supply but are trying to ration it. We understand we may need to flee when our other supplies run low,” said a short stocky man who introduced himself while adding the information.

“We’re going to need all you have,” Sam reported. “You aren’t going to need it after tomorrow, and we have a faster way of getting everyone out of here. We just need an open window.”

“How are we going to leave without fuel?” John questioned. “I don’t think we can spare any at all.”

“Your lives depend on sacrificing everything tonight. You’ll understand more tomorrow, I promise.”

Sam and his men spent the last few hours before sundown preparing the people of the small fort for the coming attack. They faced resistance to using the fuel and to rerouting all of their electrical wiring to place almost every available light around the walls and on the rooftops of the make-shift fort. The drums and high-pitched screams continued to grow in volume and frequency, generating fear among all the inhabitants of the camp.

After positioning his men, with their futuristic weapons, at key locations along the wall, Sam and Sundance joined John and a few of the other leaders on the top of a tower inside the perimeter.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“Do you think we’ll make it?” John questioned with a grim expression.

“With a little luck, we just might,” Sam responded.

“A little luck and an open gateway.” Sundance squinted into the setting sun.

“And this gateway is, again?” John asked as the sun sank behind the hills.

“A machine that can transport us anywhere in the universe in no time at all. We can move all of your people out of here in about a half an hour,” Sam replied.

In the fading light along the horizon, coming from every direction, dark twisted shapes of varying sizes massed. The drums continued to pound out a steady beat and the high-pitched screams grew in strength and number. A constant chatter of excited creatures and men matched a strange dance coming from the dark shadowy figures. Several of the monsters circling the compound were massive, while others flapped bat-like wings to rise into the air before descending to the ground a few seconds later.

The drum beats began to increase to a steady, Boom! Boom! Boom…Boom! Boom! Boom...Boom! Boom! Boom! The twisted forms of the surrounding army began to stamp their feet and beat their weapons in unison with the drums, creating a roar like thunder over the entire area.

“Should we turn on the lights?” John questioned, his eyes darting nervously around the awaiting doom.

“Not yet. We want to hurt them. Darkness hates light. Wait until they are upon us for it to have the greatest impact. If we turn them on too soon, they will use weapons or magic to try to destroy them. But, when they are blinded, they are easy targets.” Sundance cocked his weapon and positioned it so it was resting on a rail while he sighted it on a section of the enemy.

Sam glanced at the ever darkening sky. “Dark of the moon. Their favorite time.”

“I like ruining that for them.” Sundance grinned.

Dusk slowly changed into night and the beat and screams continued to send a shockwave of fear over the camp. When the night grew so complete that the shapes of the twisted creatures and men were barely visible, the drums stopped. Dead silence settled over the area for a few moments, then a hair-raising scream propelled the surrounding army forward.

The black mass rushed forward with a reckless frenzy. They raced over the fields like flood water. Many among the surge launched themselves into the air and advanced quickly towards the camp.

“WAIT FOR IT!” Sam called to John above the roar from the oncoming attackers.

John held a shaky finger against the switch to turn on the lights. “There’s so many of them.”

The twisted forms welled up like a massive wave, and seconds before it crashed upon the camp, Sam screamed. “NOW!”

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