The Secrets of Xibalba (Hammer's War Book 5) Read online

  Hammer’s War Vol V

  The Secrets of Xibalba

  By

  James S McEwan

  DEDICATION

  To Greg Mason my brother from another mother. You have been my best friend for over twenty years now and what a hell of a ride! You have been the insperation behind St. Claire and my insperation in real life. Thanks for everything! Here is many years of freindship and many more books!

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  There are so many people that had a part in helping push me to get this one finished I just wanted to acknowledge all of you.

  My wife Noel and my kids Seamus and Kaitlyn.

  My best friend Greg for taking the time to edit this one.

  My Dad John McEwan for instilling in me my love of Sci Fi

  Copyright © 2019 James McEwan

  All rights reserved.

  Chapter 1

  “You’re sure about this?” Asked President Barros.

  “Yes, Mr. President. Completely sure. Everything we can find on the war between the Nephilim and the Eli points to a secret weapon that the Eli used to destroy the Nephilim once and for all,” Professor McEwan stated excitedly. His eyes twinkled when he was excited and right now, they were twinkling like a couple of pulsars.

  “And you concur Professor Mortlock?” President Connell Barros directed his question to the Orillia, who was so large they had to have a specially made chair for him.

  Professor Mortlock was the Orillia’s foremost expert on the Eli and more specifically the ancient Eli of the first and second ages. Not only was Professor Mortlock a scholar, but he was also quite the weekend warrior. To the professional gladiator fans, he was known as Mortlock the Destroyer.

  Mortlock had been on the former Republic of Commerce, the capital world of Isis when it had been attacked by the forces of the New Galactic Empire. And it was there that he lived up to his name. Mortlock was now locked in an epic battle with the Eli Valkyrie Kára, and that was how he came to be sitting in front of the President of the newly formed Terran Alliance of Worlds.

  “Oh, yes, Mr. President. There is no doubt that they had some kind of secret weapon, and we have found an obscure reference to where we believe they deployed it,” Mortlock said in his deep booming voice.

  “Mr. President we are fairly certain that Xibalba is where the last battle took place. We believe if the weapon still exits, it will be located there,” Professor McEwan adding to the end of Mortlock’s sentence.

  The young President had once been the Emperor of the Terran Emporium, but he had given it up when the Alliance was formed and he was elected President. Still, in his twenties, he barely had enough life experience to tie his own shoes, let alone led what was quickly becoming the single largest government in the known universe.

  Connell Barros may be young, yet he was smart, smart enough to know he didn’t have to be the smartest person in the room. He was smart enough to surround himself with the smartest people he could find and Professor McEwan and Mortlock were two of the smartest he had ever met.

  He sat digesting what they had told him. He picked up a silver cup that had been sitting on his desk. He held it in his hands for a moment still thinking. He took a sip and then set it back down. “Alright, if this weapon is on Xibalba, then I guess we need it. What do you need to find and retrieve said weapon?”

  “A ship of course and a team of archaeologists…” Professor McEwan was interrupted.

  “Marines, better send some of those too, I would image they might come in handy,” Mortlock interjected.

  President Barros rose and watched as the McEwan and Mortlock stood as well. “Thank you, gentlemen.”

  The President held out his hand and shook Professor McEwan’s hand first and said, “Assemble your team and I will authorize anything you need.”

  The President turned to shake Mortlock’s hand. “Thank you, Mr. President. We will be ready to depart within a day or two,” Mortlock said as he shook the Presidents hand. Mortlock noticed that the President’s hand looked like a child’s hand in his.

  After the two Professors, one human and one Orillia left the spacious office, President Barros looked at the hologram of his wife and young son that was floating a few inches off the top of his desk. He stared at them wishing he was with them right now instead of being in his office inundated with work. But he also knew the government wouldn’t run its self, so he went back to work. He waved his hand over his desk and a hologram of his secretary and bodyguard appeared. “Hugo,” he called out.

  The little hologram answered, “Yes Sir?”

  “Can you step in here and give me a brief on Super Commander Hayes please?”

  “Yes Sir, right away,” the hologram blinked out and a few seconds later the real Hugo, a tall strapping man with bronze skin and black hair, entered the room.

  “Have a seat and bring me up to speed.” President Barros directed as he sat down behind his desk.

  Hugo sat down and started, “Apparently, the Captain of the Daniel Wesson, Captain Peter Campbell, felt it was his responsibility to transport Commander Hayes back home.”

  Originally when President Barros had heard about the congressional order to have Amanda Hayes arrested and brought back to face a Court Martial, he did everything he could to stop it. When he couldn’t, he learned everything he could about who was behind it and who they had sent to carry out the order. “I bet that just chapped Colonel Latimer’s hide.”

  “Yes, Sir. In fact, Colonel Latimer was so incensed he has requested that Captain Campbell be Court Martialed as well,” Hugo passed the President the request.

  President Barros took the request and read over the charges, “I don’t see anything here that warrants the Fleet’s most senior Captain to stand for Court Martial. This seems rather petty on Colonel Latimer’s part if you ask me. I think I will personally deny this.” He grabbed one of two silver pens that were in holders on his desk. He wrote in big bold letters DENIED across the form before he signed it. He set the pen back in its holder and then stamped the form with the seal of the office of the President.

  Hugo resumed his briefing to the President, “The Daniel Wesson is due to pull into space dock for repairs sometime in the next twenty-four hours. Speaking of Colonel Latimer, I hear that he has already arranged for a very public arrest and perp walk. He plans to have Commander Hayes held at Lichgate military detention center.”

  “I may have to entertain the kangaroo court, but I’m still the President and Commander-in-Chief, and as long as I have any power, she will not spend a day in any prison. No, I think we should have her escorted to her home by a detachment of my personal guard and house arrest should be more than enough,” the President said as he signed the order that would make it happen.

  “I will see to it personally Sir.”

  “Thank you, Hugo. Now, any news of Mr. Hammer or the Commandos?”

  “Nothing new to report Sir. While we are the subject, Jim Grunt and thirty Marines chose to stay behind on New Hope to help the Amerons,” Hugo slipped in the bad news about the President’s close personal friend.

  “Jesus. Are all my senior military officers determined to make me look bad not to mention making me go grey way before my time?!?” President Barros threw down his pen at hearing this news.

  “I’m sorry Sir. I know that Jim was a close personal friend,” Hugo offered his sympathies. He personally believed the Commandant was on a suicide mission.

  “Don’t tell me sorry Hugo. It’s the NGE troops you should be saying sorry to. That crusty old bastard is tougher than nails and if he goes down, he will do it fighting. Jim Grunt has survived more shit than any human been should ha
ve. No, he will either save the Amerons or take a massive chunk of the enemy with him. Never the less, we should look at replacements just in case he doesn’t make it back.”

  “And if he makes it back Sir?” Hugo asked cautiously.

  “I’m sure that I will have to give him more medals just before I fire his ass for disobeying a direct order,” The President picked his silver cup and finished off his tea.

  “Very good Sir. Now is there anything else I can do for you, Sir?” Hugo stood and waited for his boss’s reply.

  “No. I think that is enough for now. Thank you, Hugo,” The President smiled and returned to the mountain of work he had on his desk.

  Chapter 2

  Her heart was pounding as she tried to calm her breathing. It had been a hard couple of months for Jenny, the former assistant to the Lord Marshall Drake. After making a recording of Seven masquerading as Drake she had gone on the run. The information that she carried could cause major discord among the Elites of the New Galactic Empire. Even though the Emperor ruled with an iron fist and most of the people under the control of the NGE were being turned into Necromorph soldiers, the Emperor still needed the support of the elites and their forces. Without their support, the NGE would crumble and fall apart.

  Seven had no intention letting the recording get out. He would have taken care of her, and the recording, himself if it weren’t for the fact he was busy running the war. Instead, he put out an extremely heavy bounty on her head and every two-bit hunter and skip tracer in the galaxy was on the hunt for her.

  Jenny had several close calls already. During the last encounter, she ended up killing the bounty hunter and had to leave in a hurry. She had fled the planet she was on without her belongings. Now with no money, no ID, and with warrant’s, as well as a bounty, she had little choices. She had stolen the deceased bounty hunter’s ship and then run out of fuel. After landing on a commerce planet, she was attempting to sell the ship when she was spotted by a Fabian hunter.

  After a short chase, Jenny had managed to lose the Fabian in the crowd of the market. She had ducked inside a small shop that sold all manner of handbags. Normally she would have enjoyed browsing the shop, but she wasn’t here on a shopping trip.

  Jenny looked both ways and, not seeing the large Fabian hunter, took a chance and left the shop. She walked for a while not really knowing where she was going. She was half looking for a bank or banking terminal that she could hack for funds while she was keeping an eye out for the hunter.

  “Hey pretty lady, you need help?” The question came off to the side of her. She looked around, but couldn’t find who asked it.

  “Over here,” said the short, slim, but attractive Asian man who was waving at her.

  She approached him cautiously, “What makes you think I need help?”

  “Oh, I have seen that look before,” he answered her.

  “And what look is that?” Jenny asked as she looked around nervously.

  “That look! The look little bunny rabbits get right before they get their necks broken and end up in the soup,” the little man said looking around trying to see what she was looking for.

  “No, I am good. I don’t need any help,” Jenny replied as she turned to walk away.

  The little man called after her, “You no lie so good.” He called after her.

  Jenny just kept on walking.

  “Hey pretty lady I can help really I can,” he called again after her. She just waved him off and continued to walk through the market.

  She got two stalls away when a strong dirty hand grabbed her shoulder and yanked her off her feet. “No use running little girl. I will find you, I always do.” It was the Fabian he had found her and now he had his hands on her.

  “Hey big man, I think the lady doesn’t like you putting your hands on her,” it was the little Asian man again.

  “Piss off shorty and mind your own business,” The Fabian said in his heavy Russian accent.

  Jenny tried to shrug off his hand, but his grip was far too tight. “I think you should let the pretty lady go before I have to stop being polite,” The little Asian man said calmly.

  “Look you little shit, she is worth a lot of coin to me and if you don’t get lost you are going to get hurt,” To back up his threat he drew a large pistol and pointed at the smaller man’s head.

  “Alright, but just remember I tried being polite first!”

  “Fuck off!” The Fabian said right before his wrist snapped and his pistol was pointing back at him.

  The little Asian was fast, wicked fast. Before the Fabian could even scream the man twisted the gun from his grasp and tossed it over his shoulder. “There that’s better, I don’t like firearms.”

  The Fabian let go of Jenny and screamed, “I going to fucking kill you!”

  The Asian winked at Jenny then said to the big man, “You are welcome to try.”

  The Fabian threw a massive haymaker punch with his good hand. The little man easily side-stepped it while slapping his fist down. This only angered the big Fabian more. He followed it up with a wide backhand that went over the little man’s head.

  “Is that the best you got?” The little man taunted the bigger man.

  Jenny just stood there watching the fight unfold before her. She wasn’t sure to run or wait and see what happened next. The Fabian hunter grabbed a metal pole that was holding up a nearby awning. He wrenched it free and swung it with conviction. The little man just danced around each swing being careful to avoid being hit. All this did was further fuel his anger.

  He was smashing just about everything in sight except the one thing he wanted to smash more than anything. People were running for their lives and it wasn’t long before the whistles that would summon the market police were blowing loud and clear.

  The little man was toying with the Fabian as if he were a cat playing with a mouse before killing it. He almost seemed to be having fun. At one point he stopped and smiled at Jenny who cringed when the Fabian landed a blow. The steel pipe just barely connected with the little man’s lip. It slashed it open and blood flowed freely down his chin. He wiped the blood from his chin and Jenny watched his demeanor change. He was done showing off. It was time that he got down to business.

  He avoided two more swings when he reached over to a table that had not been smashed or knocked over and grabbed up a woman’s scarf. He moved with great speed that impressed Jenny. He wrapped the scarf around the end of the pole and then with all of his body weight he jumped and spun. The twisting force he created was more than the Fabian’s grip and the pole was twisted out of his hand. Next, he landed serval quick kicks to his midsection which caused the big man to stumble back a few steps.

  The Fabian shock off the kicks and charged the little man like a mad bull. Not expecting that move the little man said “Aha,” as he scrambled out of the way. The Fabian just missed connecting with him but instead connected with another steel pole that was holding up a lamp. His head made a wonderful clang as it bounced off the steel. He stammered back obviously dazed.

  The little man ran up his back and wrapped his arms around the big man’s neck. He looked a bit like a monkey on his back. The big man tried to pull him off, but with only one good hand he couldn’t get a good grip. The little man pulled with everything he had and slowly he tightened his hold enough to start cutting off the blood flow to the bigger man’s head.

  The Fabian stumbled around like a drunken hunch back before finally falling to his knees and then on to his face. As soon as the little man was sure he was out for real and not faking it he let go. He slipped his arms free from the big man’s neck and then stood up and said, “I wasn’t sure that was going to work, he had a neck like a damn Elephant.”

  Just then he looked over to see a woman pointing him out to several market police officers. He grabbed Jenny’s hand and said, “Time to go, pretty lady,” and with that, he pulled her into a run. The two of them ran through the shop and out the back.

  He guided her through n
umerous twists and turns. Soon she was out of breath and couldn’t run any farther. “Stop, I need to catch my breath,” she said trying to breathe between every word.

  The man stopped and the fact that he wasn’t breathing hard kind of irritated her, “it’s okay pretty lady we are here,” he said as he pointed to the door of a five-star hotel.

  Jenny looked at the hotel then back at the man who had just saved her, “Why here?” She asked.

  He took her hand and pulled her towards the doors, “My boss would like to meet you.”

  Jenny pulled back not sure if she had just been saved only to be captured by another bounty hunter, it wouldn’t be the first time bounty hunters have fought over a prize. “I’m not so sure I want to meet the boss.”

  He smiled and gently took her hand again, “No worries pretty lady, my boss is a great guy and will help you I promise.”

  Not sure what else to do, Jenny relented and followed the man into the hotel. “So, are you ever going to tell me your name?” She asked as they pushed through the revolving door.

  “Dong,” he smiled at her.

  “My name is Jenny. It is nice to meet you,” she said.

  Dong led her through the lobby to the elevators. She thought they were going to get on one of them, but instead, he walked past them and took a turn down a hallway. At the end of the hallway was another elevator door with a security pad instead of a normal call button. Dong placed his hand on the pad which lit up and a scanner read his hand print. A moment later the doors opened. Dong stood in the doorway and held out his arm indicated for her to step inside.

  Jenny had come this far and she felt that she really didn’t have much of a choice. Her combat training was no match for Dong’s skills, so she stepped inside while trying to control her breathing. Her heart was pounding and she was sweating. This was not due to the long run she had just completed, it was the fear of just who was she about to meet.