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Authors: Alex Siegel
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dangerous."
Aaron paced back and forth on the sidewalk. The cynic in him kept insisting he should just walk away and be glad he had escaped with his life intact.
On the other hand, his current life was no picnic. Unpaid bills and desperate loneliness waited for him back at his apartment, and his long term prospects were not great, either. The Chicago Police Department had stained his record with enough black marks that he could never work in law enforcement again, at least not officially. He wasn't interested in doing much else. He certainly didn't have the temperament or skills for an office job.
When he looked at Marina's beautiful face, the decision became easier. He wanted to be with her, even if that meant making insane, uninformed, illogical choices.
"I'm in," he said, "all the way."
"Congratulations." She shook his hand. "Welcome to the Chicago cell of the Gray Spear Society. Never speak our name to outsiders. Now, let's hurry. You drive, and I'll give directions."
They climbed into his car, which was parked on the street.
As he started the engine, he asked, "Where to?"
"Downtown, intersection of Lower Wacker Drive and Wabash."
Aaron drove off, excited that he would finally get some answers. Now that he had made his big decision, he felt more relaxed. Adventure lay ahead, and there was no turning back, so he might as well just enjoy the ride. I'm in the Gray Spear Society, whatever that is.
"Can I ask questions now?"
"Not quite yet," Marina said. "Ethel likes to do the big introduction speeches, and she'll be mad if I steal her thunder. I'll tell you a few things though. As you already know, Ethel is your commander, and she runs the cell. Her title is decurion . Follow her orders and don't talk back. She hates insubordination. Victor, you, and I are called legionnaires . We do all the field work. We're like the secret agents."
"Are those words Roman?"
"Yes. We're an ancient society. Our cell also has some caculas or assistants, who you will meet at headquarters. Technically, they work for you, but I strongly recommend you treat them with respect. Some day you might need them to go the extra mile and a half to save your ass."
"Got it." He nodded.
"That's our entire cell. Don't talk about our business with anybody else, under any circumstances, period. Not your mother, your drinking buddy, or your ex-wife. If you break that rule, the consequences will be worse than you can imagine, and not just for you."
"Are there other cells?"
"The Gray Spear Society protects the entire planet. There are seven divisions, each commanded by a legatus legionis. We're in the North American division, which encompasses the entire continent. There are twenty-two cells in our division, and each cell is responsible for a specific territory. The Chicago territory goes from the top of Minnesota to the bottom of Illinois, including Wisconsin. We're responsible for roughly ten million people. Our tiny team has to protect them all."
This is huge. Aaron thought. "Protect them from what?"
"No more questions!" Marina said. "Ethel will tell you the rest."
Wacker Drive formed the northern and western boundary of downtown Chicago. A road built on pillars, it offered a dramatic view of the Chicago River on one side, and a line of soaring skyscrapers on the other. Nearly every tourist bus made sure to include a trip down Wacker at some point.
Lower Wacker was not so fortunate. It ran directly beneath Wacker for most of its length, and the scenery consisted of concrete supports, steel beams, and historic grime. The river was visible on one side, but not enough to relieve the impression of driving through an endless, gloomy tunnel with too many dark shadows. Local traffic used Lower Wacker as a quick shortcut through a crowded city. It provided access to the basements of many buildings, and there were always delivery trucks parked in odd locations.
Aaron drove down the ramp at Wabash and entered Lower Wacker. The close walls and narrow
Aaron paced back and forth on the sidewalk. The cynic in him kept insisting he should just walk away and be glad he had escaped with his life intact.
On the other hand, his current life was no picnic. Unpaid bills and desperate loneliness waited for him back at his apartment, and his long term prospects were not great, either. The Chicago Police Department had stained his record with enough black marks that he could never work in law enforcement again, at least not officially. He wasn't interested in doing much else. He certainly didn't have the temperament or skills for an office job.
When he looked at Marina's beautiful face, the decision became easier. He wanted to be with her, even if that meant making insane, uninformed, illogical choices.
"I'm in," he said, "all the way."
"Congratulations." She shook his hand. "Welcome to the Chicago cell of the Gray Spear Society. Never speak our name to outsiders. Now, let's hurry. You drive, and I'll give directions."
They climbed into his car, which was parked on the street.
As he started the engine, he asked, "Where to?"
"Downtown, intersection of Lower Wacker Drive and Wabash."
Aaron drove off, excited that he would finally get some answers. Now that he had made his big decision, he felt more relaxed. Adventure lay ahead, and there was no turning back, so he might as well just enjoy the ride. I'm in the Gray Spear Society, whatever that is.
"Can I ask questions now?"
"Not quite yet," Marina said. "Ethel likes to do the big introduction speeches, and she'll be mad if I steal her thunder. I'll tell you a few things though. As you already know, Ethel is your commander, and she runs the cell. Her title is decurion . Follow her orders and don't talk back. She hates insubordination. Victor, you, and I are called legionnaires . We do all the field work. We're like the secret agents."
"Are those words Roman?"
"Yes. We're an ancient society. Our cell also has some caculas or assistants, who you will meet at headquarters. Technically, they work for you, but I strongly recommend you treat them with respect. Some day you might need them to go the extra mile and a half to save your ass."
"Got it." He nodded.
"That's our entire cell. Don't talk about our business with anybody else, under any circumstances, period. Not your mother, your drinking buddy, or your ex-wife. If you break that rule, the consequences will be worse than you can imagine, and not just for you."
"Are there other cells?"
"The Gray Spear Society protects the entire planet. There are seven divisions, each commanded by a legatus legionis. We're in the North American division, which encompasses the entire continent. There are twenty-two cells in our division, and each cell is responsible for a specific territory. The Chicago territory goes from the top of Minnesota to the bottom of Illinois, including Wisconsin. We're responsible for roughly ten million people. Our tiny team has to protect them all."
This is huge. Aaron thought. "Protect them from what?"
"No more questions!" Marina said. "Ethel will tell you the rest."
Wacker Drive formed the northern and western boundary of downtown Chicago. A road built on pillars, it offered a dramatic view of the Chicago River on one side, and a line of soaring skyscrapers on the other. Nearly every tourist bus made sure to include a trip down Wacker at some point.
Lower Wacker was not so fortunate. It ran directly beneath Wacker for most of its length, and the scenery consisted of concrete supports, steel beams, and historic grime. The river was visible on one side, but not enough to relieve the impression of driving through an endless, gloomy tunnel with too many dark shadows. Local traffic used Lower Wacker as a quick shortcut through a crowded city. It provided access to the basements of many buildings, and there were always delivery trucks parked in odd locations.
Aaron drove down the ramp at Wabash and entered Lower Wacker. The close walls and narrow
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