Chapter Twenty-Six
We reach the island without incident. The others started studying the map on the way here. Now as we huddle in a small cave I look at the piece of laminated paper. The island is essentially a large isosceles triangle with the base at the center of the thick end. We’re at the opposite end. I ask everyone what they think.
The good news is: everyone’s got a plan.
The bad news is: everyone’s got a different plan.
“We need to hit them with everything we’ve got,” Chad says. “A full frontal assault where we annihilate anything that moves.”
“I think we need to creep up on the compound,” Brodie suggests. “Then create a diversion by blowing something up and attacking –”
“We can tunnel under,” Dan says thoughtfully. “Or leave a wooden horse out the front like they did with Troy –”
Okay, now it’s getting weird.
I hold up a hand. “There are some good ideas here. Can anyone suggest a single coordinated plan?”
No one says anything.
Chad looks to each of us like we’re stupid and marches out of the cave.
“What are you doing?” I follow him.
“You people are fools,” he says. “I’ll have this whole mission completed by the time you’ve worked out north from south.”
He exits from view. I shake my head in amazement.
“What is his problem?” I ask.
Ebony glares at me. “That’s my brother you’re talking about.”
“Look, I didn’t mean –”
She’s already out of the cave. The rest of us follow her just in time to see Chad starting up the cliff face. It’s an easy climb and he’s most of the way up by the time we start after him. When we reach the top he’s already following a trail through the thick foliage.
I get a bad feeling about this.
Why is there a trail through the undergrowth unless its –
Unless it’s a trap.
At that same instant I see the wire spread out across the path.
“Chad!” I scream. “Stop!”
He turns at the last second, but it’s too late. A bolt of electricity, a blue and white jagged line of fire, arcs out of nowhere. It catches him full in the chest. The impact throws him twenty feet into the jungle.
“No!” Ebony screams.
Everyone starts forward in panic, but I’m able to stop myself. One injured person is enough. I work out the location of the generator and take it out with a single invisible ball of energy. Now it can’t hurt anyone else.
Chad is motionless and pale by the time we reach him. There is a burnt, black hole scarring the middle of his chest. Brodie is checking his pulse. She looks up at me, her face filled with dismay.
“He’s not breathing,” she says. “I think he’s dead.”
Under any normal circumstances any of us would produce a phone and ring for help. Unfortunately none of us own phones. Plus we have no idea as to our location.
We start CPR. Ebony presses down rhythmically on his chest as I deliver mouth to mouth. The last person on Earth I would normally want to suck face with is Chad, but right now I’m prepared to sacrifice my macho image. The minutes pass slowly. At first I think we’ve lost him. It’s like his body has given up completely. Maybe his heart has been destroyed by the bolt of electricity. Ebony is crying. Even Dan has tears in his eyes.
How could The Agency do something like this? Have they no idea of right and wrong? Then I think of Twelve. He’s not even human. If his people have been here on Earth for hundreds – or thousands – of years they would have seen millions of humans grow old and die.
Killing a teenager would be no big deal at all.
Would it?
Then Chad groans. He reaches up blindly with one hand and pushes me away. It takes him a few seconds to focus on the circle of faces around him. Finally he stares directly at me.
“You’re damn ugly,” he says.
“I think he’s going to be okay,” I tell the others.
No sooner is Chad on his feet than Ebony slaps him. The sound is like a bullet in the silent jungle.
“You are an idiot,” she says furiously.
Chad’s chin quakes. For a moment I think he’s going to cry. Then he dips his head. “I’m sorry, sis. Really sorry.”
She throws her arms around him and bursts into tears. We let the family reunion continue for another minute before Brodie finally clears her throat.
“This is all very well and good, but –”
“But we’ve got to get going,” Chad says. “How long was I out?”
“Too long.” Brodie checks her watch. “We have less than two hours to reach the complex.”
“Okay,” he says, looking up at me. “I think we need to decide on a single plan.”
“Agreed.”
“What do you think we should do?” he asks.
It takes me a moment to realize he’s asking my opinion. Maybe the electricity has jolted some sense into him. I produce the map again. Everyone had some good ideas and I think we can merge a few of them together to produce a successful strategy.
“Here’s what I think we should do,” I tell them. “We split into two groups. Group one will create a diversion at the far end of the island. Hopefully that will draw forces away from the base.
“The other group will circle around and move in from the point closest to the compound at the short end of the triangle. From there to the obelisk should only be a few hundred feet.”
“Sure,” Brodie raises an eyebrow. “Sounds easy.”
I ignore her. “I suggest Chad and Dan create the diversion.”
“What makes you think I’m capable of causing trouble?” Chad asks with a straight face.
I ignore him too. “Ebony, Brodie and I will head to the compound. I think we can reach the obelisk between the three of us.”
We synchronize watches. I remind everyone that Mr. Brown warned us that live ammunition is being used. Just before we part ways, I turn to Chad. “And watch out for trip wires.”
He laughs. “You too.”
We have an hour to make our way around the circumference of the island. It’s tough going. Not only do we have to climb over the rocky coastline, but we have to watch out for traps and cameras. By the time we reach our position on the coast, we’re hot and sticky in the late morning sun.
The cliff rising up from the shore is steep as compared to the other sections of the island. I even wonder if it’s been purpose built by The Agency to deter attacks during exercises such as this. We climb up the cliff carefully and make our way into the thick vegetation.
It looks impenetrable. It’s no surprise that Chad got zapped. Any sensible person would take a path. Of course, they would almost certainly be killed, but their last moments would be spent on a pleasant trail as opposed to a hot, bug infested woodland.
“We need to hurry,” Brodie whispers.
The jungle takes another fifteen minutes to navigate. We discover three trip wires on the way. One is attached to a massive blade poised to swing down and slice the innocent victim in half.
I shake my head in disbelief when I see the device. Mr. Brown wasn’t kidding when he said they were using live ammunition, but surely this is a little too serious for a training exercise. What are they trying to do? Get us killed?
This is a sobering thought. I remember the warning Doctor Richards gave me about not being able to trust everyone within The Agency. Could all this just be an elaborate way to get rid of us?
No. It’s ridiculous. These people actually want us to survive.
They’ve just got a strange way of showing it.
We push through some bushes and find a metal fence in front of us. It’s obviously not there to welcome visitors. It’s about twelve feet high with barbed wire running across it at one foot intervals. My first concern is that it’s electrified.
Brodie tilts her head. “Do you hear that?”
“I
t’s electricity.” I was right. “We need to disconnect the power.”
“How long till Chad and Dan create the diversion?” Ebony asks.
Before I get a chance to reply, I hear a sound like a mighty wind sweeping through the forest.
I look up to see the sky falling.