“Are you ignoring me?” I could sense her stress level increase.
“I’m a little busy,” I said dryly.
“Did I do something to offend you?”
“No. I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Well, I know what you’re planning to do, and I want in,” she said with a firm tone.
“I bet you do,” I muttered under my breath.
“What?”
“I said no, absolutely not.” I looked her in the eyes, my expression one of obvious disregard.
“So you’d rather take a slow and useless human along than someone who can help tip the scales a little more in your favor? That makes a whole lot of sense.”
“He’s not useless; he’s my friend,” I countered defensively. “What do you care anyway?”
“I find it actually funny that you ask me that,” she scoffed. “You’re not the only one with a friend out there. Why are you being so selfish and only thinking of yourself when there are others who are willing to help you. I don’t get you.”
“It’s probably because I don’t trust anyone here. All I’ve been told are supposed truths and half-truths. But, you want to go? Fine,” I said and turned away. I could feel myself losing my temper. “Don’t get in the way and don’t expect me to save you again.”
I was breathing hard, taking quick, shallow breaths that barely filled my lungs, and I could feel myself getting lightheaded. Kara moved closer to me and grabbed my shoulder with one hand, turning me towards her. With the other hand, she held my chin delicately, forcing me to look into her eyes.
“There is something else, isn’t there,” she said, studying my face. “Something you’re not telling me.”
I paused for a split second, then pulled my face from her grasp and said, “You tell me.”
I walked over to the dresser and bent down, staring into the mirror as I placed my palms on the top for support.
The room was deathly quiet for a while. It was a loud silence. Then, she finally spoke.
“Yes, it’s true, Charlie. I didn’t want to believe it either at first. I was just so excited that I could actually communicate with someone else. But, then a couple days ago, I let it slip to my dad that we were able to hear each other’s thoughts and sense each other’s feelings. He immediately began drilling me with question after question, such as how long had it been going on and who else knew. Then, he became angry. That’s why he’s been so short with you lately. He knows about us and doesn’t care for it. He doesn’t believe in you like I do. He doesn’t think you’re capable of defeating Vicktor. He believes you will only get yourself killed.
I laughed out loud. I couldn’t argue with that very real possibility.
“Don’t laugh,” she said in a serious tone that sent a cold chill down my spine. “Because the kicker is this: if you die, I will die along with you.”
Chapter 55
I shook my head.
“This is completely insane. Do you honestly believe any of this?” I asked. “I mean, soul mates are one thing. Now this? I’m starting to believe a lot around here is said to keep us on track with their agenda. I’m not buying it, and I’m leaving here shortly to rescue our friends. If you want to come along, you can. But, please don’t bring that up again,” I said. I shot her a sideways glance with my jaw clenched.
“This isn’t a joke, Charlie. I know what I felt,” she said quietly in almost a whisper. She grabbed my hand quickly, before I had a chance to object, and placed it on her chest while resting her hand on mine. “Do you feel that?”
As a matter of fact, I did. Our hearts appeared to beat at exactly the same rhythm. The room began to swirl, and everything else became a colorful blur. All I could see was the stunning beauty in front of me. As we locked eyes, it felt like an eternity, neither of us blinking, but holding each other’s gaze. I grabbed her firmly by the waist and pulled her in close to me. I don’t know why. It felt as though some primal instinct or urge had taken over my body, and I was merely a spectator. I cupped the nape of her neck with my right hand, tilting her head back slightly. She released a slight whimper, loosening her body to follow my lead.
Closing my eyes, I leaned in and kissed her. My first real kiss! And it was a passionate one as her delicate, soft lips met mine, and I swear we were floating in space. I experienced jolt after jolt of an electric sensation course through my body and could feel the same originate from Kara. It was almost as if we were sharing each other’s very essence.
Then, an untimely thing happened. A brief image of Allison flashed in my mind, and I opened my eyes. Panic ensued as I noticed we were actually floating about three feet off the floor! Almost instantly, we started to fall, crashing hard onto the floor.
“Are you alright?” I asked. I slowly sat up on my backside, using my bruised elbows for support.
“I’m fine,” Kara said, brushing loose strands of hair from her face.
“Were we just floating?” I asked in disbelief.
“We were having a moment until you thought about her,” she said, frustration mounting.
I was mortified. I had no idea any of this would happen.
“I won’t pretend to think you will simply forget about her and accept what we are,” Kara said. She wiped at her mouth as though she’d just tasted something despicable. “I see now that you have deep-rooted feelings for her. This is all foreign to me also. If there is any way for you to be with her, then so be it. But until then, I have a vested interest in seeing that you stay alive and in one piece. So I’m still going with you,” she said as she rose to her feet.
The door swung open wildly, and Freddy was there, panting hard.
“Everything OK?” he asked, worriedly looking around. His expression changed once he noticed Kara, then me pulling myself upright.
“Ask your friend,” said Kara tersely. She pushed past Freddy with a scowl on her face as she left the room and slammed the door.
Freddy watched her leave, then turned to me with a baffled look.
“Dude, what happened?” he asked.
With deep regret, I told him.
“Remember when you warned me about getting involved with two women at once?” I sighed deeply. “Well, I think it just blew up in my face.”
Man, I hated when he was right.
Chapter 56
Freddy couldn’t stop himself from laughing. He would pause for a second, look at me with a semi-serious expression, then burst into laughter once again.
“Go ahead,” I said, bitterly. “Have your fun.”
“Oh, I am,” he said between laughs. “Today my boy, Charlie becomes a man!” he yelled, then returned to his laughter.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. The reason it seemed particularly odd was that the mansion had received no visitors since our arrival days ago.
“Are you done yet?”
“Yeah,” Freddy said, straightening his body from the doubled over position he seemed to be frozen in. He swiped at his eyes with the back of a hand. Apparently, my plight had driven him to tears.
“I promise that’s the last time I laugh about it,” he lied. “That was very inconsiderate of me.
Both he and I knew this wasn’t the last time the topic would be batting leadoff at the water cooler.
There was a light tap at the door and the raspy clearing of the throat.
“Mr. Reese, you have a visitor downstairs in the reception room,” Mildred said through the door.
I was curious. Who could possibly know I was here other than someone who wanted me dead?
“Who is it?” I asked.
“He says his name is Standeval, sir.”
My ears felt as hot as a locomotive engine, and I thought they might actually start to smoke like one as well. What on earth was he doing here? The man who started this whole thing, the mysterious illusionist and catalyst for my upturned life.
“Does Robert know he is on the premises?” I asked.
“He was notified just prior to my coming to retrieve yo
u, sir.”
“Very well,” I said. “I will be down shortly.”
“What are you going to do?” asked Freddy.
“I’m going to hear him out. Then I’m going to hurt him very badly.”
Freddy looked surprised, but I meant every word. The man had left me on a burning stage in a catatonic state, and I so desperately wanted to return the favor. To be a stool pigeon for the Chirac and show up on our doorstep was very suspicious to say the least, but I knew there was some sort of ulterior motive. He wouldn’t just show up here unannounced for no apparent reason.
“I’ll go with you,” said Freddy.
“No, I want to see him alone.”
“Are you sure that’s such a good idea?”
It was a valid point because I had no idea what he was capable of. But, I knew that once he was in the mansion, he would not be allowed to leave, no matter the cost. He had to know this as well, so that was comforting. Besides, I had some burning questions for the man of mystery.
“No, I’ll be fine,” I reassured Freddy.
I headed downstairs with him close at my heels. As we reached the bottom of the stairs, Robert was there, waiting and giving me a concerned look.
“Are you OK to go in by yourself? This man is very dangerous and can’t be trusted.”
“I’m fine. What’s he going to do? Where’s he going to go? I’m sure you’ve locked down the perimeter by now, and he has to know he would never escape with his life. We have more to gain than to lose by hearing him out.”
Robert nodded and stepped aside.
I approached the reception room and opened the double French doors. Inside, Standeval was just accepting a glass of cognac from Mildred. He took it in hand and tasted the beverage, closing his eyes as the liquid met his palate and tongue.
“Delicious,” he remarked. “Thank you, kind sir.”
Mildred bowed and set the tray on a table next to the couch. “Please let me know if you desire anything else, sir.”
“Thanks, Mildred. That will be all,” I said, keeping my eyes trained on Standeval.
He bowed politely and exited through the French doors, pulling them shut behind him.
I’d never been in the reception room at the mansion before, and it was just as well because I would have been deathly afraid to touch anything. All the decadent art and collective pieces inside were of museum quality. I wouldn’t have been able to afford even one of the glass display cases that housed them.
A fire was burning invitingly in the hearth, and an elegant Persian silk rug was laid in front of a rustic black leather couch. Standeval sat with his legs crossed, and his right hand rested on a crystal-tipped walking cane. He wore an expensive three-button suit made of dark gray shark-skin weave cotton.
“Hello, Charlie. We meet again,” he said in a silky smooth voice and flashed a big smile. “I wish I could say it was under better circumstances.”
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t cave your face in right now,” I said with a menacing snarl, and took a seat across from him in a luxury high back leather chair.
“No need for such hostilities,” he said, smiling. He spun the cane between his thumb and forefinger in a circular motion on the floor. “I apologize for the way we met. I was in bed with some very dangerous people who convinced me to do their bidding—under duress I might add. Needless to say, I had little choice in the matter.” He talked with such eloquence and grace that one could tell he was well educated and proper.
“So what are you doing here?” I asked, keeping a wary eye on him.
“I’m here because I owe you. I did you a great disservice, and I wish to right that wrong. I am not a terrible man as you might think. Like most, I’ve made my share of bad decisions. But, I cannot be a part of what they are planning anymore.”
“Who?”
“Oh, I think you know, Charlie. The Chirac.”
Chapter 57
I don’t know why, but his reply didn’t illicit the response in me that I expected. I guess a part of me already knew what he wanted to tell me.
“Of course, you know they plan to create the device once more.”
“Yes, we already know that. The device is a death sentence for planet Earth, just as it was on Etheus.”
“No,” he corrected me. “That’s where you’re wrong. The device works perfectly now. They have already tested it.”
Already tested it? Things were much direr than we originally thought.
“Now, I know your ultimate goal was to save this planet from destruction, but you have a much bigger problem to deal with now. Vicktor doesn’t want to destroy the planet. He’s going to use the device here on Earth to turn as many humans as he can into his own personal slaves. He wants to create a race of subservient beings to serve him. If he succeeds, he will have an army no one will be able to stop. Not even you. Every man, woman and child on this planet is in danger.”
“Why should we trust you?”
“You don’t really have a reason to, I know. You can just sit back and watch the world go to hell in a hand basket, or you can take action to stop these maniacs,” said Standeval. He leaned back and nonchalantly checked his designer watch.
“And what are you going to do? Will you join us? Seems you know quite a bit about them. It would be nice to have someone who’s been on the inside. You’d be a tremendous asset. We could have the upper hand this time.”
“Oh no, my young friend,” he said. He threw back his glass and finished off the cognac. Then he rose to his feet. “I am not a fighter. I have done my civic duty, and I do believe we are even.”
“Not even close,” I said, rising from my chair. “If you will not help us, then you must understand why we cannot let you leave.”
He smiled and straightened his suit jacket, then buttoned it.
“I come to you extending my hand in goodwill, and this is how you choose to thank me? You are your father’s son, huh?”
“Just relax and make yourself at home,” I said and smiled crassly. “Looks like you’re going to be here awhile.”
“What makes you think that I would allow myself to be held captive by the likes of you?” he said. “Your mistake was thinking I would just walk in here with no possible way out.” He flashed a mischievous smile, and I instantly knew we had underestimated him.
“Good luck with your little family feud.”
Standeval flipped the cane from his left hand to the right and brought it down hard upon the floor. The crystal at the tip of the cane turned a bright iridescent blue color, and a massive shock wave of energy was emitted, knocking me off my feet and literally throwing me halfway across the room. Robert and several others rushed in immediately.
“What happened?” he asked, hurrying to my side with his weapon drawn. “Where’s Standeval?”
“He’s gone,” I said as I climbed to my feet. “Never mind him. We have more urgent matters to tend to. They have already assembled the device. Already tested it too.”
I walked over to the large bay window in the reception room and looked out beyond the grounds of the mansion. In the distance, I could see several neighborhood kids out on their bikes while a few more played hopscotch. They were all so innocent. It was a serene picture. Was it the calm before the storm?
“Our objective has changed.”
“How is that?” asked Robert. He holstered his weapon and came over to stand next to me.
“Vicktor has no idea what he’s doing with the device.”
“I don’t follow,” he said, giving me a puzzled look.
“On Etheus, most of our people who were affected experienced only minor changes in their physiology. That’s because our race had evolved to the point where certain abilities had already manifested and were the norm. The Orion device only made these beings stronger, more advanced. Now, let’s think about what this device could do to a race of beings that have yet to evolve on so great a scale. What could potentially happen?”
Robert mulled the question
over for a moment. Then his face went as white as a bed sheet.
“My God,” he said. “It could be Chernobyl all over again, but worse. This time on a global scale.”
“Correct. Vicktor has not factored in what might potentially happen to such a fragile race as humans. He would single-handedly be responsible for the extermination of all life on Earth.”
Chapter 58
After my conversation with Robert, I asked him to leave me alone in the room for a minute. He didn’t ask any questions and promptly departed. I think he knew what I was about to do.
It was time to reach out to my father. As much as I didn’t want to, I knew what was at stake.
I stood alone in the center of the room and closed my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I cleared my mind and attempted to reach out to Vicktor. At first, nothing happened, and I started to doubt whether it was actually possible. I knew it wouldn’t be as simple as dropping a quarter in a pay phone, but with my mom and Kara it had been relatively easy. Then, I felt as if I’d suddenly been struck by a lightning bolt, and I could hear Vicktor’s voice clearly.
Well, well, well. It’s so good to finally hear from you, Charlie. I was starting to worry.
I wish I could say the same.
No need for the brashness. So, I take it you’ve had a rather fruitful conversation with your new friends?
Yes, I have.
You finally know the truth about your origin?
I do. But, that is not going to stop me from doing what needs to be done.
There was a long pause, and I thought for a second that maybe we had lost communication or that he’d gotten angry and ended the conversation, but then he was back.
And you’re still intent on squaring off with me?
Even telepathically, he sounded hurt.
Trust me, I don’t want that. But, hey, if you’re so dead set on it, meet me on the roof of the Gateway Plaza Hotel at eight o’clock tonight. And, even though I know you won’t listen, I’m going to warn you anyway. Please come alone. I do not wish to harm any more of your friends, but I will not hesitate if they get in my way. Just remember, their deaths will be on your hands. See you soon, son.
I felt the same debilitating lightning bolt effect, and this time, I doubled over in pain, eventually dropping to my knees like a sack of potatoes. I felt bile start to creep up my throat and fill my mouth; I fought the sensation as best I could, wiping my face with the sleeve of my sweater. I couldn’t determine whether it was due to the sudden shock of the telepathy between Vicktor and I, or a case of the nerves. It was probably a brutal combination of both.