The Revelation Chronicles
Chapter 72
Without hesitation or fear for my own safety, I raced up to the ledge past Vicktor and dived off the building after Allison. Her screams filled the cold night air and rushed up to greet me as I tried desperately to catch up to her. I had no idea what I was doing or why I was doing it. All I knew was that she would not die because of me.
I pressed my arms firmly to my side and tucked my chin just as I’d seen skydivers do on T.V. I’d always thought it foolhardy to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, but here I was, leaping off the roof of a thirty story building. At least they had parachutes.
As I zoomed past each floor, I caught glimpses of the people inside going about their normal routine. On one floor in particular, a cute little kid with curly red hair had his chocolate-covered face pressed against the window. He was nearly frightened to death as first Allison dropped like a stone in front of him, and I followed closely behind her. He shrieked and screamed for his parents as he backed away from the window in fear.
I was slowly gaining on Allison, and she finally noticed me, for a brief second looking as puzzled as one could be while falling from a high rise building to their imminent death. I pressed my arms even tighter, inching closer and closer to her. I don’t know why at that particular moment exactly, but I recalled the first time I’d read Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. I remembered thinking how implausible the story seemed, to have two lovers who would take their own lives for each other. But, now I understood the underlying logic. They were star-crossed lovers who simply wanted to be together no matter the cost—in life or death. And if death was to be my endgame, then so be it.
Finally, I caught up to her and wrapped my arms around her body. While the ground raced up to greet us in our final moments, we stared into each other’s eyes. No words were exchanged; there was no need for them. We both knew exactly how the other person felt.
Then, suddenly I could hear my mother’s voice in my head. It was as clear as day, just as if she’d whispered in my ear.
You don’t have to die, Charlie. She doesn’t have to die. You can save her.
Something inside me seemed to come alive with those words. It washed over me and had a calming effect. Somehow, I knew my mother was right.
I could save her. And we didn’t have to die.
Less than twenty yards from fatal contact with the hotel’s sidewalk, I jerked Allison upward and instantly found us climbing through the air. I couldn’t believe it.
I was flying!
Chapter 73
I continued up, past the rooftop, and the looks of awe upon the slack-jawed faces as we flew by. I changed course and soared away from the building, the wind blowing the hair back from my face. I was an eager puppy hanging from a car window. The view was beautiful, and the city was magnificent from above. I chose a quiet rooftop nearly a mile away from the Gateway Plaza Hotel and descended softly before setting Allison down gently on her own two feet.
“How did you do that?” she asked. She’d been holding on to me tightly as we flew, and even now, on solid ground, she still held a firm grip on my left arm.
“I’m not really sure. I had an impulse feeling that I could fly, and it just happened. I started flying.”
That was mostly the truth. Similar to most of my abilities, I’d discovered this one while under extreme duress. I wondered whether I had any other abilities that would manifest soon. Couldn’t hurt with what I had to do next. Although, I didn’t know if anything could top flying. It was one heck of an adrenaline rush.
“You’ll be safe here. I need to get back to the others and stop Vicktor before he can launch that device.”
“Go ahead; I’ll be fine.”
She pulled me in close and gave me an appreciative hug and delicate kiss on the cheek. Then, I had the strangest notion that something was different between us somehow. Something I couldn’t see clearly. It was as though my mind knew something that my heart and soul did not. I brushed the matter away instantly. I had more pressing things on my plate.
I left Allison and flew back in the direction of the Gateway Plaza Hotel. At the rate of speed I was traveling, the cars and people below were just a distorted image to me. I had to make it to that device and shut it down or destroy it somehow. Vicktor was smart and had caught me off guard once already, so I had to be careful.
I reached the hotel and shot up the side of the building like a bullet. As I neared the roof, I could hear shouts above the hail of gunfire. I slowed just as I reached the top, and Vicktor was there glowering above me. There was no smile on his face this time. Nothing warm and inviting to betray the cold layers underneath. He looked at me as one looked at trash upon the sidewalk.
“So, I see you have manifested new abilities. I wasn’t sure whether you could fly, but I was willing to take that chance to get rid of you. It appears we will have to do this the hard way instead. Let’s put those powers of yours to the test, shall we?”
He placed his arms out to the side and began to hover over the edge of the roof.
Vicktor could fly too!
Chapter 74
Before I could lift my jaw off the floor, Vicktor hurled a blast of blinding white energy toward me. I wheeled backwards just in time to dodge the ball of light before another headed my way. I wasn’t swift enough to dodge the second one, only managing to throw my arms out in front of me to cover my face. The blast hit me squarely in the chest, knocking me back forcibly and rattling every bone in my body. It took a few seconds to regain my balance and recover my breath.
Vicktor flew at me, hurling blasts of energy in rapid succession. From the ground below, it must have looked like fireworks on the Fourth of July. This time, though, I was ready. I dodged each blast easily and ripped off two large flag poles from the top of the building with telekinesis. I lobbed them with tremendous velocity as though they were javelins. But he simply threw up a hand and deflected them, just as one would swat a harmless fly. I was flustered by my ineffectiveness. After several minutes had passed, Vicktor paused, and I took the opportunity to recover and catch my breath.
“Your skills have greatly increased. I am impressed,” he said with a droll smile. “But enough playing around. Let’s see what you’ve really got.”
Vicktor flew upon me so fast that I had little chance of countering. He landed a crushing hard right to my exposed jaw with the impact of a sledge hammer and stunned me good. A swift blow to the midsection next forced me to double over in pain. Vicktor grabbed me, lifting me over his head with little effort, and flung my limp body with ease. I crashed through a window of the hotel, the glass shattering instantly. Thankfully, the room was unoccupied.
I staggered to my feet and stumbled before catching my balance on the nightstand next to the bed. I brushed loose pieces of glass from my hair and clothing. Beating Vicktor with strength was out of the question, I realized painfully. I needed to use my speed and wits to my advantage before I was beaten to a pulp.
I looked out the window to see him hovering several yards away, just waiting. I leaped through the destroyed window opening and streaked toward Vicktor with incredible speed. Focused, I planned each move precisely, throwing a powerful right which he dodged, but following quickly with a left uppercut that found its mark perfectly.
Vicktor was the one reeling this time, and I was on him in an instant, unleashing a flurry of combinations and counters to his weakening attacks. We traded blow after blow, and I started to sense his frustration as the cockiness slowly faded from his demeanor. I was his equal, and he suddenly realized it. But, I needed to end this thing quickly, before the Orion device detonated.
After landing a stout blow to Vicktor’s cheek, I delivered a hard kick to the chest. Overconfidence soon got the better of me; my next blow wasn’t nearly effective enough, and Vicktor easily sidestepped the lackluster effort. I’d gone to the same well one too many times, and I was defenseless and vulnerable now. He didn’t hesitate for a second, quickly grabbing me by the ankle and flinging me toward
s the ground with shocking strength. I tried to brace myself for the fall, but too late. My body tore through the soft red canvas of the large hotel awning and slammed into the roof of the beautiful blue Aston Martin parked beneath it. Luckily, no one was inside. The breath escaped my body at the same time the car’s frame wilted and folded upwards from the force of the collision, spraying fragments of glass, plastic and metal everywhere.
Screams of terror and panic erupted from the crowd of spectators that had gathered at the hotel entrance to see the strange light show in the sky. I tried to sit up, I but couldn’t. I coughed and bright red blood spurted onto my tattered jacket. I managed to roll to my right side and slid off what little remained of the luxury car and onto my knees. How I’d survived was beyond me.
There was a bright flash and clicking sound as one of the more daring onlookers leaned in for a candid photo of me with his camera phone.
That wasn’t good.
The crowd gasped and stepped back several feet as Vicktor touched down in front of me. He grabbed my jacket and dragged me to my feet. I was helpless and unable to fight back.
“Do you see this?” he yelled in my ear. “Do you see how they gather to watch? This is entertainment for them. They don’t care about you. Two million views on an internet website, that’s all you are to them.”
He let go of my jacket and instead grabbed me by the throat, holding me inches from his face. It was befitting of a dog that had disobeyed its cruel master.
“These people are mindless rats with no particular use whatsoever, but that will change in just a few short minutes. They will soon be the army I need. Too bad you won’t be around to see it.”
He turned his wrist and glanced down at his watch.
And that’s when I struck. I bought both fists down hard on the arm that gripped my throat and broke free. With all my might, I hurled a powerful blast of intense blue energy that nailed him squarely in the abdomen and chest. The force was so strong it knocked him backwards and into the wreckage of the Aston Martin, flipping the car over as well. The pendant underneath my shirt was glowing brightly and felt warm against my skin. I removed it from beneath my clothing and stared at it. I wondered if it had something to do with the tremendous energy I’d just channeled.
I walked over to Vicktor, ready to dish out more punishment, but he was slumped over on his side, his eyes half-closed. I grabbed him by the shirt collar and raised my fist in the air.
“Do it.” He wiped a trail of blood from the corner of his mouth.
“You’re not worth it.” I let go and watched him slump back to the ground.
“This isn’t over,” he vowed.
“It is for you.”
“Where did you get that necklace?” Vicktor moaned as I turned and walked away. “I’ve seen it before….”
I ignored him. He was no longer my concern.
Chapter 75
Vicktor was beaten. I’d done the impossible, but I couldn’t finish it. No matter how evil and demented he was, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Besides, he wasn’t going anywhere, and I needed to shift my focus to stopping the device.
I soared into the air and flew toward the roof. The Chirac along with the ‘supers’ had been easily defeated by Kara and the others, thanks largely to the unexpected aid of Standeval. They were gathered around the device, and I made my way over to them, landing softly beside Kara.
“Where’s Vicktor? Did you kill him?” Standeval asked leaning casually on his cane. The others also eagerly waited for me to answer.
“He is no longer a problem,” I said bluntly. “We need to focus on the bigger issue, and right now, that’s this device.”
Standeval whistled lightly to himself. “Boy, when you have a snake in your crosshairs you don’t just wound him. You make sure and cut off his head. Vicktor will be back. You can bet on that.” He twirled his bowler hat in his hand a couple times before loosely placing it on his head. “I myself have extended my stay here too long as it is. I’m sure you fine folks can figure out the inner workings of such a simple piece of machinery without my assistance. If you need me you won’t know where to find me, but I’ll find you!”
Before I could raise a complaint or try and convince him otherwise, he slammed his cane down and with a dazzling array of light encircling him, disappeared into the night. The man certainly knew how to make a dramatic exit.
I looked all around the device, but there wasn’t a switch or a console to access and shut it down. It appeared this was Vicktor’s plan all along. He knew, no matter what I did, I’d never be able to shut it down in time. I frantically searched the device once more, hoping against hope that I might have missed something. The boosters underneath began to sputter and fire. Time was running out.
Freddy rushed to my side.
“How do we stop it?”
“I don’t know,” I said soberly. “You should get off this roof and away from here as fast as you can. It looks as if Vicktor has won after all. The last thing I need is for you to be affected by this thing.”
“I’m not going anywhere, and I refuse to believe you can’t stop this thing,” he yelled over the mounting roar of the boosters. “I believe in you, Charlie.”
He began to search the device as well, running his fingers along the device’s outer hull.
Then, I had an idea. It wouldn’t stop the device from detonating, but maybe it would neutralize it. If I could just get it out to the river and submerge it deep underneath the surface. It just might work.
“I think I found it!” Freddy said, elated as a small compartment opened casting brilliant white light. I felt an uncomfortable tingling sensation and reached out to try and stop him, but before I could, it was too late. The compartment closed abruptly, trapping Freddy’s hand inside like a mouse trap. It was a decoy meant for anyone tampering with the device. Freddy struggled desperately, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not pull his hand free.
“Be still!”
I tried to free him, but it was no use; time was against us.
“Well, I guess you really are going to see this thing through to the end.”
“I’m with you, buddy.”
“Do you trust me?”
Freddy paused.
“Yeah, of course. Why?”
“Then hold on tight. This might get a little rough.”
I wrapped one arm around his waist, and with the other, I gripped the Orion device firmly by one of its cylindrical support beams. I had no choice but to take Freddy with me.
I shot into the air with the speed of a patriot missile, streaking across the night sky with a shaken Freddy in tow.
“I understand the urgency, but do you have to go so fast?” he screamed, trying to carry his voice over the wind swirling around us.
I didn’t answer, scanning the landscape beneath us for my target. The device started to vibrate and made a series of beeps in a rapidly increasing fashion.
“Um, whatever you’re gonna do, it better be soon.”
I sped up, flying as fast as I could. Finally, I saw my destination, the Grand River stretching for miles beneath me.
“Freddy, this might be a little unpleasant, but we have no choice. I promise I will save you once this is over, but for now, the device has to be neutralized. I can’t let it go off in the atmosphere.”
“Let’s do it.”
We exchanged a long and mutually respectful look, each silently hoping it wouldn’t be the last time we saw each other.
Then, I nosedived toward the cold and murky waters.
Chapter 76
Thick, green smoke began to escape from the vents along the sides of the device.
“Try to hold your breath!” I yelled.
I raced toward the water and tilted the device beneath us so it would break the surface first. Hitting the water at the speed and distance we were traveling could be catastrophic to a human body, not to mention my own, possibly. I closed my eyes and held my breath just before we entered.
&n
bsp; The water was extremely frigid as we splashed through. I could feel it in my bones as we sank further and further beneath the surface. I opened my eyes and noticed Freddy was unconscious. I turned my attention to the device. It had started to release the green gas just before impact, but hadn’t fully detonated yet. Now that it was safely underwater, I didn’t want to be around when it did either.
I worked anxiously to free Freddy’s hand. The water around us began to bubble a menacing green hue as more and more gas escaped the device. The situation was made even grimmer by the fact that I wasn’t able to free him, and I knew I couldn’t hold my breath much longer. I had one final option: my telekinesis.
I studied the compartment that entrapped Freddy’s hand, willing it to open with my mind. After close to thirty seconds, and with a combination of forceful tugs and telekinesis, he was free! Rapidly losing consciousness myself, I grabbed him by the back of his shirt collar and swam as fast and as hard as I could toward the surface. The water temperature was causing my limbs to go numb while I fought for safety and fresh oxygen. I also needed to get plenty of distance between us and the device.
Swimming with my free hand and legs that felt like dead weights, a slow steady rumble was heard, then felt. I struggled against fatigue and the horror of what was to come. But, it was too late.
The shockwaves from the explosion rippled through the water and hit us full force, propelling both Freddy and I skyward, out of the river. The last thing I remembered before I blacked out was the horrific sound of someone screaming. And, I’m not so sure the screams weren’t my own.
Chapter 77
“Hey, Charlie,” I heard a soothing voice whisper. “Welcome back.”
I struggled to open my eyes and take in my surroundings. I didn’t immediately recognize anything around the small, quaint room except for Kara’s beautiful face leaning over me. She was smiling, but I could tell by the slight wrinkles at the corners of her eyes that she was worried.
“Wh…where am I?” I rubbed my throat. It felt as if I’d been scraping the back of it with sandpaper.
“Don’t try to talk too much,” said a warm familiar voice to my right.
Ms. Parkman rose from her chair and calmly folded, then placed the wool quilt that had covered her legs on the seat.