“All these fancy powers and yet, nothing beats a little technology,” dog-faced Price grumbled. He dropped to a knee and removed the tactical pack strapped to his back. I had to admit, these soldier-of-fortune guys were kind of scary, but I was more than thrilled they were with us. Price opened the pack and removed what resembled a black handheld cannon. It was similar to a compact potato gun or one of the fancy things that shoot t-shirts into the crowd at sporting events. Not that I’d ever been lucky enough to snag one. Freddy had however, during a Detroit Pistons basketball game.

  Twice.

  Lucky him.

  Price placed a metal-encased projectile into the cylindrical opening of the cannon, aimed it high into the sky, and pulled the trigger. What happened afterwards was nothing short of amazing. The projectile disappeared into the night sky, only to be replaced by a large, translucent spider web-like matrix that formed and settled above the facility. From the ground, it would go unnoticed unless you knew to look for it. Price opened a small electronic device with a sleekly designed LED screen. We all huddled around him like eager judges at a high school science fair. The matrix had gone completely invisible to the naked eye, but it could be seen on the screen and gradually became a three dimensional replica of the DOE facility. Only the walls were now transparent, so we could see what was going on inside.

  “The red dots indicate how many bodies are in the facility,” said Price. “Seems there’s a huge cluster of hostiles on the first level. There’s only a couple on the second and third level.”

  “The third is where Charlie and I need to go,” said Robert. “Everyone knows what they need to do. Be ready for anything. Let’s go.”

  “Show off,” mumbled Nick as he walked away, just beyond Price’s earshot. He was actually jealous that Price’s little gizmo had stolen a piece of the spotlight from him. How conceited could one guy be?

  Chapter 35

  We followed a soft trail through dense underbrush that took us steadily away from the cliff’s edge. The going was a bit treacherous; the earlier rain had caused the ground’s surface to become an insufferable slippery and muddy mess. And though the rain had stopped, the remaining cloud cover prevented the moon from illuminating our way. We couldn’t use flashlights either for fear of being spotted, so movement was slow.

  We finally emerged from the winding trail about a hundred yards from the main entry control point. I could see the security guard easily through the gate shack’s window. He was enjoying a huge bag of potato chips and focused on the portable TV in front of him, its bluish light dancing and splashing upon his face as if it were a kid experiencing his first rain puddle. Every now and again, he’d open his mouth to interact with the TV or toss his head back to laugh, and pieces of partially chewed food would spew from his lips while he simultaneously shoveled more chips in to replace them with his sausage-like fingers. It was truly pathetic to watch. I wondered if he was issued a sidearm. Because if it ever came down to a foot race between this hero and a bad guy, law enforcement would surely take it on the chin that day.

  Kara stepped forward and clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white. After about twenty seconds, the gate began to slide open. The security guard quickly gathered his belongings and tore off down the road in the opposite direction of the facility as if his pants were on fire.

  “What the hell did you do to him?” asked Michael. He stared after the pudgy guard, watching as he wobbled down the road as fast as he could.

  Kara smiled.

  “I just told him to open the gate. Oh yeah, and that this job wasn’t suited for him. What he really wanted to do was be a professional bullfighter in Mexico. And if he hurried, he could catch the red eye flight to Tijuana.”

  We all laughed at her ingenuity; all except Robert of course.

  “Do you think this is a game? You four have some serious growing up to do.”

  “What did I do?” asked Nick, looking from one person to the next with an overly exaggerated look of surprise.

  I assumed Robert meant those of us with the really cool abilities that we were just learning to experience and control. How dare we have a little fun?

  Kara looked back at me and smiled, her long dark ponytail bouncing from one shoulder to the other behind her.

  My thoughts exactly.

  No, actually they were my thoughts, my own personal thoughts. This telepathy thing was becoming a bit of a nuisance. It was definitely the one thing I needed to control in order to maintain any sense of privacy in the presence of Kara. It seemed to be happening at the most inopportune times. Then I had a disturbing thought. What if she could hear me all the time? What if it wasn’t something that I could control? Having my thoughts open and available like the public library was not a pleasant prospect. How useful is it really to be able to hear someone else’s thoughts on a regular basis? Besides, the more it happened, the more I felt an overwhelming connection to her that I couldn’t shake.

  “Testing…testing one, two,” Robert said faintly above a whisper into his wristwatch.

  “Communications are a go,” confirmed Jason, speaking into his wristwatch as well.

  I definitely had to get me and Freddy a set of those.

  “Alright, it’s time. You guys know what to do,” said Robert. “Hit them hard and fast while we slip in through the west entrance, hopefully undetected. I want to see each and every one of you back here in one piece.”

  I could feel the sincerity and passion in his words, like a high school football coach before the first game of the season.

  And what a game it was going to be.

  Chapter 36

  We split into two groups: me with Robert, Price, and Carter; Nick, Michael, and Kara broke off with Jason. I was a little worried about how things would go considering we had just started our training. Call it pre-game jitters. We were young adults drawn into an intergalactic struggle that none of us were really ready for.

  Jason and his team moved into position at the front entrance of the facility. Calm and collective, Michael stepped in front of the others, and his hands instantly burst into flames. He drew back and heaved a giant fireball, blasting the doors from their hinges.

  “Come on,” said Robert. “That’s our cue.” He led us to the west entrance. I heard one thunderous explosion after another mixed with gunfire as we entered and moved silently toward the stairwell. Carter and Price then took the lead. I realized quickly what their purpose was on this particular mission. To see us safely to the third level and secure the plutonium by all means.

  I wondered how the others were faring. I tried to reach out to Kara telepathically, but sensed nothing. Of course it wouldn’t work when I actually wanted it to.

  Bullets suddenly pierced the wall close to my head and nearly frightened me out of my socks. We were being attacked from behind.

  “It’s an ambush!” yelled Robert. “Follow me!”

  He yanked the door open in front of him and rushed inside. We hadn’t made it to the third floor, but staying in the open stairwell and being picked off like fish in a barrel wasn’t the best option. I couldn’t see how many assailants were hot on our heels, but I definitely wasn’t sticking around to find out. I ducked down and slipped into the doorway after Robert, only to find things weren’t so receptive there either. At least half a dozen heavily armed Chirac had the hallway effectively sealed off from the other end and showered bullets in our direction, effectively pinning us down in an empty office Robert had managed to pry open. Carter and Price were still in the stairwell. We were all essentially trapped. And, to make matters worse, I heard an eerily familiar humming sound.

  Scanners.

  Could this mission get any worse?

  I took a deep breath. This was what I was here to do. I alone had the ability to get us out of this situation. The others were depending on me, and I couldn’t let them down.

  I peeked around the doorframe and saw the Scanners, three of them this time, floating toward us. I knew exactly what I needed to do. Fo
cusing on the two nearest me, I forced them to turn and fire on each other, destroying them both. The remaining Scanner I had other plans for.

  I made the sphere rotate and open fire on the armed men who had us pinned down. The Scanner took them out in less than a minute.

  “Let’s move.”

  “What about the others?”

  “Don’t worry about them,” Robert said forcibly. “They will be fine. They knew the risk when they accepted the mission. Stay on task.”

  We made our way cautiously down the hall. It resembled Baghdad with all the bullet holes, fallen plaster, and dust. Most of the overhead lighting had been destroyed. I heard and felt the crunch of soft broken glass under my feet. Only one fluorescent light remained intact, and it flickered sporadically, casting its pale luminosity about the hallway. It was only fitting I guess, considering the situation. I’ve been in haunted houses less ominous than our current surroundings.

  We rounded the corner at the end of the hallway and entered a more serene area of the facility. And just as I thought the nightmare could quite possibly be nearing its end, I was sadly mistaken. I couldn’t have been more wrong. A terrifying blast blew through the wall between Robert and me. With incredible force, I was knocked backward and into the opposite wall.

  Chapter 37

  I looked over and saw Robert pinned underneath some rubble. I could see a trail of dark blood running down the side of his face. But, he was breathing, and that was the most important thing.

  Disoriented and still reeling from the blast myself, I noticed a shadowy figure walking toward me. As he drew closer, I realized he was a thin and lanky guy with spiked hair dyed a flashy blue color, a nose like a bird’s beak. Behind him flapped the sides of the ankle length leather-pleated duster he wore like broken storm shutters on a rainy night. I thought it particularly odd; there was no wind at all in the building that I was aware of. Maybe someone left a window open in one of the rooms that he passed. Or, maybe he had an invisible dwarf entourage equipped with tiny leaf blowers to dramatically enhance the effect. Etched across his face was a dark and devious smile which, for some reason, really infuriated me.

  Wobbly, I slowly climbed to my feet. Without a word or warning, Spike pulled his hands back and across his body, hurling a bright jolt of what appeared to be lightning toward me, which I was barely able to dodge at the last second. The smell of ash filled the air from the large hole that was scorched into the wall behind me where my head had previously been. That was a little too close for comfort.

  He didn’t hesitate for a moment, following up with a second round of the burning light source I wasn’t so lucky to escape this time. Excruciating pain coursed through my body causing my teeth to clinch and chatter while my knees buckled beneath me. I felt as though I’d just stuck my finger in an electrical socket. I knew I couldn’t take much more of this. At the rate it was headed, I’d be dead in less than sixty seconds.

  As I reached out to pull myself back up by the wall-mounted fire extinguisher next to me, I had an idea. It was sort of a gamble, but it was all I could think of that might give me a realistic chance. I didn’t have the strength to go toe-to-toe with this guy. I rose to my feet and steadied myself, staring back into the stranger’s soulless, beady eyes. And I knew at that moment, he wouldn’t stop until I was dead, that much was certain. He looked surprised for a second, then flashed a satisfied smile. Almost like he half-expected me to run, but was thrilled I didn’t. He wanted a fight, so I was going to give him one.

  I concentrated on the pale skin over bones that served as his hands. They seemed to be the source of his power. I had to time my next move exactly right, or the next blast I received would surely be my last.

  Just as he drew back to hurl another devastating stream of lightning at me, I quickly glanced at the ceiling above. Using my telekinetic ability, I forced the sprinkler head above him to fly off, showering water down below.

  It was not a pretty sight. By introducing water to the mix, he’d essentially caused his own demise. I shielded my eyes from the bright light and repulsiveness of watching a man fry like a piece of bacon. He finally collapsed to the floor in a charred heap.

  To my surprise, I heard applause originating from the hole created by the earlier blast that had knocked me senseless and trapped Robert underneath the pile of debris. A tall, strikingly handsome man stepped through the opening. I knew instantly who he was even though we had never met.

  Vicktor.

  Chapter 38

  Meeting Vicktor for the first time was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Imagine meeting Lucifer himself in the flesh. He was very sharply dressed and had an engaging, warm smile that could easily charm a rattlesnake. He was not at all what I’d expected.

  My promise to Robert came to mind. But, instead of running, I did the exact opposite. I went on the offensive. I tried the most efficient technique I’d learned so far, the telekinetic push, to catch Vicktor off guard. I figured I would take a cue from my earlier charbroiled foe and strike first. The outcome was disheartening. Vicktor didn’t budge at all and simply regarded me with an even broader smile.

  He straightened his clothes in a less than subtle fashion. My feeble attack was about effective as the blower at the end of a car wash that never really dries your vehicle. Talk about your disappointment.

  “You are strong, I will give you that,” said Vicktor. “But not strong enough.”

  Then he returned the favor. I could feel myself moving backwards and slammed hard into the wall behind me, pinned and completely unable to move. He approached and towered above me, looking quite pleased at his handy work.

  Fury raged within me, and I lashed out with a level of anger I’d never felt before.

  “Go ahead, kill me! No reason to stand there and gloat! Just do it!”

  “You see that anger you flashed just now?” Vicktor asked. “That is good. It gives you unbridled strength and power. I can teach you things you would never learn with them,” he said, motioning to Robert. He sounded like a used car salesman trying to convince a young couple to purchase something well beyond their budget. I wasn’t young enough or naive enough to buy what he was selling.

  “I don’t want to kill you. Why would I want to do that?” Vicktor responded as though the very thought offended him. “I’m not the monster in the painting they’ve so eloquently made you believe. Far from it. I mean you no harm. Actually, I want you to join me. With the Chirac is where you belong.”

  I could hear Robert stirring, but due to my current predicament, I couldn’t turn my head in his direction.

  “Vicktor…,” he mumbled, in obvious pain. “Let the boy go. He means nothing to you.”

  “Why should I? He means everything to me. You brought him here to stop me, right?” He repeatedly stroked the light stubble on his chin. “You haven’t learned a thing have you, Robert? And, to think, I would have ever allowed you to get the drop on me, my old friend. This was a trap designed specifically to get me face to face with the boy prodigy. The chosen one himself. I know exactly who he is.”

  “We are not friends,” said Robert. “We haven’t been for some time now. I’d say since right around the time you went insane,” he managed to say between fits of coughing. His voice grew steadily weaker with each word. “Don’t…listen to him, Charlie.”

  “I think you’ve said enough,” Vicktor said, visibly irritated. He spread his palm toward Robert, and his body was swept down the hallway and through the far entrance with the force of a category five hurricane, along with the debris that pinned him. The doors slammed shut behind him.

  Chapter 39

  I was in serious trouble. Robert was right, I finally conceded. I wasn’t ready to face Vicktor and should have run just like he told me to. Of all the wondrous things I’d seen in the last few days, Vicktor's display of power was number one on the list.

  “Finally, alone at last,” he said with a satisfied smile, rubbing his hands together. I could see how he’d won so many othe
rs to his cause. He was very charismatic and had a surprisingly calm voice.

  “Now where were we? Oh yes, you were about to join us.” He forked his fingers through his sandy blond hair.

  “I’ll never join the likes of you.”

  “The likes of me?” He placed his hand over his heart. “That’s not nice, Charlie. Just what do you think it is that I’ve done? Did they tell you I was a tyrant who tried to take over my home planet and ended up destroying it? Oh, that’s not even the half of it. I was a patriot, much like this country’s Washington or Jefferson. Only we didn’t win. So of course, the Chirac are no better than the Taliban in the eyes of our people, little more than common terrorists. But we are so much more.”

  He paused, seemingly in reflection of a time long ago I would never be fully able to understand.

  “I wanted to put an end to the oppression of a brutal hierarchy, to create a better society where the majority’s voice could be heard. One where the people could stand united behind a true leader and not just a spineless figure head.”

  “And you were that leader?” I asked.

  “Yes. I had a foolproof plan then, same as I do now. Nothing will stand in my way. She won’t be here to stop me this time.”

  His words caught me by surprise.

  “Who is this she you’re referring to?”

  He gave me a puzzled look, and I noticed his brow wrinkle for just a millisecond, confused. Then, he smiled again.

  “They never told you? You don’t know?”

  I had no idea what he was talking about, but he seemed very amused at my ignorance.

  “Of course they didn’t. Makes sense now why they wouldn’t.” He whistled loudly in disbelief. “This just gets better and better. I tell you what, sport. How about I let you go. There’s no rush to make a decision now. I’m a patient man. Besides, I’m in a generous mood. But, here’s what I want you to do. I want you to go back to your new friends and ask them to stop keeping you in the dark. Demand the truth. Your real history, not the watered-down bedtime story they’ve been spoon-feeding you. Then, we will see how you feel about things, and if you will reconsider my offer. I truly hope that you will.”

  He turned to leave, then stopped short.

 
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