Other teams had already arrived and were being announced one by one. Each alliance could be heard cheering their racers, but none more loudly than the Joint Mediterranean States when the name Antonio DeLuca was read. Willis could see him taking his place at a gate, his blue and white uniform in sharp contrast to the dark color of the track in front of them.
DeLuca appeared every bit the racer he’d been the previous year, though more determined. And calm—he was frightfully calm. Willis’s mind returned to heated arguments with DeLuca when they were young during DeLuca’s exchange program. He’d always had a short temper, but all signs of the hothead Willis knew from years ago appeared gone.
I wonder what thoughts they put into your mind, DeLuca. Willis quietly considered this. To his surprise, the emotion he felt was approval, not disdain. Anything to help the chairman’s cause. The idea kept recurring until it was interrupted by the announcer.
“Led by the son of hall-of-fame racers, Max and Brenda Thomson”—boomed the voice over the speaker—“we present to you the team from the Western Alliance led by Willis Thomson!”
The throng rose to its feet to shout its approval.
“Willis, I think those are your parents!” Perryn exclaimed, pointing upward. High above the crowd on a platform between the two screens, a couple could be seen waving to the crowds. Willis looked up as he walked toward his gate. They were so far away that he couldn’t see their faces, but their shapes seemed familiar to him.
They’re here. They’re actually here. Seeing them started to bring something to mind, but Willis couldn’t focus on it. He sensed the thought or memory was important, but he couldn’t force it to the front of his mind. All that remained was the will to win—the will to save the world from itself.
The team stepped off their platform and into their gate. Jaden turned and put a hand on Kane and Perryn’s shoulders. “Ready, everyone?”
“I can’t believe I’m here, but yes,” said Perryn. She sounded almost out of breath as she took in the scene.
Kane nodded, his usual stoic self.
“Willis, you here?” Jaden tipped his head. Willis had returned his gaze to his parents way up on the platform. He was straining to remember, and the two people on the platform were the one stimulus that would bring him even close.
“Willis?” Perryn shouted above the crowd who was cheering the team from the host alliance.
He snapped his attention toward them. “Yeah. I’m ready to win.”
“That’s what I want to hear, bro.” Jaden smiled.
“Per our great traditions, racers will run as teams this day to celebrate the birth of the twelve alliances after our forebearers gave us the Law. Final results will determine their starting time to run as individuals in tomorrow’s leg to determine who will be this year’s Law-changer.” The announcer’s voice disappeared, and the crowd quieted expecting the start of the race.
Willis could feel his body tensing as the countdown began. For most of his nineteen years, he had trained for this moment. Glancing to his left and right, he could see similar determination on the faces of other racers. We’ve all trained our whole lives for this.
Three. The final countdown echoed.
“For the benefit of the Coalition—” came the chairman’s voice.
Two.
“—for the glory of the Law—”
One.
“—make us proud.”
Tone.
Willis’s legs found their familiar strength and sprang through the gate. Jaden matched his burst on his left. Kane and Perryn were on his right. He’d seen too many Chase events not to know that this was one of the most dangerous parts of the entire race. Forty-eight racers in close proximity could mean collisions.
As if on cue, a member of the Southern Federation of Allied States fell. Willis could see the flash of a blue and red uniform hit the ground out of the left corner of his eye. The ‘boos’ of the crowd confirmed that a member of the home team had suffered an ‘accident’ at the hands of another team. Before him lay open track as far as he could see. It would be a tight sprint to the first obstacle, whatever that was.
He chanced a glance to his right where he could see Antonio two teams over. He was shouting to his teammates as they sprinted down the track.I have to get a lead on him.
“Look out, Willis!” Jaden shouted.
He looked left to see the red uniform of a racer from the West Europe Collective somersaulting onto the track. Jaden was already airborne to clear the runner, but Willis had no time to react. He futilely launched himself upward, his foot catching the shoulder of the fallen racer.
The impact of hitting the ground expelled the air from his lungs. He could feel his skin burn as his hands, protecting his face from the ground, scraped the pavement in front of him, dirt and stone embedding in his skin. He kicked wildly, his feet searching for traction to get him upright again.
Get up, Willis! Get up! He shouted to himself.
Kane’s grip on his arm suddenly yanked him to his feet. The giant man had barely broken pace to pull Willis up. Willis shook his head to clear the cobwebs from his brain. He ignored his gasping lungs and burning hands and willed his legs to keep moving. A minute later, the teams spread out. Willis cursed under his breath when he saw DeLuca’s blue and white uniform ahead of him.
He guessed it was about a kilometer later that the track took a sudden left turn into the canopy of trees. The change in direction revealed a clearing in the dense jungle ahead, in the middle of which stood a monstrous pyramid. The blocks forming the pyramid were three-meter cubes, and he guessed there were at least twelve levels to the top. The two lead teams were already helping each other up onto the first level.
“Kane, this is you.” Willis grunted between breaths.
Kane slid to a stop in front of the first block. Spinning to face them, he laced his fingers together. Jaden never hesitated. His foot found Kane’s fingers in stride, and Kane’s strength launched him upward. So efficient was the maneuver that Jaden was able to grab the edge and pull himself atop the block in one motion.
Perryn was next, and Willis used the half-second break to suck in a deep breath and find relief from his fall. Climbing up top, Willis turned to give Kane a hand up as Jaden was already lifting Perryn to the next level.
Chief Administrator Blacc did his job well. The maneuver to climb an obstacle like this one was second nature to all of them. Willis could see other teams struggling to get a rhythm as they climbed. Leaders were shouting instructions. In the distance, he could still hear the announcer relaying details to the crowd. Overhead, the camera drone designated to their team buzzed as it hovered, and he was sure the crowd could see the sweat beading on his forehead already.
Several minutes later he grabbed at the edge of the top block of the pyramid. He pulled himself upward in time to see DeLuca grab the handle of a zip-line and launch forward. To his left, he could see the emerald green color of a Central Asian Alliance runner pulling herself over the edge of the block.
“Come on! We’re catching up,” he cried as he rolled over onto the surface. He grabbed Jaden’s arm and hoisted him upward. Kane was lifting Perryn to his right. Willis scrambled to his feet and grabbed the first of four handles on their designated zip-line.
The thick, hot air rushed at his face as he gained speed, drying his eyes out. For a second, he found himself enjoying his flight, knowing there was little he could do until he reached the end. Ahead, he could see Antonio gliding toward his teammates who were already at the bottom. Willis squinted to see them. They were waving frantically at Antonio from the top of a pillar at the end of the line, but it was too late. DeLuca crashed into his team causing the rear member of the team to plummet off the pillar to a net below.
As Willis approached, he could see that the race creators had dug out the ground for nearly one-hundred meters, leaving a series of narrow pillars sticking upward for each team to cross. Less than a couple of meters across, the pillars were hardly enough roo
m for four people, a lesson DeLuca’s team was too late in learning. Their teammate was busy untangling himself from the net below and making his way to the ladder rungs that would allow him to climb up the pillar.
Willis’s mind raced as he approached the first pillar. His body jolted as the handle reached the end of the line, and he tightened his grip to avoid being flung over the edge. Letting go with his right hand, he spun to his left while still holding onto the handle as his shoe soles grabbed at the pillar. The effect left him at the corner of the pillar as Perryn appeared in view. He threw his free hand outward, wrapping it around her waist and slowing her to a stop. She grunted at the pressure on her stomach.
“Thanks,” she said breathlessly.
“Jump over!” he yelled. She leapt to the next pillar, which was almost two meters away. She was in time as Jaden arrived. Willis caught Jaden, and the two of them turned to catch Kane.
“Nice move, Willis,” Jaden blurted as he jumped to the next pillar, Perryn helping catch him.
“Go, go, go!” he shouted. Antonio was helping his teammate back atop their pillar, and it was the break they needed. Soon, they were jumping from pillar to pillar to cross the pit, their lead ever so slim. Other teams were beginning to land on their pillars, some able to mimic Willis’s maneuver and keep pace. Willis could hear the cries of others falling to the net below and slowing their teams. Reaching the other side, they once again were faced with a stretch of empty track.
“Somehow, I get the impression the Southern Feds like to run a lot,” Jaden said between breaths and gesturing to the track the Southern Federation had created.
“No kidding,” added Perryn.
Willis stared at the door in front of them. It’d been several minutes of running when a right turn revealed that their path was blocked. The wall before them was several meters in height and too tall to climb. Each team had its own door, locked by a combination. A panel on the door was covered in lighted buttons which, when pressed, would switch several other lights on or off. The purpose was clearly to get all the buttons lit, but Willis couldn’t make out the pattern. Glancing left and right, he could see that three teams had reached their wall and were maniacally working at the combination lock.
Perryn frantically pushed buttons as she had the most natural gift for these puzzles. Turning right, Willis noticed Antonio screaming instructions in his native tongue to two anxious-looking racers. Further up the line, he could see the United African Cooperative working on their door. The Central Asians were to the left, and they soon opted to cease pushing buttons and study the pattern of each one. Behind, he could see three or four other teams arriving, including the Southern Federation team, bringing cheers in the distance.
What is the pattern? It was driving him crazy. Each button lit a different pattern of lights around it, and the buttons didn’t always respond the same way twice. The adrenaline of the start was keeping him from thinking clearly.
“Any help would be appreciated,” Perryn announced, her concern poorly hidden.
“Sorry, Perr. I can’t figure it out.” Jaden sounded worried. “Willis? Kane?”
Kane shook his head.
An excited noise came from the African team as they had all but one button lit. They talked excitedly about which button to push. Deciding, they selected one in the corner bringing shouts of frustration as half the lights went out.
Suddenly, Perryn stepped back and stared at the door.
“Perryn, need me to take over?” Willis’s voice dripped with urgency.
“Shhh,” With two fingers, he could see her silently counting. The Central Asian team suddenly became excited and confidently lit up the buttons on their door.
“Perryn, if you don’t have it, step aside.”
“Quiet, Willis.”
“I’m serious.”
“Shut up. I’ve almost got it.”
“Perryn, I—”
“Willis, give her a second,” Jaden interrupted calmly. He was staring at Perryn’s face, watching her calculate. The Central Asian door opened, and they burst through their door. Willis glanced over and noticed Antonio watching Perryn as well. He could feel the ball of stress forming in his gut.
I can’t take this. He moved to take over. Perryn’s hand on his chest stopped him. She quietly stepped up to the door and methodically pushed buttons. He could hear Antonio whispering, still studying Perryn. A second later, she hit the final button, and the last of the lights ignited. Schwipp! The door slid open.
“Yeah, Perr!” Jaden shouted jumping through the door.
Willis smiled and looked at her. He mouthed the word ‘sorry.’ She met his smile with her own.
“Come on,” he said.
“After you.” She punched his shoulder, and they took off running.
“Mr. and Mrs. Thomson?” Sheila tipped her head as she approached. The legendary runners stood before her in whispered conversation. In the background, cheers and boos could be heard as the massive crowds craned their necks for a peek at the closest screen. The Chase had already had its moments, and the matchup between Willis and Antonio lived up to expectations.
When she approached, the couple’s words stopped, and they turned to Sheila. She’d sent the Thomsons another secret message to meet her after the race began in this hallway behind the stands. Max Thomson was an imposing figure. Still muscular and toned from his racing days, the gray streaks of hair on the sides of his head were the one giveaway that he was old enough to have a nineteen-year-old son. Brenda stood next to him, her wavy blond hair and striking features paired brilliantly with the faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.
Max placed his hand over his wife’s hand. “We’re the Thomsons. Who are you?”
“My name is Sheila Kemp.”
“You’re the one who contacted us about our Willis.” Brenda stepped forward.
“Yes, I am. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”
“You said it was about our son. How is he? They won’t let us near him. The Alliance officials keep saying that Willis doesn’t want to see us before the race, but I can’t believe that.” Brenda’s hurried voice betrayed tears.
“I haven’t been able to speak with him,” Sheila said, “but I do know that there was little your son desired more than to see you.”
“Do you mean to say they’re keeping him from us?” Max’s face darkened.
“Probably.”
“I can’t believe it.” Max’s voice caught. “After they stole him from us nineteen years ago, we’re kept even longer from seeing him.”
“Mr. Thomson, I know you’re angry.”
“Angry doesn’t begin to describe it.”
“I want to help. Something happened on the station you should know about.”
For the next several minutes, Sheila recounted Willis’s discovery of the slaves on the station, his friendship with Jaden, and Jez’s attempt on Willis’s life. Once or twice, she had to stop as Brenda’s knees acted ready to give way. Max stood silent, supporting his wife with one arm, but the wetness of his eyes revealed his sorrow.
“So you see,” she continued, “there’s more at stake here than the Chase. Willis has a chance to change everything.”
“So why come to us? Is something wrong?” Brenda squeezed her husband’s arm.
“I don’t know. I think so. Last night, I used my press pass to sweet-talk my way into the Alliance barracks. I stopped in to see the racers, and I was surprised to find Willis missing.”
“Missing?” Max straightened.
“Yes. He was gone for some time.”
“And you think they did something to him?”
“I do.”
At this news, Brenda couldn’t take it any longer. “Our son, our beautiful son.” She sobbed falling to her knees.
“What can we do?” Max’s voice shook.
“I think he needs to see you. He didn’t appear himself at the start of the race. He was—distracted.”
“And?”
“M
r. and Mrs. Thomson, I know Willis is your son, but if you could have seen him in training. Distracted isn’t a word that could be used to describe him.”
“We would gladly talk to him, but like I said,” Max repeated and pointed a finger behind him, “they won’t let us near him.”
“Leave that to me. Meet me right here an hour after dark.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Willis’s head hit the pillow. His body was exhausted, but his mind wouldn’t permit him to rest. The team leg of the race had included two more obstacles once they passed the doorway. The first had been a series of cargo nets and balance beams, a simple enough task. The other had been a square platform resting on the apex of a small pyramid. The platform demanded the four of them carefully start from the edges of the platform and move simultaneously to the middle to strike a button, locking in their finishing position for the day.
Perryn had hit their button a second and a half ahead of Antonio DeLuca. It was essentially a dead-heat between their teams going into day two. Teams had finished one by one in the minute or two after that, except for the Central Asian Team. One member made a desperate dive for their button, and he failed to make it. The resulting misbalance of their team sent their team leader plummeting to the ground. Something tore in her knee on impact, ending her chances of winning. Outside of Willis and Antonio, she’d been the next most likely challenger. The rest of her team would be allowed to race, but at a thirty-second penalty for not finishing.
They’re out of the race. Willis calculated the odds in his head. It’s between us and Antonio’s team tomorrow.
“Willis, you still awake?” Perryn whispered. He looked at her. Their quarters for the night were a simple square building with four beds and a bathroom. It served the dual purpose of providing them space to strategize the next day and sequestering them from any alliance influence. Two beds lined the walls on either side of the plain metallic room. The building stood right next to the starting line of the next day’s track and bordered the buildings used by the other teams.
The Chase Page 22
