by Kate O'Hearn
They heard footsteps and ducked deeper into the bushes as two soldiers ran into the building. ‘Agent R,’ one of them called, ‘the colonel has just received a call from Diamond Head. They’ve reported the capture of a girl.’
‘Emily?’ Agent R demanded.
Emily flinched at the sound of her name. She really was standing right in the middle of the lion’s den.
‘No, sir, the colonel says she’s called Lorin. Sergeant Walker is on the scene with her. She told him she’s from Tartarus and is looking for Emily. When Agent G tried to talk to her, she attacked him and another agent. They’re both in the infirmary. Walker says she has powers. She can fly and conjures fire with her hands.’
Emily slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. She looked at Paelen and he was just as alarmed. Lorin was in Honolulu, and she knew how to use her powers? This was the worst possible news.
‘There’s another girl like Emily?’ Agent R said.
‘Apparently so. Sergeant Walker is bringing her here.’
‘Excellent! With luck, we shall soon have two!’ Agent R’s voice changed. ‘Doctor Fleming, you have your orders. Just keep those prisoners alive until we capture Emily.’
‘But—’
‘No buts. You will cooperate or we will shut down this zoo – permanently. Then what will happen to all of your conservation work?’
The threat hung in the air as the CRU agent stormed out of the building, followed by the soldiers.
Emily leaned back against the wall. ‘Lorin is in Hawaii.’
‘And they are bringing her here,’ Paelen said. ‘We must not be here when she arrives.’
Emily stood up and peered through the open window. The room looked like a medical treatment area. Cages lined the side of the room. In two of them were sick animals. One contained a small monkey hooked up to an IV and the other held a ring-tailed lemur. A tall, dark-haired man in his mid-thirties, wearing a white medical coat, was pacing the room. He had a kind face, but a concerned expression darkened it. They watched him pause and seem to come to some sort of decision. He stormed out of the building.
‘C’mon,’ Emily said. ‘He knows where Pegasus and the others are being held. Let’s try and get some information. I just hope he’ll talk to us.’
They followed the man closely into an area full of trees. With no one about, Paelen made his move. He lunged at the man and caught him across the shoulders. Wrenching him back, Paelen dragged him into the bushes. He slapped his hand over the man’s mouth.
The doctor struggled in Paelen’s grip and even though he was strongly built and the larger of the two, he was powerless against Paelen’s strength. Finally he gave up fighting.
‘Please don’t be afraid. We’re not going to hurt you,’ Emily said softly. ‘I’m sorry we have to do this, but we can’t risk being caught. I’m Emily, the girl the CRU are looking for. If you promise not to call those other men, we’ll let you go. Do you promise?’
The man blinked his eyes and nodded.
Paelen removed his hand from his mouth. ‘Who are you?’
‘Baird Fleming,’ he answered softly. ‘I’m the assistant director of the zoo and one of the veterinarians. I head up wildlife conservation.’
‘You’re not with the CRU?’ Emily asked.
Baird shook his head. ‘I’m with the zoo. You might say I’m the problem solver. And right now, I have a big problem with you two being here. This place is crawling with trigger-happy soldiers and those men in suits. I don’t know who they are or what their agenda is, but they are BIG trouble for all of us!’
‘They’re the CRU – the Central Research Unit. They look for aliens and other unusual activity,’ Emily explained.
‘You make it sound like they’re the Men in Black.’
‘That’s exactly what they are,’ Emily said. ‘Only they’re much meaner and a lot more dangerous than the movie guys.’
‘I can’t believe any of this,’ Baird said. ‘They’ve brought creatures here that defy nature!’
‘They are not creatures,’ Paelen said sharply. ‘They are Olympians. Just like me. And they are our friends. If you have harmed them . . .’
‘Whoa,’ Baird said. ‘Now, hold on, I’m not doing anything to them. I think they’re phenomenal. But Olympians – aren’t they just myths?’
‘Why does everyone keep saying that?’ Paelen snapped.
‘Olympians are very real,’ Emily said to the man. ‘So are the Titans. And just like in the myths, they are fighting. Only soon, the fight is coming here . . .’
Baird stared at her as though he didn’t believe a word she just said. ‘Well, whatever they are, I don’t want to see them harmed. I want to talk to them and understand how they can exist. I want to help them.’
There was something about his warm brown eyes and strong determination to make a difference that reminded Emily of Joel. She felt a pang in her gut, but quickly shook it away.
‘If you really want to help, you can,’ Emily said. ‘But we don’t have a lot of time. You must take us to them. I have to see Pegasus before Lorin gets here!’
‘Look, kids, I don’t like these soldiers or those men in black any more than you do. And I especially don’t like what they’ve done to your friends. But I’ve got a zoo to protect – I must think of the animals.’
‘If you don’t help us, a lot of people are going to die and Earth will be enslaved.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘I told you, the Titans are attacking the Olympians and the fight will soon come here.’ Emily hated wasting precious time, but she told Baird everything she could as quickly as possible. ‘So you see, we’ve got to get a message back to Olympus to warn Jupiter to meet us at Diamond Head and not here.’
‘Can this really be true?’ Baird whispered. ‘It sounds impossible.’
‘How much more proof do you need?’ Emily cried. ‘You’ve seen Pegasus and the others. What does it take to convince you? Does Saturn have to come here before you believe Earth is in danger?’
Baird shook his head. ‘No – no, of course not. Look, they’re holding the man-horse, vampire and winged boar in the giraffes’ night pens. The whole area is surrounded by heavily armed soldiers. I can barely get in there.’
‘What about Pegasus?’ Emily asked. ‘Isn’t he with them?’
Baird shook his head. ‘No, he’s being kept in another part of the zoo.’
‘Why?’ Paelen asked.
‘Because he’s too strong. He kept breaking the chains they put on him and tearing through the walls of the pen. We had to move him to a holding area that he can’t get out of, or hurt himself in.’
There was something very disturbing behind his words. Baird wouldn’t face Emily and didn’t look comfortable talking about it.
‘Listen to me,’ Emily said. ‘If we can’t get in to see them, you must get a message to Fawn.’
‘Fawn?’
‘The pale girl,’ Emily said. ‘And she’s not a vampire. She’s an Olympian night dweller with very special gifts. She can communicate with her sister who is still on Olympus. But she is also very delicate. If the sun touches her, she’ll burn.’
‘I know,’ Baird said. ‘We found that out the hard way. She was badly burned by the sun when they brought her in here, but we’ve kept her undercover and she’s recovering. But we have a problem. The soldiers weren’t too gentle with the man-horse . . .’
‘His name is Chiron,’ Emily corrected. ‘And he’s a Centaur and advisor to Jupiter. He’s a very important Olympian.’
‘Well, Chiron is extremely angry about what’s happening. The last time I went near him, he tried to kill me – so they bound him in chains. I can’t get close enough to pass on a message.’
‘How far is he from here?’
; Baird pointed down the trail to the left. ‘That way, a few hundred metres. But I told you, the giraffe pens are completely surrounded by soldiers. You’ll never get into them.’
Emily considered. ‘We don’t have to get in, just near enough.’
Baird seemed to be thinking this through. ‘I’ve got it. To the left of the pens is a row of tall bushes that you can hide behind which can be seen from the pen doors.’
‘Good. Get us to them,’ Emily said. ‘You must let Chiron know where we’re hiding before he attacks you. I’ll do the rest. It is imperative that Fawn gets the message to Jupiter.’
‘I can’t go in there!’ Baird said. ‘He’ll kill me!’
‘If you really care about animals, you’ll try,’ Emily said. ‘Otherwise, all your hard work will be for nothing. This zoo and everything in it will be gone.’
Baird shook his head. ‘I must be completely crazy. That, or I’m dreaming . . .’
‘Yes,’ Paelen agreed. ‘This is all a dream, so you can do this without fear of being killed.’
‘Why doesn’t that make me feel any better?’ Baird said. Then he paused. ‘Look, if I do this, will you two promise to get out of here? It’s too dangerous for you. Those soldiers mean business.’
‘So do we,’ Emily said. ‘But we promise. If you get the message to Chiron, we’ll go.’
The vet nodded and took the lead, pushing through the bushes. Where they ended, he, Emily and Paelen darted across a path towards another building. Keeping low and close to the wall, they made their way around it. Baird put his fingers to his lips and whispered, ‘Soldiers are stationed inside.’
At the back of the building, they crossed over a muddy trail and entered more bushes. ‘OK, stay close,’ he whispered. ‘Just ahead is a set of smaller pens, and just past them are the giraffe pens.’
After a few more metres, Baird stopped and crouched down. ‘There they are.’
Emily peered through the leaves and saw a large, tall structure. It was made of thick bricks that rose over two metres in height and, after that, a heavy metal mesh was welded to sturdy steel frames that climbed up to the roof. If Chiron was to see her, it would be through the door that had the mesh starting at waist height. Soldiers stood around the pen. Weapons held high, they looked ready for war. Emily peered closer and saw that one of the pens had a large hole kicked through the brick wall.
‘What happened there?’ she asked.
‘That crazy stallion did it,’ Baird whispered. ‘I can’t imagine his strength.’
‘He had to be really angry to do that,’ Paelen responded.
‘He was,’ Baird said. ‘They hurt the vampire . . . I mean Fawn. And Pegasus went ballistic.’
Emily caught Baird’s arm. ‘What did you do to her?’
‘Me? Nothing! But the soldiers were brutal. The only way they could keep Pegasus under control was to threaten the girl. That guy, Agent R, had his men drag her back into the sunlight to prove they’d do it.’
Pain cut through Emily’s heart imagining how terrified Fawn must have been as she was pulled into the sun. She had to suppress her anger towards the soldiers and the CRU. There was a bigger problem facing them.
‘All right, stay here,’ Baird said. ‘He’ll probably kill me before I get the message to him, but I’ll try.’
Just as he was about to move, Emily whispered, ‘Wait, I’ve got an idea! When you approach the door, quietly call Chiron’s name. Tell him “Emily and Paelen are here”. He will hear you, but the soldiers won’t.’
‘Are you sure?’
Emily nodded. ‘Olympians have super-sensitive hearing. They can hear a million times better than humans. Just let him know where we are. I’ll do the rest.’
Baird rose. ‘I can’t say I understand everything that’s happening here, but I don’t want your friends to suffer. I’ll do all I can. Now, remember you promised. When Chiron gets the message you leave!’
‘We will,’ Emily said. ‘And thank you for all your help.’
‘Do you trust him?’ Paelen asked when he was gone.
‘We don’t have much choice. Be ready to fly if anything goes wrong.’
Emily closed her eyes and whispered, ‘Riza, please, you know what’s at stake. Is there anything left? Can I use a bit of our power to convince Chiron?’
She lifted her hand but it was Riza who let a tiny Flame flash. But even that small amount caused an intense pain in her head that made her feel nauseous.
‘Do not do it, Emily,’ Paelen warned. ‘We will find another way. You must not use your powers.’
‘I have to, but I’ll be careful.’
Baird Fleming walked confidently down the concrete trail. He approached the soldiers nearest the door. ‘I’m here to check on the prisoners.’
The soldiers hesitated for a moment but then allowed him forward. When he reached for the door handle Chiron charged, rearing and shouting threats. The sounds of chains rattled as the Centaur strained against his heavy restraints.
‘C’mon, Chiron, hear him!’ Emily muttered.
Just as quickly as it started, the attack stopped and Chiron went back down to all fours. His bare chest flared and his hands were flexing into fists, but he made no move against the vet.
Baird cautiously opened the door and entered the pen. His hands were up in surrender and he was speaking softly.
Chiron pawed the ground with his sharp hoof and shouted threats at the soldiers, but his eyes shot to their hiding area.
‘Now, Riza,’ Emily whispered. Once again, intense pain tore through her head as a small Flame flickered in her palm. It wasn’t large and didn’t last, but it was enough. The message was received. Chiron and the others knew they were there.
Emily panted through the pain. A moment later the Flame sputtered and went out, and she understood the terrible truth. Her powers were done. All that was left was death if she tried to use them again.
‘Now, just calm down,’ they heard Baird saying, louder this time. ‘No one is going to harm you.’
‘What are these indignities?’ Chiron shouted, playing to the soldiers. ‘Have you no idea who we are? What will happen if you do not release us?’
Baird took several steps closer. ‘Of course we do, we just want to understand . . .’ Suddenly Chiron lunged, caught hold of the vet and lifted him off the ground.
As the soldiers charged into the pen to help him, Emily saw Baird whispering in Chiron’s ear. She breathed a sigh of relief. But then a twig snapped beside her and she froze. She turned and saw three soldiers pointing weapons at them.
‘All right, both of you come out of there with your hands where we can see them!’
‘Uh oh . . .’ Paelen said.
Without thinking, Emily lunged. Moving instinctively, she knocked the gun barrel aside and punched the soldier in the mid-section the way Diana had taught her. He went down with a grunt.
Paelen lunged at the two others and had them down in an instant. But more soldiers were running at them.
‘Go, Emily!’ Chiron shouted through the cage.
Paelen slipped his arm around Emily’s waist. ‘Fly!’ he cried.
The sandals lifted them into the air. Before they could rise above the danger, a soldier caught hold of Paelen’s left sandal and wrenched it off his foot. He and Emily crashed down to the ground in a heap.
Once again, Emily tried to take on the soldier, but the exertion was proving too much for her. She was feeling too sick and weak to be effective. Her punch did little to stop him.
Gaining his feet, Paelen kicked the soldier away from Emily and sent him flying at the others, who were fast bearing down on them. Catching hold of Emily again, he lifted her up and started to run.
‘Put me down,’ Emily cried. ‘Paelen, I can run on my own!’
�
��Not as fast as me!’
He was right. The distance between them and the soldiers broadened with each step. Emily gazed back and saw the soldiers stop. She thought they’d given up. But then they raised their guns.
‘Faster, Paelen!’
The sound of shots rang out and Paelen grunted as he was struck in the back. He stumbled, but kept running.
‘No!’ Emily howled. ‘Paelen, stop – you’ve been hurt!’
‘I am fine!’ Paelen dashed off the trail and into a cluster of dark trees.
He said he was fine, but his breath was coming in short gulps as he made it to the chain-link fence lining the outside of the zoo.
‘Emily,’ he gasped. ‘Get back to Diamond Head to wait for the Big Three . . .’
‘What about you?’
‘I will keep them from following you. Remember, you are the Flame of Olympus; your body is made of energy and cannot be harmed, even by a high fall.’
‘What fall?’
Without warning, Paelen caught Emily in both hands and threw her high over the top of the tall fence. She screamed and hit the ground hard. She rolled on to her back, trying to catch her breath.
‘You know you are not hurt. Now, get up and run!’ Paelen gasped, clinging to the fence. ‘Find Jupiter and get the shard!’
More shots rang out as the soldiers burst through the trees.
‘Go!’ Paelen ordered. He turned and roared as he charged at them.
Emily watched Paelen attacking the soldiers. Every instinct told her to stay and fight beside him. But she couldn’t. She had no powers and almost no strength left. Her only hope was to make it to Diamond Head to meet the Big Three.
Climbing shakily to her feet, she started to run.
The draw of the shard helped Emily find her way through Honolulu to the large volcano. After a few ‘dead-end’ mishaps, she saw its dark peak rising out of the lights of the surrounding city.
Soldiers were everywhere and military helicopters swooped and hovered over the crater as though they knew something big was coming. Keeping low and hidden, Emily continued around the volcano to the ocean side.
