The Legacy Chronicles: Raising Monsters

by Pittacus Lore

  “Let me see it,” Sam said, holding out his hand.

  The boy walked over and handed him an iPhone. Sam turned back to the room he and Six had just left. The others followed him as he went inside.

  “What are you doing?” Six asked as Sam went to the console and placed one hand on it while he held the phone in his other.

  “Seeing if I can patch the phone into the system,” he said. “Then maybe I can send a message with it.”

  Six put her hand on his arm. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

  “No,” Sam said. “But I’m doing it anyway.”

  Six left her hand where it was as Sam focused on connecting the iPhone to the console. As before, he was met with a chorus of electronic voices, all chattering away. He focused on the phone, which was a simpler machine. When he felt it responding to him, he drew it into the larger network, urging it to slip into the data stream rushing through his mind like a raging river. To his relief, it complied.

  He once again recalled a phone number, telling the iPhone to send a message and attach its GPS coordinates. He had no idea if it would work, but the iPhone did as it was told. When it was done, Sam gratefully disconnected himself.

  “Your nose is bleeding,” Max said.

  Sam reached up and touched his lip. When he pulled his fingers away, the tips were covered in a red stain. He looked at Six, whose face was shadowed with worry. Sam felt something in his head lurch. Six’s face blurred.

  “It went through,” Sam said as he fell to the floor.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  NEMO

  IN THE AIR

  “CAN YOU DO A BARREL ROLL IN THIS THING?” Nemo asked Nine.

  Seated at the controls of the Beechcraft Baron G58, Nine looked over at her. “It’s probably not a good idea,” he said. “Could be dangerous.”

  Nemo nodded. “Yeah, yeah. But can you?”

  “Only one way to find out,” Nine said, gripping the yoke and turning it. “Hang on.”

  The view outside was spectacular, blue and clear with a handful of fluffy white clouds. As they rose up and the plane turned over onto its back, Nemo felt almost like she was swimming. Instinctively, she lifted her arms and pretended she was flying. Nine laughed.

  “I wish I had a flying Legacy,” Nemo said as the plane leveled out again.

  “Five does,” Nine told her. “So did Lexa’s younger brother, Zane. It was common on Lorien, although it hasn’t shown up nearly as frequently in Human Garde. Your Legacy is much rarer. As far as we know, only Marina has it.”

  “I’d like to meet her and talk about it,” Nemo said. “Maybe when this is all over.”

  “Maybe,” Nine agreed. He sounded a little sad, and Nemo wondered if he was missing his friend. She wanted to ask him more about the other Garde and their lives, but before she could, he said, “Call up the schematic Lexa sent us. Let’s see how we’re going to get into this mystery mansion.”

  The mansion in question was in Utah, which is where they were currently flying. They’d been driving around, trying to decide where to go next, when a text message had come through on Nine’s phone. The number it came from was unfamiliar, but it had contained coordinates, and Lexa had been able to quickly pinpoint the location. Another bit of digging had revealed that the property belonged to Helena Armbruster’s family. That, combined with the fact that only a select few had Nine’s personal number, were enough to convince him that the message had come from Six or Sam, and he’d turned the car in the direction of the nearest private airport.

  Nemo opened the laptop she’d stowed under her seat and pulled up the blueprints Lexa had sent. Really, it was a scan of some very old architectural drawings. Not much more than sketches. But it was all they had to go on. Nemo handed the computer to Nine, who balanced it on his lap while he let the plane fly itself for a while.

  “This place is actually really cool,” he said. “If we weren’t breaking into it, I’d be excited about getting to see it.”

  Nemo snorted. “Right,” she said. “You’re excited because we’re going to break into it.”

  “I do like a challenge,” Nine said. “And this place is a major one.”

  “How can you tell?” Nemo asked.

  “For one thing, if it was easy to escape from, whoever sent us the coordinates would already be free,” Nine said. “That makes me think that either Six, Sam or both of them are either incapacitated or this place is secured so tightly they can’t get out on their own. And if those two can’t break out of a place, that’s a problem.”

  “Or maybe someone wants us to think they can’t,” Nemo suggested. “So that we go in and get caught.”

  “Always a possibility,” Nine admitted as he examined the sketches. “But we’re not going to get caught, so they’d be wasting their time.”

  “If this place is owned by the Armbruster woman,” Nemo said, “why aren’t you just asking her about it?”

  Nine sighed. “That’s complicated,” he said. “She’s under Karen Walker’s jurisdiction now, and we would have to go through her.”

  “Which is a problem why? Aren’t you on the same side?”

  “We are,” Nine agreed. “Mostly.”

  “Mostly?” said Nemo.

  “We are,” Nine said. “But she doesn’t always have to know everything that’s going on.”

  “You mean you don’t want her to know that Six and Sam took off and are missing now,” Nemo deduced. “Or that Max and Seamus are gone. Or basically that this megahuge thing has happened that could turn out to be a disaster.”

  “It’s not going to be a disaster,” Nine said. “But yes, that’s more or less it.”

  “Got it,” said Nemo. “Because she would totally rub your nose in this.”

  “And that,” Nine said. “Anyway, we don’t need Helena Armbruster when we have Lexa. She’s our best secret weapon. You see these?” He held out the laptop. “Those things that look like tunnels running under the rock the mansion is built on?”

  Nemo looked. “They’re not tunnels?”

  “Kind of,” Nine said. “But they’re way cooler. You see how this whole compound is built in a lake? Well, it’s man-made. According to Lexa’s research, the guy who built it was really into the ocean. His family had originally made their money in whaling, and I guess he thought he missed out on that kind of life and wanted to pretend he was living on an island in the middle of the sea, complete with storms. So he had engineers build this system of tunnels and engines that would pull the water in and out, creating waves. He even had a boat he would take out so he could pretend he was caught in a storm.”

  “That’s so weird,” said Nemo.

  “Rich people are weird,” Nine said. “It’s kind of cool, though. And it’s going to help us get inside.”

  “We’re going in through those tunnels? What if someone decides they want to call up a storm?”

  “I don’t think they’ve been used in years,” Nine said. “Not since the old guy’s ship went down in one of the storms and he drowned. And yes, that’s how we’re going to get in. Now aren’t you glad you have your Legacy, instead of a boring old flying one?”

  “What about you?” Nemo asked.

  “I’m stuck with scuba gear, like a normal person,” Nine said, sounding disappointed. “Which is why there are tanks and gear stowed in the back.”

  “Does anything live in this lake?” Nemo asked.

  “Probably some fish,” said Nine. “Nothing weird.”

  “So, old rich dude didn’t have them throw a huge white whale in he could hunt or anything? You know, to make the experience even more authentic?”

  Nine laughed. “That would be cool,” he said. “But unless his ghost is swimming around down there, I think our biggest worry will be lake trout.”

  “This Armbruster woman sure has been a pain in the ass,” Nemo said. “What’s with her, anyway?”

  “Lexa found out she also owns that house the Mogs were using in Alabama,” Nine said. “She has
houses all over the place.”

  “Probably hiding Mogs in all of them,” said Nemo. “I hope she never gets out of prison. I don’t understand why any human would want to get mixed up with them.”

  “Like I said before, rich people are weird,” said Nine. “Also, greedy and selfish. People like Helena Armbruster and Bray and Dennings are only interested in what they can get for themselves. In every war there are traitors who side with the enemy against their own people.”

  He went quiet, and Nemo wondered if he was thinking about anyone in particular from his own life. She tried to imagine if there was any reason why she would ever side with the Mogs against other humans. This made her think about Seamus, and once again she wondered if he was really helping the Mogs, and if so, why. What could have made him turn? More importantly, what would they do with him if he has betrayed them?

  It felt weird to be thinking these kinds of things. At her age, she should be worrying about school, and going to concerts with her friends and talking about movies and other inconsequential things. Having a Legacy had changed all that. It had forced her to grow up far sooner than she should have. She couldn’t even remember what it felt like to have a normal life, or the last time she’d woken up in the morning with nothing to do and nothing to worry about.

  Actually, she did remember it. It was the day she’d discovered for sure that she had Legacies. For a week or two before, she’d had some strange experiences—like things seeming to move on their own when she reached for them—which she now knew was her awakening telekinesis. But back then she’d assumed it was just her imagination. And so one morning, Nemo had woken up with plans to go swimming at the lake with her friends and then have a cookout. Summer things. Fun things. Easy things. But while swimming, she’d gone underwater to play a joke on her friends, to swim out to where they were and pull on their legs from below. She’d swum out, then hung in the water beneath them watching the light filter through the brownish-green water. Only after a long time had passed had she realized that she hadn’t run out of air.

  The rest of the day was a blur. At first, she’d been delighted. Then terrified. She’d tested herself over and over, all while trying not to draw attention to herself. Part of her wanted to tell her friends, but a bigger part was afraid they would start treating her differently, and so she hadn’t said a word. Not then.

  Life had been different for her ever since. Her family had been horrified. Her friends had been a little more enthusiastic, but also jealous. And so she had ended up running away. Luckily for her, she’d found Max and Ghost. Although now both of them were in trouble because of their Legacies, too, so maybe none of it was for the better.

  “Do you ever wish you weren’t one of the ten?” she blurted out.

  Nine took a moment to respond. “There’s not much point to wishing that,” he said. “If I wasn’t, I’d be dead, like the rest of Lorien.”

  “I’m sorry. That’s—that’s not what I meant,” said Nemo. “Do you ever wish you weren’t a Garde. Like, if someone could take away your Legacies, would you say yes?”

  “No,” Nine answered immediately. “Not now, anyway. When I was younger and it all felt too hard and overwhelming sometimes, I might have said yes. But not now. Would you?”

  Nemo started to answer, then stopped. She looked out the window. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “It’s not like it would make me normal. I was never normal. Whatever that means. And it’s not just me that’s changed anyway. It’s the whole world. There would still be other people with Legacies, and I think I’d rather be someone who has one than someone who doesn’t.”

  “Just in case,” Nine said.

  “Yeah,” Nemo said, laughing. “Just in case.”

  “You have one advantage the ten of us didn’t,” Nine said. “You’re not alone. You’ve got friends. People to talk to about it.”

  Nemo nodded. “Sure. When they’re not getting killed, or kidnapped by Mogs, or brainwashed by crazy people,” she said.

  “Trust me,” said Nine. “I know how it is.”

  “Sorry,” Nemo said. “I didn’t mean to sound like I have it worse than anyone else.”

  “It’s okay,” said Nine. “I know. Just remember, you’ve got a lot of people on your side. And right now, some of them are waiting for us to help them, so let’s focus on that.”

  They arrived in Utah after dark had fallen. Flying through the stars in the small plane was a spectacular experience, the twinkling points of light seemingly right outside the plane’s windows. Yet Nemo was worried about what would happen after they landed. Once again, she felt like a character in a fairy tale, an ordinary girl sent on a trial against overwhelming odds. She tried to remind herself that she wasn’t ordinary, and that she wasn’t alone, but still she couldn’t help but wonder what awaited them beneath the blanket of stars.

  “There’s no airport here, obviously,” Nine said as the plane began its descent. “But we’re in open desert, so there shouldn’t be any problems. It might be a little bumpy, though.”

  Nemo’s stomach tightened up as the plane broke through the cloud layer and continued down. When they were close enough for the lights of the plane to illuminate the ground, she looked for any obstacles that might be in the way. But Nine was correct. There was nothing but flat, dusty landscape.

  “Where’s the lake and the island?” Nemo asked.

  “About a mile north of here,” said Nine as the wheels touched down. The plane bounced once, then settled. It shuddered as it rolled over the rocky ground, but otherwise the landing was unremarkable. When the plane came to a stop, Nine shut it off and said, “Thank you for flying Nine Air. We know you have a choice in carriers, and hope you will fly with us again.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they were walking through the desert on foot. Nemo was shouldering a pack containing a wet suit and other diving gear, while Nine had a similar bag with the addition of an air cylinder strapped to his back.

  “This will be a lot like when we swam out to the ship in Mexico,” Nine told Nemo. “Easier, because there aren’t any sharks to deal with.”

  “And once we get inside those tunnels?” Nemo asked. “How do we actually get into the bunker from there?”

  “There should be air locks,” said Nine.

  “Should?”

  “The sketches aren’t totally detailed,” Nine said. “But that’s how it looks. And assuming they work—”

  “Assuming?” Nemo interrupted.

  “Hey,” said Nine. “What fun would it be if we knew everything?”

  Nemo kept walking, trying to convince herself that it would all go smoothly. Half an hour later, they came to the edge of the lake. In the center, the island rose up, topped by what Nemo assumed was the mansion. She couldn’t see it through the darkness, although lights were shining here and there.

  “The intake tunnels are on the west side of the island,” Nine said as he opened his pack and started getting suited up. “We can swim right up to them. As I said, there shouldn’t be any problems getting inside them.”

  “What if they’re on?” Nemo asked as she pulled on her wet suit. “Or if they get turned on while we’re in them?”

  “They’re not,” said Nine. “And they won’t. Once we’re in the tunnels, we’ll swim to the end. That’s where the air locks should be. Will be.”

  “And then?”

  “Then we get inside the bunker, look for Six and Sam and Max and whoever else needs to get out, and get out.”

  “Oh, okay,” Nemo said sarcastically. “I didn’t realize it was going to be so easy. You know, without scuba gear for them, or a boat to get them off that island, or basically any kind of plan at all.”

  “You shouldn’t worry so much,” said Nine as he handed her a mask. “Here. This will let us talk to each other, just like before. Oh, and the pack I’m bringing has something for us to put on when we get out of our wet suits. We wouldn’t want to catch colds down in the bunker.”

  “Does your pack have anyt
hing else useful, like a weapon?”

  Nine held up his hand and wiggled his fingers. “I am a weapon,” he said.

  “Right,” Nemo said, rolling her eyes. “Faster than a speeding bullet and all that.”

  “Well, I kind of am,” Nine said.

  Nemo snorted.

  “Would you rather have a gun or me?” Nine asked. “Seriously.”

  “Right now I would rather have a boat,” Nemo said.

  Nine shook his head. “No sense of adventure,” he said. “You ready?”

  Nemo was not ready. But she walked into the water anyway. She tried to ignore the cold as she put the mask over her face and waded out until she could float on her back and put her fins on. The mask also had a built-in light, which she turned on. Then she and Nine synchronized the compasses affixed to their wrists and sank beneath the surface.

  Being in a lake was far less scary than the open ocean. Even in the dark. The light on Nemo’s mask illuminated an area about five or six feet ahead of her. Even so, there wasn’t much to see. At first she was looking at the rocky bottom of the lake, but as they went deeper, all there was to see was empty water. Occasionally a small fish darted into the light, then swam off.

  “Are you calling to them?” Nemo asked Nine, curious if he was using his ability to communicate with animals.

  “Just sending out a hello.” Nine’s voice crackled in her ear. “But don’t worry. I think we’ve got the place to ourselves.”

  They kept swimming. After a while Nemo asked, “How deep is this lake, anyway? You said a ship sank in it.”

  “A hundred and twenty feet at the deepest,” Nine said.

  Nemo thought about the shipwreck, which presumably was somewhere beneath them. The thought of an entire boat being swallowed by the lake was creepy, so she forced herself to concentrate on what was ahead of them. When, finally, something began to emerge out of the gloom, she was relieved.

  “There are the pipes,” Nine said. “Am I good, or what?”

  The pipes were much larger than Nemo had expected. There were three of them, each with an opening that was at least fifteen feet wide. She tried to imagine what it would be like when water was flowing in and out of them, creating waves. It would be amazing to see, but not something she wanted to be this close to while it was happening. She hoped Nine was right, and that they were unused.