The screen rocked back and forth and Lena saw Suki’s hands peeking at the bottom of the screen as she scrambled forward towards the vault. “This is making me nauseous,” Evren muttered, turning his face away from the screen. Lena ignored him. The two vault guards now looked at her in interest while the original guard yelled at her to get up.
The screen tilted up to the faces of the two guards at the vault. Suki placed her hand on the door and used it and the two guards to steady herself as she stood. As soon as she touched the door, lights flashed and every red dot on the blueprints started moving towards the vault.
Chapter Twenty
Now Lena was gripping Evren’s arm. Suki’s screen showed the desk guard put his hands to his ears then removing one to motion to the vault guards to take Suki away.
Taking Suki by the arms, they pulled her up and dragged her through a door on the opposite side of the room. Lena watched Suki’s feed as they pulled her up several flights of stairs and pushed her out the front entrance to the building. Suki fell to the ground. Lena could see the guards shaking their heads before closing the doors behind them. The feed turned and revealed the two front entrance guards who motioned for her to leave. Lena saw the footage tilt side to side as Suki stood and continued her drunken charade until she had turned the building’s corner. Then Lena saw her hands brush off her pants and Lena could tell she was now walking steadily.
From Gideon’s screen, Lena saw Gideon peaked around the corner. The alarms were still blaring. Lena watched Gideon’s hands move to open his insignia. His insignia screen showed an image of the vaults controls.
Lena laughed. “Suki planted a camera in the room,” Lena said to no one in particular. Evren typed furiously into the hologram and a sunscreen opened revealing footage from the camera’s Suki had planted around the room. Lena saw the red dot’s moving down the stairway where Gideon, Tern and Bates were hiding. From Gideon’s screen she saw Bates pointing up. Tern looked up the stairs and readied himself for a fight.
Gideon screen moved back to the his insignia where her could see the guard enter the codes to turn off the alarm and then reset them. One of the screens Suki had planted showed the guards talk into a com device and all the red dots returned to their original locations. Gideon’s hand motioned for Bates to make himself comfortable. Tern already stood with ease against the stairwell wall.
From the sub-screen Lena watched the vault guards responsible for removing Suki, return to the security room the same way they had left. They were laughing. As they walked past the desk, one of the guards motioned to the bottle Suki had left. The desk guard grabbed it and took a swig.
From Bates screen Lena saw Gideon smile. Lena realized it must have been part of the plan.
Lena continued watching the sub-screen. The guard held out the bottle offering the others a drink. The vault guards readily accepted. They took turns taking a drink before putting it back on the desk and standing back at attention against the vault.
A shot of Bates’ annoyed face glared at them through Gideon’s screen. Lena almost thought it was directed towards her, but then Gideon held up his hand signaling patience.
Lena turned back to watch the guards on the sub-screen. The desk guard swayed and slumped forward onto the desk, unconscious. The other two vault guards slumped to the ground then fell over sideways. All three appeared unconscious.
Bates’ screen showed Gideon motion to Tern who slipped into the shadows.
Lena watched Tern’s screen as he raised his hand to the vault’s control panel and deactivated the security system, then used the unlocking device to open the vault’s door. It was huge. It looked like a museum. Light’s turned on a section at a time until the whole room lit up. There were hundreds of items in the room. Each under its own protective force field. Gideon and Bates entered the security room. Gideon hopped on his glider. He motioned to Bates who nodded. Lena really wished she could hear them.
Gideon and Bates hopped on their gliders. The two of them each took a side of the room. Starting at the front they flew at top speed as they looked for the stone. Manuscripts, golden statues, things that looked like old technology, and things Lena had never seen before flashed by on the screen.
There were paintings and coins and hundreds of items Lena didn’t recognize, but Gideon’s footage didn’t pause to examine any of them. He was looking for one thing only. A stone. His footage finally stopped and focused on what Lena assumed was the stone. It was spherical and looked much like the gem on her necklace. This one, however, was larger—nearly the size of her hand. It was a clear purple while hers was crystal clear.
Spinning on his glider, Gideon motioned to Bates. They landed in front of the case.
Bates put his hand to the forcefield and quickly pulled it away. It required an insignia scan. Bates flew out of the vault and grabbed the security guard. He pulled him to the case and scanned the guard’s insignia. It denied the unconscious guard access and at the same time triggered an alarm. Lights started flashing.
Lena’s eyes jumped from screen to screen.
Bates jumped off his glider, grabbed it and threw it through the forcefield. The glider shot sparks into the air. The forcefield glowed brighter. The glider burst into flames and the forcefield disappeared. Grabbing the stone, Bates bolted on foot towards the vault exit. It was too late. Two guards ran into the vault towards them.
Tern, who had been standing next to the doorway out of the guards view, snuck up behind the guards, knocking both unconscious. Lena watched the red dots as more guards ran towards the vault. They would be surrounded if they didn’t hurry. Bates tossed the stone to Gideon, motioning for Gideon to go ahead of them. Gideon shook his head and threw the stone to Tern. If what Tern said was true about him being able to sneak anywhere without being seen, Lena knew he would be able to stay hidden from the guards. From his screen, Lena could see he was standing still as guards were running past him without looking in his direction.
Gideon pulled something circular out of his pocket and lowered his helmet’s eye-shield to cover his entire face. The guards filed into the room and surrounded him and Bates. The screen dimmed indicating that Bates had lowered his eye-shield as well. His hands were up in the air. The guards motioned Gideon and Bates onto their knees. Gideon raised his hands and knelt. Bates followed. The guards were closing in on them with guns pointed. Gideon waited until all the red dots running towards them had entered the security room, if not the vault. Gideon threw the object. Smoke filled the room. As soon as the guards breathed it, they dropped to the floor unconscious. Gideon grabbed Bates’ arm. They made their way through the maze of unconscious bodies to the stairwell. Tern met them. Tern had somehow retrieved Suki’s glider and he handed it to Bates before jumping on his own.
The only guards left in the building were at the two main entrances. Two red dots marked their positions.The three of them ascended the stairs and flew to the same window they’d entered through. Suki was waiting for them on the ground below. Bates motioned for her to jump on the back of the glider. She grabbed him around the waist as they jetted into the darkened streets of Arc. Gideon and Tern followed behind them.
After what felt like forever, Lena heard the sound of the gliders. Gideon, Tern, and Bates with Suki on the glider, flew into the old performance hall. All four of them were safe. Tern tossed the stone to Evren.
Evren turned it over in his hand, analyzing each side. He looked up and smiled. “Welcome to the Zoons,” Evren said.
***
Suki raised her hands in triumph. Zoons cheered all around them. Jumping from the balconies onto their gliders, they soared in a whirlwind around them, celebrating at the tops of their lungs.
“To the underground!” Bates yelled into the chaos. Zoons cheered even louder as they zipped past Lena into the darkened hallways leading away from the theater. Suki motioned for Lena to grab a glider. Lena groaned, but stepped back onto her glider and followed Suki into the hallway and down a path that led to underground tu
nnels.
The tunnels were made out of rough, unfinished blocks. Lights blinked on as they flew, lighting up each damp section of the tunnel. They hadn’t flown long when the tunnel opened up into a huge underground room.
Uptempo music blasted Lena’s ears. It’s electronic beat rebounding off the cement walls of the place.
“We call this the Underground,” Suki yelled over the music, stepping off her glider.
Bright lights blinked to the beat of the music, causing Lena to squint. She dismounted from her glider and left it at the entrance they had just come through.
Gideon glided next to her and jumped off his glider. “What is this place?” he asked.
“We think it used to be some kind of underground airship hanger for the people attending the theater. It was closed off, but some of the kids found it a few years back. Right after we’d formed the Centizoons. We opened the access back up and made it into a club of sorts,” Suki said stepping toward the crowd.
“Not everyone here is a Zoon?” Lena yelled over the music as she watched a security guard let a group of punked out youth enter the room from what looked like an outside exit.
“Don’t worry. Evren will have his system running interference for potential threats. I and the other Zoons will be on guard,” Suki said.
Gideon studied the room. Lena followed his gaze. She recognized some of the Zoons walking around the room. They looked inconspicuous but nodded in reassurance when Gideon looked at them. They were watching out for them.
“Do you expect any threat?” Gideon asked.
“Na,” Suki said. “We can be picky about who we let into the club.”
“What kind of club is this?” Gideon asked.
“It’s a little bit of everything. Come see for yourself,” Suki said motioning for them to follow her through tightly pressed groups of people dancing. Once off the dance floor, she led them across the hanger to a spot crowded with more people. Suki pushed through the crowd. As soon as they saw her, the crowd parted around her and it wasn’t hard to get to the front of wherever they were going.
They stopped at a forcefield railing. In front of them was what looked like a racetrack. A solid bright green line was drawn on the floor with red dotted lines around it forming what looked like lanes. Lena looked down the track. A bright, white light arched over it and curved in the distance, but Lena still couldn’t see where it went. All of the sudden, Lena heard the howling of air when it’s being forced to move. In a flash, Lena saw a person fly by her, followed closely by several others. Each wore their own distinct colors. The wind they created blew Lena’s hair across her face. The crowd cheered and booed as the racers passed out of sight. Lena pushed her hair back. A bell sounded and the announcer called out a winner. Once again the air was filled with boo’s and cheers. Names flashed in neon lights across the air above them.
“I’m guessing this club isn’t legal,” Gideon said with a smirk.
Suki shrugged nonchalantly as the announcer called for more racers. “Legal, not legal. What does it matter anymore?” Suki smiled before hopping over the railing to the track with her glider under her arm.
Chapter Twenty-One
Suki took off her jacket and threw it at Lena. Her prosthetic arm lit up bright purple. She raised her hand and and the crowd cheered. The starting line was a row of bright lights projected on the ground in front of her. Someone from the side threw Suki goggles and a helmet that matched her neon arm. Soon she was surrounded by other contestants. Bates was there, his racing color was a dark blue. He rode a new glider, this one shaped like a knife.
Suki bent down so that she grasped the front of her glider. Bates copied her and gave her a challenging smirk. Lena stepped closer to the railing, her heart pounding in excitement. She loved the excited energy bouncing in the air. A horn sounded and the racers took off in a flash. Lena leaned over the railing trying to see who was winning but only could only see the empty track they’d left behind. People behind her pushed into her back trying to see the track. Someone pulled on her shirt. Ollie stood next to her now. He gave her a big smile, looked down the track, and started to cheer Suki’s name. She heard that noise again, of air being forced, and Suki flew past in the opposite direction from which Lena was looking. Suki was ahead, but only by a few glider lengths. Bates was catching up. Around and around they went. Lena wasn’t sure how long the race would take, but Suki stayed in the lead the whole time with Bates moving between second and fifth place behind her. He was fearless but less consistent in how he moved through riders.
The final lap was announced. Suki flew over the finish line triumphantly raising both hands in the air. Bates came in second. Lena didn’t recognize the rest of the riders. Lena cheered for Suki as the music got louder. It had a heavy beat that got the crowd jumping. Suki jumped back over the railing. Pulling the helmet off her head, she shook out her hair. She motioned them to tables arranged in the corner of the hanger. As they pushed through the crowd, Lena couldn’t help but bounce on her feet to the music. She felt Gideon’s hand on her shoulder as they navigated the crowd. Sitting down, Suki motioned to a waitress who brought them all drinks.
“Put it on my tab, Titus,” Suki called. The server smiled and gave her a small salute.
Lena took a sip of her drink. The fizziness burned her nose and made her cough. Gideon and Suki laughed and took a swig of their own.
“What is this?” Lena asked.
“Do you like it?” Suki asked. “They had it in the old world. It’s not particularly healthy, but it sure is tasty.”
Lena took another sip. She did like how it tasted. Gideon turned back to the screens showing the races. As Zoons passed, several slapped him on the shoulder and welcomed him to the Zoons. They’d nod their heads at Lena, point to their eye, and give a lazy salute—their way of saying they were watching out for her. Lena felt safe for the first time in a long time. She watched Gideon, trying to judge his thoughts without asking. His shoulders relaxed and he sat slouched back in his chair. He looked calm and after a while he scanned the room less frequently. She sat back in her chair, staring at the screen but not really caring about who was winning or losing. Tern was the most alert, watching the crowds come and go. But even he didn’t seem worried about where they were or who surrounded them.
The music stopped and the announcer called for open racers. “What’s that?” yelled Gideon.
“It’s for anyone who wants to race. Mostly a chance for newbies to get noticed,” Suki replied.
Gideon smiled and jumped to his feet. “Suki, if I may,” he said, grabbing her glider. He didn’t wait for a response as he bolted through the crowd towards the racetrack. Suki laughed and grabbed Lena’s arm.
“Come on,” she called, dragging Lena towards the racetrack.
What in the world was Gideon doing? He still wore the protective riding outfit. And by the time Lena and Suki had made it to the front, someone had given him a helmet and pair of goggles.
“Gideon,” Lena yelled. “You’re crazy.”
Gideon gave her a boyish grin before bending down and grabbing the front of Suki’s glider. The starting bell sounded and the racers were off. Gideon was the last off the starting line. He crossed back and forth trying to find a way through the gliders. When they rounded the corner, Lena lost view of them, so she stepped back to watch the races on the screen overhead. Gideon had pushed through one rider and with a sudden jerk advanced in front of another. There were five more riders in front of him. The race was close. Lena heard them, then felt the swish of air as they flew past her. Gideon was third to the last now. Four people in front of him. Lena couldn’t help but stare. He was doing so well, moving from one position to another. The crowds had noticed, too, and anytime he increased his lead, the Zoons started to go wild. They were on the last lap now. Gideon was in third place. The racers increased their speed. Gideon moved his glider higher and lower trying to find a way to the front. Lena could hear them coming. She turned to look. Gideon was flying sid
eways. Crouched low to his glider. He passed into second place just as he crossed the finish line. Lena was cheering so loud. She jumped over the railing along with Suki and a crowd of fans.
“What were you thinking?” Lena screamed, as he came over to them. She couldn’t hide her smile.
Gideon shrugged his shoulders. “You seemed safe enough with Suki. I thought I’d have a little fun before smuggling you off planet.”
Lena held her smile but stepped back. Gideon’s words stung. She forced a congratulations then slipped back towards their table before she had a chance to ruin Gideon’s fun.
***
Standing around a hologram, Lena rubbed her eyes as she listened to Evren. They’d stayed out late the night before, watching races and relaxing. Lena was so exhausted that by the time Suki had shown her where to sleep, she crawled into bed and didn’t wake up until late afternoon.
She walked down the halls of the Opera House until she found Evren, Tern, Gideon and Suki in the same room Ollie had first brought them the day before. Gideon smiled at her as she walked up to stand next to him.
“I’ve accessed the footage of the attack on the Defence Facility,” Evren said. “But I’m afraid you won’t have much luck trying to find where they took your friend. They cloaked their planes. You’d have to access the Priestess’ system to find your friend’s location.”
“Do you have access to her system?” Lena asked.
“No. But I happen to know there is a system in The Port that has that information,” Suki said.
“A system you sold to someone in The Port, no doubt,” Gideon added.
“A system not guarded by the Priestess or her Defenses,” Suki added.
“Where?” Tern asked.
“The Genossian consulate,” Suki answered.
The Children of The Resistance (The Mir Chronicles Book 2) Page 11
