by Alex Siegel
Tom and Will got up and went to a hatch in the floor behind the pilot's cabin. Tawni followed and found Ethel, Boreas, and Atalanta already waiting there.
Ethel gave Tawni a sharp look. "Stick with the team. This isn't a field trip."
"Yes, ma'am," Tawni said.
Everybody climbed down using the crew access ladder. It was cold outside, but not nearly as cold as Chicago. A light dusting of snow covered the ground. After weeks of suffering through a punishing blizzard, Tawni was glad for the relatively mild weather in Washington.
Ethel went straight to Neal and said, "Report."
"We found this on the side of the road, ma'am," he said. "It was thrown out the window right after the President was kidnapped. It's his phone."
He handed her a gray phone. It was thick, and the armor plating had an iridescent sheen. She held the phone tenderly with a mournful expression.
Neal went on, "We found some pictures on the phone. It looks like Haley tried to photograph his captors before the phone was taken away. That was quick thinking. My hackers are analyzing the photos now. There are no other clues."
"What about the license plate on the car that took him away?" Ethel said.
"It was just as fake as the Secret Service agents. The abduction was well planned and perfectly executed. They left no identifying evidence. Good luck finding the President, ma'am. What's going on in Chicago? The Lord said we need to protect the twins."
"All hell is about to break loose. God's enemies are trying very hard to kill the twins, and that must not happen. Aaron will explain when you get there. He's the acting legate in my absence."
Neal raised his eyebrows. "He was promoted?"
"Just until I rescue Roy and get back to Chicago. Then I'll resume my duties. Hopefully, I won't be away for too long." She turned to Tom. "These people need to be in Chicago. Take them straight to O'Hare."
"I'll do my best, ma'am," Tom said, "but the military is clamping down. They own that airspace now."
"Do whatever it takes. Then come back here and wait for me."
"Yes, ma'am."
The Washington team climbed into the aircraft. The injured legionnaire needed help to get up the ladder, but eventually, he was safely onboard. Tom saluted Ethel before closing the hatch.
Ethel, Tawni, Boreas, and Atalanta backed away quickly until they were at a safe distance. The bomber's engines made a deafening noise as they spun up. Tawni covered her ears. Snow blew in her face as the aircraft taxied back towards the runway.
When she could be heard again, she said, "What happened to the fourth legionnaire? Neal had another man on his team, ma'am."
"He was killed two days ago," Ethel said.
"Oh." Tawni furrowed her brow.
"It happens to all of us eventually. At least he went out fighting. Let's hurry. Our next stop is the Washington headquarters."
* * *
This is madness, Smythe thought.
A woman in a heavy, orange gown was screaming at him. She looked Asian, but he couldn't be more specific than that. The words were coming at him like machine gun bullets. He had no idea what she was saying or even what language she was speaking. The gown was pretty though. He liked the checkerboard pattern of squares along the hems.
The woman whipped a knife out of the folds of her gown. The weapon had a bone handle with fine lines drawn in ink. Smythe instinctively pushed Odelia back and protected her with his body even though she was an accomplished knife fighter and could take care of herself.
"Please!" Smythe said. "Calm down! I don't know what you're saying. There's no need for violence."
Another Asian woman approached. Her shiny, black hair was elaborately braided and bound with gold hoops. She was wearing a red, silk dress with a high collar. Dragons drawn in gold and silver thread were wrapped around her midsection. The man with her was also Asian. He looked like a cross between a sumo wrestler and a gorilla.
"Perhaps I can be of assistance," the woman said in a soft voice. She had a heavy, Chinese accent.
The first woman instantly quieted down. She bowed her head, shut her mouth, and looked at the floor. The knife vanished.
The second woman pointed towards a restroom sign and spoke a few words. The first nodded and ran in that direction.
"Thank you," Smythe said enthusiastically. "You're a lifesaver, whoever you are." He offered his hand.
The woman with the dragons on her belly stared at the hand. He withdrew it and bowed formally instead.
"I'm the legate of the Far East," she said. "They call me the Dragon." Wisps of smoke puffed out of her nose.
"It's a great honor to meet you, ma'am. I'm Smythe, one of the Chicago legionnaires. This beautiful lady is Odelia, from Los Angeles."
The Dragon smiled prettily but her teeth were gray as if they were slightly burnt. "We've travelled for days to be here. We're not sure why. Where is Ethel?"
"Off on an errand, ma'am. She appointed Aaron to serve as legate in her absence. Did you say days?" Smythe raised his eyebrows. "I thought God told everybody last night."
"No. Some commanders were notified as many as four days ago, depending on how far they had to travel. Who is this 'Aaron?' Ethel shouldn't be appointing others to take her place. I would never abandon my duties like that. It doesn't matter what errands she has to perform. When I see her again, she'd better have a good explanation. Call Aaron now. Tell him I'm here."
He stepped away, took out his phone, and quickly dialed Aaron.
"What now?" Aaron responded.
"The Far East legate is in the lobby, sir. She's a pretty Chinese lady who breathes fire. That's not a joke. I think all the legates are finally here."
"Then I guess it's time for the grand tour of my humble headquarters. I'll meet them down there."
"Yes, sir," Smythe said. "No sign of Marina yet."
Aaron sighed. "I could really use her support. I've never been this stressed."
"We'll get through it."
"I don't share your irrational optimism. I've been reading the military reports and trying to assess what we're up against. This isn't going to be pretty. I'll be down in a couple of minutes."
Smythe hung up and went back to the Dragon. She was having a quiet conversation with Odelia. The two women were looking at Odelia's right hand which was glowing like a light bulb.
"He'll be here shortly," Smythe said.
The Dragon looked around. "Is this your headquarters?"
"Yes, ma'am. It's on the top floor."
"Really? Normally, they're buried underground and out of sight."
"We tried to be different," Smythe said. "It was a mistake."
"The traditional ways are usually the best."
The Dragon and her oversized bodyguard wandered off.
Smythe gave Odelia a hug. "I thought I was used to craziness, but this is off the charts."
"And the battle hasn't even begun," she said.
Chapter Four
Aaron walked into the lobby and looked around. It was still crowded, and more people were trickling in. There was a long line at the front desk. The clerks were scrambling to find rooms for everybody.
The incoming legionnaires had luggage, but Aaron expected many lacked proper weaponry. It wasn't practical in most cases to travel with an arsenal of guns and body armor. He would have to supply them with equipment somehow. One more problem to solve, Aaron thought wearily. I'll put it on the list.
Mr. Rosenblum came out from behind the front desk. He had a wild look as he hurried over to Aaron.
"This is crazy, sir," Rosenblum said. "When I woke up this morning, the hotel was almost empty because of the cannibal plague. A few hours later, we're running out of rooms."
"A lot of rooms have two beds," Aaron said. "Start doubling up. The suites can take four people. We'll fit."
"Yes, sir." Rosenblum looked around anxiously and whispered, "I've seen some things. One man had four arms. A woman had a tongue like a snake. Nobody else seemed to think it was weird
."
Aaron took a quarter out of his pocket and tossed it up. He spat a tiny glob of yellow slime at the coin. The metal began to dissolve while it was still in the air. By the time the quarter landed in his hand, there was a hole in the center.
Aaron gave the coin to Rosenblum and patted him on the shoulder. "You wanted to know the truth."
Rosenblum stared at the coin. "I never could've imagined this."
"Stick around. I expect it will get even more interesting."
Aaron spotted Smythe and Odelia. Aaron jogged over and said, "Where are they?"
Smythe pointed at a group of twelve people chatting in a quiet corner of the lobby. Several of them had extreme or bizarre physical attributes. One man had an odd growth in the center of his forehead like a giant blister.
Aaron inhaled. The legates of the world, he thought. He had never expected to meet them, much less under these conditions. It was overwhelming.
Aaron turned to Charles. The former legate hadn't left Aaron's side since being appointed his advisor.
"Any advice?" Aaron said.
"Be confident," Charles said. "They can smell fear."
"They're not animals."
"Well, they're certainly not humans."
Smythe gave Aaron a nudge. "Go, sir. They're waiting for you."
Aaron walked over with as much confidence as he could summon. "Hi!" he said cheerfully. "I'm Aaron, commander of Chicago and temporary legate of North America." The words still sounded strange coming out of his mouth.
"Where is Ethel?" a Chinese lady in a red, silk dress said.
He had done his homework and knew she was the legate known as the Dragon. He recognized the faces of the other legates from pictures Perry had dug up, but the bodyguards were unfamiliar.
"Away on other business," Aaron said.
"That's a shame. We'll miss her sparkling personality."
He had never heard anybody describe Ethel that way, but he kept a straight face. "She'll be back as soon as possible. I'll speak for her in the meantime."
"What is this other business?" the Dragon said. "Didn't God order her to come here?"
Aaron didn't want to tell her Ethel was off rescuing her lover. It was embarrassing. Legates weren't supposed to fall in love.
"I don't think so," Aaron said. "The President of the United States was kidnapped this morning. She's investigating."
"A kidnapped politician doesn't justify missing an occasion such as this one."
"You'll have to argue that point with her when she comes back. She made that decision for herself."
"I see." The Dragon looked at Charles. "It's good to see you again, Charles, but I'm surprised. I thought you were watching over the Child."
"I was until this morning," Charles said.
"Where is the Child? Safe, I trust."
"The little darling is upstairs."
Aaron pointed towards a side hallway. "If you follow me, I'll be very happy to show you my headquarters, and you'll see why God brought you here."
He and Charles led the group down a hallway and into a small conference room. It was very similar to many other conference rooms in the hotel. Six brass chairs were arranged around a black hexagonal table. The walls were covered with golden wallpaper with blue vertical lines.
Aaron waved to a tall, wooden sculpture in the corner. The room began to rise silently like an elevator. It emerged into a secret concrete chamber above.
Everybody walked out and went to another, more conventional elevator. Getting fourteen people inside wasn't easy. It had never been designed for such a large group. Aaron typed in a code, and the elevator ascended quickly.
"Why are we going up?" the South American legate said in a tone of surprise. Aaron remembered his name was Leonardo.
"My headquarters is on the top floor," Aaron said.
"That's very unusual."
"Yes, and foolish, but it's a mistake I'm forced to live with for the time being."
The elevator reached the top floor, and the doors opened. The group spilled out into the white entry chamber. The walls were solid concrete and very thick. The only furniture was a white, wicker couch that offered no cover.
The computer known as Jack was behind the bulletproof window as always. Shadows in the darkened security booth fell on the tall stacks of electronic components. The machine lacked a face, but Aaron could imagine it was watching him. Surveillance cameras were everywhere in headquarters.
"Hello, commander," Jack said. The machine's voice came through speakers and sounded perfectly human. "I don't recognize most of these people."
"These are the other legates and their bodyguards," Aaron said. "Let us in."
"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir. Security protocols require positive proof of identity. The biometric readings of you and Charles are familiar to me, but I have no such data for the others. Do you know them well?'
"No. We just met."
"Then we have a problem, sir," Jack said. "How do you know they are the other legates?"
Aaron frowned. It was an annoyingly good question. The computer was right to be suspicious.
Leonardo stepped forward. "What's going on? Why is a machine in charge of security? Why isn't it showing us the proper respect?"
He was wearing a dressy, white suit which contrasted against his black hair. A green, silk shirt was open at the collar. Except for his perfect goatee, his face was freshly shaved.
"The machine was never programmed to show respect," Aaron said. "Its job is to protect my headquarters from strangers, and technically, you fall into that category."
Leonardo snorted. "Ridiculous."
"We know each other very well," the Dragon said in her soft, Chinese accent. "We can vouch for each other. And Charles also knows most of us."
"That's right," Charles said. "These are indeed the other legates."
Everybody nodded in agreement.
"That isn't sufficient," Jack said. "I would like at least two of you to demonstrate your gift in a convincing manner."
The legate of Europe came forward. "I'll do it. Shoot at me."
His name was Petri. He had red hair and pale skin. His mustache blended into his sideburns in an old-fashioned style. His gray suit was nicely tailored and shiny.
"With what type of weapon?" Jack said.
"Any projectile weapon," Petri said.
A panel on the ceiling slid open, and a machine gun dropped down. A belt fed .50 caliber bullets into the breach. Aaron stuck his fingers in his ears. The gun began to fire, and the noise was as deafening as he had expected. The sound bounced off the hard walls of the small chamber.
He expected Petri to be cut to ribbons, but the legate just stood without being harmed. The bullets burst into clouds of black mist right before they touched him. He seemed to have an invisible shield that annihilated incoming projectiles. The puffs of mist vanished after a few seconds.
The demonstration ended, but Aaron's ears were still ringing afterwards. He was deeply impressed. That's a nice gift.
"That was convincing," Jack said. "I require one more."
The man with the lump on his forehead came forward next. He was the legate of South Asia, and his nickname was "Sight." The dark color of his skin showed he came from Southern India. He was wearing a traditional white, silk sherwani which went down to his ankles.
The lump opened and revealed a third eye. It glowed a little and had a tiny pupil.
"You're not an ordinary machine," Sight said. "An extraordinarily clever person built you. There is a soul caught in your circuits like a fish in a net. It's the soul of a man who died not too long ago. He was the security chief here, but God's enemies brought him low. At the very end, he found his way back to the light. As a reward, God put his soul in you, the perfect guardian. Always vigilant. Always loyal. Never weak."
Aaron was astonished.
Jack paused and then said, "You may enter." A side door buzzed.
Aaron led the large party into headquarters. He tried t
o ignore the embarrassing clutter in the corridors. The scientists were leaving junk everywhere these days. Millions of dollars in equipment was lying around like garbage. Some of it was even gold-plated.
He saw the scientists engaged in mysterious tasks in various rooms. The twins' project had taken over all available space in headquarters. Meetings took place in the kitchen because the conference room was now another laboratory. Even the shooting range had been sacrificed.
"What's going on here?" the Dragon said. "This place is a mess!"
"I'll explain in a moment," Aaron said.
They walked into the section that had originally been designated for exercise, but now it was the aperture assembly area. A forest of strange, futuristic equipment made travel difficult. Aaron climbed over and ducked under obstacles as he made his way to the center.
Bethany, Leanna, and Wesley were there. Bethany was going over the aperture with a handheld microscope, and she seemed to be looking for defects. It appeared the torus was complete, at least superficially. Colorful loops and swirls formed perfect symmetries all the way around. The tiny components were pressed together like wet sand, but instead of water, platinum acted as glue.
Wesley was sitting on the floor, and Leanna was lying down with her head in his lap. He was whispering to her and petting her metallic skull. Her eyes were closed.
The legates and their bodyguards gathered around. Some appeared shocked and others looked confused.
"These are the twins, Bethany and Leanna," Aaron said, "perhaps the smartest entities in the universe, at least in terms of technology. The boy is the Voice of Truth, the Child of Destiny, and the Beacon of Light."
Wesley looked up at the legates, and his blue eyes glittered.
Aaron heard muttered exclamations of astonishment. The twins and Wesley were legendary throughout the Society, but none of the legates had ever seen them in person.
