Dark Sight

by T. G. Ayer

  Max shook his head and was about to respond when cool fingers curled around Allegra’s wrist. She glanced down at Corina, whose unconscious body had been placed beside her. She’d come to, but from the look of her eyes her conscious state may only be temporary.

  “You must not waste time, Allegra. Prevent the plague first.” Allegra had to strain to hear her above the sound of the chopper’s blades.

  She shook her head, holding onto Corina’s shoulder. “You’ll die without medical care. I can’t do that to you.”

  Corina smiled and coughed, and a stream of blood spilled from her already red-stained lips. “I am already dead, Allegra. Nobody can save me now. And wasting time getting medical care won’t help me . . . it will only jeopardize the mission.”

  Allegra shook her head, then glanced up at Flavius and then at Max, hoping against hope that at least one of them would back her up and agree to take Corina to the base first.

  But neither said a word, both faces remained expressionless, closed off to Allegra’s emotional battle.

  “What is wrong with you two?” Allegra yelled.

  “They know the truth.” Corina’s voice was raspy, her throat coated with blood. “You are doing so well, Allegra. Your burden is heavy, but you must bear it with strength and conviction.” She coughed again and blood trickled from her mouth, soaking into her hair.

  “Corina, please,” Allegra whispered staring at the seer’s gaping wound, and then at her pale face.

  Corina’s fingers tightened around Allegra’s wrist, but only for a moment. Then her hand went slack and she let go.

  “I’m so proud to have known you, Pythia Allegra . . .”

  And then, as Allegra watched, the life fled from Corina’s eyes and she went still.

  Allegra wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand, swiping hard, angry with Max and Flavius, angry with Kantha, angry with the world.

  Max held her gaze and spoke calmly. “It was Corina’s wish that we go to the farm first. She knew she was dying.”

  Allegra said nothing, just turned her gaze from the men within the chopper’s interior and stared out at the black night.

  Corina was dead, and suddenly the future, Allegra’s future, looked bleak.

  How many more people would she lose in this new life of hers?

  Chapter 52

  The chopper began to descend sooner than Allegra had anticipated. She wiped her eyes and sniffed to clear her sinuses. She’d refused to cry again, determined not to show further emotion.

  At last, they landed a safe distance from the coordinates that matched Allegra’s vision. She jumped from the chopper, shrugged off Max’s helping hand and shielded her eyes as she stared out at the inky, purple and red horizon.

  The heat was tangible, like breathing a gust of dusty hot air. Her shirt was soaked with perspiration and stuck to her back, while it hung slack against her chest, the fabric stained and tacky from Corina’s blood. Her throat still hurt from crying, and her eyes were gritty with tears.

  Allegra stared over the rise and studied the low roofs of the farm, working up some form of eagerness or desire to confirm it matched the one in her vision.

  Corina’s death had dealt her a blow much worse than she’d expected. She’d grown fond of the seer, had expected they’d be friends.

  And then she’d seen Corina’s death but misinterpreted it. Had she been better at her job she could have saved Corina.

  But she’d failed.

  What good was she if she couldn’t save one measly human life? How was she expected to save billions?

  Movement behind her drew her attention and she glanced over her shoulder.

  Bhana and Max were preparing to go in for recon with two of the NGS soldiers, leaving Bhana’s driver and Flavius behind with Allegra.

  She didn’t protest, though she wanted to demand to go down with them, but she felt numb. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she stared at the slowly-disappearing forms of the two commanders of their team.

  Flavius came to stand beside her, his elbow brushing against hers. “Corina was headstrong. She always knew her mind.”

  “She was dying,” Allegra said coldly, keeping her eyes on the farm in the distance. “We just let her.”

  “We didn’t let her. She wouldn’t have survived those injuries. Even if we’d headed for the base first. She would have died before we got there.” His voice was soft, yet practical and firm, and something about it broke her resistance.

  Hot tears filled her eyes and dripped down her cheeks. She swiped them away with the back of her hand and inhaled harshly. He was right, but he didn’t know she was dealing with her own guilt at being unable to save Corina after her vision.

  Not that she’d tell him.

  He had his own grief to deal with.

  Allegra forced a smile onto her lips. “Well, let’s hope we do save the world or she’s going to be pissed.”

  Flavius snorted. “Damn right she will be.”

  Max and Bhana returned, dark shadows emerging from the bush, and headed for the soldiers to plan their attack. She watched them carry a long box from the chopper and place it carefully on the ground. When they flung the lid open, she had to stifle a gasp.

  Dynamite.

  Appalled she hurried over to the men who were crouched around the box, preparing the sticks of dynamite with long fuses. “You’re not going the blow the place up, are you?”

  Max got to his feet, dusting off his hands. “Yes, and no. We’re going to blast the coops. Let’s hope we don’t get too much interference from the farmer and his family. Thankfully Rai and his team didn’t have the exact coordinates of the farm.”

  Allegra had a feeling it wasn’t going to be that easy. Had it been her farm, she knew she’d fight tooth-and-nail to protect it.

  Max returned to help with the dynamite and Allegra paced outside the chopper, left on the sidelines to watch, despite instigating the whole debacle.

  Twenty minutes later Max, Bhana and the six soldiers, including Bhana’s driver, descended the hill toward the farm, leaving Allegra with the pilot to guard the chopper.

  Allegra watched as the team cut through the wire fencing and entered the farm, flitting through the shadows from one coop to the next and lobbing in the dynamite.

  The NGS pilot cleared his throat from behind her. “How can we be sure they’ve killed the origin host?”

  Allegra stood straighter. “By checking, of course.” She looked over at him. “What’s your name?”

  “Brayden Weisz, ma’am.”

  “Brayden, I need to touch you . . . to see if we’ve averted the pandemic yet.”

  He hesitated.

  “It won’t hurt,” she said softly as she reached for his hand. He gave it to her in silence and waited as she slipped into the vision.

  The pilot was in a living room, sitting on the sofa, a little girl on his knee. Both were covered in sores, blood dribbling from their mouths. They lay unmoving, resting back against the pillows, staring sightlessly at the ceiling.

  Allegra moaned as she pulled free of the vision.

  Weisz didn’t say a word.

  They both watched in silence as the destruction continued.

  A shout went up from the farmhouse and people began to exit the low-roofed building. Shadows scattered as the farmer and his family tried to stop the intruders.

  Allegra couldn’t take it anymore. “I’m going down there.” She headed to the chopper, grabbed a short knife and tucked it into her left boot.

  “Wait. What if you get hurt?”

  “Then so be it. But I’m not going to stand here and watch from afar.”

  She hurried away before he could stop her, knowing he wouldn’t leave the chopper for which he was responsible. She ran lightly down the hillside and followed the same path into the property, over the broken fence and along the main line of coops.

  She ducked as two more coops exploded. Many were still burning, the smell of flame-cooked chicken filling the
air. Allegra would never eat chicken again.

  Ever.

  Up ahead, a shadow closed in on Max and Bhana. The two were concentrating on tossing dynamite into another set of coops when a man materialized out of the darkness and put a pushed the barrel of his rifle into the back of Max’s neck.

  Max stilled, his hands rising slowly in the air. The cotton bag of dynamite sticks remained around his neck and Allegra knew that should it explode, it would kill not only to Max, but everyone within a thirty-foot radius.

  The man with the gun began to speak, his words urgent, angry and unintelligible. Bhana shook his head and took a step closer. The farmer, Allegra was sure it was him proactively protecting his livelihood, pointed the gun at the general, his harsh tone filled with warning.

  Allegra was a few feet to his right now, and moved away so she approached Patel from behind, bending slightly to draw the knife from her boot.

  The sound of another explosion, coupled with the roar of the flames and the high-pitched squawks of terrified chickens, covered Allegra’s approach and when she placed the blade of the knife against Patel’s neck, he went still instantly.

  A second explosion made her flinch and Patel gasped. “Sorry,” said Allegra, moving aside so he could see her face. “I don’t want to hurt you, but you must stop.”

  The farmer glared at her. “You kill chicken. Is my -” he made a feeding motion with his fingers. His livelihood.

  “I understand. Believe me, we all do. But this is necessary.”

  Patel shook his head. “To kill my farm?”

  Allegra paused, then met Bhana’s gaze. He gave her a short nod and Allegra inhaled and met Patel’s eyes.

  “A plague is coming. One that will kill all the people in the world. You, your family, your friends, everyone that eats your chickens and everyone else they speak to, touch, sit beside. It will go on and on until the whole world dies.”

  Light from the flames across the yard flickered against Patel’s face as Bhana translated. When the general fell silent, Patel stared at Allegra. “You crazy.” He faced Max again and stiffened his grip on his rifle.

  Allegra pressed her knife to his throat wondering if she had it in her to kill this innocent man. Not too long ago she’d murdered a soldier in cold blood.

  But she’d had to, or he’d have killed Max. And now, once again a man was at the tip of a knife she held in her hand, all to save Max.

  “Please. Let them do their jobs. You could kill one of them, but the other soldier will just kill you. And your chickens will die all the same.”

  The man’s shoulders fell forward and the muzzle of the gun lowered to the ground as he gave up. Allegra dropped her knife hand and removed the gun from his grip.

  Max and Bhana hurried to her. Allegra gave Max a defeated look, then turned her attention to the farm, still holding the knife and the gun. They watched as the next three coops went up in flames.

  “You need to check again, Allegra. What if this is the wrong farm?” Max raised his voice to be heard over the roar of the additional coops going up in flames.

  She nodded then looked for Bhana who was talking to one of two NGS soldiers who’d hurried over to report in. She didn’t want to disturb what looked like a pretty intense conversation so she glanced over at the second soldier who waited on the sidelines.

  She beckoned him closer and he stepped forward, straight-backed and serious.

  “I need to take your hand. We need to check if the mission is succeeding.” Allegra said loudly as she tried to sound confident and firm.

  The man lifted his hand, his expression unfathomable. He waited as she closed her eyes and searched for the vision. She held her breath as she watched him lying on the ground, his helmet askew, his gun lying beside him. He too was covered in boils and leaking sores.

  She withdrew and thanked him, then turned to Max, giving him a slight shake of her head.

  Max’s lips pursed in disappointment as they both turned to face the farm, and the ongoing destruction.

  The farmer stood beside them, now flanked by a tiny old woman and taller younger one. Both wore scarves covering their heads, revealing small round, very scared faces. A little boy held onto the hand of the younger woman, big black eyes staring at the burning farm.

  “Give it five minutes,” Max said softly.

  Allegra refocused on his face and nodded, wondering if he knew how mentally taxing the whole process was.

  Seconds later, she felt his hand curl around her waist, felt him give her a comforting squeeze under cover of shadows.

  Patel had begun to speak out again, his voice angry and frustrated. The two soldiers held him back, and after a few words in the man’s ear, he looked over at Bhana. He shrugged the soldier off and stalked across the yard, making his way to the general who spoke softly to him

  “Don’t worry. The queen is compensating Patel and his family for their loss.” Max spoke from beside her.

  She sighed. “What if this isn’t the right farm? Or I was totally wrong in the first place?” Doubt had begun to cloud her certainty.

  “Check again,” said Max simply.

  Allegra nodded. They were down to two buildings and almost twenty fires. She shifted her gaze and searched for the NGS soldier. His lips thinned, but he stepped forward all the same, submitting in silence as Allegra called up the vision.

  She saw him again, almost unrecognizable without his helmet as he pushed a shopping cart beside an old woman. She was grey-haired, tiny and extremely determined. He looked about five years older. Wagging her finger at him, she proceeded to lecture him about finding a wife.

  Allegra let go of his hand and smiled at him. “Your grandmother . . . she’s really determined to get you married.”

  The soldier did a double-take. He’d resigned himself to being her subject, but her words had startled him. He nodded vigorously and headed back to his supervising officer.

  Allegra turned to Max. “It worked. The vision changed.” Another explosion went off and Allegra stared at the final two coops going up in flames.

  Bhana and Patel came to stand with Allegra as she watched the fires begin to die down.

  She met Patel’s eyes. “I really wish there’d been another way.”

  He nodded and looked away, his gaze returning to the scene of mayhem and destruction below. Allegra cleared her throat. “To the rest of the world, this was just another night. They won’t know we saved them from their extinction. But you will. You and your family are the only ones to bear the burden of tonight’s reprieve for humanity.”

  Bhana translated again, and Patel’s face softened as he absorbed Allegra’s words. He nodded slowly, his expression now relaxing.

  “It is a heavy burden.” Allegra smiled sadly.

  Patel bowed, then scurried away. When Allegra glanced at Bhana, wondering why he hadn’t been more upset, the commander smiled. “He’s just been given a plot of land not too far from here, with fully equipped barns to house new chickens, new technology to operate the farm. He’s also received a bag of gold coins, courtesy of the Maharani of Indus.”

  Unlike Corina, Patel and his family would survive this day.

  Allegra hoped it was all worth it.

  Chapter 53

  With a sigh, Allegra headed back to Max as the team prepared to return to Bharat.

  Feeling a little off balance, Allegra gave the burning farm one last glance. Incredible that such a simple action should save the entire world.

  But it had, and who was Allegra to question it?

  The team spent the night at Sonali’s palace, and not a single one of them rose before ten the next morning. Perhaps grief kept them abed more than exhaustion.

  Allegra blinked against the sunlight streaming into the room. As she turned her head a voice whispered in her ear. “Come to Delphi, my child.”

  And then it was gone, just a soft voice in her mind and then nothing. Had she not experienced it before, Allegra would have dismissed it as part of her imagination.r />
  Frustrated, she sprang out of bed and flung open the doors to the balcony. Outside the sun shone, searing and bright against the white marble.

  The air was heavy, muggy and humid, but the beauty compensated for the sudden flush of perspiration on her forehead. Peacocks called and in the distance the trumpeting of elephants could be heard.

  A movement at her side drew her attention to Max who’d followed her outside. “It’s beautiful.” His voice was soft and yet restless, as if he knew he had more to do but was reluctant to leave.

  Allegra felt the same.

  She met his gaze. “I’d love to stay. This place is perfect and I think it would be good for my soul.”

  “But?”

  “But I am a woman plagued by visions.”

  Max’s smile disappeared. “What did you see?”

  Allegra faced the garden, her gaze focusing on the trickling water of a giant fountain, the droplets sparkling like diamonds as the water hit the pool and exploded into a million fragments.

  “Delphi.”

  She didn’t tell Max about the voices. Something told her that she’d be better off keeping that to herself. The only person who knew was Xenia and she’d never tell.

  Max nodded. “Very well. Flavius can return to the Capital and I’ll book us on the next plane to Athens.”

  “And Corina?” Allegra asked softly.

  Max’s features tightened. Then he exhaled harshly. “The army will transport her body back to the Capital. She’ll be given a military funeral with full honors.”

  Allegra nodded, unsure if honors really mattered. “And her family?” Her vision blurred as she recalled Corina’s smile when she had talked about her parents and her brother.

  “They’ve been informed. Her brother is taking it hard but they have each other.”

  From the sound of Max’s voice, Allegra knew that he had been the one to make that call.

  He fell silent then, giving her a strange look before shifting his gaze to the scenery. “What’s wrong?”

  He didn’t meet her eyes. “I just got word from Londinium.” He paused and looked back at Allegra.