by J. D. Hale
“Well then, you can die in a week.” I rebutted.
She sighed in defeat, “Fine. But, since you’re technically a ward of the state, I can’t make any promises on whether or not I’ll send guards after you.”
“That’s fine, but know that I can’t make a promise as to whether those guards live or not.” I replied solemnly.
She nodded curtly, “Just fix my arm as soon as you can. I’ve got things to do, places to be.” She said.
“Anything specific?” I smiled.
“Well, since you asked, absolutely nothing. I don’t want crashing in on any meetings with planetary leaders any time soon.” She said.
“I hope you know that you just gave told me exactly where you’re going to be in a week. That’s not the point though. Listen to me – I’ll be at the Yusai tonight around seven. Meet me there, and don’t do anything stupid.” I told her.
“What’s the Yousay?” She asked.
“Yusai,” I corrected, “It’s this criminalist restaurant downtown. They only let you in if you’ve got a reputation. The Dunham twins have their own table. I’ll bring the cure, and you better not bring that server-pixie Hanson or that oaf Dmitri Ivanov that you’re so fond of bringing places they don’t belong.” I said with a glance at Hanson, who was still arguing with my brother.
“I’ll be there.” She was so nervous it was hard to believe.
“Alright, now I’ve got a front page to make.”
I stood up and squeezed Rowan’s arm.
“We’ve got an escape to perform. And Hanson,” I said seriously, “you are really annoying.” I pulled out a razor and swiped it across her pasty skin, leaving yet another scar across the galaxy. Walking out, I touched the Rizer pressed to my skin and an idea suddenly filled my head.
June 22nd 1:36 pm
Kaito, Capital City, Capital Building, Saize
I heard panicked voices as Rowan and I stalked down the hall to the main conference room. Even from here, it was clear that the guards were trying to keep scared government agents in order.
“Alright, Row, are you ready? We haven’t been on the news enough lately, anyways.”
He chuckled darkly, “Let’s go.”
The doors into the meeting room were lavish, but we didn’t go in. Instead, I grabbed a chair from next to the door, snapped off each leg, and placed them between the door handles – the most simplistic way to lock a door from the outside. After the doors were sealed, Rowan followed me to a huge tapestry showing scenes from the Nalakine bible. I knocked on the wall next to the tapestry, creating a dull thump. But, after knocking on the tapestry, there was a low, hollow thud that echoed around whatever was behind it.
“Found it.” Rowan laughed. He pulled the tapestry off its hook, revealing a leaded door with a padlock.
“What do you think?” I asked Rowan, testing his abilities.
“Eight digits – numbers and letters – six guess limit. I suspect the combination is 142AFN58.” He told me confidently.
“Why do you think that?” I pondered aloud, even though it was obvious what he was thinking; I just wanted him to explain it for himself.
“One-hundred and forty-two because that’s how many rooms are in this building, AFN are the Prime Minister’s initials, and fifty-eight is the number of members in the Saizian government, the number of people we’re about to give a heart attack. They’re all things that ‘only someone working here would know.’”
I smiled at him and punched in the code. It was, of course, correct. The door’s plethora of mechanics whirred and clicked on the inside of the door, until it – rather ominously, I might add – swung open. The hallway we walked into was dark, the walls made of cement blocks. As we walked down the hall, fluorescent lights came on, illuminating the pathway that led to the stage. About fifty feet down, there was a turn that I guessed led to the stage, assuming there was some sort of stage or pulpit in the conference room. My suspicion was confirmed when we rounded the corner, and were suddenly on a path to a set of four steps that led to a bright stage.
My steps echoed around as I walked up the steps, Rowan close by my side.
The room was similar to an Earthly government room, only on a much greater scale. Though the Saizian National Congress had fewer members than the famous Earth ones, Saize was richer and was famous for lavish architecture, thus the room was massive, red walls and gold statues and ceiling art. There was an entire set of recording equipment – cameras, microphones, and a whole team of camera-men – to tape the meeting in case anything news-worthy happened.
There was a tall, massive man in a pin-stripe suit speaking to the government behind a bright and shiny galena pulpit. I immediately walked up to him and pushed him out of my way. The moment he saw my eyes, he ran off the stage in pure terror.
“Hello leaders of the National Republic of Saize,” my voice boomed, magnified by a microphone as I stopped in front of a magnificent galena pulpit, “as I’m sure you all know, my name is Kairee Dunham, and I am a level nine offender against Saize. Now, I find it necessary to inform you, if you didn’t already know, your most priceless piece of technology will be in my hand in a month, if you all don’t do something about it. Our Prime Minister is, as we speak, planning, by her own will, to visit me later this evening. Of course, you could all try to do something about it, but why stop the inevitable? That is, as always, beside the point. I, Kairee Rose Dunham, as your greatest threat, challenge the leaders of Saize to kill me.”
The gasps could be heard up and down the nation as the leaders of this fine country gaped at me in disbelief. Looks of shock spread across each face like the plague. Such a challenge had never been delivered on a public scale.
The news teams were already contacting their hosts, excitedly relaying to them exactly what was going on and what I was saying.
“You heard me correctly.” I said, speaking extemporaneously, “Soon, myself, my brother, and two others yet to be chosen will infiltrate the most highly guarded security tunnels on this planet, and I want it to be a challenge. The more challenging this theft is, the more my reputation will skyrocket, but if I fail, end up in captivity, or die, the Saizian government will gain the respect you so fervently strive for.” I smiled at them. Most of the senators simply gawked, but others had looks of disgust plastered on their faces.
“You will never get into the Institute!” One of them yelled.
“If you people are simpleton enough to believe that, taking the Xeron will be too easy. Truly, you people need to take me seriously. It’s not a matter of if I get into the Institute and steal the Xeron, it’s when. Now, the Saizian government can make it impossibly hard for my team and try to kill my or you can simply let me waltz in and purloin the most valuable piece of equipment in Saizian history.”
“Why shouldn’t we just turn you in right now?” Another senator yelled out.
I expanded the Rizer hidden under my shirt and pointed it at them, “Because I have the entire Saizian government in my control, and I could just pull this trigger so easily. Just a pound of pressure and you’d all be obliterated. And I’m not going to do anything, as long as the Xeron theft is the hardest I’ve ever had to commit.” I told them, and I heard my brother sigh behind me, “So, I’ll leave you all locked in here to find your own way out. While you’re in here, you can work on the tunnels.”
“We can’t let them escape!”
As I began walking out, a shot boomed through the hall.
Cursing, I ran off. But, as always, the sharp-shooting guard that had fired anticipated my move, so the bullet was not aimed directly at me, but a few feet in front of me, and it made contact with my shoulder. Luckily, it was only a brush on my skin, shredding open the top layers of my flesh by not reaching the muscles under.
Momentarily distracted by the pain in my shoulder, I was almost shot again. This time though, the bullet exploded and splintered into the wall.
Guards ran after us as Rowan and I rushed up the passageway and into the hall
. I looked at the hallway, clogged with guards.
“You alright for this?” I asked Rowan as I nodded toward the guards.
“Never better.” He smiled, his teeth almost glittering under the fluorescents. He reached behind his back, grabbed his gun and knife, and pointed at the guards.
The guards, as the most highly trained and professional in the galaxy, took, of course, the most dim-witted course of action known to man kind.
They rushed my brother.
Rowan whirled in a circle, loosing rounds into the bodies of guard with terrifying grace and speed. He killed none of them, but left each wounded so they wouldn’t chase us out.
“Nice,” I said, grimacing. Blood was running down my arm as my brother and I started off down the hall. We had to go down two flights of steps and through what seemed like millions of hallways before we came across another guard. And when we did, it just happened to be my least favorite Head of Intergalactic Police.
“Row, put your gun down and get into the jet. I’ll meet you there in five.” I whispered in his ear the moment I noticed the big, burly man standing at the center of the large round lobby.
He nodded apprehensively and ran outside.
“Ivanov, you’ve been a long time coming, but it’s time that this ends.” I said quietly, just loud enough for him to hang on my every word.
“You’re the one that ends now. Put your weapons down and surrender or I’ll shoot you in the head right now.” He replied, whipping out an old fashioned, American western shootout styled revolver.
“No,” I retorted, “you won’t. I’m afraid this is your final hour.”
Adrenaline pulsed through my veins like fire as I leaped forward and pressed me dagger to his throat.
“Kairee Dunham, only a little girl and already following in her mother’s footsteps. Is it hereditary for you Dunhams to be so idiotic in your choices?” He goaded, stepping forward until we were almost nose to nose.
“Don’t.” I spat, pressing the knife harder into his neck.
But then, as I was about to end it all for him, he surprised me by thrusting his elbow back into my ribs and twisting my arm so he now had my own knife at my throat.
That was the moment the thought of the gun in my shoe came to my head.
I kicked up in a distraction move, smacking my foot into his chest and, fast as lightning, grabbed the small gun. It was loaded, but only with a few bullets. But, in my moment, Dmitri’s gun slipped my mind. I saw his finger twitch over the trigger and I flung my body backwards to avoid the inevitable shot that came only a moment later. Shock spread across his face as he took in my preemptive move. He tried to put another bullet in me, but I smacked the gun out of his hand and pressed my tiny gun into his forehead.
“Well, Ivanov, any last words?” I whispered.
“Imagine being killed by a sixteen year old girl.”
I was almost sad as I pulled the trigger, and, in moments, Dmitri Ivanov, the great Intergalactic Police Chief, lay dead at my feet.
♦ ♦ ♦
Back in the Wasp, my brother looked perplexed in the cockpit as he set the auto pilot for our home. His fingers shook as he pressed buttons, and his voice had tremors in it when he finally spoke to me.
“You haven’t said anything about Salah.” His statement was hushed, as if he didn’t want me to hear it.
With merely the mention of his name, my heart clenched up and tried to jump out of my chest, pressing against my ribs. I choked back tears and took five deep breaths.
“He’s dead now, and I miss him, but you know my will is stronger than my emotions. We really need to find two more people to go with us and get serious.” I replied, my voice hoarse and shot from raw emotion.
“Two more people? Did the prophecy specify that? You never told me exactly what it said, and we both need to know.” Rowan said.
I relayed the prophecy effortlessly, leaving out the fact that it was truly a vision, where he, himself, had told me.
“Two people, huh?” He asked rhetorically, “I know just the two.”
Ignoring his mysterious moment, I concentrated on seeing the Prime Minister tonight.
June 22nd 6:59 pm
Yusai, Unami, Planet Saize
I sat in a boot at my favorite restaurant suspiciously, looking for the Prime Minister.
When she walked in, wearing a white dress, matching her gauze, and a pair of red heels, the maître de stared at her, gawking. Noticing keenly that the Prime Minister was also toting a massive black bag, I couldn’t help but ponder what was on the inside.
“I’m here to see Kairee Dunham. We have a deal to make.”
The owner promptly frisked her, checked all around to make sure there were no police, and reluctantly led her to my table.
“Good evening. Look at that, we match.” I smiled invitingly, looking at both our shoulders, wrapped up in gauze, and our white chiffon dresses, “Take a seat. I have some terms to discuss with you.”
She sat awkwardly, “Before you begin, I want to know how you created this poison. If it wasn’t seeping into my body, I believe I’d be impressed with your work.” She told me.
“That’s reasonable, it is genius. But you knew that I wouldn’t really tell you, now would I? Anyways, let’s get down to business. I assume you brought in some sort of information on how my colleagues and myself will get into your archives.” I glanced at her large bag sitting by her feet.
“Of course.” She lifted up the shimmery bag and rummaged through it. She pulled out a large canister with a TOP SECRET label on the top, just like the one Mahar gave me what seemed like many years ago. I had just about forgotten the maps the late Mahar had given me until this very moment. I made a mental note to look at those.
I took the canister greedily and held it in my hands, “I’ll be sure to open this carefully in case there are any tricky little devices in there.”
“Now, the antidote.”
“Of course, of course, just one moment.”
I wiggled the cap of the canister, dislodging any wires that would release gas to incinerate the documents. Then, I opened it away from my face and then, slowly, ever so slowly, looked in at the maps. They were there and completely in order, as I hoped.
“Fantastic,” I whispered, and felt inside my coat pocket for the little bottle of antidote.
I felt it, cold, against my skin. The little bottle of clear liquid settled on the table almost ominously between us.
“Unwrap your wounds.” I commanded.
She was confused, and gave me such a fierce look that it almost caused me pain.
“You didn’t think I’d just give you the only cure to the most dangerous poison out there, did you?” I laughed.
She was immediately offended, but undressed her wound nonetheless.
Her arm was garish and looked like it belonged in a horror movie. She grimaced as I dabbed a bit of my cure onto a dinner napkin and then onto her wound.
“Now watch.” Was my next hushed command. She gawked at her own shoulder as it healed before her eyes, patching up her pale skin without scarring.
“If I put that anywhere else on your skin it would’ve eaten your arm off. Two deadly chemicals that, when together, counteract and make you cells multiply and heal.”
“Thank you, Kairee. I’m sorry about this, but I really must go.” She told me.
“Right, because I really want to spend my evening sitting with a woman bent on arresting me.” I rolled my eyes.
June 24th 9:25 am
Checotah, Oklahoma, USA, Planet Earth
“How did you meet this girl again?” I asked Rowan, still wondering about the person he thought would be our perfect accomplice.
“We met while you and Cal were on your ‘date.’ I headed out the beach, just taking a walk, and suddenly I was immersed in a chess tournament. This girl had come up to me, asked if I was Rowan Dunham, and then asked if I would play her in chess because she needed a partner that round. She was there with her older brothe
r, but he had gone off to some science thing, leaving her without a team. She needed to win the tournament in order to go on to nationals. We played chess for at least an hour, and she won every match. Then, we raced to LAX, where she had to catch a flight back home. I know, I know, it doesn’t sound very impressive. But she was fast, she was cunning, and she was brilliant. She said that she lived in Oklahoma and gave me her address, told me that if you and I ever needed help with some great mission, we should find her. So I did.”
“Sounds like she’s your kind of girl.” I smiled, and he smiled and shook his head.
“She also mentioned a friend of hers who was the smartest teen in the country. She said it was serendipitous that she met me, as it was her friend’s dream to work with us. Imagine that, someone who dreams of working with us?” Rowan smiled.
As we stepped out of the ship that morning in the heart of Tornado Alley, the scenery absolutely took my breath away. Normally, I wasn’t a big fan of America, but today was somehow different.
We had taken the Condor, one of our larger space-ships, because we wouldn’t be heading back to Saize, instead to a planet that orbits it, called Neolis. The flight wouldn’t have taken long in the Wasp, but my favorite little starship could only accommodate so many people and things. Four teenagers and at least two bags simply wouldn’t fit into the Wasp. The Condor, on the other hand, is fairly massive, as every luxury vehicle should be, with cloaking abilities so that nobody would notice. It would take about a day and a half to reach Neolis in this bulkier, but more luxurious starship. The exterior, when not cloaked, was jet black with intricate silver lettering across the front. The ship had an entire crew to man it, Saizians whom I trusted my life with, whom my brother and I had hand-selected to do the job. We stepped down huge, plush stairs down onto Oklahoma before the ship vanished.
I looked down at what I was wearing, wondering if I was too formal. I was a bit dressed down for my personal taste, but dressed up for middle-class America. My dress was pristine, white eyelet lace, with a popping red belt so accentuate my curves. I stood on the tallest pair of red heels I owned, making a whole two inches taller than my brother. This morning, I had spent half an hour pinning up my hair to look, at least somewhat, mundane.
