by S. S. Segran
“Uh, guys . . .” A chill crept up Kody’s neck. “Incoming.”
Expletives escaped all of them. Mariah pressed up against the Land Rover. “Four men with guns in front, four crocodiles behind. We’re screwed.”
Tegan spun to face Dominique. “What if Aari covers you while you take the men out?”
“I’ll need line of sight,” Aari hissed. “If I show my head, it might get blown off!”
Dominique easily snapped off the car’s side mirror and passed it to him. “Use this.”
Aari fumbled with it. “Uh, alright, but—”
The second Dominique stepped around the front of the car, gunfire shattered the quiet of the hills. The Sentry slammed back into cover, biting back a cry as she held her shoulder. Blood dripped between her fingers into the water.
“Domi!” Marshall made a move toward her but she waved him back.
“I’m fine,” she said, jaws clenched. “It just grazed my shoulder.”
“I’ll do this, okay? Just—”
“You’re not fast enough, Marshall.” Dominique ripped off the hem of her t-shirt and Tegan helped tie the strip around her wound. “Ready, Aari?”
Aari focused on her, and the Sentry shimmered until she disappeared. He stretched his arm past the car’s fender, using the mirror to keep Dominique concealed as she flew up the slope. Kody looked into the glass, watching the unsuspecting bandits continue down.
Without warning, one of the men on the right flank had his gun ripped out of his hands. The pair watched in astonishment as the rifle pointed down at their boots. Then a gunshot sounded and the first man dropped to the ground with a scream, holding his foot. The other moved to help but there was another blast. He hopped around before falling, cradling his own foot while yelling what were most likely obscenities to the invisible spirit that had attacked them.
Aari started unexpectedly. “Kody! The canister!”
“On it!” Kody stole a look at the scaly, primordial beasts traversing the halfway point of the river. Their reptilian green eyes ogled the group. He swallowed. “Guys, the crocs are closing in . . .”
Tegan faced the oncoming creatures. “I’ll handle it.”
The crocodile to the far left suddenly whipped around, snapping its jaws around the neck of another. The second beast rolled, catching the attacker’s front leg and ripping it clear off. The first crocodile let out a roar that reverberated across the dull gray water.
Stunned by the scene, Kody had to be thumped on the back by Aari. “Dude! The letters!”
“Right!” Kody glided through the side window of the Land Rover, trying to stay out of sight of the two remaining bandits on the left flank. He searched around frantically, barely able to see through the mucky water. The straps of their bags were caught around the seats, keeping them from floating out the decimated rear windshield, but the canister was nowhere to be found. He popped his head out the window, gulping in air. “It’s not there!”
“Check again!” Aari barked, keeping his eyes on the mirror.
Kody returned inside, working from the front to the back. Water splashed against his face and he wiped it away, face contorting. I hate this. I can barely see anything. He searched around the center seats. When he stood up to get some air, he saw something glinting in the sunlight fifty yards downstream. No!
He pushed himself out of the rear windshield to give chase but something grabbed him by the collar, hauling him behind the vehicle just as a spray of bullets erupted in the water.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Marshall demanded, holding onto the teenager.
Kody pointed a finger. The Sentry spun around and his eyes widened as he spotted the canister rolling with the waves. He put a firm hand on Kody’s chest. “Stay here. I’ll get it.”
With that he was gone, disappearing underwater.
A yell broke out. Kody risked a look over the hood of the vehicle and gaped. One of the bandits had been thrown two stories into the air. He hung mid-flight, flailing frenziedly before plummeting to the ground. He landed with a thunk and was knocked out.
“Wait, Domi!” Aari cried. “You’re moving out of my sight!”
Too late, Kody saw her shimmer into being some ways from the final bandit. The man witnessed her sudden appearance; he nearly stumbled over himself but quickly recovered and reached for the trigger. Realizing that she was no longer hidden, Dominique froze.
“No!” Mariah screamed.
The bandit’s rifle was yanked upward by an unseen force the second he pulled the trigger. Bullets and shells hailed down around him. He yelled, trying to let go of his weapon. Before he could free himself, a blur rocketed toward him and Dominique delivered a massive bodyslam. He flew backward through some shrubs and smacked his head against the hillside, sliding down unconscious.
“Ohhh! That looked like it hurt!” Kody rubbed the back of Mariah’s head. “Quick thinking with the rifle.”
She had paled. “That was too close. I wish I could have done more, but I . . .”
“Hey, it’s okay. You’re still recovering.”
Tegan returned to herself and leaned against the car for support, breathing a little hard. The two crocodiles she’d locked into battle had rolled away from them, back toward the mud flats on the other shore. The other pair had completely disappeared.
Kody fidgeted anxiously. Where did they go?
Tegan finally caught her breath. “Where’s Marshall?”
All eyes turned downstream. The Sentry had reappeared near the canister, now a hundred yards away from the teenagers. As he swam toward it, the two missing crocodiles emerged, their dark backs and powerful tails slicing through the water with fearsome speed.
“Tegan!” Aari bellowed.
Tegan roared as she threw herself into the novasphere. Kody watched, hands on his head, as both crocodiles vanished underwater again. He could barely breathe.
As Marshall’s hand gripped the canister, one of the beasts broke through the surface like a torpedo. The crocodile snapped its jaws shut, narrowly missing the Sentry as he dove under. The animal was about to follow when an explosion of water brought the last crocodile out. It was smaller, but it threw itself at the aggressor, clamping down on the other’s snout.
Tegan let out a choke when she returned to her body; Mariah caught her before she slipped under the water. “They’re so strong,” she panted.
“You did good, Teegs,” Aari said.
Kody pushed through the water, scanning around. “Guys, I don’t see Marshall.”
“His abilities let him stay under for a while,” Tegan assured him. “I know, it looks like it’s all wrong but I’ve seen it. He’ll be back.”
Minutes passed and the Sentry still hadn’t appeared. Kody treaded further into the Nile. Come on, man . . .
Marshall shot to the surface in front of him, water cascading down. He shoved the canister into Kody’s arms, turned away from the teenagers, and retched. Kody blew out the breath he’d been holding.
The group allowed themselves to relax as they grabbed their bags out of the Land Rover. When Kody realized one was gone, he punched a headrest and it snapped off the seat.
“Whoa, Rambo,” Marshall said. “What’s wrong?”
“We lost one of the bags. It had our personal test kit.”
At his words, Kody felt the group’s heartbeats collectively skip. They all looked up the river as it gurgled past them.
“Nothing we can do now,” Tegan said tightly.
They trudged up the slope toward Dominique, who’d made quick work of tying up the men and leaving them with a piece of dull flint to cut the ropes. “We’ll be long gone by the time they free themselves,” she said.
“You know, none of this would have happened if the guy that flew you to Egypt would’ve flown us out here,” Aari said.
Dominique gave him a brilliant smile. “That man’s a stickler for rules. If Egypt grounded all flights, then he can’t be persuaded otherwise. I know a bush pilot outside
of Khartoum who can get us where we want to go, though. He’s an old family friend.”
“Have you considered MMA, Domi?” Kody asked. “Because that bodyslam was deadly.”
“I think I’d be disqualified immediately for having an edge on everyone else.”
Marshall took out a water bottle and dumped it over his face and hair. “I’m so glad we decided to get waterproof bags.” He nodded at the canister. “The letters are fine, right?”
Kody opened it, fearing the worst, but was delighted to find the letters perfectly dry. “Everything’s good here. Except for the fact that we don’t have a ride.”
“There are settlements along the river,” Aari said. “Maybe we can find some other means of transportation.”
Dominique started up the bank. “Come. It’s a long walk and we’re burning daylight.”
46
The hike through the hills to the nearest village had been a long one. By the time the group found a family willing to part with the older of their two boats—for a fee, of course—it was already mid-afternoon. It took them three hours to travel up the Nile to their destination in the eighteen-foot aluminum vessel. The teenagers had parked themselves at the front, making use of the breeze to keep cool. Aari and Mariah didn’t mind the hot weather, but Tegan and Kody looked about ready to melt. The Sentries sat at the back by the antiquated, noisy outboard motor.
Aari looked up from his map, then back down, and up again. “I’m confused,” he said. “Are we in Khartoum or what? Because that city to our right is apparently called Omdurman.”
“Omdurman is the largest city in the state of Khartoum,” Dominique explained. “And Khartoum is the second-largest city in the state of Khartoum.”
“Why do they have to confuse people like that?”
On either side of the boat, the banks of the Nile were matted with what must have once been verdant grain fields. The disheartening scene had been their view the entire ride up the river. Behind the fields were expansive, dusty cities.
It’s so quiet here, Aari thought. Too quiet.
Dominique must have noticed, too. “The Alpha strain is prevalent in Africa,” she said bitterly. “Something tells me that’s why it’s so lifeless here.”
“The Alpha strain is the aging one, right?” Mariah asked.
“Yes.”
“I see a few cars on that bridge up ahead,” Kody said. “That’s a good sign.”
Dominique absently tugged at her single braid. “Perhaps. From what I know, most of the interior is somewhat safe from the outbreak, but population centers like this are hit mainly by the aging strain.”
“That’s a bit of a relief for us,” Aari said. “We’re immune to it, right?”
“Well, yes, but there are some cases of the Omega strain, too. Which is why for your sake, we need to keep as far away from the cities as possible.”
“Hey, Aari,” Tegan called. “Didn’t you say your last vision was of Lucius and Carmel in a boat, and they’d stopped where the river split?”
Aari sighed. “Technically, it’s where the two rivers converge—”
“Aari!”
“Sorry, sorry! Yeah, that’s what I saw.”
“Then come check this out.”
Aari sidled up to the bow. A few kilometers in the distance, the two arms of the Nile met in a hug around an island. Aari retrieved one of the letters from the canister and, as he did, static flashed behind his eyes. He waited for a vision but nothing came. “We’re still too far away,” he told the others.
Marshall patted the outboard motor. “Then let’s get you closer.”
They crossed under the bridge and followed the right arm of the river. The static persisted but faded in and out. “We’re going in the wrong direction!” Aari exclaimed. “I must have missed something where the merge happened!”
Marshall guided them around the island, passing by a handful of rundown boats with silent fishermen watching them, and completed the loop. As they neared their starting point, Aari was hit with a blinding flash. He flinched. “It’s around here somewhere!”
“We’ve made a full circle,” Dominique said, bewildered.
Tegan stared hard at the island as she tied her hair into a ponytail. “Maybe they docked?”
“Worth a shot.” Marshall pulled the boat into a shallow cove and the group hopped out, being careful not to tip over the bobbing vessel.
Dead stalks crunched and crumbled beneath Aari’s shoes like brittle bones. The desolate, pallid acres of farmland stretched far and wide, shaded by groves of acacias. This is so sad, he thought, readjusting his grip on the parchment. This is someone’s life, just taken away from them by a psychopathic—
A brief burst of light threw him into Lucius’s memories.
The grizzled Egyptian captain had grounded his boat onto the tip of the island flanked by the two arms of the Nile, but neither Lucius nor Carmel had stepped off.
“I am truly sorry,” the captain said. “But no amount of pleading will change my mind. This was the deal I made with your friend in the legion. This is where your ride ends.”
Lucius reached into his leather bag and produced a small satchel. He opened it and showed the captain a few blue gems. “Will this do?”
The captain’s eyes widened and he smiled knowingly. “Sapphire?”
Lucius nodded.
“Yes, it will do.” The captain reached for the gems but Lucius held them out of reach.
“I will give you half now and the rest when we reach our destination,” the Roman growled. “I want your word that you will take us to the safest place possible, far from the Empire’s reach.”
“On my honor, I will get you to safety.”
“And where is that?”
The captain sat down heavily, making the boat rock. Lucius quickly crouched down to regain his balance. “I ask again,” he said. “Where will you take us?”
“The safest place I know,” the captain sniffed, “is at the foot of a white mountain that touches the sky. It rests about ten days’ journey on foot, east of an immense lake where this river begins. All we have to do is follow it all the way to its source.”
Lucius searched his eyes, suspicious. “That cannot be. No one has ever seen the source of the Nile.”
The captain smiled wryly. “That is what you think, foreigner. My father once took me there, many years ago. I still know the way, but I must warn you that the journey will not be easy. We will have to hike around the treacherous parts of the river, which means leaving the boat and carrying your belongings over difficult terrain. Once we find safe river passage, we will have to build a raft to reach the lake. Are you prepared for the task ahead?”
Lucius turned to Carmel, who gave him a firm nod. He faced the captain and with steel in his voice, said, “Yes.”
The shorter man held out an open palm and Lucius passed him half the gemstones.
As evening fell, they set up camp at the tip of the island, rolling out their mats and starting a fire while the captain regaled them with anecdotes. Lucius looked around, munching on a dinner of bread, lentils and dates. The rich, fertile dark soils of the Nile banks teemed with healthy crops of wheat and barley that whispered as a light wind rustled them. The quiet peace of the arid subtropical land welcomed the weary travelers with open arms.
Wow, Aari thought, observing the vivid memory. This breeze, these sounds . . . they’ve already happened. I’m actually reliving the past.
He blinked, and found his vision had gone completely black. Uh . . . A swell of panic started to rise when the void refused to leave. Why can’t I see anything? What happened? Oh God, what’s going on?
There was a yell and suddenly the darkness disappeared like eyes opening. Lucius bolted upright, heart hammering. They were being invaded. Men in bright tunics rummaged through their bags around the dying campfire, but the moment Carmel had sounded the alarm, they drew sword-like sickles from their scabbards. Lucius rolled out of the way as one of the thieves swung at him, th
en leapt at the man. They fell onto the dirt, fighting for control of the weapon until Lucius ripped it from him. A cry from the other side of the campfire made him look up. The thief kicked him off and scrambled away into the fields.
The captain was pinned to the ground, struggling against another thief who had the tip of a blade to his throat. Lucius hurdled over the fire toward them but wasn’t fast enough; the bandit ended the captain’s life with a quick flick of the wrist. Lucius screamed. As the thief whirled around, the Roman drove the blade into him. The man slumped to his knees, then toppled face-first into the dirt.
Lucius staggered back, nearly falling into the fire. He stared at his trembling hands. A rush of guilt and horror flooded him. He feverishly tried to wipe off the specks of blood that stained his fingertips, then looked down at the dead thief, and beyond him, the lifeless captain. Hopelessness threw itself into the tumult of his emotions.
Carmel cried out behind him. He spun around. The five remaining thieves circled the young woman like ravenous vultures, each trying to make a grab for the knapsacks she’d collected. One of them lunged at her and managed to get ahold of a bag—the one that contained her box of seeds. As he tried to yank it away, Lucius saw an awful fury in Carmel’s eyes. She threw her hands out and the thief catapulted backward like a missile, soaring through the air and landing in the river with an unceremonious splash.
There was a few seconds of dead silence. Carmel fixed a cold stare on the rest of the thieves and they immediately took off toward the other end of the island, shouting hysterically. Lucius stumbled over to her but the memory was shoved out of the way by reality.
Aari wheezed out a gasp. He was on the ground, and his friends knelt over him in concern. Marshall gently hoisted him up. “Hey, champ,” he said, brushing the teenager off. “Take it easy. You were gone for a while.”
“Lucius killed a man,” Aari sputtered, a hand on his throat. “Oh, God, I feel like I’m gonna be sick.”
