by S. S. Segran
50
“Unidentified aircraft eighty kilometers northwest of Kilimanjaro International, this is Tanzania Air Force on guard. Identify yourself immediately.”
Marshall, fiddling with his headset, shot a frown at the teenager in the pilot’s seat beside him. “I thought you said you turned off the transponder?”
Kody’s face puckered as he drummed on his own headset. “I did! I just didn’t expect them to detect us this far out.”
The Cessna banked right and flew west of Mount Kilimanjaro. The glistening white peak glowed in the sunset, its monumental shadow throwing the savannah and forests around it into darkness.
Kody blew a raspberry. “We’ll have to get down in the weeds.”
“We’ll have to what?” Dominique asked; she had the third and last headset aboard the plane.
“Fly low to avoid detection. Keep your seatbelts on!” Kody drew the throttle back and pushed the control column forward, banking to the right and putting the plane into a steep turning descent. Though tightly strapped in, Marshall felt himself being lifted out of his seat as the plane dove. Startled yelps and screams rang in the aircraft until Kody leveled out.
“Everyone okay?” Marshall barked.
“Yeah,” Tegan wheezed, “but what’s the maniac doing?”
“We’ve been spotted by the Air Force,” Kody replied over the engine. “I had the transponder turned off so we’d be invisible to surveillance radars, but it looks like they’re using their primary one. I didn’t think they’d still be operational.”
“And we really can’t just fly to the airport?” Mariah asked.
“Definitely not. Tanzania closed its airspace, so all flights are grounded. If it were normal times, they’d seize the plane and detain and interrogate us. Now they might think that we’re carrying the virus, so who knows what could happen.”
“What will they do now that they’ve spotted us?” Aari asked, yelling to be heard.
“Depends how frayed their nerves are!” Kody answered.
“Protocol usually dictates the Air Force checks it out,” Marshall added.
Tegan raised her voice. “And where does that leave us if their planes do show up?”
“I’ll have to use the terrain to mask our radar signature,” Kody said. “Which means we’ll have to fly even closer to the ground.”
Marshall gripped the aviation chart they’d taken from Sigmund’s private hangar tightly. “How close?”
“Over the treetops.”
“You can do that?” Dominique sounded politely skeptical.
“Watch me.”
Marshall wondered for the umpteenth time if he was out of his mind allowing Kody to pilot the aircraft into unknown territory. Then he shook his head, reprimanding himself. You really need to let go and trust them. You can’t protect them every step of the way.
As they maneuvered over the savannah, Kody banked toward a spine of hills to the south, staying low and following the contour of the land. They flew in silence for several minutes until Kody leaned forward. “Here we go . . .”
“Spotted something?” Aari asked.
“Yeah. Air Force flyboys are out.”
“How many?”
“Two. Hang tight, I’m taking us lower.”
Baobabs and umbrella trees rolled by below them as the darkness overhead grew. The underbelly of the plane glided so close to the treetops that Marshall unwittingly held his breath. Okay, Kody, you got this. You got this.
The plane obeyed its pilot’s steady, focused hands and maneuvered easily through the hills. Eight thousand feet overhead, two jet aircraft thundered past the Cessna. The group rubbernecked to get a better look at the newcomers.
“I don’t believe this!” Kody exclaimed. “How is the TZ Air Force flying those fossils in the twenty-first century?”
“I’m assuming you’re using your abilities to ID ’em, because I can’t see squat,” Marshall said. “What are they?”
“Russian MiG-17s. They don’t have lookdown capability in their radar systems, so they can’t see us this close to the ground. And I’ve turned off our nav lights so we’re practically invisible in the shadows. But the sooner we land, the better.”
“Yeah. That’s still the Air Force, and we’re in a civilian tin can.”
“Where was that airstrip again?”
Marshall peered down at the map. “Sigmund had marked it to be somewhere between Mount Meru”—he nodded to the smaller peak on his right as Kilimanjaro ruled the terrain to the left—“and that crater right ahead, in the green belt.”
“Uhh . . . uno momento. Hey, yeah, I think I see it.”
“Making good use of your enhanced vision, huh?”
“You know it.”
The MiGs roared high over the small plane once again, sweeping past the mountains. Kody pulled back on the throttle, slowing the plane considerably.
“Uh, Kody, what are you doing?” Dominique asked.
“I’m trying to avoid motion detection by visual sighting from the pilots up there,” he said. “They may not have radar, but they probably have good eyesight if they’re flying.”
Marshall looked over at Kody. He’d been keeping a close watch on him since Khartoum, trying to discern symptoms of the Omega strain, but so far nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Maybe he didn’t get infected, the Sentry hoped.
It took them ten minutes to reach the airstrip. The landing was rough, and Kody brought the plane to a stop at the end of the unkempt grassy track. Dominique pushed the plane into a thick grove of trees and they covered it with foliage to disguise it from prying eyes. Quickly donning long-sleeved clothes to protect themselves from ferocious mosquitos, they embarked on the two hour trek to the nearest residence, the Nyika Wildlife Inn at the eastern foot of Mount Meru.
As they traversed the savannah scattered with anemic trees that cast long shadows, a herd of elephants out of eyesight trumpeted into the dusk. The friends gaped at the land around them, eyes glimmering, eager grins forming. Marshall watched them with a small smile, followed by a sharp wrench in his chest.
They may be the prophecy’s fulfillment, but they’re just now entering their late teens. That’s so young. His throat constricted for a moment. This isn’t fair. And Kody—
A soft hand rested on his arm. As if reading his thoughts, Dominique quietly said, “Don’t think about it, Marshall.”
He looked at her, pained. She gripped his arm tighter, then ushered the group along until at last they found the main dirt road that took them the rest of the way to the inn. Mariah crushed a mosquito on her arm. “Remind me again why we couldn’t have just walked into a town.”
“In my last vision, Lucius and Carmel were between Kilimanjaro and Meru,” Aari said. “Better to stay the night close by so we can start the search quicker in the morning.”
“I know why, Brainiac. I just hate walking through a wall of bloodthirsty insects.”
They trooped towards the standalone reception building surrounded by numerous, round white huts with thatched roofs—bandas, Dominique called them—and timber cottages, all spread out. Inside the reception, a long but simple wooden counter seemed unattended. Just as Marshall reached to ring the bell, a tall Tanzanian woman with close-cropped black hair, maybe a year or two older than the teenagers, rose from behind the desk. She eyed the group with calm curiosity. “Hello.”
Marshall dipped his head. “Hi. We’re looking for a couple of rooms?”
The young woman held his gaze for several long moments, then said, “I’ll do you one better. We’ve got several two-room cottages and since we haven’t had visitors in a while, I can give it to you for the price of a regular room.”
“That’s great. Thank you.”
“I hope you’re not looking to climb Meru. We no longer have rangers to guide you.”
“Rangers?”
“Yes. They take you up and protect you from animals, like leopards.”
“Oh.” Marshall narrowed his eyes at Aari, who
shook his head. “No, I don’t think we’ll be heading up there.”
“Good. Also, during the mornings, you’ll find harmless wildlife roaming the grounds, so don’t be surprised if you find a giraffe looking into your window when you wake up.”
“As long as they don’t steal my breakfast, I’m good,” Kody said, pointing finger guns at her and grinning.
The receptionist didn’t laugh. Wracked with second-hand embarrassed, Marshall thanked her and steered Kody outside, feeling the woman’s prickling gaze on them as they left the reception and made their way to one of the cottages. What’s her problem? he wondered.
Beside him, Tegan shuddered and scratched the side of her head. Marshall playfully tugged her earlobe. “You good?”
“Yeah. The receptionist had a tattoo behind her ear and I just—agh, I can’t imagine the pain of getting one back there.”
Marshall raised his wrist where Semper Fi had been inked. “Guess it depends on your pain tolerance. But there’s less fat behind the ear, so it would be more sensitive . . .”
Aari, walking ahead with Dominique, Mariah and Kody, stopped abruptly, his mouth forming an O as he took in the sight of Mount Meru under the moonlight.
“We’re close to the geo-marker,” he breathed, pointing. “See how the entire eastern side of the peak is concave? In my vision, Lucius and Carmel were closer to that than we are now, and they were looking at Kilimanjaro from that vantage point.”
“Good,” Mariah said. “Shouldn’t be too much exploring to do tomorrow, then.”
“Huh,” Kody mumbled. “There’s another inn about a quarter mile northwest. Looks real nice, like a resort.”
“Which means it probably costs an arm and a leg,” Dominique said. “We got a reasonable deal with this place.”
They arrived at their cottage, flanked by breathtaking views of Meru and Kilimanjaro, and Marshall told the rest to head in without him. He established a telepathic connection with Nageau, and the Elder greeted him with his usual warmth, though there was an underlying tension.
Marshall.
Elder Nageau. We’ve landed in Tanzania and found the inn we told you Kody located on the map. Aari believes we’re already close to the next geo-marker.
That is good news. And I trust all is . . . well?
As well as can be. Kody is holding up, and we’ll head out first thing in the morning to search for the marker.
What of Gareth and Victor?
They’re on the move. They should arrive in Montana within twenty-four hours. They’ll meet with the families and make arrangements for them to leave for Dema-Ki as soon as possible. Has the Sentry there prepared the families for this?
She’s been speaking with them about this eventuality but it will rest upon Gareth and Victor to convince them to act. On our part, we have been preparing for their arrival.
If you don’t mind my saying, Elder Nageau, you sound apprehensive.
Oh, my boy . . . I am apprehensive. It will be hard for the families to adjust and I am certain the people of Dema-Ki will be inquiring intensely. The only outsiders we have entertained for centuries were the younglings. Even the Sentries have never been to the village. This will be . . . interesting, to put it mildly.
I’m sure it will be. But that’s not all that’s bothering you, is it?
The harbinger of darkness weighs on my mind every hour I am awake, Marshall, and even in the hours when I am not. It is nothing new.
I have faith that you and the rest of the Elders will handle whatever is thrown at us with wisdom and steadfastness, just as you always have.
Nageau’s warmth bloomed, enveloping Marshall in tranquility and comfort. Your words are kind. We are blessed to have you with us. Now go. Rest. You will need your strength.
Take care, Elder Nageau.
Marshall entered the cottage and found that, to remain within the safety of the mosquito net, he and the boys had to share the king-size bed in one of the rooms. Dominique and the girls had already settled in next door; he could hear them chatting softly through the wall.
“Make way for the big man,” Kody joked as he and Aari rolled to the sides to give the Sentry room.
“You make me sound like I’m Jabba the Hutt.” Marshall sat on the edge of the bed and patted Kody’s calf. “How you doin’, kiddo?”
Kody sat up, rubbing his eyes. “I don’t feel any different. No fever, no headaches, no discomfort.”
Marshall looked up, thanking the universe silently. “Glad to hear it. Here, let’s get you a new dressing.”
He cleaned the wound, added a new layer of Dema-Ki remedy and taped the gauze on Kody’s neck, then fell into the middle of the bed with his face buried in a pillow. “I’m spent. You guys don’t stay up too late. We’re heading out early in the morning.” He kicked off his shoes. “Great piloting today, Kody. I’m really impressed.”
“Shucks. Thanks, Jabba. We have my dad to thank for that.”
Marshall reached out telepathically to Dominique. Everything okay with you ladies?
Mariah’s journaling and Tegan’s just lying still, staring at the ceiling, Dominique answered resignedly. I think the only thing on our minds right now is Kody.
He’s alright so far.
You think we got lucky?
I don’t want to jinx it by giving a response.
That’s fair. It’s been a long few days . . .
Dominique conversed on but Marshall, unable to stave off the fatigue, slipped into a much-needed sleep.
* * *
The digital clock by the bed flashed midnight. Aari stifled a yawn. I should sleep . . . but I wanna test something. If, through retrocognition I’m an omnilinguist, shouldn’t I understand other languages by listening or reading when I’m not using retrocognition?
Beside him, Marshall snored softly. Kody was on his phone, his eyes barely open. Aari picked up a letter from the canister and as he rolled it out, an unexpected flash in his mind hurled him into the past. What? But I’m not at the geo-marker! How can I be seeing—unless . . . unless another significant event happened here?
Carmel flounced ahead of Lucius, using sprawling fig tree roots to navigate a path through the montane forest. Aari noted how easily Lucius kept up with her and how much surer his footing was, and wondered how long they’d been on the run now. The vast canopy broke in places and the sun’s rays shone through like spotlights on the pair. Joy fought to burst free from the confines of Lucius’s chest as they ran. Aari recognized it as a new feeling; it was the Roman’s first taste of real freedom, far away from the grasp of the Empire.
Carmel halted by a rocky stream that gurgled past them, stretching some thirty feet across. She gracefully leapt onto a wet outcrop, working her way effortlessly across the water. As Lucius readied to take a bound, a prickling feeling made the hairs on his arms stand up. He tried to ignore it but the sensation crawled up the back of his neck like an army of fire ants. He slowly turned around—and threw himself sideways just as the open jaws of a leopard snapped shut in empty space.
The predator landed where Lucius had stood just a second ago. The Roman tried to yell out to Carmel but her name clung to his lips as terror took hold. The leopard bounded across the stream toward her as she balanced unsteadily on a log.
His voice eventually returned to him. “Carmel!”
The young woman looked over her shoulder and screamed. She attempted to face the leopard and displace it with her abilities but couldn’t turn fast enough. The animal hurled itself at her, claws outstretched. They toppled off the log, splashing into the stream. The back of Carmel’s head smacked against a jagged boulder and she slumped against it, her bag containing the seeds keeping her latched in place.
Lucius unsheathed a sword-like sickle from his scabbard. Aari remembered the weapon all too well; Lucius had killed a bandit with it in Khartoum. The Roman tore over the stepping stones to where the leopard paddled furiously against the current toward Carmel. He let loose a battle cry and leapt, sinking the bla
de deep between the predator’s shoulders. The stream turned red as he yanked the weapon out and kicked the lifeless body downstream.
As he sheathed the blade, a compact force threw him face-first into the water. Claws pierced his tunic and he cried out, an explosion of bubbles erupting from his mouth. Deadly incisors closed around his neck but the weight on his back suddenly went limp before sliding off.
A hand gripped Lucius like a cat grabbing a kitten by the scruff and pulled him up. He gasped, lungs grateful for air, and came eye-to-eye with a black man behind a half-face tribal mask. Behind him were others, similarly garbed in masks and loincloths. The man indicated downstream where the second leopard floated with the current, an arrow shot through the base of its skull.
There was a brief spell of darkness followed by a bright flash, throwing Aari forward in time. Though jarred, the teenager stayed connected to the memory as Lucius followed the tribesmen. They carried Carmel in a makeshift litter into their village that lay within a clearing in the forest. Curious faces popped out of huts while others peered inquisitively from around a large fire pit. Lucius eyed the unfamiliar people with cautious trust.
Then, another flash. This time, they were sitting around the very same fire pit with the tribe. Carmel, beside Lucius, seemed to have aged a few years. When Aari first saw her she’d appeared to be in her late teens, and now she’d come into the full blossom of womanhood.
I’d peg her at mid-twenties, Aari thought. I guess she survived the head trauma. And it looks like they’ve been living here all this while. Look at them, enjoying the company of the tribe. Is this where they settled? Did they live out the rest of their lives here?
A young boy with a big afro sat by Lucius’ feet, his mother looking on warmly from afar. He and Carmel played a game, each holding a certain number of twigs. Sometimes she passed him a twig, sometimes he passed her two or three. Lucius sat the boy on his knee, hugging him snugly. The boy wiggled in delight but remained focused on his game.
A blurring of vision and a third flash.
As the haze lifted, Aari observed the village in shambles. Several tribespeople lay on the ground, motionless on grass mats, while others carried bodies into the forest to be buried. Lucius, his arm around Carmel as they watched, softly said, “Let’s go back inside.”
