Atlas (The Atlas Series)

by Becca C. Smith

  Here we go. Kala thought to herself. She knew Penny must be dying to know what the new Atlas was supposed to do this time around. She probably was expecting to be a part of Jack’s missions and help him make the world a better place or whatever. Kala knew the last thing Penny expected was to be in some kind of brain machine trying to fish out information from a stranger.

  “Nothing yet,” Kala lied. “When is that supposed to happen anyway? I mean, I only have two days, right?”

  Kala pushed too hard. She could see that Penny knew she was B.S.’ing her.

  “You already know,” Penny accused, demanding furiously, “What is it? Tell me!”

  Though Kala knew neither one of them were really there, she still took a step back, thinking fast, trying to cover her flub. “I said I don’t know.”

  “I may not know what your mission is, but I can tell you with certainty that if you don’t do it, this world as you know it is over,” Penny said with finality.

  Kala groaned. “Yeah, yeah, but what does that really mean anyway? A new disease? War? Been there, done that, and the world ended up being just fine.”

  “You stupid fool.” Penny shook her head. “Those events that you think the world survived? Those are the moments in time where certain Atlases thought like you did. They didn’t do their job…”

  Kala interrupted, “And see? We recovered. Humans are resilient like that…”

  Penny came face to face with Kala, fury in her eyes. “Those events occurred after the countdown had expired, yes, but if the Atlas hadn’t finally snapped out of it and performed their duty, those horrible things that you’re so proud of surviving were only the beginning. Imagine what would have happened if the Atlas had done nothing?”

  “You don’t know, that could have been the worst of it. No one will ever know now,” Kala rationalized. She just couldn’t accept that the world would end if she didn’t kill Jack. It didn’t make any logical sense. Not like anything that was happening made any sense. Even the stuff that was real like this machine she was strapped into had a surrealness to it.

  Still, Kala knew she’d have to at least pretend to go along with Penny in order to get her off her back. Before Penny could enter into another tirade, Kala stopped her. “Fine. I’ll do it. I don’t have to tell you what it is though, do I?”

  Penny visibly relaxed. “No, of course not. So you do know what your mission is?”

  “Yes,” Kala confirmed. “And I’m assuming you’re not trying to have Jack kill me anymore?”

  Penny nodded, “For the time being, yes. But others of my order will not agree, if they can’t persuade Jack to kill you, they’ll send others. People they deem more worthy of the title. People who won’t flinch at their duty.”

  “You don’t know what they want me to do,” Kala said before she could stop herself.

  “It’s always something unthinkable. That’s the nature of the curse.” Penny actually looked sympathetic.

  “And why do people volunteer for a curse?” Kala asked sarcastically.

  Penny smiled. “Because you’re a hero now. You’re saving the whole planet every four days. Some people like being heroes.”

  Like Jack.

  Jack was definitely more suited for this job than she was. Kala was never interested in being a hero. She enjoyed being one of the good guys, but being part of an elite military team was more for the excitement rather than the good. And let’s face it, some of the things they had done were questionable. There were a few missions that Kala definitely felt like she was on the wrong side of things. But it was her duty…

  Her duty.

  Wasn’t this her duty now?

  No. Kala pushed aside her thoughts. Killing Jack was a line she didn’t want to cross.

  “Now what?” Kala asked.

  “Now I wake you up out of this contraption and give you a clean bill of health,” Penny answered.

  “Before you go, who exactly are you if you’re not a Malak or Demon?” Kala decided she’d try again to find out who or what Penny was.

  “It’s complicated, another time. Time to wake up.”

  Kala opened her eyes to see the same group of people standing around her chair. General Turner was beyond excited as he looked at all the read-outs on the computer screens. Kala wasn’t sure he knew what he was reading, but he appeared thrilled at the results.

  Penny pointed out a few wavy looking graphs to Turner and Clifton. “As you can see here, there’s no brain damage. There is nothing here to show that Ms. Hicks has had any kind of episode.”

  General Clifton eyed Kala with venom, then turned to Penny. “So you’re saying she’s of sound mind?”

  “Yes, General, Ms. Hicks is fit for duty,” Penny said confidently.

  “Soldiers!” General Clifton pointed to the four men behind Derek and Jack. The four men marched forward. “Execute the prisoner.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kala was too stunned to respond.

  Derek wasn’t.

  The man turned into an enraged animal as he threw the two men closest to him aside like he was parting tall grass in a jungle. The next two guards whirled around to fight their opponent.

  General Clifton pulled out his gun and aimed it at Kala’s head. “Time to say good night, sweetie.” Clifton pulled the trigger.

  BAM!

  The gunshot blasted from the gun, but Kala didn’t feel the impact.

  That’s because Asmodeus suddenly appeared between her and the bullet. The bullet fell harmlessly off his back.

  “Miss me?” he smiled at Kala.

  “At this moment, yes, I definitely missed you.” Kala had to give it to him. Blocking a bullet gave him some mad credit in her book.

  “I couldn’t let that ass be the next Atlas, he would actually enjoy doing horribly vicious things. Wouldn’t you agree, Pandora?” Asmodeus looked up at Penny.

  Pandora? Kala wasn’t sure if she had heard correctly. After all, Derek was making a meal of the remaining soldiers, causing a lot of noise and mayhem.

  In the middle of it all, Turner didn’t look upset. Instead, he stared intensely at Asmodeus. Kala guessed teleporting wasn’t in his realm of science yet, and deflecting bullets with his skin well… let’s just say Turner looked beyond intrigued.

  Kala felt Jack’s hand in hers and he pulled her away from Asmodeus. Apparently, Jack didn’t like Asmodeus touching his girlfriend, let alone being her savior.

  Asmodeus, on the other hand, didn’t like the fact that Kala only had eyes for Jack. He reached out to touch Kala’s shoulder.

  Kala knew with certainty it was to teleport her away. As tempting as it was to leave the Compound clean, Kala didn’t think she could manage an escape from Asmodeus’s clutches again. Malak-distractions aside, the guy was too powerful. She jerked away before he could touch her.

  Clifton unloaded his entire bullet cartridge in Asmodeus’s back. The bullets deflected off his skin like pebbles hitting a wall, the shells clattering to the floor like a musical symphony of clinking.

  Asmodeus whirled around to face Clifton, annoyed. “You done, little man?”

  General Clifton was at a loss. He looked genuinely shaken. “What kind of material is that shirt made of?”

  Though everyone could tell it was a cotton t-shirt, the concept it being supernatural never entered Clifton’s mind. He assumed Asmodeus was wearing some kind of super fabric that would deflect bullets. Kala guessed that Clifton probably thought Asmodeus’s teleporting skills were from a rival country’s technological advances as opposed to the King of Demons popping in to take her away.

  “97% cotton, 3% lycra,” Asmodeus said as if he were in a commercial. Then without warning he lifted his hand and Clifton lifted with it. Asmodeus flicked his wrist causing Clifton to fly backward and slam against the wall with crunching impact.

  Even Kala had to flinch at the sound. General Clifton slid to the ground, out cold.

  Derek knocked out the last two guards by smashing their heads into the wall
simultaneously. Kala was always amazed at how strong the guy was! Her heart sang with joy at his loyalty to her, but it sank at the same time, knowing that he would now be a fugitive like her.

  Asmodeus turned his attention to Kala like she was the only one in the room. “You ready to leave, my love?”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you,” Kala responded, though she wasn’t sure how she could stop him.

  “And don’t call her ‘your love’,” Jack practically snarled.

  Kala loved the fact that Jack was jealous, but she didn’t love the fact that Asmodeus could pop Jack’s head like a grape if he wanted to. Her only ray of hope was the fact that Asmodeus knew her mission was to kill Jack, so that made Jack somewhat safe.

  “You’re not taking her, Asmodeus,” Penny stepped in front of Kala.

  “And you’re going to stop me?” Asmodeus didn’t seem concerned at all.

  “Yes,” Penny answered with such authority that Asmodeus paused. Penny turned to Kala. “Remember, you promised to fulfill your mission. I’m trusting you.”

  Guilt much? Kala simply nodded, though she was lying.

  Then Kala saw a look of confusion on Asmodeus’s face as Penny’s eyes glowed blue. Penny leapt forward, wrapping her arms around his chest. They both disappeared in a flash.

  It was so sudden that no one in the room moved.

  Kala didn’t know what to do next. She was now officially an enemy of the state and she was pretty sure Derek and Jack were, too.

  Jack appeared to be having the same thought process as Kala as he looked at Turner, waiting for him to respond.

  They had him outnumbered, yet Kala still felt the need to be deferential. This was the guy in charge: whether or not they tied him up or hurt him, this would be the man that hunted them down afterward. Clifton was scary, but Turner was terrifying.

  Turner seemed to know this as well, though he was much more fascinated by Asmodeus and what he thought was a neurologist disappear before his eyes.

  “So,” Turner said, looking directly at Kala. “You’re the cause of a lot of trouble, aren’t you?”

  Kala nodded, not sure what she should or shouldn’t say.

  Derek walked over one of the unconscious guards, standing protectively next to Kala. Kala wanted to give him a big hug for doing what he’d done, but now was definitely not the time.

  “I’m assuming Harry will be okay?” Turner nodded towards General Clifton, still lying in a heap on the floor.

  It was strange to hear General Clifton called by his first name.

  Jack quickly checked Clifton’s pulse. “He’s just unconscious. Asmodeus didn’t kill him.” Jack walked back to stand beside Kala.

  “Asmodeus, huh? What kind of a name is that? Arabic?” Turner was starting to work things out.

  Kala noticed Jack making eye contact with Derek. They were planning a coup if they had to, she could tell. She didn’t want them to be on the run their whole lives, not if she could help it. “General Turner, I acted alone in all this, Jack and Derek are just trying to protect me out of loyalty. Please don’t punish them.”

  Turner shook his head. “I’m not punishing anyone.”

  Kala waited for the “just kidding” part of the conversation. When she didn’t hear it she asked, “You’re not?”

  “No. Unfortunately for you, Harry will come after you no matter what I order. I can keep you off the official records as a fugitive, but that won’t stop Harry.” Turner eyed his friend with a kind of resignation. Then turned to Jack and Derek. “As for Colonel Norbin and Lieutenant Echols: they will stay in their command positions here at the Compound. Harry won’t argue.” Turner nodded toward Derek, “Harry likes loyalty, just make him think that Lieutenant Hicks deceived you and that you’re loyal only to him. The man loves his ego stroked.”

  “I don’t know if I can…” Derek began.

  But Kala finished his sentence for him, “Derek will do it. Thank you, General.”

  Kala looked up at Derek with as much determination as she could muster. “This is my problem, Derek. I don’t want you involved any more. If you were executed because of me, I’d never forgive myself.”

  Derek didn’t argue, but Kala could see that he knew better than to argue in front of Turner. She just hoped Turner would be convinced.

  Jack looked at his clock. “I don’t mean to break this up, but Penny can only hold off Asmodeus for so long. He’ll be back soon and when he does none of us can stop him from taking Kala.”

  Turner looked around the room at all his unconscious soldiers in annoyance. “My soldiers can’t even win against Lieutenant Echols, what chance do they have against…?” He left the sentence hanging waiting for someone to finish it. When no one did, Turner said simply, “I’m not letting you go until you tell me who he is.”

  “You wouldn’t believe us if we told you.” Kala wasn’t sure how much she should tell Turner.

  “You’d be amazed at what I’d believe. I’m working on projects right now that would blow your mind. They will literally change the world as we know it. I can believe quite a bit.” Turner shrugged. “Besides, like I said, I can keep you here as long as I want until you tell me.”

  “That’s the point, General, you can’t,” Jack corrected him. “Asmodeus knows where Kala is and as long as he knows he can pop back in and pop back out with her before you can utter Stop.”

  Turner took a moment to evaluate that in his head, then finally nodded in agreement. “Just tell me what I’m dealing with so I can come up with some kind of defense in the future.”

  Kala could see that Turner had complete confidence in his ability do just that. So much so that she felt the sudden need to tell Turner everything on the off chance that he could develop something to help her fight Asmodeus. “He’s a Demon, sir.”

  “A Demon?” Turner repeated.

  Derek looked at Kala like he was in on a joke. She knew he didn’t believe it for a second. He thought she was lying to Turner.

  So when Jack said what he said, Derek’s face went from amused to confused in about a second.

  Jack confirmed, “Asmodeus is the King of the Demons, General. He’s the most powerful being on the planet, and I can’t stop him. I can’t slow him down. And if we don’t get Kala out of here, it’s over.”

  Turner nodded. He tapped the brain machine as if it held all the answers. “If this Asmodeus is after you, then you must be something different. I have all the results I need to research what you are.” He looked directly at Kala. “You do want me to help you, don’t you?”

  Kala wasn’t sure how to respond, but help from General Turner the mastermind behind every crazy invention she’d ever seen, sounded like a godsend. “If you think you can, sir. I could use all the help I can get.”

  “Good. Now that that’s settled, you two,” he pointed to Jack and Derek. “I’m assuming you’re useless against this Demon?”

  Jack said, “Yes, sir.”

  Though Derek still looked distraught at where the conversation had gone, he said boldly, “I could take him, General.”

  Jack intervened, “No, Derek, you couldn’t.”

  Derek had had enough. “What the hell is going on here?! Are we really having a serious conversation about Demons? This is bull!”

  “Oh my,” Turner said, then he handed Derek a small round object the size of a marble.

  Derek took it. “What’s this?”

  A flash of light from the object and Derek dropped to the floor, unconscious.

  Kala’s instincts overrode her good sense: she grabbed a gun from the floor and pointed it at Turner.

  “Relax,” Turner looked more annoyed at her behavior than worried. “He’s out cold. These events were a little too much for our friend here. It’s better for your Lieutenant Echols’ cover story if he wakes up with Harry. And you Jack, you need to stay here, too, if you don’t want to be on Harry’s hit list. You have the best chance to convince him that you are still loyal, since you didn’t fight any of t
he soldiers.”

  That was the first time Kala realized Jack hadn’t fought at all. In fact, he’d just stood there. Derek had been the loyal-monster-machine. If Asmodeus hadn’t shown up to save her, would Jack have let her die? A ball of emotion churned in her stomach. Maybe it would have been better if Kala had been killed. That way if Clifton became the next Atlas, Jack would have no problem taking him out. Jack just couldn’t take her out.

  It was a conflicting thought. On one hand Jack couldn’t kill her, on the other hand he could let someone else.

  Kala pushed the notion aside. Maybe Jack froze like she had. Maybe she was thinking too much. Being abandoned her whole life made the girl paranoid.

  “Lieutenant Hicks, you’re coming with me,” Turner ordered.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kala followed General Turner down the long hallway feeling like she was in grade school walking to the principal’s office. It wouldn’t matter if Kala had super powers like Asmodeus, Turner would always make her feel intimidated. Although Kala had to admit that he was taking all of this quite well. Nothing seemed to faze the guy. The more crazy the explanation, the more intrigued he became. Kala figured that it was just the way his brain worked. Turner was an inventor or, at least, he hired brilliant people to invent things for him: either way, he saw the world differently than most people. Kala knew enough about history to know that people like Turner really did change the world.

  Turner slowed down enough so that Kala was walking beside him. “I’m assuming everything that you told me before is true as well? About the whole Atlas thing?”

  Kala nodded yes, not quite sure why she was confessing. Still, if the General thought he could help, then at this point she was desperate.

  “Interesting,” was all Turner said.

  When Kala couldn’t think of anything to say, she ended up simply putting one foot in front of the other to whatever destination Turner had in store for her.

  After a few twists and turns through the Compound, Turner spoke again. “This Demon character, he can just appear at any time? Does he use some kind of device or is it a power?”