“Cheyton!”
Davos’ wicked laughter superseded Enola’s cry. “Good try, little one. I admire your passion. You’ll make a wonderful addition to my personal service.”
“I’ll never serve you!” Cheyton got up and flew toward Davos at ground level. The Nagas stepped aside and the Tanakee miss by inches. Cheyton rolled and jumped to a stop.
Davos fired another wave from his hovering sphere, slamming Cheyton in the shoulders and sending him down again.
“Fighting me is useless. You cannot win,” he jerked and the orb blasted Cheyton against the concrete wall.
“NO!” Enola banged on her fortified prison. The thick metal remained firm. Puffing, she reared back to the far end of the cage, gathered herself, and sprinted. Two steps and she vanished. Liz was astonished. Then Enola reappeared, crashing hard against the bars.
Davos nodded. “You can see her cage is quite secure. We’ve electro magnetized the metal to a resonance that inhibits dimensional travel. Even if she could control her power, she wouldn’t be able to get out. It doesn’t stop those repulsive love flames of hers, though. But, still, we have her trapped.”
Cheyton glared at his adversary. His eyes then shot to Enola and widened. Again he squinted as Davos continued.
“We will find a way to get to her. Sooner or later, we will overcome her little spell, and we will implant the control chip in her brain. It’s either that, or we will destroy her trying.”
“NEVER!” Cheyton disappeared in a ripple of light. It lasted a fraction of a second, and he moved just a few yards, but he did it. After rematerializing, he seemed shocked, staring at his feet, hands, arms. Then he refocused on Davos, squinted, and vanished again. When he came back, he was closer to his foe. He did it once more and came nearer yet. The last time he tried it, though, Davos caught him with a crackling bolt of electric fire. Trapped in midflight, Cheyton dangled, helpless.
“Do you see yourself?” Davos asked. “Do you see what Eteea does? It teases you with promises, let’s you get yourself into life or death encounters, and doesn’t even give you your full abilities!”
He flung his glowing projection. Cheyton tumbled over and over, hitting the floor, then the wall, then the floor again. He unraveled slowly, groaning in pain.
“You may be able to use your powers, but not well enough,” Davos said. “Eteea won’t let you. How does that make you feel? All you believe in, the very deity your species has revered and worshiped for millennia is now turning its back on you. Maybe you are worthless! Maybe I should do as the other Nagas wish, and destroy you all!”
He pointed his hands at Enola. Cheyton puffed up and darted at him in a silent slipstream, almost imperceptible to the human eye. He landed on Davos’ back and grabbed him by the chin, twisting and crackling the bones. Instead of his neck breaking, Davos spun his head toward Cheyton slowly. Liz felt a twinge in her gut, like witnessing a fatal car wreck.
Cheyton pushed away and bounced to his feet. He stood at a distance, watching while Davos corrected his unnatural appearance. The popping and crunching was audible even from where Liz sat.
Before his opponent recovered completely, Cheyton struck his legs, pitching him over. Davos hit the floor and his body split apart, a flock of ghastly, airborne serpents taking its place. They divided into groups, flew several yards, then came together again, returning to Davos’ human form. He raised his hands and conjured his powerful sphere. It sent a blinding beam, surrounding and holding Cheyton in place.
Davos edged closer, meeting him face-to-face. “There is something you can do to save your precious Enola.”
Savage stepped in, holding a rifle to his chest. Cheyton glanced at him, then at Davos.
“Give yourself to us. Freely. Without struggle,” he laughed. “Even without all your abilities, you put up a good fight. But I can help you reach your full potential. With my technology, I can help you bring out your inner Eteea.”
Davos raised a flawless eyebrow. Cheyton studied the electrostatic field surrounding him. He sneered and exposed his fangs. With a gruff growl, he pushed his arms out slowly, freeing himself from Davos’ magical grip.
He dropped to his feet then charged at the wicked shapeshifter, pushing him against the wall so hard the concrete cracked. During the collision, Davos again shattered into a menagerie of aerial reptiles. The creatures retreated, only to once more take the shape of a man steps away.
Davos looked self-satisfied. “You can’t defeat me. If you don’t submit, we will find a way to enslave Enola.”
Cheyton lowered his fists. He sighed sullenly at the floor.
Davos glided toward him.
“Tell me. How does it feel when Eteea is surging through you, and then is stripped away?”
Cheyton stood silent, alternating between Enola and Davos.
“Doesn’t a warrior deserve to be treated with respect? You were given a duty. To protect. To defend. But you weren’t given the proper tools to carry out that duty. That’s what your treasured Eteea does to you, starves you of your power, teases you with it.”
Davos crouched, contorting his body in ways a human never could.
“I can help you,” he said in Cheyton’s ear. “I have the technology that will enable you to be free from any limitation placed on your power. You will finally be the warrior you were meant to be.”
He straightened from his bent, twisted position.
“The choice is yours. Yield to me, and become the most powerful warrior the universe has ever seen. Then your beloved Enola will be saved. I’ll even let her human friends live, too,” he squinted. “Refuse and she will die. And so will all your pathetic friends.”
Cheyton glared. Then he looked at Enola and his face softened.
“Cheyton! You can’t possibly be considering this!”
“It’s the only way to save you!”
“That’s not true! My powers are growing! So are yours! We can fight him! And if we can’t do it alone, the others are coming! Ayita and Pud and Takota—they’re coming to help us!”
He turned his back in disgust.
“Don’t give up now, Cheyton!” she begged. “Don’t take the easy way out!”
“Easy! You think this is easy? I’m not taking the easy way out, Enola. It’s the only way. Can’t you see that? Can’t you see you’re the only thing that matters to me?”
Enola let her eyes descend to her feet.
“So, your decision has been made?” Davos moved closer to Cheyton. He nodded and Savage aimed the rifle.
Cheyton looked at Enola. “If I do this, you’ll let her go?”
“I give you my word,” Davos raised his right hand. Thin, scaly serpents formed his fingers. “After you let us implant the control device, I’ll set them all free.”
Cheyton locked onto his enemy. “And what happens to me?”
“As I said, you will receive access to your hidden potential. No more barriers, no more tantalizing you with just a taste of your capabilities. You will take your place among the greatest names in the universe as one of the mightiest warriors ever to live. What more could you want?”
“I meant what happens? To me?”
Davos permitted a grin to cross his lips. “You’ll serve me, of course. With you leading my personal guard, I will become the most feared, most respected, most powerful of all the Nagas.”
Cheyton faced Enola. “I don’t care about any of that. I just want her safe.”
“She will be. I assure you.”
Davos waved his hand. Savage stepped nearer, holding his eye above the sights of his rifle.
Cheyton warned, “You better not be lying to me! Enola better be let go or, I promise, I will find a way to get back at you!”
Cheyton took a deep breath and faced Savage. He gave Enola one more long, affectionate stare. She wept, leaning against the steel encasement, her flames exploding again and again as she begged him not to let Davos go through with his terrible plan.
“Do what you have to do,” C
heyton said.
Savage steadied his weapon. With a squeeze of his finger, the gun popped a round. A bright orange dart stuck into Cheyton’s leg, striking a contrast against the silver part of his silver and black coat.
“I can tell you right now, you’re gonna need more than one of those things,” he growled. Savage struck him with an additional dart, then another.
Cheyton’s tongue drooped. “That’s more like it,” he collapsed to his side.
FIFTY-TWO
A CHILLED BLAST swallowed Jack whole. Suddenly, he was no longer weightless. He slipped off his sodden jacket and right away felt lighter. Thousands of shimmering bubbles encompassed him, dancing in the filtered sunlight. The bubbles toyed and teased him into following them up. Coughing, he broke the surface, receiving the air with a grateful gasp. He shook the river from his eyes and searched the waves for his protector.
“Takota! Where are you!”
The old growth cedar floated nearby, an unruly, tangled mass. He swished his legs in a feeble effort at getting to land. On one particularly deep kick, he felt his foot catch something. Taut and thin, it dug into his calf, stinging the skin through his jeans. He tried to wiggle free. His struggle tightened the snare even more. He screamed, but was cut short when a sudden force rushed him through the water backward, pulling him further and further from shore.
He held his breath just before being dragged under. The line hauled him deep, then pulled him up to breach the surface again. He took in a big gulp of air, fully prepared to be brought to the depths. Instead, a pair of strong, stout hands dug beneath his armpits and heaved him out of the water. He landed on a hard, cold, soggy surface, choking on the pungent smell of fresh fish.
“Hey!” said a man with a deep, brusque voice. “You’re not a Coho!”
Jack heard a resonant laugh, muffled by the steady droning of an outboard motor. The sun blinded him. Then a round silhouette stepped in front of the light, staring down.
His vision adjusted and he made out a man wearing frayed chest waders which fit snug against his pudgy stomach. His face was sun parched and weathered. Beneath his ample snout, a thick, silver mustache gave him the appearance of an elderly walrus. He smiled, though in his expression Jack also sensed a big dose of concern.
“What are you doing out in the middle of the river? Trying to swim? That’s absolutely batty. Good thing I showed up when I did. Good thing, indeed—hey! I know you! You’re the inventor’s kid. Just what in blazes has gotten into you?”
Jack coughed up water. He blinked and recognized the man—Captain Kimbo.
The captain chuckled grumpily. “Doesn’t taste so good, does it? Doesn’t feel so good when it fills your lungs, either. What kinda stunt were you trying to pull?”
Jack stammered. “I…I…”
“You what?” the short, heavyset man plopped down his fishing pole. “You just wanted to take a little swim? In one of the most dangerous currents in the world? This is the Columbia River, son. Not some backyard creek. And we’re getting pretty darn close to the mouth—where it punches into the ocean. Do you know what they call it around here? They call it the Graveyard of the Pacific. And do you know why?”
“Uh…”
“Queenie the River Dragon, that’s why! She’s been the cause of untold shipwrecks since the seventeen hundreds. People say she doesn’t exist, but I know better. I’ve seen her. And one of these days, I’m gonna catch her! She’s big and mean and, and—what are you doing out here, anyway? What’s the matter with you? Where’s your mother?” he searched the shoreline. “Don’t tell me you’re all alone!”
“No,” Jack regained some strength. “I’m not alone. I’ve got my…”
“Who? Who’s with you?”
“My teddy bear,” Jack’s stare journeyed to meet the captain’s.
“Your what?” Kimbo crossed his arms. It seemed he wanted to say something else when a noise surprised him. He swished his concentration to the water and scanned. Then he squinted.
“Well, I’ll be gutted and fileted,” he said. “You do have a teddy bear with you, after all.”
“Be careful, mister.”
“Don’t worry, son. I won’t hurt your little toy,” he leaned over the side.
“No,” Jack clarified. “I’m worried about you getting hurt.”
“What are you talking about?” he reached for the furry clump floating in the river. “This thing’s not gonna—AAAIIIIEEEE!”
Arms flailing, he fell against his seat with Takota clamped to his crown.
“Takota! No! Stop! He’s a friend! He’s a friend!”
Takota shot him a determined look. “How do you know? He could be one of them!”
“Help! Help!” Kimbo felt for and found his CB receiver. He pressed the button. “SOS! SOS! Captain Kimbo of Dragon Huntress to…to anyone! SOS! I’m being attacked by a-a teddy bear!”
Jack leapt and seized Takota. “He’s on our side, let him go!”
Takota groaned and issued a heavy breath. He withdrew his claws and released the man. Jack removed him like taking off a hat. The captain sat still, wheezing.
“You are real. The boy was telling the truth—and you can talk,” he admired Takota some more. “What is he?”
“We don’t have time.” answered Jack.
The radio crackled. “Dragon Huntress, this is Pelican Two. Did you say you were being attacked by a…teddy bear?” Laughter in the background.
Kimbo turned the volume down on the CB, swapping his glare between Jack and Takota. “I want answers.”
“Listen,” Jack stated. “We can’t tell you the whole story, but someone is chasing Takota. Some very bad people want to capture him and his entire species, and I won’t let them. They’ve already taken one Tanakee. Now they’ve kidnapped my family and my friend, too. We have to save them! Please, Captain Kimbo. Can you help us?”
“Hmm. Where’re you headed?”
“Archer Savage Industries,” Takota said.
“Archer Savage, huh?” the captain twisted his mustache.
“You’ve heard of him?” asked Jack.
“Oh, yeah,” he nodded. “That guy doesn’t mess around. You sure you wanna tangle with him?”
“The Nagas is worse,” Takota said.
Kimbo crumpled his brow. “The Nagas?”
“That’s who Savage is working for. Can you take us there or not?”
The crusty little man narrowed one eye at Jack. He stretched his leathery face into a grin. A glint of sun reflected off the water onto his surprisingly white teeth.
“Sounds like an adventure! Adventure’s my middle name, you know?”
FIFTY-THREE
THE TALLY LIGHT flickered on. Amelia had been warned to watch for it, though nothing could have comforted her once the camera went live, and now thousands of people were staring at her.
“This is Kristy Blades, live in North Point on the banks of the mighty Columbia,” she gestured over her shoulder at an ostentatious series of concrete structures. “I’m standing at Archer Savage’s state of the art defense research and development facility. Why am I here? To answer that, I thought it best if you hear from a new friend of mine. Her name is Amelia Klein, and she has a very special friend of her own. Amelia, can you tell us your pet’s name?”
Kristy pointed the microphone at Amelia’s mouth and her stomach fluttered. She tightened and squeezed away her nerves.
“She’s not my pet,” she cleared her throat. “She’s a Tanakee.”
Ayita forced a smile at the camera.
“A Tanakee?” Kristy leaned in. “What’s a Tanakee?”
Amelia steadied her breath, staring dead center into the lens. “Good people of Willow, I have a message, one of peace, and also of heartbreak and unspeakable evil. Tanakee are our friends. They’re extraordinary animals with special abilities, sent here to help us. To protect us.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Kristy stood straight. “Slow down. We want everyone to understand. Let’s go back, okay
? You said they have special abilities. What abilities?”
Amelia glanced at Ayita. She wore a sour face and her spirit clothes darkened to a heavy gray. “No,” she scarcely moved her lips. “Don’t.”
Amelia bent and lowered her voice. “I have to.”
“Is, is everything okay?” Kristy asked quizzically.
She lifted Ayita to her chin. “Everyone, I want to introduce Ayita. She’s my friend.”
Hank tilted the camera to follow. Ayita didn’t move. For a second, Amelia thought she’d lapsed into her ‘play dead’ trick. She hadn’t. She was just being stubborn.
“Ayita? Do you want to say something?” Kristy pointed the mic at her fuzzy face.
Ayita lifted her eyebrows and gave the woman the onceover. Her spirit clothes lightened to plain gray. “What do you want me to say?”
Kristy stepped back, clutching her chest with her free hand, the microphone still aimed expertly at her interviewees. The reporter’s surprise seemed genuine, yet her aura’s amber color hinted at mild deception.
“Oh my,” she turned to the camera. “It’s just so thrilling!” again she addressed Amelia. “And it isn’t just repeating phrases and words, is it? It’s actually communicating with you, with us.”
“She,” emphasized Amelia. “Really is communicating with us. She’s extremely intelligent. And so gentle and kind. They don’t deserve what these people want to do to them,” she pointed behind her, over the razor wire fence at the giant, electrified logo—a bold red ASI emblazoned against a white background. Underneath, in smaller lettering, it read, ‘Archer Savage Industries.’
“Archer Savage and his client Davos Mann want to put devices in the brains of these peaceful little animals, and use them as weapons of war.”
“Oh, no. That’s terrible,” Kristy pleaded with the camera. “Think of it, ladies and gentlemen. These wonderful, intelligent little creatures being sent to the battlefield. Is this something we really want done in our name?”
“We want our friends back,” Amelia said. “And we also want to warn everyone.”
Jack James and the Tribe of the Teddy Bear Page 36
