“Because they loved you,” Starling said. “They decided that they didn’t like what we were doing. They didn’t want you to be made into warriors. They didn’t like the fact that we owned you and they didn’t.” She stepped close to Gabriel and put her hand on his shoulder. “You must understand Gabriel, the government didn’t do this just to see if we could. This wasn’t a game. We need you. The whole world needs you.”
Chapter 13
Gabriel felt lost as he tried to absorb it all. “Why did they do it?” he said. “Why did my parents agree to this?”
“Your parents -and all of the others- were infertile. They couldn’t have children, but they wanted to. We were looking for government employees to take part in our fertility program. A dozen couples signed up within a week.”
“They didn’t know, did they?” said Pete. “You didn’t tell them what you were doing.”
“Of course not,” said Starling. “They wanted children, we gave them children. It was that simple. Everything beyond that was on a need-to-know basis.”
“No wonder they took their kids,” Jodi said angrily. “You used them. You lied to them.”
Starling shrugged, completely unaffected by the accusation. “Nobody forced them to sign the papers,” she said. “They got what they wanted, didn’t they?”
Gabriel was growing angry again, but he forced his emotions back. This was no time to lose his temper. There was too much here to learn, and too many things about his past that were just beginning to make sense. “When our parents took us, what happened then?” he said. “How did we all end up captured by the shadowfriends?”
“When your parents tried to escape, the shadowfriends were waiting. Your parents ran right into the danger we had been protecting you from. We had to shut the program down. After that, we didn’t hear a peep until you showed up at Julia’s mansion.”
“You knew the whole time?” Pete said. “You knew where Gabriel was?”
“Of course. The first thing Julia did was plaster his picture all over the news. Of course, she didn’t realize who Gabriel was at the time.”
“We all thought Gabriel was a spy,” said Jodi. She remembered that particularly well, because although Gabriel truly was a spy, he was primarily just a decoy. While everyone was suspicious about Gabriel, the shadowfriends had tricked Jodi into betraying D.A.S.. It was something she still felt guilty about.
“Of course you did,” said Starling. “But none of you knew what Gabriel really was. And before we could come get him, you all went on that crazy rescue mission. And somehow, you actually managed to pull it off.”
Gabriel couldn’t help but feel a little bit of pride at the compliment, subtle as it was. Starling was right, it was a miracle that they had pulled it off without getting someone killed. On the other hand, the older D.A.S. agents had many years of experience, and they were far more adaptable than any government agency ever could be. Gabriel was fairly sure the real reason the government had never interfered with D.A.S. was because D.A.S. was actually successful.
“Alright, let’s move along,” Starling said.
“Wait!” said Gabriel. “Julia told me that the shadowfriends hadn’t killed my parents. Was she lying?”
“Not in so many words,” said Starling. “Your parents didn’t realize how much trouble they were in until they got out of the base and found themselves on the run from the Shadow as well. They didn’t even know the Shadow existed until that moment. We lost track of them, until they drove off that cliff. I don’t know if the shadowfriends had been chasing them, or if they just stumbled on the accident after it happened. Julia may have been right about that. Either way, the Shadow got to you first.”
“So the government couldn’t find Gabriel but the Shadow could,” Pete mused. “Big surprise.”
Starling cocked an eyebrow but said nothing. She guided the children back out into the tunnel, and they all climbed onto the transport vehicle. Starling headed further into the mountain and they made several turns, crossing paths with a number of other tunnels. They encountered more traffic as they got deeper into the base. There were other transport vehicles and dozens of people walking back and forth through the hallways. They were dressed in everything from lab coats and business suits to full tactical gear.
Eventually, the tunnel widened and they approached a large parking area. “This is the end of the ride,” Starling said. “From here, we walk.” She guided the group to a doorway with a large sign that said Sector 17.
“What’s Sector 17?” said Pete.
Starling smiled. “It’s the civilian sector. You’re going to love this.”
The doors slid open as they approached, and Starling led them inside. Nothing could have prepared the children for what they saw next. So far, Black Mountain had been more or less what a person would have expected from an underground military base. It was drab. It was ugly. It was built for function only, and was therefore rather uninteresting. Sector 17 was the opposite in every way.
They found themselves standing on a wide balcony, surrounded by hundreds of different storefronts. Gabriel saw restaurants, clothing stores, music and electronics retailers and just about anything else he could have imagined. “Oh my!” Jodi squealed. “It’s the world’s biggest mall!”
Gabriel crossed the balcony and stepped up to the railing, and his jaw dropped. The balcony on which they stood was but one of hundreds. Row upon row of balconies stretched out above and below for thousands of feet, like racetracks that curved in and out of sight as they followed the path of the cavern wall. In the distance, a tall waterfall jetted out of some invisible crevice overhead and crashed down into a deep blue lake that filled the center of the cavern. Bright, clear lights shone up from below the surface, highlighting the shape of the terrain at the bottom of the lake. The view was breathtaking.
He looked up, searching for the source of the waterfall and found… “The sky?” he muttered. How could he possibly be looking at the sky? Weren’t they inside of a mountain? And yet there it was, clear as day. It was a deep midnight blue color, dotted with puffy white cumulus clouds and a backdrop of brilliant twinkling stars.
“It’s synthetic,” Starling said. “The waterfall creates a cool vapor, which you can see if you look into the distance. We shoot lasers into the mist, creating three-dimensional holograms. The sky, the clouds, it’s all a projection. The sun will come up in a few hours; you won’t want to miss that. The sunlight is artificial, but it’s just like the real thing. Spend enough time jet-skiing and you’ll get a sunburn.”
“Jet-skiing?” Pete said.
“Yes,” said Starling, “but not right now. We have to get you all settled first. There’s a lot to see here, and we have a lot of catching up to do, right Gabriel?” Gabriel didn’t answer. Instead, he stared into her deep, dark eyes, wondering if he could trust her. “All right,” she said, “how about a late night snack?”
They walked around the circle for about ten minutes until they came to a cafeteria. Being extremely early in the morning, the place was mostly empty, but Gretchen was there with the orphans. Gabriel’s stomach rumbled as he smelled the food. He’d forgotten about the fact that he’d missed lunch and dinner. “Help yourselves children,” Starling told them. “The buffet runs twenty-four hours a day. There’s a dessert bar as well… as you can see, the orphans have already discovered it.”
Indeed they had. Their faces were covered in ice cream, cake, and pudding. Pete and Gabriel helped themselves to some pizza. Jodi took some sort of green pasta that didn’t looked very interesting to either of the boys. She called it pesto. Gabriel called it grass. They settled down to eat, and Starling dropped into the seat directly opposite Gabriel.
“So, what do you think?” she said, her dark eyes boring into him.
“I don’t know,” Gabriel said. “I guess I’m still trying to absorb it all.”
“That’s perfectly understandable.” She turned her attention to the orphans. “How about the rest of you?” she said.
“What do you all think of this place?”
The orphans cheered. Despite Gabriel’s misgivings and his mistrust of Starling, he was glad to see them happy. Most of them were too young to understand what was going on, but in a way that was good. They could enjoy the excitement of the place and not worry about anything else. It wasn’t so easy for Gabriel.
He knew that they had all been created for a purpose, and eventually they were going to be used for that purpose. In a way, they were prisoners. Starling didn’t seem like the kind of person who would just let them go whenever they wanted. In fact, her very reasoning for rescuing them all was that she was protecting government property. Clearly, she didn’t care much about Gabriel or the orphans. She just wanted to use them. just like the Shadow.
Gabriel had already decided that he was not going to be a slave to Starling. The other children wouldn’t, either, not if he could help it. In the back of his mind, he was already looking for ways to escape. He could see that it wouldn’t be easy. Black Mountain was about as secure as anything he’d ever seen. Getting out of there with the orphans was going to be nearly impossible, unless he could find another way out.
It was three a.m. when they finished, and the children were starting to fall asleep in their chairs. Starling said something to Gretchen and she disappeared for a few minutes. She returned driving another transport vehicle, this one even longer than the last.
“We’re not really supposed to use transporters in Sector 17,” she explained, “but I think we can make an exception tonight.”
They carefully loaded the sleeping children onto the bench seats and Gretchen drove around to the far end of the cavern. There, Starling led the group into a large lobby that was apparently a hotel. Starling talked to the man at the front desk and returned a minute later with key cards for the older children.
“The three of you will share suite 9A,” she said. “The younger children will share the adjoining suites, 9B and 9C.”
“I don’t think we should be separated,” Jodi said quickly. Gabriel nodded his agreement. It was good to know that he wasn’t alone in his distrust of Commander Starling. “If something happens to them, Julia’ll have our heads,” she added.
“The children won’t be separated from you,” Starling assured them. “The living rooms are all connected by adjoining doors. You can leave the doors open twenty-four hours a day if you like. You can check on the orphans any time you want.”
Jodi seemed placated by that, but Gabriel was still worried. It was going to be hard to keep track of all those kids. He didn’t put up a fight, though. He knew it was better not to push his luck.
After taking the younger children up to their rooms (and carrying the ones that were asleep) Gabriel, Jodi and Pete finally found themselves in their own quiet living room. It was a large room with wood paneling, vaulted ceilings, and a large stone fireplace. A sliding glass door opened into a backyard with a hot tub and strangely, real grass. Gabriel already knew that the sky overhead was fake, but it sure didn’t look it.
He could understand the appeal of living in a place like Black Mountain. It was a safe, controlled environment with every kind of entertainment imaginable. People could stay down there for years, and they probably did. They didn’t have to worry about food, they didn’t have to travel far to work, and the weather was always nice. It was an ideal city. He wondered why the government made places like this for the army instead of making them for the people.
The suite had its own kitchen just like a real house, with hardwood cabinets, stainless appliances, and marble countertops. Between the kitchen and living room, a spiral staircase led up to the bedrooms. The place didn’t seem like a hotel at all. In fact, it was more like an expensive custom home.
“Can you believe this place?” Pete said. He snatched up a remote off the coffee table and turned on the enormous television over the fireplace. The news was on, but he promptly switched it to the Discovery Channel.
“It is quite amazing,” Jodi said. “What do you think, Gabriel?”
“It’s unreal,” he said.
“I know, but what about everything else? What about Starling and… well, you know.”
Jodi was talking about Gabriel; about what they had learned about his past and his childhood.
“I don’t know what to think,” he said finally, “except that I need some time to think.”
Jodi smiled understandingly. “Sure, why don’t you go to bed? Pete and I will keep an eye on things.”
Gabriel thanked them and climbed up the spiral staircase. He located his room on the second floor and dropped onto his bed without bothering to get undressed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, the world spun away and Gabriel found himself floating in the ether of the dream world. Images and thoughts of the day rattled through his head, weaving a story of dreams that made no sense whatsoever.
He saw Julia’s mansion, but it was next to the lake inside Black Mountain. He saw Reeves driving his Hummer down the balcony between the cafeteria and the mansion. He saw buses and trucks driving back and forth across the water…
“Psst! Gabriel! Wake up!”
Gabriel bolted upright and blinked against the darkness. He had no idea how long he’d been asleep. It didn’t feel like much time had passed. He glanced at the clock… but it was gone. In fact, the dresser was no longer a dresser, but instead looked like a large rock with a flat top. His bed was a mattress on a canopy of leaves, and the bed frame was the intertwining branches of thick shrub.
“Get up, we must hurry!”
Gabriel raised his eyes and saw the dim form of a man standing at the edge of the room. Actually, they weren’t in his room at all. They were in a cave. The man was a silhouette in the darkness and Gabriel couldn’t see his face. “Who are you?” he said. “Where am I?”
“I’m Aldron. Come Gabriel, we must hurry. You’re not safe! You’re in the Shadow world!”
Chapter 14
From somewhere in the folds of his cloak, Aldron produced a crystal. It shimmered with an eerie blue light, flickering and pulsing like a flame. The thing almost seemed to be alive. He held it out in his palm.
“How did you do that?” Gabriel said. “What is that thing?”
Aldron smiled. “Magic.”
He was a middle-aged man, perhaps a little older than Reeves. He had long black hair and a thick scraggly goatee. His eyes were dark and sunken. He almost looked like a shadowfriend, but there was something different about him. Shadowfriends carried themselves with a certain arrogance, a bearing of pride and complacency. Aldron didn’t seem like that at all. Aside from the strange clothes and the sickly pallor, he seemed more or less normal.
Gabriel saw a streak of movement at the man’s feet, and he jumped back. “Snake!” he cried out.
Aldron glanced down at his feet and casually stepped aside. “Don’t let them frighten you, they’re everywhere in the Shadow world. Spiders, snakes, and all manner of creeping things thrive here.”
“Are they poisonous?” Gabriel said.
“Some are, but don’t let that worry you. The venom of a snake or the sting of an insect is nothing compared to what a griffon or dragon might do to you.”
Gabriel watched as the serpent slithered across the cave floor and disappeared in a crevice in the wall. He shivered, thinking about the fact that he’d just been sleeping there. “How did I get here?” he said.
“You’re of an age,” Aldron said in a distant voice. “You’ve been slipping in and out of your world, yes? Traveling between your mundane reality and the Shadow world?”
Gabriel nodded, his eyes wide. “How did you know?”
Aldron turned away, ignoring the question. “Come, we will speak of this outside. There is no air in this place.” He stepped out of the cave and Gabriel had no choice but to follow. A narrow path twisted down through the rock into a larger tunnel, which in turn opened into an enormous cavern. Aldron’s light didn’t reach the ceiling or the far walls, but Gabriel saw that they were next
to a lake. He instantly knew where he was.
“This is the Civilian Sector,” he said. “Sector 17.”
“Yes, this is your military bunker, but it is not the same. It is a reflection. The mundane earth and the Shadow earth are one, but divided. Nothing happens to one that does not affect the other.”
Aldron dropped his crystal on the smooth ground next to the lake, and it exploded into a bonfire. Gabriel’s eyes widened as the flames jumped up. Heat washed over him, and he rubbed the goose bumps on his arms. He hadn’t realized how cold he was until he felt the warmth of the fire.
“How did you do that?” he said.
“Magic,” Aldron said again, with a slight smile. He settled on the ground, cross-legged next to the fire. “We must begin,” he said. “Sit.” He motioned for Gabriel to join him on the ground.
Gabriel dropped down next to him, close enough to the fire that he could enjoy its warmth. “I don’t understand any of this,” he said. “A few minutes ago I was sleeping in Black Mountain. A few hours ago, I was back at home in Julia’s mansion….” His voice trailed off.
“You will adapt,” Aldron said.
Gabriel looked at him, the flickering blue light reflected in his wide eyes. “How do you know?”
“Because if you do not, you will die. Or, if you are lucky enough to survive, you will be like me, stuck here in this hell for all eternity.”
Gabriel felt a shiver crawl down his spine. “Who are you?” he said. “How did you know to find me?”
“I am Aldron, I have already told you this. And I found you easily because in this world, you are like a spotlight. You draw attention to yourself just by being here. You must learn to quiet your spirit or you won’t last.”
“I don’t understand,” Gabriel said.
“You will, but first you must learn. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.”
“Aldron, I don’t have time for this,” Gabriel said pleadingly. “I don’t know why I’m here or how I got here, but things are happening in the real world. My friends need me. Julia and Reeves need me, and the other orphans-”
Shadow Rising (Shadow Born Trilogy Book 2) Page 6
