“They seem pretty happy to me,” Pete shrugged.
“That’s because they don’t know they’re trapped here,” Gabriel said. “They don’t understand that that these people consider them property.”
“So we take them with us,” said Pete. “Gabriel, do you have any other ideas to get us out of here?”
“No.” In his mind, Gabriel was thinking of Aldron’s idea. Maybe that really was the way to keep the orphans safe. But would Pete and Jodi agree to it? Not likely. And even if they did, Gabriel couldn’t get them across without Aldron’s help. Somehow, he had the feeling Aldron wouldn’t approve of involving more people.
“Well, we’ve got to find a way,” Pete said. “And we’ve got to do it fast. Jodi and I will keep snooping at the Academy and the Tech Sector. Gabriel, you’re going to have to look everywhere else.”
“I will, first chance I get,” he promised.
“Don’t wait too long,” Jodi said. “Julia and Reeves might not have much time.”
“Okay.”
Gabriel rose to head for his bedroom, but Jodi stopped him. “Oh, one more thing,” she said.
“What?”
“You smell funny.”
Gabriel cocked an eyebrow. He glanced at Pete, and his friend chuckled. “What are you talking about?” Gabriel said.
“I don’t know… there’s just something weird about you lately. I’ve noticed it ever since the day you appeared in the kitchen. There’s something different about you. You even look different. You look tired, and you have dark circles under your eyes…”
“Well, I am tired,” Gabriel said. “I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in days.”
“I’m sure none of us have,” Pete agreed. “But I do have to admit, you look a little worn.”
“Guys, there’s nothing wrong with me,” Gabriel said.
Jodi eyed him up and down. “Okay. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
“It is. I’m fine.”
“Good… just keep in mind that the Shadow is evil, okay? It’s not something to mess with.”
Pete gave her a sideways look. “Mess with? How could Gabriel possibly mess with the Shadow?”
“Well, he can because he’s… well, he’s different than us.”
Gabriel felt a sinking feeling as he listened to them, and suddenly he knew that he’d been right to keep his lessons with Aldron secret. Pete and Jodi wouldn’t understand. In fact, Gabriel couldn’t help but wonder if Jodi trusted him at all. If she could sense something different about him, just because he’d been back and forth a few times… how much more might she have guessed?
“I’m fine,” he said. “I’m tired, and I’m going to bed.” With that, he turned his back on them and started up the stairs.
“Okay… goodnight,” Jodi said from below. Gabriel didn’t answer.
Aldron gave Gabriel a series of exercises that night, which they practiced for hours. Gabriel not only had to use his ability to feel the magic around him, and try to control its flow, but he also had to extend it out to something else. They started with a small rock (which Gabriel actually managed to levitate!) and eventually graduated to a strange-looking creature that Aldron said was related to a hare. The creature had hideous red eyes and matted black fur, and it didn’t smell very nice at all. Gabriel didn’t want to get near it, much less reach out and touch it with his mind. He eventually managed to move the creature slightly, but it was exceedingly difficult, and exhausting. Finally, Gabriel ran out of juice. He just didn’t have the energy to continue. That was when Aldron instructed him to lie back on the ground.
“This is a basic technique,” he said. “I want you to close your eyes and breathe deeply. As your lungs fill, I want you to visualize the magic in the air going into your body. It goes into your lungs and spreads out from there, moving through your arms and legs, and up towards your head. Then, slowly, let the breath out, but keep the magic inside of you.”
Gabriel did as he had been instructed, and immediately he felt a sense of rejuvenation. “It works!” he said.
“Hush,” Aldron warned. “Keep going. In order for this exercise to be effective, you must do it for several minutes at least.”
Gabriel took another deep breath, slowly filling his lungs, and then held it there. He imagined the energy spreading out and moving through his body. Then, slowly, he released his breath. Eventually, Gabriel began to feel that his body was floating on a cloud. He no longer noticed the cold hard stones beneath him or the ache of his weary muscles. In fact, he was quite relaxed. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so relaxed. It was as if the magic had filled him up and pushed the troubles out of his mind.
And suddenly, he could see things more clearly.
Gabriel thought about everything that had happened in the last few days and realized how stressful it had been. He’d been trying to fix everything by himself; trying to fight off the Shadow and hold everyone together, but it was impossible. He understood that now. There was no way he could do everything. He couldn’t help Reeves and Julia, protect the orphans, and stop the Shadow. He might be able to do some of those things, or eventually accomplish all of them if he had help, but he couldn’t do it alone. He needed a logical plan. He needed help, and he needed to prioritize.
What was most important?
“That’s enough for now,” Aldron said. Gabriel’s thoughts drifted away as he opened his eyes. He sat up, blinking.
“I feel great!” he said. “I feel like I could go for days.”
Aldron smiled. “I am very pleased to hear that. You are a most apt student. Now, try to move the hare again.” Gabriel groaned and Aldron gave him a chastising look.
“You must master this skill,” the older man warned. “Everything depends on your ability to bring the orphans across. If you can’t master this, then they will be helpless in the other world, and we are running out of time. I didn’t want to tell you this, because I know the pressure you are under, but I feel now that you must know. The Shadow is preparing an army. They will attack your mountain bunker very soon. I do not need to tell you what may happen to the orphans then.”
Chapter 20
Thousands of miles away…
“Spiders and snakes,” Julia said distastefully. “Two days of sand, blistering heat, and now spiders and snakes.”
“And scorpions,” Reeves added. He stood just ahead of her, at the mouth of a large underground cavern. They were on a ledge at the end of the tunnel overlooking a small scale pyramid. It stood about fifty feet high, rising nearly to the ceiling of the ancient Babylonian temple. At the base of the pyramid, the floor of the cavern glistened with slithering vipers. Tarantulas and scorpions covered the walls and ceiling.
“Ugh,” Julia said with a shiver. “Makes my skin crawl.”
“There,” Reeves said, pointing. “On the altar.”
“The statue,” Julia said in a whisper.
Two-thirds of the way up the pyramid, the statue rested on an altar covered in gold and gemstones. The statue itself was jet black, the surface smooth and shimmering. “Obsidian,” Reeves said. “The one we had was crystal.”
“How many are there in total?”
“Seven, I think,” said Reeves.
Julia peered down into the cavern and suppressed a shiver. “Judging by the wildlife, I’d say whoever put the statue here didn’t want it to ever leave.”
“The tarantulas are harmless,” Reeves said, “but those snakes are vipers. They’re extremely poisonous.”
“I hate the desert,” Julia groaned.
Reeves pulled off his pack and dug out one of his gadgets. It was a medium-caliber pistol, modified for spy work. It came with a heavy-duty steel shank and a lightweight but strong pulley. He opened up the slide on the pistol and inserted a special explosive round, and then jammed the shank down the barrel.
“What is that thing?” Julia said over his shoulder.
Reeves didn’t answer, but instead trained his sights on the pyrami
d, just below the altar. He took a moment to steady his shot and then fired. There was a loud kaboom and Julia watched as the steel shank propelled across the chamber and embedded itself several inches into the stone steps of the pyramid. The line attached to the shank now lay draped across the chamber like a long strand of fishing line. Reeves pulled it through, replacing the line with heavy steel cable.
“It’s called a grappling gun,” Reeves explained. “Once the cable’s attached to the pulley, I can slide across.”
“Fascinating,” Julia said. “What else do you have in that bag of yours?”
“Lunch,” Reeves said with a grin. He secured the cable to an anchor on the wall and then tested it, making sure that it would hold his weight. Julia watched him skeptically.
“You’re not seriously going to climb on that thing are you?” she said.
Reeves shrugged. “Well, you do weigh less than me. Are you volunteering?” Julia’s eyes went wide and he chuckled. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ve done this a million times.”
“I suppose you have,” she mumbled.
Julia had never done any fieldwork. When she was young, Alfred and Reeves did all the legwork while Julia managed the business side of D.A.S. Then, after Alfred’s death, Julia and Reeves had just carried on, doing the best they could, which left Julia in charge of running the entire estate while Reeves carried out the missions. It wasn’t the same without Alfred…
The thought of her spouse brought a tear to Julia’s eye. She had been trying not to think about the fact that after all these years, he might still be alive. There were too many things that didn’t make sense, too many questions eating at her every time she thought about it: Why hadn’t he contacted her? What could he have been doing all that time?
Julia wouldn’t allow herself to believe yet. She wanted him to be alive, but trusting her heart would be dangerous. In her mind, she knew it was most likely some sort of trap. When all was said and done, that was the simplest and therefore most likely explanation. Occam’s razor, she reminded herself. The simplest explanation is usually the best. The more she analyzed the situation, the more questions she had. For now, it was best not to dwell on the possibilities, especially for the sake of her emotions. Julia couldn’t bear to lose Alfred again and that meant she couldn’t allow herself to believe he was alive. Not until she saw him with her own eyes.
Once his gloves were on, Reeves grabbed the cable and leaned backwards over the entrance to the chamber. Below him, thousands of snakes slithered and hissed in the darkness. Julia covered her mouth and turned away, unable to watch. One little slip would be the end of Reeves…
“You can turn around now,” he said a minute later.
Julia turned back and saw Reeves standing about halfway up the pyramid. A snake slithered along the path towards him, and Reeves casually kicked it aside. The viper twisted in the air as it fell and then thumped to the ground two stories below. A chorus of hissing sounds echoed through the chamber and Reeves chuckled.
“Good lord Reeves,” Julia said. “Hurry up and get it over with.”
Reeves climbed up the stairs, kicking scorpions and snakes out of the way as he moved. He finally reached the altar and took a moment to inspect it. “It’s weighted,” he said over his shoulder. He reached in his pack and dug out a multi-tool.
“What does that mean?” Julia said.
“It’s booby trapped. If I moved the statue, something bad happens.”
Julia blinked. “Reeves, what does something bad mean, exactly?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the place fills with sand, maybe I get shot with a poisonous dart. You ever seen Indiana Jones? That’s pretty much how this stuff works.”
Julia gulped. Her stomach churned and she felt bile rising in her throat. “I don’t think I’m cut out for this, Reeves.”
“Nonsense, you’re doing great. A few more trips like this and you’ll be a pro.”
Reeves opened the screwdriver tip on his multi-tool and pried into the seam around the top of the altar. He jammed the tip into the seam and spread it slightly apart. “Just like I thought,” he said. He worked the blade down as far as it would go, and then turned back to Julia.
“Okay, that should hold it but we have to work fast,” he said.
“What do we do?”
“It’s heavy so I’m going to put the statue in my bag and send it across. I’ll come after.”
“Okay,” Julia said. “I’m ready.”
Reeves held his pack open as he grabbed the statue. Then, moving as quickly as he could, he raced down to the wire and sent the bag across. A few seconds later, Julia had it in her hands. “Good, I’m coming now,” he shouted.
Reeves grabbed the cable and flipped around, pulling himself out over the swarm of deadly vipers. “Be there in a jiffy,” he called out.
Reeves was halfway across when he heard a shriek. He twisted around, trying to get a clear view of the tunnel. Julia was nowhere in sight. “Julia?” he called out. “You there?”
Three figures appeared at the end of the tunnel. It didn’t take a genius to know they were shadowfriends. He recognized the one standing in front. It was Victor. “Let her go!” Reeves shouted.
Victor laughed. “Sorry Reeves, can’t do that. Thanks for getting us the statue, though! I really appreciate it.”
Reeves clenched his jaw. “If I get my hands on you, kid…”
Victor grinned venomously. He held out his hand and one of his companions handed him a pair of cable cutters. “I don’t think so,” Victor said. “Break my nose once, shame on you. Do it twice, shame on me. Goodbye John Reeves… or whoever you really are.”
With that, he put the cutters on the cable and squeezed. Reeves had enough time to breathe the word, “Crap.” Then the cable went loose and he plummeted towards the writhing sea of vipers.
Chapter 21
Gabriel was sleeping soundly when Jodi got up the next morning. She had half a mind to give him an earful, but Pete warned her off. “Just give him some time to work things out,” he said. “He’ll be okay.”
“Are you sure about that?” she said. “Haven’t you noticed the way he’s been acting lately? Disappearing, sleeping all the time… he’s keeping something from us.”
“What could he possibly be keeping from us, Jodi? We’re all trapped here, remember? Think about all that we’ve learned in the last couple of days. Imagine what that must be like for Gabriel.”
Jodi’s anger vanished as she thought about all that Gabriel had been through; about the knowledge they now had about his past. It must have been awful for Gabriel to learn the truth about his parents, and how he’d been created. The poor kid was a genetic experiment. It was a wonder that he was normal at all.
But he wasn’t just normal, he was better. It was true. Gabriel sacrificed himself over and over again to try to keep the world safe from the Shadow, and yet the world had never done a single good thing for Gabriel. The government created him as little more than a slave, and treated him like a subhuman. The Shadowlords brainwashed and tortured him.… D.A.S. put the weight of the world on his shoulders, using him as an agent even though he was far too young and inexperienced to be doing that sort of thing. The more she thought about it, the closer Jodi came to tears. Finally, she stomped downstairs and towards the front door.
“Aren’t you going to eat breakfast?” Pete called out behind her.
“I’m not hungry,” she said. Down the hall, she stepped into the empty elevator and started to cry. It’s this place, she thought. We’ve got to get out of this place…
Jodi pulled herself together and went to her classes at the Academy, but it was hard to concentrate. After her conversation with Pete, she couldn’t help but feel like she’d been acting selfishly. Part of it was the fact that Gabriel needed her, but Jodi didn’t know what to do for him. She felt helpless. It seemed that whatever he was going through, Gabriel could only work it out for himself. But she couldn’t stand watching it happen. Gabriel was falling ap
art, and it was tearing Jodi apart to see it.
Jodi felt different lately, too. She felt like she was changing, like there was something deep inside of her that was different, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She had become very aware of herself lately, of the space her body occupied and of her surroundings. She noticed things she never had before, like the body language of people she was talking to, or the way they smelled. Sometimes her senses almost overwhelmed her, like when her ears were full of the sound of voices and conversations and computers and machinery in Black Mountain, or when the scent of several different perfumes and colognes in a classroom made the air seem so thick she could hardly breathe. Jodi couldn’t understand what was affecting her this way, and it was a bit unsettling.
A gnawing feeling in her gut told Jodi that important things were happening and that she needed to be part of it, but she had no idea what to do. All she could do was go to her classes and pretend everything was normal. The whole situation was just nerve-wracking. Between her own confusion and everything else that had been going on, she felt like it was destroying her friendships with Pete and especially Gabriel. Things just weren’t the same anymore. Everything had gotten complicated…
Then there were Julia and Reeves. God only knew where they had taken off to. It wouldn’t be any place nice, that was for sure, and since they were going after the statues, that meant the Shadow was probably not far behind. If they did manage to evade the shadowfriends, Jodi had a feeling Starling’s agents were probably lying in wait as well. It seemed everyone wanted those statues. Jodi had no idea what the statues were for, or Pete’s mysterious clockwork machine, but she was sure that it was all tied together somehow.
That afternoon, Jodi found herself walking alone across the Academy campus. She stopped at the library to check out a book on encryption that one of her professors had recommended. As she climbed the front stairs, she had the unnerving feeling that someone was watching her. Jodi paused on the long concrete steps and scanned the campus, searching the smooth rolling lawns and the tall ivy-covered brick buildings. She saw students through the classroom windows in the distance, and heard the dull muffled sounds of their voices. A bird chirped overhead, calling to its mate, and a squirrel scurried up into the branches of a tree. The scent of grass and trees and lingering perfume filled her nostrils…
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