Kevin watched as Koroan stopped and held out his right arm. Glancing back and forth between Koroan and Corporal Harris, Kevin watched the horrific scene unfold. The rifle clutched in Harris’s hand flew from his grip. His head then snapped back, and he fell to his knees. Blood began to trickle from his forehead as he fell, face first onto the concrete.
Kevin was frozen in astonishment. Koroan had telekinetically caught the rifle’s bullet and sent it back into Corporal Harris’s forehead. The two other soldiers providing cover fire stopped firing. They grabbed Corporal Harris’s lifeless body and dragged him to the Black Hawk. They sprinted past Kevin.
“Get on the chopper, now!” the black soldier howled.
Kevin turned to sprint toward the Black Hawk, but he was frozen. Koroan had caught him with his invisible hold. He turned and met the venomous dark eyes of Koroan. Koroan began running toward him.
Kevin struggled with all his might to break free, but Koroan’s invisible grip was too strong. Koroan was now within reach of him. The only thing Kevin could move was his head, and the entire scene seemed to play out in slow motion.
He looked back toward the helicopter. Both of his children were screaming for him to run to safety, tears flowing from their eyes. He then turned his head and met Koroan’s eyes within inches of his own. Koroan gave Kevin an evil smile, sending shivers down his spine.
Koroan then grabbed him by the throat, lifting him a few feet off the ground. He began to squeeze, crushing Kevin’s larynx. Kevin struggled for air, kicking his feet at Koroan. But the attempt was useless. The leader of the Gnols was too powerful.
Just before Kevin fell into unconsciousness, he saw a figure flash into his left peripheral view. The smile on Koroan’s face disappeared just as he turned his head to see his attacker. The soldier, clad in a black t-shirt with black fatigue bottoms and black boots, crashed into Koroan with his right shoulder, sending them both sprawling onto the concrete steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Kevin fell to the ground, grabbing at his throat and coughing. He quickly regained his senses and jumped to his feet in just enough time to see the soldier jump to his feet as well and deliver a powerful kick across Koroan’s face.
The soldier grabbed Kevin by the arm and both men raced toward the Black Hawk, which was just beginning to hover off of the ground. They were within ten feet of the helicopter when Dorange Gar cut them off. Dorange raised both of his arms. But as soon as he did, he fell forward onto his knees, grabbing at his back.
From the chopper, the Hispanic soldier held his rifle in their direction, having just shot Dorange directly in the back.
Before they sprinted past Dorange, Kevin hastily decided to get some revenge on Dorange Gar. Kevin pulled his knee up just as he passed Dorange, delivering a direct hit onto Dorange’s nose. Amidst the commotion of the battle, Kevin heard Dorange’s nose crack, and blood spattered to the ground.
Kevin and the soldier leapt into the Black Hawk, which then rapidly ascended. The soldier then yelled toward the pilot. “Get us out of here now!”
The Black Hawk was about to speed away when the craft shuddered and stalled. Kevin looked back out of the cargo hold. Koroan and Dorange stood about one hundred feet below them. Both Gnols were holding their arms up toward the helicopter. They had obviously caught the large Black Hawk with their telekinetic powers. “They’ve got a hold of us!” Kevin yelled.
“Call in air support!” the soldier in command ordered.
The pilot called in the desired order.
The soldier then pointed toward the Hispanic and the black soldier. “Lopez! Lynch! Provide cover fire!”
Lopez and Lynch both leapt into action. Lopez took one side of the cargo hold with Lynch taking the other. Both soldiers began firing down upon Dorange and Koroan.
“We’ve got company!” the pilot yelled toward the soldier in charge as he pointed straight ahead.
Kevin looked up through the cockpit and saw two Gnol fighters flying toward them. One of the fighters fired a red-hot plasma blast in their direction. The pilot yanked his flight stick to the left. The helicopter shuddered a bit, but managed to move out of the way of the incoming blast. The bolt ripped past the Black Hawk, hitting the makeshift platform, and totally obliterated it in a brilliant red and orange fireball.
The force from the pilot’s maneuver and the explosion caused Lynch to fall out of his side of the cargo hold. Lynch caught himself on the landing gear.
Kevin jumped toward Lynch and grabbed his arm. He then tried to pull Lynch back into the helicopter. “Let go!” Lynch ordered. “He’ll grab a hold of you too!”
Kevin looked down and watched as Dorange Gar telekinetically grabbed Lynch and pulled him from the landing gear. He watched in horror as Lynch fell to his death. Dorange caught Kevin’s gaze. An evil smile spread across Dorange’s face, and he raised his arms up toward Kevin.
Suddenly, an explosion ripped down onto the concrete steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The blast threw Dorange and Koroan through the air into the reflecting pool.
The female soldier grabbed Kevin by the collar and pulled him into the safety of the cargo hold.
With the Black Hawk free from Koroan’s invisible grip, it sped off toward the two oncoming Gnol fighters. Just then, four American F-22 Raptors swooped in. Missiles fired from each one of them. The two Gnol fighters tried to avoid the missile impact, but the missiles hit their targets and each fighter exploded, raining debris onto the ground.
The soldier in charge spoke. “Get us to the rendezvous point!”
Kevin slumped back into a seat in the back of the cargo hold.
“Dad,” Ashley said.
Kevin heard Ashley, but he couldn’t register what she had said. His head was spinning.
“Dad!” Ashley said again, but this time with panic in her voice.
Kevin jerked to attention and looked at the back of the cargo hold where Ashley and Adam were next to Adrian.
“Dad, he doesn’t have a pulse.”
Kevin rushed next to his unconscious brother and checked for a pulse. None. He looked back at the soldier in charge. “There’s no pulse!”
The female soldier and the soldier in charge both rushed next to Adrian’s side. The male soldier pushed Kevin aside and grabbed the defibrillator kit. He ripped the shirt from Adrian’s chest and quickly connected the charging pads. The female soldier placed the resuscitator over his mouth and nose. She began squeezing the airbag.
After the defibrillator charged, the male soldier said, “Clear!”
The electrical energy shot into Adrian’s heart. But there was no pulse. The two soldiers continued CPR for several more minutes.
A lump began to form in Kevin’s throat. He was about to lose his brother.
Finally, after a few more attempts, a faint pulse appeared on the defibrillator’s monitor.
The male soldier turned and looked in the pilot’s direction. “What’s our E.T.A? We need to get Mr. Palmer emergency treatment now!”
* * * * *
Dorange slipped in and out of consciousness. The pain in his back from the bullet wound he had suffered at the hand of the human solider was unbearable. Despite his weakened condition, he was aware that he was lying face down on a stretcher carried by two Gnol guards. Koroan followed closely behind.
He knew that they were in the White House again. The guards carried him into the Oval Office. Koroan moved ahead to the Resolute desk. Swiping his arm across the desk, he knocked the computer and office supplies to the floor. The Gnols, carrying the stretcher, placed it on the desk.
Instantly, Dorange screamed after feeling the most unbearable pain he had ever felt in his life shoot through his spine. After a few minutes of intolerable pain, he saw a bloody bullet bounce to the floor next to the desk. The pain began to subside and a newfound sense of energy resonated throughout his body. He pushed himself up and sat on the edge of the desk, meeting the anger-filled eyes of his master.
Dorange ducked his head in shame. He knew that he had disappo
inted Koroan.
“You said that most of the human resistance in the area had been curtailed!” Koroan barked.
“Y-yes, my Lord. I am sorry. I thought that most of the human resistance had been stopped. But we simply do not have enough troops to conquer this planet.”
Enraged, Koroan levitated Dorange to within an inch of his face. Panicked, Dorange tried to resist with his own telekinetic power. It was pointless. Koroan grabbed him by the throat, holding him in midair. “Do not lecture me, Dorange! I have been called by our goddess mother and her master to conquer this galaxy, and Earth is essential to the plan.” He then dropped Dorange to his feet.
Her master? Dorange thought. What was Koroan talking about? Why would the goddess of light have a master?
Koroan seemed to read his mind, even though Dorange had his Mind Inhibitors in place. “The goddess and I serve a greater master – the true god of this galaxy. And he has promised us godhood, Dorange, if we serve him.”
He stared at Koroan, speechless.
Koroan then turned his back to him and walked toward the painting of George Washington. He studied the painting for a few seconds and then turned back to face him. Dorange didn’t dare look at his master. “My Lord,” he said. “You mentioned that the goddess serves a higher master. I thought that the goddess was the supreme being of this galaxy?”
Placing his hands behind his back, Koroan took a few steps toward him again. “As did I. But the goddess has revealed the true master of this galaxy to me. The true master has been imprisoned on Earth for millennia. He has revealed himself to me, and has chosen us, Dorange, to claim what is rightfully his.”
“But, my Lord, how can we?” Dorange asked with skepticism. “We do not have the manpower to maintain our foothold on Terrest and conquer Earth at the same time.”
Koroan’s eyebrows furrowed again in anger. “Do not question the goddess and her master, Dorange. They will show us the way.”
Dorange didn’t believe Koroan, but he remained silent. He did not want to incur the wrath of his master again.
Koroan then walked past him and peered out of the bay windows. Dorange turned as well, watching him. The sun had just set outside, and the moon was half-full.
“Tell me of this rebel force that is gathering in the place called Missouri,” Koroan said as he continued to stare out the window.
“They are gathering near a city called St. Louis, my Lord.”
“Take care of this rebellion, Dorange,” Koroan replied, turning back toward him. “I want these rebels destroyed.”
Dorange looked into his master’s eyes. “Yes, my Lord.”
“Do not disappoint me. It is up to you to conquer this planet in my name. If you succeed, you will be rewarded beyond comprehension. In addition, find and kill Adrian Palmer and his family. I must return to Terrest. There are pressing matters that I must attend to, but I will return soon. When I return, there is something we must find hidden on this planet, a relic that will bring us total victory.”
CHAPTER 8
Earth Time: 1 week later, July 13, 2042 – Slave Camp of Zikf, Terrest . . .
Skip, Captain Belzar, Sergeant Tolpez, and Skyler walked into the administration building of the Zikf slave camp. The building was nothing more than a fortified bunker buried halfway under the ground. Small slats served as windows that allowed light into the officer’s offices. The entire building was made of solid, reinforced concrete and was specifically designed to take a direct hit from a bomb.
As they walked into the small foyer, illuminated only with emergency lights, Skip reached down and checked the front pocket of his pants again. He was grateful that he had preferential treatment. Because of his role as Commander Schaal’s personal secretary, Commander Schaal had given him permission to wear the military uniform of the Gnol guards: a standard green t-shirt, camouflaged pants, and black work boots.
His anxiety seemed to subside as he felt the smooth, glass surface of the five syringes in his pocket, each one containing the highly addictive formula that Skyler had concocted after a week’s worth of work.
The two humans and two Gnols continued to walk in silence, passing the guard at his station in the foyer. The guard gave a half salute to Captain Belzar and Sergeant Tolpez. Both Gnols nodded in response. They stopped when the foyer split into three different directions, a corridor directly ahead and a corridor to the left and right.
“You have your orders, Skip. Commander Schaal wants that report from the Enforcer within the hour,” Belzar said.
Skip nodded. “Understood. I will meet you in Commander Schaal’s office.”
Tolpez stepped forward with a look of suspicion on his face, glowering at Belzar. “Where’s he going? You are supposed to be with him at all times, Captain. Why is he not accompanying us to Commander Schaal’s office?
Belzar returned Tolpez’s scowl. “Mind your business, Sergeant. Commander Schaal has had Skip obtain the encrypted reports from the guards guarding the Enforcer terminal hundreds of times. He is his personal secretary.”
Tolpez looked at Skip with suspicion. Skip returned his gaze with disgust. Tolpez didn’t trust him. After all, he had every right not to trust him. Tolpez had no idea that Skip carried the five syringes in his pocket.
After Skyler created his addictive potion, Tolpez watched intently as Skyler poured the solution into ten syringes and then gave them to Captain Belzar for safekeeping. However, the moment Tolpez lost focus, Belzar slipped five of the syringes into Skip’s pocket.
Tolpez bit his lip, trying to maintain his composure. Skip knew that the Gnol despised him and would tear him limb from limb if he had the chance. “I have an idea, Captain,” he said, turning his attention back to Belzar. “Why don’t I escort the human to obtain his report from the guard?”
“Negative, Sergeant,” Belzar countered. “You are to be present with me when we report to Commander Schaal. After all, don’t you want to be the first to receive the drug that will save your life?” he asked as he patted his pocket, which contained the other five syringes.
Tolpez’s eyes darted back and forth between Skip and Belzar. Skip didn’t have to read Tolpez’s mind to know what he was thinking. He knew that the withdrawal symptoms that Tolpez suffered from were beginning to manifest more dramatically. His skin was pale, his eyes bloodshot, and his hands shook uncontrollably, an indication that the lack of the drug in his system was beginning to have a detrimental effect on his nervous system.
“Very well,” Tolpez muttered as he turned and stomped off toward Commander Schaal’s office.
Captain Belzar and Skyler stayed behind with Skip for a few seconds. Belzar waited to speak until Tolpez was out of earshot. “You know what to do.”
Skip nodded and said, “I do, and good luck.” He then turned and began to walk down the long corridor directly ahead. He continued down the corridor another one hundred feet and stopped at the elevator at the end. His stomach began to churn with nervous anticipation. He knew the plan that they had devised, but he wondered if he could actually take on four Gnol soldiers by himself, let alone the Enforcer.
He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button that would take him below ground two stories where the Enforcer was plugged into the computer system, enabling him to control the minds of the slaves within the camp.
As the elevator descended, he went over the plan again. Belzar and he knew that at least three of the guards who had been addicted to Skyler Green’s drug would be on duty., They knew the fourth guard would be a Gnol who had not been addicted. That guard would be the key. He would be the one with the password that would get Skip close enough to the computer terminal the Enforcer was plugged into.
The elevator stopped, and Skip breathed in a deep sigh to calm his nerves. The doors opened. Two guards immediately turned from their posts next to the doors to face him. He recognized both Gnols.
The Gnol to his left was Private Turbai. Turbai was short for a Gnol, barely over six feet. His usual cut frame was now no
thing more than a skeletal afterthought, and his black fatigues hung on him like drapes on a clothesline. Skip met his bloodshot green eyes. Sweat dripped from his balding head, which was covered with a black beret. Private Turbai was a former addict and he was obviously suffering from the last stages of withdrawal as well.
The other Gnol was Sergeant Kartack. Kartack had been addicted, but he still looked rather strong. His ebony skin had a healthy shine and the whites of his dark eyes indicated no sign of withdrawal.
The two Gnols recognized him as well. He had been down here hundreds of times, retrieving encrypted paper reports that Schaal kept on record. Schaal could have had the reports downloaded to his computer instantly, but he preferred the scrambled encryption reports on paper. Schaal believed it was efficient.
Private Turbai and Sergeant Kartack stepped aside. Skip looked ahead. About twenty feet in front of him were two computer stations in front of a ten-foot by five-foot solid metal door. Each station rested to each side of the door. Behind the door was the computer terminal that Skip needed to get to, and the only way to open it was with a thirteen-digit password entered onto the keypad to its right.
“Ah, if it isn’t Belzar’s pet human.”
Skip looked to the right of the door. Behind the computer sat Corporal Muatar. Muatar gave Skip a leering smile, his blue eyes boring into Skip’s. Muatar’s beret rested next to his station, leaving his shaven blond crop of hair out in the open.
“What report does Schaal want now?” Muatar asked.
Skip walked toward the corporal, but froze when he glanced at the other computer station to his left. He tried to hide his surprise. The other Gnol that had been an addict was not on duty. Instead, another Gnol sat in his place. He had seen this Gnol only a few times within the camp.
“Where is Private Gadston?” Skip asked as he looked back toward Corporal Muatar.
Muatar stood and motioned in the other Gnol’s direction. “This is Private Zeal. Gadston was too sick and was sent to the infirmary.”
Worlds Without End: Aftermath (Book 2) Page 11
