by Sarah Noffke
The guards were struggling to keep their position, their guns blowing around in their hands.
“What are you going to do? Shoot me?” Timothy asked.
“Yes!” Dr. Ass said, being pushed back several inches from the wind.
The boy with black hair stepped forward, pure conviction on his face. “I don’t think so.” He lifted his hand, making Dr. Ass rise off the ground.
“Daniel!” Dr. Ass cried. “What are you doing?”
“I’m punishing you,” Daniel said, his lips hardly parting for his words.
He swept his hand to the side, and Dr. Ass followed the movement, being tossed against the far wall. He hit it hard and slid to the floor. He looked out at the children, a crazed fear now in his eyes.
“Children! You’ve gone too far!” he yelled from the ground, his hair and jacket completely disheveled. He looked at the guards, who were regaining their footing.
Timothy appeared to run out of force. He looked at Bailey, appearing suddenly exhausted.
“Guards, take the children down,” Dr. Ass ordered.
Alarm sprang to Bailey’s mind. She took quick aim and pulled the trigger, taking out the two closest guards. Two more suddenly erupted in flames, dropping their guns and beating at the fires. Another guard let out a loud wail. Around his feet was a block of ice that had appeared out of nowhere. The frost was growing over his body, reaching up to his knees and then his thighs.
The remaining guard took aim at Bailey, once he had recovered his weapon from the wind. She was about to shoot him down, when he dropped his gun and yelled, slapping at his arms like he was covered in bugs.
“No! No! No! Get them off me!” the guard screamed and bolted out the door, his arms waving around madly.
Dejoure had told Bailey about a little girl at SB who could induce hallucinations. Bailey turned to find the smallest of the children, a girl of about seven with blonde curls, staring at the retreating figure with intense concentration.
The scene in front of the children was complete chaos. Two of the guards were still rolling around, trying to put out the fire that kept relighting, and the other guard was nearly frozen.
“Stop this, children,” Dr. Ass ordered from the floor, trying several times to get up, but Daniel’s force was holding him down.
Dejoure materialized in front of the doctor, shaking her head. “No, you’re the one who needs to be stopped.”
“Door,” Dr. Ass said, mispronouncing her name. “You’re behind this.”
She shook her head. “I’ve hated you for a long time. I’ve wanted to see you punished. I’ve looked forward to this moment since you ‘acquired’ me and took away my freedom and made me do all those dumb exercises. And the injections, the constant poking and prodding.”
Dejoure sighed, like she was giving up. “Now I realize that punishing you would only bring me down to your level. You’ve been stopped, and that’s enough for me. You’ll never be able to take advantage of us again.”
“There’s a set of guards headed your way,” Lewis said in the comm. “You need to get out of there.”
“Okay, meet us on the roof,” Bailey said in a whisper.
Dr. Ass was laughing. He kept trying to get up, but Daniel was keeping him pinned with his telekinesis.
“Once you leave here, I’ll come after you,” the doctor promised. “You all have chips in you and are highly trackable. Wherever you go, I’ll find you… because, children, you are my property. I created you to be who you are.”
Dejoure shook her head. “No. That’s not how it’s going to go, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise for you.”
“Dejore! I’ve had enough of your mouth!” Dr. Ass yelled. “When I get free, I’m going to strangle you with my bare hands.”
She gave him one last look of pity. “You know what, I feel sorry for you. You’re pathetic.” Dejoure turned to Bailey, a hopeful expression on her face. “Let’s go!”
Bailey agreed, sprinting for the exit.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Starboards Corp Headquarters, Planet Kai, Tangki System
Lewis stayed in the control room until he saw that Bailey was leaving with the children. Chewing his fingernails, he ripped one off way past the quick as he nervously watched the scene, unable to do much to help. His fingers had already taken a lot of damage that day. However, if they all survived and the children made it to safety, the pain would be worth it and more.
Using the comm he’d pulled off the guard still passed out in the corner, Lewis was able to divert the security forces several times. He’d guessed that Melanie was barking orders remotely, but she didn’t have the view he did with every camera in the building; she might have full control of the system, but she was operating blindly.
Lewis knew from the monitors that there was a slew of guards headed his direction. He was about to take off through the only exit, but he turned back to the monitors for one last look. Bailey and the children were headed for the stairwell. They had a mostly clear shot, and also, it appeared that Pip was going to be right on time, landing a shuttle on the roof.
Plucking a fire extinguisher from the wall, Lewis smashed the butt-end into the row of monitors. A fiery explosion erupted from the bank of electronics, and Lewis shielded his eyes before throwing the fire extinguisher into the largest screen, where Melanie had disappeared. It cracked, and smoke rose up from the control center.
That felt good, Lewis thought.
He spun around and bolted for the exit. He reactivated his cloaking belt before opening the door. Three guards were approaching from the right. They halted when the door flew open, blinking around, looking for the infrared signal using their goggles.
Lewis had prepared for this. He slipped one of the marble-sized, red grenades from his pocket and threw it in the direction of the guards. It didn’t reach them and its blast radius wasn’t strong enough to cause them much damage, but that wasn’t the point. With the heat from the blast, the guards weren’t going to notice him with their goggles, as he made his break for the stairwell.
Lewis rounded the corner, picking off two guards who had apparently been waiting for him, but not before the first got off a shot that whizzed by Lewis’s head.
Man, that was close, he thought, his heart jumping up to his throat.
These guys were shooting to kill, unlike the last visit, when they’d simply been armed with shock wands and a bad attitude.
Lewis was so close to the stairwell, and this floor was only a flight below the rooftop, where he was headed.
“Holmes?” Bailey asked over the comm. “What’s your location?”
Three more guards ran around the corner. Lewis ducked into an open office.
Breathing hard, he said, “I’m playing with the locals.”
She laughed. “Okay, well, I’m currently on a field trip with a dozen super-charged kids. Care to join us on the roof soon? We’ll be there in less than a minute.”
He fired two shots around the corner, missing his targets. He threw his back up against the wall, letting out a hot breath. “Yeah, I’ll join you as soon as I take out a few jerks.”
“Do you need backup?” Bailey asked.
Lewis attempted another round. His shot connected with one guard, sending him to the ground. “No, I’ll be fine. Get the kids to the shuttle. I’ll meet you in the Q-Ship.”
“Okay, be careful. I’m not going anywhere without you, but hurry up.”
“Copy that,” he said, swinging around the corner and shooting again.
He fired until he was out of ammo. Another guard fell, and Lewis slipped back into the office. The sound of running footsteps clattered outside the door.
He flipped his watch to mirror mode and checked the hallway. The guard had his gun slung across his back, but was hurrying in Lewis’s direction. He was out of ammo too, possibly. It made sense.
Lewis waited until the guard was closer and then dashed around the corner, his head down. He rammed the top of his skull straight into the guard’s m
idsection, knocking him down like he’d been charged by a bull. He let his momentum carry him forward and sat on the guard when he tumbled to the floor, cracking the gun straight into the side of the man’s head.
The guard fell still at once. Glad that it hadn’t taken any longer, Lewis sprang off the guard and sprinted for the stairs, reloading his gun as he ran.
Just a little farther, and they’d be out of there.
Harley led the way across the rooftop, the children rushing behind him. To Bailey’s relief, they’d only met a few guards on their way up the stairwell. Each time she was about to shoot, one of the children took over, knocking the guards out or wrapping them in flames.
These were talented children, and in the wrong hands, terrifying. Under the Federation’s protection, they would be trained in their skill. They’d have a different life, the one that had been stolen from them by Starboards Corp.
The wind picked up on the rooftop, knocking the children around as they sprinted for the shuttle, piloted by Pip. He’d exchanged the Black Eagle for the shuttle at some point and made quick time getting over here.
Bailey stayed behind, ushering the children past her. “DJ? Your location?”
“I’m at the front of the shuttle, getting these guys loaded,” Dejoure answered.
“Great. Once they are all aboard, I want you on that ship with them. We’ll meet you back at Ricky Bobby.”
“But—”
“What did I say about arguing with me while on a mission,” Bailey cut her off.
“Okay,” Dejoure said, disappointment heavy in her tone.
“The next step is highly dangerous, and I want you as far from here as possible.”
“Agreed,” DJ answered.
“Good girl,” Bailey said, looking off to where Ricky Bobby could be seen in the distance.
Not too close and not too far away.
Lewis opened the stairwell door and ran straight into a guard that was headed up to the top. He realized that when he head-butted the other guard, he must have disabled the cloak, because he was in full view now.
He fumbled with the weapon he’d been reloading, dropping the magazine to the floor. He cursed and threw his throbbing fist across the guard’s face. His fingers screamed from the pain.
The guard shoved Lewis against the wall with brute force then clamped his hands down hard on the detective’s throat. Lewis struggled to claw at the guy, but the guard was able to duck away from his efforts. No breath entered his lungs as he tried to suck in air. The guard laughed, enjoying his attempt to end Lewis’s life.
“Holmes?” Bailey called over the comm. “Where are you? We’re almost ready to go.”
Lewis tried to answer, but nothing came out, as the guard tightened his grip on Lewis’s throat, and his face grew red. He needed to alert Bailey, but there was no way. All he could do was gurgle, his arms being shielded by the guy’s large shoulders, which kept shrugging off his attempts to get away.
“Holmes?” Bailey asked. “I’ll give you another minute.”
I don’t have a minute, he thought frantically.
A stomping noise stole Lewis’s attention. A guard ran past them, up the flight of stairs.
“I’ve got this one,” the guard strangling Lewis said over his shoulder. “Go take care of the other one.”
The guard was gone, and Lewis’s vision was going black. He wanted to warn Bailey. To say something. To stop this, but he was losing strength. Then he remembered something Bailey had taught him during their sparring practices. He dropped to the floor, making the guard lose his grip.
Lewis sucked in a sudden breath, refilling his reserves. He brought his knee up into the man’s groin, sending him to the ground immediately, then he pulled back his foot and kicked him again for good measure.
Finally, he yanked the gun out of the guy’s holster and took off for the rooftop.
Bailey kept her eyes on the stairwell door. She was seconds away from sprinting back and checking on Lewis.
Something is wrong.
Someone tugged at her wrist. She spun around to find Timothy and Daniel looking at her expectantly.
“Are you coming, superhero?” Timothy asked.
The hatch to the ship was still open. They must have snuck off.
“Yes, I’m coming,” Bailey said in a rush. “I’m only waiting for someone. Hey, Dejoure, you’ve got two stragglers,” she called to the girl.
Dejoure materialized at the hatch door, visible after having taken off the cloaking belt. “Oh phooey, you two always have to sneak off, don’t you?”
Timothy’s eyes darted to the door on the far side of the stairwell, and he rose his hand.
“No, he’s with me,” Bailey said, stopping the boy from blasting who she assumed was Lewis.
She spun around and, to her horror, found a Starboards guard with his gun raised, pointing it straight at the children.
Everything slowed down. She caught the micromovements as he squeezed the trigger once, twice, three times. Bailey didn’t think, only reacted.
She dove in front of the boys, taking all three shots.
Lewis flew out the stairwell door seconds too late. The gunshots rang in his head, and he watched Bailey crumple to the rooftop. Before the guard could register he was there, Lewis shot him in the back. He then charged forward.
Dejoure was screaming from the hatch of the ship.
Lewis pointed to the boys. “Get on the shuttle now!” They didn’t know who he was, but they didn’t argue with him. “Pip, take off as soon as the boys are onboard.”
“But the lieutenant?” Pip asked, a quiet nervousness in his voice.
“I have her,” he urged. “We stick to the plan.”
“Copy that, detective,” Pip replied.
The hatch to the ship was closing when Lewis made it to Bailey. He pushed her hair off her forehead; she was already sweating profusely.
“Bailey, are you with me?”
Her eyes fluttered. She had been shot in the shoulder, abdomen and leg.
Her eyes fluttered again. “I’m here,” she said like she was drunk.
Lewis allowed a smile and scooped her into his arms. They had to get to the cloaked Q-ship before anyone else exited the stairwell. Here, they were sitting ducks.
Bailey wrapped her arms around his neck with a fervent force. It made Lewis’s heart lighten slightly to feel her strength. She was down, but not out.
He found the cloaked Q-ship and opened the hatch via the comm connection. He didn’t feel confident that they could stay on the roof for long, but he was relieved once they were inside the ship. At least he could treat Bailey’s wounds.
He pulled off his suit jacket and ripped off the sleeves. He wrapped the middle part of the jacket around Bailey’s midsection. Her eyes sprang open when he tied it tight.
“You awake still?” he asked, trying to keep his tone light.
She let out a breath, looking green in the face and wavering like she might pass out. “Yeah, I’m a bit sleepy is all.”
“It’s not the time for naps,” he said, tying the sleeve of his jacket around her leg. “Are you in a lot of pain?”
She half-grimaced and smiled. “Yeah, my wounds pinch a bit.”
Lewis tried to laugh, but the seriousness of the situation was weighing on the moment. She had lost a lot of blood. They could hurry back to Ricky Bobby, but they’d fail the mission. Still, saving Bailey was more important.
“Do you think you can tell me how to fly this thing?” he asked her, snapping at her as her eyelids tried to close.
She shook her head. “No, but if you go get me the medkit, I can fly.”
Lewis looked back at the hull. “You think you can fly? Are you kidding me?”
“That’s a horrible joke,” she said with a slur. “And I need you on the guns. You know the plan.”
“Bailey, you’ve been shot three times. I don’t know how to pilot,” he stated anxiously. He chanced a glance out the front. Guards were spilling out
of the stairwell, Dr. Ass with them. It was only a matter of time before they found the ship.
Bailey shot forward with impressive speed and grabbed Lewis’s shirt, her hands covered in blood. “I’m not failing this mission because I got nicked a few times.”
“Shot,” he corrected. “You’ve obviously been shot.”
Through clenched teeth, Bailey said, “Go get the medkit, Lewis.”
He decided not to argue. She looked like she was fading fast. “What am I looking for?” he asked, rummaging through the back.
“It’s a black case,” she said through tattered breaths. “Inside it, you’ll find a syringe marked ‘shock trauma’.”
Lewis looked up, startled. “You want to shock your system? I was thinking a painkiller.”
“Adrenaline is a painkiller,” Bailey stated. “It boosts oxygen and glucose to the brain and muscles. It also suppresses other systems, which will divert the energy. Also this has something to stop the bleeding.”
He pulled out the syringe. “Fine. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Don’t worry, Lewis,” she said, trying to push herself up.
He placed a hand on her, making her pause. “I’m past the point of worrying. Right now, I’m hoping to keep you alive long enough to get help.”
“Finish mission first, then help,” Bailey argued.
Lewis shook his head, pulling the cap off the syringe with his teeth. He spit it across the ship and held it up tightly. “Okay, take a deep breath. This is going to pinch.”
“Like a bullet wound,” she joked.
Lewis helped Bailey to the pilot’s seat. She wasn’t looking much better, but her eyes were wide, and that was an improvement over her barely hanging on to consciousness, like before.
“Looks like we’ve got company,” she said.
Lewis’s head snapped up. In the distance, on the opposite side of the ship and farther off than Ricky Bobby was about half a dozen single flyers.
“I believe those belong to Monstre Corp.” Lewis slid into the copilot seat.
