High Stakes: Book 1 Blitzkrieg

by Lucien Black

  Jack still had his hand on Sara’s shoulder, both locked in a trance. Sean Gartner, mouth agape, turned his head back and forth, eyes fixed down the tunnel at Gale’s burnt corpse and back to Sara, still motionless. He rose to his feet and grabbed Jack’s arm. “What did you…?”

  Sean’s words trailed off as he too slipped into a trancelike state. The water in the tunnels vibrated. With a roar like the sound of one thousand lions, the water in the tunnel sucked together into a giant wave, which rushed down the tunnel towards Card and Dense. Without hesitation, Card activated his power and created a portal that he and Dense used to escape the path of the wave, but left Sight behind. The rogue wave surged past Sight, knocked the frail man to the ground, and continued through the tunnel.

  Then everything went silent.

  Chapter 35

  Deep in the wilds, a squad of twenty-five PSF agents stood ready at the entrance to the sewer system. Their orders were to stay in position until either the Resistance arrived or they received confirmation that their services were no longer needed. Five men stood ready at the double door entrance to the sewer network while the rest of the men milled about, talking to each other, smoking or simply lying down on the ground, catching a nap before combat. A flash of purple light illuminated the area and startled the men that paid attention. Card and Dense stepped through the purple and black transport orb created by Card. “Impossible,” Card said as he walked quickly towards the PSF Command Vehicle. The agents that were lazing about, all shot up at the sight of the Protectorate Elite and assumed their appropriate positions.

  “I thought the supers were all brought to reeducation centers,” Dense said with reference to the various Super Powered Reeducation Centers, where super powered beings had the opportunity to join the Protectorate or remain prisoners of war.

  Card scoffed at Dense’s remark and continued toward the Command Vehicle. As he approached, the PSF Unit Commander, Captain Roberts, stepped out of the vehicle and greeted him with a respectful and fright-filled tone, “Card, what…what’s happening?”

  “Captain…” Card asked.

  “Roberts,” the man said quickly.

  “Captain Roberts, we are facing the threat of a group of super powered individuals. The extent of their power is yet unknown, but we do know they have at least two men capable of manipulating energy and liquid. I need…” Roberts cut him off.

  “Impossible. The PSF took care of…”

  Card’s right hand shot out and grabbed Roberts by the neck. He yanked the man towards him and pulled Roberts nose to nose. “Captain Roberts, are you calling me a liar.” Card’s eyes burned with purple and black light.

  “N..n…no,” Roberts muttered.

  Card’s hand glowed with purple light and he released his power. Captain Roberts hurtled back towards the command vehicle, hit with a thud, and slid to the ground. Card stepped forward but Dense reached out and grabbed his arm. “Card,” Dense said.

  Card turned to the large man and slightly relaxed. Roberts lay on the ground, unconscious. Two other PSF agents that had jumped out of the command vehicle now stood between an angry Protectorate Elite and their commander. Card looked at them and said, “Who’s next in command?”

  One of the men, Lt. Butler, timidly raised his hand and said, “That would be me sir.”

  “Good,” Card said. “I…

  Just then, there was a commotion at the entrance of the sewers. The PSF readied their weapons and shouted into the tunnel. Card and Dense both readied themselves and charged the entrance. When they arrived, they saw Lacerate walk through with his arms raised. When the PSF realized it was Lacerate, another Protectorate Elite, they lowered their weapons and apologized. Lacerate sneered as he passed the squad of PSF agents and walked up to Card, Dense and Lt. Butler. “How the hell do they have supers? They took out both Gale and Mongrel. What about Carnal?”

  “We lost the Tracker too,” Dense said.

  “What the hell’s going on here Card,” Lacerate said.

  “Both of you shut up,” Card said referencing Dense and Lacerate. “Butler, call for back up. Get two more squads here on the double.” Butler quickly ran off and screamed into his radio.

  “What do you want us to do boss?” Dense asked.

  Card looked at both men and said, “Get ready. I have a feeling we are about to face the real resistance.”

  *

  A few hundred yards away, Hunter and Percival lie in the high brush on a sloped hill checking out the Protectorate Security Force’s position. Percival lowered his binoculars and spoke first. “That’s Card and Lacerate. I’m not sure who the third man is. I’ve not seen him before.”

  “I remember Card and Dense were at the building in the city,” Hunter said.

  Percival looked back through the binoculars again and said, “They’re both formidable foes.”

  “You worried about the odds?” Hunter said.

  Percival laughed to himself and said, “My friend there isn’t much that frightens me.”

  “How you wanna play this?”

  Percival lowered the binoculars and turned towards Hunter, “Well Carl Hunter of the Resistance, I prefer taking the direct approach. Let’s say we assault the PSF and those three Elite’s head on and have the whole thing wrapped up before your team even arrives.”

  Hunter smiled and said, “I like your style.” Then the two men crawled back through the brush and down the hill they used as a perch. At the bottom, seven men and two women, all part of the remnant sat waiting patiently.

  Percival raised his hand and spoke, “The time has come my brethren for us to join the fight.”

  Chapter 36

  Calin Scott sat alone in the Resistance Headquarters and contemplated his next move. His last orders to Carl Hunter were to abandon his team and return to base. Those orders cut through him to the nerve. How could he think of leaving his own sister behind? But he knew it was the right thing to do.

  “Hunter,” Calin said over the com. “Come back.”

  There was no response. Calin ripped the communication device form his ear and threw it against the desk. “Dammit,” he yelled.

  Calin backed away from the desk and paced the room nervously. What do I do now? he thought. He walked over to a small refrigerator and pulled from it a bottle of water, which he cracked open and drank down in a few seconds. When it was finished, he replaced the cap and threw the bottle hard across the room. It was then he heard a noise.

  It was a muted sound. Barely audible, but he heard it and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. He hesitated for a moment and then slowly walked to a small cabinet, from which he pulled a shotgun. He loaded the shotgun with a few shells from a small ammunition box inside the cabinet and then readied the weapon.

  Calin slipped from the small communication room into a larger room just outside. The room was filled with cases of supplies, water and weapons. The Resistance HQ was located in an abandoned shopping center, in a city that was mostly uninhabited. Calin chose the space as it was large enough to handle the size of the Resistance force when they moved in. Now, with just a few freedom fighters left, the space was nearly empty all the time. The emptiness resonated with Calin every day for he knew that he lead so many people to their deaths. He struggled with the rights and wrongs of his role with the Resistance.

  Calin walked out of the storage room and into a front room, littered with large wooden floor racks and metal hanging racks, all empty. The room had one exit that lead to the main section of the indoor shopping center which was littered with broken windows and rickety doors. As he progressed through the room, he used the wooden racks for cover but as he walked towards the window, he saw nothing. Sweat dribbled down his forehead as he approached the storefront and the mall proper. He stuck his head out of the store, looked left and right, and saw nothing. Out of the corner of his eye, Calin saw a quick shadow move and he cursed to himself, “Damn.”

  Calin slipped back into the store and into the stora
ge room. He pulled a lever on the wall and a series of metal shutters slammed down over the doors to the back storage room. He had them installed when they first arrived at the headquarters. Calin knew the doors wouldn’t help him for long. He ran back into the communications room, picked up the com unit, and shouted, “Hunter this is Calin do you read me. I think my position has been breached. Hunter.” He waited for a response but none came.

  He changed the frequency on the communication unit and spoke again, “this is Calin Scott of the Resistance, if you are receiving this message…”

  Just then, the outside wall of the storage room exploded; the blast sent debris through the room and the concussion knocked Calin to the floor. Seconds passed as dust and smoke filled the air. Calin lay motionless on the ground; his ears rang from the explosion. Slowly he began to move and get to his feet. Calin looked out into the storage area and saw a squad of PSF agents entering through the hole. Adrenaline filled his veins and Calin dove for the shotgun, fired two quick bursts. His shots nailed one of the PSF agents in the chest, but missed the other. Gunfire ripped through the wall around Calin as the PSF’s fired back. Calin dropped to his stomach as the hail of bullets whizzed by him.

  When the firing stopped, Calin aimed around the doorframe and let off two more bursts before the weapon jammed. He cursed as he threw the shotgun away and reached for his handgun. He fired off a few more shots. The PSF’s fired back but the volley was less than last time. Calin was about to lean out to fire another round, when he heard the radio buzz to life.

  “Calin…Hunter…”

  Calin crawled along the floor towards the radio when again it chimed to life.

  “Calin…assault…remnant…”

  Calin was about to reach up and grab the com unit when a bullet tore through his back, near his right kidney. He shrieked in pain and rolled on the floor to face his assailant. The PSF ran in and kicked Calin’s firearm across the room and said, “Don’t move.”

  Calin writhed in pain and spit at the PSF Agent and said, “Fuck you.”

  The agent moved his right hand to his earpiece and said, “Copy.” He stepped backwards and continued until he walked out of the room. There was little Calin could do. Blood flowed from the wound and stained his shirt and the floor beneath him. With his left arm, Calin tried to prop himself up against the desk. Pain ripped through his body but he was able to sit up. When he looked up, Calin’s face went pale white. Before him stood a demure figure of a young woman, dressed in black leather pants, with a zippered black jacket, over a black turtleneck shirt. The sleeves on the jacket were torn and revealed the sleeve’s on her shirt. Her skin was pale, bone white with black lipstick and black nail polish. Her black hair hung low over one side of her face and her eyes were a deep black surrounded by black eyeliner. She cocked her head at him and stepped closer to him, her black biker boots crunched paper and debris as she moved. She kneeled down in front of Calin.

  Fear filled Calin’s pain filled body and he started to shake. Under his breath he whispered, “Defiler.”

  She cocked her head again and whispered back, “Defiler.”

  Calin’s body tensed and intense pain shot through him. Blood rushed to his head, his face turned red. He moaned loudly but didn’t scream.

  She said again, “Defiler.”

  Calin could not contain the scream as pain ripped through his body. His muscles locked and he could feel pressure building inside his chest as his heart thrashed wildly.

  She spoke again, slightly louder, “Defiler.”

  “Oh GOD,” Calin screamed as his eyes went red.

  Louder still, “Defiler.”

  Calin convulsed violently as pain shot through his left arm. His heart roared inside his chest.

  Finally, she screamed at the top of her lungs, “DEFILER!”

  All at once, Calin’s internal organs seized and the valves in his heart gave out. Blood filled his lungs and his body went into deep cardiac arrest.

  Defiler smiled and rose to her feet. She skipped out of the room and back into the storage area. The PSF’s had already cleared out of the room, as anyone within earshot would suffer similar effects.

  Calin lay slumped on the ground, his heartbeat slowed by the second. As he came closer to death, Calin mouthed the word Sara. Then, as his heart took its final beat, his last breath escaped him.

  Chapter 37

  Jack Ander’s hand remained on Sara Scott’s shoulder for what seemed like an eternity. He could feel the rush of energy surge in Sara’s body, somewhere from deep within her and bubbled to the surface. His mind flooded with electricity that bound him to Sara, and she to him. When the surge finally peaked and could grow no more, Sara’s body erupted in a brilliant white light, which illuminated the entire sewer tunnel by tunnel, as it charged towards the Protectorate. The beam crashed into Gale and sent the female weather controller back against the wall. The intensity of the beam seared her skin with third degree burns. Jack tried desperately to pull his hand free but he was frozen. Just then, Sean Gartner rushed forward and attempted to wrench Jack’s hand from Sara’s shoulder. The second that Sean’s skin touched Jack’s, Jack felt another wave of electricity bind him to Sean. The experience was different, Jack thought. This time, instead of the surge of energy, Jack felt the water in the tunnels begin to vibrate, which escalated until it felt like a swarm of millions of honeybees. The deafening sound permeated Jack’s mind, but he wasn’t sure if the sound was real or imagined. Suddenly, a violent thrust emanated from Sean and the water around them rushed together. The thick wall of water erupted forward and rushed down the tunnel towards the other members of the Protectorate. Then, everything went silent.

  Jack’s grip on Sara went slack, as well as Sean’s grip on Jack. The three splashed to the ground and Jack lost his grip on the child on the way down. Silence pervaded the scene as everyone just stared in disbelief at the events that just transpired; the rest of the children clung to a far tunnel wall and the rest of Sara’s team stepped closer to their leader and friend.

  “What…just happened?” Sara asked with a shaky voice

  Sean Gartner responded, “I don’t know. It was…I could feel the water flowing through me…alive, powerful. Then I was able to move it with my mind. I saw what I wanted to happen and it just did.”

  Jack said nothing.

  “Has that ever happened before?” Sara asked.

  Again, Jack said nothing.

  “Jack,” Sara shouted but the man seemed like he was in shock. “Sean, you ok?”

  Sean Gartner sat up, clutched his knees and said, “I’m a bit woozy but I’m ok.”

  Sara unsteadily rose to her feet and walked over to Jack. Jack was flat out on the ground. His eyes were open but he wasn’t moving or speaking. “Jack,” Sara said softly.

  “He’s in shock,” Carnal said as he approached the group, in his arms the body of the Protectorate Tracker called Sight. “Whatever it was he did, it saved our lives. We should be thankful.”

  “Thankful,” Sean said sharply. “He’s a freak.”

  “Slow down,” Sara said. “First of all we don’t even know if it was him. Secondly, Carnal’s right. If what happened didn’t happen, then we would be dead or prisoner. Right now, we’ve got a chance to get out of this.”

  Sean said nothing.

  Sara turned to Carnal and said, “What now?”

  “Now, we get out of these tunnels. Gather your men, we have to move quickly.”

  “Affirmative. You two,” Sara said referencing her two operatives, “you carry Jack.”

  “I can make it on my own,” Jack said rising up from the ground.

  “Jack,” Sara said surprised to see him cognizant.

  “I’m ok,” Jack said. “Just winded.”

  “What did you do to us?” Sean said approaching Jack quickly. Sara stepped between them.

  “Now is not the time for this,” Sara said with her hand against Sean’s chest. “We get out of here first, and then we can figure everyt
hing else out.”

  “Agreed,” Carnal said.

  Sara turned to the reptilian shape-changer and asked, “What’s his story?” referencing the comatose Sight.

  “A barbaric experiment conducted by my former colleague, Interact. He created several of these “Trackers.” These experiments have the ability to manipulate sound, light, and residual energies and transform them into a post cognitive depiction of recent events. They are victims of insane men with an even more insane plan. If he is not too broken mentally, he may be a valuable ally.”

  “Works for me,” Sara said. “Carnal, can you carry him the rest of the way?”

  “With minimal effort.”

  “Good,” Sara said and then turned to her team. “Let’s get moving, Sean, gather the children.”

  Sean reluctantly nodded and walked with two of his teammates to the children and began to gather them together. He sneered at Jack as he passed him.

  Jack went to pick up the young girl that earlier saved him from Cleave and when he did, he saw that her eyes were wide open. He knelt beside her, smiled, and said, “Hey, thanks for the save back there.”

  “I’m tired,” she said.

  “It’s ok, I’ve got you,” Jack said as he lifted the girl up. As he nestled her in place, she wrapped her arms around Jack’s neck and tucked her face into his chest. Jack felt an air of confidence build around him as he looked down at the girl in his arms. He held her there for a second more, and then he walked forward and took his place among the team.

  Sara turned to Jack and asked, “Can you manage?”

  “I’ve got her,” Jack said.

  Sara nodded, stepped forward and spoke, “Sean and I will take point. Carnal you bring up the rear.”

  Everyone nodded in agreement and in turn, each one entered the tunnel towards the exit, unaware of what awaited them.

  Chapter 38

  Sam Turner arrived back in Washington a little before midnight. His mind was cloudy from the long drive and the even longer meeting. The flask of liquor didn’t help his condition any either. He was a mess and the subject of his meeting with Purge left him cold and empty.