Against the Fallen

by Devin Lee Carlson

  Sabree lowered his head. “So, Azrian joined the rogues? It’s Serine’s fault. The sickness she fed into his young mind.”

  “Aye, Gibyss questioned him using his fake lie detector ability. Azrian passed with excellence believing he had better speak the truth. Naïve to Farian’s goal of destroying the whole bloody planet, Azrian approved of their plan to suppress humankind. My misinformed son confessed his desire to work with the bunch.” I rubbed my scalp. “No surprise there thanks to Serine’s bullshit.”

  Zoeree approached me. “I always knew Azrian had a screw loose. He always spoke about ugly things. It consumed him. I kept teasing him that he wanted to rule the world. Is it my fault?”

  I squeezed her shoulders. “Of course not, Zoe. You sensed what we all did, probably more often.” I made a face at Sabree until the corner of his lip turned up. “Kind of a Goth looking nerd, huh, Sabree.” I hugged Zoeree and told her not to worry. “Please stay away from the Guardian complex. Don’t let me catch you there a third time.” I turned to Ariane and Sabree. “This, my friends, is the real me.”

  We all had a good laugh. But deep inside, I knew better. The sacrifices I had to make for this bunch never ceased.

  3 3 3

  Minutes later, I stood inside a cabin, three buildings down from Azrian. How I managed to fill in for the nerd who once occupied this dorm slipped my genius. Apparently, the cliché nerd looked a lot like me: ruffled brown hair and eyes (contacts), and thick red-rimmed glasses. The red plaid shirt, jeans, and poppy-red sneakers completed the look. Perhaps Ariane was right. A wee bit too matchy-matchy. The hairdo not so new, the tanning cream made my skin shine like butternut squash.

  Appalled, my faced scrunched into a potato head when I glanced in the mirror one last time. “You owe me big time, Sis.” I draped Digger’s security tag around my neck and held up the keycard. “Hello, Digger Werd.”

  Laughter filled the room. A hollow sound all by itself. Werd rhymed with nerd. Already a master, not to mention a computer network expert, this façade should be easy to pull off. Then my eyes darkened. In all seriousness, a lot depended on me overshadowing Azrian. Avoid Abyss at all cost, although she couldn’t detect my aura, she might recognize me. A snake in the field of desire was how she came to mind.

  Once and then twice, my knuckles knocked the top of my skull. “Ground control to Major Brian. Are you in there?” I chuckled at the play on words.

  Assured no one would pay me much mind, I left for the dining hall. This time I sat a few seats down from Azrian. My son busily stuffed his face with a foot-long roast-beef sub. A horrendous faux pas made me shudder. Digger, my new namesake, happened to sit at the same table as my son. The two were scheduled to work together on Mondays. This was Sunday. My stealth mode now switched on to high gear should prevent Azrian from detecting me. I hoped.

  I spoke in an unnaturally high-pitched voice. “You the new guy?” I hid my orange face behind the sub on purpose. Some sophisticated spy tactic.

  Azrian stared at me for a moment too long. “Yes, I start tomorrow.”

  “The name’s Digger. You work in Networks?” I almost gulped my sweet tea down the wrong side. Soundlessly, my fingers slid a notebook across the table over to him. “Read this. It’s our policy booklet. Most never do, but I love to read no matter what it is. Always carry it on me.” I froze in mid-bite when Azrian’s lip curled upward the same way mine often did. Probably my overacting the nerd.

  “Thanks, but I read it on my first day.” Azrian shoved it back as if he meant to slapshot a puck at the goalie.

  The manual almost slid off the table into my lap. On purpose? Brick by imaginary brick, my mind labored vigorously to erect the stealth wall higher.

  He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Have you been here long?”

  Thankful the bangs and thick-rimmed glasses hid my eyes, I played the shy act. “A few weeks.” According to Jesse’s sources, the young nerd had been here long enough to learn the job without making many friends. The perfect front, but how the HFA removed the real Digger still worried me. I swallowed a bite, the gravy sticking to my throat. “I can show you the network procedures unless they’ve already assigned someone to train you.” My teeth clenched, I wished the greasy meatball sub and its oily paper plate would slide off the table onto the floor.

  “Guess we’ll see tomorrow. Have a good night.” Azrian dropped off his tray and left the dining hall. “Night, Pop.”

  “Night, lad— Hey, what gave me away?”

  “Really, Pop? You need to ask? Your brogue.”

  “Give me a chance before you turn me in.” When Azrian didn’t respond, I stared at the sub until my vision blurred. Sensations from too many immortals invaded my mind. A one-way street because I could sense them and not vice versa. Elbows propped on the table, I sunk my head into my hands. How blissful our lives would be without one disaster after the other waiting around the corner. A telepathic sigh eased the frustration that cluttered my mind with worry. The pensive exhale wasn’t strong enough to reach command center back at the hotel. No need to alert Ariane without just cause.

  “Don’t worry, Pop. To quote Unc, I’m still team Brian.”

  3 3 3

  In the cabin, I studied the notes jotted below each hack. It took me a few shifts to dig deep into the network. The place seemed emptier than Azrian had mentioned. Maybe they had already evacuated all nonessential personnel to the underground bunkers, excluding us newbies. Abyss had not yet reared her ugly head. Nor did Liz. Considered myself lucky.

  Too late, thoughts of the empty complex had jinxed me. I shut the notebook. The number of Fallen in the compound grew by one more tonight and that someone materialized outside the cabin. Sabree for certain.

  Playing on the hunch, I opened the door and stumbled back to dodge Sabree’s fist ready to knock. My devilish grin greeted him when he jumped back and yelped.

  “Sounds like a girly cry to me.” I pulled him inside. “What do you want?” Did I really want to know, sensing his sour mood? My mind raced to change the topic. “The networking in this place is convoluted, but I managed to hack into the system. Shouldn’t take me long to find out where Farian hid the device. The problem is he uploaded more than one site, most of them bogus. Guess he expected a few hackers.”

  “Not now. I’m here with bad news.” Sabree rolled his neck. “Azrian and Zoe may have jeopardized the mission.”

  We had already discussed Azrian, the reason I had to risk all and grace the facility with my anti-ness. But his daughter? “Azrian may be on our side after all. But what do you mean by Zoe? Didn’t we warn her to stay away?”

  “She’s back. Even after we made her promise not to return.” Sabree spoke over my attempt to rebuke. “She was hanging out with a group of humans.”

  “She’ll never learn.” I tugged on my hair. “Ariane was supposed to sit on her. Make sure she didn’t go anywhere.”

  “Neither one of us have any idea why she keeps returning.”

  “Blast her! Blast Azrian.” I snatched the notebook and threw it at the window, missing the glass by inches. The pressure behind my irises burned.

  “She’s young, she didn’t—”

  “Blast Ariane too. She was supposed to watch her. We should have performed the ceremony before this bloody, worthless mission. Now Zoe’s life is in danger.”

  “Be fair. I’m sure Zoeree slipped out at the first opportune moment. She takes after her father in the stealth department.”

  Rubbing my jaw, I sat on the far end of the couch.

  “I’m here to bring her back to the mansion. Jesse agreed to watch her there. I just wanted to update you first.”

  “Go. Don’t waste another minute. Make sure she changes into a hummingbird to catch a ride on your mist. No bugs!”

  “Agreed.” Sabree disappeared.

  What had Zoe done? Along with a few muttered curses, I scrambled out of my pajamas and dressed back into street clothes, ready to spring into action or JLS if the need ar
ose. Patience, not such an old friend, forced me to wait until Ariane or Sabree contacted me first.

  The notebook had landed on the floor behind the curtain. I picked it up and continued to go through the motion of deciphering the details, certain nothing would stick, my mind totally on my rebellious niece. Ariane had failed us again. One more time, strike three, and she would be out.

  50

  WATCHED HER LIKE A HAWK

  A riane refused to rely on Sabree to find her daughter. Refused not to help in some way. Neither he nor Brian had a clue how morphing worked never mind understanding the thoughts of one who morphed. Her daughter sneaking out again under her watch was her fault alone.

  On a late afternoon gust, a hawk sailed in and landed inside the Guardian complex behind a cabin near the main structure. The hawk vibrated until it turned into Ariane. Her arms curled around her torso to keep warm. She recalled how the blueprints illustrated the largest structure as the one that housed the main lobby, visitor center, assembly halls, kitchen, and cafeteria. The rest of the campus consisted of living quarters, mostly small cabins, and a few semitrailer truck-sized storage units. The logical place to begin her search would be inside the main building.

  First, Ariane needed to find an outfit, preferably something warm. She peered through the cabin window. The bedroom empty, she turned into a gnat tiny enough to squeeze through the sill. Inside, she changed back right away, rubbed the chill from her bare skin, and approached the closet.

  “Just my luck,” Ariane grumbled to herself. “A man’s closet.” She grabbed a pair of jeans, sweater, and fleece vest. A few sizes too large, but workable, she quickly dressed. A stocking cap inside the vest pocket was rolled into a thick ball. She pulled it on and tucked her hair underneath it. On her way out, she slipped into a pair of mukluks left to dry by the door. Ariane visualized herself as a rugged lumberjack.

  The icy headwind hit her bare face, stung her skin. She jogged to the main building, in a hurry to get out of the frigid weather. Since no one else dared venture outside, the coast was clear. The wind swept in along with her until she slammed the double doors shut. A few dirty looks shot her way.

  Centrally located in the lobby, an interactive tower exhibited a 3D layout of the campus like the info maps placed strategically inside malls. Apparently, the lobby used to entertain as many guests as it did regulars. A receptionist eyed her from behind the counter.

  Ariane ignored the stares as she studied the map. Where would Zoeree go to chat or harass Azrian? Cafeteria maybe. Her chin down and hands stuffed inside the vest pockets, she headed down the hall, following her nose. Like brother like sister…lol. Barbecued chicken wafted in the air. Her stomach growled. In a hurry to find her daughter, she forgot to fuel up and bring a few Colton tabs.

  Inside the cafeteria, the transition from dark hall to bright open space shocked her senses. She blinked back a few tears. Her stomach rumbled again as the chicken called out. Then her eardrums tingled. Familiar laughter chilled the pit of her stomach. The idea of her daughter playing detective, all alone in this hazardous complex, stressed her out. No more playing around, the time to get serious, Ariane communicated telepathically. “Zoeree! It’s Mom.”

  The giggles stopped short. “Mom? Where are you?”

  Funny she should ask, seeing as Ariane had forbade her to come here in the first place. She stood on her tiptoes, pulled off the stocking cap, and searched in the general direction she last heard her daughter’s laughter. Her eyes narrowed when she spied Zoeree chatting with some boys and Liz, Jesse’s friend who used to run DNA tests for her business. Her brother had reservations about the nosey go-getter. Morphed into a human, Zoeree still looked like herself except for the brunette hair and bronzed skin. “Meet me outside,” Ariane telepathically ordered her. “Now!”

  “I just can’t up and leave. Liz is already suspicious. She keeps asking me who I am.” Zoeree ignored Liz’s questions. “The snoop won’t leave me alone.”

  That was all Ariane needed to hear, Liz causing trouble as usual. Time to intervene. She hid behind a coat rack, one of many, and turned into the person in charge of networking, the only Guardian official she could recall. This was the first time she turned into a human, never mind a male. The transference stunned her. Immediately, the package between her legs felt out of place. Ariane tugged on the jeans and no longer wondered why men always adjusted themselves. When her daughter’s voice reached a higher octave, she dismissed the male parts. Nervous tension filled her with dread. Her daughter needed her.

  She primped the vest, now fitting a bit snug, and marched over to the group of five. The excitement had drawn in a few curious onlookers. “What’s going on? Everyone back to work. The fun’s over.”

  Liz approached Ariane-network supervisor. “I believe this one’s an—”

  “An intruder?” Ariane finished for Liz. “There’s been an influx of new people. I’ll check her out. Get back to your jobs.” Ariane grabbed her daughter’s arm. “You come with me, young lady.” She relished the authoritative bark of the man’s gravelly voice that scared everyone off. Before Zoeree could protest, Ariane dragged her to the back exit.

  Outside, she grabbed her daughter by her shoulders and shook the naïvety aside. The power in the muscular arms surprised her. “What were you thinking? We begged you not to return. You could have jeopardized the mission—put yourself—all of us in danger.”

  Footfalls approached from the front of the building. Fallen security, Ariane bet. “Look, we’re not alone. Change into a bird. We’ll fly out together. It’s our only escape.”

  “What about Azrian?”

  Damn it. Where did this sudden infatuation with Brian’s son come from? “He can take care of himself.” Ariane saw Abyss, flanked by two guards, come around the corner. “Turn now!” she yelled. Without waiting for her daughter to react, she transformed into a hawk. The rumpled clothes dropped to the ground as she flapped her massive wings. “Change. I will stall them,” Ariane said telepathically. Before Zoeree could respond, the hawk sailed overhead and dive-bombed Abyss and the guards.

  Behind her, Zoeree turned into a cardinal. She ruffled her small wings. “Mom, I messed up. I better change into an eagle.”

  “No time. Fly to the hotel while I stall them.” Ariane flapped her wings at the three until one guard aimed his rifle. “Crap!” As Ariane-hawk soared upward, a shot rang from below. A bullet whizzed by her, clipping a few of her wing feathers. The tang of burnt flesh filled her beak. The sky around her spun like a cyclone gone haywire. Unable to correct her flight, Ariane dove into a tailspin head first and smashed into a soft snowdrift.

  Another shot fired, but not at her. Her high-pitched screech pierced the valley. Keen, beady eyes searched the sky for a speck of red. Instead, Zoeree sailed overhead as her ghostlike body floated away from the complex. Relief shuddered throughout her hawk body. Feathers ruffled. “Fly away, sweetheart. Save yourself.” This attack was different, a premonition she had never envisioned—her daughter shot from the sky as a cardinal. Ariane relaxed long enough to upright herself for another attack.

  3 3 3

  The technical jargon, mostly code made Sabree’s tired eyes see double. Computer Greek was as convoluted as the ancient scrolls that Brian, alone, could decipher. More worried about his daughter, the numbers mimicked chicken scratch. For the past half hour, he stared out the cabin window until the notebook fell off his lap and slapped the floor, startling him. He kicked it across the room.

  His head pounded. As of late, the headaches bordered on migraines. They stopped for a while after Brian and he buried his ashes in another dimension. But ever since the last scuffle with Athorsis on the ocean world, the migraines, more mind jarring than ever, returned to status quo. Stiff fingers massaged his scalp.

  Another headache producer was this mission and how it spiraled in a downward crash. At least that was how he grasped the mess they had fumbled into, head over heels, without enough legwork. Too many hands in the pot for
ced them to abandon the few strategies already gone awry: Azrian selling them out, Brian wanting to dust the entire lot, Zoeree disappearing again, and he threatening to call it quits. More than once.

  Less destructive and easier on his conscience, Brian pleaded with everyone to let him transport the clan elsewhere. Another planet. Sure, they would survive, but the Malakhim would never forgive Sabree for abandoning Earth, abandoning his Fallen brethren. But time had run out. This fact Sabree knew because of the intel Brian found on the network. The computer genius had hacked into the system only to discover Farian had already assembled and armed two weapons—the exact whereabouts unknown.

  A sudden breeze swept through his hair.

  “Not just any weapon,” Brian said, startling Sabree from his thoughts. Apparently reading his mind as well. “It’s the same device we stole to implode the wormhole that led to Earth—aye, stupid idea. Farian jacked up the neutralizer’s destructive power. One ka-boom will obliterate all life on Earth. Maybe even the planet itself.” A cloud of despair shrouded Brian’s face. “So hopeless.”

  “Nice of you to pop in,” Sabree said, finally able to get a word in. “Ever hear of knocking?” When Brian tried to knock on his forehead, Sabree slapped his hand away and jumped to his feet.

  “It’s my cabin, not yours,” Brian said. “Why are you here?”

  “Trying to help. The info you hacked reveals the weapon’s original purpose,” Sabree said. “Wayde’s still clueless if you ask me. Which is why he built numerous underground bunkers to shelter a select few—the elite of the human and Fallen species.” He winked at Brian. “Though I bet he chose mostly human.”

  “Hope Wayde packed enough Colton tablets or otherwise the Fallen will be feeding on him and his human pals. It’s all a waste anyway. No one can hide from total annihilation.” Brian bent over to pick up the notebook. “Earth won’t exist.” Brian flicked his fingers apart in demonstration. “Boom!”