by Mario Routi
“Let’s go and see Big Ben,” Gregory suggested once they had finished their food.
As they walked to the famous clock tower and the Houses of Parliament, Leylah was aware of Mr. Icke trailing discreetly behind them, keeping an eye on their every move. She wondered if he was there to report back to her parents. As they reached Parliament Square her eyes travelled up the tower.
Gregory beckoned for them both to follow him but Leylah glanced back behind her again. She couldn’t see Mr. Icke anymore but she could still feel eyes watching her as Anna grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the tower.
Gregory strolled up to a security guard on duty in the back alleyway entrance.
“Good evening, sir,” he said cheerfully, receiving no reply. The man stared straight ahead as if he hadn’t heard anything.
“Beautiful is the land in the sky,” Gregory said.
Still saying nothing, the guard stepped to one side, allowing them to pass before quickly resuming his post. It seemed to Leylah that the alleyway extended forever but then Gregory suddenly turned left into the wall. She stopped for a moment, puzzled by his abrupt disappearance. Then Anna followed, disappearing immediately behind him.
Leylah looked at the wall suspiciously, hearing Anna’s voice. “C’mon, just do it.”
Leylah poked her head into the wall but was surprised to discover that the voice was actually coming from further down the hallway. Now that she could study them up close, she saw that the floor and the wall were painted with some sort of strange substance to create an illusion.
“Stay close or you’ll get lost,” Anna said, grabbing her hand again. “This entire place is built to ensure normal people get lost.”
Gregory and Anna then led her through a maze of tunnels until they came to a wall with a handle. Gregory grabbed the handle and opened it to reveal a lift. They all stepped in and he pressed a button on the side. There was a sudden shuddering jolt and they sped upwards, emerging behind the clock face.
The painted glass panes spread an eerie light as they climbed up the final steps.
34
Utopia
Rebecca felt sudden panic take hold of her the moment Alexander informed her that undercover Sartani commandos had been spotted in central London. She ran directly to the control room and immediately turned on the new gift from God Hermes - a device which allowed her to live stream locations on Earth as Orizons moved around. Alex ran with her, anxious that she might do something rash.
Through the location device in Mr. Icke’s car, Rebecca watched as her daughter made her way to the top of the Elizabeth Tower.
“Alex, do we have any idea where exactly these Sartani are right now?” she asked.
“No, Princess, we don’t know their location. However, even if we suspect that this is not a coincidence - if we assume that they are not there because they are preparing something else but are, in fact, there for Leylah - I believe they will wait until they make a positive identification before acting. We are pretty confident that they have no idea what the Princess looks like.”
Rebecca punched the desk with her fist. “My daughter isn’t even there for a full day and the Sartani are already on her trail. How did this happen?”
“We are still not convinced that they actually know she is there,” Alex said. “It’s more likely they are leftovers from the recent attack and they’re now trying to solve their own problems.”
“We can’t be sure of that,” Rebecca snapped. “I want a spaceship stationed close by, just in case anything goes wrong. Find a nearby Orizon team and ask them to keep tabs on Leylah and her friends. I want them at the house just to be on the safe side. And I want you and Larisa to get ready to head over there and ensure everyone comes back in one piece.”
“Larisa?” Alexander couldn’t hide his surprise.
“She knows that she has a lot to prove to our family,” Rebecca said. “She would appreciate the opportunity to place us in her debt, don’t you think?”
“Understood!” Alexander said, smiling at Rebecca’s shrewd logic. “Larisa is certainly a fighter you would want to have on your side in a crisis.”
“Quite,” Rebecca smiled grimly. She wondered if they would be there in time should anything go wrong. She had an uneasy feeling about everything that was happening around Leylah at the moment. There were too many variables in the equation.
Turgoth strode into the room. “I hear there are Sartani in the area. What’s happening?”
“Thanks to Hermes’s network and the technology you’ve been experimenting with, we’ve been able to keep an eye on things from here but they are already looking precarious,” Rebecca replied.
“She’s in trouble already?” Turgoth couldn’t keep the paternal exasperation from entering his voice. “It’s only been a day!”
“If they are there for Leylah, then we might also need to worry about how the Sartani are getting their information so fast,” Rebecca said. “And on top of that, we can’t locate the Devil. He’s down there somewhere but he’s wisely avoiding every camera on the planet. We think he must be using the sewer system to travel around the city out of sight. Anyway, Alexander and Larisa are going down to bring Leylah back. She’s barely begun her vacation but I can’t take any risks. We need to bring her back at once!”
“Don’t worry, my love. At least we know she’s okay at the moment. Perhaps none of this is what you think it is.”
Rebecca shot him a nervous look. She knew that what he and Alexander were saying was logical but her maternal instincts were telling her otherwise.
35
London
When they finally reached the top of the tower, Leylah could hardly believe the view that stretched out in front of her. The cool breeze whipped her face as she opened the door, far above the musty, exhaust-laden air in the streets. The sunset made the River Thames glint with gold amid its typically dark blue waters. The entire city looked as though it were a child’s toy set out below.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Gregory asked. “Although the human race certainly has its faults, the one thing they are good at is protecting their own safety. Years ago, when the water levels were rising and the climate started changing, they made adjustments to ensure this city and its people survived.”
Leylah thought back to all the bad things she had read and heard about humans. It seemed, though, that they had some unique qualities after all.
“Hundreds of years ago, London people were making new discoveries every week. The rise in water level seemed to bring unexpected treasures up from below and creatures thought to have been dead began reappearing in all sorts of places.”
Looking down at the street Leylah grew dizzy and she was acutely aware of how painful it would be to fall.
“Are you all right?” Anna asked.
“Sure,” she said, drawing back from the edge, “although knowing that we can’t fly here does make me feel vulnerable. So, whose idea was it to build this secret part of the tower in the first place?”
“As you know,” Anna said, “Sartani and Orizons both like to put people in positions of authority. There was a Minister long ago who was around during the building of the tower and he requested that this be constructed inside. He was also an Orizon. Nearly every Orizon visits this tower once a year because it was specifically built for us and we hold it very dear.”
“Did they ever think about using it for anything else?”
“After the Minister died, many Orizons used this tower to monitor battles and to keep an eye on criminal activities. Once telecommunications were developed, however, the tower became more of a retreat from the stresses and responsibilities of everyday life.”
Despite being fascinated by everything they were telling her, Leylah’s thoughts were already back at her mother’s house. She enjoyed the scenery but she was more inter
ested in what circumstances and influences on Earth had created the mother she knew today. Perhaps it was due to spending years in the mines, but Leylah preferred personal stories over beautiful views and historical facts. As they made their way back down in the lift, she couldn’t help but wonder what her parents were doing at that precise moment. Being away from them reminded her of how much she loved and admired them. Her mother was such a strong woman and her father’s mind was forever coming up with new ideas. There were so many differences between them that Leylah sometimes wondered how they managed to spend so much time in each other’s company. Smiling at the thought, she stepped out into the noise and fumes of London traffic again. Her parents were a pair made by the Gods and that was the only explanation she could give.
36
Utopia
“We have sighted the Sartani named Ricky Soblett coming out of Heathrow Airport in London,” Alexander announced.
“Isn’t this the Sartani currently consorting with the Devil?” Rebecca asked. “This can’t be a coincidence and I don’t like the fact that he and Leylah are in the same place. Send a message to Gregory that they need to pull out immediately. Where’s the nearest Orizon spaceship?”
“Princess, there’s no need to scare them,” Alexander said, “but Larisa and I are leaving anyway so I would suggest we meet them at your house and inform them that they need to return with us.”
“All right, go now. Inform your mother that you are leaving and have someone contact Julia Feredini to keep an eye on this dangerous Sartani.”
As they left the building Larisa turned to Alexander. “I need to pick something up at the forge before we leave. Can you come with me?”
He nodded and gestured for her to lead the way.
37
London
Ricky Soblett was pleased to be back home and felt proud of himself for what he had accomplished in Shanghai. He was looking forward to the next time he’d need to go back there - when the Titans would send over the Sceptomorphs. Then things would really kick off.
Now, he had received an anonymous invitation to a ball being held at a large private mansion in one of the streets behind London Park Lane. There, he was to meet with his contact, who would give him instructions for his next mission. Ricky felt more alive than he had in years. Running the boat business had become too easy for him - in fact, it had pretty much run itself for the last few years - and he had grown to miss the risks he used to take in the early days. This leap into unknown territory excited him and made him feel vibrant again.
***
A few hours later he was entering the grand ballroom in his tuxedo. Taking a glass of champagne off a waiter’s tray he stood to the side watching everyone around him, looking for signs of his Sartani link and sipping his drink. He normally disliked these kind of events, resenting having to dress up and feeling that everyone - including himself - was a fake, but this time there was a purpose to the whole evening and that boost of adrenaline added to the glamour of the occasion.
“Oh, what a surprise! Look who’s here. Mr Ricky Soblett, who recently made such a generous donation to orphaned children and went on to invest in Shanghai oil.”
He turned to find himself face to face with Julia Feredini, who was smiling at him as if this were the most normal conversation to be having in such a location. He was aware that the blood was draining from his face and he felt faint as he tried to smile back. He remembered Marcus telling him that he must show the Orizons no fear. The last time he had seen this woman he had been loading her corpse into the boot of a car and here she was pretending to make small talk, while he had no idea what she might be planning to do next.
Julia watched in amusement as he stumbled away into the crowd, bumping into other people and spilling their drinks as he went. One of the waiters stood in front of him, blocking his path. Ricky was startled but relieved to see that it was Marcus, looking calm and collected as he proffered a silver tray. On the tray lay a neatly folded note.
Ricky picked the note up. Orizons are here. Be careful! Ask me if I know where the toilet is, then go towards it.
“Do you know where the toilet is, my friend?” Ricky asked as calmly as possible.
“Yes Sir, it’s down the hall and to the right.”
Ricky smiled, placing the note back on the tray and heading quickly out of the ballroom. Julia followed him at a discreet distance. As Ricky went to open the lavatory door he felt the floor vanish beneath his feet and he fell into darkness.
“Damn! I’ve lost him,” Julia muttered into her mini transmitter as she came round the corner mere seconds after the floor had closed up above her prey.
Ricky landed painfully on his backside and a familiar voice surrounded him in the darkness.
“Ricky Soblett,” the Devil roared. “You did well in Shanghai, so I have another simple assignment for you.”
“Simple?” Ricky muttered, although he actually felt a glow of pride at the thought that he had managed to please the Devil.
“DID I SAY YOU COULD TALK?”
Ricky’s entire body shuddered involuntarily with paralyzing fear. What was he thinking, answering back to the Devil like a cheeky schoolboy?
“This assignment is right here in London,” the Devil continued. “There’s an HVT in the city that I want you to kidnap. Failure on this mission will absolutely not be tolerated.”
“HVT, my Lord?” Ricky squeaked humbly.
“High Value Target, you ignorant fool. Kidnapping this target could shift the balance of power between Orizons and Sartani everywhere. Your target is a young woman named Leylah. For you, this mission is personal. Her grandfather was the one responsible for your own father’s death. You will receive directions from the Sartani ground units that have been following her. We have been informed that she will be heading to her mother’s house on Earth for the first time since she was born, so she will not readily know her surroundings. That should give you all the advantage that you need.”
“Piece of cake,” Ricky said, recovering a little of his old self-confidence. “And thank you for giving me a chance to avenge my old man, my Lord. But, if I may ask, what is so important about this girl?”
“You do not need to know any more details than that. Remember that you are entirely expendable; only complete success will ensure your survival.”
“Understood. Where would you like for me to take her after the kidnapping?”
“Your own business storage facilities are not yet known to the Orizons. This is where you should hide her.”
“Anything else I need to know, my Lord?”
The Devil oozed from the darkness, casting his own terrible red glow on Ricky’s frightened face, his body seeming to reach into every crevice of Ricky’s body and his breath burning the Sartani’s skin like a graveyard wind.
“Be aware, Ricky Soblett, that you are no more than flesh covering bone and a few measly organs. I feast hourly on creatures like you for your juicy insides. For me to find use in you...” the Devil’s eyes burned close to his, “means you get to survive a little longer.”
Ricky swallowed and nodded as the Devil slipped back into the shadows.
“We are done here for now, but remember that if you mess this up, we have a dinner reservation...”
“I won’t fail you, my Lord!” Ricky assured him, unable to stop his voice from trembling like a crying child’s.
38
Utopia
“Prince Alexander and Larisa just left in the spaceship. They’ll be on Earth in a few moments,” Nemesis announced.
“Any news about the whereabouts of Ricky Soblett?” Rebecca asked.
“Julia lost him in the hallway of the mansion where the ball was being held.”
“How did that happen?”
“She said that he just disappeared into thin air.”
; “Things are moving far too fast,” Rebecca said. “They must not be allowed to get any further out of our control. Could you please go to see Lord Leiko? Notify him of Leylah’s danger. Maybe he could ask the Gods to do something about all this.”
“But the Gods can’t interf...”
“Just go, Nemesis! I have too much on my mind to debate anything at the moment. Please... I... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so harsh. This is very stressful for me as a mother. My apologies, Nemesis.”
“I understand completely, Princess, and I will notify Lord Leiko immediately.”
Once Nemesis had gone, Rebecca remained seated at the desk with her hands folded, deep in thought, trying to work out what might be happening on Earth and the best way to deal with the developments. It was not like the Sartani to have ground units in the same area of a major planned attack. Normally, there might be one or two Sartani who lived in the area, but this? This was a small army building up. And now, a Sartani leader had shown up who just so happened to be the one meeting with the Devil. None of it felt right to her. More important than any of that, however, was the puzzle as to how they knew about Leylah’s being there when it had all been purposely decided at the very last minute? And how could an Orizon as experienced as Julia lose Ricky Soblett so easily? What did the disappearance mean and how had he achieved it?
There was only one explanation: there had to be a traitor amongst those who were closest to Leylah and the family. She wondered about Mo and his friends. Rebecca knew it wasn’t nice to think of the Cyclopes as stupid, but it wasn’t exactly inaccurate. Until she had more to go on, they were all she could narrow it down to.
