Daye's face fell again. “Please be careful.” He rose from the chair and looked into the pair's eyes. “I'm doing everything I can to stop this war from proceeding. You want revenge for your friend's death, but it won't do you any good. All you're doing is perpetuating the cycle of hate. You can't attack me for no reason other than my supposed allegiance.”
“I don't care,” Tango said through gritted teeth. He tried to grab Daye one last time, but his hands went straight through him.
Daye offered a weak smile. “The Tianzu are a clan of peace. They didn't murder your friend—it was Raien who gave that order. Please don't condemn the entire clan because of the actions of one individual.”
His illusion vanished from the room.
Tango shook with uncontrollable rage. He lowered himself to the floor and sat down, defeated.
“What's he talking about?” Echo asked, his head spinning.
“No idea.” Tango turned and punched the table leg, snapping the wood and causing the structure to collapse. He was grateful to be alive, but the fact that the Tianzu showed no interest in harming them came as more of an insult than if they were actually killed.
Twelve
“Ren, are you there?” Skye whispered. He was hidden in a secluded alleyway in the city with Juliet by his side. A large recycling container kept them out of view from the nearby main street.
“Yes, I'm here,” Ren said.
“Tahlia attacked us.” He paused to wait for her acknowledgement, but there was no response. “Ren, did you hear me?”
“Yes,” she answered, her own mind reeling from what she had just witnessed. “I know. I saw it happen.”
“What did you see?” he asked. “Was anyone hurt?”
“No, thankfully. Tahlia's energy almost struck the soldiers, but they survived. They'll most likely be calling for reinforcements though,” she said in a flat voice.
“We need to get out of here,” Skye said, eager to change the subject. “We're trapped in the city. We're in an alleyway just off Qing Lu.”
“Can you see the screen?” she asked.
“No. Why?”
“Maybe you should take a look at it, if you can do so carefully.”
Skye lifted himself up and walked back to the mouth of the alley. Situated in the eastern section of the Shangwu district, Qing Lu was a street famous for its numerous restaurants and bars. It had a bright and active nightlife, which quickly ceased approximately one kilometre north, where hundreds of homeless citizens resided. It was the only active strip in the city at night, and was known for its giant screen which always displayed the news headlines.
Skye crept forward until he was standing at the start of the alleyway. He slowly turned his head around the corner, ensuring that no one was looking at him. To his surprise, he only saw a handful of people about.
“The streets are quiet,” he said. He watched as a small group of civilians were ushered inside a nearby building by a police officer. “Everyone's taking shelter.”
“Yep. I think it's safe to say you've officially caused a lockdown.”
Skye's shoulders tensed. It was the last thing he wanted—or needed—on the day before the inauguration.
He continued surveying the street. In the distance, he spotted a police cruiser making its way up the street away from them. Beyond that, he could clearly make out the large screen. He moaned when he saw what was being displayed.
“Did you see the screen?”
“Yes.” He walked back over to the container and sat behind it. “They haven't wasted any time, have they?”
“I'll send Tango and Echo to collect you.”
“Okay. Give them our location, but tell them to be careful. There are police and soldiers everywhere.” He peered out from where they were hiding, hoping that they'd be safe for the time being.
“Sierra should be arriving momentarily too. As soon as I mentioned Tahlia she disappeared. I'll give her your location.”
Skye's eyes widened. “She disappeared? You mean she left you and Romeo alone?”
“I couldn't stop her. She was already gone before I could say anything to her.”
Skye cursed under his breath. He was nervous at the thought of Romeo being alone with Ren at the warehouse. Ren was a relatively skilled fighter, but she wouldn't be able to fend off an attack from the Tianzu alone. “Just be careful. I don't want anything to happen to either you or Romeo.”
“You too,” she said, then ended the call.
Skye and Juliet sat side by side, battered from the chaos that occurred only moments ago. He turned and faced the young woman. “Are you feeling alright?”
She nodded. “I think so.”
“You have a cut above your eye.” He looked at the blood drying on her forehead.
“What did you see out on the street?” she asked.
Skye laughed softly. He hadn't yet slept, and fatigue was setting in even more with every passing minute. “Our faces are on the Qing Screen. They've placed our photos on the news.”
Juliet frowned. She knew they were both innocent, but the unwise decision by Skye to brandish his sword at the coffeehouse earlier had put them in a very difficult and dangerous position. She stood up and carefully walked to the edge of the alleyway to see it for herself.
“Don't let anyone see you,” Skye warned, his voice just above a whisper.
Juliet slowly poked her head out, turning her gaze left. Her jaw dropped when she saw the photo from her international identity card plastered across the screen, along with Skye's. She retreated back to her hiding position and said nothing.
“Ren's going to send Tango and Echo to retrieve us,” Skye said, trying to lift her mood. “They should be here soon.”
She acknowledged him with a solemn nod, but neither of them felt the slightest bit at ease while they were wanted criminals.
Skye tilted his head and stared upwards. “Maybe this wasn't a good idea. I'm so sorry that I got you involved in this.”
Juliet said nothing. She usually trusted him, but her decision to join him in Shangwu Qu that morning had been a mistake. She never thought for a second when he woke her that she'd find herself on the run.
“Don't worry, we'll get out of this,” he said.
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “I hope so.”
Thirteen
Tahlia winced in pain as she tended to her wound. Her leg was raised on the chaise in Nikolai's suite, with blood slowly pouring onto the leather. She knew he'd be infuriated upon seeing her blood leaking across his favourite sitting spot, but healing the gaping hole in her leg took precedence. The three Tianzu warriors watched on, not offering any aid.
Not a moment later, Nikolai burst through the door with Archie in his arms. Sabina and Aurelius trudged in behind him.
“Look who came for a visit!” he declared enthusiastically, holding the president up like a trophy. “Running a country is not without its annoyances, so I've retrieved His Excellency to assist me.” No one was listening to his rant, as usual. Nikolai had a tendency to ramble about ambiguous topics that only ever interested himself. “Quite comfortable there, are you?” he said, spotting Daye half asleep on the other end of the room.
“Just resting,” Daye whispered, his consciousness having returned to his body only moments ago.
Nikolai's face twisted in a fit of rage when he turned and saw Tahlia's seeping leg. He tried to find words to express his fury but became choked up.
“They're almost here!” Tahlia shouted, justifying her wound. “Skye's nearby. And the girl is with him. They're trying to find us.” She held her hands over her leg, healing the damaged cells before they died. She was nothing short of a master at healing wounds, but searching for the fragmented bullet was proving difficult.
Nikolai cocked his head to one side, both confused and speculative. He would have certainly dismissed the notion of his former friend trying to locate their hidden base, but after seeing Skye's anger earlier, it didn't come as a surprise. The in
auguration was looming, and White Shadow would do anything to put a stop to it.
“And what of that wound?” Nikolai demanded. “How did you acquire it?”
A tall woman in military uniform stormed through the open doorway without knocking. “Sir, there are hostile bogeys nearby. I've given the order to shut down the inner districts.” She was perplexed when she saw the president lying across Nikolai's arms, but she wasted no time in delivering her news.
Nikolai turned his head and stared at her. She was almost as tall as he was, and very broad shouldered. Her athletic physique was evident underneath her black combat gear.
“And just who might you be?” he asked, annoyed by her interruption. He could barely have a few minutes to himself before another staff member posed more irrelevant problems to him.
“Li Xu, minister of defence and national security,” she replied, not even slightly intimidated by Nikolai's tone. She ignored him and turned her attention back to Archie. “Your Excellency, three armed hostiles are in the city. They almost killed several of my soldiers, and we believe they're slowly approaching either Government House or this villa. What are your orders?”
Tahlia's face fell. Her attack on the soldiers was a regrettable one, but also unintentional. She felt that it was her duty to protect their location.
Archibald climbed out of Nikolai's arms, embarrassed that he was seen lying in them. He absolutely detested being treated like an infant, but Nikolai could be quite persuasive. “Eliminate the threat,” he ordered without contemplating the matter further. Athenia was renowned worldwide for its tight security, and he was determined to continue its reputation into his term as president.
“No!” Nikolai gasped, quickly realising that the supposed threat was most likely Skye. “Don't eliminate them,” he said to Li Xu. “Find them and detain them.”
“Your orders have no merit,” she retorted.
Nikolai clenched his jaw. “Is that so? Well, I believe we haven't met. I'm Dr Nicholas Sweeney, chief counsel.” He held a hand out for Xu to shake, but she offered no such courtesy.
“Detain them,” Archibald corrected, suddenly changing his mind. “Continue locking down the city.”
“Understood,” she acknowledged, then left the room.
Archibald shrieked as he felt a powerful force lift him upwards. Nikolai had grabbed him by his shirt and was holding him at eye level.
“Eliminate them?” he growled. “Why on earth would you assume that I'd give such an order? I've told you before, you are not to harm Skye under any circumstance!”
“Nikolai, please.” His heart raced in his chest, almost pounding its way out of his sternum. “I didn't realise it was him. Please put me down,” he begged.
Nikolai dropped him roughly to the floor, and turned his attention back to Tahlia. “And how did you come by that wound, my dear?”
“I was shot.” She didn't even look up as she continued searching for any remaining shrapnel. “I tried to stop Skye from finding our base.”
Nikolai's jaw slowly dropped. His body went rigid as he tried to comprehend what he had just been told. “They shot you? They saw you?”
Tahlia nodded. Sweat began to bead on her forehead, her skin becoming pale. “They were chasing Skye. I tried to stop him, but they got in my way.”
Nikolai twitched as the words came out of her mouth. For a moment, he was unsure if her already poor Alexan was incorrect. “Pardon me, but did you say that they got in your way? Are you meaning to tell me that you attacked the military?”
She nodded again, her attention still fixed on her wound.
Nikolai hunched over. He began to walk around the room, frantically searching for a useless item to take his anger out on. He settled for a wooden chair. He grabbed it with both hands and ripped it into two, sending splinters flying across the room.
It took him almost a full minute to compose himself enough for further discussion. “Tahlia, was that you who almost killed those soldiers?”
Seeing her enraged leader sent a chill down her spine. Tahlia knew what a valuable asset she was for Black Dawn, but there were indeed moments when she felt expendable.
“I had to,” she muttered quietly. “They shot me.”
Archibald backed into a corner, as far away as he could from the menacing man. The Tianzu remained where they were, ambivalent.
Nikolai took a deep breath and spoke in a serious tone. “Did I not make myself clear of the two things you're to never, under any circumstance, do? The first was to never harm Skye or Ren, and the second was to never publicly demonstrate your abilities.”
Tahlia moaned with pain as she successfully removed a small metal fragment from her leg. “I'm sorry, but Skye was coming. They're still nearby.”
“How far away are they?”
She paused her medical efforts and closed her eyes. Her tracking abilities were far more advanced than Juliet's, allowing her to accurately locate any fellow elites within a wide range. “Skye and the girl are in Shangwu. Marion is nearby too, and Tango and Echo are on their way.” She pointed to the Tianzu in the corner. “Their friend is in Shangwu too.”
“Very well,” Nikolai accepted. His exasperation was still evident, but Black Dawn was now facing a crisis of its own, and an immediate solution was imperative. “Everyone, leave here at once. I can't risk having young Jacinta track our whereabouts. Spread out in different directions, and eliminate her if you have the opportunity.” He walked across to the huddled president. “Denning, make calls to the police commissioner and your chief media liaison. Perhaps there's still time to swing things back in my favour.”
Fourteen
Adam Price stared out the window from the back seat of the black armoured sedan. The traffic in the city was unusually chaotic for that time of morning; they had barely travelled a kilometre in the past twenty minutes. Karen sat alongside him, talking excitedly into her headset. In the front were Guard Five and Guard Six, who had been ordered directly by Guard One to escort the duo to any location they requested.
“Excellent ... thank you so much. We'll be there as soon as we can. We're stuck in traffic in the business district ... okay, we'll report to you soon.” Karen ended the call, evidently optimistic.
“What did they say?” Adam asked. It had been a restless night for both Karen and himself, having wasted hours of sleep trying to find a solution to the nation's political crisis that was covertly taking place.
“We're going to speak directly with the deputy president. If she agrees that Archibald is under duress, she'll call an emergency meeting with the cabinet and President Zhao.” Although the transition in leadership had already begun, President Zhao, the current head of state, still maintained the majority of power for the remaining day until the dawn inauguration.
Adam's head sank into the back of his seat as relief set in. “That's great news,” he agreed. “If the president's under duress, we'll have to regard him as incapacitated in order to exclude him from the cabinet meeting.” He spoke freely, knowing that the disciplined members of the Guard in front of him were forbidden from sharing the sensitive information with anyone.
Karen reached over and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Have faith, Adam. This will all be over within a few hours.”
He smiled weakly, feeling little reassurance. “Thank you. I just ... I haven't been able to stop thinking about how that woman disappeared like that,” he said, referring to when he witnessed Tahlia transport herself from the villa.
“Neither can I. But there must be a logical reason for it. Let's not stress about that. Our objective now is to have Sweeney removed from his post.”
“What's happening?” Guard Five asked, having suddenly noticed civilians walking down the road toward their vehicle. Adam and Karen looked forward to see dozens of people slowly sauntering along Jalan Raya in a confused and frightened state.
“I'll investigate,” Six offered. He climbed out of the passenger door and surveyed the scene ahead. “It looks as though everyon
e's abandoning their cars. Wait here a moment.” He walked off hastily toward the obstruction.
Adam frowned. “Maybe there was a collision up ahead?”
“Maybe,” Karen agreed, although speculative. “But why would they abandon their cars?”
They sat inside for several minutes, patiently waiting for answers. They lost count of the number of people who strode past their vehicle. After a long and confusing wait, Six returned to the armoured sedan.
“There's a bogey in the city,” he explained. “I just spoke with the police up ahead, and I also confirmed it with One; the order has come directly from President Denning.”
“What!” Adam exclaimed, astonished. “What kind of a bogey?”
“The military were attacked by someone. The bogey's still in the district. The president has issued a lockdown of the city.”
Karen rubbed the frustration from her eyes. “I don't believe this,” she muttered.
“We need to evacuate, sir and madam,” Six continued. “The order is to abandon all vehicles while the police and military search the city.”
Adam gritted his teeth. He was so close to putting a stop to the bizarre madness that was taking place before him, only to be hindered by a pointless obstacle. “Fine,” he conceded, and roughly opened the door. “There's no other way for us to get to Government House,” he complained.
“We'll have to wait,” Karen said as she climbed out. “Just don't lose faith, Adam,” she reminded him again.
Along with the Presidential Guard, they began walking with the other civilians, away from the threat that lay ahead for the Athenian public.
Fifteen
Skye watched as another cruiser drove past the alleyway. It would only be a matter of time before the authorities commenced a search on foot.
“Ren, we don't have much time. Where are the others?”
“Not far, Skye. Hang in there.” She decided not to inform him of who Tango and Echo encountered at West Tower, as he needed to focus on fleeing the city alive.
Eternity's War (Books 1-3) (Eternity's War Boxsets) Page 25
