“Open in the name of Europa!”
Chapter Twenty-Three
I willed myself not to sneeze.
Soldiers ransacked the Reinkann house, digging through drawers, turning over furniture, and throwing dishes onto the floor. They weren’t going to stop looking until they’d searched in every corner and checked under every sofa cushion.
Hopefully they wouldn’t look in the walls.
The five of us stood crammed into a space behind the Reinkann’s fireplace, maybe two feet deep and six feet long, with our weapons slung over our shoulders. Through cracks in the mortar between the stones, I watched as Centurion Dirvis stood directly in front of me, barking out orders. “Check all of ze rooms!” he shouted. “Leave no stone unturned!”
If any of us so much as breathed hard they’d hear us.
Jude was our biggest worry. We’d had to rouse him from a heavy sleep. He was conscious, but still weak. Now he had to remain upright in a very narrow, very uncomfortable space. He stood sandwiched between Ben and Micah, who each had an arm around his waist to hold him up.
My eyes kept drifting sideways to the singed material of Micah’s tee-shirt where a bullet had bounced off his chest. Bounced off? That was completely crazy. I kept expecting to see blood filtering through the gray fabric, something—anything—to signify that I wasn’t losing my mind.
Milly had a tight grip on my right hand. Her fingers trembled, but not only because of the soldiers in the house. Like me, she had a brother in the praetor’s custody; Alvin’s terrifying condition was as much a possibility for Tim as it was for David. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
“Zis vould go easier, Herr Doctor,” Dirvis said in his usual shout, “if you vould simply tell us vhere zey are!”
“Centurion, I assure you,” I heard the doctor reply, “there’s no one here but us and my son.”
Though I felt incredibly grateful for Doctor Reinkann’s heroism, the number of empty oatmeal bowls on the coffee table behind him betrayed his lie. What price would he pay for his defiance?
Hilda and Eliza stood at the back of the room, under armed guard. Though visibly nervous, neither of them said a word. Eliza had stationed herself in front of Hilda, protecting the doctor’s wife with her own body. My mind flashed back to the first Europa drop, when Eliza had backhanded a young girl over a crate of food. Eliza Cole had changed.
“Are you sure zis is your final response?” Dirvis demanded.
“Please,” Dr. Reinkann pleaded. “We have done everything Europa has asked of us. We cure your sick. We heal your wounded. All we ask in return is that you leave us in peace.”
“Peace?” Dirvis scoffed. “I see no Biotat on your hand! Vhy should Europa give you peace ven you refuse us your allegiance?”
“I am an old man. Change is difficult—”
“Zen perhaps we can make it easier!” the centurion replied. “Bring her!”
Two soldiers dragged Hilda out from behind Eliza. “Leave her alone!” Eliza cried. One of the soldiers shoved Eliza violently back against the wall with a gun in her face, while the other hauled Hilda in front of Dirvis.
“Vill you svear your fealty to Europa, fraulein?” Dirvis demanded.
Hilda stuck out her chin. “I already have a King.”
I felt Micah’s hand slip into mine. Familiar tingles of electricity drifted from my fingers up into my arm. I turned my head. Our eyes locked. He gazed at me with a piercing intensity that made it almost impossible to look away. And then I understood. Something terrible was about to happen.
Eliza screamed. “No!”
I blinked at tears pooling in my eyes. I could hear the doctor crying hysterically. Dirvis was shouting. The soldiers were thundering through the house. Alvin was howling.
“Stop!” I heard the doctor shout.
I couldn’t help myself; I looked back through the cracks in the fireplace mortar. Hilda was on her knees. Centurion Dirvis had a sword in his hand. My heart seized.
“Please!” the doctor sobbed. “Please don’t do this!”
The centurion lifted the sword high over Hilda’s neck. “Tell us vhere zey are, Herr Doctor, or I vill separate your vife’s head from her shoulders!”
Tears slipped down my cheeks. With everything I had, I wanted to call out and save Hilda, but that would give everyone else away. Milly was breathing heavily beside me. I squeezed her hand tighter, closed my eyes, and bit into my lip until I tasted blood.
“So be it,” I heard Dirvis say.
And then Hilda began to speak. “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?”
I opened my eyes. Hilda wasn’t crying. She wasn’t yelling. She wasn’t even pleading for her life. A monster held a sword over her head and Hilda Reinkann was praying. In that moment, I envied her faith—a faith that could bring comfort to the doomed.
“WAIT!” the doctor shouted. “I will tell you. I will tell you everything.”
I felt an instant overwhelming sense of relief. I didn’t want to be responsible for Hilda’s death. I couldn’t blame the doctor for giving us up. I’d watched someone I loved murdered right in front of my eyes and I wouldn’t wish that horror on anyone.
“They were here yesterday,” the doctor continued, tears pouring down his face. “But I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time for bed, they left. I don’t know which way they went. But if you are quick, you may still be able to catch them.”
My heart sank. It was a terrible lie, one even Dirvis would see through. Now he would most likely kill all of them.
I looked over at Micah and frowned. He was smiling.
The room beyond the fireplace had gone silent. Even Alvin had fallen quiet. I peeked back through the mortar in time to see Centurion Dirvis lower his sword. “Gather ze men!” Dirvis shouted. “Ve must catch zem before ze sun sets!”
To my shock, the platoon gathered and left the house. When the front door closed behind them, Hilda immediately ran to the back of the house to check on Alvin. We stayed silent in the wall to be sure the soldiers weren’t trying to trick us, but, after a few minutes, Jude began to moan. He could take no more.
Doctor Reinkann pulled the bookcase back and opened the hidden door. The five of us spilled out, coughing and covered in dust. Ben and Micah helped Jude lie down on the sofa where Eliza checked his bandages. He was awake, but frail and in a lot of pain.
“Are they…are they gone?” Jude rasped.
Milly eased down beside him on the edge of the sofa to soothe him with her touch. “They’re gone,” she whispered. “Rest now.”
Hilda hurried back into the room. “I quieted Alvin,” she told her husband. “But he’s very upset. I’ll need to stay with him tonight.” She broke into sobs. “You were brilliant, liebchen.”
The doctor pulled her into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. “Your strength inspired me.”
Smiling broadly, Micah slapped the doctor on the back. “Joshua 2:4.”
“When in doubt,” Eliza said, “quote the Word.”
Doctor Reinkann laughed and threw his arm around Micah’s shoulders. “Had I known my faith would be so strenuously tested when you came to my door with the good news last summer, young man, I would have slammed it in your face.”
Hilda patted her husband’s chest. “If God is for us, my love, then who can be against us?”
I frowned. “I hate to break up this celebration, but I need to find my brother.” I turned to Ben, who’d stationed himself with his weapon at the front window, watching for soldiers. “I understand if you want to stay here with Jude.”
“What’s your plan?” he asked.
“To save David from the Goliath Code.”
“From what?” asked Doctor Reinkann.
“You remember the research my dad was doing on a cure for David?”
The doctor nodded. “Yes, of course.”
“David thinks my dad’s cu
re and the praetor’s experiments are the same thing. That’s why he left for Ellensburg. He wants the Goliath Code.”
“Your brother wants that man to experiment on him?” Hilda exclaimed. She turned to Micah. “You cannot let this happen!”
“As I was trying to tell Seraphina—before she tried to kill me,” Micah explained dryly, “she’s going to need reinforcements. The rebel factions will be gathering near Liberty over the next few days, including Vivica Davis and the 1st Cascade. I’m sure Viv will be more than happy to help retrieve David.”
Ben stepped away from the window. “Wait. Back up a second. Explain the trick.”
“Trick?” Micah repeated.
“The one where you get shot at point-blank range and live to tell about it.”
Micah shifted uncomfortably.
“It’s not a trick,” Doctor Reinkann answered. “Micah is one of the sealed.”
“And we’re s’posed to know what that is?” Milly asked.
“He’s a member of the 144,000,” Eliza clarified.
“Chosen by God,” Hilda added.
Great, I thought. Micah had them all believing in his fanatical cause. He’d twisted their minds, just like he’d done with my grandfather. I wasn’t sure how he’d managed his little trick with the AK-12, but I had no doubt it was a trick.
Ben wasn’t buying it either. “Uh-huh. So, what, God stopped a speeding bullet?”
“The seal gives him special protection,” Doctor Reinkann explained. “No earthly thing can harm him.”
Milly laughed. “No earthly thing? What else is there?”
Micah gave her a serious look. “You’d be surprised.”
I’d heard enough. “You’re all welcome to sit around chatting about God and magic, but I’m heading to Liberty.”
“Not alone.” Eliza looked at Hilda. “The Ogre.”
“The Ogre?” I asked.
“He lives near Liberty,” Hilda explained. “He eats people and drinks their blood.”
I closed my eyes, searching for patience.
“Rumor has it, he’s a victim of the praetor’s experiments,” Micah explained. “Another Goliath.”
Now that, at least, made sense. I pictured Alvin, now a gooey, monstrous blob, and hoped we’d come in contact with this Ogre of Liberty so that we could put the poor thing out of its misery.
“I’m going with you,” Ben stated. “I won’t do Jude any good sitting around here and I’m not abandoning David and Tim to that bastard in Ellensburg.”
I nodded, more relieved than I cared to admit.
Milly looked up at Hilda from the sofa. “Will Jude be safe here?”
Hilda gave her a reassuring smile. “As safe as my own heart, liebchen.”
Milly and Jude whispered for a moment, then she turned to me. “I’m goin’, too. We need to find the boys.”
Micah clapped his hands. “Great. We leave at dusk.”
I scowled at him. “You’re not coming.” This mission was too important to drag along somebody I couldn’t trust.
Micah folded his arms and sat down on the arm of the sofa. “Good luck finding the rebel camp without me.”
We followed Micah into the rugged hills toward Liberty, with only the full, red moon lighting our way. I felt sure we could find the rebel camp without him, but Ben had insisted he come along for armed support. I felt sure he was more interested in Micah’s supposed superpower than his firepower.
Hilda had loaded our packs with food and water before we left. Dr. Reinkann provided us with extra ammo clips. Eliza insisted on saying a prayer, and then the three of them wished us a safe journey.
Ash found us quickly and, after a feast of Hilda’s spätzle, patrolled in large, overlapping circles through the woods. Milly and I walked together, keeping an eye on the trail behind us and listening to Ben talk with Micah ahead of us.
“If I threw you off a cliff,” Ben was saying, “would you die?”
Micah pushed a low branch out of his way. “Nope.”
Let’s give it a try, I thought.
“No offense,” Ben continued, “but why would God choose you?”
Micah laughed and clapped Ben on the shoulder. “I ask myself that same question every day.”
I looked at Milly. “Does Ben have any idea how stupid he sounds?”
“Well, how would you explain it exactly?” she asked.
I gaped at her. “You don’t actually believe Micah?”
“I believe the Reinkanns. They believe Micah. And if it were any other man alive, you’d believe ’em, too.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re still stuck on him.”
“Who, Micah? Don’t be ridicu—”
She held up her hand. “Don’t even try to deny it, Sera. I was there that day, remember? The hardest thing you ever did was hand Micah over to the praetor. And now you find out that he’s not a terrorist?”
“Says Eliza,” I shot out.
“Says common sense,” she replied. “The Reinkanns wouldn’t have a thing to do with a Spathi and you know it. The only thing holdin’ you back from lettin’ this go is your own guilt.”
I clenched my teeth. “And what about your guilt? I was there that day, too, Milly, and I seem to recall you helping to tie Micah’s hands behind his back.”
Her lips tightened. “Me and the others were actin’ on information that you and David provided. Besides, I’m not the one holdin’ grudges.”
She marched off to catch up with the boys.
I stared after my best friend with my mouth hanging open. How did Micah turn perfectly intelligent people into brainless sheep? I decided in that moment that he would not be going on the mission to rescue David and Tim. The sooner we got to Liberty and ditched him, the better.
My thoughts turned to my brother. I was afraid that I’d be too late to save David—or that he’d refuse to leave with me. It wouldn’t be easy to convince him that the Goliath Code and his cure were not the same thing. I could start by telling him about Alvin; I rehearsed my speech in my head as we walked.
We made camp in the hollow of a rock face several hours before dawn. We were still about ten miles north of Liberty, but we didn’t want to risk wandering into a rebel camp in the middle of the night. We didn’t make a campfire for fear it might draw unwanted attention, so Milly put her bedroll beside Ben’s and huddled up with him to stay warm.
I laid my bedroll a few feet away from them and sat with my back against the rock wall, my weapon cradled in my arms. Micah had volunteered for guard duty and I intended to stay awake and guard him.
He sat several yards away, on a fallen tree, with his back to me, but we were both very aware of each other’s presence. He hadn’t spoken to me since we left the Reinkanns’ house, which suited me just fine. I’d seen how he got into people’s heads and I didn’t want him messing with mine.
Milly was right. I hated to admit it, but, despite all his lies, my nagging fascination with Micah had never faded. I constantly had to remind myself of what he’d done to keep my thoughts from wandering to happier memories. Spathi or not, Micah had been a Skagg. He’d betrayed us once, he’d betray us again.
Ash padded up and settled down beside me, dropping his big head in my lap. I stroked his soft ears and struggled with my conflicted feelings. The wolf stared out into the dark night; I followed the direction of his gaze to Micah. Like Ben and Milly, he seemed won over by my nemesis. “The three of you have very poor judgement,” I whispered.
At some point my eyes drifted closed and I sank into the silky, warm oblivion of sleep. I dreamed of dragons and the deep blue sea….
I lurched awake in the soft glow of dawn. I was on my side with Ash crouched in front of me, gazing into my face with concerned amber eyes. I breathed deeply, then patted him on the head. “Just a dream.”
The soft sound of someone talking tickled my ears. I pushed myself up onto my elbow and looked over at Ben and Milly. They were both fast asleep. I sat up and stared out into the
blossoming haze of daybreak. Micah hadn’t moved. He was still sitting on top of the fallen tree. He was nodding and gesturing—definitely talking to someone.
I got to my feet. Ash followed silently beside me as I snuck closer for a better look. If Micah was attempting to betray us, I was going to shoot him again—maybe this time the bullet would leave a mark. I crept within a few feet of him, until I could make out what he was saying.
“I’ll talk with him more tomorrow,” he said. “If you could just open his heart to what I have to say.”
After a beat, he continued. “I know he’s precious to you and time is running short.”
I peered past him, into the dim morning light, searching for the person he was talking to, but there was no one else there. Micah was talking to himself. I could add crazy to his growing list of oddities.
As I turned to go, I stepped on a dry branch. SNAP!
Micah turned. “I thought you were sleeping.”
Embarrassed, I went into defensive mode. “You know, all this time I thought you were a lying traitor, but now I’m starting to think you’re just plain delusional.”
“I was praying.”
Fanatical. Delusional. What’s the difference? “Tell me why you did it, Micah.”
He rolled his eyes. “Which one of my supposed crimes are we talking about?”
“Why did you defect to the Skaggs?”
“How many times do I have to tell you, Seraphina? I am not a traitor.”
“Did you or did you not leave me that day and go to the Skaggs?”
He pointed at me. “Ah-ha! That’s it, isn’t it? That’s the real issue. This isn’t about the Skaggs or even the Spathi. It’s about me leaving you.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I spat back.
“And it’s been pissing you off ever since.”
“Pissing me off?” White-hot rage rose inside me. “I thought you’d been captured!” I shouted. “I cried over you! I joined the militia to avenge you! And then I see you marching with my enemy? I should have shot you the moment I saw you!”
“We both know how effective that would have been,” he retorted.
I folded my arms.. “Tell me the truth. No more superhero stories.”
The Goliath Code (The Alpha Omega Trilogy) Page 27
