“Can you take me to him, it might be easier that way.” I said to her, glancing intently at Basteed.
“Of course, Basteed, don’t shoot anyone while I’m gone, unless they are one of the Warlord’s tin soldiers.” She said, turning and walking away.
We followed her down the alleyway and turned the corner. She waved at a couple of groups of men and had to talk to the ones posted outside the diner alone, pointing to us as she spoke.
She waved us over and opened the door for us, letting us enter without her. I instantly spotted Brigand. He was walking towards us, crossbow in hand. He saw me and stopped in his tracks.
“I see you made it out intact, and managed to get who you were after as well.” He said, motioning to Kim and Arendiol.
“I did, but Sessarian, she um, didn’t make it.” I said, somberly.
He looked at me for a second before turning away, nodding once.
“She knew the risk, she will be missed.” He added.
I gave him a moment, not wanting to impose on him more than I already had.
“I know I don’t have any right to ask, but I need a favor.” He eyed me sharply.
“Go on.” He said.
“First, can you keep these two safe for a little while? I have some unfinished business and until it’s over I would feel better if I knew they were okay.”
“What kind of unfinished business?” He asked, a glint of hope in his eye.
I knew he wanted me to become the next king of Atlantis and he knew I didn’t. I think he figured once I got Kim and Arendiol to safety I would bail and leave them to handle things out on their own. I probably would have too if it wasn’t for the Warlord’s crazy plans for world domination.
I debated whether or not to tell him about Karakatos’s planned offensive attack and decided if I was going to ask for his help in getting back into the capital he should know what was going on.
So I quickly told him about what the Warlord and Julake were up to and what I intended to do about it. I left out the part about Neal; I just felt the less who knew the better. Old habits die hard I guess.
“Well, that would explain all the activity in the old machinery on the outskirts of the city. That was the ascension machine firing up, long ago built, never used equipment to bring us to the surface.”
“Sounds like you’re going to fulfill your destiny after all.” He added, smiling at me like a cat with a mouth full of mice.
“I don’t know about all of that. I just need a way to get to the roof. All the stairs are guarded, it makes sense for the Warlord to have concentrated all his men in the capital, he doesn’t want anyone stopping him. I only have a short amount of time left before we breach the surface and he fires the damn things, can you help me or what?” I asked, knowing the clock was ticking.
We will breach in approximately fifteen minutes, it may take a little while after that to actually fire the weapons. He responded.
Another tremor shook the foundation of Atlantis and I had to grab the edge of a table to keep my footing. Dust and small pieces of the wall crumbled as we continued ever upwards.
“Of course I will help.” He smiled, and something in it made me very apprehensive. “Follow me, I think I have just what you need.” He added, with a dangerous gleam in his eye.
Chapter eighteen
“There’s no way in hell I’m putting that thing on my back.” I said, looking at the “solution” Brigand had offered me.
“Those without, shouldn’t be demanding when they are given that which they need.” He held what looked like the first ever jet pack.
I think what he was trying to say was beggars can’t be choosers. They could if they wanted to live.
“I want to get to the roof, not get splattered on the wall.” I said, knowing my feistiness was only because I knew I was going to fly through the air with this death trap on my back, but that didn’t mean I had to be happy about it.
He held it out stubbornly. I looked at it again, seeing my death written all over the damn thing. It was old alright, but it was of Atlantean design, maybe there was one more good flight left in it, maybe.
I took it from his hands and put it on, holding my sword in one hand. He checked it over, making sure it was secured.
“Good, looks like you’re all set. Here.” He said, handing me the small control handle.
“Just squeeze this for lift and release it slowly to descend, you change direction by leaning.” He gave me a quick tutorial, probably the fastest one in history.
“Just like riding a bike.” I muttered to myself.
“Huh?”
“Nothing.”
“I also thought you might need this.” He reached out and handed me a pistol of Atlantean design, it was sleek and futuristic looking, it also looked like it could shoot a hole through a bank vault.
“Sweet, but I didn’t get you anything.” I answered, taking the pistol and replacing the old antique with the newer model. It fit well enough, the holster held it tight. I didn’t have to worry about it falling out during a compromising situation.
“Now I don’t know how much fuel is in the tank, but it should be enough to get you to the roof.” Brigand started when I interrupted him.
“If you don’t know how much is in it, how do you know there’s enough to get me up there, I mean that’s pretty much the definition of not knowing, you kinda don’t know.” I was rambling, flying made me nervous.
“Once you’re on the roof you will need to shed that thing quickly, it is bulky and will only slow you down.” He said, ignoring me.
“Okay, fly up there, stop the Warlord and save the day, got it.” I stepped to the edge, looking down.
The building we were on wasn’t all that tall, but it sure looked higher than it should have, maybe that’s because I was going to fly off of it and use a jet pack that was old by even Methuselah’s standards to reach a roof four times as high as the one I was on.
We were across the street from the capital, on the roof of the diner I had passed through to sneak over under-ground. I guess it was fitting that this time I use it to sneak over over-ground.
“No time like the present, I guess.” I said, gathering my courage.
We’re doing great. I have the shield all set up and I am being amused at the programmer’s attempts to gain access. I don’t think you should come in here though, there’s about fifty soldiers waiting for you.
That did not sound like the Neal I have known for all these years.
I think so, but I’m not sure what the extent of the rift’s energies on my programming is having. I feel….. funny. He answered.
Feel funny? Neal had never had a feeling for as long as I have known him.
I gripped the throttle, my knuckles white from squeezing too tight and spread my legs, getting a wide base of support. I didn’t know what to expect when I fired it up and wanted to prepare for anything.
I squeezed the trigger and felt the pack hum to life, only to be interrupted every few seconds as it sputtered and coughed. I turned to Brigand, looking at him with a dwindling sense of confidence.
“It will work, it will work.” He said like a ritual, almost as if he was trying to convince himself.
I faced the capital, resigned to my fate. It would either get me where I needed or it wouldn’t, there was only one way to find out.
I squeezed tighter and the pack answered with a loud growl as I felt my feet lift off from the roof, I hung in the air for a few seconds, just hovering, then with a slight shift of weight, went forward, leaving the safety of the roof for the open air.
I increased the throttle and started ascending while also getting closer to the capital building. I watched below, seeing as the fighting was beginning to incre
ase. The soldiers had far more firepower, but the fighters outnumbered them, making it an almost even fight. From this high, though, I could see a couple of groups of soldiers coming from the back of the building, going to reinforce their comrades. I just hoped they didn’t spot me; I wasn’t sure how well this thing would hold up under fire.
The building grew as I got closer and closer, while at the same time getting higher, making everyone look smaller by contrast. I tried to keep my sights on the capital, not wanting to keep looking down for fear of what the view would do to me.
I was two levels from the roof and almost thirty feet away when the first rifle blast zipped past my head. I jerked and almost lost control of the pack as it veered forward and then stabilized. I looked down quickly, seeing one of the groups of soldiers looking up at me and drawing their rifles.
Within a few seconds the air was filled with rifle blasts, the soldiers fired over and over, hoping to blow me out of the sky. I started to panic and leaned forward, increasing my speed.
I felt the dull impact of a rifle blast as it hit my jet pack and I was knocked sideways. The thing started skipping and sputtering again and I began to lose altitude, I was only ten feet away and saw an open balcony I hoped to be able to crash land on. Smoke filled the air as the damage to the pack caused it to smolder and my eyes stung. I wasn’t sure how much longer the pack was going to hold up so I increased the throttle and angled towards my make shift landing site.
With a slight kick I rocketed forward, faster than I intended and a few feet from my destination the pack coughed one more time and died, leaving me to begin falling, taking me past the balcony and right into the hard marble surface of the building, knocking the wind out of me.
I reached out in desperation, hoping with everything I had that I could get a grip on something and stop myself from becoming a stain on the street. Somehow my fingers found purchase and I held on for dear life, the view around me disappeared from the thick smoke being emitted from the dead jet pack.
I quickly wriggled free from the thing and sent it unceremoniously down to a dramatic ending. I immediately began climbing, hoping to get to cover before the soldiers shot me full of holes. As I went I noticed the air was strangely free of rifle blasts and thanked my lucky stars for whatever miracle was involved in that.
Reaching the balcony I peered over, making sure it was clear and was immediately glad I did. Just a few feet away stood three soldiers, each one looking towards Neal as he worked within his protective shield. Within the room stood dozens more, all standing with weapons at the ready, as if Neal was going to go berserk and start slaughtering them.
I dipped back down, realizing I had to climb to the roof while avoiding the balcony.
Sounds like fun. I’m having a little get together with thirty of my favorite people. Neal answered.
I can tell from your response that you think I’m being different. Neal sent.
Also what? Ohhh, you figured it out didn’t you?
I have run all the scenarios, figured my options; this is the only one that keeps the after effects of shutting the rift from killing thousands.
I suppose so. I really don’t have any other choice.
I paused, emotions I didn’t even realize I had threatened to debilitate me.
I’m going to miss you too.
My lord.
I had to stop, taking a second to let my vision clear. For some damn reason they had gotten all cloudy, maybe something in the air made them tear up.
Yeah, don’t get killed.
Have you ever thought if I had been cooler, I wouldn’t have hung around with you so much?
I finally reached the lip of the roof, getting ready to pull myself up and seeing what kind of hell I had climbed into. I stopped for a second, gathering myself for what was to come. I started breathing slowly and calmed my mind, opening myself to the dark energy, drawing that energy into myself.
Again I felt as the muscle used to draw in power was weakened, it was still cramped, but I still felt as the juice I could draw in flowed into my body and filled me with its power. I took one more breath.
Chapter nineteen
I peeked over the ledge, getting a quick look at what I was dealing with. The roof was empty of the things you would normally see on a human constructed building. There was no air conditioner units, no large pieces of equipment that kept the building comfortable; instead the entire space was a well-organized and meticulously kept garden. Small waist high shrubs decorated the perimeter, leading into a beautifully manicured landscape, full of fragrant flowers, small decorative trees and raised herb gardens. It looked like something out of a gardening in the city magazine, an almost “how to” on urban rooftop landscaping.
Right in the middle of it, like some cancer of malicious growth, completely opposite of the healthy substance around it, arose a large cannon. Its Atlantean design gave it a smooth and regal quality, but its very existence here amidst so much natural beauty marred it and made its presence hideous.
The barrel rose twenty feet into the air, pointing towards the sky. At the base stood Julake and the Warlord, each at their respective positions on either side of the weapon. They were focused on the cannon, completing whatever tasks needed to be done before firing the damnable thing.
Surrounding them was a small squad of soldiers. Each one dressed in the blue battle armor that resembled the Warlord’s. They carried small, compact and dangerous looking guns that I thought best reminded me of Uzi’s. I didn’t want to see what they did when fired, but I figured I wasn’t really going to get the option of opting out of that choice.
I dropped back down and started shimmying to my right, towards a long section of bushes that I could use as cover as I climbed onto the roof. Once in place I hauled myself up and kept low, not wanting to give my position up too soon.
I knew my time was running out, soon we would surface and then the Warlord would be able to fire his weapons, my shoulder was throbbing from the shot I had taken earlier and I was incapable of drawing much energy into myself. I had my sword and the pistol Brigand had given me, but I was without my most powerful weapon. Neal. I felt alone and naked without his black silhouette nearby, knowing he had my back.
I looked around, trying to find something that might allow me to get a little closer, to let me shrink the distance between them and me. I reached over and picked up a small rock, tossing it once in my palm. It wasn’t much, but hopefully it would do.
I peeked around my cover and saw the soldiers in the same position, then tossed the rock, hoping it would draw their attention. I heard it clatter to the ground and the soldiers all reacted, looking towards the sound. I kept low and dashed from cover, hurrying towards a small herb garden. It was almost three feet tall and made from interlaced rocks; the fragrant aroma of the fresh herbs assaulted me as
I closed the distance.
One of the soldiers whipped his head back and saw me scrambling towards my cover and yelled something I couldn’t quite catch. I didn’t need to understand what he said to know what he meant when the air exploded in gun fire. I ducked low; cursing under my breath for my bad luck as my hiding spot slowly started dwindling as the soldiers began blasting chunks of it away.
I started panicking; I didn’t know what to do. I had no real shield once my cover was gone, I didn’t have enough juice to get all of them with a dark energy attack and I was too far away to make sure I could take them out with my sword without getting shot full of holes.
Concentrating on my breathing I started to slow it down, focus my mind and hope that I could gather more energy to allow me to send one large, energy charged pistol blast towards the weapon, hopefully to destroy it and keep the Warlord from launching his attack, even if it meant getting killed in the process.
My concentration was shattered as I heard a loud noise, a sound very similar to what you hear on a rollercoaster, one part fear and one part pure excitement. A split second later Brigand came flying over the lip of the roof, the same model of old and beaten up jet pack strapped to his back. It sputtered and stalled, then kicked back to life as he dropped and rose with each agonized malfunction, a large grin split his face as the smoke from the dying pack momentarily hid him from view.
He looked towards the soldiers and his smile turned devious as he tossed a small round ball towards them, a second later the pack finally died, and surprised fear shone from Brigand’s face as he began to plummet from the sky.
“Uh oh.” I heard him say as I jumped up and raced towards him, diving with my arms out.
Brigand’s arms flailed wildly as he sank, it was almost like watching Wiley Coyote as he runs off the edge of a cliff and just stands in mid-air, not falling until he looks down and realizes his predicament.
I hoped beyond hope that I could make it to him, moving with all I had, knowing the power within me would aid in my movements. I reached out, and dove, just barely making it to him. I grabbed onto his arm and slid to a halt, using my feet to try and anchor myself from falling off the edge myself.
Lost Son Page 23
