by R J Johnson
“Time to get moving Scotty my boy…” Alex warned. He was focusing on the door, hoping he could feel the guards coming. They should be carrying weapons that he could detect with the Fire Stone.
And in fact, as he closed his eyes and extended his sense out into the hallway, he could feel a half dozen men running down the hall carrying heavy weapons with them.
“Scoooott…” Alex warned.
“Just a few.more.seconds…” Scott said, his eyes never leaving the monitor.
“We don’t have any seconds left…” Alex answered.
He could hear the pounding of heavy boots against the linoleum floor as the guards approached the server room.
“Time to shift us!” Alex said to his friend. “We’re out of time!”
“No!” Scott screamed in protest. “I’m so close, I need to be me to finish running the program.”
It was too late, the guards burst in the door, each of them holding a PHaSeR rifle.
Alex swallowed and summoned a wall of flames that surrounded them and surprised the guards who reared back, hoping to avoid the blast of heat they’d just walked into.
“Scott! Now!” Alex urged. He held an enormous ball of flame in his hands ready to unleash it on guards firing at them.
“NO!” Scott said pleading, still typing away on the keyboard in front of him.
Alex grabbed his friend and pulled him away from the terminal. Scott wrenched himself free and continued to type.
Two of the guards recovered and aimed their rifles at Alex firing at him.
Alex cried out and his body went stiff. He slumped against the server rack and fell to the ground in an awkward position. Scott whirled around, and saw his friend fall to the ground.
Scott roared and suddenly his face shifted into a grizzly bear. Huge rippling muscles ripped out of his back as he shifted into the terrifying beast.
Scott the Grizzly roared and the guards cried out in shock. They aimed their rifles at the new threat, but moved too slowly.
Scott ripped through them like tissue paper. Scott leapt forward with more Heidi than a two thousand pound animal should have had, grabbing the first security guard by the forearm, his massive jaws snapping shut.
The guard cried out, his arm holding the PHaSeR clattering to the ground.
Scott didn’t waste any time as he made short work of the other guards standing close together in the server room. A few shots were fired, but they landed harmlessly on the ceiling.
Scott had gone full bezerker mode and was tearing into the security guards who were attacking him and Alex. Alex could only watch as his best friend made short work of the rent-a-cops Halprin had sent to stop him.
After finishing off the last guard, Scott shifted back into his human form and stood over the last living security guard who was gasping for air. Scott had torn a chunk off his shoulder. He was out of the fight and would need medical attention if he were to survive. However, Scott wasn’t inclined to let him get it.
Scott stared down with all the hate and disgust he felt at Halprin being projected down at the security guard laying helpless before him. He wanted to make this man suffer the same way Halprin had made his Molly suffer. He wanted this man to die.
And he was the man to do it.
Alex saw his friend hovering over the guard ready to strike him down when he called out weakly, “Scott…”
Scott didn’t look over at his friend. “They deserve to die for what they did to Molly.”
The guard didn’t say anything, he just stared up at Scott, waiting for the death blow to come.
“Scott…” Alex managed to wheeze painfully. “It never helps…”
Scott finally looked over at Alex and then back at the man on the ground. He closed his eyes as if making a decision.
“It won’t bring her back…”
Scott opened his eyes, sighing. He turned back to the terminal and typed a few more commands.
Wearily, he picked up his friend and helped him move out to the hallway. The klaxon alarm was still blaring through the hallway and they winced, looking for an exit.
“This way…” Scott said, sounding confident.
Alex had no choice but to let his friend carry him out. The PHaSeR rifle was incredibly powerful and had knocked out most of the feeling in his body. He’d known his healing stone couldn’t help him with the shock, but still, feeling this helpless was a new feeling that he definitely didn’t like.
Scott dragged him down the hallway until they reached what looked like a ventilation duct. Opening it, he closed his eyes.
Alex felt his body become smaller and smaller until he was the brown rat that had gotten them into the server room. Unfortunately, the effects from the PHaSeR rifle hadn’t worn off as he shifted and he wasn’t able to move.
Scott gently picked him up and placed him in the ventilation duct. He boosted himself up and onto the ledge of the duct, pulling the door closed after him.
Chapter Forty-Six
Alex and Scott emerged out of the subbasement of Auburn Industries, finding themselves in the lobby. Dozens of security people were milling about, all of whom were carrying the PHaSeR rifles that had knocked Alex flat on his back. He shuddered, seeing the rifles everywhere. He’d grown used to being invulnerable against most weapons, but those rifles had been a terrible shock.
They were still disguised as a large pair of rats, so no one had noticed them at first. Scott’s rat scurried along the edge of the lobby heading for the corner behind some large fake plastic trees. Once he reached the corner, Scott transformed into his human form, wearing a similar outfit that the rest of the security personnel were wearing.
Alex followed his friend’s lead and ran to hide behind the fake plastic tree before he was spotted as well.
“Now what?” Scott asked his friend.
“Now we act natural and get the hell out of here…” Alex said. He knew that was probably easier said than done, but if they wanted to get out alive, they’d need a bit of luck.
“Oh sure, ‘act natural.’” Scott snorted. “What does that even mean? What exactly counts as natural?”
“Not the time Scotty.” Alex admonished. He looked them up and down. They looked convincing enough, but they weren’t carrying the specialty rifles which would immediately cast them as suspect.
“Yeah but…”
Suddenly the doors to the lobby burst open and JT Halprin strode through the double doors and his face made it clear he was in no mood. Scott stiffened, seeing the man for the first time since learning of his part in Molly’s death. Alex grabbed his friend’s arm, hoping to hold him back before he did anything rash and blew their cover.
“YOU!” he barked at the nearest security man. “Where are the intruders?”
The security man looked around helplessly. He was just one of the lower level grunts. He had no idea.
“They’re telling us the people inside the building have escaped…” the man stammered. “We were told to stay put and stand ready to assist any of the teams clearing each floor.”
JT growled and pushed past the security man. He snapped his fingers toward Scott and Alex who were standing next to him. “You two! Come with me!”
Scott and Alex’s eyes went wide. Fortunately because of the helmets and visors they were wearing, their faces were invisible to the billionaire. Scott immediately moved to follow the billionaire even as Alex grabbed his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” Alex hissed at his friend, as they trailed behind the man who’d help to kill Molly.
“Following orders…” Scott answered, his voice sounding strange.
The billionaire strode down the hallway ignoring the stares of his employees as they meekly filed out, around them as they followed their evacuation plan.
“What do we know about the incursion so far?” JT barked to Scott. “How many of them are there? What did they get?”
“Reports say there were two men last spotted in the server room,” Scott quickly answered keepin
g his eyes low and away from the man. “But, they’ve escaped, possibly with the help of another party. We have no idea how many more there may be.”
JT grimaced. “Any reports of damage?”
“None that we know of so far,” Alex answered quickly for Scott. He wanted to take control of the situation. He didn’t like the way Scott was watching the man.
But Scott wouldn’t be put off. “Reports suggest that they may have escaped out through the ventilation ducts and out on the roof.”
“Have you checked it?”
“As soon as the building was evacuated, we were heading up clear the building,” Scott said.
“To hell with that, take me to the roof now!” JT snapped. “I want to be there when we find these men.”
“Sir,” Alex said forcefully. He needed to derail this before it got out of control, “perhaps you should wait until we secure…”
“This is my goddamn building!” JT roared. “I will do as I see fit!”
Alex fell silent, uncertain of what to do next. He didn’t want to blow their cover. For his part, Scott nodded and indicated that he should follow him into the elevator.
The doors closed and the car began to quickly ascend up to the roof. Alex watched Scott took time to examine the man who’d killed his girlfriend.
For his part, JT had no idea how close he was standing to his past. He sat there, absorbed in his blackberry as he attempted to figure out how much damage had been done to his brand and company. If the thieves had broken into the server room then they’d gotten access to blueprints of all their current and past projects. There was no telling the kind of damage that could do to his company. His competitors would have a field day.
The elevator chimed and they arrived on the roof. The doors opened and Scott indicated that JT should stay behind.
“Where is everyone?” JT asked, looking confused.
Scott roughly pulled JT out of elevator and onto the roof. As soon as was clear of the hallway, Scott began to transform. Halprin shrieked in surprise and Alex felt his stomach drop into his feet. He’d seen this coming and still hadn’t done anything to prevent it. It would be his fault if Scott did something rash now.
JT turned, attempting to flee, but the man was too slow. Scott grabbed him with one of his claws, beating the air with his wings as he attempted to take off.
“Scott!” Alex howled. “NO! Don’t do it!”
The dragon roared in response and batted Alex back with his tail. Alex rocketed back, slamming into the concrete retaining wall on the other side of the building. The dragon turned, his wings beating against the air as clutched JT tighter.
Alex woozy from the hit, stumbled to his feet and began to throw a pair of fireballs at the beast’s wings. Alex aimed with the hope he might singe his friend’s wings badly enough that he wouldn’t be able to escape.
It nearly worked. The flames rippled across Scott’s wings and the dragon roared out in pain. JT screamed as the dragon tightened its hold on him, and fell over the side of the building.
“NO!” Alex screamed, watching his friend fall.
He struggled to get to his feet and ran to the other side of the building hoping to catch a glimpse of what happened to his friend. Poking his head over the wall, he saw Scott’s dragon fall and writhe around in freefall. Moments before he and JT ended up a smear on the street below, Scott’s dragon wings extended out and caught the updraft that flowed through the streets of downtown San Francisco.
Alex watched his friend take off for the second time in as many days and felt his heart grow heavy. His friend was on the path of revenge and that didn’t lead anywhere good. He’d been down the same road himself.
He turned and hurried down the stairs, praying he could catch up to his friend in time before he did something they’d both regret.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Kline fruitlessly searched the streets of Berlin for any indication of the stone the woman he’d encountered back at headquarters had used against him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t sense a thing.
He roared in frustration and punched a nearby column, the concrete exploding violently. The lamppost groaned and fell over, casting the street he was standing on into darkness.
Kline had never been so frustrated in his whole life. That piddling fool had held him off with only one stone. Oh, but what a stone! The woman had been able to rip his entire skyscraper off its foundations. Kline could only dream of what he might do with power like that. She’d even summoned enormous boulders out of thin air.
But without a better idea of where she was, or where she was going, Kline had no leads.
The phone he took from the woman earlier began ringing in his pocket. He’d sent the number to Tate in the hopes that if he’d seen anything relating to the strange stone he would update him immediately.
“Do you have good news Mr. Tate?”
“Perhaps,” Geoffrey said, sounding hesitant. “We just received a call from JT Halprin. Do you know him?”
“I know his brother better,” Kline said, thinking about the two billionaires. They were worth a pretty penny to his company, but were still small potatoes compared to his own massive fortune.
“Mr. Halprin just called and told us his business had been accosted by a man who shapeshifted into a dragon. Since it’s doubtful that the man is on a bad acid trip…”
“You believe you’ve found Mr. McCray…” Kline said nodding. “Where are they?”
“San Francisco at last report,” Tate said quickly. “I’m heading there now with a team already in place.”
“Do what you can to isolate them,” Kline said.
“Done. I’ve also learned that our headquarters in Berlin…”
“Yes, yes…” Kline said dismissively. “I know all about it.”
Tate cleared his throat, “Our client’s information was located there. I’ve been on the phone most of the morning assuring them that their data is still secure. Unfortunately, the insurance company…”
“I don’t give a damn about any of that,” Kline growled. “All that matters now are the stones. Get to San Francisco and get Mr. McCray.”
“Yes sir.” Geoffrey answered quickly.
“And Mr. Tate?” Kline said over the phone.
“Yes?”
“If you attempt to try and take Mr. McCray’s stones for yourself…” Kline didn’t finish the sentence. He knew his threat was weight enough.
“Absolutely not sir,” Tate replied instantly.
“Good,” Kline said. “Was there something else?”
“JT’s brother, Charles?”
“Yes, what of him?”
“Our people report he’s gone on another ‘hunt.’”
Kline smiled. This was the one of the benefits of owning one of the largest security companies in the world. He had all the best dirt on the most powerful men in the world. If word ever got out that the mogul liked to hunt human beings on his ranch in Switzerland, no country in the world would allow him to remain free.
Kline used the man’s predilections for hunting human beings to ensure Charles continued purchasing contracts for security. In return, Kline provided the billionaire with assurances that he could live his life as he saw fit, doing whatever he wanted.
So long as that didn’t collide with his interests.
“Always nice when the clients give you extra rope to hang themselves with,” Kline commented. “Any information on his target?”
“Our people have sent their dossier and summation of the situation so far,” Tate replied. “I know you have other things on your mind at the moment… but, I e-mailed it to you should you want to look it over.”
Kline opened the attachment Tate sent to his phone and briefly looked through the file. As he did, a smile began to spread across his face.
“Sir?” Tate asked, alarmed at the growing silence between them. That was never good with Kline. “Is there a problem?”
“Quite the opposite…” Kline said looking down at the file. In
it, was a picture of the man Halprin was hunting, and next to it, a photo of his beautiful wife.
It was the same woman who nearly bested him in Berlin.
“It’s amazing how the stones draw us together…” Kline drawled softly, scrolling through the documents.
Tate remained silent, not wishing to interrupt his bosses’ moment of clarity. Kline finished looking over the documents and smiled into the video camera.
“Mr. Tate, I believe you have your orders…”
With that, he disconnected the call and snapped his fingers, disappearing in a flash, off to Charles Halprin’s estate in Switzerland.
Chapter Forty-Eight
After his strange encounter with the Old Man, and the even stranger incident with Ari, Johan had no idea what to expect once he’d gotten away from the man. But after hiking the Swiss mountains over the last few hours, he was beginning to suspect that the whole thing had been some sort of dehydrated induced delusion.
But, the stone that had granted him the ability to control water was still there, inside his jeans pocket. The thirst he’d experienced over the last few days was gone, and it was as if he could feel every drop of water within a few hundred miles. What frightened him was the fact that the stone told him he could control it all if he wanted. All he had to do was ask.
The worst part was, he wanted to see what he could really do. It was like peering over the side of a cliff – something inside you wanted to jump. It was the same way with the stone.
The wind shifted and he caught the scent of a nearby fire. Cursing, he crouched low and looked around for where the smell might be coming from.
On his hands and knees, he began to crawl toward the side of the nearby canyon where he peered through the thick brush. Below, he could see the billionaire Charles Halprin sitting around a campfire while a few of his men finished eating their evening meals.
Johan felt his stomach complain. He hadn’t eaten since the day he’d been captured. His captors hadn’t been interested in wasting any money on food during his transportation, and Johan figured Halprin wanted his prey weak.
