“That is exactly what we’re going to do. Unless, of course, you would prefer that we killed you as well,” The Redeemer sneered as the Anokians transferred the bomb from our truck to their floating platform.
“Violence will not be necessary, Commander. We are only asking for a simple meeting with the High King,” I replied as the engineers steered the bomb and the floating platform past me and headed toward the Anokian ship directly behind The Redeemer.
“And again your request is denied. Your purpose has been served, human. You had best leave this place while you still have the chance,” The Redeemer growled.
“Very well,” I sighed as I turned and started toward our semi-truck. I purposely walked slowly as I waited for the engineers to load the bomb into their ship. Here goes nothing, I thought as I listened to them load the device into their ship and initiate their take off sequence.
“You know, I do have one question,” I said as I smirked and glanced over my shoulder at The Redeemer just as the ship carrying the bomb rocketed upward and zoomed away into the night sky.
“You test my patience, human,” The Redeemer growled as I turned to face him.
“Forgive me, Commander, but I just wanted to know what you planned to do with the eighty-five thousand-pound paper weight that your men just took off with,” I smirked as I stared back at him.
“What did you say?!” he demanded as he glanced from his ship to me.
“I said that the bomb your men just took off with is completely useless because a certain friend of mine took the liberty of encrypting the detonation sequence. There’s a key, of course, but you won’t be getting that unless I get my meeting with The Righteous,” I said firmly.
“You dare?!” The Redeemer roared as he leapt toward me. I tried to run before he could grab me and The Strangers behind me all aimed their rifles as The Redeemer blazed forward, but none of us were fast enough to match his unbelievable speed. In a flash he zoomed over and wrapped his cold metal right hand tightly around my throat before I had even taken a single step.
“Hold your fire!” my Lieutenant bellowed as The Redeemer dangled me in the air in front of him with one hand.
“Where is the key?!” he roared.
“Arrange the meeting and I’ll tell you,” I choked out as his iron grip threatened to crush my throat.
“No, you will tell me right now or else I’ll rip your head from your shoulders, human!” he barked.
“And then you’ll never find it. It’s not a physical key, Commander, it’s a code and there are only two people who know it. One is me—”
“And the other is me,” The Suspect suddenly interjected as his image abruptly appeared on nearly every one of the damaged monitors that lined almost all of the decayed buildings that surrounded us in what was left of Times Square. The assault rifle wielding Strangers that still huddled near the SUVs behind us stared up at the monitors in amazement as the dead eyes of The Suspect’s Greek Tragedy mask glared down at The Redeemer.
“Greetings, Knight Commander. I would introduce myself but by now I assume you have already heard of me,” The Suspect said as The Redeemer glared up at him.
“Perhaps, but this is not a battle that can be won by reputation alone. If you do not give me that encryption key she will be dead within seconds and the rest of your men will shortly follow her,” The Redeemer threatened as he tightened his already iron grip around my neck.
“I’d rethink that if I were you, Commander— because I’m sure you wouldn’t want to do anything that would cause me to trigger the eighty-thousand-pound bomb that’s currently headed back to your mother ship,” The Suspect replied.
“Impossible,” The Redeemer gasped as he turned his attention to the four subordinate Knights behind him. “Call them back! Now!”
“Something’s blocking the signal,” the Knight closest to him replied as he tried in vain to radio the Anokian craft that was carrying the antimatter bomb back to The Pillar of Eden.
“That would be me, Sir. And I wouldn’t bother trying to send your other ship to catch up to them. You’ll find that I’ve already disabled it if you do,” The Suspect said.
“You think this will stop us? Do you actually think that you can threaten the most powerful empire in the entire universe with a single bomb?” The Redeemer scoffed.
“I don’t THINK I can, dear Commander, I know I can. Due to the modifications that I made to the device, I am now able to remotely trigger that bomb at any time that I choose and I think we both know that it is more than powerful enough to bring down even The Pillar of Eden were it to be detonated inside the ship.”
“I would see this planet destroyed before I allow you to take down that ship,” The Redeemer threatened.
“Idle threats do not become you, Knight Commander. There are so few planets throughout the cosmos that are capable of sustaining life. The environment of Earth is almost identical to that of Eden and that is the very reason why I have deduced that your Lord Commander means to take this planet as his own. He would never let you destroy this world because he knows that it is likely the only worthy replacement for the one that you have lost.”
“You don’t know what your—” The Redeemer started but he instantly became silent as The Supernal stepped forward and thrust her right hand in his direction.
“Release her, Jonas,” she ordered as her waves of curly mahogany hair fluttered in the wind around her. I heaved for air and struggled to catch my balance as The Redeemer placed me on my feet and shoved me away without a word.
“And what do you suppose we do now?” The Supernal asked The Suspect as she stared up at the largest screen that bore his image.
“I believe my protégé requested a meeting with your High King. You can start by honoring her request,” The Suspect replied as I backed away and rejoined my squad of Strangers near our convoy of vehicles.
“And I trust that you’ll disable the bomb should we do so?” The Supernal asked.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, madam Commander,” The Suspect answered.
“I’d be mindful of that tone of yours if I were you. This little trick that you have pulled may have given you a temporary strategic advantage, but if you are as smart as you say, you should know that you are still woefully overmatched,” The Supernal warned.
“And what would you have me do, Commander? Simply step aside and watch as your people wipe us from the face of existence? We have no choice but to fight.”
“Then you have chosen death, for that is all that will come of your resistance. You must understand that I cannot allow my people to continue to suffer when the answer to their collective plights is just within our grasp. We mean no ill will to the human race but we will do what is necessary to ensure our own survival. Whether you like it or not, this planet will be commandeered by the Anokian Empire,” The Supernal said firmly.
“I admire your candor, madam Commander, but you should know that we will not go quietly. We were supposed to be building a better world together not handing it over to you. That is not what was promised to us,” The Suspect retorted.
“I believe my counterpart has already spoken on the empty promises of Solomon, The Righteous— and if you think we are here to negotiate then I regret to inform you that you are sadly mistaken. Yours is a Type 0 civilization, Sir. Do you really think your people can contend with the might of an Empire as advanced as ours?” she questioned.
“I’ll take my chances,” The Suspect replied.
“This does not have to end in conflict. Our people are prepared to assist the humans with the terraforming and colonization of another planet within this solar system— in fact this was our intent all along. And we are even prepared to allow up to one year for the transitional period,” The Supernal offered.
“Let’s get one thing straight, Commander: If you want this rock then come and take it, but if you think for a second that we’ll just hand it over without a fight then you’re in for one hell of a surprise,” The Suspect warned
.
“I urge you to reconsider,” The Supernal cautioned as her patience obviously began to wear thin.
“There’s nothing for me to consider, and perhaps you have not yet realized it, Commander, but you are in no position to be making demands. By my calculations the ship that was carrying the Equillian antimatter bomb has likely reached The Pillar of Eden and you should also know that I just activated the bomb,” The Suspect replied.
“You did what?!” I asked as my eyes widened with surprise.
“The girl is genuinely surprised. I take it you did not discuss the full details of your plan with her?” The Supernal asked The Suspect as she stared awkwardly at me.
“I had no choice, Alias. The Supernal can hear your thoughts; therefore, I had to mislead you in order to ensure that my plan was successful,” The Suspect explained.
“But I don’t understand. You said you never meant to actually arm the bomb,” I replied.
“I had no choice. It was the only way that I could force their hands— the only way I could make them arm their Infinite Mass Weapon.”
“But that weapon could destroy us all!” I protested.
“Precisely, Alias! And that fact is exactly what will finally bring this world together! The human race has always been at its best when our backs are against the wall. Now we find ourselves at the edge of oblivion and it is only through unity that we shall find the strength we need to crush those who would dare to rise against us!” The Suspect preached.
“But Reaper is aboard that ship!” I objected.
“Indeed, but we must focus our efforts on the needs of the many at this time,” The Suspect said.
“But he’s your—”
“Brother,” The Supernal said as she read my thoughts and finished my sentence. “You would go as far as to destroy your own flesh and blood?” she asked as she stared up at The Suspect.
“If I must,” The Suspect said darkly.
“You play a dangerous game, Sir,” The Supernal warned.
“And it is one that I intend to win, madam Commander. I have activated the antimatter bomb with a seventy-two hour timer and I can assure you that there is no one alive who can disable that device other than me. If you attempt to evacuate the ship or disarm the bomb I will remotely trigger it before you have the chance. I realize that you may be thinking that this is merely a bluff and for that reason I will restore your communications once I end this transmission. That way you can confirm just how real this predicament is. In the end, you will soon come to realize that you are left with only two choices: give in to my demands or watch as The Pillar of Eden is destroyed,” The Suspect said confidently.
“And what exactly are your demands? Spare the earth? Release your brother into your custody?” The Supernal asked.
“No, I demand to meet face to face with your High King,” The Suspect said firmly.
“That will not be possible. Perhaps you could speak with the Lord Commander instead,” The Supernal offered.
“No, The Godhand was not the one who lied to me! You will arrange the meeting with The Righteous or watch The Pillar burn!” The Suspect barked, just before his video feed flickered away, leaving only static behind.
My left hand slowly crept down to the large pistol on my hip as The Supernal and The Redeemer stared at each other in dismay.
“What do you think?” The Redeemer asked The Supernal as an uneasy silence fell over the rest of the area.
“He could be bluffing. Have the men confirm with The Pillar,” The Supernal suggested.
“He’s not bluffing, Lemore,” a thundering voice suddenly rang out from near the Anokian ship behind them.
“What makes you so certain, Lord Commander?” The Supernal asked as a gigantic image of Cyrus, The Godhand was suddenly projected into the air by their spaceship. He had intense brown eyes and long dark hair that connected with a thick full faced beard that came all the way down to his chest.
“We were able to view bits and pieces of the broadcast on our end. I am also having a full spectrum analysis done on the device. Though the final results are still pending, the preliminary readings clearly indicate that the bomb has been armed,” The Godhand explained.
“Is it possible to disable it?” The Supernal asked.
“Theoretically. However, I do not wish to take that chance. Our scans also revealed that the bomb was modified with several tamper detection triggers. We would have to simultaneously disable each trigger before we could even attempt to disable the bomb, and even a single failed attempt could set off a chain reaction that could destroy this entire vessel. It’s just not worth the risk. We have already lost Eden and if we lose The Pillar as well, our people are finished.”
“Then what are your orders, Lord Commander?” The Redeemer asked.
“We will prime the Infinite Mass Weapon immediately. Once the humans find themselves faced with their own destruction they will have no choice but to turn over the one who has sprung this trap— lest their planet be destroyed.”
“Understood, my Lord. And what would you have us do with the humans who delivered the bomb?” The Redeemer asked.
“Kill them all,” The Godhand said dismissively, just before his projection flickered away.
“Target the girl first. Above all else we must make sure that she does not survive,” The Supernal ordered as she firmly thrust her index finger in my direction.
“What’s so special about her?” The Redeemer asked as their four subordinates fanned out in front of us.
“I’m not quite sure why but something tells me that if she does not die our people shall suffer a great loss in the coming days,” The Supernal replied as my Stranger operatives sprinted forward and formed a circle around me.
“You’re outnumbered five to one. There’s no way you can win this!” I warned as I withdrew the massive pistol from my left hip and glared at The Supernal from behind my readied soldiers. I was doing my best to project confidence but at the end of the day I think we all knew that even with a squad as large as ours we were still hopelessly overmatched. Just one Anokian was strong enough to overpower nearly one-hundred men at once and we were seconds away from facing off with six of them. Our chances were grim to say the least, and with each thundering step that they took forward, our doom became that much more certain.
14. ENEMY OF MY ENEMY
AUDREY:
“YOU FELLAS WOULDN’T MIND IF ME AND THE BOYS CUT in, would ya?” someone suddenly yelled from behind us in a thick southern accent. The approaching Anokian squad suddenly froze within their tracks as another large group of commandos suddenly emerged from behind us.
“Charlie?!” I gasped as I whipped around and noticed that he, Tango and a large group of armed government operatives were moving towards our group from behind. Charlie was wearing his usual black cowboy hat along with brown and black combat armor under his long brown duster coat. Tango wore his usual half faced Venetian mask along with black body armor and a heavy duty combat vest that covered everything on his upper body except his extremely muscular arms. Two ninja swords were sheathed across his back and his cybernetic left eye glowed bright red as he set his sights on the Anokian squad that stood before us. Now that Charlie and Tango were working for the U.S. government I normally wouldn’t have been so happy to see them but in that moment I couldn’t have been more ecstatic.
“Evenin’ Miss Lady,” Charlie replied as he and the large group of government operatives marched towards us.
“I’m guessing you saw the broadcast?” I asked as their squad fell in line with ours.
“Damn right we did,” Charlie said as he turned his attention to The Supernal and her group, who were still standing five meters away from us. “Now you six rascals weren’t thinkin’ about jumpin’ these good folks here, were ya? ‘Cause if so, we might just have lil bit of a problem, Hoss,” Charlie said as he tipped his hat towards The Supernal.
“This does not concern you and I would question your willingness to aid those whom your
government has deemed a terrorist organization,” The Supernal replied as her white and gold cloak wavered in the wind behind her.
“That may be the case but they’re not the ones trying to take over our planet,” a familiar voice shouted as the group of government agents suddenly parted.
“You!” The Redeemer suddenly barked as Reaper’s best friend and deadly ninja assassin, Ace stepped forward to join me at the front of our combined group. He was wearing a heavier armored version of his typically lightweight ninja armor along with his usual black headband and razor sharp katana sheathed at his right hip.
“Yeah, it’s me, Hotshot. Did you miss me?” Ace mocked as he flexed his right arm, revealing that the entire arm had been replaced with a high-tech black and silver prosthetic.
“Wait, Jonas!” The Supernal yelled just before The Redeemer could lash out at Ace. “Perhaps we should reconsider our approach,” she continued as her cautious hazel colored eyes scanned our large group.
“You’re suggesting we retreat?” The Redeemer fumed as he glanced at Ace once again.
“I’m suggesting that we use our heads,” The Supernal snapped.
“Better listen to your mama, Hoss,” Charlie quipped as he withdrew his gigantic revolver from the low slung holster on his right hip. “Cause if you even think about steppin’ this way I guarantee you won’t know your ass from your elbow by the time we get through with ya!”
“Enough of this nonsense!” The Redeemer howled as he angrily rocketed towards our group before The Supernal could stop him. All hell suddenly broke loose as both sides opened fire just as The Redeemer slammed into our group, knocking Ace, Charlie and me to the ground before any of us had time to react.
A sweet smelling, yellowish gas filled the air as the government operatives around us fired canisters towards the Anokian Knights. Our group’s bullets were practically useless against their dense Anokian-Steel armor but the Knights instantly backed away as the yellow gas threatened to overwhelm them. Ace, Charlie and I leapt to our feet as my Strangers and their government agents quickly moved to cut the Anokians off before they could reach their ship.
Savior Part 3: Legion of The Godhand (The Savior Series) Page 12
