by Lysa Daley
“Does that mean they know we’re here?” I ask.
“Probably not.” He shakes his head. “To stay covert, they likely jam all traditional signals. Not just ours. This helps keep them off the grid.” My uncle examines his watch. “But here’s some good news. The signals from the pacemaker have gotten stronger. Which means we're closer to Ruby's dad.”
Moving as quickly and quietly as possible, the two of us make our way through a maze of small, dimly lit hive-like hallways. The signal continues to grow stronger leading us towards a windowless metal door at the end of an empty hall.
We're both surprised that the door is unlocked. But when we step through the threshold, we’re even more shocked. It’s another wide open space filled with hundreds and hundreds of cots, and those familiar olive green wool blankets.
“Oh, my stars…“ I mutter under my breath.
The difference between this room and the huge spaces that we previously encountered in California and Oregon is that these cots are filled with sleeping humans.
There must be close to 1000 people. Both men and women, young and old, of every race you can imagine. Everyone looks like they’re in a coma. However, there appears to be more Latino people than anything else, which I suppose makes sense considering we're in Mexico.
“Do you see Ruby's father?” I say, looking out across the sea of humanity.
“The signal isn’t coming from this room,” my uncle says studying the data on the high-tech watch. “But we’re close. It’s just beyond this room. Let's take a DNA sample back with us. See if any of these people are in our records.” My uncle says as he carefully plucks a loose hair from the pillow of the closest sleeping beauty.
It feels wrong to leave them here, sleeping prisoners to the Horlocks, but right now there's nothing else we can do.
Moving along the front wall, we come out on the other side, past the door and into what has clearly been designed as a jail. Heavy metal doors keep everyone inside with only a small glass window.
There must be 20 of these rooms.
As we move down the hallway, my uncle glances first at the tablet that has a picture of Ruby's family and then into each cell on the right.
“These cells are all full,” he says. “And they’re not here.”
I'm glancing into each door on the left. Surprised and frightened faces look back at me. Almost every cell has at least two if not more people being held inside.
I wonder if they're all going to end up sound asleep on a cot in the next room. And then what?
“Astrid, I found them.” My uncle stops in front of the third to last door. He peers through the tiny cell window. “And it’s not good.”
Chapter 24
Hearing that my uncle has found Ruby’s family, I spin around, abandoning the pair of elderly men sitting in a cell on the other side of the door. The look in the men’s eyes is so desperate that my heart aches to walk away, but right now we need to focus on Ruby's family. The best I can do is silently tell myself that we can come back and rescue everyone else later.
My uncle pulls out a flat piece of metal that resembles a nail file from the back of his tablet. He inserts it into the lock. After a few mechanical clicks, the door pops open. It’s a high tech lock pick.
“Where did you get that?”
“We have an inside source,” he says, adding no more.
What does that mean? Who’s the inside source?
Ruby’s mom and sister are on their feet, huddled together and clearly terrified. Phoebe, Ruby’s older sister, recognizes me immediately,
“Astrid! What are you doing here?”
“Rescuing you,” I reply.
“Astrid?” Ruby’s mom says, slowly approaching me like I might not be real. “Is that you?”
“It’s me, Mrs. Lee,” I reply trying to sound calm and confident. “It’s really me.”
Over my shoulder, I spot Ruby’s father. At first, it looks like he might be asleep. But his stillness is unnerving. It’s impossible not to wonder if he's even still alive.
I turn to Phoebe, “Is your dad okay?”
Her smile fades as her eyes dart to him then back to me. “It's his heart.”
“What's your husband’s name?” My uncle asks Ruby’s mom.
“Dak. Dak Lee.”
My uncle moves into the cell and kneels next to him. “Dak, can you hear me? Can you wake up, man?” When he doesn't respond, my uncle gently picks him up and drapes him over his shoulder. Then he turns to the three of us. “Let’s move it. We don't have a lot of time.”
Mrs. Lee grabs my arm. “Is Ruby okay?”
“Yes, she’s waiting for us,” I say, forcing a smile to ease a mother’s worries.
“Where?” Phoebe asks. “Is she here?”
“No.” How exactly do I explain that there’s a U.S. Navy warship waiting for us less than a mile off shore? Instead, I just say, “Nearby.”
“How did you find us?” Phoebe asks as we move into the hallway.
“The signal from your father’s pacemaker,” I explain.
We’re not even halfway down the short hallway when a harsh alarm start to blare. My uncle looks around and says, “Busted.”
“If they’ve been watching us, why didn’t they stop us before?”
My uncle steps protectively in front of our group as he upholsters his sleek alien weapon. “Probably wanted to get us trapped deeper inside their lair. That's what I would do. Now we’re going to have to fight our way out.”
Mrs. Lee whimpers as Phoebe wraps an arm around her mother. “It’ll be okay, mom.”
“Everyone stay behind me,” my uncle instructs us.
We all fall in line. Picking up the pace, we make it down the first hallway, around a corner, toward the heavy metal door we came in through.
But as soon as that door opens, we’re met by half a dozen suits pointing guns at us.
My uncle slams the door, and everyone instinctively backs up against the wall an instant before a shower of bullets slams into the metal door. The bullets don’t penetrate the metal, but they each make a dent.
“Back the way we came,” my uncle gestures the other way. Everyone retreats down the hallway.
“But there's nothing this way,” Phoebe frantically tries to tell us. “Just the cells. It’s a deadend. We can’t get out from there.”
Then, like angel song from heaven, Fitz’s voice reverberates in my earpiece. “Team Two. Come in. Over.”
My uncle quickly touches his ear responding, “Excellent timing, Command. We could use a little help.”
Fitz’s voice, although filled with static, comes through growing louder then softer. “Sounds like an alarm got triggered. Tanaka was able to tie into that frequency to get us back in contact with you.”
I love Tanaka more and more every day.
“We have acquired the targets but are being pursued by Horlocks.” My uncle gets command up to speed.
There’s a long moment of nothing but static as our group heads back toward the dead-end from which we just came.
The Horlocks have gotten the metal door open and are hot on our tail. A second group of suits rounds the corner from the other end of the hallway.
Now we’re really trapped.
Chapter 25
“Keep going,” my uncle tells us, adjusting the unconscious Mr. Lee on his shoulder.
The Horlocks squeeze off a couple of shots at us. Luckily, they’re far enough away that the purple alien energy misses us in the dim light.
“I’m reading your thermal footprint,” Tanaka’s voice kicks in my earpiece. “Should be some sort of corridor or tunnel on the left coming up. That should circle back around to what appears to be a docking area.”
“Great,” my uncle replies as we nearly miss the left-hand turn that Tanaka just mentioned. “This way back to the dock,” he calls to the Lees. Then he turns to me. “I’ll take the lead. You bring up the rear with the group.”
“No, you should let me go first,” I sugg
est. “You have the only weapon, and we’re being chased by guys who are shooting at us.”
I know the thought of me potentially running right into danger doesn't sit well with him. I can see he’s struggling to make a strategic decision.
“Okay, take the lead. But proceed with extreme caution.”
I race to the front of our group and lead us on into the unknown. We’re heading down the narrow passageway that Fitz directed us to.
I sure hope he knows what he’s talking about.
As we come to a corner, I cautiously slow down. It's a good thing I'm not running at full speed because I would have nearly crashed into a pair of suits coming the other way and pointing guns.
I slow to a stop, backing up and using my arms as a shield to warn the group behind me. I say the first thing that crosses my mind to the Horlocks, “Don't you guys ever get sick of wearing sunglasses inside?”
I don't recognize either of the suits; one’s a man; one’s a woman, but both sneer at me. The woman opens her mouth to speak, but the strangest voice comes out, “You look different without your sword, princess.”
Even though she's clearly a female, it's the male voice of Sunglasses Man that I hear. It startles me, but then I remember they have this whole weird hive mind thing going on.
“I came back to get it,” I reply.
“Well, good luck with that,” the male suit says in Sunglasses Man’s voice as he lunges at me.
I barely have time to react, but I'm able to thrust my foot forward and stop him with a thrusting kick. He jerks back but not so far out of my reach that I can't slam my other leg into his head using my roundhouse kick. His body bounces off the wall, and the back of his head makes a sickening crunch when he hits the floor.
Now it's the woman's turn. I wonder why they don't use their guns? Probably something to do with the close quarters of the hallway.
Or maybe they just want me alive. For now.
But as she advances, I quickly realize that she's a much more formidable foe than her partner. Her movements make it obvious that she’s a trained warrior.
Crouching into a fighting stance, I'm ready, but it doesn't matter because I barely take a step forward when she’s yanked past me and thrown into the darkness. There’s a short delay before we hear the sound of her body slamming against the wall by some seemingly invisible force.
My eyes move to the left where I see the invisible force is just my uncle who's made it from the back of our group to the front. He’s gently set Mr. Lee down along the wall where his wife and daughter tend to him.
Looking down at the two incapacitated Horlock agents, my uncle gives me a half smile, “Nice work. I guess you are getting better.”
“Told you,” I shrug like it ain't no big thing.
But as I do, more sirens blare.
“Think we better get out of here,” my uncle says charging forward. But our progress is slow because of Ruby’s parents.
With Mr. Lee over his shoulder, my uncle takes the lead. I guess I’ve lost the job for now. We scramble down the hallway and make a left, but we’re cut off by a cluster of approaching suits.
“Other way!” My uncle turns us around. Our group heads the opposite direction, and I hear Ruby’s mom quietly crying.
I forget that desperately running away from a vicious alien enemy isn't part of everyone's normal life.
I hurry to her side putting an arm around her shoulder. “It's okay, Mrs. Lee. We're going to get out of here.”
But just as the words leave my lips, we get cut off by a group of fearsome Draconian soldiers. The site of these alien warriors only makes Ruby’s mom cry harder.
Phoebe also tries to comfort her. “It's okay mom.” But I can hear the fear in Phoebe’s voice too.
We reverse again, but we’re trapped. They’re coming toward us from both directions.
A third Horlock calls to me using Sunglasses Man's voice, “Why don't you give it up? You're surrounded.”
And I'm afraid he's right. We should just surrender before someone gets hurt. Or killed.
Then out of seemingly nowhere, a shadow appears directly between the group of Draconians and us.
“Follow me,” our hero says, stepping into the light. “I know a way out.”
“You?!” I can’t believe it. “Again?”
It's none other than Jax.
Chapter 26
My uncle and I hesitate, for good reason. Neither is sure if we should trust him.
Jax sees our reluctance. “You don't have much time if you want to get out of here alive. They’ve got you surrounded.”
I look to my uncle who nods. We both know that our choices are limited. “He’s right. Everyone follow Jax.”
I now can see that Jax has appeared from a hidden passageway that we must have just run right past. It's narrow and damp. We all have to duck our heads, but once we’re all inside, Jax touches a small black glass panel that seals a stone doorway behind us.
Phoebe can’t believe her eyes. “Is this some sort of secret passage?”
Jax shrugs. “More like an alternative hallway.” He turns to the rest of us and says, “This is only going to hold them for a few minutes. At the end of this passage, I can send you up an evacuation chute.”
My uncle, still carrying Mr. Lee, leads the group. “Like an air portal from a spacecraft?”
“Yep,” Jax nods. “It's a bit of a bumpy ride, but it'll do the trick.”
It would be nice if the rest of us had any idea what they’re talking about.
The passageway empties into a circular area surrounded by a starburst of other doorways that lead to other passageways. We must be in the center of the Draconian lair.
A crystalline pedestal sits in the middle of the area. Jax pushes his way to the front of the line and gestures to the pedestal. “Who’s first? It can take two at a time.”
“Two where?” I ask.
“To the surface,” Jax replies.
“This thing is safe?” I ask.
“Safer than hanging around here,” Jax smiles. Guess I can’t argue with that.
My uncle grabs my shoulder and pulls me forward. “Astrid, you go to the top first. I’ll stay and help the rest of the group get ready. Radio Fitz as soon as you're on solid ground so he can send backup.”
“Is this like that Star Trek teleporter deal?” Phoebe asks, eyeing the platform cautiously. “Cause I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
“Think of it more like a high tech elevator,” Jax says, ushering me onto the platform. “We don’t have much time.”
I'm not exactly sure what I'm stepping onto as I put my feet on what appears to be a small gooey mat about the width of my hips right in the center of the platform.
Before I can say another word, I'm hurtling straight up into the air like I’ve been rocketed out of a cannon. All the air in my lungs seems to vanish like some unseen force squeezed it out.
The human bullet experience only lasts about three seconds before daylight appears and cool salty air fills my nostrils. I realize I’m standing a few feet inside of a shallow dry cave.
Damn, it worked.
It’s sort of like the greatest amusement park ride ever — terrifying and exhilarating at the same time, but the thrill is over almost as soon as it's begun.
“Astrid?” my uncle's voice comes through my earpiece. “What’s your status?”
“My status is that I'm still alive,” I blurt out, stepping out of the cave onto a grassy plain that rises high above the sea caves below. No one is around. “It’s clear up here,” I say into the comm system. “Send the rest of the group up.”
“Roger that and standby,” my uncle replies. “Mrs. Lee is coming next.”
“Roger that,” I say, as relief fills me.
We may pull this whole thing off after all and saved Ruby’s family. I see the silhouette of a female appear from the other side of the cave. At first I think it’s Phoebe who came up before her mother.
But then the silh
ouette speaks. “I was hoping you’d show your sorry face.”
“Calliope!” I spit out, turning to see the girl with the raven hair flowing behind her. It’s the star sister who betrayed me.
Even though the light in the cave is dim, I recognize the weapon dangling from her side. The shape of the hilt and curve of the blade are etched in my mind, and I swear I can hear a low pitched hum, like birdsong, emanating from the sword.
It’s my BrightSky.
Calliope is taunting me with it.
“Give me back my sword,” I say.
She steps forward into the filtered sunlight, her face cold and hard. “Why don’t you try to take it from me.”
There's nothing I would like more than to kick her skinny ass. But here's the problem, she has a weapon, and I don’t.
Just as I'm about to step forward, Ruby’s mother comes rising up out of the ground like a geyser. She looks dazed and confused, and a bit like she's about to throw up.
“It's okay, Mrs. Lee. You made it, all safe and sound.” I put a hand on her back to help her stand firmly on both feet.
I've only taken my eyes off Calliope for a split second to comfort Ruby’s mom, but the old lady’s eyes widen, and she gasps pointing over my shoulder.
I turn just in time to see the tip of BrightSky’s razor sharp blade traveling straight for my back.
Chapter 27
Damn, that girl is fast.
Without an inch to spare, I lean back just enough to allow BrightSky’s blade to pass over me with a hiss of the air.
Unfortunately, in the process, I accidentally knock Mrs. Lee down too.
“Hey, watch it,“ I say to Calliope. “Leave the lady out of it.”
Calliope let’s out an evil laugh. “First I’ll kill you, then I’ll kill her. Or maybe I’ll make you watch me as I kill her first.”
Okay, so that’s how it’s going to be.
“What’s your problem?” I ask Calliope. “That’s just mean.”
