by N. Phillips
“Don’t worry. I’ll be heating things up real soon.”
“Let’s just stick to the plan as much as we can,” Ray said up front, his hands on the steering wheel. “That means getting in there, freeing those people, and getting the hell out without being detected.”
“You really think it’s going to be that easy?” Maylene asked. “Freeing the Dreamers and fleeing afterward isn’t enough. Alvin will just track them down again. We have to kill him.”
Ray scoffed at her remark as he drove deeper into the dusky woods. “Look, I was down with you getting revenge on this Alvin guy at first, but after thinking about it, I decided I don’t wanna be booked as an accomplice in a murder case. Just thinking about what would happen if we get caught tonight scares the hell out of me.”
I leaned forward and placed my hand on his shoulder. “After you get us inside, you can leave. We’ll navigate through the place on our own.”
“Yeah, like that’s not gonna weigh heavily on my conscience.”
“Don’t let it. This is our fight, not yours.”
Ray chose not to respond and continued pushing forward to our destination. My nervousness reached its peak when the glowing neon lights of the laboratory came into view.
“This is as far as I can go without being spotted,” Ray declared.
“I’ll guide you the rest of the way from here using Bluetooth. I amped up the signal strength on your cell phones so we can communicate clearly without any disturbances. I’ll handle their security cameras and other protection methods as well, but you two have to act fast. I won’t be able to stay hacked into their system forever.”
“Noted,” Maylene said before stepping out the car.
“Hey.” Ray got my attention before I slid out the vehicle. “Make sure you come back alive, alright?” His voice was low and worrisome. “The world needs people like you.”
“I will.”
“Alright. And I don’t know if you know about this, but if Alvin is as bad as you say he is, he’s gotta have The Mark of Sin.”
“That doesn’t sound good. You mentioned something about a mark before, right? What is it?”
“I went back into the documents and took another look. There wasn’t much info on it, but those who could see the Shadows warned Obsidian about the mark. Basically, it appears when a Dreamer is being controlled by a super powerful demon. If this is true, you could be running straight to your death.”
Great. Now there was more to worry about.
“The mark sounds dangerous, but I’m not dying, Ray. Not until I purge every last one of them.”
A laugh escaped from his pursed lips. “You’re brave; I’ll give you that.” He removed two laptops from a briefcase in the passenger seat. “Go on. I got you covered from here.”
I hopped out the car and met with Maylene a few feet away. We nodded at each other as if we had come to the same unspoken agreement: it was time to put an end to Alvin’s diabolical scheme.
We crept through the wooded area with Bluetooth devices attached to our ears, steadily moving closer to the lab with Ray’s voice through the headset guiding us. It wasn’t until I spotted two guards on foot patrol that are smooth cruise hit a roadblock.
To evade security, we crouched and hid behind a thick tree. My nose twitched from the nauseating stench released by a skunk we had startled.
“Ray.” I pinched my nose and whispered, “There’s two guards nearby, and we just got sprayed by a skunk.”
He cackled on the other end. “Damn, even the animals out there are corrupted, huh? Alright, let me see if there’s an alternate route.” There was silence for a brief moment before he said, “Okay, head east until you see a gun turret. Don’t worry; the hacked surveillance camera shows there’s nobody behind it. Go north afterward and you should be back on track.”
“Gun turrets? Are we in a video game?”
Maylene smiled like a child in the playground. “More things to blow up,” she said before scampering east.
I followed behind her until we reached the back of the building. The light panel installed on the door was red, indicating it was locked.
“Let me handle that,” Ray voiced on cue.
The light panel turned green, giving us access to the laboratory. This was it; there was no turning back now.
We opened the door and ventured into the danger zone, stealthily navigating the emerald halls and avoiding detection from the suited men who guarded the area. On Ray’s command, we rushed up a secluded stairway leading to the second floor. The memory of the corridor came back to me at the sight of lifeless bodies in one of the rooms we passed by.
“I think we’re getting closer.”
We advanced further into the building following Ray’s orders until we were spotted by a male scientist. “There are children roaming the premises,” he yelled out. His call acted as a beacon, signaling multiple guards to race in our direction.
Maylene and I bolted from our position, running through the lab with security in hot pursuit. The chase came to an intermission after we darted into a room and shut the door.
“Ray,” I called out into the headset. “Ray, can you hear me? Are you there?”
I removed my phone from my jeans and saw our call had been disconnected. This was the absolute wrong time for us to lose communication with him.
“He probably ran off after he heard the commotion,” Maylene said. “He did his part, Aliyah. We don’t need him anymore. Let’s take these guys out right here and then find Alvin.”
After surveying the room and seeing glass jars filled with chemicals on the shelves, I knew Maylene’s plan wasn’t a good idea. “We can’t fight them here. It’s dangerous.”
A sudden bang against the door made me jump. Maylene conjured a fire ball in her hand and replied, “Fine. Then let’s take this fight to the hallway.”
She intensified the fire in her palm and unleashed a stream of flames as soon as the guards opened the door. The heat not only pushed the suited men back into the hall, but set their clothes on fire as they danced around frantically and cried out for their lives.
“Not so tough now, are you?”
“They’re done. Let’s find the Dreamers.”
We scurried to the third floor until we were met with another wall of defense, this time armed with their fingers on the trigger. “Fire,” ordered the suited man leading the pack.
My body stiffened and my eyes shut in fear. The cracking sounds of gunshots made me believe I was taking my last breath, but instead of feeling bullets penetrate my body, a blistering gust of heat brushed against my skin.
“You guys are pathetic,” snorted Maylene.
I opened my eyes after hearing her voice and saw the barrier of flames that protected us. I couldn’t help but wonder if Maylene’s efficiency with her ability was due to her mastery of the element, or if it was the rage of vengeance that flared within her.
Either way, she was starting to scare me.
“What the hell?” one of the guards hollered. “Our bullets were fried.”
Maylene smiled at their intimidated expressions. With a thrust of her palm, she released a wave of flames that incinerated the group of men before it traveled down the hall and extinguished.
Okay, now I was terrified. And judging by the dark aura beginning to form around her body, I had every right to be concerned.
“Maylene, you need to cool it with the flames. You’re carelessly setting the place on fire and killing people. Those men were only trying to do their jobs.”
“Really? Spare me the good girl act. Or is it only okay to kill someone when your boyfriend is involved?”
“It never is. And I told you that day in the elevator I wasn’t going to kill Cassandra, and I didn’t. She was shot by—”
“Obsidian’s men, right? So tell me again how these people are innocent?”
The sobbing from a female scientist in one of the rooms caught our attention. Maylene marched inside and approached the woman.
“Please don’t kill me,” the woman pleaded, weeping as she kneeled down to beg for mercy.
“She’s not going to kill you,” I assured and assisted her to her feet. “We just want to know where the Dreamers are.”
“And Alvin.”
“I c-c-can’t tell...” she faltered and paused at Maylene’s glare. “U-upstairs. Alvin and the Dreamers are upstairs.”
“Thank you.”
We searched the corridor and found the staircase leading to the floor above. Stampeding down it, however, was a flock of defenders who clustered together in formation and aimed their guns at us.
“Idiots never learn their lesson,” Maylene scoffed.
“Security systems are back online,” the leading guard declared. “Activate the sprinklers.”
A shower of droplets rained down in every corner of the building. Through the pouring waters, I saw the flash of a gun being fired in our direction. To my surprise, a shield of flames had once again protected me from being shot.
“You bastards just don’t get it,” Maylene hollered. “You think a little spout like this is gonna stop me?”
The steel platform beneath the men had ignited, and before they could even move or regroup, the flames below their feet exploded, incinerating them into ash.
“Maylene, look at what you’ve become.” I pointed to the burnt bodies. “This anger and rage is only feeding the parasitic virus inside of you. It’s leeching off your negativity. You have to calm down.”
She turned away and watched the drops of water bounce off the steel floor. It wasn’t until the drizzle ended that she spoke.
“I can’t stop. Not until this is over. Let’s go.”
I followed her to the upper level, where we stepped into a large, white room with mirrors covering the walls. Standing at the other end of the empty chamber was Alvin, who wore a sleeveless tuxedo as red as the demon’s eyes that stood beside him.
“Hello, Aliyah. I see you brought a friend. A familiar one, even. Now how could a pyromaniac stay hidden under my nose for so long?”
“You...” Maylene gritted her teeth and conjured a sphere of fire in her left palm. “I am going to kill you.”
“I’m afraid I cannot allow you to do that. You see, I’ve been chosen by a higher power to rule over the new world. After millennia of slow progression, humankind has finally reached an era of true proficiency. The new world is upon us, and I will let no one stop our evolution.”
“Can’t you see that thing next to you is making you crazier?” I questioned. “You were insane the first time we met, but never like this.”
He pressed his hand against the creature’s mammoth body. “You mean this thing?”
Stunned by his acknowledgment of the demon, I swallowed hard before speaking. “Y-you can see it?”
“Yes. I must admit, I never believed you or anyone else who claimed to witness the monsters born from sin. But after you entered the laboratory, I gained the ability to see them for myself. I have to say, it is much better to view the demon I’ve made a pact with than only hearing its voice in my head.”
At the mentioning of a pact, I stepped closer and observed his wrist until I saw what I was looking for: The Mark of Sin. It was the same S scar embedded into his skin that Cassandra Blackwood had.
“What the hell is he rambling on about?” Maylene asked.
“He has The Mark of Sin, which gives him extra power. Not to mention his desire is to have the abilities of every dreamer in the laboratory; yours and mine included.”
She stood unfazed by his aspiration. “It doesn’t matter. This man’s a murderer.”
“Oh?” He appeared intrigued. “And who might have I killed to send you into such a chaotic frenzy?”
“My parents. Jonathan and Rachel Rivers.”
For the first time, I saw an expression of weakness on Alvin’s face. His eyes dropped to the white floor, and his cocky smile faded.
“My condolences. What a sad case of irony. Your parents were helpful subordinates of mine until they plotted to reveal the Mentifery Virus to the world. That is why I hired Obsidian’s top hitman to kill them. What a coincidence that their daughter happened to be obsessed with the very combustion that ended their lives. I cannot fathom the incrimination you mistakenly placed on yourself.”
Maylene unleashed a battle cry before shoving me away and creating a cage of flames around herself and Alvin. I couldn’t see through the inferno, but the words she yelled out was loud and clear.
“Go, Aliyah. Free the Dreamers.”
CHAPTER 28
Sizing the opportunity, I ran to the door at the other end of the room and continued my mission. Thankfully, the expedition of the floor was short-lived due to me quickly finding the room where the Dreamers were being held. It didn’t take long for them to start pounding on the glass tubes in reaction to my presence.
While observing their distraught behavior and scanning through the clear cylinders, I caught sight of Valeria and Tyler and hurried over to them.
“Val, Ty, I’m here to save you,” I said, placing my hands on their glass tubes, which were both next to each other. Tyler smiled as Valeria mimicked my action. She then pointed to a computer inside the room.
“Is this the one that opens the tubes?” I asked after stepping in front of it. Val’s nod gave me the confirmation I needed to begin analyzing the screen.
Though I had access to the machine that could free the Dreamers, my lack of knowledge on how to work the damn thing terminated their hopes of escape. While struggling to under the numerical code on display, I grew more frustrated with each passing second. Any chance of freedom would have been lost had my cell phone not rung.
“Ray?”
“I had some trouble out here,” he said, breathing heavy. “How’s everything on your side? I see you’re still alive.”
“Not so good right now. I’m at the computer that could set everyone free, but I don’t know how the controls work. It’s just a bunch of numbers and a box I can type in.”
“Hang on a sec.” There was silence on the other end before he shouted, “Dammit. Remember when I told you there’s one folder of files I couldn’t crack into? Well, that folder is stored on that computer. Inside of it must be the passwords required to access the controls of that room, but the folder is protected behind a code that’s crazy hard to decipher.”
“You have to try,” I begged. “Please, you’re the only one who can do it.”
Before he responded to my request, a glass shattering sound resonated close-by.
“I think Maylene’s in trouble.”
“Alright, I’ll try to crack the code from here,” he said. “If I can get into the system, I’ll get the Dreamers out of there.”
“Thank you, Ray. Good luck.”
I ended the call and walked back to Valeria and Tyler. “My friend is working on freeing you two and everyone else. Just wait a little longer, I promise.”
Leaving out the room, I ran back to the giant white chamber that hosted the war. My eyes widened at seeing Maylene on the floor, battered and unconscious. Alvin stood in the middle of the room and turned to me, unscathed from the battle.
“Hello again, Aliyah. I assume you couldn’t release the Dreamers as planned? It’s a shame you’ve come so far only to fail.”
Ignoring his comment, I dashed over to Maylene’s side to protect her from further harm. “What the hell did you do to her?” I sneered at him.
“I punished her. Anyone who dares to defy mankind’s transcendence shall be judged and executed.”
“You’re insane. The world doesn’t need rapid evolution; we’re already struggling to keep up and identify ourselves in the world we’re in now. If we’re all allowed to exceed our limitations and shape society to however we want it to be, none of us will survive. It would be chaos. You told me that, remember?”
“Ah, indeed I did.” He caressed his beard and gazed into the hollow red or
bs of the Shadow. “But that was before I obtained this power. You have made a valid point, Miss Dawn, but that is why I will rule over the living beings on this earth. I will be their king and guide them to a new world of endless possibilities.”
“No one man can control an entire planet, especially not you. You’re preying on the emotions and desires of everyone in here. You’re not a god, no matter what that demon tells you.”
He huffed. “It’s disappointing that someone with so much potential fails to see what the world is destined for. It is now my responsibility to kill you.”
Before I could react to his threat, I suffered a breathtaking blow to the gut. An ounce of my saliva splattered on the floor as I exhaled and noticed him standing in front of me.
“You stand no match against a god. Allow me to demonstrate further.”
My feet flew off the ground and my body was thrown in the air. It happened so fast my mind didn’t register what happened until my back collided against a wall. The impact ejected a spurt of blood that spilled on the shards of broken glass on the floor. I laid helplessly without any offense, but knew I had to keep my guard up against his next move.
Otherwise, I’d be dead.
“Fine then,” I voiced while struggling to stand on my feet. “Let’s do this.”
“As you wish.”
Thinking he’d charge straight at me like last time, I released a beam of light in hopes of hitting him before he got close. Instead, the radiance never hit its mark due to Alvin’s sudden disappearance out of sight.
Either the bastard teleported, or he freakin’ turned invisible.
Solely in my view now was the giant Shadow, which guffawed at Alvin’s premature victory before mimicking a Shade Crawler’s actions and rushing forward with its claws spread out. I flung chakram after chakram trying to do as much damage as possible before it reached me, but my weapons simply disintegrated on impact.
This demon’s darkness was stronger than my light.
Towering over me, it hammered its massive arms down in an attempt to crush me in one blow, but I evaded the strike that shattered the floor beneath us and ran to another corner of the room. This thing was slow; something I had to use to my advantage if I had any hopes of surviving.
