She put a hand on either side of my face, raised herself on her tiptoes, and kissed me on the mouth. “Be brave, Rune. But don’t be foolhardy.”
Konstance handed the duffel bag to Jeroah. “It contains a sword, in case you need one.”
Jeroah and I waited until Persia, Danny, and Konstance were out of sight, then Jeroah led me through a fire-door which led to a dark narrow staircase.
I stayed a few paces behind as we ascended. If a betrayal was coming, I wasn’t sure what form it would take. Jeroah couldn’t have known I would change the plan, so he’d have to adapt. Several times during the ascent, Jeroah turned back to check that I was still following. Each time, it looked like he wanted to stay something, then changed his mind.
On the tenth floor, Jeroah opened the door, stuck his head outside, then he jerked back into the stairwell and allowed the door to shut. “No sign of Darth Vader.”
“You saw a television?”
“Of course. I didn’t expect Vader in the flesh.” Jeroah sat down on the steps.
“Of course.” I hesitated, then I sat down beside him. “So we wait?”
Jeroah nodded. “Wait and hope that the others succeed. The room where Alex and Jo are staying in was guarded the last time I checked.”
“By the Portuguese soldiers?”
Jeroah shook his head. “No. I hadn’t seen them around since early yesterday. Rumor has it that Beacon sent Harriet Ashley and them back to Brazil as part of his global initiative.”
“I see.” I didn’t really see. Were Harriet’s soldiers merely pretending to have left as some sort of trap? Or was Beacon really that confident in his invulnerability that he could afford to just send them away?
Jeroah patted the duffel bag. “Shouldn’t you be the one wielding swords?”
I showed him my right hand. “I think you know those days are behind me.”
“Ah. Still clinging on to that self-pity.”
I turned away from him.
“You never appreciated what you had. Even when you were an awesome warrior-wizard, you still tortured yourself with pointless angst.”
“I was fighting in a war that I never wanted, one I mostly didn’t even understand. Yes, I had powers, I was skilled, but I never knew when I should kill, if I should kill. It would have been easier if I was a heartless monster, but, other than that, I don’t see what I could have done differently.”
“If you think that, why do you continue to torture yourself with recriminations?”
“I don’t.”
”No point lying to me.”
“What do you know about anything? Most of your existence has—”
“Been trapped in a necklace, yes, I know. But while the necklace was around your neck, I heard your thoughts, experienced your feelings. I know you better than you know yourself, probably better than I know myself, because self-knowledge is a box that you can hold close but never see inside.”
I stood. “Have Konstance and them succeeded yet?” I leaned my head close to the door and pushed it open enough so I could see the corridor beyond. The distant television screen was still showing a normal LNN broadcast, so I let the door shut again. “Not yet.” I didn’t sit beside Jeroah this time; instead, I leaned against the railing and stared at the steps looping downward into the darkness.
“You killed for Beacon,” Jeroah said. “You were effective fighting for him, or so I heard.”
“That wasn’t me. I was under his control.” I had to keep telling myself that.
“So it was easier when you didn’t have any choices?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t feel trapped?”
I didn’t want to dredge it all up. “Let’s not talk about it.”
After a short silence, Jeroah glanced across at me and flashed a smile. “So, I saw that kiss. You and wifey, eh?”
“Don’t call her that.”
“Sorry.” Jeroah raised his hand in apology. “I just want to know. What was it like? In a way, we both went through the teenage phase together where that first time is such a big deal.”
“We didn’t go through anything together. It was just me.”
He shrugged. “Still. What was it like?”
He was being sincere, which was unlike him, so I decided to be honest. “It was nice.”
“Nice? That’s it?”
“Yep. And I woke up the next morning dreaming about Star Wars.”
I thought he’d appreciate that detail, and he did. “I always thought you were a hopeless case, Rune, but I never knew for sure until this moment.”
We both laughed. It was a good moment, though it was quickly cut short by someone shouting, followed by the pounding of running feet. I shoved the door open and rushed from the stairwell, Jeroah at my heels. At the end of the corridor, Darth Vader strode across the television screen with a large Beacon for Mayor banner slung above his head.
Chapter 32
Friday 11:25
An alarm blared out. “Lead me to Alex and Jo’s room,” I demanded. “Quickly!” We had no idea how long this window of opportunity would last. Truth be told, I wasn’t even sure it was a true opportunity, but I wasn’t going to get a better one.
As we raced down the corridor, several people hurried in the opposite direction, though no one took much notice of us; the sword was still hidden the Jeroah’s duffel bag.
“Rune.”
“What?” I turned to see that Jeroah had skidded to a stop.
“The entrance is just around the corner. A guard is usually stationed outside.”
I hesitated. “Could you pretend you are here to relieve him?” Jeroah was still wearing his security guard uniform.
“I could try.”
“Lead the way then.” I let Jeroah get a few paces ahead of me, then I followed at a slower pace.
I didn’t have much of a plan. I still figured there was a decent chance—whether betrayed by Jeroah or not—that I’d be captured by Beacon and brought to him. If that didn’t happen, then a single guard wasn’t going to stop me from freeing Alex and Jo. I looked downward at my left pants leg, checking to make sure that the knife strapped to my thigh still wasn’t detectable.
The guard sat on a chair, flanking a door. Jeroah stopped in front of him and said something. Jeroah’s brow crinkled as he shook the guard’s shoulder.
The guard toppled over sideways.
I had no idea what had just happened, and clearly, Jeroah was as confused as I was. Darting forward and overtaking Jeroah, I pushed through the door. Inside, an office had been converted into a bedroom by the simple action of removing the desks, and placing single beds beside the two walls on either side of the door. Alex was lying in one of the beds. Jo was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’s Jo?”
“What happened with the guard outside?” Alex asked.
“He’s unconscious and lying on the floor.”
“I realize he’s unconscious,” Alex said. “Either put him back on his chair or pull him inside. Don’t leave him lying there.”
Jeroah, at the doorway, quickly grabbed hold of the guard’s feet and dragged him inside. A trickle of blood rolled down behind the guard’s ear and along his neck. “What happened to him?” I asked, shutting the door.
“Jo,” Alex said, as if that was sufficient answer.
“Didn’t you get my message?” Jeroah asked. “The one where I explained we were coming, and that you were to sit tight.”
Alex nodded. “We got the message. That’s why Jo decided to act today. We had already been planning an escape”
“If she is escaping, why has she left you here?” I asked.
“Escape from the room, not from the building,” Alex said. “We are exactly where we need to be.”
“Why?”
“Jo has figured out the secret to Beacon’s power.”
A shiver ran down my spine. Jo had discovered the key to beating Beacon. “What is it?”
“I don’t understand the details,” Alex s
aid. “Some Brimstone science that only Jo and maybe Beacon understands. It involves a lab a few floors down. Jo thinks she knows how to cut off Beacon’s power.”
“How do we get to this lab?” I asked.
“No,” Alex said. “Leave that to Jo. Your job, Rune, will be to distract Beacon.”
“What do you mean, distract him?”
Alex shifted in the bed, struggling to raise himself. I moved to help him, placing a second pillow lengthwise on top of the first, then I lifted him into a more upright position. The lack of weight, the lack of substance to Alex’s body, shocked me. Whatever Jo was doing with Brimstone magic had better help Alex as well as taking Beacon’s power, I thought. He couldn’t have much time left. I tucked the blanket around his shoulders to cover up his skeletal limbs.
“I’m not sure how long the process of destroying the last connection to Brimstone is going to take Jo,” Alex said. “And obviously, as soon as Beacon becomes aware of it, he’ll try to stop her.”
“Won’t Rune get turned?” Jeroah said. “Isn’t that what Beacon does? A few moments in his company, and Rune will be under his command.”
“I’ve experienced Beacon’s tricks,” I said. “I will resist him.” It was what I had been expecting—a confrontation with Beacon—if not exactly how I expected it to happen. Perhaps it was Alex rather than Jeroah who was betraying me—he was the one pushing me toward Beacon’s grasp, after all. After a brief consideration, I decided to dismiss the idea that Alex was betraying me for a second time. It didn’t matter. Everything was happening as it was meant to. Jo was going to strip Beacon of his invulnerability, and I was going to be ready and waiting to end Beacon’s reign.
“I should go with you.” Jeroah sounded hesitant.
I shook my head. “Better if it’s just me.”
“For back up.”
“And if Beacon gains control of you and forces you to fight me?”
Jeroah considered, then gave a quick nod. He slapped me on the shoulder. “Good luck then.”
I smiled. “Shouldn’t you say: May the force be with you.”
Jeroah shook his head. “I shouldn’t. But, hey, whatever you need to get this done, I hope you have it.” He unzipped the duffel bag and offered me the sword.
“You hold on to that. Use it to protect Alex.”
“To get to Beacon’s lair, continue down the corridor the way we were going and turn right,” Jeroah said. “You’ll see a set of double doors. Through there.”
I leaned down and kissed Alex on the forehead before stepping away, preparing to leave him. At the door, though, I hesitated. It wasn’t enough of a goodbye. There was a good chance I would never see Alex again, would never see any of those I loved ever again. “The last time we talked, Alex, we talked about how you, Jo, and I were a family. We…” My throat caught. Once I was gone, I wouldn’t be able to protect them anymore. “Well, we should extend that family to include Persia, and Danny, and, I don’t believe I’m saying this, Jeroah too. What do you think?” Alex gave a nod, and Jeroah grinned. I thought about the possibility that Persia could be pregnant and the future that promised. “I could have been a good father, I think.” I pushed through the door and out of the room. I was outside and the door was swinging shut when I heard Alex’s soft reply.
“You already were.”
Those words hit me like a physical force. I stumbled, my leg muscles turning to water, then I came to a stop, bent over, while tears fell to the floor in heavy drops. I remained like that only a few moments though. I dried my eyes and straightened. With the passing of the momentary weakness, I felt renewed. Stronger. Ready.
Following Jeroah’s directions, I came upon the set of double doors. I paused outside them while I loosened a notch in my belt and checked that I could squeeze my hand down inside my trousers past my hip and grip the hilt of the knife secreted by my thigh.
Chapter 33
Friday 11:35
Inside, Beacon sat in a black office chair in the center of the room. He faced away from me, watching Darth Vader address a cheering crowd. “This is a lie,” he said without turning. The lights were dimmed, and Beacon’s face was washed in a multicolored glow, illuminated by the dozen or so televisions screens that hung from the walls. Most of the screens showed Konstance’s broadcast, though some showed Beacon himself in the present, sitting very still. Two video camera were pointed his way, and a counter of audio visual equipment hugged one wall.
“No different from the lies you are telling,” I said.
“Which lies are those?” Beacon’s swiveled around in his chair.
“The lie that people are free to support you or not to support you.”
“I don’t force anyone, and I don’t lie.” Beacon picked up a remote and unmuted the audio from Konstance’s broadcast. The sound of Darth Vader’s heavy breathing filled the room, then he said. “I love democracy. The power you give me I will lay down when this crisis has abated.”
Beacon muted the audio once more. “I never said anything close to that. It doesn’t even make any sense as I’ve never discussed gaining power except through democracy. Who put the video together?”
“Konstance and I did.” It had been my intention to use Beacon’s speech verbatim and just use Vader’s image and voice to force people to experience his words differently. But I had fallen asleep, and Konstance had finished up. The quote was something that Emperor Palpatine had said in one of the prequels.
“Ah,” Beacon said. “Konstance doesn’t believe in letting the truth get in the way of creating a strong narrative. Is that how you see me? As a strongman dictator?”
“What other way is there to see you?”
“I do everything I can to avoid the trappings of a strongman,” Beacon said. “Do you see any bodyguards? When Harriet Ashley and her little band of soldiers tried to kill me, I didn’t strive to crush them. Instead, I persuaded them to join my side. Afterward, I sent them away, not because I didn’t trust them, but because I didn’t want to be surrounded by soldiers.”
“I know who you are and what you are. I won’t fall for your tricks.”
“I never did thank you, did I? I meant to, but I haven’t had the chance until now.”
“Thank me?”
“I was birthed into this world in fire and pain. The elemental power that I brought with me overwhelmed the human body I was born into. Believe me, the fire monster you saw that day wasn’t the real me.”
“It sure looked real. The dozens of people killed certainly were real.”
“I’m sorry,” Beacon said, and to my surprise it sounded like he meant it—to my surprise, I believed him.
No! Don’t let yourself be taken in by his lies. I shoved my left hand into my pocket and allowed my fingers to graze the hilt of the knife through the inner lining of the pocket. Remember what you are here to do! “You’re not sorry.”
“No, truly I am. You don’t know how sorry. I came from Brimstone, where we are in constant conflict with each other. Our entire culture is based around violence and war. You know how I tried to change that, how I created an Oasis within Brimstone that allowed elementals to work together rather than fight each other. I believed that I had the baser parts of myself under control, but they all exploded out of me in that moment of my birth on Earth.”
“You rose to become the most powerful elemental in Brimstone. Don’t tell me that happened without being the most violent of the violent.”
“I am much changed from my younger days. And that happened because of the connection between Earth and Brimstone. Via that connection, I was able to experience what true culture was capable of, how art can transcend merely existing, how beauty and tranquility could be fostered. However, I also saw that war and destruction were a part of human DNA. Once the Oasis failed, I wanted to come to Earth, but not just to experience it a bystander, but rather someone who could make things better for everyone.”
“That’s not how things work, not how they should work, at least. You don’
t just go to a new place and change it.”
“Why not? So much of the violence on Earth is needless. Humans have greatness in their hearts, and I just want to create an environment where that will flourish.”
“By taking over?” How long was I meant to keep this going? I wondered. When was Jo going to implement her plan? Would I even know when it had happened?
“You had Darth Vader proclaim that I love democracy. That’s not true. Do you know what the best form of government is?”
“Democracy is the least worse option,” I said. Beacon was using the flaws of democracy to propel himself to power.
“No, benevolent dictatorship is clearly the best. The key is finding the right person.”
“Benevolent? You mean a dictator enforcing absolute control. Might as well call yourself Emperor.”
Beacon shook his head. “No.”
“Don’t deny that you are controlling people. Harriet Ashley entered this building seeing you as a menace to be destroyed, and she embraced you as a friend a short time later. That doesn’t just happen normally.”
“I don’t control. I nudge,” Beacon said. “Harriet was unusual in that she went from fanatically opposed to me to fanatically supporting me. But often those with polarizing views have more in common with people on the other end of the extreme than those in the middle.”
“When I fought in the war against Holliday and Walker, were you controlling me? Nudging me even?”
“Do you want that to have been true?”
Yes. “I just want to know.”
“Is it that you no longer want to take responsibility for your actions?”
Possibly. “Definitely not.”
“Are you going to trust my answer? How would you know that whatever I said wasn’t another way in which I was trying to manipulate you?”
“You’re right. No point asking you.” Even if Beacon was nudging me, I made my own decisions.
“You should be proud of how you fought the Order during the Lusteer War,” Beacon said. “You were brave and strong and skillful. A great warrior.”
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