The Dead Prince

by Alejandro Betancourt

  "I'm sorry," a representative interrupts. "You're saying we have an Isarian protector in custody who belongs to Matiboth's daughter, and you think that this girl is her?"

  "Yes, I'm sure of it."

  The representatives look at each other in astonishment. Helms changes the footage on the screen to images of classified documents.

  "What you're looking at now is years of data that confirms my assumption. This data was recently retrieved during a raid of a terrorist compound whose mission was to spy on this girl. We also learned from these terrorists that they believe Eza and her protector were headed to Port Jervis, New York. The reason they were heading there is still unknown."

  Now the screen shows an article from the Port Jervis Gazette, titled: "Brave Teen Enters Burning Building to Save Friend."

  "I trust you remember this incident from a couple of months back. I apprised all of you of the event after it occurred, as well as the aftermath. The girl in this article was blown from the third floor by a backdraft, along with the so-called hero, yet she was 'miraculously' uninjured despite the fact that she was inside the burning building for approximately twenty minutes and then fell to the pavement forty feet below. I don't think it's a coincidence that Eza and her protector happened to head to Port Jervis after this incident, and I also believe there's more to the girl from the article that we currently know or understand. Therefore, I respectfully request authorization from the UN to personally lead a Level Five operation aimed at tracking, capturing, and questioning Eza and any other Azhalian or human we encounter during the pursuit."

  "Helms?" interjects one of the UN representatives. "You're implying that the rumors are true — that the Euperian royal children are alive, and here on Earth?"

  "I am," Helms says firmly. "How else did the two kids survive the fire and the fall? How else can we explain the intel we retrieved from the terrorist cell? Why did those aliens follow this girl for so many years? And why was a Isarian protecting her?"

  "Do the Azhalian authorities know that we've captured an Isarian?" a representative asks.

  "No. No report about the capture has been filed with the Azhalian Assembly, nor have we shared any of the intel from the raid." Helms scans the faces of the men. "Look, I'm not arguing that things for us Earthlings were great before the Ucte takeover, but they've definitely gotten worse since. Zheteg is draining us of resources to fund his war at home, and we're getting nothing in return. We need a bargaining chip in order to extract concessions from the Ucte, and this is it. It's clear by now that Zheteg doesn't possess the manpower to complete the full subjection of the Euperian people on Azha. Moreover, Queen Liaj fights on. If the Euperian people discover that their Prince and heir to the throne is alive, they will rise up to join her."

  "Are you sure this Eza is even an Azhalian?" another representative asks.

  Helms smiles and presses a button on the computer. "Can a human do this?" The holograms show Eza firing a blast from her hand that kills two agents.

  "If Helms is wrong, we're all going to be hanged for this," the oldest of the representatives say to the others. "But I agree, this might be our only chance to get the upper hand on the Ucte. I vote to give Helms what he wants."

  As the representatives deliberate, the Secretary-General gathers his thoughts. He stares at the holograms of Eza. Then he stands and places both hands on his desk. "Do you understand the repercussions of what you are saying, Helms? You are explicitly contradicting the Azhalian ambassador's claim that the heirs of King Uphu and Queen Liaj are dead."

  "Of course I understand," Helms says. "We all know the Ucte can't be trusted."

  The Secretary-General arches his eyebrows. "If this operation is greenlit, then you will assume full responsibility. If your intentions are discovered by the Azhalian Assembly before you can prove your theory, you will be hanged. We will all deny any involvement."

  Everyone in the briefing room stares at Helms, then at the Secretary-General. "I expected no less, sir," Helms says, his eyes cold as flint.

  ❖❖❖

  "I don't have a good feeling about this," Blake mutters.

  "Me neither. But what choice do we have?" Wally responds.

  "I just don't trust politicians, especially Uek'unts. All they care about is wealth and status."

  A black cargo van stops and parks in the driveway. Aaron steps out of the driver's side door, greeting them with a cheerful, "Good evening, gentlemen." He walks toward the back of the van, and both Blake and Wally follow. Aaron pulls the handle on the back hatch, and the door slides open. Blake's and Wally's jaws drop simultaneously. "We're smuggling people?!" Blake asks forcefully.

  "Shhh, keep it down. But yes. These people are persecuted Euperians, and we need to get them to safety."

  "Where are we taking them, then?" Wally asks.

  "Canada." Aaron signals to the group to exit the truck.

  "But Canada will just extradite them back to the UN."

  "You're not wrong about that, but Canada won't be their last stop. Your job is just to help me cross the border into Canada. It's kind of a shortcut, or really a bypass, to where we're headed. I'll take care of the rest from there."

  Blake, furious, grabs Aaron by the shirt and pushes him against the van. "I'm not taking them anywhere or letting you take them until I know where they're going." His fist bursts into flames.

  "Interesting," Aaron says, unfazed.

  "I'm not joking. I'll melt your head like a candle!"

  An Euperian in the van, a slender blond man, grabs Blake's shoulder. "Please don't hurt him, sir," he says. "We appreciate your concern, but he really is trying to protect us. He's been paid to take us to California."

  Blake releases his grip on Aaron. "That makes no sense. You'll never make the crossing through the Midwest, and even if you do, California is uninhabitable."

  "That's what the UN wants us to believe, yes," the Euperian says gravely.

  "My team and I have been smuggling Azhalians west for years now," Aaron says, brushing the wrinkles out of his shirt. "We cross into Canada and then head back south through the ice sheets in Minnesota. There's a navigable ice-free corridor there — we call it the Northwest Passage. We go through into Canada first because both borders are less well-guarded than the wall in Illinois."

  Blake and Wally stand motionless, trying to make sense of what they've just heard.

  "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, we're spending the night inside this warehouse. We have a dozen more joining us, and we march before sunrise."

  Aaron walks to the van, gets in, and taps a number into his phone. "Sir, Blake is an Atiru," he says quietly. After a short pause, he replies, "Yes, I agree. Zec lives."

  ❖❖❖

  "Mom, Dad, I'm heading out. I'll be back before dinner."

  Jim Parker watches his son walk out and turns to Isabelle. "Is he going to meet up with Eva, you think?"

  "I think so. He's been talking to her over the phone almost every night now."

  "Finally, somebody he likes besides Amy," Jim says. "I was getting worried."

  "It's never going to work," Olivia chimes in from the living room. "Eva is human."

  "There's no reason to think that," Isabelle responds.

  Olivia walks in and leans against the wall. "I don't know what planet you both live on, but humans don't want us on Earth anymore."

  "Not all humans feel that way," Isabelle protests. "You're with Brady, and that's working out."

  "That's because I'm just in it for the fun. Just like Eva, Brady thinks I'm human too. There's no chance of it ever working out in the long run."

  "Wish I hadn't heard the 'fun' part," Jim says.

  "Just keeping it real." Olivia grins as she walks upstairs.

  ❖❖❖

  Zack waves to Eva as she enters the coffee shop. She gives him a hug and a kiss on the cheek that surprises him. They both order coffee and sit at an empty table. "Thanks again for helping me catch up with homework," she says brightly.

>   "Not a problem. Glad I could help."

  They remove their tablets from their backpacks and start on their homework. They both laugh, talk about life, and what's next after graduation.

  "You're a fascinating person," Eva remarks after a time.

  "I wouldn't say that. I'm pretty boring."

  "Oh, I don't know. You run into a burning building to save a girl, you stand up for Azhalians getting bullied at school, and who knows what you do after dark."

  Their eyes lock for a second before Zack nervously looks away.

  "Okay, I'm all caught up!" Eva exclaims. "I need to get going. I promised my uncle that I'd help him with something."

  They pack up and exit the coffee shop. "So, how can I repay you for helping me out?" Eva asks mischievously.

  Zack pauses, mustering the courage to look straight at her. "Let's grab dinner tomorrow."

  "Are you asking me on a date, Mr. Heroic?"

  Zack blushes. "Yes, if that's okay."

  "Of course it is."

  "Oh, hi guys," Zack says, looking over Eva's shoulder.

  Eva, surprised, turns around and sees Amy and Emma walking toward them. "Hi, girls," she quickly says, and waves. "Grabbing some coffee?"

  "Yep," Amy says. "Need that afternoon boost to finish our paper for our world history class."

  "I can help with that. I'll send you my notes — I already finished my paper."

  "That would be great."

  "Well, gotta go," Eva says. "I have some errands to run. See you tomorrow, Zacky." Eva gives Zack a quick kiss on his lips, then walks to her car and drives off. He just stands there, frozen, as she walks away.

  "Holy crap!" Emma says, breaking his paralysis. "'Zacky'? Zack, are you and Eva a thing now?"

  Zack avoids looking at Amy. "I'm not sure, to be honest, but I'm taking her to dinner tomorrow."

  "Oh, you're a thing all right." Emma jabs Zack's shoulder, flashing him a thousand-watt smile. "Look at you, coming out your shell!"

  "I guess. I, uh, have to head out too. I have a shift at Dad's shop."

  Emma stares at Zack as he walks away. "Is it me, or has Zack been hitting the gym lately?"

  "I'm going in now," Amy says flatly.

  "Don't think I didn't notice your expression when you saw Eva kiss him, young lady."

  "Ignoring you now," Amy snaps. She stands in line and tries to remove the image of Eva kissing Zack from her mind, but she can't. Why do I feel so upset? she asks herself.

  For the first time, she realizes she has feelings for Zack.

  Chapter 16

  Nima gets off the metro train pod and zigzags through the crowd to the exit gate. She places her right hand on the exit panel monitor and rushes up the escalator to the congested intersection at 42nd Street and Lexington. She stops at the crosswalk, and takes a moment to tighten the scarf around her neck; the wind has picked up. She looks up at the dark sky. Another storm is coming.

  She anxiously waits for the light to change. She has to tell Ambassador Jabieko what she's just found out, and the information she has is too sensitive to deliver via an unsecured line.

  Nima darts across the street and runs into the Chrysler Building. Its iconic crown was sheared off during the war and never rebuilt, but its lobby is as majestic and imposing as ever. She jams the elevator door button repeatedly. "Come on, come on," she mutters.

  Once on the 22nd floor, Nima hustles down the hall to Jabieko's office. She takes a deep breath, slides her badge, and slowly opens the door. Jabieko is sitting inside and conversing with three earnest-looking men. She interrupts. "Ambassador Jabieko, may I have a quick word with you?"

  Jabieko, a heavyset dark-skinned Ucte, realizes that this has to be very important; Nima wouldn't dare interrupt him like this if it were not. He says a few words to the men and escorts them to the door.

  "This had better be good," he says, as he shuts the door behind them.

  Agitated, Nima blurts, "Sir, we have news from one of our informants that a full UN task force has been sent to Port Jervis to re-open the investigation of the fire at the community center. The official UN report says it's merely due diligence to confirm the accuracy of the final report." Nima hits the play button on her tablet and hands the device to Jabieko. "But this is a clip sent by our informant that shows the recent capture of an alleged Isarian protector by UN security forces."

  "Frazid!" Jabieko cries out as he views the images.

  "Yes, that's what he calls himself. You know him?"

  Jabieko waves off her curiosity. "Please continue," he says, as he rubs the top of his head.

  Nima waits until the video clip ends and resumes talking at her usual speedy pace. "The task force captured the Isarian about 25 miles from Port Jervis. All evidence indicates that he was headed to Port Jervis, and that this is the true reason the task force has been dispatched. Also, our informant mentions he wasn't alone — there was a girl with him, but she escaped after killing two agents with a force-blast."

  Jabieko slowly eases into his chair. He has expended a vast amount of resources trying to track the last heirs of King Uphu without raising any red flags within the UN, and here is his chance to finally eliminate them. He looks up at this assistant, nodding gratefully. "Great job, Nima. Make sure we keep a line open with our insider. We need to know everything that's going on, especially where they're holding this protector."

  "Yes, sir."

  "Submit a request to the UN Security Council for access to all live surveillance and communication coming in and out of Port Jervis. I want to see and hear everything that's happening in that town."

  Nima blinks. "Sir, what explanation do I give for such a request?"

  "None. Just submit it. I'll take care of the rest."

  "Of course, sir. Right away." Nima rushes out of the office.

  When the door closes, Jabieko stands abruptly. "Jaziel, close the blinds and secure the room," he barks to his AI helper.

  "Yes, Mr. Ambassador," Jaziel responds. "All secure."

  Jabieko removes the memory chip from Nima's tablet and inserts it into one of Jaziel's ports. "Send the files on the chip to the Master."

  Moments later, a ghostly digitized version of a man appears and stares sternly at Jabieko. "This is getting out of hand," he says. "If it becomes known that the heirs are alive, it will galvanize the opposition and bring more resistance fighters to the fore. We cannot under any circumstances let that happen."

  "There's nothing to worry about, sir," Jabieko assures him. "We still control the media and the UN. We will find the heirs and kill them. I won't fail again. That's a promise."

  "I'll hold you to that promise. I also want Frazid extracted and transported to Azha. He might be the key to locating the Queen."

  Before Jabieko can respond, his Master disconnects.

  ❖❖❖

  The White Skull squad of the Ucte Army, led by General Jabieko himself, traverses the Royal Lagoon at low tide under cover of darkness, halting at the entrance of the city sewers. Their ally inside the palace complex has made sure that no guards are stationed here or anywhere in the sewer network this night. Jabieko directs his soldiers to break the metal entrance bars into pieces. Their mission is to confirm the assassination of the royal family and rescue two Euperian nobles.

  As dawn approaches, Jabieko hears the echoing sounds of battle from afar. King Zheteg must be leading his army toward the city. Jabieko orders his men to work faster. After breaking through, they hurry through the tunnels to reach the stairs leading to the surface. Once on the surface the soldiers, provincials from the Ucte slums, are astonished by the magnitude of the capital. Endless hyperloops and monorail lines and buildings of all sizes adorn the cityscape. Jabieko orders them to continue their advance. Dressed as commoners, acting like they don't know each other and aren't together, they go undetected by the crowds of Euperians, who are preparing to defend their home.

  As planned, there are no guards at the rear entrance of the palace, either. If this fails, thei
r ally will surely be found out and executed, for incompetence if not for treason. Jabieko leads his soldiers up the stairs to the Royal Hall. He halts the soldiers with a raised fist, and gives the signal to prepare for battle; there are royal guards ahead, flanking a gold-inlayed red jinowood arched entryway. Suddenly, Jabieko dashes forward and throws a punch that hurls a guard into the wall, then turns around to see his soldiers knocking down the second man. He sprints down the hall, counting the doors until he reaches the tenth. He signals his men to blow the door open and rushes in.

  Elena, the youngest daughter of Matiboth, the treacherous Euperian general, sits on the floor with an empty vial in her hand. She's weeping like a motherless child, causing Jabieko to feel a stab of disgust.

  Elena looks up and locks eyes with Jabieko, and her lamentations cease.

  "Elena, my name is Jabieko. Your father sent me to escort you and your sister to safety." Jabieko removes an emblem from his pocket and hands it to Elena, who looks back down at the vial.

  "My sister wasn't supposed to drink the wine," she says quietly but clearly.

  Dear gods. "Did Zec and his sister consume the poison?" Jabieko asks urgently.

  "Yes, but when I realized my sister drank it too, I had to tell the Queen what I had done. Please tell Father that I'm so sorry."

  When Jabieko hears shouts that Euperian reinforcements have arrived, he immediately grabs Elena by an arm and sprints to the door, but both are knock downed by an explosion. Instinctively, he readies for impact, turns his body around, and shields Elena's body from the concrete bricks and other flying debris falling on top of them.

  When the falling debris subsides, he stands up, lifts Elena's now-unconscious body, and places it on his shoulders. He looks outside and sees his depleted forces still battling the enemy. He shouts at them, commanding them to retreat with their plasma shields in testudo formation. Alas, outside the castle, his troop's forces are momentarily surrounded by additional forces.

  His soldiers break formation and bravely stand their ground. They push their shields against the Euperian guards, and draw their swords and engage the enemy in close combat; but the Euperians are just too many. One by one, Jabieko's troops fall.