“Yes.” Taz stared at the armored wall in front.
“Where are you taking me?”
“To a mothership and then to Zictax-9, a quadrant in the Milky Way, only accessible through a wormhole. That’s all I can tell you.”
A concussion blast rocked the vehicle, shaking it, and jostling Jaxx and Taz into each other. The vehicle continued moving forward, regardless.
“Was that a human weapon or an Agadon weapon? If you’re still at war with my people, then why?”
“I assure you our deal is on.” He folded his hands in his lap.
“You didn’t answer my questions.” He had to get out of here sooner than later. Jaxx was lying about giving himself up entirely, but something wasn’t adding up with Taz. Was he lying too?
“That was a human weapon.” He put his finger up, stopping Jaxx from speaking. “I’m having a bit of a problem with my leaders. Hold on.” He tilted his head, as if listening to something.
“Aren’t you the leader?”
A rumble and what sounded like a building crumbling to pieces blared outside.
Taz straightened his lips, thinking. “I’m one of many leaders. I’m not the leader.”
“Then what is the problem?” Something wasn’t right. Too much shit was happening outside to call any of this an Agadon agreement to lay their guns down and go home.
A screech filled the sky, and another blast picked up the hover tank a few feet, dropping it back down an instant later. “The problem is that they don’t agree with ending our occupation on planet Earth. Our goal was to retrieve you. Yet, the resources on this planet have much to give. My leaders don’t want to lose that. They will kill all humans to get it.”
“So, you have gone back on your deal.”
Taz huffed, clearly annoyed at the situation taking place outside. He was the only Agadon that had any inkling of expressions. “That is very much the case.”
Jaxx brought up his Chi. A fire rose up in his belly. If anything, Jaxx was going to give this hover vehicle and its occupants the pounding of their lives.
Taz rested his hand on Jaxx’s leg. “Please, be forgiving. Your race has a strong ability to forgive, unlike ours. We hold the worst grudges. We kill when we feel wronged, no matter who did the wronging. Give us time and we will honor our agreement.”
Jaxx slipped his fingers through the slit in the armor in front of him.
“Don’t, Jaxx. I’m warning you,” cautioned Taz.
Jaxx pulled back and the armor broke off its hinges. Another Agadon was steering the hover vehicle. The A/I asshole glanced back at Jaxx.
Jaxx pushed the armor into the driver, causing the vehicle to swerve.
“Agh!” Jaxx let out, jerking back, his arms and legs shaking, his body convulsing with electric waves splintering through him.
Taz’s hand somehow changed into an electric prong and he was pressing it against Jaxx’s leg.
Jaxx reached out and wrapped his fingers around Taz’s forearm. “You…lied to…me.”
Taz pulled the prong back and Jaxx relaxed, the shock making his skin crawl and his muscles twitch uncontrollably. Taz looked Jaxx squarely in the eyes. “We don’t lie. I was overruled. It was my mistake.”
“I have given…myself up to you. And…now we humans don’t have a chance.”
Taz’s mouth screwed up in a smile. “Now, you speak the truth.”
“No,” Jaxx lurched for Taz and bounced back into the side door, shaking more violently than before. Taz twisted the prong into Jaxx’s chest.
Jaxx brought his Chi up, fighting through the pain and electricity, and thrust both feet outward, slamming his boots into Taz.
A loud cracking sound and the door at Jaxx’s back broke off the vehicle. The wind blasted Jaxx, and the door dropped onto the street, Jaxx landing on top of it a moment later.
Sparks jumped from the bottom of the metallic door as it slid on the road until is slowed to a halt, bumping against a curb, catapulting Jaxx into a brick building. He hit it hard, ricocheting off the wall and onto a sidewalk.
He pushed himself up, watching the hover vehicle slide to a stop several meters away. Agadon in pursuit jumped around it and held their weapons out, targeting Jaxx’s forehead.
“Stop him,” roared Taz, getting out of his hover vehicle. He slammed his door and stomped slowly toward Jaxx.
Jaxx caught a glimpse of a wooden door behind him that led into the building his body just smacked against. He took a step backward, twisted, and rammed the door.
The door cracked in two, and wood splintered all over. He landed on his side and crawled quickly into the room’s shadows, his eyes darting back and forth, looking for an escape route — perhaps stairs or another door that led to a back alley. Anything.
Nothing.
It was an empty room with a kitchen, probably a recently vacated deli.
A bigger shadow loomed over Jaxx, and he turned around, seeing hordes of Agadon, including Taz, rush inside and surround him.
A mouse scuttled underneath a row of cupboards.
Wapooh! Wapooh! Wapooh!
The Agadon lit the cupboards up with energy fire, puncturing holes into the cabinetry and turning it into cinder.
A pantry door swung open and a young man, maybe in his late teens, a skateboard in his hands, fell out, blood dripping from a wound.
He took several deep breaths and fell to the floor, his mouth agape, his eyes full of surprise.
Taz pushed several Agadon out of his way and aimed his weapon at the kid’s head.
Jaxx shook his head and his eyebrows rose. He leapt over a countertop separating him from the young man and covered the boy with his own body.
Wapooh!
A searing energy sliced into Jaxx’s hip and he instinctively rolled away. Realizing he left the young man in the open, he twisted around.
Before he could use his body to cover him up, he saw that the teenager was dead, his eyes vacant and his body breathless.
Jaxx slumped. He had led the Agadon to more senseless killing, taking another innocent life — this time a young man.
He laid on his back, ignoring the screaming ache in his hip, and stared up at the ceiling. No matter what he did, he was leading people to their death.
“Leave Earth,” Jaxx said. “Leave and never return.” He was numb. Emotionless. Even anger was difficult to find.
Taz’s chainsaw laughter filled the room. He bent down and rubbed Jaxx’s forehead. “Don’t be so down. As a human, you’ve accomplished a lot.”
Accomplished a lot? His name alone had killed more people than any evil dictator to ever live, and likely all of them combined. If that was what Taz thought was an accomplishment and an astounding achievement, then he was right. Jaxx had outdone himself.
And he deserved to die.
“Just…end me.”
A torrid of laughter reverberated against the walls. “You’re the key, Jaxx. Killing you is almost impossible. It can be done, and I could try it now with my ion cannon, but trust me, the moment I pull this trigger, you’d somehow dodge. I’m certain of it. You see, your body and heart aren’t designed to die other than by your own devices, either by fulfilling a prophecy or ramming yourself into a mountain with a starfighter. Other than that, we aren’t going to kill you even if we wanted to. We can beat you to a pulp, and we have, but that’s only to slow you down in order to catch you.”
“You have killed millions because of me.”
Taz slowly shook his head. “We have murdered more than that, Jaxx.”
“I won’t move. I promise. Just pull the trigger.”
“You’re missing the point. We aren’t going to kill —”
Jaxx reached up, ripping the gun out of Taz’s hand, and turning it on the Agadon. “Bye.”
Wapooh! Wapooh!
Jaxx pulled the trigger several times, riddling Taz with ion rounds, hitting him in the side and on the shoulder. Taz tumbled to the floor and Jaxx rolled, leaped to his feet, and dashed to the right
, avoiding several Agadon blasts.
He pulled the trigger as fast as possible, slamming energy slug after energy slug into a handful of Agadon. He watched them fall to the floor in a mess of blue liquid he hoped they drowned in.
More Agadon rushed inside, their guns blazing. An ion bolt ripped into Jaxx’s gun, twirling it out of his hand. It crashed to the floor, the barrel a mash of twisted steel.
Jaxx moved back, bumping against the wall. He let the weight of his body take him down to the ground and to his butt. He put his head in his hands. “Screw this.”
Taz spoke, “Agadon, place energy cuff’s on Jaxx’s wrists and ankles. It’s time to take him to the mothership once and for all.”
16
Denver, Colorado
Jaxx was doomed. It was that simple. There were too many of them.
He leaned his head against the wall, his eyes fixed on Taz. He brought up his Chi. “Last chance. Do as I say and leave.”
“It won’t do you any good, Jaxx. Ease up on your energy, and we can ease up on the ankle and wrist restraints after we place them on you.”
Two Agadon approached Jaxx, gold bracelets in their hands.
Jaxx sighed, his Chi lowering, his mind giving up. “Any chance we can make a deal that would stick?”
Taz stood and twitched his head to the side. He lowered his eyes to Jaxx. “They have forbidden it.”
Whoever they were had more pull than Taz. All Jaxx’s belly-aching and dumb hope would get him nowhere.
Taz told his men to halt and walked over to Jaxx, crouching next to him. “Here is what I don’t understand about you, Jaxx.” He pointed to his chest. “I’ve read the prophecies, just like you have. When you fulfill your destiny by fixing the pyramids, your DNA will be transmutated into the pyramid network. In essence, your physical body will die. So here you are trying to save yourself to…essentially…die.”
Jaxx held his breath. He knew the prophecies and what they said. He didn’t want to die, but something in him didn’t care either way, as if that was how his DNA was designed. As long as he carried out his mission, saved the pyramid network and humanity, then he was fine with leaving his body to go to the afterlife. The not caring made no sense, but his body and heart kept him on this deadly path anyway.
“With us,” Taz poked Jaxx’s forehead with his finger, “you will survive and live a long, fruitful life. We will take care of you, because in order to control the pyramid nexus, we would need to create an environment that was pristine and happy for you. Do you understand, Jaxx?”
Jaxx shook his head. “I don’t care.”
“We will place you in an exact replica hologram of Earth. There you would live. You wouldn’t find an inkling of difference between both places. And you will have all your heart’s desires. Even women. Countless, beautiful women.”
Rivkah shot to his mind. She, and only she, was who he wanted. Even though she was stubborn, wanted to escape every relationship that came within a mile of her, and probably loathed romance, he still loved her, wanted her, and craved to be with her.
And if he died, he wouldn’t have that touch and connection.
“Would Rivkah be able to join me in that hologram?”
Taz nodded. “Whatever you want.”
He agreed to a deal once before, not too long ago, and it had been broken. If he agreed to this, the way things were going, this deal would be broken in twenty-seconds flat.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, I’m a damn idiot.
Jaxx put his hand out, asking Taz to help him up. “I agree.” He didn’t. “Take me to that hologram now.”
But good luck in trying to get me there.
“Agreed.” Taz clasped Jaxx’s hand and helped him to his feet. Jaxx took several steps before Taz grabbed him.
Jaxx pushed his arm away. “Just a sec. Let me get some real sun before you throw me into the hologram.”
Taz patted Jaxx’s shoulder. Dust puffed out like a cloud. He gestured for his soldiers holding the cuffs. “Place those on Jaxx. We —”
Jaxx went rigid, his chest out, continuing toward the open doorway. “I don’t want those things on me.”
“I’m sorry, Jaxx. It’s for practical purposes. We don’t want you running off the moment we leave this building.”
“Then no deal.”
Taz gave a cockeyed smile, pressing both hands on Jaxx, practically rooting Jaxx to the ground. “Cuff his ankles and hands. He won’t obey, so we’ll carry him out.”
17
Denver, Colorado
Two Agadon grunts lifted Jaxx up, his hands and legs bound by energy cuffs. They carried him out the doorway.
An explosion rocked the city in the distance, and a plume of smoke rose from behind several buildings.
Jaxx brought up his Chi. He couldn’t let this city get wrecked.
“Settle down, Jaxx,” said Taz, his hand coming down hard on Jaxx’s chest.
Jaxx winced in pain, wanting to cover his chest for any future blows, then cried in agony when he moved his arms. The cuffs closed in on themselves for a moment, singeing his wrists and ankles, then let up.
Taz leaned down, nearly touching his gray lips to Jaxx’s ear. “I can feel you bringing in powerful energy. I’d suggest for you to stop doing that now. Do you understand?”
Jaxx nodded. He understood, but understanding was one thing, doing something to purposely piss Taz off was another. Jaxx brought up his Chi again, feeling it circulate through his veins and move to his legs and arms.
An elbow came down on Jaxx’s stomach. He grunted, biting his lower lip, doing his best to hold in all the curse words that wanted to spray out.
“Last warning. We can still use you for the pyramid network while we torture you the entire time. Do you want to be tortured, Jaxx?”
Jaxx shook his head and then was thrown onto a seat. The door shut, and he was back in the hover vehicle.
Darkness pervaded the back seat, covering him like a cocoon. This time, there wasn’t a slit in the armor between the front seat and the back seat.
The hover car zipped forward.
“I’m the one driving,” said Taz over the car’s intercom.
“What a relief,” Jaxx replied, sarcastically. “I was thinking it was someone who didn’t give a rat’s ass about me or humanity.”
“I do care, Jaxx.”
Jaxx rolled his eyes. “How many more people are you going to kill to convince yourself of your make-believe compassion, asshole?”
“A lot more. Although, that’s not my goal.”
Jaxx scoffed. “Oh, yeah. It’s your higher-ups’ goal.”
“And what’s your goal, Jaxx?” inquired Taz.
“To find the connection between Atlantis and the pyramids,” Jaxx responded, though under his breath. “I’ve probably found all I needed to know.”
“I didn’t hear you,” replied Taz.
“Good.”
Bratatatatat! Ratatatatat!
Bullets sprayed the side of the hover vehicle.
“You humans don’t give up,” cursed Taz, bringing the vehicle to a halt. A click and Taz opened his door.
Wapooh! Wapooh!
A man yelled in agony.
The door shut and the vehicle hummed and moved onward.
“That soldier won’t be bothering us anymore,” said Taz.
Jaxx remained quiet, his stomach tightening from the thought that more people were being killed; most likely, because of him.
The vehicle jostled. More gun fire. Another click and Taz was again outside his hover car.
Wapooh!
Somewhere in the distance, Jaxx heard a missile fire.
Jaxx curled up. “Not good.”
Krackow!
The car lifted high in the air and the engine’s hum turned off, replaced with explosions and fire raging in the front seat of the hover vehicle. The vehicle came down with a thud, bouncing up and down, the hover technology now blown to shit, and the car rolling on its side.
Wapooh! Wapooh!
Taz was still firing and from the sounds of the guns, a shitload of Marines were firing back.
Jaxx closed his eyes and brought up his Chi. He had to do this and had to do this fast. He imagined a ball of light falling from the sky and sinking deep within him. He then steered the light to the cuffs, hoping beyond hope this would do the trick.
A zap went through his body and the cuffs sparked, unclasping from his wrists and ankles.
He was free.
He crouched and jumped with all his might, ducking his head and aiming his shoulder into the side door facing the sky.
A crash and the door swung off its hinges, spinning into the air and landing with a thud. It rolled to Taz’s feet. Taz glanced at the mangled door and, realizing what it was, took an errant shot at a Marine and turned, facing Jaxx.
His eyes went wide, then narrowed. He targeted Jaxx with the cannon extended from his back.
Jaxx jumped onto the street and rolled away as Taz shot, missing Jaxx by a long shot. A bullet tagged Taz’s back just as he fired a second blast, missing again, and connecting to the street. Asphalt flew into the air, spitting across Jaxx. Taz dipped to the side, being shot several more times, and fell to the ground.
Jaxx took one look at Taz and dashed off, not wanting to wait around to see if the Agadon prick was dead or not, and risk being caught for the umpteenth time.
He rushed down a side street and around a corner.
A blast hit a building, sending chunks of brick to the sidewalk, nearly toppling Jaxx over.
Jaxx brought up more Chi and ran as fast as he could, moving past abandoned cars and vacated buildings. He was the cause of so much death, though he knew it wasn’t entirely his fault, but in a way, it was.
He couldn’t be the burden any more. He had to do this mission on his own. Yes, Zara, the Leonian leader, had chided him before about not sticking around for his friends’ help, but she didn’t know the carnage that Jaxx had actually created.
The Complete Atlantis Series, Books 1 - 5: Ascendant Saga Page 98