by Kate O'Hearn
‘We understand completely,’ Agent T said. ‘Have a good night.’ The ex-CRU agent stood at the door for a few minutes, watching the man go.
Joel looked at Emily. ‘You can turn that off now,’ he said, indicating her burning fists.
Emily calmed down and drew the Flame back into herself. ‘I don’t like it here. Maybe we should fly to the facility right now and see what’s happening and get out.’
Agent T closed the door and returned to the group. He shook his head. ‘They are suspicious enough already. We make one move and we’ll expose ourselves. We have to plan this very carefully. This base has got ground and air sensors that pick up visual, audio and heat traces. I know for a fact that by the time anyone gets within three miles of the gate or any of Area 51’s property, the authorities have seen them and know just about everything there is to know about them. This isn’t Governors or Tuxedo. This place has the highest security of all the facilities in the world. Even the President of the United States can’t get in here.’
‘What do we do?’ Paelen asked.
‘We use our heads and not our emotions,’ Agent T said coldly. His eyes rested on Emily. ‘And you, young lady, must control those powers of yours. We can’t have you setting things alight until we are ready.’
‘I know,’ Emily said, dropping her head. ‘Normally I can control them. But knowing that guy was just outside, it kind of got away from me.’
Agent T’s penetrating blue eyes bored into her. ‘Just like at the hotel in Baton Rouge with the exploding lamp? And what about at the Double R Ranch? It appears your powers get away from you a great deal.’
‘Yeah, what happened at the stable?’ Joel added. ‘Those two guys went flying! And you told us to stop them before your powers killed them.’
Emily realized she’d been exposed. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she started. ‘But I think I’ve got more powers than just the Flame and I can’t control them. Sometimes they get away from me completely.’
‘Why didn’t you tell us?’ Joel demanded, looking hurt. ‘Don’t you trust us?’
Emily shook her head. ‘That’s not it and you know it! I didn’t say anything because we have bigger things to worry about. I thought I could keep them hidden until we got back.’
‘What are these new powers?’ Paelen asked. ‘What can you do?’
Emily hated to tell her friends about her powers. She didn’t want them to discover she was even more of a freak.
‘I can move things,’ she started. ‘And sometimes they kinda explode …’
‘Like the lamp,’ Joel said.
Emily nodded. ‘And sometimes – but not very often – objects will disappear completely and I never see them again.’
‘Do they turn to ash like the gorgons did?’ Paelen asked.
Emily shrugged. ‘Not really, they just sort of disappear.’
Alexis sat down beside her. ‘Emily will soon learn to control these new powers as she can control the Flame. In the meantime, we must all help her remain calm and focused so her powers do not escape her again.’
‘Which is why we must plan our next move very carefully,’ Agent T said. ‘We can’t let Emily lose control. Agreed?’
Everyone nodded and agreed to help her. Looking at their determined faces, she wondered why she had been so worried to tell them.
‘Back to the problem at hand,’ Agent T continued. ‘I know for certain they have taken our vehicle details down and checked us out. The fact that we are still free means that someone at the Double R Ranch followed our orders and told the authorities we are moving horses. We are safe for the moment.’
‘That or they are raising an army against us,’ Joel said.
The ex-CRU agent shook his head. ‘No, with the base this close, they could be here in minutes. We are safe for the time being. I think our best course of action is to take a drive out to the base’s gates in the morning and see what it’s like in daylight.’
Emily asked. ‘Shouldn’t we go tonight while it’s dark?’
‘We must not make rash decisions,’ Agent T said. ‘If we overreact this could backfire on us. We must plan very carefully. Besides, we are all tired from travelling. We must be fresh and prepared before we move. Rest tonight, because tomorrow we move against Area 51 and the CRU.’
13
Emily and Earl remained in the trailer with Pegasus, Chrysaor and Tornado Warning. With Pegasus close at her side, Emily lay in the straw and curled into him. Exhausted from the long hot day behind her, she quickly drifted off to sleep.
A pounding on the trailer door woke Emily with a start. Pegasus was instantly on his feet, pawing the floor and whinnying. In his stall, Tornado Warning joined in and whinnied loudly. Emily looked out the trailer windows. It was still dark out and she couldn’t see anything.
‘Stay back,’ Earl warned. ‘Let me get it.’
Earl reached for the door and peered out. ‘Oh dear Lord!’ He jumped down to the ground.
Emily ran to the door and watched Earl struggling to lift Alexis. The Sphinx was collapsed on the ground and covered in blood. He carried her up the three steps into the trailer.
‘Close the door and turn on the lights,’ he ordered as he put Alexis down in the dry straw.
The Sphinx was moaning. ‘It’s all right, Alexis,’ Emily said softly as she brushed her raven hair away from her face. ‘You’re going to be fine.’
Earl ran back to the trailer door. ‘Stay with her. I’ll get the others.’
Emily concentrated on the Sphinx. With a lack of ambrosia, Alexis was weakened and vulnerable to be hurt. She looked like she’d been in a terrible fight.
‘Are these gunshot wounds?’ Emily gasped as she checked Alexis’s body and began to heal her. ‘Who did this?’ But the Sphinx was too weak to respond.
As Emily’s powers got to work, Pegasus and Chrysaor stayed at Alexis’s bruised and bloodied head. Pegasus licked her face soothingly.
Joel, Paelen and Earl crowded around the Sphinx as she stirred and slowly opened her eyes.
‘Tom is gone,’ Earl cried. ‘He ain’t in the room.’
‘We didn’t hear him go,’ Joel added. ‘I thought he was still with us. What’s happening here?’
With the last of the healing finished, Alexis sat up shakily. Tears were rimming her eyes. ‘Tom is dead,’ she announced. ‘He was killed by his own people at the CRU.’
‘What?’ Emily cried. ‘How?’
Alexis ignored Emily’s question and looked at Earl. ‘They dislocated my wings. I could not fly and had to run back here. We do not have long before they come for us. Tom told me if anything happened we should get to Las Vegas to hide at the black tower. Go now, get us moving. I can tell you what happened later.’
Earl nodded. ‘You kids stay with Alexis and hold on tight. I’m goin’ to move this trailer as fast as it can go.’
Moments after Earl left the trailer, they heard the sounds of men shouting and gunfire. The trailer rocked violently as the tyres were shot out beneath them, disabling the vehicle. Joel dashed to the window. ‘It’s that guy from the restaurant. He and some others have captured Earl!’
Lights flashed as military vehicles poured into the parking lot of the motel. They could hear a heavy thudding in the distance. Paelen raised his head. ‘I know that sound. It is soldiers in their flying machines!’
‘We’re trapped in here!’ Emily cried.
Tornado Warning was screaming in his stall and kicking the door. Pegasus’s eyes were wild and he whinnied loudly.
‘He says we must flee,’ Paelen translated. ‘Emily, get the big door open and we will fly out of here.’
Emily nodded and then looked back at Tornado. ‘We’re not leaving him here for them!’ Before the others could protest, she dashed to the back of the trailer and opened Tornado’s stall door.
The racehorse’s eyes were wide and frightened but he let Emily lead him forward to stand beside Pegasus. The stallion’s eyes met, but neither made a move against the other as t
hough they both realized the bigger danger.
Emily climbed up on to Pegasus. ‘Everyone get ready. I’m going to burn it open. Joel, get on Chrysaor.’ She looked at the Sphinx. ‘Can you fly? Or should you ride with me on Pegasus?’
‘I am sufficiently healed,’ Alexis said. ‘Use your powers, get us out of here!’
Emily looked at her friends. ‘The moment that ramp goes down, I want you all to fly out. Pegasus, Tornado and I will follow you. Get up into the sky. Head to Vegas. We’ll meet up at the top of that tall black tower we saw on the way in.’
When everyone nodded, Emily raised her hands. ‘Ready?’
Her fear fed the power of the Flame. In an instant, a huge burst of blinding light flew from her hands and hit the sealed trailer ramp. On impact the ramp exploded and blew out. The debris hit several soldiers charging towards the trailer.
‘Go!’ Emily cried.
Chrysaor was first to move as the winged boar squealed and charged through the burning opening. Joel clung on to his back screaming. Paelen followed, running and ordering his sandals to take him up into the sky. As he flew over the heads of the gathering soldiers, he kicked the nearest two men. ‘Leave us alone!’
‘Alexis, go!’ Emily shouted as Pegasus moved beneath her. She looked over to Tornado. ‘Come on, boy, come with us. Use your wings and fly!’
Like his brother, Chrysaor, Pegasus charged out of the burning trailer screaming. He opened his wings and leaped confidently into the air.
Emily’s eyes went wide at the sight of countless military vehicles pulling into the parking area. Men were pouring out with their weapons raised. Popping sounds filled the air as they opened fire. She felt stings on her arms and back and realized they were using tranquillizer darts, just like when the CRU were after them in New York on the 59th Street Bridge. Only this time, they had no effect other than to make her angry.
She held up her hand and released the laser-like flame at the nearest military vehicle. It exploded in a brilliant blast. A second, third and fourth vehicle followed the first as the air around them was lit with the light of the burning trucks.
Emily’s eyes sought Earl. She looked back and saw him being held down on the ground by several armed men. Earl was shouting at her, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying.
‘Pegs, we’ve got to go back for Earl!’
‘Emily, no,’ Alexis said, swooping close. ‘You are the Flame; you must remain free. Earl knows this. He would not wish you to risk yourself.’
Emily looked down on Earl. He had done so much for them and all they had ever given back was trouble.
As Pegasus climbed into the sky, Tornado Warning screamed. He was still on the ground and running with amazing speed to keep up with her and Pegasus. Military jeeps were chasing him and men were tossing ropes to catch him.
‘Fly, Tornado!’ Emily cried. ‘Use your wings and fly!’ But the stallion did not know how. Instead he turned his fear into rage. He stopped, spun around and charged the soldiers who were trying to capture him. He may not have known how to fly, but Tornado Warning knew how to fight. He instinctively used his wings as weapons. He flapped them and struck the men who were trying to catch him. Others were kicked by his lethal hooves.
As more men swarmed forward, Emily watched the winged racehorse finally brought down by the countless tranquillizer darts being shot into him. Her last sight of the stallion was him collapsing to the ground.
Emily couldn’t watch any more. She looked ahead and saw that they were far from out of danger. A squadron of military helicopters was cresting the mountains surrounding Area 51 and heading straight for them.
Joel, Chrysaor and Paelen were ahead of them in the dark sky. Emily noticed that Paelen was flying oddly, very close to Chrysaor. Then she saw why.
‘Joel!’ she gasped. She saw his limp body being held up by Paelen. ‘Pegasus, look, Joel’s been shot!’
Paelen was struggling to stop him from falling off the winged boar’s back.
‘Paelen!’ Emily cried. She pointed at the approaching helicopters. ‘Get Joel to Las Vegas. Pegasus and I will slow them down!’
Without waiting for a reply, Emily and Pegasus turned in the direction of the approaching military helicopters. ‘If they want to fight,’ she called to the stallion, ‘we’ll give them a fight they’ll never forget!’
‘Emily, do not do this!’ Alexis called, flying closely beside Pegasus. ‘We must flee!’
‘We can’t! Paelen and Chrysaor can’t carry Joel very fast while he’s unconscious. We’ve got to help them get away.’
She felt the full power of the Flame rumbling through her entire body. Despite the danger she faced, Emily felt strangely calm. ‘Are you ready, Pegs?’
Beneath her, Pegasus put on more speed and screamed into the night sky. He was glowing brilliant white like a blazing beacon as he flew at the helicopters. Emily focused her eyes on the closest helicopter. ‘This is for Joel, Earl, Tornado Warning and Agent T!’ she cried. Emily raised her hands and unleashed the Flame.
14
Paelen struggled to keep Joel from falling off Chrysaor. Unconscious, he was slumped across the boar’s back and at risk of sliding off. But trying to keep his large friend steady while flying with winged sandals was proving very difficult.
Over to his right, Paelen saw the glow of Emily and Pegasus charging through the dark sky towards the approaching helicopters. He couldn’t bear to watch, but couldn’t draw his eyes away either.
Emily and Pegasus looked so small and vulnerable going up against the deadly flying machines yet, as he watched, he saw his best friend use her powers to bring down the metal monsters.
Paelen saw endless flashes in the sky from the machine’s weapons as they fired at Pegasus and Emily. It brought back terrifying memories of the night Cupid was shot down by similar machines.
But Cupid didn’t have Emily’s power or determination. Paelen watched machine after machine exploding brilliantly in the sky over the dark desert. Their burning hulks crashed violently to the ground and set the dry scrub grass and plants alight. Before long, the desert floor was littered with glowing and burning debris.
Paelen shook his head in wonder. Emily was proving to be the better fighter and yet they kept coming, hoping to cut her and Pegasus down out of the sky.
He was so engrossed watching the fight that he failed to notice Joel was slipping. Suddenly Chrysaor screamed.
‘Joel!’ Paelen cried as his friend tumbled away from Chrysaor and free-fell into the darkness below.
‘Sandals, get me to Joel!’ Paelen cried in a panic.
The winged sandals reacted instantly. Paelen entered a dive as he chased after Joel. Chrysaor continued to squeal as he turned in the sky and dived down to stop Joel from crashing to the ground.
It was a race to the death.
Both Paelen and Chrysaor reached Joel just a few metres before he hit the ground. Paelen caught hold of Joel’s silver arm and slowed his fall just long enough for Chrysaor to fly beneath him and let Joel land on his back.
‘Take us down!’ Paelen panted as he and his sandals fought to support Joel’s weight.
The landing wasn’t neat or graceful. As Chrysaor’s feet touched down on the desert floor, the unconscious Joel lunged forward on his back. Despite Paelen’s best efforts, Joel’s silver arm slipped free of his grasp and Joel was thrown off the boar’s back. He crashed to the ground several metres away. Paelen cringed when he realized his best friend had just landed in a cactus patch.
Paelen split his attention between Joel and the fight raging in the sky. He could no longer see Emily or Pegasus, but he did see her laser streams of Flame cutting across the dark sky. He noticed the remaining helicopters were flying away from where they landed and realized that Emily was leading them away from him, Joel and Chrysaor.
‘Be safe, Emily,’ he silently prayed as the fight faded into the distance.
Paelen reluctantly drew his eyes away from the sky to concentrate on Joel. He qui
ckly discovered that Joel wasn’t in just any cactus patch – it had to be the biggest and meanest cactus patch in the desert. As he entered it and tried to get near his friend, sharp needles scratched his feet between the sandal’s leather straps and stuck painfully into his ankles and legs.
Paelen cried out in pain and retreated from the patch. Beside him, Chrysaor squealed and offered suggestions.
‘You try walking in there then,’ Paelen snapped back at the boar. ‘Your tough hide should be fine with those needles. But they are cutting me to pieces!’
After several more squeals, Paelen looked at Chrysaor. ‘Oh, I see what you mean,’ he said. ‘Good idea.’
He looked down at his feet. ‘Sandals, lift me up in the air and flip me upside down.’
The tiny wings on the sandals gave their quick flutter of understanding and then lifted him off the ground. They hovered in the air and then flipped. Paelen yelped as he was tossed upside down.
‘Now, take me to Joel over the patch.’ They moved over the cactus needles.
‘Easy,’ Paelen said. ‘Just a bit more … Good! Stop there!’
Paelen reached for one of Joel’s hands and grabbed it securely. ‘Sandals, lift me up.’
Paelen cried out as his hands brushed against a cactus pad that was filled with sharp stabbing needles. His friend had been lying on that plant. Joel would be in a lot of pain once he woke up.
Paelen carried Joel over to Chrysaor. Even in the dark, they could see the thousands of tiny needles poking into his clothing.
Using his sharp teeth, Chrysaor started to pull the needles out one at a time.
‘This is going to take us all night,’ Paelen said as he joined in.
Chrysaor squealed. ‘Yes,’ Paelen agreed, ‘we did pass a lake on the way here.’ He looked down at the tiny swollen points of blood on Joel’s bare skin where the cactus needles had been removed. He looked over to Chrysaor. ‘Good idea. We should get him there before he wakes.’