by Kate O'Hearn
Emily’s heart was pounding in her chest and it was hard to take everything in. She knelt before the boy and took both his hands. ‘Where are Joel and Paelen? Can you tell me?’
Tears rushed to Frankie’s eyes and trailed through the grime on his face. ‘Paelen is dead,’ he wept. ‘He got shot in the head and then the wild Paelen threw him out the window and he fell. Joel is in jail. Chrysler flew away and I don’t know where he is.’
‘What?’ Emily cried. ‘Paelen is dead?’
Frankie sniffed and nodded.
‘My Paelen?’ Emily cried in panic. ‘No, it’s not possible. He had his winged sandals. They would have stopped him. He could have flown away.’
‘He didn’t have his sandals. John says Paelen was half dead when the wild Paelen beat him up really bad. Then he threw him out the window.’
Emily sat back in shock. It wasn’t possible. Paelen couldn’t be dead. Not after all they’d been through, all they had suffered together. She pulled out her green handkerchief to catch her uncontrollable tears.
Emily was hardly aware of Alexis’s arrival. It was only when Frankie screeched in terror and begged the Sphinx not to eat him that she realized Alexis had returned.
‘Emily, what is wrong?’ Alexis demanded, coming closer. ‘Are you hurt?’
Pegasus neighed softly to explain. ‘The boy is mistaken.’ Alexis put her paw on Emily’s back. ‘Paelen is far too resourceful to allow this to happen.’
But Emily could not speak and could hardly breathe as sobs tore her breath away.
‘You, boy,’ Alexis demanded. ‘Tell me what happened to Paelen and Joel.’
Frankie filled them in on everything that happened over the last two days.
‘Wait,’ Emily sniffed, ‘you didn’t see Paelen die?’
Frankie shook his head. ‘My friend John told me what happened. He swore he would never drink again because he was seeing too many crazy things. When I asked him what, he told me what happened. John still thinks it was the drink. But I saw the broken window. When I told him that Paelen could fly with his shoes, John said he was barefoot with a broken ankle. Chrysler followed him out the window, but John didn’t see him catch him.’
‘Then it is likely that Chrysaor reached Paelen in time,’ Alexis said calmly. She concentrated on Emily. ‘There is no evidence that Paelen is dead – just the word of this boy’s friend. You must keep your hope alive.’
Emily clung to Alexis’s words. Chrysaor would not let Paelen fall. He just wouldn’t. ‘You said a wild Paelen attacked our Paelen?’
The boy nodded. ‘At the diner. Joel said it was the clone. But when the real Paelen met the wild one, they both went crazy and wanted to kill each other.’
Alexis looked up to Pegasus. ‘Just like you with Tornado Warning.’
Pegasus snorted at the name and pawed the roof.
Alexis concentrated on Frankie again. ‘Who were those men on the roof ?’
‘Soldiers,’ Frankie said. ‘People must have seen Paelen go out the window and called the police. John tried to protect me, but they shot him.’ Frankie started to cry again. He lifted tearful eyes to Emily. ‘He helped me get away. I’ve been hiding and waiting for you.’
Alexis narrowed her green eyes and concentrated on the boy. ‘You waited for us? Knowing you were in danger by doing so? Why would you do that?’
Frankie looked at Alexis fearfully and stepped closer to Emily. ‘Because Joel and Paelen and Chrysler are my friends. They told me they were waiting for you to come back. I couldn’t let the soldiers get you.’
Alexis tilted her head approvingly. ‘That was very brave of you.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Frankie said. ‘I cried when they chased me.’
‘I would have done the same,’ Alexis said gently. She winked knowingly at Pegasus.
Frankie lifted his hopeful eyes to Emily. ‘Do you really think Chrysler saved Paelen?’
Emily nodded. ‘I’m sure he would have. They are very good friends.’
She could see the relief washing over the young boy as he wiped his filthy cheeks. She just prayed it was true.
‘Good. I really like him,’ Frankie said.
‘Me too,’ Emily agreed, drying her own eyes.
Behind her, Pegasus nickered.
‘We must get moving,’ Alexis said. ‘We must not leave Prince Tobin and Tirk alone for long.’
Emily shook her head. ‘First we’ve got to get Joel.’ She concentrated on Frankie. ‘You said he was in jail?’
The little boy nodded. ‘Near Fremont Street. That’s where the two Paelens fought. They caused a really big fire.’
Emily recalled all the fire trucks and the smell when they first arrived. ‘Can you show me where it is?’
Pegasus stepped forward and nickered again.
‘This will be the hardest thing Pegasus has ever asked you to do,’ Alexis translated, ‘but he said we must leave Joel where he is. Prince Tobin and Tirk are our first priority.’
Emily looked at the stallion in shock. ‘No way! We’ve got to rescue Joel before they find out who he is and call the CRU.’
Alexis sighed heavily. ‘It is highly likely the CRU already know, which is why Paelen would have left him. He was sent to warn us, but was wounded instead.’
Emily was shaking her head. She couldn’t believe they were suggesting leaving Joel to the mercy of the CRU.
‘Think about it,’ Alexis pressed. ‘The chances of Joel still being in their jail are remote. We must not waste precious time on an uncertainty. Prince Tobin and Tirk do not belong in this world. We must return to them and get the others away from Area 51 as quickly as possible.’
‘But If Joel is still in their jail I have to get him out.’ Emily panicked. ‘You don’t understand. I—’
‘You love him,’ Alexis finished gently. ‘Yes, I know. We all do. But we must not let our emotions rule us.’
‘But—’
Alexis shook her head. ‘I am sorry, Emily. But we have no choice. If you really want to help him, you will leave him where he is. If he still is in their jail, he is much safer there than at Area 51. But if the CRU have been alerted, they will no doubt deliver him to Area 51 anyway.’
Emily looked at Pegasus and then gazed out over Las Vegas. Was Joel out there just a short reach from where she was? Or had he been taken to Area 51? Every instinct in her body screamed to go to the jail to see for herself. It tore at her heart to know that there was a greater need. Prince Tobin and Tirk were alone and in more danger.
She stepped up to Pegasus and pressed her forehead to him. ‘I know we’ve got to go, Pegs. But what if Joel is still in jail? How can I abandon him?’
Pegasus neighed softly. There was little he could say or do to ease Emily’s pain. Finally she pulled away. She climbed on to his back without a word.
‘What about me?’ Frankie said. ‘I’m coming too. I want to help with the nerds.’
Alexis padded closer to him. ‘I am sorry, child, but you are safer here.’
Frankie shook his head. ‘Nah-uh, I’m not. Those men are looking for me. What if they find me? They’ll take me to Area 51 with all the other aliens. They shot John and wrecked my home. I have nowhere to go.’
Alexis stole a look at Emily before tuning to Frankie. ‘All right, child. I will ask you a riddle. If you answer correctly, you may come with us and I will carry you myself. But if you get the answer wrong, you must remain here.’
Frankie’s eyes trailed from Emily, to Pegasus and finally to Alexis. ‘OK.’
Alexis sat down before the little boy. ‘Riddle me this …
At night I come without being fetched
And by day I am lost without being stolen.
I am like a diamond,
But I am no jewel
What am I? ’
Emily watched little Frankie chew on his lower lip as he struggled with the riddle. She realized that the ferocious and deadly Sphinx of Olympus had given the boy a very easy one. Even she knew the
answer.
Finally Frankie looked up to the night sky and pointed. ‘I know!’ he cried. ‘It’s the stars.’
Alexis smiled and stroked his head with her large paw. ‘There is only one other person in history who has ever defeated me with a riddle. You are in very good company. Your answer is correct. You may join us.’
Alexis stood and offered her back to the boy.
‘I hope I’m not too heavy,’ Frankie said earnestly as he climbed on.
The Sphinx looked up at him. ‘I have carried heavier.’ Her eyes trailed over to Emily. ‘Are you ready?’
Emily inhaled deeply. She gazed out over Las Vegas in the direction of Fremont Street. ‘Forgive me, Joel,’ she said softly as she looked back at Alexis. ‘Let’s go.’
30
Emily’s heart was sitting heavy in her chest as Pegasus carried her away from Las Vegas and deeper into the dark desert. Joel would never have abandoned her. Would he ever forgive her?
As they approached the area where they had left the Nirads, Emily saw a glow rising from the ground. Fear knotted her stomach. Nirads didn’t use fire. The closer they got to the glow, the bigger and brighter it became. Pegasus tilted his wings and glided lower in the sky.
On the ground beneath them they saw the burning debris of two destroyed military helicopters scattered around the cluster of trees where they had left the two Nirads. One of the trees was ablaze while the grass smouldered and burned. Pegasus circled the area a few times searching for activity from below. They saw nothing. He landed a few metres from the trees.
‘Tobin!’ Emily cried as she slid off the stallion’s back and started to search the area. ‘Tirk! Are you here?’
Alexis joined in but after a few minutes of calling and searching, they received no answer. Emily approached the tree where she had last seen the Nirads and found a dark stain on the ground. Her heart dropped.
Emily bent down and summoned the flame to her hand. Lowering it down to the ground, she discovered the liquid was bright red. It was blood. Human blood. Not far from the stain, she saw a large piece of desert camouflage fabric.
‘Pegasus, Alexis, over here!’ Emily pointed at the ground and held up the fabric. ‘That’s human blood and this is part of a uniform. Those are military helicopters.’
Alexis surveyed the area. ‘There must have been a ferocious battle here if the Nirads could bring down two of those machines. I pray neither of them was wounded.’
Emily straightened and looked at the burning helicopters. ‘The soldiers must have attacked them right after we left. But how did they find them?’
Frankie was still seated on Alexis’s back. ‘They have radar,’ he answered softly. ‘I’ve read about it on my computer. This whole area has big radars. This is all part of the Nellis Air Force base. They track anyone who comes here – on the ground or in the air. I bet they’re tracking us too.’
As Frankie’s words sunk in, Emily realized the truth. ‘We led them into a trap!’ She looked at Pegasus. ‘We’ve just handed Prince Tobin and Tirk over to the CRU.’
Pegasus reared up in rage and screamed into the night while Alexis cursed and started pacing. As the full ramifications hit Emily, she felt the power of the Flame rising uncontrolled within her. Turning away from the others, she held up her hands and released the pent-up power.
Wild flames shot from both her hands and rose for hundreds of metres into the air. Emily threw back her head and howled in fury, ‘I have had it with the CRU!’
Emily charged over to Pegasus. ‘That’s it! This is war! Pegasus, ever since you first came to my world, the CRU have been hounding us and doing all they can to destroy us. They’ve captured us, tortured us and took my father away. They’ve created clones that just may get this world destroyed and they killed Agent T when he was trying to warn them. No more. If they want a fight, they’ve got it!’
‘Calm down,’ Alexis ordered. ‘You must think before you act.’
‘No,’ Emily cried turning back on the Sphinx. ‘We have been thinking all along and look where it’s gotten us! They’ve just captured the Nirad prince. I promised Queen Segan that I would keep him safe. But I didn’t! Why have I got all these powers if not to protect us from the evil that is the CRU?’
‘Emily, stop!’ Alexis shouted. ‘Remember your other powers. You have no control when you are angry.’
Emily stomped up to Pegasus. ‘This time they’ve pushed me too far. You can stay here if you like, but I’m going in and demanding they release Tobin and all the other Nirads. And if they don’t, they are going to see just what the Flame of Olympus can do!’
The journey to the secret CRU facility at Area 51 was short. But even before they made it to the mountain range that surrounded the large base, military helicopters were rising in the air and coming to meet them.
‘Emily, you must wait!’ Alexis cried. ‘This is a dangerous approach.’
But Emily clung to Pegasus’s mane and told the stallion to put on more speed.
‘Take Frankie away from here,’ she called to Alexis. ‘This fight is between the CRU and me!’
‘No, foolish child, it is not,’ Alexis called. ‘It is between Olympians and the CRU. I was wrong not going back to Jupiter. We must return to Olympus. The others must be told what has happened here. Jupiter will be furious if he knew I allowed you to do this alone.’
Emily called an answer back, but the sound of her voice was drowned out by the heavy rotors of the approaching military helicopters. As they neared, Emily felt the power of the Flame anxious to be freed.
‘Be careful, Pegasus!’ Emily called.
Emily tucked in her knees to hold on and raised her hands. The Flame was ready, but she held back on releasing it until she knew what the military intended. Within seconds, she had her answer. Without giving a warning, or the opportunity to surrender, the nearest helicopter fired at them.
There was no time to think, only react. Emily released the Flame. Against the dark sky it shot white-hot from her hands towards the approaching helicopters. The bullets they fired melted into liquid burning metal and glowed like fireflies as they fell, harmless, to the ground.
Emily never wanted to hurt anyone. But when the helicopters continued firing, she had no choice but to turn her full powers on them. One by one, the helicopters exploded in the air and rained fire down on the dark desert floor.
Soon they were alone in the sky. Within moments, Pegasus was cresting the mountains surrounding Area 51. Up ahead, Emily saw the lights of the two super-long runways burst to life as jet fighters taxied out of their hangers and down the runway.
‘Too late!’ Emily shouted in a fury. She raised her hands again and let the Flame go. Instead of hitting the jets, her target was the two long tarmac runways. When the heat of the Flame struck them, the tarmac melted instantly and burst into flames. The jets on the ground scattered and were forced on to the desert floor.
‘Emily, be careful!’ Alexis warned.
Emily looked over and saw Frankie clinging to the back of the Sphinx. Both his hands were gripped around Alexis’s wings where they emerged from her back. His head was tucked down and he wasn’t watching the fight.
Down on the ground, all the lights of Area 51 burst to life. The place was massive! Agent T had said only part of it was the CRU facility. But what was the rest of it? There were multiple large, squat buildings with flat corrugated steel roofs. She could see a parking area filled with cars. There were the two large hangers the jets had emerged from and three full-sized airliners parked at the side. Further along she spied several other military helicopters still on the ground. She hoped they stayed there.
As Pegasus flew closer, she saw the white chalk bed of the dry Groom Lake. Agent T wasn’t kidding. It had once been a huge lake. Suddenly her eyes caught movement. Soldiers were emerging from the squat buildings. As she approached lower Emily got a closer look at them and sucked in her breath. Nirads! They were wearing the desert camouflage uniforms of the military and carrying ri
fles. It was true. The CRU had created a Nirad army.
‘Pegasus, look,’ she cried. ‘Nirad soldiers!’
Alexis swooped closer. ‘Why are you not firing? Look, they all have weapons!’
The easy solution would have been to burn Area 51 off the face of the Earth. But despite her fury, Emily couldn’t do that. Prince Tobin and Tirk could be down there somewhere.
‘I can’t! Not until we get the others away. Stay behind us!’ Emily concentrated on Pegasus. ‘Take us down, Pegs, right in the middle of them. If they fire at us, I’ll shoot back.’
The soldiers crouched down on the ground and trained their weapons at them. But they did not open fire.
‘Don’t shoot!’ Emily called. ‘Please, don’t shoot!’
Pegasus stopped flapping his large white wings and glided silently over their heads. He landed on the ground and trotted to a stop near the large group of soldiers.
‘Put your hands in the air!’ A human soldier demanded.
‘Listen to me,’ Emily cried. ‘Earth is in terrible danger. I must speak with your commander right away!’
As she slid off Pegasus, she heard the urgent clicking sounds of soldiers preparing their weapons. Emily held up her hands. ‘Please, don’t fire. We need to speak with your commander!’
The soldier held up his weapon. ‘Get down on the ground. Now!’
‘You don’t understand!’ Emily took a step closer. ‘Jupiter is going to destroy this world. You can stop it!’
‘Stop!’ The soldier cried. ‘Don’t move another step!’
‘Please, listen to me,’ Emily begged, holding her hands up. ‘We don’t want to fight. We’re here to warn you.’
Behind her, Pegasus was pounding the ground and snorting. His wings fluttered. Alexis let out a soft growl. She folded her wings to cover little Frankie and warned him to keep his head down.
‘Foolish humans,’ Alexis spat as she concentrated on the soldiers. ‘Listen to the child. She speaks the truth! Jupiter of Olympus will destroy this world if you do not stop creating these clones.’