by Edward Lake
I hastily left with Pastor Saros and headed down the hall. I wanted to warn him about leaving Declan alone to watch Sadie, but because this was such a sensitive situation, I let it go.
When we arrived at his office, Pastor Saros walked to his desk and took a seat. He placed a shaky hand over his mouth, trying his best to hold back his emotions. But before he could say anything, Commander Vault stormed into the room.
He marched right over to Pastor Saros and knelt beside him. “My priest, I don’t know what to say. This is… unprecedented.”
Pastor Saros exhaled. “Indeed it is, Commander.” He leaned back in his chair and waved an angered hand over Commander Vault. “This is the second time your security system has been breached. Who is behind this?”
Commander Vault stood up and folded his arms behind his back. He paced around the room and lowered his head. “I don’t know, Pastor Saros. Nevertheless, I will find the mole and end this madness.”
I wanted to jump into the conversation, but from the looks of it, things were about to get heated. I went back and forth, scanning them both and reading their body language. After a few minutes of watching them argue, it seemed like they were mad enough to kill each other. I never would have imagined seeing this: two of the most powerful people in the galaxy, men I had looked up to since I was a child, at odds with each other.
“Things are getting out of hand, Commander!” Pastor Saros barked. “First, the attacks on the North Star and Agholor. Now the Holy Planet has suffered an attack!” He popped up from his chair and pointed a stern finger at Commander Vault. “My daughter was nearly killed last night, Commander! Have you lost the ability to protect us?”
“No!” he snapped back at the High Priest. “We are at war, Pastor Saros. The Serpent army is gaining strength as we speak. We must determine where they are hiding before it is too late.” He lowered his voice and walked over to Pastor Saros. “You’re angry and overwhelmed, my priest.” Commander Vault placed his hand on Pastor Saros’s shoulder. “After all these years, I have never failed you. I give you my word that I will send the Serpents back to the depths from which they came. And when this war is over, Starlight will rejoice.”
Pastor Saros tapped his hand and sat back down in his chair. “I need you to discover the spy, Commander, or find a way to protect the security codes.”
Commander Vault gave him a bow. “It will be done, my priest.” He turned to me and said, “Captain Cain, I want you and your troops to stay here and keep the Saros family safe.” He looked past me and stormed out of the room, leaving me alone with Pastor Saros.
“Is there anything I can do for you, sir?” I asked him.
He slowly shook his head and let out a miserable sigh. “No, Captain. Just make sure Sadie stays in her room. She is not to go anywhere until I figure out what happened to her.”
I nodded. “Yes, sir.” I turned around and headed to the door.
“Wait, Captain,” he said, stopping me.
I spun around. “Yes?”
“I want you to hunt down a man named Trace Knox. He’s an old friend of Sadie’s—a delinquent who has spent time in one of my prisons. I have a feeling he’s involved with this mess. Find Knox and bring him to me for questioning.”
“Right away, my priest.” Just as Pastor Saros ordered, I left the estate at once to track down Trace Knox. However, leaving Declan alone to watch over Sadie was most troubling. He appeared to be rather shaken when he came to me in the late-night hours, and at this point, there was no telling what Sadie might do. Not taking any chances, I radioed for one of my troops to assist Declan in guarding her door. Please, Declan, don’t do anything foolish. Just stay away from her, I prayed.
21
Pastor Saros
With my daughter Sadie in distress and refusing to talk to me, a sharp pain touched my heart. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and tell her everything was going to be okay, yet in truth, I felt powerless against the rebels and Serpents. Too many people had been killed, and now they were coming after me and my family. I looked up and closed my eyes, hoping God would hear me praying. Dear God, let this madness end. Please, my Lord, let us have peace.
I opened my eyes and breathed calmly as I pondered the situation. Did the rebels and Serpents know Sadie was at the ocean? Were they trying to assassinate her? Why wouldn’t they come after me first? With so many questions bouncing around in my head, I decided to take a break from my speculating and pay another visit to Sy-Ru, the last king of the Serpents. But this time, I had prisoners to bring with me: captured Serpent soldiers from the attack at the ocean.
My grand battle station, Station Four, was hovering in the sky on standby. I went to the rooftop of my estate and ordered a transport to take me up. When I arrived at the mountainous space station, I headed to the lower levels and found my reporter, Vin Naas, standing near the chamber doors.
I walked over to him and peeked at the holograms on his desk. “Have you found anything?”
With his aged face staring at the transparent screens, he shook his head. “No, Linus. Our enemy is gaining strength, and we do not have one solid lead.”
I shifted my eyes to the chamber doors. “You’re wrong. We have a few. Big leads.” From behind, I listened as members of the Holy Guard dragged a heavily sedated Serpent down the hall from the elevators. The large beast wore a gas mask, too, to protect him from the deadly mist inside the chamber.
Naas stood up and threw his hands out. “What is this?”
“Sy-Ru wouldn’t talk before. Perhaps this time a familiar face will convince him otherwise.” I opened the cold metal doors and let the thick mist from inside the dark room breeze past me. I moved ahead in a rage, determined to solve the mystery of the Serpents’ resurgence.
Naas hurried in after me and stayed close behind. “Linus, come to your senses. He hasn’t given us any useful information in the past. What makes you think he’ll talk now?”
A grin stretched across my face. “Like I told you, I have a new method of persuasion.” Droplets of sweat welled from my brow as I spotted Sy-Ru’s holding tank. I stopped and stared at him for a moment, then turned around and checked the soldiers. They dragged the captured Serpent into the chamber and threw him onto the metal floor. I looked down and pointed at the lifeless beast. “Keep him there for now, and when I tell you, bring him to the holding cell so the former king can see his fallen soldier.” I turned back around and marched ahead.
Naas increased his pace and jogged in front of me. “Linus, please, listen to me. We are wasting our time with this brute! The real evidence is at the ocean, where the attack on Sadie occurred!”
I ignored him and moved ahead. I slowed down when I reached the tank and carefully scanned the former Serpent king. “This is your last chance, Sy-Ru.”
The giant beast, his jaw wide open, turned around and chewed the flesh off a large bone. He laughed when he saw me and Naas approaching. “Back so soon, Saros?”
I walked to the thick glass he dwelled behind and glared into his fat yellow eyes. “Tell me everything about your kind—every little detail you can think of—or I will make you suffer where you stand.”
The snarling brute ignored my threat and continued to chew his bone. “Your crew must send me larger animals. Then I tell you.” He let out a growling laugh and chomped the bone in half.
“Just like I said, a waste of time,” Naas yapped.
My eyes flickered and grew wide, like a burning fire spreading across the forest. “Last chance, you arrogant fiend! Tell me everything you know!”
The former Serpent king flashed a spikey, arrogant smile. “Poor Saros. The lie you call ‘God’ blinds you.”
I slammed my fist on the tank. “How dare you speak of your master that way! God is the creator of all things, even the Serpents. The Holy Spirit is the one true ruler of the galaxy!”
Sy-Ru shoved the two bone pieces into his mouth and swallowed them with ease. “You bore me, Saros.” He bent low and gawked at me. “You wea
r white, a symbol of the light, but beneath the robe, your soul is black.” The eerie Serpent laughed again and lashed his disgusting tongue at the glass. “So show me your worst.”
I sneered and stepped back. “As you wish.” I spun my head and stared at my soldiers. “Bring the Serpent forward!” Slowly, I turned my head around and glared at Sy-Ru.
He looked on in shock, gawking through the glass as his jaw hung half-open.
“What’s wrong, former king?” I laughed and circled the holding tank. “How long has it been since you’ve seen one of your kind, Sy-Ru?”
The beast roared and set his webbed hands on the glass. “You kill him!”
“Oh no, he’s still alive. We sedated him and a few others.” I walked over to the Serpent as he squirmed on the floor like a bug who’d just been trampled. “You see, Sy-Ru?” I turned around and looked up at him. “You were once king of the Serpents for hundreds of years. Where would they hide?” I began to pace around the tank again and gestured with my hands as I talked. “Perhaps a hidden planet? Maybe underground on Mercilus?”
Sy-Ru growled and slashed his claws along the glass. “Let the Serpent live, or soon, I will eat the flesh from your bones!”
I came back to the sedated Serpent and pointed at his head. “He dies now unless you tell me something!”
The former king roared and slammed his shoulder into the wall. “Saros! Don’t!”
“Fire!”
All at once, the soldiers drew their guns and blasted the Serpent with several shots to the head. The hideous creature died, and Sy-Ru did something I never thought a Serpent could do: he wailed and growled softly, a beautiful sound. I had found his weakness, and the sight of his squealing, grumbling cry sparked a smirk on my face that felt everlasting.
I turned around and stared at the former king. “Now, tell me something useful about your kind or I’ll slaughter the others—just like I did this one.”
Sy-Ru gazed down at the fallen Serpent. “Never, you fraud. Kill me, too. Does not matter. I will not betray my people.”
I stood there for a moment and narrowed my eyes. His speech had improved since the last time I visited him. Has someone other than me been down here? Perhaps the spy? “Killing you would be too easy, Sy-Ru. I want you to suffer alone, knowing you can’t save the other Serpents from me. Then…one by one, you will watch them all die.”
He squinted his big yellow eyes and glared at me through the hazy glass of his holding tank. “One day, I will break free and rip your heart out of your chest.” He roared and swiped his claws along the glass. “I kill you, Saros! One day, you will be food for my stomach!”
I ignored his ranting and turned my back to him. “Leave the dead Serpent so the former king can watch his fallen soldier rot.” I turned to Naas and gave him a coded signal to have the Holy Guard troops that had accompanied me killed. No one could know Sy-Ru was alive. Not even my own men. Naas led the soldiers to a door on the other side of the chamber. He ordered them to go through and head back to the main docking station. Once the soldiers left, Nass locked the door and pressed a button on the wall. Within seconds, massive laser beams emerged from the walls and slaughtered the troops.
Nass, his head down, walked past me and returned to his office in the hallway. I exited the chamber and departed Station Four. I then returned to my estate to confront Sadie. It was time for her to start talking. I needed to know why she broke down at my early-dawn sermon.
When I arrived at her door, I found Declan Ezra and another soldier standing on both sides. “How is she?” I asked Ezra.
He stepped aside to give me a clear path to the door. “She hasn’t made a sound in a while, my priest. Perhaps she has fallen asleep.”
“I surely hope so.” I looked to the other soldier and waved my hand over him. “You there, gather more troops and head to my battle station. You will receive further instructions when I arrive.”
The soldier stared at me with a confused look in his eyes. “Forgive me, Pastor Saros. But Captain Cain gave me strict orders to watch Sadie’s door.”
I was already in a bad mood, and his sudden defiance only added fuel to my simmering fire. “You do know that Captain Cain answers to me, right?”
Wisely, the man gave me a bow and went on his way.
“Sorry about that, Declan. Sometimes I must remind the troops who their true commander is.” I tapped his arm. “Besides, after your heroics at the ocean, I’m confident you can handle watching Sadie’s door on your own.”
He beamed as he assumed his position on the other side of the door. “Well, thank you, sir.”
I nodded at him before entering Sadie’s room. He had this obedience about him that I liked. “You’re a good slave, Declan.” I quickly switched my attention to Sadie and found her curled up on her bed, resting snuggly with no sheets or blankets. It reminded me of when she was a young girl. Many times, I would find her passed out on her bed, uncovered, surrounded by toys, and sleeping soundly.
I had a strong feeling she was pretending to sleep. Sure enough, as I crept around the bed, I caught her shutting her eyes. “Hey, love bug. I didn’t come here to argue. I came to be a listening ear. Anything you want to say, I’ll listen.” I sat down at the edge of the bed and waited patiently.
After a minute or two, Sadie finally opened her eyes. “You haven’t called me that in years.”
“Called you what?”
She blew out an aggravated sigh. “Love bug, Father. You used to call me that all the time.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I remembered the phrase. “Yes, it has been a long time since I called you that.” I scooted closer and reached out to her side. I gently rubbed her up and down, doing my best to soothe her. “Sadie, the empire is in great danger. I need your help, dear.” I bent low and whispered, “Please, love bug?”
She closed her eyes and squeezed them hard. “I can’t help you anymore, Father. I’ve failed you… and God.”
Sadie, please, why won’t you let me comfort you? I desperately pondered. “Please, Sadie, tell me what’s troubling you.”
She pulled away from me, then pushed my hand off her body. “Leave me alone.” She flipped over to her other side and curled up again.
I stayed there for a moment and looked her over. “Okay, I’m leaving.” I stood and quietly walked to the door. All her life, she had come to me in times like this. I should have known it wouldn’t last. I had pushed my father away when I became an adult, and I regretted it now. He only wanted the best for me, just as I wanted the best for Sadie. I hoped she would realize that before it was too late.
When I left her room, an urgent message from Captain Cain buzzed over Declan’s communications device. “I have apprehended Trace Knox. He did not resist my interrogation and willingly boarded my ship. He shall meet with the High Priest at once.”
I exhaled. “At last, someone who will give me some information.” I checked Declan. “Keep an eye on Sadie, soldier. If she decides she is ready to talk, radio for me immediately.”
He responded with a respectful bow. “Certainly, my priest.”
22
Zena
Little by little, it felt like I was losing control of the situation. I had come so far, and now, all I could think about was Sadie Saros. Declan needed me to make this work. By getting mixed up with Sadie, I had put everything at risk. How could I be so selfish? Maybe Evander was God’s way of trying to keep me safe. Maybe God was speaking to me through his words of warning.
Even so, the stare of Sadie’s stunning eyes was now burned into my brain. All the time and everywhere I went, I could smell the sweet fragrance she wore. I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to block out my temptations. I took deep breaths as I cautiously guarded her door.
Once the hallway had been clear for a few minutes, I heard her get up and walk to the door.
“Who’s out there?” she whispered.
My knees wobbled as I peeked down the hall to check for any patrolling soldiers. Luckily,
the area was clear and silent. “It’s me, Sadie.”
A long, heavy silence hung in the air.
“Come inside, Zena.”
My hands shook and began to sweat. I checked down the hall again. The area remained clear, but I was too afraid to go in. “I can’t, Sadie. If I get caught, your father will have me killed.”
“Stop talking with all that base in your voice. Use your real voice.”
My hands were sweating and a burning sensation sparked along my spine. “Fine, I’ll come in.” I spun around and grabbed the handle. I exhaled before turning the knob and opening the door.
My mouth hung open, in total awe of what my eyes were seeing. Sadie, completely naked, sat on the edge of her bed with her legs crossed. I stood there, speechless, unsure of what to think. “Why are you—”
“Don’t pretend like you’re not enjoying this.”
I rolled my eyes at her. “Okay, yes, you have a great body. I just don’t understand why you’re playing this game with me. One minute you’re threatening to have me killed, and the next minute you’re sitting in front of me naked.”
Sadie leaned back and slid onto the bed. “This is not a game, Zena.” She licked her lips and moaned. “If I get caught with you, I would be in just as much trouble.” She shook her head as she checked me from head to toe. “God, I can’t believe you’re a woman.”
I inched toward the bed. “Why?” I put my hands up and gestured with them as I spoke. “Why are you doing this?”
She shrugged. “Because I like you.”
My heart fluttered, but I needed to know her true intentions. A nervous smile touched my face as I set my hands on my hips. “Really? That’s what this is all about? You’re risking my life and yours because you fancy me?” I threw my hands up. “Well, that’s insane.”
She smiled. “I know.” She carefully opened her legs. “People do crazy things when they like someone badly enough.”