by Kate O'Hearn
‘They’d be crazy not to,’ Joel agreed. ‘Now, keep your eyes open for police, soldiers or the CRU, we’re not far from the festival.’
Paelen’s eyes scanned the area, searching for anything that might look out of place.
‘There are a lot of extra police out,’ Joel muttered as everyone watched two police cruisers drive past their car. ‘This could be a problem.’
They continued out of the town and entered a wooded area. The road followed along the Haunted Forest’s property. They saw the tall chain link fence and some of the rides behind it. Finally the haunted house fell into view. In daylight there weren’t a lot of festival workers about. But what they did see were soldiers and a lot of men in dark suits.
‘The CRU,’ Joel said nervously. ‘Pegasus was right. They’re searching for anything to tell them why we were here last night. We just might be able to capture a couple of their men.’
‘Do you think they will be expecting us to come back?’ Paelen asked.
Cupid hauled himself up from the back seat and peered out of the front window. ‘It could be a trap.’
Joel shrugged. ‘It could be. I think I’ll drive past the parking lot a few times to see what it’s like there. Just keep your eyes open.’
As expected, the parking lot was filled with black CRU cars and multiple military trucks. Several soldiers stood behind one of the trucks, smoking and taking a break.
‘Well, we can’t drive in. I think we should abandon the car away from here and walk,’ Joel said.
‘But how will we transport the men we are going to capture?’ Paelen asked.
‘We’ll have to steal a CRU car,’ Joel suggested. ‘We’re going to need it to go to the facility anyway. So we’ll get both at the same time.’
‘That does not sound like much of a plan,’ Cupid complained.
‘You got any better ideas?’ Joel challenged.
Cupid fell silent and lay back down on the seat.
Joel drove the car past the festival and turned in along a dirt road heading higher into the mountains. He parked up and they abandoned the car.
As they treaded through the woods back towards the festival, Cupid continued to complain. Finally he stopped and freed the lower part of his wings from his jeans.
‘Cupid,’ Paelen said tiredly, ‘you can not show those.’
‘I am not going to,’ Cupid said. ‘I am going to leave my top on. But I could not walk another step with the feathers scratching against my legs. This will be fine. No one will notice.’
Joel raised his eyebrows and looked at Paelen. ‘Is he kidding?’
Paelen finally gave up. There was just no reasoning with Cupid. ‘Fine, do as you wish. But if you get into trouble, do not expect us to help you.’
They approached the chain link fence to the festival and followed it until they reached the large parking area. They ducked down behind some trees and studied the flow of men in and out of the parking lot. Not far ahead, they saw an open truck that contained scientific-looking equipment. Men were wearing white outfits that looked like space suits. They were carrying sealed containers with the word quarantine printed on the sides.
‘Do they think we’re infectious?’ Joel asked. ‘What could they have in there that they think is so dangerous?’
‘I do not know,’ Paelen answered. ‘Did we leave anything behind, last night?’
‘Feathers,’ Cupid suggested. ‘The girls tore out a lot of my feathers. Perhaps they think they are dangerous.’
‘Maybe,’ Joel agreed. ‘Emily also set fire to the ground. Maybe they think that’s contaminated as well. Whatever it is, there are a lot of men there. We’re going to have to be extra careful.’
Joel led the way forward as they kept low and crept carefully into the parking lot. They crossed over to where most of the black cars were parked. When they ducked behind a large bush, Joel peered over the top. ‘I think these are the CRU cars,’ he said. ‘Those green trucks over there are for the soldiers. We should wait here until a couple of agents come along. Then we can make our move.’
Light flurries soon turned into a full snowstorm with large heavy flakes falling and collecting on the ground. Before long, there was a film of snow covering the vehicles. After what seemed an eternity, they heard the sound of muffled voices drawing near.
Paelen stole a peek and saw three CRU agents walking towards the black cars. Their heads were down against the weather and they were talking softly. When one of them looked up, Paelen sucked in his breath. ‘Joel, look, it is Agent T! Do you remember him from Governors Island?’
Joel peered at the agent walking with the two others. ‘He was almost as bad as Agent J. He was part of the team that interrogated me. I remember his smile when they gave me those terrible drugs.’
‘The plan was to take two agents,’ Cupid said nervously. ‘Perhaps we should wait for others.’
Fury rose on Joel’s face. ‘No, I’ve got a score to settle. I want him! Let’s just grab all three.’
‘I agree,’ Paelen said. ‘I should like to “speak” with Agent T myself. Besides, we do not know how long it will be before more agents come and I do not wish to leave Emily alone for very long. This may be our only opportunity.’
Two men were walking closer while Agent T stopped before another car and pulled out his keys. Paelen said, ‘I have an idea. Cupid take off your top and go out there to get their attention. See if you can get them to follow you back here.’
‘Me?’ Cupid said fearfully. ‘Why must I do it?’
‘Because Agent T will recognize Joel and me and raise the alarm. Also, your wings can create a diversion,’ Paelen explained. ‘Display them. Then when the men are distracted, Joel and I will make our move.’
‘This is a bad idea,’ Cupid complained as he removed his sweatshirt and walked from their hiding area towards the men. Paelen and Joel crept out from behind the bush and moved into position beside a black car.
‘I am sorry,’ Cupid said softly as he approached, ‘but I am lost. Would you please tell me where I am?’
‘You’re gonna be more lost if you don’t get out of here, kid,’ one of the agents said. ‘This is government business, get moving.’
Paelen watched Agent T step away from his car to investigate. ‘Look, it is working,’ he whispered. ‘Get ready.’
‘Please,’ Cupid said to the men, ‘there is no need to be rude. I was simply flying around and lost my way in the storm. If you could tell me where Olympus is, I will gladly go.’
‘Olympus?’ Agent T said suspiciously. ‘Did you say Olympus?’
It was only then one of the other agents noticed Cupid’s wings. ‘Oh my—’ But he never finished the comment. Cupid struck out with a mighty punch.
Paelen and Joel dashed forward and knocked Agent T and the other agent to the ground. Joel unleashed his pent-up rage at Agent T for everything he had been through on Governors Island. Before long, Agent T and the others were unconscious.
Joel panted heavily as he looked up and peered around. With the heavy snow now falling, no one saw or heard anything. ‘Hand me his keys,’ he said to Cupid. ‘Let’s get them in the car and get out of here!’
8
Back at the Red Apple, Emily paced the confines of the dining area feeling like a caged animal. It seemed ages since the others left. There were so many ways things could go wrong. She feared the police may have noticed the stolen car and stopped them along the way. What if they’d been arrested? Were they in a prison cell? Or perhaps the CRU had captured them at the Haunted Forest and taken them to the facility.
‘They’ve been gone too long,’ she said as she crossed over to the stallion and stroked his soft muzzle. ‘Something is wrong. We should be with them.’
As more time passed, her panic increased until Emily felt ready to jump out of her skin. Finally they heard the door opening in the back kitchen area.
‘They’re back!’ Emily ran towards the kitchen expecting to find Paelen, Joel and Cupid. Instead
she came face to face with a stranger holding a flashlight in one shaking hand and a gun in the other. Emily screamed. In that same instant the startled man’s finger twitched on the trigger and fired.
The bullet hit Emily square in the chest. She flew backwards and fell to the floor. It felt as if she’d been hit by a baseball bat. Her chest was on fire and the blood was rushing in her ears. She heard Pegasus’s furious whinnies as he charged the man, and then the man’s frightened cries as he faced the enraged stallion.
Emily knew she’d been shot. But even as she wondered what would happen to her father without her, she felt the metal of the bullet heating up. It was melting in her body as the large wound burned itself closed. In the darkness of the unlit kitchen area she could see a bright glow rising from her chest. Her hands reached up to check and found her clothing wet with blood. But as she poked her finger where the bullet hole should have been, she could find no trace of a wound. Beneath her fingertip she felt smooth, unblemished skin.
She sat up slowly. Emily looked over to the man and saw him cowering in the corner. He was still clutching his flashlight, but the gun was gone. Pegasus was standing before him, wings open and nostrils flared as he furiously faced the man.
‘Easy, Pegs, I’m all right,’ Emily said as she climbed unsteadily to her feet. She was slightly dizzy and felt strange, but was in no pain. ‘I’m just a little shaken up.’
Emily went to the open back door and shut it. ‘Who are you?’ she demanded of the terrified man. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I-I own this place,’ he stuttered in fear. His flashlight was shining on her blood-soaked top and his frightened eyes watched her as though he were seeing a ghost. ‘I saw smoke comin’ out of it and thought vandals had broken in again. Please don’t kill me!’
‘Kill you?’ Emily challenged. ‘You’re the one with the gun. You shot me!’
‘I-I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘It was an accident. You came at me so fast, you startled me and my finger slipped.’
Pegasus pawed the ground furiously and whinnied. He stalked forward, closer to the petrified man.
‘What is that thing?’ the man cried in terror.
‘Pegasus is not a “thing”!’ Emily said irritably. ‘He’s a he.’
‘Pegasus?’ the man repeated. ‘That the flyin’ horse from them Greek myths?’
‘And he’s not a horse either!’ Emily shot as she stepped up to the stallion and patted his quivering neck. ‘It’s all right, Pegs. I’m sure this was an accident. He didn’t mean to hurt me.’ She looked at the man. ‘Did you? You’d better tell Pegasus the truth. He knows when people are lying.’
‘I swear,’ the man said. ‘It really was an accident.’
Emily felt overwhelmingly tired and needed to sit down. ‘Come out of there and into the seating area where I can see you better. What’s your name?’
‘Earl,’ the frightened man said as he walked cautiously around Pegasus, never taking his wary eyes off of him.
‘Sit down over there,’ she said tiredly. ‘Don’t make any sudden movements or try to leave.’
Earl sat down by the fire, still looking at Emily as though she were an apparition. ‘What are you?’ he timidly asked.
‘You really don’t want to know,’ Emily said. ‘But I can tell you this. We are here for a very good reason and need to stay hidden for a while. So please don’t try to escape. I don’t want to hurt you, but if you try anything I will.’
Emily felt sick threatening the man, but she couldn’t have him escaping and calling the police. To illustrate her point, she stood before the fire. She called up the flames and they shot brilliantly from her fingertips and into the burning wood. ‘I can do this faster than you can run. So just settle down and relax. When we are done, you can leave here completely unharmed.’
Earl’s eyes grew wide with terror as they moved from the raging fire back to Emily.
‘Do we understand each other?’ she demanded.
The man nodded. Emily patted Pegasus on the side. ‘Would you keep an eye on him for a while? I’m not feeling very well. I think I need to sit down for a bit.’
As Emily settled down, Pegasus stood protectively beside her but never took his angry eyes off Earl. He was still snorting and pawing the ground furiously. Emily was sure if Earl tried to move, Pegasus wouldn’t hesitate to attack him. She took a deep breath and tried to relax. She was more tired than she’d ever been in her life and couldn’t keep her eyes open a moment longer. Before long she fell into a deep healing sleep.
9
‘Emily!’
Emily awoke to Joel shaking her arms.
‘Em, please wake up!’
‘I’m awake,’ she said groggily. ‘Please stop yelling!’
Joel’s frightened face hovered above her. Paelen was beside him. Pegasus was behind them staring at her.
‘Are you all right?’ Paelen asked. ‘Pegasus told us what happened.’
‘It was an accident,’ Emily muttered, now fully awake. ‘We startled each other in the kitchen and the gun went off.’
‘But you’re hurt,’ Joel said as he inspected her sweatshirt. ‘Look at all this blood. We’ve got to get you to a hospital.’
Emily shook her head. ‘No, it’s all right. I don’t understand how, but the bullet melted and the wound closed by itself. I’m fine.’
‘How?’ Joel argued. ‘Em, you were shot!’
‘She is the Flame of Olympus,’ Cupid explained. He was standing before their unconscious CRU prisoners. ‘She can heal herself as easily as she heals others.’
‘Yes, but a bullet in the chest should have killed her,’ Joel challenged.
‘If she were human, it would have,’ Cupid continued. He approached Emily, knelt down and stroked her cheek lightly. ‘Emily, the human in you died in the flames back in Olympus. Your other life ended that day. You are the flame. You can no longer be killed.’
Emily rose to her feet. ‘No way. I’ll admit that something weird happened to me in the Temple. But I’m still me. I’m still human.’
Pegasus approached her and neighed softly as Cupid gently shook his head. ‘No, you are not. I know this has been a difficult transition for you, but believe me, you are not human. You are the Flame of Olympus. The human Emily died that day in the Temple.’
‘That’s impossible!’ Emily argued. She turned desperately to Pegasus. ‘I still feel the same. I feel the cold and I get hungry. I can be hurt. I’m human and I’m alive.’
The stallion moved closer and gently pressed his head to her. He neighed softly.
‘Of course you are alive,’ Paelen reassured her. ‘You were reborn in the flames. And you feel pain as we all do. But you feel the cold only because you believe you should. Your body is Olympian, but in your mind, you still think of yourself as human. This is why you can’t control your powers. You do not believe you can control them.’
‘But I still feel the same,’ Emily insisted. ‘What am I supposed to tell my dad? That I’m some kind of freak just like Agent O said I was?’ She tried to wrestle with the truth. Tears rose to her eyes and gathered on her lashes.
‘Emily, don’t cry!’ Joel warned. ‘Your tears, remember what happened at the amphitheatre! You could blow us all up.’
Emily panicked, fearing what could happen here if her tears fell. She reached into her jeans and pulled out the beautiful handkerchief Neptune had given her. She brought it up to her eyes and gently patted her tears.
‘I can’t even cry right,’ she sniffed, and looked at the handkerchief. Her tears were beading on the surface like water on wax paper. But as she watched, a secret pocket seemed to open and the tears slid inside. Soon it looked as though they’d never touched the surface of the handkerchief at all. She looked at Pegasus. ‘What do I do with this now?’
The stallion nickered softly.
‘He says that your tears are collected in the sirens’ weave,’ Paelen explained. ‘They are not gone nor have they been neutralized. If you ever need
them, you can call them back to you. He says you must keep that with you at all times.’
‘What would she need her tears for?’ Joel asked. ‘They’re like nuclear weapons. They should be destroyed.’
‘They cannot be destroyed,’ Paelen said.
A sudden moan from one of the CRU prisoners reminded Emily why they were there. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, shaking her head and sniffing a final time. ‘I’ve been thinking only about myself.’ She walked over to the three unconscious men lying on the floor. Agent T was starting to stir. ‘Shouldn’t we tie them up or something? And I thought we were only going to get two CRU agents?’
‘We didn’t have much choice,’ Joel said. ‘The whole area was crawling with them. We were lucky we got these guys.’
‘There is no need for us to bind them,’ Paelen added. ‘We are stronger and faster than they are. It would be a fatal mistake if they tried to escape.’
As she looked at the men, Earl approached them. ‘Don’t kill me for talkin’. But are you kids crazy? Bringin’ them CRU agents here when everybody knows you’re just the kinda things they’re lookin’ for.’
‘You know about the CRU?’ Emily asked.
Earl nodded. ‘I know ’em and don’t like ’em. A few years back a whole mess of them government folk moved into the area. Soon there was all kinds of crazy talk about aliens and other creatures …’ His eyes trailed over to Cupid, who’d taken off his top for comfort, exposing his wings. They moved over to Pegasus. ‘I also know anyone who strays on to their property ain’t never seen or heard from again.’
‘That’s the CRU all right,’ Joel said. ‘What do you know about their facility?’
Earl shrugged. ‘Nothin’ – and I want to keep it that way. They hired a bunch of locals to build their underground bunkers. Some say the place is like a huge hidden fortress. My best friend’s brother was an electrician who’d worked there. He talked about them deliverin’ all kinds of freaky things. A few months back we were all out at a bar. He was drunk as a skunk and spoutin’ stories of them bringin’ in these big, four-armed grey aliens. It wasn’t long after that he up and disappeared. A bunch of us tried to find him, but some agents came ’round and said it was best for everyone to just shut up. Not long after that, this place was condemned and my business shut down. I know it was them doin’ it to warn us off.’