by Kate O'Hearn
‘Nirads?’ Cupid asked fearfully. ‘You are talking about Nirads?’
Joel snapped his fingers. ‘I bet those are the same ones from Governors Island. But how could they capture them? Bullets couldn’t stop them.’ He looked at Paelen. ‘Tranquillizers couldn’t stop you, Diana or Pegasus; I doubt they’d have worked on Nirads.’
‘Are you saying them things was real?’ Earl asked fearfully. ‘That he wasn’t tellin’ tales.’
Emily nodded. ‘Yes, they’re very real, but they’re not aliens,’ she said softly. ‘They were trying to kill Pegasus.’
‘And you,’ Paelen said to her.
‘They damaged my leg,’ Emily explained. ‘Now the CRU are holding my father at the same facility where they are keeping the Nirads.’
‘The CRU has your daddy?’ Earl said. ‘Is that why y’all are here?’
Emily nodded.
‘Where are you from?’ he asked.
‘The less you know, the safer it is for you,’ Joel warned.
‘I don’t hardly think so,’ Earl said. ‘The moment they find out I’ve been talkin’ to you, I’m a goner.’
‘He’s right,’ Emily said. ‘The CRU will kill him if they find out he’s been here with us.’
‘I believe they already know,’ Paelen said as he pointed at Agent T, who was sitting up.
The CRU man climbed to his feet and looked around. When his eyes settled on Pegasus, he inhaled. ‘It’s true. You are back.’
Emily looked at the man in his black suit, perfectly groomed dark hair and fiery blue eyes. He was tall, lean and cruel. She instantly felt her fury rising. She remembered everything about him from Governors Island. Agent T had been in the room with the injured Pegasus while Agents J and O interrogated her. ‘Yes, we’re back,’ she shot. ‘We’re here for my father and you’re going to help us get him out of there!’
‘You’ve got that all wrong, young lady,’ Agent T said coolly. ‘You are going to surrender to me and we’ll all go back to the facility.’
Joel stepped forward. ‘Do you remember me Agent T? Because I sure remember you! The only thing keeping you alive right now is the information you’ve got. So look around. In case you hadn’t noticed, you’re outnumbered. We’ve taken your weapons and phones. I’m sure you remember how strong Olympians are. Do you really want to make them angry?’ Joel pointed at Paelen, Cupid and finally Pegasus. ‘Emily and I have changed as well. Show him what you can do, Em.’
Emily didn’t hesitate. Talking to the arrogant agent brought all her terrible memories of Governors Island back to the surface. She looked at the fire, held up her hands and released the flames. They were wild and barely contained as they flashed and burned the wood in the fire to cinders.
When she looked back at Agent T, she saw a trace of fear rise in his eyes, but his shroud of arrogance quickly returned. ‘From what Agent O tells us, you can’t control it.’
‘I can control it enough,’ Emily warned. ‘So you are going to tell me where my father is before I lose my temper.’
‘No I am not,’ Agent T responded. ‘We’ve all been trained to withstand torture. There is nothing you can do to us that will make us speak. So do whatever you like. None of us will talk.’
‘That’s right,’ the second agent agreed as he and the third agent rose to their feet and stood defiantly beside Agent T. ‘Surrender now or this will turn very ugly for all of you.’
No one expected this stand off. The CRU agents showed no trace of fear as they faced the powerful Olympians.
‘What are we going to do?’ Joel muttered softly.
‘Well, we can’t reason with them,’ Emily whispered back. ‘Look at them. They don’t care what we do to them.’ She started to pace the area. They had come so far. But it seemed everything was against them. There didn’t seem to be any way to free her father.
‘I know what will work.’ Paelen pointed at Cupid. ‘He can make them talk.’
Cupid’s eyes went wide and he stepped back. ‘Oh no, I will not do it.’
‘Do what?’ Emily asked.
Paelen continued, ‘He can make the agents speak without the use of force. All he needs to do is use his powers.’
‘What powers?’ Joel asked.
‘The powers of love,’ Paelen said. ‘No one can resist Cupid when he turns it on.’ He pointed at the agents. ‘Not even them.’
‘Whatever you kids are planning, forget it,’ Agent T said. ‘Just surrender now and no one needs to get hurt.’ He looked at his men and picked up a large plank of wood from the burning pile. ‘Now!’
The three agents launched a violent attack against the Olympians. Before anyone could react, Agent T struck Joel in the back of the head with a brutal blow. When he fell to the floor, unconscious, the agent turned on Paelen.
The restaurant erupted into fighting. Pegasus, Cupid and Paelen had strength on their side, but the agents were well-trained in combat and blocked most punches thrown at them. Despite being outnumbered, they held their own against the powerful Olympians.
Emily crouched beside Joel and watched the fight from the sidelines. Earl received a powerful spinning-kick from Agent T that knocked him out while the two other agents pounced on Paelen.
She could feel her powers rising and aching to be freed. It was taking all her strength and concentration just to hold them back. She couldn’t risk unleashing them and hitting those she cared for. She decided to only use her powers as a last resort.
Pegasus reared and kicked out at one of the agents on Paelen. But the man was quick and ducked beneath the lethal hoof. With a sudden roll, he sprang away from the stallion and was back at Paelen. As the fight intensified, Cupid was struck by Agent T’s plank of wood. The force of the blow sent him hurtling across the restaurant. He landed on his wings.
‘Cupid!’ Emily cried.
Cupid rose to his feet, his face blazing with fury. His wings flew open and he howled in rage. Raising his hands in the air, he pointed at the agents and charged forward.
‘Stop!’ he ordered. ‘I command you to stop!’
As if they’d been suddenly frozen, the agents stopped fighting and stood perfectly still. The plank of wood in Agent T’s raised hands noisily fell to the floor. They all stood unmoving, staring at Cupid, eyes wide, mouths hanging open and arms falling limp at their sides. There was no mistaking that they were completely under Cupid’s control.
‘Go on, Cupid, finish it,’ Paelen coaxed as he rose from the floor and dusted himself off. ‘You must use your power to make them speak.’
Cupid shook his head. ‘No, I will not. Mother always charms men, I charm women. I do not wish to proceed further with these agents.’
The screaming girls! And her own feelings of attraction to him. It suddenly all made sense to Emily. She had felt Cupid turn on his charm before, but never realized it was an actual power he could control. She thought it was just his good looks. ‘So you could actually charm them into talking?’
Cupid nodded reluctantly.
As Joel stirred and started to come around, Emily helped him gain his feet. She turned back to Cupid. ‘Please, you must do it! If you don’t, they won’t talk. We need that information about my father and how they are controlling the Nirads. I’m begging you, Cupid, please help us.’
Cupid shook his head. ‘You do not understand, Flame. Once I do this, they will love me for ever. There is no going back, no reversing it.’
‘We don’t have a choice,’ Emily pressed. ‘It’s the only way we can save my dad.’
Cupid hesitated. Finally he sighed and hugged Emily. He wrapped his wings around her tightly and whispered in her ear, ‘I will do this only for you, Emily, no one else. Not because you are the Flame and can command me, but because I choose to do it for you.’
Emily’s face flushed and she felt her heart pounding as Cupid held her. ‘Thank you.’
‘That is enough,’ Paelen said gruffly as he forced them apart. ‘Save your charm for the agents, Cupid.’
&
nbsp; Everyone stood well away from the winged Olympian as he faced the mesmerized CRU agents. Cupid said nothing. But the wings on his back fluttered lightly with annoyance.
Earl had regained consciousness. Although he had a headache, he was unharmed. Standing between Emily and Joel, he tapped her lightly on the shoulder. ‘That there fella, is he the real Cupid – you know, the one with the bow who shoots love arrows and stuff at folks?’
Emily nodded. ‘But I’m not too sure about the bow. I’ve never seen him with one.’
Earl whistled softly. ‘I always seen pictures of him as a chubby little angel baby with wings, not a teenager.’
Joel looked at Earl. ‘It’s amazing when you’re in Olympus and see just how much we got wrong.’
All eyes focused on Cupid as he stood before the agents. His head was down and his wings drooped as his arms hung by his sides. His body language showed just how much he didn’t want to do this. Finally he lifted his head and faced the agents.
Emily watched the agents’ faces as Cupid unleashed his powers. At first they were staring blankly at them. But that was soon replaced by an expression of awe which finally turned into undisguised love.
‘It’s working,’ Joel said softly. ‘Look at them. They’ll do anything for him.’
‘Cupid may be a coward and a trouble maker, but he does have his uses,’ Paelen said. He nudged Joel with his elbow. ‘Can you imagine what we could accomplish with a power like that!’
Joel chuckled and winced with his pounding head. ‘I can think of a few things.’
Cupid closed his wings and turned back to the group. ‘You may ask your questions now,’ he said softly. ‘They will answer you.’
Emily was the first to come forward. She stood beside Cupid and faced Agent T. ‘Where is my father?’
Agent T looked over to Cupid and grinned foolishly.
‘Answer her,’ he commanded.
Without further hesitation, the agent started to speak. ‘He is at the facility in the forest. We are keeping him on sub-level ten.’
Over the next hour, the agents willingly answered every question posed to them. They gave the exact location and condition of Emily’s father. They explained everything they knew about the Nirads being held at the facility. Finally they told the group how they could enter the underground facility without being exposed. When the interrogation ended, Cupid ordered the men to sit down and remain silent. They obeyed the winged Olympian like eager puppies anxious to please their scolding master.
‘Twenty-one Nirads,’ Paelen said. ‘I would never have thought it possible for so many to be in this world.’
‘I still don’t understand what happened,’ Emily said. ‘Why would the Nirads surrender and become docile? Twenty-one could easily destroy the facility and go anywhere they pleased.’
Paelen shrugged. ‘Perhaps when they failed to kill you and we escaped, they had nothing left to fight for so they surrendered.’
Joel shook his head. ‘I don’t think so. You saw them. They were savage and uncontrolled. I don’t believe they could surrender; that would require thought. The Nirads we saw showed no signs of intelligent thought – just animal instincts and reactions.’
‘Well, whatever it is,’ Emily said, ‘I hope they stay that way. I just want to go get my dad out of there and return to Olympus.’
10
Emily helped Cupid pull one of the agents’ black suit jackets over his wings, followed by a heavy wool coat.
‘I do not know why I must dress as one of them,’ he complained as he fidgeted with the tie at his neck.
‘How many times must we explain it,’ Paelen said, tired, as he dressed in one of the other agents’ suits. ‘You have wings. We must hide them. You do not hear me complaining. I have had to take off my sandals and wear these uncomfortable shoes.’
Joel was doing up the shirt buttons and pulling on the jacket of the other suit. ‘Will you two stop complaining? You’re making my headache worse!’ He went over to Cupid and spoke to him as though he were speaking to a troublesome child. ‘We’ve got to look like CRU agents. They dress in white shirts, black suits and black coats, so we dress in white shirts, black suits and black coats. It’s as simple as that.’
‘But what about him?’ Cupid said. He pointed to Agent T.
Agent T was now wearing Joel’s jeans and a checked top. His adoring eyes never left the winged Olympian.
‘We’re taking him with us as he has a valid ID badge. And he’s going to wear the long black winter coat. I don’t think he’ll be a problem.’
As Cupid protested further, Pegasus whinnied loudly and pounded the floor with his golden hoof. Both Emily and Joel looked to Paelen to translate, but he said nothing. However, the look on Cupid’s face was enough to say that Pegasus had lost patience with him.
‘All right,’ Joel said to Emily, ‘you know the plan. We’re just going to get in there. Agent T will take us to where they’re holding your dad. Then we’ll get right out again. I’d love to take my time and destroy the place, but I won’t. With luck, we should be back here in a couple of hours.’
‘I really wish we were coming with you,’ Emily said as she stroked Pegasus’s strong neck.
‘So do I,’ Joel agreed. ‘We could use that fire trick of yours. But I’m sure they are waiting for you and Pegasus. Just be ready to go the moment we get back.’
Emily reached up and hugged his neck. ‘Thank you for doing this, Joel. It means everything to me.’
Joel blushed. ‘Emily, you and your dad are the only family I’ve got. I don’t want him trapped in there any more than you do. Just keep the door locked and say a prayer for us.’
‘I will,’ Emily promised as she watched Joel stroking the stallion’s soft muzzle.
‘Take good care of her, Pegasus,’ he said.
Cupid stepped up to the two agents remaining with Emily. They looked eagerly up at him, grateful for his attention. ‘You two will stay here. You will do whatever Emily tells you to do, and you will protect her with your lives. If you fail her, you fail me, and I will be most displeased. Do you understand me?’
Both agents nodded and grinned foolishly at Cupid. Cupid’s charm had worked too well. Emily almost felt sorry for them. The poor agents seemed only to want to serve him now. But what was to become of them once this was over?
‘Be careful,’ Emily said for the hundredth time. ‘Please don’t do anything foolish to endanger yourselves.’
Paelen grinned his crooked grin and kissed her lightly on the cheek. ‘We will be careful,’ he said. ‘But you must take care also. Do not answer this door unless you hear it is us. We cannot have you hurt again.’
‘I won’t,’ Emily promised.
Cupid looked painfully handsome in his long black coat and shaggy blond hair. Once again her heart fluttered. ‘Stay safe, Cupid,’ she said softly.
‘I will,’ he promised. He bent down and gave her the softest kiss on the lips. ‘You too. Wait for me, Flame, I will return shortly.’
Emily could barely breathe when Cupid moved away.
‘C’mon, lover boy,’ Joel said as he tugged Cupid’s coat. ‘That’s enough, let’s go.’
Emily closed and bolted the door behind them. ‘We should be going with them, Pegs. It’s not fair for them to risk their lives for my father while we sit here babysitting a couple of CRU agents.’
Pegasus nickered softly. He put his head on her shoulder and pulled her closer.
They both heard movement in the kitchen and saw Earl standing there. ‘Are you all right?’
Emily nodded. ‘I’m fine, just really scared for them. I wish I could have gone too.’
‘I’m sure everything will work out fine,’ he said. ‘Those boys care a lot about you and ’ll do the best they can.’
‘Thanks, Earl,’ she said softly. She crossed to the door and unbolted the lock. ‘It’s not fair to keep you here any longer, you can go. But please promise me you won’t tell anyone what you saw here.’
&nbs
p; ‘Well now, you know I wouldn’t say a word,’ he said as he shuffled on his feet. ‘But if it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll stay a bit to keep you company.’
Emily frowned. ‘Why would you want to do that when you could be free?’
‘To tell you the truth, I want to see those boys beat the CRU and bring your father back here to you. So why don’t we sit down a spell and wait for the good news.’
11
Their CRU prisoner drove the black car out of the Red Apple parking lot, through Tuxedo, New York and towards the secret government agency’s hidden forest facility. The snow that had started earlier that morning continued to fall. By late afternoon there were several centimetres covering the ground. The driving was treacherous and painfully slow.
Paelen sat up front in the passenger seat while Cupid and Joel took the back seat. As they drove along the private road leading to the guardhouse, Paelen looked back at Joel. He saw deep worry lines etched on his friend’s face. Cupid’s face also revealed a great fear, reflecting his own concerns for this rescue. They were actually planning to go deep inside a CRU facility. The chances of something going wrong were astronomical.
‘We’re approaching the gate,’ Agent T announced.
‘Very good,’ Cupid said. ‘I want you to say whatever you must to ensure we get in there.’
‘Anything for you,’ Agent T said as he turned back and gave Cupid a silly grin.
‘And stop smiling at me,’ Cupid spat. ‘Remember how you used to be.’
The agent’s grin disappeared and he nodded. But he winked at Cupid before facing forward again.
Paelen laughed. He winked and kissed the air. ‘Anything for you …’ he teased Cupid.