The Energy Crusades

by Valerie Noble

  For several moments, nobody made a move. It was silent, until the one I assumed was Jason put a voice projector to his mouth and began to speak.

  "We are peaceful beings and do not wish to harm you, even though you have trespassed into our city."

  As he spoke, Balor fumbled around his pack for our own voice projector, a small, round device designed to carry a voice across some distance.

  Jason continued, "You came here seeking information that you mistakenly believe belongs to the Reformation. We know the information belongs to us, but that fight is not between us today. We are willing to hand over the information, but we must ask for something in return." My fists clenched tightly at my sides.

  "Ajax!" I demanded, stepping up beside him.

  "I know, Kaia," he insisted and took the voice projector from Balor's hands.

  "We do not negotiate for what is rightfully ours," Ajax told them plainly. I admired the way he stood calmly, unruffled by Jason's words and I mimicked his demeanor, unclenching my fists and willing myself to be as calm as he was.

  "We are peaceful beings," the voice projected back, repeating what he'd already said. A chill ran down my spine as I thought I detected something familiar about the resister's voice. "But we will not turn over the information without getting what is rightfully ours. Turn over the girl, and we will turn over what you came for."

  My heart started to pound, filling my ears with its beats, like a drum getting louder and louder as the blood rushed through my veins and a dull ache began deep in my belly. I didn't want to hear this, but there was nowhere for me to go.

  Tori and I looked at each other and wondered which girl they were speaking of. The sinking feeling in my gut told me exactly which girl they were asking for.

  Ajax remained silent for just a few heartbeats. He glanced at me, his blue eyes turning a deep gray while he lost just a bit of control over his feelings. Anger. Worry. Our fellow Crusaders remained still, but I could feel their anxiety rise. None of us expected anything like this. Ajax brought the voice projector to his mouth once again and said, "Do not insult us by thinking we would exchange a human life for what you have stolen. If you refuse to hand over the Reformation property, we will take it by force."

  "Unlike the Reformation," Jason shot back, "We protect human lives. Give us the girl, or let her come willingly, and we will keep her safe at all costs. She is more valuable to us than any information."

  Let her come willingly? Were they out of their minds? "Will any of us do?" Ajax projected back. "We can part with the big guy, if you can capture him."

  Balor let out a huge roar and beat on his chest. He looked like a caged animal ready to spring at them. The rest of us chuckled and some of the tension eased. Their request was ridiculous, and perhaps they just meant to throw us off guard.

  "We want the girl and we will stop at nothing to get her," Jason spoke up, ignoring the jest. "Wherever you track us, we will always be after the girl. We will never stop. We will capture her if we have to, but we'd rather not hurt any of you to get her. The Athlete belongs to us."

  Crash! My stomach fell into my feet. He'd said the words I dreaded. There was no other Athlete present.

  "Are they serious?" Malik kept his voice low. "You know what, Ajax? Let's give them the girl. They have no idea what she can do. Kaia, you run after him and show him just how valuable you are."

  I struggled to keep my composure. "Why me, Malik?" I asked, but nobody had an answer for me. How did they even know who I was?

  "Kaia," Malik's voice was gentle, but firm. "Keep your head, girl. Run after him and keep your focus only on him. Don't get distracted."

  "No!" Ajax did not agree with Malik's suggestion but he kept his voice low. "How do we know it's not a trap? We can't let them get her!"

  "No way, Malik," Caden didn't like it either.

  "I agree with Malik," Balor put in. "Remember the left hook she threw on Atticus? She can take him, let her go."

  "My orb will find her if anything goes wrong, and they already said they wouldn't hurt her." Malik was firm. His orb was a prowler and Malik had trained it to find people. He swore it never failed to find the one he sought. Ajax turned his face away from the resisters and found mine.

  "What do you want?" he asked, his worry like a cloud around him.

  "Let me go," was my answer. I wanted the chance to get my hands on Jason Paris.

  He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll find you, okay?" I nodded up at him and momentarily forgot my anger while Ajax's forehead creased with concern. It was rare to see him show any emotion and I didn't want to look away, or forget what it looked like to see him care, but I forced myself to focus all of my attention back to the people in front of us, concentrating hard on their leader.

  "Is everyone okay with the plan?" Malik spoke in a whisper.

  "Yes," was the reply from Tory, Balor, Caden, and Ajax.

  Jason took another few steps toward us and held up a case. It might have been the one we were meant to find, but we were too far away to see it properly. He made a gesture as if to motion me over, and I was stunned by his belief I might actually go with him willingly or be used as a trade by my Crusaders.

  "Kaia Robi, we will protect you—" he started speaking again, but at the mention of my name I began to run. I ran at him so fast, you could see he was startled. He dropped the mouthpiece and fled before I could catch him. My friends chased the other resisters, who also chose to flee rather than fight, but my focus stayed on Jason as I followed him through the streets. As fast as I was, Jason matched my speed and he knew the streets far better than I did.

  We ran through the city, slugging through the vegetation at points, or leaping over boulders of concrete or other debris. He was agile and leapt or swerved in anticipation of an obstacle but did not slow and neither did I. I kept after him. Although I held back a bit, I was surprised his stamina matched my own. Jason ran in and out of abandoned buildings and crumbling parking garages, through tunnels and old schoolyards, his pace suggesting he wasn't trying to lose me, but lead me.

  Finally, I tired of the chase. I was done letting him lead me around his city. He headed for a long tunnel, partially collapsed but still passable and I began to close the distance, unwilling to follow him too far into the crumbling darkness. In a burst of speed, I leaped at him, closing the gap between us and grabbing the back of his shirt just as he entered the tunnel. He struggled with me, drawing me deeper inside. Spinning out of his grip, I twisted his arm behind his back and brought him to his knees.

  "How do you know who I am?" I demanded as I stood over him. It was dark and dank in the tunnel. I had originally thought it led back outside, but it looked like perhaps it went underground. Where had he been leading me?

  "I'd never harm you," he said at my feet. "You're making a mistake." I twisted his arm harder behind him. He grasped the ground with his other hand, but did not emit a sound and I eased up before his arm could break.

  "How do you know me Jason Paris?" I wanted him to be aware I knew his name too and had some idea of who he was.

  "Let me explain! Let me talk to you. I won't run." His voice was strained, but still oddly familiar.

  "Get up," I ordered, releasing his arm. "Hand me the information and I'll hear what you have to say." I wanted to get a good look at him. He stood up and faced me, but his solar glasses and hood kept him hidden. We stood in the tunnel in the semi-darkness and he backed up against the concrete wall. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black case. As I took it from his hands, a chill brushed down my spine again and suddenly I was afraid to see what was behind his glasses.

  "Go ahead and run," I told him, stepping back myself. There were pools of stagnant water on the ground. I wanted to look toward the light, toward the direction we came, but I didn't want to turn away from him.

  "Kaia," he reached out a hand as if to touch my face. I quickly intercepted it and held his wrist tightly.

  "You don't know me! Now run along before I cha
nge my mind and decide to kill you." My pulse raced beneath my skin.

  "I do know you, Kaia Robi. I've been waiting my whole life for you."

  "Don't say my name again!" I snapped. The anger boiled up inside of me and I grabbed his hood and yanked it off his head. His shock of white blonde hair came spilling out, but his face was still hidden behind the glasses. I reached to yank those from his face, but he struggled with me, ducking his head to avoid my hands.

  "You coward!" I yelled. "Show your face!" We were against the wall, and I used my hip to try and hold him in place, but he was a big guy, at least as big as Ajax. He put up a fight and kept his head down, but I could tell he was being careful not to hurt me. It only infuriated me. I took hold of those glasses and snatched them from his face, throwing them away from our bodies. Still, he kept his head down.

  "Look at me!" I demanded. "You don't know me, Jason Paris. Show me your face so I know my enemy."

  I put a hand under his chin and forced his face up. He met my eyes. As soon as he did, my hand dropped from him and flew to my mouth as I took a step back. I was utterly confused. The boy in front of me looked exactly like Ajax, with the same blue-gray eyes and full mouth. They were identical, except for the hair color.

  "Who are you?" I whispered. My heart thudded inside my chest. He started to smile and it was Ajax's smile.

  "I'm not your enemy. I'll never be your enemy." He took a step toward me and I was mesmerized by his face. Before I could make any kind of decision, he put his hands on my shoulders and leaned his face into mine. His mouth met mine, and he began to kiss me softly. My heart fluttered inside my chest and I felt a little dizzy. I found myself kissing him back, and my hand stayed suspended in mid-air, unsure whether to hold him or push him away. Thoughts swirled around inside my head. Was Ajax kissing me? It didn't feel right. Was my mind playing tricks on me? Did I want Ajax to kiss me?

  "Kaia!" The actual voice of Ajax brought me to my senses. I pulled my face away and brought my hand to Jason's throat. His hands came up automatically, taking hold of my hands and trying to pull them away.

  "Who are you?" I demanded, trying to forget the kiss. His eyes flicked in the direction of Ajax's voice. He and Malik were running toward us.

  "Come with me, Kaia. Come with me and I'll save you." He choked. His eyes were just as beautiful as Ajax's. I tightened my grip on his throat.

  "You come with me, and I'll save you," I told him. As Malik and Ajax neared, Jason grew more agitated. He showed his true strength as he forced his way out of my grip, then called for his solar glasses with an outstretched hand. They flew into his hands and he promptly covered his face.

  "Come with me." He held his hand out to me but I stepped away, more confused than ever. Just as Ajax and Malik approached, he vanished into thin air.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Athlete

  I stared at the empty space in front of me.

  "Personal transporters," I whispered, astonished by the turn of events. Ajax tugged at my arm and I swung around to face him.

  "Were you just kissing him?" I'd never heard him raise his voice before, but now it echoed loudly in the tunnel. His eyes were full of hurt and confusion. There was more emotion in his face than I'd ever seen, but I didn't understand it. I pulled my arm away and stepped back, looking from Ajax to Malik as I tried to focus my thoughts. They both glared at me angrily. But I was angry too, having seen things they hadn't.

  "Were you kissing him, Kaia?" Malik repeated.

  "Are you part of the Resistance?" I countered, unsure, all of a sudden, who anyone was. "Are you trying to trade me?"

  "What?" Ajax shouted at me. "What are you talking about? What happened to 'it will take a woman to do this job' and all of that nonsense? Malik and I trusted you! We believed in you! We hustled through the streets to find you, to get back to you and make sure you were okay, only to find you making out with the enemy. You want to know if we're part of the Resistance?"

  "What happened, Kaia?" Malik added, when I wouldn't answer Ajax.

  "That boy looked exactly like Ajax!" I was agitated, confused. I struggled to hold onto my emotions. "Why does he look exactly like you?" Now I was yelling. Malik, on the other hand, started to smile as if everything was suddenly clear. It only made me angrier.

  "What do you mean?" Ajax asked, his eyebrows coming together.

  "He looks like you, Ajax, and not just a little bit. He looks exactly like you, except for the blonde hair. I thought maybe he was you. What's going on here?"

  Malik kept right on smiling.

  "So you kissed him because he looked like Ajax?" Oh no. Swoosh, my cheeks turned bright red. What had I just said? Stupid girl.

  "You can quit smiling Malik, I never said that."

  "Then why did you kiss him?" My hand flew to my mouth and I remembered the way his lips felt on mine. It wasn't quite the way I thought it would be. It wasn't wonderful or anything.

  "I didn't kiss him; he kissed me." I was being defensive.

  "Why did you have to kiss him back?" Ajax demanded. I shrugged my shoulders.

  "I don't know. I never had someone kiss me before," I admitted. "I had no idea he would do something like that. I didn't know what to think. I thought…" I let my voice trail off. What had I thought? Ajax stared at me, his eyes turning the color of steel. His jaw clenched tightly and his fists turned white at his sides from holding them so fiercely.

  "I'm going to kill him," he proclaimed in a low, angry voice.

  "He kept asking me to come with him. He called me by my name and said he'd been waiting his whole life for me. He said if I came with him, he would save me."

  "What did you say?" Ajax demanded.

  "I told him he could come with me and I'd save him."

  "That's our girl!" Malik laughed.

  "Am I Malik? Are the two of you my friends or is something else going on here?"

  Malik's smile never faltered. There was no deceit in him or in Ajax. I could sense no sort of betrayal. They were my friends and the knowledge made me feel somewhat better.

  "Don't question us, Kaia. You have no idea how we feel when you're not with us," Ajax answered. My heart fluttered in my chest.

  "How?" I wanted to know. Malik looked back and forth between the two of us.

  "Why did you have to kiss him back?" Ajax asked again. He wouldn't let it go, but I had no answer for him.

  "Where are the others?" I asked instead. The light of day was fading and I'd been standing in the tunnel for too long and was ready to go. Ajax sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He shook his head at me.

  "You're not going to answer me?"

  "I answered the question. How could I possibly guess he would try to kiss me? I don't understand what's going on here. I thought…" I let my voice trail away.

  "You thought he was Ajax?" Malik grinned.

  The heat rose to my cheeks. I clenched my fists tightly at my sides and felt powerless over my embarrassment at Malik's words.

  "Don't make fun of me, Malik!" I shouted, brushing past them to stalk off in the direction from where we came. The two of them argued in hushed tones as they followed me, but I tried to ignore them. In the deepening twilight, the streets were dark and unfamiliar. I threw my orb out in front of me to help illuminate the way. It glowed a soft white in the dark, a calm color with no signs of imminent danger. My orb could sense when trouble was near, and protected me like a shield, giving me strength in times of need.

  Malik and Ajax caught up to me, walking on either side as we made our way back to our friends. I kept my eyes straight ahead.

  "You got the information, Kaia?" Malik asked quietly.

  "No," I answered without looking at him. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the case I'd taken from Jason. "It couldn't be that easy, right? I don't know what this is." I handed it to Malik, sure it wasn't what the Reformation wanted us to find. Jason wouldn't have handed it over so easily, especially when he could have transported himself away from me at any time. This was
something else. Something they wanted us to see.

  "Where are the others?" I asked again. Ajax walked slightly in front of us now as he led us through the streets. The temperature had dropped considerably with the vanishing sun, and I was hungry, tired, and irritable.

  "Well, we chased the resisters down, just like you chased Jason, but they transported away from us as soon as one of them got caught. They didn't speak to any of us. Balor, Caden, and Tory are finding a place for us to sleep. Hopefully they're making something to eat."

  I could see him smile at me from the corner of my eye, but I was still upset with him and didn't look at him.

  "I wasn't making fun of you," he added after a moment's pause. I didn't say anything as I struggled to sort out my emotions. A multitude of events had transpired in the last few hours and I needed time to think about it.

  Why had I kissed Jason Paris back? What did the Resistance want with me? The Descenders taught us to believe the Resistance was simply a group of humans who had no desire to work for the Grids. They cared only about carving out a living for themselves and refused to work for the good of all society. Suddenly, I wasn't so sure that was true. From what little I'd seen so far, it was obvious they were more than just 'getting by'.

  Jason wanted to save me, but I couldn't imagine what he wanted to save me from. I was one of the lucky ones, with not one, but two Athletes in my family. As an Elite Crusader, I had demonstrated abilities beyond advanced, both physically and mentally. Anyone would say I had a bright future ahead of me. It was baffling that the Resistance would think I'd consider joining them, and it would seem more appropriate for them to recruit someone who was struggling in society. I had a lot of questions, but no answers.

  I thought about Jason Paris and my hand flew to my mouth again. Jason and Ajax looked so much alike, I wondered if it was a disguise. If it was a disguise, I wondered how they guessed that sending someone to pursue me, someone who looked nearly identical to Ajax Baal, would appeal to me. And, if it wasn't a disguise, then who was Jason Paris?