Deity
Page 11
The companions stared at one another dumbfounded. No-one utters a word. A blip from the computer screen heralds a new message upon the screen.
‘Modem Port 4 disconnected, unable to find, cannot re-establish’. It is Stave’s modem port and there is no denying it’s gone. A tear wells in Yachi’s eye and rolls down his cheek.
‘What about the body?’ Jason whispers.
They turn to where their friend lay, he seems to be a touch paler already. They approach his lifeless body when a movement through the window catches their eye. It is smoke. Plumes of it billow skyward, Billy who is closest, peers outside.
‘It’s coming from this building, right outside along the wall!’ He bellows, turning toward the others.
‘WHAT!’
‘Fuck, let’s get outta here- HURRY!’
They move for the door, as Peta opens it a barrage of hot air is released, striking the group, forcing them to shield their faces and shy backward. They exchange a concerned look and suddenly Jas recalls,
‘Shit, what about Stave?’ the group all turned to Yachi expectantly.
After a moment’s hesitation that under the circumstances lasts an eternity, he speaks. ‘I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do. We must save ourselves. Hurry, my friends or it will also be our demise’.
As if to accentuate the point, flames gush through the window where, only moments before, they saw the first hint of smoke. They leave the room, fleeing down the hall, At once reluctant to leave their friend and driven by their predicament. The heat grows ever fiercer as they scurry along. Explosions and crashes echo through the building. The lights die as they leave the hall and the group wonder if they will find a clear exit? While they didn’t have far to go, the heat and chaos that envelopes them doesn’t leave much time either.
Finally they reach the door that leads outside as the oppressive heat bore down upon fiercer still. Billy, who is leading the way, boots the door brutally and it gives way, splintering apart with a loud crack. They keep moving into a gathering crowd and Yachi takes them down a narrow alley and into the service entry of a nearby food court.
Soon the noise of emergency vehicles dims and the crowd thins. They relax a little, their brows unfurrow but their eyes remain vigilant, their steps hasty. Yachi leads them into a quiet side street and into a restaurant he knows. They finally get a chance to catch their breath and reflect on all that has occurred. Despite their safe new surrounds they are all still on-edge and can’t help but regularly peer over their shoulders, eyes darting over every passer-by. Finally Jas breaks the silence:
‘What of Stave?’
There is silence and they all look to Yachi.
‘I fear it is out of our control, he is now in destiny’s hands, we can do little for him now.’
The graveness of the situation set in with Yachi’s sombre tone and disheartening message. The silence weighed down on them further, realising this Yachi continues
‘What we must do though is consult the High Council of Guardians. I will call a meeting immediately and you will all be required. But for now I think we should all get some rest. Go home for now and tomorrow we shall all meet at Billy’s, if you don’t mind, Bill. ’
‘No Worries,’
‘Also, take care and tell no-one of what has happened today, we should all lie low while the police and media are interested in the fire and so on. In a few days everyone will have forgotten and we will re-assess the situation from there.’
They say their goodbyes and head to their respective homes. Being in no mood for more action, social or otherwise. Billy and Jason only have a short walk to their neighbourhood. They walk in silence, mulling over the day’s events. Finally Billy breaks the silence.
‘Shit, mate that was hardcore’
‘Yeah, I was peaking, I think Yachi’s right, this is full-on, we should definitely ease up, let him suss things out a little ya know, just chill out for a while.’
‘Yeah…Fuck it was pretty cool though, hey?’
'’Ken oath, how was that crazy metal dinosaur thing that Stave wailed!’
‘Uh-huh and how freaky was it as we were coming home and you could just feel that all hell was gonna break loose. Like everything was collapsing and any second something was bound to drag you down with it. Fuck, I couldn’t get outta there fast enough’
‘Too right, isn’t Peta an absolute champion, we’d have been totally shagged without her there. She was right on the money with all that advice beforehand. If we hadn’t stayed on the path and had that emergency evacuation plan… well it wouldn’t have been pretty’
‘MMM got that right. Thirsty?’
‘Silly question!’
And with that they walk into a nearby pub to get a better grip on things (as it turns out it was all a bit too much, so they just get pissed)