by Paul Ormond
“You are very capable, sir,” Dormund said before leaving the room.
Reaching for a stone above her, Kalis clambered up the wall and found a gap in the rafters overhead. She squeezed herself through the opening and grasped a large wooden beam. Without making a sound, she pulled herself up onto the plank and walked catlike along the dusty wood until she saw the figure of her father standing before a large mirror adjusting his cloak.
“May the Gods look down upon me in pity and deliver to me some type of respite,” the King said as he turned around and made his way across the room toward a stand containing several bottles. Grabbing a glass, he poured a generous amount out of a bottle and gulped it down in one pull.
As he set the glass down, he felt an arm clench him by the neck.
“Don’t even think about crying out,” Kalis said, squeezing his throat.
“An assassin in my house on Ancestral day, I am surely cursed,” the king said.
“You may be cursed, but the gods still have some use for you. Turn around and don’t make a sound,” Kalis said, releasing her grip.
“I cannot believe my eyes,” the King gasped. “How is this possible? The gods have heard my prayers. Word reached us that you were dead.”
“Quiet. You and I both know others may be listening,” Kalis whispered. “Things are afoot that will change all of this, but we must act quickly. Do you have soldiers you can trust?”
“A few, but it is hard to tell these days,” the King said. “What is the meaning of all this?”
“Stop with the questions. There is no time right now. Get word to your soldiers to meet me in the South passage. Tonight will be an ancestral day for the ages.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
GERALD FELT THE air change as the mountain peaks faded into rolling foothills. Dropping down into a wide valley filled with lush grass and scattered trees, he looked over his shoulder and spotted the cloaked shapes of his entourage, ghosts floating over the surface, barley visible against the night sky.
“It’s up ahead in the next valley,” Gerald said over the radio. “Let’s all keep sharp now and stick to the plan.”
“He just sounds like he is supposed to be in charge,” Kate said. “I’d follow that voice anywhere.”
“That’s enough of the chatter,” Gerald said, brushing off Kate’s comments. “We need these lines clear. Once we see the lights of the complex, everybody get in position and wait until I give the order.”
“You’re right,” Ramon said over the mic. “It does sound like he’s supposed to be in charge.”
“I don’t understand why everybody here thinks this is some kind of joke,” Gerald said. “We’re about to break into one of the most security facilities in the country, and you guys are goofing off like this is some kind of field trip.”
“It’s just their way of showing appreciation, Gerald,” Christine said. “Everyone is happy to have a man of your caliber leading this operation.”
“At least somebody gets it,” Gerald said. “The rest of you can show your appreciation by keeping this channel clear.”
“Understood, sir,” Davis said. “Everybody, fall in line. There is a reason we have a chain of command in these kinds of operations. Keeps everything from going off the rails.”
“Thank you, Davis,” Gerald said after he pulled himself to a stop. “Let’s halt here for a second and go over it again.”
“Okay, boss,” Babcock said. “Everybody bring it in.”
“I count thirteen, including me,” Davis said as he looked over the group.
“It looks like we’re all here,” Gerald said. “Anybody got anything to report?”
“I’m cold,” Sanchez said.
“Somebody get the princess a blanket,” Gerald said. “Anybody else? All right, just to be clear, we all know our roles. Christine, take your team and form the perimeter. Once you are in place, Ramon will move in with his device. As he seizes control of the facility, Gaelin will hack into the system and locate the target. Gaelin will guide the extraction team to the target, opening doors along the way. H unit is deep within the belly of the beast, but we can be in and out in a few minutes as long as we can maintain control of the facility and lock out the guards.”
“How come I have to be a part of the extraction team?” Robert asked. “I don’t do well in confined spaces.”
“All that firepower you are carrying around and you are scared of going inside?” Davis asked. “I don’t think I want this guy coming with us.”
“Phobias or not, you don’t have a choice on this one ,Robert,” Gerald said. “We need your muscle to bust down anything that gets in our way. Davis and Babcock will handle the package, and I’ll take up the rear. Everyone else is on the wall. Keep the cloak in place and make sure nobody comes in or out.”
“I want to be on the extraction team,” Kate said.
“I need my sharpest soldiers on look out,” Gerald said. “We’ll most likely have to fight our way out of here, so you two will have to clear a path for us.”
“I like the sounds of that,” Kate said. “What do you think, TaeJun? Are you up for another date?”
“Sounds romantic,” TaeJun said.
“It took me a long time to find someone that gets me,” Kate said. “All I need is a little carnage to get the love juices flowing.”
“Way too much information coming out of this one’s mouth,” Ramon said.
“I’m sure it is nothing compared to the kinky stuff you and Gaelin get up to behind closed doors,” Kate said.
“We can discuss our personal lives in detail when we get out of this,” Gerald said. “But right now, we are about to pull off the greatest jailbreak in U.S. history, so let’s all get our heads out of the gutter and stay focused on the task.”
“Got it, Chief,” Gaelin said. “I’ve got my link ready to connect once Ramon takes down the system.”
“It sounds like we’re ready to go,” Gerald said. “Perimeter team get in position. Christine will put the cloak in place. As soon as it’s clear, Ramon and Gaelin will move ahead. Once that first door is open, the extraction team is going in. This needs to be airtight, people.”
“We can always blast our way out if things get heavy,” Robert said.
“We are not going to harm anyone,” Gerald said. “We go in and bring him out. Clean and quick. Nobody gets hurt.”
“But if push comes to shove ...,” Davis said.
“Nobody fires a shot until I say so,” Gerald said, cutting him off.
“What about outside?” Allan asked. “What happens if they start firing at us?”
“If you sense a threat, incapacitate, but I cannot stress how important it is that we don’t hurt or kill anyone,” Gerald said. “It is bad enough that we are busting out a dangerous criminal. I don’t want to tack murder onto this crime spree. That being said, I’m not an idiot. There isn’t a chance in hell that we come out of this clean, but we’re not monsters.”
“I think our orders are clear,” Davis said. “It’s time to get this party started.”
“I can’t say I’m looking forward to it,” Gerald said.
“Oh, come on, Gerald,” Kate said. “This is probably the tamest thing we’ve done in a while.”
“That’s what frightens me,” Gerald said. “Once you go over the edge, it’s awfully hard to come back. It’s time. Let’s move into position. Be careful and stay in control. If we stick to the plan everything will work well.”
“I’m over the target and preparing the cloak.” Christine said while she hovered a few hundred feet above a large tower and punched several commands into her panel. The dim lights of the triangular prison complex spread out across the darkened plain as the lights of the small town of Florence shone in the distance.
“We’re standing by,” Sanchez said from the opposite side of the complex.
“No movement as far as I can tell,” Kate said from her position between two of the prison’s twelve guard towers. “But there is a hot
Korean guy up here that I’d like to make some moves with.”
“What did we say about chatter, Kate?” Gerald said.
“Sorry, just can’t help myself sometimes,” Kate said.
“Sending out the cloak now,” Christine said. “Should only take a minute or so. Once it’s covered the yard, we should have roughly thirty minutes of coverage.”
“We better be out faster than that,” Gerald said. “Are you two lovers ready to go?”
“I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be offended by that or not,” Gaelin said.
“I fail to see why you would be offended,” Gerald said. “But if you like, you can report to Kate in HR.”
“I think I’ll pass,” Ramon said. “I’m ready to go when you give the heads up. I’ve got eyes on the electrical building.”
“All I need is an open line and I’m ready to play,” Gaelin said.
“Anybody else got anything to say before we pull the trigger?” Gerald asked.
“I think I might puke,” Allan said.
“Not him too,” Sanchez said. “XiaoFan, how are you feeling?”
“I felt sick one time and you keep bringing it up,” XiaoFan said. “You’re the one that keeps complaining that you’re cold, but you don’t see me tormenting you about it.”
“Enough,” Gerald said. “I would definitely rather break into a Super Max prison than listen to any more of this. Is the cloak in place, Christine?”
“Just a few more seconds, 95%,” Christine said.
“Ramon, get ready to move,” Gerald said, as he let loose a deep exhale.
“Cloak at 100%,” Christine said.
“Get going, Ramon,” Gerald said.
“Here we go,” Ramon said before he activated his device and dropped out of the sky at a steep angle toward the low-lying building at the edge of the triangular arrangement of prison blocks.
Bracing himself, he let loose a tremendous blast of energy at the building, immersing the structure in a ball of light. Upon contact, the entire facility went dark.
“I’ve got a connection and I’m holding steady,” Ramon shouted. “Just get me some cover, or they’ll pick me off.”
“Kate and TaeJun, you’re up,” Gerald said. “Take out those guard towers while the coms are down. Gaelin, tell me you are into the system.”
“I’ve got a connection and I’m a breaching the firewall as we speak,” Gaelin said.
“Moving in on tower 6,” Kate said before she angled toward the silo shaped building and blasted the topmost window. A hail of gunfire greeted her as she shot past the window, but her shield swallowed up the incoming barrage. She spotted a figure holding a gun in the shadows and rocketed an orb in his direction. Stunned by the impact, the guard crumpled to the ground. A second guard leaped out from behind a door, but Kate took him out with another ball of light before pushing away from the building.
“Tower six has been silenced,” Kate said while more gunfire rang out in the night. “Moving on to seven. How are you holding up, honeybun?”
“Tower five wasn’t a problem, but it looks like our cover has been blown,” TaeJun said. “We’ll need to move fast unless we want to run into more of them.”
“Stay focused on the towers,” Gerald said. “The rest of you keep that cloak in place. We can’t have any signals coming in or out.”
“The firewall is down, and I’ve got access to the security system,” Gaelin said. “I’ve also jammed all of their comms and computers.”
“Have we got a door open?” Gerald asked.
“Bay door 17 is opening now,” Gaelin said.
“I see it,” Gerald said as a metallic door slid open at the side of a large brick building. “All right, Robert’s going in first. Remember, nobody gets killed. Just stun them and move on.”
“You’re the boss,” Robert said before he manifested a large spear in his hand and made a direct line toward the door.
“We’re in and out,” Gerald said while gunfire rang out in the dark. “The clock is ticking and things are getting hot. Babcock, Davis, let’s move.”
“It never gets old,” Davis said as he inverted himself and rocketed after Robert with Babcock close behind.
“Everybody stay in position,” Gerald shouted, following after the others. “Can’t afford any screw-ups now. Get ready to run when we come flying out of here.”
“I got the next door open,” Gaelin said as Gerald reached the door. “Head to your right after you clear the guards.”
“Keep ‘em open,” Gerald said before several blasts of light lit up the loading bay, silencing the gunfire.
“Those guys went down way too easy,” Robert said, passing over half a dozen guards laid on the ground.
“I almost feel bad for them,” Davis said as he followed after Robert.
“Don’t get cocky,” Gerald said, passing through the bay doors. “This is still a super max facility and property of the American people.”
“You’re such a man of honor,” Robert said before he entered into a long hall.
A dozen guards wearing riot gear burst through the door at the end of the hall, armed with fully automatic weapons.
“Open fire,” one of the guards hollered as his companions unloaded on the invaders.
“Oh, that’s cute,” Robert said, deflecting the bullets and firing on the guards with a spray of orbs. As Babcock and Davis joined in, the heavily armored personnel fell to the ground incapacitated.
“I always felt that inReal would’ve worked well in prisons,” Robert said while he raced over the pile of bodies scattered across the ground.
“Tell me you got the next door opened,” Gerald asked after they entered a dark hallway filled with cell doors.
“Proceed to the end of this hall and make a right,” Gaelin said after more guards poured into the hall.
“This isn’t even fun anymore,” Robert said, cutting down the guards with several swipes of his long blade.
“Just keep moving, you goddamned lunatic,” Gerald shouted from behind. “This was the place they were gonna stick you before everything went sideways, so I hope you enjoy the tour.”
“I am,” Robert shouted as the next door swung open and more guards opened fire. “But these guys are getting annoying.”
“You could let the rest of us get a taste,” Davis said before cutting ahead of Robert to take down a handful of the guards with a swathe of orbs.
“Get as much as you like,” Robert said, pushing toward the door. “I need to catch my breath, anyway.”
“In this hall, you’ll find a cell labeled H-23,” Gaelin said. “I’ve opened the outer door, but you’ll have to take care of the bars on the inside.”
“I think we can handle that,” Gerald said, scanning the labels on the door. The muffled cries of the inmates rattled through the thick steel, hollering to be let loose.
“Found it, H-23” Gerald said before another surge of guards emerged through the far door releasing a swathe of bullets.
“These guys just don’t get it do they,” Robert said while he charged down the hall and let out a shrill cry.
“It’s open, and I’m moving in. Babcock and Davis, give me some cover while I take care of these bars,” Gerald said, pulling back the steel door. “Oh my god, what is that smell? It’s like somebody took a gigantic crap in here.”
“Who is this foul demon entering my lair,” a voice wheezed in the dark.
“Uh, we’ve never met, but we’re getting you out of here,” Gerald said.
“The demons have come for me,” the voice shouted before several clumps of liquid matter splattered across Gerald's face and body. “Try as you like, but your hell will never hold me.”
“I think O’Dell Grimes just flung his feces at me,” Gerald said into the radio.
“I guess a few years in solitary will do it to you,” Gaelin said.
“I think I’m going to barf,” Gerald said before more clumps came flying out of the darkness.
“That
’s enough of this,” Gerald said as he raised his arm and sent several orbs flying into the dark. A body fell to the ground, and Gerald sent out another barrage, knocking down the steel bars. “Davis and Babcock, get in here. It looks like O’Dell Grimes is going to need a lift.”
“That is disgusting,” Babcock said, passing by Gerald while gunfire rang out down the hallway. “It’s literally everywhere. What has he been doing in here?”
“I don’t care,” Gerald said, wiping off his face. “Let’s just get the hell out here, so I can spend the rest of my life trying to forget about this.”
“Even if he’s out, I can still use the unit we brought for him to get him airborne,” Babcock said while she strapped a device to the man’s chest. “I always thought he was a lot bigger. Are we sure we got the right guy?”
“It’s him,” Gaelin said over the mic. “His voice signature matches, anyway.”
“More of ‘em keep coming,” Davis shouted from down the hall. “We better get going before they mobilize the national guard.”
“We’re moving now,” Gerald said as he watched Babcock levitate the incapacitated body of O’dell Grimes into the air. “Keep those doors open cause we are coming out hot.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
KIGUAN STOOD IN silence as the chamber detached itself from its housing unit. Great puffs of gas and steam rose into the air before eight spindly legs descended from base of the mechanism and clacked against the ground.
“KiGuan, dear boy,” Mother said after her head snaked out of its opening and locked eyes on her protege. “Just in time. We have much to prepare.”
“I have done as you asked,” KiGuan said, keeping pace with Mother while she trudged across the wide deck. Twin spheres circled each other in their infinite dance in view of the deck.
“That is good, that is good, my boy,” Mother said, stopping at the edge to look out at the Emperor and Empress. “But let us take a moment to gaze upon those that have given us all that we have, all this wonder, and be thankful. On this special day, let us heap praise upon them and pray to the universe that their journey will be blessed with good fortune.”