Domination

by Jon S. Lewis

  “Are there really Gorem in there?” he asked.

  It looked like Rhane smiled, though it was hard to tell with his reptilian face. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

  : :

  CHAPTER 46 : :

  Even with fins it was difficult keeping up with Rhane, who used his tail to propel himself through the murky water like an alligator.

  Visibility was practically nonexistent as they made their way through the underwater labyrinth. On more than one occasion Colt thought that he saw the silhouette of something enormous, but they managed to make it through the tunnel system without running into anything that could swallow them whole.

  Rhane led them into a drainage system where a grate opened up into a storage room inside the facility. Once inside, Colt checked his backpack to make sure the detonators hadn’t gotten wet while Rhane pulled up the holomap of the facility.

  “Remember,” Rhane said, “our singular goal is to get Colt inside that reactor room, and that means we do whatever it takes. Understood?” He was looking directly at Pierce, who started to cough.

  “Yeah . . . I got it,” Pierce said.

  They were all surprised by how few guards patrolled the facility. Whenever a detail would approach, including the drones, they’d simply duck behind pipes or slip into empty stairwells until the Defense Corps soldiers passed. But Colt’s heart nearly stopped beating when he almost ran smack into a Wächter.

  Adolph Hitler’s secret scientists first developed the Wächters—robots that had a narrow head atop broad shoulders and a wide breastplate, all painted red.

  Colt stood there holding his breath as he waited for it to either shoot him or sound an alarm. But it didn’t do either.

  “Is it deactivated?” Danielle asked.

  “I think so, but I’m not sure,” Colt said. The light behind the robot’s eye was dead, and Colt decided to tap its chest to see if it would respond.

  “Let’s go,” Rhane said. “We don’t have much time.”

  The robot’s eye lit up. It raised its hand, releasing a stream of energy from a disc on its palm that knocked Rhane into the wall. Colt fumbled in his pouch for a magnetic grenade, but the Wächter was too quick. It knocked Colt’s hand away and wrapped a claw around his arm.

  “This wasn’t part of the plan,” Colt said, choking as an alarm sounded and red lights flashed across the ceiling.

  Pierce raised his gun, but again the Wächter was too quick. A compartment opened on its forearm, revealing a Gatling gun. It opened fire, catching Pierce in the chest. He stood there, mouth agape as he watched plumes of red spread across his shirt. His eyes went to the Wächter and then to Colt, and blood started to pour from his lips.

  Colt caught him as he fell.

  “I’m sorry.” Pierce coughed. “I . . . didn’t . . .”

  “It’s okay,” Colt said. “You’re going to be fine.”

  “No . . . I’m not,” Pierce said. “And . . . it’s okay.”

  “Don’t talk like that.”

  “Just . . . finish.” Pierce closed his eyes. His breathing was rapid. “Finish it . . . and tell my dad . . .” Pierce went limp, and his head rolled back as his spirit left his body.

  Colt felt the rage well inside of him and he leapt at the robot. Power surged as he tore its arm from its socket, using it as a club to beat its head until it caved in.

  “That’s enough,” Oz said, but Colt kept pounding the Wächter. “Come on,” Oz said. “We have to get out of here before more show up.”

  Colt stopped, chest heaving as he stood and looked at Pierce’s motionless form.

  “There’ll be time to mourn when the battle is over,” Rhane said. “Right now we need to finish what we started.”

  : :

  CHAPTER 47 : :

  Where are they?” Colt said as they followed Rhane through the empty hallways. “I mean, it’s like this place was abandoned. There aren’t even any drones.”

  He looked back at Danielle, whose eyes were filled with tears. She tried to force a smile but it didn’t last long. Her hands were shaking and her breathing was shallow, like she was suffocating. Colt felt as though he was suffocating as well. He tried to push the image of Pierce lying there, dead, out of his mind, but he couldn’t stop thinking about him.

  “Koenig is probably marshaling his forces,” Rhane said. “But he knows you’re here to destroy the reactor, so leaving it unguarded doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Unless it’s a trap,” Oz said.

  “Even if it is, we don’t have a choice,” Colt said. He could feel the weight of the explosives resting in his backpack. “You got the portal cube ready?”

  Danielle nodded.

  “And you’re sure you have the right coordinates?” Oz said. “The last thing I want to do is end up at the bottom of the ocean or the heart of a volcano.”

  “Not now,” Danielle said.

  “What? I’m serious,” Oz said. “I was reading about it a couple nights ago when I couldn’t sleep. All kinds of people died during the testing phase.”

  “The reactor room should be up around the—” Rhane stopped as he rounded the corner. There, standing at attention, were two rows of Koenig’s Defense Corps, one on each side of the corridor. They were tall and muscular with long snouts, nostril slits, and glowing eyes of yellow that shone bright against their onyx scales.

  “How many?” Oz asked, removing his assault rifle.

  “Too many for us to handle,” Rhane said.

  Has the Betrayer come to realize his destiny? Colt couldn’t see Koenig, but his words were invading Colt’s mind.

  Come then, don’t be shy. And please, bring your friends to bear witness. After all, it’s not every day that you get to watch the extinction of an entire race.

  Colt concentrated, trying to form the words in his mind. What about your Defense Corps?

  They won’t harm you, Koenig said. You have my word.

  “What’s going on?” Oz said when he noticed the look on Colt’s face.

  “It’s Koenig,” Colt said. “He wants us to go into the reactor room.”

  “It’s definitely a trap,” Oz said.

  “Maybe. We’re about to find out.” Colt grabbed the medallion that his grandpa had given him and started to walk down the hall toward the reactor. “And remember, whatever happens, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

  Colt tensed as he walked past the first of Koenig’s Defense Corps members. The aliens were enormous, standing at least eight feet tall, with broad shoulders, wicked teeth, and curved horns. Hands sweaty and mouth dry, Colt willed himself to take one step and then another until he made it to the doors.

  “What, you didn’t think we’d follow you?” Oz said when he caught Colt turning around. “Brothers to the end, remember?”

  “Brothers to the end,” Colt said.

  The doors opened, and inside the reactor room was a vast circular space with concrete walls and a wide ledge all around. In the center of it all was a deep chasm. Light pulsed from the depths, casting the entire room in blue—including Aldrich Koenig, who was standing on the ledge in human form.

  I have to admit, Koenig said, I’m thoroughly impressed. I never thought you’d make it this far.

  Colt looked past Koenig to the chasm. All he had to do was set the charges and toss the backpack into the reactor core while Danielle opened up the portal that would take them back to Sanctuary.

  Yes, there it is, Koenig said. You’re so close to fulfilling your destiny, and yet . . . He paused as his Defense Corps marched into the room and stood at attention against the wall like they were some kind of living statuary.

  Colt slipped the backpack off his shoulder.

  I’m afraid I can’t let you do that. Koenig’s face contorted and skin bubbled as he morphed into his native Thule form. His clothes ripped away and without pause he charged at Colt.

  Rhane stepped between them, teeth bared and claws outstretched. He lashed out, and K
oenig batted his arm to the side. Rhane tried again and then again, but each time Koenig caught his blows. With a quick flick of his wrist, Koenig tossed Rhane aside.

  “This is between myself and the Betrayer,” Koenig said as once more his clawed fingers lashed out.

  Colt felt a searing pain, and blood trickled down his cheek. Koenig lashed out again, this time raking his claws across Colt’s chest. Colt tried to counter, but even with his enhanced speed and strength from the Thule DNA, he was too slow, his body too weak. Koenig easily fended off his strikes.

  Koenig grabbed Colt by the arm with one hand and ripped the backpack away from his shoulders with another. He tossed it aside. His tail swishing back and forth, Koenig walked over to the chasm and dangled Colt over the ledge. “It’s time for you to die.”

  He let go, and as Colt fell he managed to grab hold of the ledge. His fingers ached as his feet scrambled to find footing. For a brief moment he glanced down and started to panic when he couldn’t see the bottom. Don’t look, he told himself. With a surge of strength, he reached out and took hold of Koenig’s ankle.

  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” Colt said aloud as he pulled with all his might.

  Koenig teetered, and as he fell, Colt pulled himself up onto the ledge. Koenig screamed, his six arms flailing to grab hold of something. Anything.

  Colt’s eyes never left the Defense Corps soldiers as they stood there looking confused. Whatever their plan had been, watching their leader plummet to his death most certainly was not a part of it. Colt scrambled to the backpack. He unzipped it and set the detonator, willing his fingers to work.

  “Get that portal cube ready!” he said.

  The moment the detonator was set, the Thule soldiers sprang to life. Teeth gnashed and tails pounded as they ran for Colt, but it was too late. He took his backpack and threw it over the chasm, while at the same time Danielle hit the Enter button on the portal cube.

  “What are you waiting for?” Colt felt the claws of a Thule rake across his back as he watched Danielle jump through the portal. The Thule raised its hand to strike again, but Colt ducked and caught it in the nerve cluster just below its jaw.

  Oz went through the portal next, but when Colt turned he saw Rhane getting attacked by one of Koenig’s soldiers. “Go!” Rhane shouted. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  Colt hesitated, then turned and ran just as the first of the explosions erupted. There was another and another. The ceiling cracked overhead and massive chunks of cement fell, shattering as they hit the ground.

  “Come on!” Colt shouted.

  He jumped toward the portal, and as he turned one last time he watched Rhane break free and try to follow, only to be overwhelmed by the Defense Corps soldiers. There was another explosion, followed by a flash of light. Colt was thrown through the air, and the last thing he remembered before he blacked out was that he hit something hard.

  : :

  CHAPTER 48 : :

  It was over.

  At least that’s what the president said during his State of the Union address. Koenig was dead and the Defense Corps all but destroyed, but that didn’t mean it was over—not completely, anyway. Still, the Intergalactic Defense Academy decided to give their cadets a monthlong sabbatical, and Grandpa decided to treat the surviving members of Phantom Squad to a week on the beach in San Diego.

  Colt sat on his surfboard a hundred yards from shore while Lily sat next to him, the water calm as the sun rose behind them. He desperately wanted to enjoy the moment. He should have been happy. He had not only accomplished the mission, but he was back home with the girl of his dreams. And yet in the stillness of the morning his thoughts continued to drift to his parents. Captain Starling. Pierce. So many losses. So much heartache.

  “What are you thinking about?” Lily asked.

  Colt smiled. “Did you know that the last time I was out here I got attacked by a sea monster?”

  “Are you trying to freak me out?”

  “I thought it was seaweed or something, but before I knew what was happening a tentacle wrapped around my ankle and pulled me under. But don’t worry. I won’t let it get you.” He looked over at Lily as she sat on her surfboard in a black wet suit with hot pink sleeves. She was beautiful, even without makeup. Her lips were full, her blue eyes even bluer against the water, and her long blond hair, wet from the sea spray, was swept back over her head.

  “Sorry,” he said. “It’s just that it seems like a lifetime ago.”

  “It was,” Lily said. “You were a different person then. So was I. But we’ve changed. The world has changed.”

  “No kidding.” Colt looked toward the shore, where Glyph and Jonas were building a sand sculpture. It was eight in the morning on a weekday, but they were already drawing a crowd of onlookers as they crafted an incredibly lifelike dragon that looked like it was going to be the size of a fishing boat by the time they finished.

  “I really like your friends,” she said, reaching out to take Colt’s hand.

  “Yeah. They’re great.”

  “And I’m sorry about what happened to Pierce.”

  “Thanks,” Colt said.

  “So now what?” Lily said. “I mean, you saved the world. Where do you go from here?”

  “I don’t know,” Colt said. “The DAA still wants to put together a touring Phantom Flyer show.”

  “Are you going to do it?”

  “I’m not sure,” Colt said. “I mean, to be honest all I want to do right now is sleep, but I kind of feel like I owe it to Captain Starling. After all, it was his idea.”

  “He was the flight instructor?”

  “Yeah.” Colt closed his eyes as an image of Captain Starling dead in the tunnels flashed in his mind. “His nephews are Phantom Flyer fans, and I was thinking that since he didn’t have any kids of his own, I could try and get them a part in the show.”

  “I always knew you were one of the good guys.”

  “I guess.” Colt watched a pelican soar overhead. “You know, they’re talking about having musical acts too. I guess they reached out to Switchfoot and Casting Crowns.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “I told them the only way I’d do it is if you get to be in the act.”

  “Don’t mess with me, Colt McAlister.”

  “If you want it, you’re in.”

  A wide smile broke across her face as she lunged and wrapped her arms around him. The momentum sent them both tumbling into the water. They laughed as they embraced, and the warmth of her lips against his cheek sent a tingling sensation down his spine.

  “What about Oz and Danielle?” she asked, wrapping her arm around her surfboard.

  Colt did the same. “Have you heard them sing?”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Danielle would run the special effects, and Oz would be one of the Agents of CHAOS. Same goes for the rest of Phantom Squad.” Colt smiled. “Grandpa even agreed to tour with us. He said he won’t fly, but I have a feeling he might.”