by S. S. Segran
“First of all,” Victor said curtly, “she doesn’t hate you. She’s hurting. Kids are pretty perceptive so she can probably sense that something’s happened to her mother. Second, you can’t blame yourself for what happened.”
“But I am to blame. I asked Ina for help and I waited too long to get her. You can’t tell me my fingerprints aren’t on this.”
Victor leaned against the island counter beside Gareth. “That’s not what I meant. I understand guilt. I understand regret. I’m not going to dispute what you’re feeling. But if you let the guilt and the regret fester…” He looked down, jaws clenched. “It’ll eat at you from the inside and you’ll find yourself running down a road you never wanted just to make the pain go away.”
“I’ve never been able to not save anyone, Vic.” Gareth’s voice cracked. “I failed.”
“I… yeah. It’s a heavy weight on your shoulders.”
“Does—does it—”
“It doesn’t get easier. Not really.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“To start, don’t do what I’ve been doing for the past few years. It feels good for a short time but you’ll keep needing more and more to numb everything. What you ought to do is look after that little girl. She needs someone.”
“I don’t know the first thing about raising a child, Vic. I’m not a father.”
“Then don’t be one. Just watch over her. Keep her on the straight and narrow. Take what you’re feeling right now and make use of it.”
They looked to Anya on the couch as Deverell slid a blanket over her with his functioning hand. Gareth shook his head. “Maybe you should just take over. She responds to you. And you know sign language, so that already makes her feel more comfortable around you.”
Victor exhaled a short laugh. “If you don’t believe you’re father material, then I most definitely am not. I think you should keep trying to bond with her. You can help each other out.”
“Maybe.” Gareth hoisted himself onto the island counter and slouched over. “Ach-y-fi. I can’t believe Reyor actually killed Ina.”
“Alright, look. I don’t want to be an ass, but Reyor’s killed over a million people already and the body count is rising. As horrible as it is, Ina was a casualty in this war.”
“Ina destroyed lives. I’m not defending that. But she sought atonement. Maybe if she’d really gotten the chance… I don’t know. I couldn’t help seeing her as a monster but after getting to know her, I realized she was just human. And humans are always the ones who do the most damage to each other. It doesn’t excuse her actions, but… bloody hell, I wish life was devoid of gray.”
“Me too,” Victor murmured.
“And I wish we’d known of Aari’s new ability sooner. We might’ve gotten something from Ina. I swung by her house after—after I buried her, to see if I could find anything that could help us, but they’d burned it down. Phoenix had burned the entire place down. Everything of hers, gone. It was surreal.”
Deverell joined them, then, briefly grasping forearms with his twin, then asked, “Heard anything from the others, Vic? How is Kody faring? Are they in Tanzania already?”
“It’s a real good thing they picked up the trail for the cure after mine went cold,” Gareth muttered.
“That’s partially why I came downstairs,” Victor said. “Sawyer reached out while I was trying to grab some shuteye, said that they’re en route to Kilimanjaro and that Kody’s holding up fine, no symptoms so far. But listen. Elder Nageau told him that it’s time.”
“Time? For what?”
“To move the kids’ families to Dema-Ki. There are two Sentries already guarding them but the Elders want a few others to go along as security. There’s fifteen people to move and anything could go wrong.”
“And they want us? Aren’t there still a few Sentries in the U.S. and Canada who can help? We’re on a completely different continent.”
“And we’ll have to drive to either Italy or Germany just to find an airport that hasn’t grounded all its flights,” Deverell added.
Victor pointed at Deverell’s casted arm. “Oh, you’re not going.” He turned to Gareth. “I volunteered us.”
“I get what you’re doing,” Gareth began, “but—”
“Let me rephrase: I’m going, and you’re coming along.” Victor gave the younger Sentry a hard, no-nonsense stare. “I’d advise packing light.”
Gareth raised his hands in submission and stole down to the main floor. Deverell lightly bumped Victor’s shoulder with a fist. “Thanks, mate. He needs this mission.”
“You sure you’ll be okay with Anya?” Victor asked.
“’Tis but a scratch. If the Black Knight could fight with all his limbs cut off, then this should be a breeze for me.”
Victor broke into a chuckle. “You’re ridiculous. For the record, the Black Knight couldn’t fight. He was just extremely persistent.”
“To-may-to, to-mah-to.”
“Dev, before you go, there’s one more thing. While we’re gone, could you look up Phoenix’s worldwide subsidiaries? Anything from mining to construction.”
“Aye. Anything specific you want me to be on the lookout for?”
“When I listened in on Tony’s meeting with Reyor and the other Heads of Sanctuaries last month, there was mention of four other Sanctuaries apart from the ones in New Mexico and Kazakhstan—Brazil, New Zealand, South Africa, and some place called the Heart.”
Deverell furrowed his brows. “The Heart? Where is that?”
“That’s what I need you to find out. With a name like that, it has to be significant.”
“I’m on it.” As the Welshman turned to leave, he asked, “By the way, do Kody’s parents know what’s happened to their son?”
Victor slowly bit the tip of his tongue, taking a moment to answer. “No. And we can’t tell them. Not now.”
50
“Unidentified aircraft eighty kilometers northwest of Kilimanjaro International, this is ATC. Identify yourself.”
Marshall shot a frown at the teenager in the pilot’s seat beside him. “I thought you said you turned off the transponder?”
Kody’s face puckered. “I did! I just didn’t expect them to detect us this far out!”
The Cessna banked right and flew west of Mount Kilimanjaro. The glistening white peak glowed in the sunset, its monumental shadow throwing the savannah and forests around it into darkness.
Kody blew a raspberry. “We’ll have to do some NOE flying.”
“Some what?” Dominique asked through her headset.
“Nap of the earth. Keep your seatbelts on, guys!” Kody drew the throttle back and pushed the control column forward, putting the plane into a steep descent. Though tightly strapped in, Marshall felt himself being lifted out of his seat as the plane dove. Startled yelps and screams rang in the aircraft until Kody leveled out.
“Everyone okay?” Marshall barked.
“Yeah,” Tegan wheezed, “but what’s the maniac doing?”
“We’ve been spotted by Air Traffic Control,” Kody replied. “I had the transponder turned off so we’d be invisible to surveillance radars, but it looks like they’re using their primary one. I didn’t think they’d still be operational.”
“And we really can’t just fly to the airport?” Mariah asked.
“Definitely not. Tanzania closed its airspace, so all flights are grounded. If it were normal times, they’d seize the plane and detain and interrogate us. Now they might think that we could be carrying the virus, so who knows what could happen.”
Aari coughed nervously. “So what’ll they do now that they’ve spotted us?”
“Depends how frayed ATC’s nerves are,” Kody said.
“Protocol dictates the Air Force checks it out,” Marshall added, “though I’m not sure how things work in Tanzania.”
“And where does that leave us if planes do show up?” Tegan asked.
“I’ll have to use the terrain to mask our radar signatur
e,” Kody answered. “Which means we’ll have to fly close to the treetops.”
“You can do that?” Dominique sounded politely skeptical.
“Watch me.”
Marshall wondered for the umpteenth time if he was out of his mind allowing Kody to pilot the aircraft into uncharted territory. Then he shook his head, reprimanding himself. You really need to let go and trust them. You can’t protect them every step of the way.
As they coasted over the savannah, Kody banked toward a spine of hills to the south, staying low and following the contour of the land. They flew in silence for several minutes until Kody leaned forward. “Here we go…”
Aari’s voice crackled through the headset. “Spotted something?”
“Yeah. Air Force flyboys are out.”
“How many?”
“Two. Hang tight, I’m taking us lower.”
Baobabs and umbrella trees rolled by below them as the darkness overhead grew. The underbelly of the plane glided so close to the treetops that Marshall unwittingly held his breath, cringing. Okay, Kody, you got this. You got this.
The plane obeyed its pilot’s steady, focused hands and maneuvered easily through the hills. Eight thousand feet overhead, two jet aircraft roared past. The group rubbernecked to get a better look at the newcomers. A howl of laughter suddenly reverberated in the cockpit.
“I don’t believe this!” Kody exclaimed. “How is the TZ Air Force flying those fossils in the twenty-first century?”
“I’m assuming you’re using your abilities to ID ’em, because I can’t see squat,” Marshall said. “What are they?”
“Russian MiG-19s. They don’t have lookdown capability in their radar systems, so they can’t see us this close to the ground. And I’ve turned off our nav lights so we’re practically invisible in the shadows. Still, the sooner we land, the better. Where was that airstrip again?”
Marshall peered down at the map they’d taken from Sigmund’s private hangar. “Sigmund had marked it to be somewhere between Mount Meru”—he nodded to the smaller peak on his right as Kilimanjaro ruled the terrain to the left—“and that crater right ahead, in the green belt.”
“Uhh… uno momento. Hey, yeah, I think I see it.”
The MiGs roared high over the Cessna again. Kody snorted, rather derisively, Marshall thought, as the aircraft swept past the mountains. He eyed the teenager, trying to discern symptoms of the Omega strain as he’d been doing since the incident in Khartoum, but so far nothing leapt out at him. Maybe he didn’t get infected, the Sentry hoped.
Within twenty minutes they’d landed on the remote airstrip, Kody effortlessly bringing the plane to a stop at the end of the unkempt grassy track. Dominique pushed the plane into a thick grove of trees and they covered it with foliage to disguise it from prying eyes. Quickly donning long-sleeved clothes to protect themselves from ferocious mosquitos, they embarked on the two-hour trek to the nearest residence, the Momella Wildlife Lodge at the eastern foot of Mount Meru.
As they traversed the savannah scattered with anemic tress that cast long shadows, a herd of elephants out of eyesight trumpeted into the dusk. The friends gaped at the land around them, eyes wide, eager grins forming. Marshall watched them with a small smile, followed by a sharp wrench in his chest.
They may be the prophecy’s fulfilment, but they’re just now entering their late teens. That… that’s so young. The Sentry’s throat constricted for a moment. This isn’t fair. And Kody—
A soft hand rested on his arm. As if reading his thoughts, Dominique quietly said, “Don’t think about it, Marshall.”
He looked at her, pained. She gripped his arm tighter, then ushered the group along until at last they found the main dirt road that took them the rest of the way to the lodge. Mariah crushed a mosquito on her arm. “Remind me again why we couldn’t have just walked into a town.”
“In my last vision, Lucius and Carmel were between Kilimanjaro and Meru,” Aari said. “Better to stay the night close by so we can start the search quicker in the morning.”
“I know why, Brainiac. I just hate walking through a wall of blood-thirsty insects.”
They trooped towards the standalone reception building surrounded by numerous, round white huts with thatched roofs—bandas, Dominique called them—and timber cottages, all spread out. Inside the reception, a long but simple wooden counter seemed unattended. Just as Marshall reached to ring the bell, a tall Tanzanian woman with close-cropped black hair, maybe a year or two older than the teenagers, rose from behind the desk. She eyed the group with calm curiosity. “Hello.”
Marshall dipped his head. “Hi. We’re looking for a couple of rooms?”
The young woman held his gaze for several long moments, then said, “I’ll do you one better. We’ve got several two-room cottages and since we haven’t had visitors in a while, I can give it to you for the price of a regular room.”
“That’s great. Thank you.”
“I hope you’re not looking to climb Meru. We no longer have rangers to guide you.”
“Rangers?”
“Yes. They take you up and protect you from animals, like leopards.”
“Oh.” Marshall narrowed his eyes at Aari, who shook his head. “No, I don’t think we’ll be heading up there.”
“Good. Also, during the mornings, you’ll find harmless wildlife roaming the grounds, so don’t be surprised if you happen to find a giraffe looking into your window when you wake up.”
“As long as they don’t steal my breakfast, I’m good,” Kody said, pointing finger guns at her and grinning.
The receptionist didn’t laugh. Embarrassed, Marshall thanked her and steered Kody outside, feeling the woman’s prickling gaze on them as they left the reception and made their way to one of the cottages. What’s her problem? he wondered.
Beside him, Tegan shuddered and scratched the side of her head. Marshall playfully tugged her earlobe. “You good?”
“Yeah. The receptionist had a tattoo behind her ear and I just—agh, I can’t imagine the pain of getting one back there.”
Marshall raised his wrist where Semper Fi had been inked. “Guess it depends on your pain tolerance. But there’s less fat behind the ear, so it would be more sensitive…”
Aari, walking ahead with Dominique, Mariah and Kody, stopped abruptly, his mouth forming an O as he took in the sight of Mount Meru under the moonlight.
“We’re close to the geo-marker,” he breathed, pointing. “See how the entire eastern side of the peak is concave? In my vision, Lucius and Carmel were closer to that than we are now, and they were looking at Kilimanjaro from that vantage point.”
“Good,” Mariah said. “Shouldn’t be too much exploring to do tomorrow, then.”
“Huh,” Kody mumbled. “There’s another lodge about a quarter mile northwest. Looks real nice, like a resort.”
“Which means it probably costs an arm and a leg,” Dominique said. “We got a reasonable deal with this place.”
They arrived at their cottage, flanked by breathtaking views of Meru and Kilimanjaro, and Marshall told the rest to head in without him. He established a telepathic connection with Nageau, and the Elder greeted him with his usual warmth, though there was an underlying tension.
Marshall.
Elder Nageau. We’ve landed in Tanzania and found the lodge we told you Kody located on the map. Aari believes we’re already close to the next geo-marker.
That is good news. And I trust all is… well?
As well as can be. Kody is holding up, and we’ll head out first thing in the morning to search for the marker.
What of Gareth and Victor?
They’re on the move. They should arrive in Montana within twenty-four hours. They’ll meet with the families and make arrangements for them to leave for Dema-Ki as soon as possible. Has the Sentry there prepared the families for this?
She’s been speaking with them about this eventuality but it will rest upon Gareth and Victor to convince them to act. On our part
, we have been preparing for their arrival.
If you don’t mind my saying, Elder Nageau, you sound apprehensive.
Oh, my boy… I am apprehensive. It will be hard for the families to adjust and I am certain the people of Dema-Ki will be inquiring intensely. The only outsiders we have entertained for centuries were the younglings. Even the Sentries have never been to the village. This will be… interesting, to put it mildly.
I’m sure it will be. But that’s not all that’s bothering you, is it?
The harbinger of darkness weighs on my mind every hour I am awake, Marshall, and even in the hours when I am not. It is nothing new.
I have faith that you and the rest of the Elders will handle whatever is thrown at us with wisdom and steadfastness, just as you always have.
Nageau’s warmth bloomed, enveloping Marshall in tranquility and comfort. Your words are kind. We are blessed to have you with us. Now go. Rest. You will need your strength.
Take care, Elder Nageau.
Marshall entered the cottage and found that, to remain within the safety of the mosquito net, he and the boys had to share the king-size bed in one of the rooms. Dominique and the girls had already settled in next door; he could hear them chatting softly through the wall.
“Make way for the big man,” Kody joked as he and Aari rolled to the sides to give the Sentry room.
“You make me sound like I’m Jabba the Hutt.” Marshall sat on the edge of the bed and patted Kody’s calf. “How you doin’, kiddo?”
Kody sat up, rubbing his eyes. “I don’t feel any different. No fever, no headaches, no discomfort.”
Marshall looked up, thanking the universe silently. “Glad to hear it. Here, let’s get you a new dressing.”
He cleaned the wound, added a new layer of Dema-Ki remedy and taped the gauze on Kody’s neck, then fell into the middle of the bed with his face buried in a pillow. “I’m spent. You guys don’t stay up too late. We’re heading out early in the morning.” He kicked off his shoes. “Great piloting today, Kody. I’m really impressed.”