The Feros (Vindico)

by Wesley King

  “Who are Deanna and Lyle?” James’s mother asked, sounding confused.

  “The other two kids that helped them, remember?” his father said, taking a large frying pan out of the cupboard. “The ones who joined the League.”

  “Are you making pancakes?” she asked quietly.

  “Well, they probably didn’t get breakfast.”

  James shook his head. “Dad, we’re leaving in like—”

  “Pancakes would be great,” Hayden cut in. “I’m starving.”

  “I knew it,” James’s father said.

  He immediately took out the butter and put the pan on the stove.

  “Can we please focus?” James said. “The network—how do we get in?”

  Emily frowned. “You can’t just log in from any computer, even with my pass code. Only certain computers are cleared for access, unless you hack your way in. My computer at Hayden’s house is authorized, but obviously we can’t go there now. It’s probably swarming with police. We need to get to one of the bases.”

  “Except we don’t know where their bases are,” Lana pointed out.

  James stopped pacing. “We know where one of them is.”

  * * *

  “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me any of this.” Ally shook her head.

  They were standing by the front door, where James was nervously keeping watch while the others ate breakfast. He knew the Flame would probably go to headquarters first, but he wanted to make sure there were no surprises. Not with his family here.

  “I told you, I couldn’t. That was the rule.”

  She grinned. “But it doesn’t matter now, right? I can tell everyone? Jen is going to faint. She’s going to be so mad she slept through this. I love it. Can I tell her?”

  “I guess,” James said.

  “Excellent.” She peered through the window. “What if they show up?”

  James glanced at her. “Then you run.”

  She mulled this over. “I knew you were different when you got back. I mean, besides the muscles. You seemed . . . confident or something. Which makes sense, I guess, since you just beat up Gali. That was awesome, by the way.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I can’t believe they can give people powers,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to fly.”

  “It’s illegal,” James told her. “We were the exception. And you can’t give flight.”

  “Oh,” she said, sounding disappointed. “That sucks. So can I come with you?”

  He sighed. “For the tenth time, no. It’s too dangerous.”

  “You’re no fun,” she muttered.

  “You’re telling me,” Hayden said, coming around the corner from the dining room. “He’s always ruining my fun.”

  “Were you eavesdropping?” James asked.

  “Yes,” Hayden said matter-of-factly. “We better go. I’ve already eaten my weight in pancakes anyway. Your dad is the best.”

  “I’ll be sure to tell him,” James said.

  The other three hurried down the hallway, Emily holding some pancakes in a paper towel. James’s parents followed close behind.

  “You’re leaving now?” his mother asked nervously.

  James nodded. “Yeah, the League might be here soon.”

  His father handed James some wrapped pancakes. “For the road. I already put syrup on them, so don’t wait too long or they’ll get soggy.”

  “Are you sure we shouldn’t call the police?” James’s mother asked.

  “Definitely,” Emily replied. “Don’t worry, we’re getting good at this.”

  They put on their shoes and stood by the door. James exchanged brief hugs with his parents. To his surprise, even Ally gave him a hug.

  “Be careful,” she said quietly.

  “Call us soon,” his mother added, her brown eyes watering.

  His father put a hand on James’s shoulder. “Want me to come along?”

  James smiled. “No thanks. We’ll be fine. I’ll call you soon.”

  With a chorus of farewells, the five teens hurried back to the small forest and wound their way through the trees until they reached the ship. Several trunks had snapped under its weight, and it was perched lopsidedly on the stumps. They all clambered into the cockpit.

  James gently pulled back on the throttle, and the branches scraped against the hull as they lifted out of the trees.

  “Do you remember how to get there?” Sam asked.

  “I have a general idea,” James said.

  He’d driven from the Baron’s estate to Cambilsford with the Torturer, and knew the general direction. But he had slept for a decent part of the trip there and been preoccupied on the way back, worried that they’d just killed Mark Dilson. He was hoping that they would spot the huge property from above.

  “I can’t wait to go back,” Hayden said. “So many good memories.”

  “And now we’re fighting the League again,” Sam muttered. “Just like before.”

  “Yes,” Hayden agreed, “I think we were always meant to be villains.”

  The ship streaked across the night sky, and they all scanned the darkened landscape as they went.

  11

  “LOOKS A LITTLE UNLOVED,” HAYDEN WHISPERED AS THEY STARED AT THE Baron’s dark mansion across the estate.

  They stood at the edge of the forest, mostly obscured by shadows and the thick undergrowth. After spotting the Baron’s former property from above, they’d set the Mediator down into a small clearing some ways away, at Emily’s suggestion. If anyone was manning the defenses, their ship would be blown out of the sky by the four massive antiaircraft cannons that ringed the estate.

  The walk from the ship had felt long and eerie, with faint traces of moonlight creeping through the canopy and branches stretching across their path like grasping fingers.

  By the time they’d reached the property line, the sky was beginning to lighten. Now they could see that the yellowed grass was becoming long, and the once-trimmed bushes were growing unevenly. Even the manicured gardens were sprouting weeds. The redbrick mansion itself still rose up ominously in the center of the property, and no lights shone from any of the windows. It looked abandoned.

  “Anything, Sam?” James asked.

  “One guarded mind,” he said, his eyes closed. “Must be a League member.”

  “It could be a trick,” Emily pointed out. She was crouching low to the ground, peering ahead with her visor and clutching a rifle she’d found in the ship. “I don’t see any heat signatures at all. It seems empty.”

  “Well, we don’t have much choice,” Hayden said. “This is the only base we know of.”

  “What’s our plan?” Lana asked.

  “We should split up,” James suggested. “One or two through the front and have the rest of us come in from the back. Just in case there’s an ambush at the front door.”

  “So who gets to go through the front?” Hayden asked.

  Everyone looked at him.

  He sighed. “I figured.”

  “I’ll go too,” Lana said, glancing at James. “Someone has to protect this idiot.”

  James nodded. “See you inside.”

  He took off toward a line of tall hedges, and Emily and Sam scurried after him. Together, they circled toward the back of the estate, staying low to the ground and moving quickly from cover to cover.

  Lana and Hayden took a straight line to the front entrance, their feet skimming over the moist grass. Hayden stopped behind a large shrub to examine the front doors.

  “Kind of scary,” he commented.

  “You blow open the front doors,” Lana said. “I’ll go in first.”

  “You’re so brave,” he whispered.

  “Shut up.”

  Lana sprinted toward the front doors and Hayden followed close behind, having a hard time keeping up with her speed.

  “Now!” she said.

  Hayden stuck out his hands and used all his force to mentally shove the doors inward. The lock snapped out of the heavy woode
n frame and the towering doors flew open. But Hayden forgot to stop them before they swung out and hit the walls—the glass windows on either side shattered under the impact.

  “Very inconspicuous,” Lana said.

  Hayden put up a mental shield around them to protect against any sudden attacks and they burst into the lobby.

  It was completely empty. Their footsteps echoed in the silence.

  “Hmm,” Hayden said, stepping up beside her, “this is odd. Why would they have abandoned this place?”

  “Let’s get to the monitoring room,” Lana suggested. “We can use the sensors to see where that guarded mind is. Emily will probably take the others right there anyway.”

  They hurried through the silent hallways and heard a distant smash as the others broke in through the back of the mansion. Lana slowed her pace, looking distracted.

  “Sam says he still feels the mind somewhere,” she said quietly. “They’re going to meet us at the monitoring room.”

  When the two groups met up in front of the door, Emily immediately triggered the control panel, trying to open it. But nothing happened.

  She frowned. “It’s locked.”

  “What would you do without me?” Hayden asked airily.

  He closed his eyes and mentally pushed against the reinforced locking mechanism. Gradually, the doors began to slide apart, screeching. When they had opened wide enough for them to almost see inside the room, a powerful stream of water shot out of the opening and struck Hayden in the face.

  The ice-cold water knocked him right onto his tailbone and pain lanced up his back. Blinking, he saw another blast streak out of the room, hitting Emily in the shoulder, and she spun to the ground.

  “What the . . .” Hayden managed, just as Lana dove into the room.

  Scrambling back to his feet, Hayden headed after her. Inside, Lana was standing over a pale woman with vivid blue hair. It was another League member, Blue.

  “That water was cold,” Hayden said. “Good thing you don’t shoot fire. This face is the moneymaker.”

  Blue frowned. “I didn’t know it was you kids.”

  “So that’s why I didn’t see you on the infrared,” Emily said on her way to the control panel. “You’re ice cold.” She scanned over the monitors. “Everything is online; we just weren’t close enough to activate the guns. The League will have to do the same thing we did and come in on foot.”

  “Why are you here?” Blue asked. “I thought you weren’t joining us for two more months.”

  “We’re here because your friends are chasing us,” Lana said sharply. “They set us up and tried to arrest us.”

  Blue started to climb to her feet.

  “Don’t try anything,” Lana warned.

  “Who set you up?” she asked.

  “Flame, Gali, Sinio, Jada, and Noran,” James told her.

  Blue sighed. “I thought so. The Flame has been the most vocal. And Gali as well. Sinio, Jada, and Noran are a bit more surprising. Obviously he’s gotten to them.”

  “What do you mean?” Lana asked.

  “I can explain what I know,” Blue said, “which isn’t much, I’m afraid. Something else is going on, that much I’m sure of. But I’ve been here alone for about a month now, and things are happening without me.”

  “Where are Deanna and Lyle?” Sam asked.

  “They were at headquarters, but I think Thunderbolt has taken them elsewhere.” She limped over to one of the chairs and sat down. “You didn’t have to tackle me quite so hard,” she said to Lana, scowling.

  “You didn’t have to shoot water at us,” Lana replied coolly.

  Blue held her gaze for a moment, rubbing her elbow. “I guess I’ll start from when you kids got dropped off after the battle. It seemed like everything was finished. The Vindico were in prison and the war was over. But for some time before that, the League had its own troubles. There were . . . divisions in the ranks.

  “Thunderbolt is our official leader, but for a few years now, some have begun to think he is too passive. They thought he could have destroyed the Vindico earlier if we’d pressed more. When Nighthawk died, the pressure really started again. And then there was Septer. At first, we didn’t think he was going to make it.” Her eyes darted back to Lana. “At that point, the only thing holding us together was the hatred of the Vindico.

  “They gave everyone a target to go after. We attacked this mansion, and we were almost destroyed as a result. Thunderbolt had been hesitant for a reason: we were unprepared for battle. I think we had all grown complacent. We hadn’t been training anymore; we hadn’t been working on developing our powers. With you five on their side, we were totally overwhelmed.

  “Thankfully, you turned against them and saved the League. And after that battle, everything quieted down again. We’d won, so the divisions among us could be healed. Or so we thought. As it turned out, the wounds were too deep. A power struggle began, centered around something that could change the entire structure of the League. You.”

  “The Feros,” Hayden whispered dramatically.

  Blue frowned. “What?”

  “Ignore him,” Lana said.

  Blue gave Hayden another confused look and continued.

  “You are a powerful resource. You’re all very talented, more so than many League members, and you’re also naturally loyal to each other. There are barely five League members who really trust each other anymore, so that makes you very influential. Was this the first time you’ve all seen each other since you went home?”

  “Yeah,” Hayden said. “The Flame ruined my reunion party.”

  “So this was his first real chance to make a move. But as I said, something else is happening. As you know, two League members have disappeared. That doesn’t just happen. But we don’t know who did it or why. The Vindico are still on the Perch, so it wasn’t them. The League is nervous now and the tension is building. That’s why the Flame took his risk. Thunderbolt will be furious. He’ll have no choice but to arrest the traitors. The League is going to crumble.”

  “Sam and I were both being watched,” Emily said. “Was Thunderbolt having us followed?”

  “I don’t think so. He’s only got a few people he can trust. I’m one of them, and I’ve been stuck here. Maybe he knew that if something went wrong, you would come here.”

  “So who was following us?” Sam asked.

  “I don’t know. There are other players in this game now. Someone took my friends, and maybe they’re on to you as well.”

  “That’s great,” Hayden said. “So now what? Did Thunderbolt leave any orders?”

  “No,” she replied grimly. “And I don’t know how to get in touch with him. I alerted headquarters that I was under attack and no one replied. I don’t think anyone’s there.”

  “Where is the Perch?” Emily asked.

  “Why?” Blue replied suspiciously.

  “Are the Vindico being guarded?”

  Blue nodded. “Of course. There’s always a member stationed there. And there are plenty of sentries. They’re not going anywhere.”

  “So what do we do?” Sam asked, sounding nervous.

  “Blue, you keep trying to call Thunderbolt,” James said. “Emily, you can still get on the network like we planned and see what you can dig up. The rest of us can go get the ship and bring it back to—”

  “Wait,” Emily cut in. She looked up from the monitors. “Someone else is here.”

  12

  THEY HURRIED TOWARD THE LOBBY, EMILY AT THE LEAD.

  “They tripped a sensor outside,” she explained. “Right near the perimeter.”

  “You’re sure it’s just one person?” James asked.

  She glanced back at him. “No.”

  She led them outside, where the sun was now breaching the tips of the trees. They crossed the lawn again, and Emily scanned the forest with her infrared. There was a lot of life scurrying about and everything was muddled with red.

  “Sam?” she asked.

  “Nothi
ng,” he replied. “But it could be the same thing that was watching us at the water.”

  “Should we go into the woods to look?” Lana said.

  Emily continued to survey the forest and then shook her head. “There’s no point. The Wraiths could easily hide in there. Better to wait for them in the mansion.”

  “The Wraiths?” Hayden asked.

  “That’s what I’m calling them,” Emily said. “They dress in black, they vanish in seconds, and Sam can’t even sense them. It’s like they’re ghosts.”

  “Great,” Sam murmured.

  Despite Emily’s suggestion, they stood there for a few minutes more, as if expecting something to burst out of the trees. Finally, the cold air drove them back inside and they settled into the monitoring room.

  “You sure the Mediator is locked down?” Lana asked Emily.

  She nodded. “Definitely. We’ll just have to keep an eye on the sensors. I’ll take first watch. I want to look around the network anyway. You can all get some sleep.”

  “Good idea,” Hayden said. “It’s been a long night. Back to our old quarters!”

  “You sure you’re okay, Emily?” James asked, blinking back sleep.

  “Yeah. Someone else can take over in a few hours.”

  James nodded and they left Emily alone with Blue at the controls.

  “I’ll try Thunderbolt again,” Blue said, sitting down in front of the communications relay.

  “Sounds good,” Emily replied. She turned to the computer console and accessed the League network. “Now,” she whispered to herself, “let’s see what we can find out.”

  * * *

  Sam gazed around his former bedroom, his forehead soaked with sweat.

  He had no idea how long he’d been trying to sleep, but it was impossible. He kept expecting voices in the dark or freezing jets of water. And that wasn’t the only reason. He couldn’t ignore the growing uneasiness in the back of his mind: he had a bad feeling that they were all missing something.

  He got out of bed and wandered into the common room, which was still furnished as it had been during their training. It already felt like years since they’d been there. He stepped through the smashed mirror door and went to the monitoring room. Emily was leaning back in the chair, her head bobbing.