by Anh Do
‘They don’t,’ said Stanley.
He walked over to a parked car. ‘This is risky, but we have no choice,’ he said as he pulled out his knife.
‘Archaeologist you may be,’ said Kelly, ‘but they didn’t have cars in ancient Rome, did they?’
‘No,’ said Stanley, ‘but they did when I was a young man growing up in the bad part of town.’
He inserted an attachment into the car lock with a click.
9
The Armstrongs
They drove through the night, hooded even in the car – a cam could catch them at any angle.
Kelly slept a deep slumber in the back seat as Stanley drove for hours. When she awoke, she looked out the window and found her surroundings very different.
It felt good to be out of the cramped, shadowy city. Kelly stretched her arms and yawned loudly enough to be embarrassed by the volume in the enclosed space.
‘Good morning,’ said Stanley, with a chuckle.
Despite his smile, there were bags under his eyes. The poor man must be exhausted. Kelly pondered that maybe, if there was ever time for it, she should learn to drive too. It might become a useful skill while living on the run!
Although it was early in the morning, there were already many vehicles on the road. Trucks full of feed and livestock sped past in either direction. Loaded utes trundled off the highway down dirt roads. Supply vans headed towards the city – Kelly recognised them from her time working at Clyde’s. Somehow she had never given much thought to where they came from.
They passed fields dotted with workers moving about. Kelly spotted a cluster of buildings, like a small village, off in the distance.
‘That’s a Sector Hub,’ said Stanley. ‘We’re heading to one much like it, just a little further down the road.’
‘What are we going to do when we get there?’
‘Ask questions.’
‘Will that work?’
‘Probably not,’ said Stanley. ‘Country folk tend to look after their own. But if you listen hard for thoughts while I do the talking, perhaps we’ll learn something useful?’
They turned off the highway at a sign reading Sector Hub H and headed down a dirt road between apple trees and wheat. As they approached the Hub, Kelly guessed there were something like twenty houses collected around a few barns and workhouses.
Stanley parked in the Hub centre. A few people glanced at them curiously as they got out of the car, and Kelly made sure her hood was firmly down. As a young man walked past with a basket of eggs, Stanley cleared his throat.
‘Excuse me,’ he said, ‘I’m looking for a fellow by the name of Minh.’
Wow, really not beating around the bush here, thought Kelly.
‘Do you know which family he lodges with, by any chance?’
The young man frowned at Stanley suspiciously. ‘Nope.’
Number twelve, with the Armstrongs, came his clear thought. I should try to get word to Minh that strangers are looking for him.
Kelly smiled to herself. The skill that had been so upsetting mere days ago was proving so useful, again and again. She could get used to this!
As the young man moved on, Stanley raised an eyebrow at Kelly.
‘Number twelve,’ she said. ‘Family by the name of Armstrong.’
Number twelve was a large double-storey house, the front door of which stood wide open. Kelly had never seen such a trusting display, and wondered at how different life was in the country. In the city, everyone had scanners and locks, and if you left your door open, you were a fool.
Stanley knocked, and they waited a moment without hearing an answer. It sounded like children were racing around somewhere inside, laughing loudly. Stanley hesitantly moved into the entry hall.
‘Hello?’ he called. ‘Anybody home?’
A large man appeared around a corner, smiling broadly. The expression was so short-lived, however, that Kelly wondered if she had merely imagined it.
‘Yes?’ he said coldly.
A woman appeared out of another room, looking similarly stern, and moved to the man’s side.
‘So sorry to intrude,’ said Stanley. ‘Are you the Armstrongs?’
‘We are,’ said the man. ‘I’m John, this is Margaret. Who are you?’
A couple of little girls ran out of a doorway, chasing each other and giggling. Margaret’s gaze flicked to them immediately.
‘Stop that nonsense this instant!’ she snapped.
The girls stopped in their tracks, and a moment of confusion passed across their faces. Then they saw Stanley and Kelly, and quickly stood to attention.
Bless you, little ones, came Margaret’s thought. We taught you well.
‘You two, go make yourselves useful,’ said John.
Obediently the girls nodded and left quietly.
‘Orphans,’ said John. ‘Hard to train.’
They’ll know I don’t mean it, came his thought, if they overheard me.
Kelly wondered what on earth was going on in this house.
‘Now,’ said Margaret, ‘you were about to tell us who you are.’
‘Yes,’ said Stanley, ‘of course. My name is, er, Gerard O’Sullivan.’
Stanley had told Kelly that he wasn’t a very good liar, and now she believed him. Especially since he’d had all night to think about a cover story, only to stumble over the name!
‘I’ve come here with my teenage granddaughter,’ Stanley continued, ‘because, you see, I’m an old family friend of a couple who died back in the … troubles. I only just found out they had a son, who I would very much like to meet, and I think maybe he lives here now? He’s called Minh.’
Oh no, thought Margaret. I told Minh he shouldn’t have gone to the city!
This man is obviously lying, thought John, but what’s the angle? Are they undercover Hornets? Maybe they know about the changes he’s been going through.
‘Minh?’ said John, feigning ignorance. ‘I don’t know.’ He glanced at Margaret. ‘Do any of our useless layabouts go by that name? There are so many of them, it’s hard to keep track.’
‘Minh, Minh,’ said Margaret, as if testing out the word for the first time. ‘Hmm, goodness knows, I hardly ever bother to learn their names. They come and go so fast.’
‘He’s of Vietnamese descent,’ said Stanley helpfully.
I don’t think we can lie our way out of this …
If we have to give him up, it will break my heart, but we have the other kids to think of …
As Kelly listened to their thoughts, she realised what John and Margaret were doing. It was heartwarming and sad at the same time. In order to protect their children, they pretended they didn’t care about them. What a world this was, for caring to be considered a weakness.
Gently, she touched Stanley’s wrist. He inclined his head, and she whispered in his ear. ‘They know Minh. They also know he’s changed somehow. They just don’t know us, so they’re putting on an act.’
Stanley thought about this for a moment. ‘It may be time for a show of faith,’ he said. ‘I think you should do what you think is best.’
The Armstrongs were still frowning, as if put out by the whole situation. Kelly had to hand it to them – they were convincing. She wondered what had happened that had caused them to train their whole household to behave like they were tyrants, in front of unknown guests?
The back door banged open and in walked a muscular young man.
‘Mum, Dad,’ he said. ‘You’ll never guess what I … ’
He fell silent as he saw the others.
Margaret’s facade finally dropped. ‘Minh, run!’ she shouted. ‘They’re KG spies!’
Quickly, Kelly stepped forward. ‘It’s okay,’ she said. ‘I promise we aren’t spies. And we’re not here to hurt Minh. I’m in the same position as he is.’
She pulled back her hood. As her horn flashed in the light, everyone stared.
‘Whoa,’ said Minh. ‘Sick horn.’
10
A
nother Cup of Tea
Kelly wished people would stop giving her cups of tea, and serve up a mountain of food instead. In such a delicate situation, however, she was in no position to be pushy.
Minh kept staring at her forehead, then unconsciously reaching up to touch something under his own spiky black mop. As their eyes locked, he glanced away bashfully.
‘It started happening several months ago,’ said Margaret. ‘John saw Minh shake an apple tree to make the fruit fall. Then I spied him pulling a plough. No horses, just him.’
Minh grinned.
‘It’s not funny,’ Margaret said, and this time her sternness wasn’t fake. ‘What if someone else had seen you? You put the whole house at risk. What if Kelly and Stanley really were KG?’
‘Sorry, Mum,’ said Minh, dropping the smile.
‘Then he took his little trip to the city,’ said John, ‘and really screwed up.’
A bright spot of anger flashed from Minh’s eyes. ‘Should I have not helped that little kid?’
‘That’s not what your dad is saying,’ said Margaret. ‘You never should have been there in the first place.’
‘Where else was I gonna get medical texts? Round here most books have been turned to mulch.’
Kelly didn’t need telepathy to sense the sticking point between Minh and his parents.
‘So,’ said John, sitting down with his tea, ‘I guess you better tell us why you’ve come here. I mean, we’ve seen the news and wanted posters for, er …’ He nodded at Kelly. ‘The Golden Unicorn.’
Kelly swallowed, trying to figure out the best way to explain. She knew how hard it had been for her to take in all she had learnt in the last few days. Still, there was nothing else for it. She just had to speak the words.
She told her tale as best she could, expecting to be met with stark disbelief at every turn. The world, however, had grown so strange that maybe she had underestimated people’s capacity for acceptance. The Armstrongs listened and, although their eyes opened wide at some points, they never said things like ‘That’s impossible,’ or ‘You have to be making this stuff up.’
Stanley took over on the prophecy bits, since that was his speciality. As he moved on to the subject of the Minotaur, he nodded towards Minh several times. Meanwhile, myriad expressions played over Minh’s face.
‘Are you …’ Again Minh touched his head, just behind his ears on either side. Kelly had her suspicions why. ‘Are you saying I’m …’
‘The reborn spirit of the Minotaur, come to help me put an end to the Collector.’
Kelly thought it best to speak plainly, and that was about as plain as it got. She anticipated a reaction much like her own, when she had been told similar things – reluctance, denial and disbelief.
Instead, Minh stood up and pumped his fist.
‘Yeah, baby!’
‘I knew it!’ he exclaimed, and laughed. ‘I knew something epic was going on!’
‘Minh, please!’ said John. ‘Keep it down. What if somebody outside hears?’
In the entry hall, the front door slammed open.
‘What now?’ said Margaret.
‘Margaret! John!’ An old man’s voice came from the corridor outside the kitchen. Kelly quickly lowered her hood.
‘What is it, Neville?’ said Margaret, rising from her chair.
‘Hornets on the road!’ he said. ‘It looks like a whole division!’
11
Minh Sees Red
All throughout Sector Hub H, people were scattering in an orderly manner – which was to say, hurrying indoors while trying not to look too suspicious about it.
Coming down the road, flashing in the sunshine, was a metallic mass of vehicles, kicking up clouds of dust behind.
‘This way,’ Minh called to Kelly and Stanley, heading up a hill behind the house, towards a field of wheat. ‘Beyond this field is a forest with a river running through it. I can put you in a boat and maybe you can get away.’
He held aside a row of stalks and Kelly ducked inside. She turned around to stare back out – she had never seen so many KG in one place before. It looked like a small army.
‘They could not have organised so many on short notice,’ said Stanley. ‘They must have been tracking us somehow.’ He turned to Minh. ‘My boy, we do need to flee, but you must come along with us.’
‘What?’ said Minh. ‘I can’t just leave my parents behind.’
‘Remaining here puts them in even greater danger,’ said Stanley. ‘The KG are after you. They will follow you wherever you go.’
‘Besides,’ said Kelly, ‘I thought you were excited to put your skills to better use than farm work? Otherwise, what was all that whooping in the house about?’
She and Minh considered each other. It was odd to know their fates were so closely linked, and yet they did not know each other. She was intensely curious about him, and could sense a similar feeling emanating from him. It was a strange sensation for her telepathic output and input to be the same, like she was standing in a cloud of curiosity.
‘Time is not on our side here,’ said Stanley. ‘We need to move.’
Minh tore his gaze away, back to the house. ‘I can’t go anywhere until I know my family is safe.’
KG vehicles reached the Hub and ground to a halt in a line along the road. Guards on foot spread out between the houses, their hands ready on their weapons. Kelly heard a familiar voice, and her eyes narrowed.
‘Citizens of Hub H,’ Aiken bellowed. ‘There are fugitives among you. Cooperate, and you can go back to your work unharmed. Defy us, and you defy the Collector himself.’ Her gaze swept the street. ‘Guards! Search every house. Every shed, every cellar!’
As Hornets headed towards number twelve, Minh stomped his foot so hard that stalks of wheat around them wavered.
‘Minh,’ said Kelly, and placed a hand on his arm. She opened her perceptions to him, hoping to calm him as she had with Stanley. Things were more chaotic this time, however. The surface of Minh’s mind bubbled and boiled. Reaching underneath seemed akin to sticking her hand into a lake of lava, and she was wary to try.
Minh never took his gaze from the house. Through a window they watched as Margaret answered the door. Two guards pushed in past her, and Minh tensed further. John appeared from another room, play-acting surprise at the intrusion.
As the Hornets spoke to them, they shrugged and shook their heads. The guards then moved off through the house. They disappeared and reappeared as they stalked past windows, stinger pistols held ready.
‘There are little kids in there,’ growled Minh.
‘Just wait and see what happens,’ said Kelly, not even sure if it was the right advice. What if it were her family in there? Would she be able to remain in hiding?
The soldiers swept the upstairs level, then came downstairs again. Seemingly satisfied, they made their way back to the front door, said something else to John and Margaret, and left.
‘See?’ said Kelly. ‘Your parents aren’t suspected. They’re too good at their routine.’
‘If the Hornets don’t find us,’ said Minh, ‘they’ll keep searching the village. They won’t stop until they’ve torn everything apart.’
Down the hill, a group of three Hornets was questioning Neville. One stepped forward and slapped the old man across the face.
As Neville fell to the ground, Minh gave a snort of anger. Suddenly he lurched forward, out of the wheat.
‘Minh, wait!’
He didn’t answer, but stomped down towards the road.
‘Is he …’ said Stanley. ‘Is he growing?’
It seemed Stanley was right. Every time Minh’s foot came down, he shot up in the air a little taller, and his shoulders expanded a little wider. Stomp, and his clenched fists grew bigger and bigger. Stomp, and his black spiky hair grew spikier in all directions, and tufted lines of the stuff sprang up along his arms. Another stomp, and twin horns curved out of his skull to either side!
Despite suspecting their presen
ce earlier, Kelly was amazed to see the horns. It comforted her, in a weird way, to know there was someone else in the world like her.
If he survived what was about to happen, that was. If any of them did.
Minh tossed his head back and roared, the last revealing a barrel chest. His eyes blazed with the light of ancient fire, and then he was pounding the ground towards the road.
‘I think our cover may be blown,’ said Stanley.
12
Swift and Armstrong
Minh lowered his head like a charging bull. In panic, the KG around Neville struggled to free their weapons from their holsters in time.
The last guard standing gaped up at Minh as he swung about, towering over him.
‘Stop,’ the man managed, his lip quivering. ‘Or I’ll …’
Minh grunted with contempt and gave the guard a meaty backhand that sent him screaming through the air to hit the side of a house.
‘Don’t just stand there, you fools!’ bellowed Aiken. ‘Take him d—’
Minh locked his burning gaze upon her, and Aiken’s voice choked in her throat. It took her a moment to suppress her fear.
‘Set to maximum stun!’ she commanded. ‘Take him down!’
Hornets drew stingers as they ran for cover behind houses and haystacks.
Minh narrowed his eyes, then began to thump along the road towards the first jeep in the line. Like an oncoming steam train, he built momentum slowly but surely, his heavy footsteps shaking the ground. The driver flung his door open just as Minh slammed into the front.
The wheels spun as Minh forced the jeep into reverse, metal screaming as the brakes gave out. As the jeep slammed into the one behind, Minh continued on without breaking pace, his massive legs pumping up and down. Jeep after jeep smashed together as he powered forward, pushing a growing line of mangled vehicles ahead of him.