“Stand aside.” Roger said through the hole in the door to the Guardian as it stood on the other side. The Guardian turned around, looked at him through the hole, and then stepped aside. Roger climbed through the ragged hole, careful not to get his coat dirty or snagged. Inside the huge room, he turned and glanced at the Guardian, sniffed, and then turned and walked away. He followed the wall to the left, until he came to the aisle that led to the center of the room. He saw the disabled Guardians all along the floor and stared in disbelief. As he reached the center of the room, he could see the evidence of the explosion at the front of the skid, and to the right, the pieces of Guardian scattered about. He glanced at the exploded stacks, and shook his head. “Charles!” He yelled. There was no response. He walked around the front of the skid, and bent down and inspected the wreckage of the Guardian that had exploded there. “Charles!” He yelled again. “Where the devil is he?” He asked himself. He stepped back around the skid and walked to rear. Charles lay on the ground motionless. “What’s this?” He said, as a smile came across his face. “The little lass seems to have done her job.” Charles stirred. “Damn it.”
“Unh.” He rolled over onto his back, and blinked his eyes.
“Get up.” Roger said, as he shoved at his leg with his foot. “Charles! Get the hell up!”
“Roger?” He said as he still blinked, and the focus began to come back into his eyes. “Help me up.” He said, as he lifted his arm. Roger grasped his hand and heaved him into a sitting position.
“What happened, Charles? I thought you had them trapped.” He looked around. “Not much of a trap, I’d say.” Charles, climbed to one knee, and reached out to Roger again. He helped him to his feet. “Well?”
“Well what.” Charles replied.
“Well? What the hell happened?” Roger asked. Charles looked at the wreckage around him, the pieces of the Guardian, the wrecked skid, and the jammed door that led into the tunnel.
“They must have controlled me somehow.” He said. “Was the Guardian still at the door?”
“Just standing there, and as useless as a rock.” Roger replied.
“Then…they went that way.” Charles said, as he pointed towards the tunnel. He began to climb onto the skid.
“What? We’re going to walk through there?”
“I don’t see much option, sir.” Charles stepped to the rear of the skid and jumped down into the tunnel. “Are you coming, sir?”
“Yes, damn it! I can see it’s the only way anything is going to get done around here.” Roger climbed onto the skid as well. He keyed his comm unit. “Amelia.” A few seconds passed with no response. “Amelia!”
“Yes, sir.” She replied.
“They have escaped from Charles again.” He said sarcastically. “We think they are headed your way through the tunnel.”
“Yes, sir.” She said.
“Be ready for them.”
“Yes, sir.” He disconnected the link.
“Charles. Is she armed?”
“Yes, sir, she is.”
“Good. Maybe you did something correct after all.” He jumped down into the tunnel.
“They’re coming!” Amelia said to the others, as she put away her comm unit. Jonah looked back at her from the control panel, while Jericho stayed focused. He could see the series begin, but could not feel his way through to the end. He began to key several times, and hoped the last part would fall into place, but each time the panel blinked red, as it indicated the incorrect code.
“It only took us ten minutes to come through.” Jonah said excitedly.
“Here, take this.” Gabrielle said, as she handed him a gun. He took it, hefted it, aimed it towards the tunnel, and then dropped it to his side. “I’ll take the other one, and Jericho can use the control sticks.”
“What about me?” Asked Amelia.
“What about you.” Gabrielle answered.
“What will I use?”
“Why do you need a weapon?” Jonah asked. “Aren’t they expecting you to be here?”
“Yeah, but-” She began, when Gabrielle interrupted.
“Wait. That’s exactly right. You can buy us some time. Come over here.” Amelia followed her to one of the last stacks near the wall. “Jonah. Give us a hand.” She started to take the boxes down, and throw them about. Amelia began to help, as Jonah approached.
“What’s the plan?” He asked, as he reached up and grabbed a box.
“Just toss it over there.” She said, as she pointed. “Then start on that stack over there. Just the top few boxes.”
“I don’t get it.” Jonah said, as she stepped to the next stack.
“You will. Hey Jericho! How’s it going over there?” She yelled.
“I can’t get the last part.” He answered. The frustration was evident in his voice.
“Give me a minute and I’ll see if I can help.” She called back.
“Amelia, when we get done, you’ll lie down behind these boxes over here.”
“Why?” She asked.
“Step back.” She told her. “Jonah, step back!” The three of them took several steps away from the partially disassembled stacks, and Gabrielle raised her gun and fired. The remaining part of the first stack exploded.
“Hey!” Yelled Jericho. “Couldn’t you give me heads up before you do that?” She fired again, and the second stack exploded.
“I’m done. Sorry.” She said. “Okay, Amelia, lay down over there. If we can get out of here before they get through the tunnel, just tell them we shot at you, and you got knocked out. You don’t know where we went.” Amelia nodded. Jonah led her over to the rubble, and helped her to arrange the wreckage. Gabrielle ran over to Jericho.
“What have you got so far?” She asked.
“All but the last three digits. I get that far, and I just go blank.” He said as he shook his head in frustration. She touched his shoulder, and he moved aside. She laid her hand over the keypad, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Slowly she exhaled, and reached out with her mind, as she tried to visualize the sequence. But try as she might, she was totally blank. Nothing came to her. She tried to remember how it had happened before, when Jericho had been unable to enter the correct code to open the door. She had just walked up, laid her hand over the pad, and felt the correct sequence. Now she felt nothing. She looked at Jericho and shook her head.
“I’ve got nothing. Try it again.” She stepped aside, and Jericho stepped back to the panel and began to try again. “Jonah.” She motioned for him to come to her.
“What’s next? Amelia looks pretty convincing over there.” He nodded behind him.
“See the stack over there, on the this side of the tunnel?” He nodded. “Position yourself behind it, and keep your eyes open. They’ll survey the area before we’ll ever able to see them. You may be our only chance to hold them off.”
“Gabby?” He asked, as she began to walk away.
“Yeah.” She stopped and turned.
“I’m sorry I didn’t know the code.” He said. She smiled.
“But you knew where the door was. I know that Jericho will be able to get it open. I just hope it will be in time.” She said, and turned and walked back over to the control panel. She stepped up behind Jericho, and was careful to leave him room, as he frantically continued to work on the correct sequence.
In the tunnel, Roger had blindly followed Charles, but now he could see the opening for himself. It had seemed like forever that they had walked in the darkness, but now that he could see, he was done with following.
“Run up ahead.” He said to Charles. “I’ll lie back and be ready to ambush them.”
“But, sir… I don’t have my weapon.” Charles said hesitantly.
“And whose fault is that, Charles.” Roger said, and pushed him ahead. Charles stumbled a couple of steps, and then caught his balance. He stopped, turned back to look at Roger, but could not see him in the darkness. He straightened hi
s posture, turned back, and began to walk ahead. Roger edged to the side of the tunnel, and slowly walked forward.
From his position behind the stack of boxes, Jonah saw Charles vaguely at first, and then very clearly, as he walked out of the center of the tunnel. He held his weapon firmly, as he pointed at the figure as it emerged. He tried to continue to breathe slowly, but his heart raced. He gave a short whistle. Gabrielle turned and saw the figure as it exited the tunnel. Charles took in the scene of destruction. He scanned the room, and saw Gabrielle and Jericho at the control panel.
“That’s far enough!” She yelled. Charles stopped, his hands at his side.
“I’m the Chancellor.” He said. “I’m here to help you.”
“Help?” Gabrielle asked sarcastically. “I don’t think we need any more of your help.”
“Miss. I truly am here to help. There’s been a misunderstanding, I assure you.”
“Misunderstanding? Are you kidding?” Gabrielle stepped down from the ledge near the door. “How can you even stand there and let those lies pour out of your mouth. What kind of man are you? Are you even human?”
“Oh, I am quite human.” Charles replied. Gabrielle raised her gun.
“Maybe we should find out.” She said. She shifted her aim to the right, and fired. The stack closest to him exploded. Charles dropped to the ground, rolled, and came up on all fours. He looked at her expectantly.
“There’s no need for that.” He said from his crouch.
“Well how about this!” She said, as she swung her arms back towards him, and leveled her gun.
Chapter 38
Immortal Page 37