by Darren Lewis
Sloan reached out and ran his forefinger down the wing of the creature someone had painted over thirty thousand years ago and he wondered at the potential coincidence. The girl's rescue was executed by a green dragon and Sloan now looked at a picture that still held its precious colour from all those years previous. Sloan smiled as he imagined the painter's face when he saw this magnificent beast that day and felt compelled to commit it to the ages. On the computer screen in splendid detail was a cave painting of a large green dragon.
Sloan slid his fingers on the screen until the three images, the dragon, the girl and the former chief of operations, his former boss were set in a row. The possibility that the three of them were closely connected tantalised Sloan as this would extend the link to the capture of the red dragon. Sloan tapped a link on the screen and opened a channel to the operations room.
“I want a field unit to the girl's home address and retrieve all files computer and paper on Audrey Copping, former chief of operations. Where she is, where she's been, everything we have and if we don't, find it.” Sloan didn't wait for an answer and terminated the link.
Eleanor and the Orb
Cole?
Yes, Eleanor?
Ha ha. Are you okay? You sound tired?
I'm fine. I can't believe this day has come.
Still a few more obstacles to overcome but we'll be there with you.
Are you sure this is the right way to do it? To bring the orb here?
The orb would never submit to them.
I hope you're right about that.
So am I.
Eleanor pushed away from the wall in the alley she'd taken shelter in to speak to Cole. A dense park had served as a dropping off point within the city for Ellie and Malachite had landed and left quickly. The initial battering the storm had delivered to the city was over and a persistent rain had taken its place. Though not as strong now it was cold and the wind seemed to drive the rain into the face of everyone outside irrespective of the direction they were walking. Eleanor entered the main street at early evening and was quickly swept along it by people rushing to get home, catch a bus or taxi or make their way to the nearest bar.
I did hear all that, you know.
I thought you might. After all these years you're still as nosey as hell.
I'm making up for lost time. Isabelle kept me in a cupboard for the last three years surrounded by shielding spells and believe me that was one of the nicer locations.
Sorry.
Don't worry. Part of Isabelle wanted to see you again. She wanted to tell you that it wasn't your fault and she didn't blame you.
Then what the hell did she do to Ellie today?
Years of frustration, guilt and anger boiling over. She was angry at herself more than anyone else that she'd spent years saving innocent people but she couldn't save her own mother.
Eleanor's mind flashed back to the day Isabelle had found the villagers responsible for her mother's torture and death and what she did to them, all of them. Then in trying to protect them Cole had received the injury that had nearly killed him.
I understand how she felt. If I was strong enough to have matched her magic at the time, I would've punished her for hurting Cole.
And now?
Tell her how much I missed her and tell her how much I loved her and her mother.
Good. I'm glad to see after all this time you're still human.
Don't patronise me. But thanks. Oh and about the other thing?
Don't worry, Eleanor. I'd destroy myself before using my power and knowledge for their gain. Not that they could force me anyway. And for the record, I quite like your full name.
The push and shove of the masses around her brought Eleanor to the building she'd not entered for a long while.
“Looks the same.” She said, tension making her voice loud. A few passers-by overheard the comment over the sound of the rain and traffic and each turned to look at this striking young woman standing at the threshold of the mirrored skyscraper. She flashed them a genuine smile and pushed her way through the revolving doors.
The reception area looked fresh and modern but maintained the same layout from those years when Eleanor had infiltrated the Institute as a loyal employee. The security guard looked up from his station and was momentarily taken aback by this attractive stranger. Eleanor smiled at him and he coughed to hide his embarrassment.
“Good afternoon, uh, I mean evening. How may I help you?” The guard asked very politely.
Men! They really become boys when faced with a good looking female. The orb commented using a woman's voice for effect.
Thanks for the input. Now please be quiet. Eleanor said sharply. If the orb was human Eleanor knew it would be rolling its eyes.
“Good evening. Please could you inform Mr Sloan that his former boss is here?”
The guard frowned. In his years here he'd never actually considered Mr Sloan the type to ever have a boss and to make matters worse this lady was clearly much younger than Mr Sloan.
“Umm. Are you sure you have the right building, miss?” The guard asked leaving his workstation and positioning himself between the elevators and Eleanor.
“Yes I'm quite sure, thank you. This is the Baiulus Institute? If you could just tell him I'm here and I'll smile into one of these cameras for him.” Eleanor answered calmly, pointing at the high ceiling.
The guard, after a brief nod, shrugged and moved back to his desk checking the ceiling and every wall of the reception surreptitiously with a frown for hidden devices. He picked up the phone and connected to the office many floors away.
“I have a visitor for Mr Sloan. Apparently it's his former boss.” Eleanor watched the guard's eyes go distant as he received instructions and she took the opportunity to smile pleasantly where she knew cameras were installed to monitor the foyer.
*
A small window appeared on Sloan's computer screen, it showed a member of the security team based in the offices a level below. They were fully human, no magical talents were needed when armed with the latest in hand weapons, high powered rifles and gadgets. These employees of the Institute were what Sloan referred to as the razor's edge. They were sharp and lethal, honed professionals in the business of security and many types of combat. It was from this group that Anthony and Dana were seconded.
“Sir. We have a situation in the foyer.” And without waiting for an acknowledgement Sloan's screen changed to the video surveillance feeds from the ground floor. The smiling woman made Sloan's heart palpitate. She was as attractive as she had been when Sloan had first started at Baiulus. It wasn't just any physical attributes that made this woman so alluring, it was her entire demeanour. The confidence, the intelligence and those eyes that could penetrate the coldest of hearts and could have a serial killer pouring their little hearts out with tales of their darkest secrets within ten minutes of her smiling at them.
If there was one person Sloan was completely honest with it was himself. He knew his limitations and understood them. Not only was this woman's appearance here at the Institute unlikely to be a coincidence after the day's events, especially after he'd made a possible connection between Audrey and the girl, but her appearance signalled a danger to Sloan as he must admit he was quite captivated by her and wasn't immune to her charm and manner. Sloan cleared his throat as he stared at Audrey on his computer screen. He did notice she did not look any older and he grasped that fact and clung onto it. Clearly some form of magic was involved here as according to Audrey's file she would be in her late fifties and no amount of plastic surgery could keep you looking mid-twenties no matter how much money you had. That fact would be his touchstone, he would cling to it while interrogating this surprise visitor.
“Send a team down and prepare her for interrogation.” Sloan instructed.
*
In the small medical bay housed close to operations Cassandra was sobbing and shaking as a doctor splinted and taped the fingers of her left hand. Every once in a while he wo
uld try to calm her as her emotional state wasn't making it easy to keep the splints in place, every sob would send a splint or his tape falling to the floor. The doctor didn't like the talented people they kept around here, in fact he hated having one of those ghastly twins place their cold fingers around his head every day. The pay was astronomical though and he could put up with a lot of nonsense from ones like this blubbering mess in front of him for that. He sighed as he retrieved his tape once more and he glanced towards the door where Dana, Sloan's second bodyguard was waiting for him to finish.
“Would you mind helping?” He asked in an exasperated tone.
Dana cocked an exquisitely curved eyebrow at him.
“Just hold the splints and tape, or at least try and calm her down.”
Dana looked from the doctor to Cassandra a few times before shrugging and crossing to the crying woman on the gurney. Cassandra tried to shy away from Dana who held out her hands as a gesture of goodwill. Dana then slowly, very slowly laid a comforting hand on Cassandra's shoulder. The doctor watched the two women look at each other for a few seconds before noticing his patient's breathing had calmed considerably and he went to work. As Cassandra wondered how such a person could exude such calm and empathy and work for the Institute she became aware of a whispering. The voices were on the edge of her understanding and at first she looked about the small room before shaking her head at her own stupidity when she saw the doctor and the bodyguard weren't reacting to it. Dana leaned in to see if she was alright but Cassandra had closed her eyes and tried to focus. There seemed to be a great number of them. Man, woman, child. Several languages she guessed from the snatches of speech she began to hear. The source must be very close and very bold. What is it? Then understanding came. Mental speech was much like a person's own voice. It may sound a bit younger or older depending on the person but it was always recognisable. The multitude of voices had thrown her slightly but as time went on the voices grew louder in her mind which she concluded meant the source was close by and getting closer. Cassandra held her composure. The pain in her hand was gone, eradicated by the thought that the wonderful contact she experienced while focusing her mind on the village had returned, only now, as far as she could tell with her talent, it was moving towards them. Cassandra drew a shuddering breath and smiled as the voices are her to do something. She turned to Dana and spoke to the small bodyguard.
“Tell Mr Sloan the contact I felt in the village is here.”
*
Please don't flirt with the hired killers. The orb remarked plaintively.
Eleanor looked around at the security team surrounding her in the elevator, giving each an appraising look before turning to stare ahead at the closed doors.
It sometimes pays to be nice to those who aren't nice. Eleanor replied.
A few minutes earlier in the foyer of the building the elevator doors had opened and out came a team of four, three men and one woman. Each wearing a stab proof vest over black fatigues, each pointing a gun at Eleanor as they moved into a holding position while the security guard stationed sat back at his desk as quick as humanly possible. Eleanor smiled, raised her hands and interlocked them on top of her head.
“Well, I didn't expect balloons and cake but this is a bit over the top for someone bearing a gift.” Eleanor said while sweeping her gaze over each member of the team.
“Please keep your hands there, ma'am. Do you have anything on your person?” asked the team leader, a medium height clean cut man who would easily blend into any crowd he was so nondescript. Eleanor nodded and tilted her head to indicate her jacket pocket.
“Just a small token of my appreciation for Mr Sloan. If he's free I really would like a word.” She said glancing up at the cameras.
“Very slowly remove the object. Any indication of a threat and we are authorised to use lethal force.” The leader warned her. Eleanor slowly brought her hands down and removed the orb from her pocket. To the security team the orb looked nothing out of the ordinary, no more than a child's night-light but Eleanor hoped a different reaction was being felt upstairs.
The talent who found me in the village knows I'm here. I've asked her to send Sloan a message that should intrigue him. The orb informed Eleanor. She didn't respond as she was watching the security leader receive orders through his earpiece. He nodded and then returned his attention to Eleanor.
“We'll be moving towards the elevator now, slowly and carefully. Mr Sloan is waiting for you.”
Flare
Flare felt terribly alone and quite agitated. He was by nature an energetic rabbit, forever plaguing his mother to go out into the fields and woods to play. Waiting around and worrying was not in his character. His mother and his grandmother, his grandmother of an hour at least he amended, were attempting to rescue the rest of the warren. His father was missing. Maybe he was still in the woods or his mother would find him caged like all the others. Both Ellie's and the green dragon were gone. Two Ellie's! Flare snorted. How confusing was that? As Flare sat and stared at Ellie's sleeping family he wondered what would happen next. Even if everybody was rescued and okay the warren was gone, destroyed by Malachite when they were escaping the nerve gas and cages of these horrid humans. Where would they go? Flare loved the woods. It felt like too much was changing too quickly for it to ever be okay again. He sighed and rested his head on his paws and tried to doze instead of worrying.
Ellie and Malachite
The black tunnel ended and Malachite glided effortlessly to the ground close to the massive hill that enclosed the emperor's tomb. Neither Ellie nor Malachite could take their eyes from it. It looked like a normal hill and was completely unremarkable in that regard, but what held their attention was the thought of what lay underneath the grass and earth. A sight that no one had seen for over two thousand years. A sight only one man had described one hundred years after the emperor's death that involved rivers of mercury, actual buildings and palaces and a replica of the heavens placed into the curved dome of the ceiling. The thought of what they might find felt similar to the excitement Ellie experienced when the family had visited a new theme park. Just the thought of all the thrills she would have that day was just as exciting as actually riding them.
For the next step Ellie and Malachite were placing a lot of faith on the orb and Eleanor's description of it, as she and Cole had visited this tomb long ago before it was sealed, mainly out of curiosity but also to see if the fake talismans Anqi had made were in place. The talismans Ellie had brought with her belonged to that famous magician of the time. He had guaranteed the emperor that both objects would be responsible for resurrecting the Terracotta Army and the emperor when placed in his tomb. But the talismans weren't real. Given to Eleanor and Cole long ago by Anqi Sheng to stop such a thing haunting the living world and the emperor's dream of conquest, but also for any possible use in the future. Eleanor did not want to use them against Baiulus hundreds of years ago when Isabelle took charge as she wasn't ready and without the orb she was unsure even then if they could defeat such a powerful practitioner of magic as Isabelle.
“Are you ready?” Ellie asked Malachite whose fierce yellow eyes lit the ground around them like sickly lanterns. He grunted and grinned.
“I've been wanting to do this for hundreds of years.” He said nonchalantly before taking a deep breath to calm his jangling nerves. Malachite's excitement was due to a very specific task given him. When the larger talisman was placed on the emperor's sarcophagus it would reanimate him. By now there would hardly be anything, if anything left of the long dead ruler, but Malachite was to ensure any resurrection was short-lived. Ellie rubbed his shoulders where she sat and fought the need to empty her bladder and the tension was making her head throb again.
“Okay.” She whispered. “Let's do it.”
Malachite bunched his hind legs and jumped into the air. Ellie tightened her stomach muscles and gripped her thighs against Malachite's back as he strove for height. Two hundred feet up and he kept them aloft and still
, his powerful wings whooshing in the night air. Ellie reached in her bag, not for the remaining talisman but a torch and switched it on in readiness. They both closed their eyes and used images the orb and Eleanor had shown to them in the basement, after both had briefly touched the strange alive orange orb.
Dark rolling hills of black earth. Mercury rivers, sparkling and intertwining throughout the landscape. In the distance are buildings, temples and the main palace that houses the emperor's body. The architecture was a match for the construction of the emperor's own palace in life. It would follow him into death. The sky above glistens and illuminates with a host of recognisable stars. Stars forged by men, forged in fire.
Ellie felt a bump as Malachite landed. She'd kept her eyes closed. Firstly her headache was made worse by the cold of the dragon thread and closing her eyes helped and secondly if she and Malachite emerged into solid rock she really didn't want to know about it.
We're in! Wow. Just as well flying blind works in the dark! The excitement in Malachite's tone reminded Ellie of Jack when receiving a new toy causing her to grin. She opened her eyes to darkness accept for Malachite's eyes lighting the ground a short distance from his head. Ellie swung the torch forward and groaned. The light hardly penetrated the black. It was like shining a torch into the night sky, a short tunnel of soft light appeared but revealed nothing. She switched it off for a moment and listened. A sound like static on the radio became louder the longer the torch was off and Ellie tilted her head as she tried her hardest to place the noise.