Failing Test: Book One of The Shadow Series

by J. M. Pierce

  “You and I are going to go and get Mr. Johnston, aren’t we?” asked Test. He lifted his left hand and pointed his index finger at John. Out of his control, John’s head followed Test’s finger up and down.

  Test smiled devilishly. “Somehow, I just knew that you’d agree with me.”

  John floated in front of Test as the two went down the stairs. Once in the basement, they stopped.

  Hello, son. Test heard the old man’s voice in his head. It’s about time you made it. I was startin’ to wonder if you was comin’ or not.

  With a smile, Test replied softly, “I’m here, my friend. I’m here.”

  John looked at Test and said, “So do you talk to yourself a lot, freak?”

  Test looked back to him and chuckled in disbelief. “You are a brave one, aren’t you? Or is it stupidity?” He stepped in front of the officer and raised his nose into the air in dominance. “I am going to release your left arm, and then I’ll carry you to Mr. Johnston’s door. I want you to unlock it for me.” He knew that he could penetrate any door that he needed to, but he wanted for John to feel some humiliation.

  John felt the pressure on his arm release, and he immediately bent it at the elbow to get the blood flowing again. Looking at Test, he said, “I’m gonna—”

  Test, unwilling to hear any more babble from the man, lifted his free hand to within inches of John’s throat, causing him to choke.

  “What was that?” asked Test, standing nose to nose with the man. “Let’s be perfectly clear here, John. I’m here for my friend, and that’s it. I’m already wanted for murder. What makes you think that I wouldn’t do anything to you?” said Test, wild-eyed and incensed as he released his grip.

  Down the hall the two traveled, John hovering with Test walking several feet behind until finally they entered the room that held the shelter.

  Test maneuvered John in front of the door.

  “Okay, big shot, here you go.”

  There were numerous pad locks and dead bolts on the door, many of them that obviously weren’t there a week or so ago as evidenced by the shininess of the steel. One by one, John unlocked them. He stopped midway down. “I don’t have the key for the rest of them,” said John gruffly.

  “What do you mean you don’t have the key for the rest of them?” asked Test.

  “Do you really think they would not have a security measure in place just in case one guard was overtaken? The other key isn’t even in the building, you damned freak,” replied John, his face glowing with pride.

  Test walked over to him and held his left hand over each of the locks. One by one, the locks became pools of silver at the base of the door. Test’s eyes remained locked on John’s, and not once did he attempt to look away.

  “Hmm, problem solved,” said Test sarcastically.

  He pulled the door open to reveal his friend standing in the doorway on the other side.

  His small frame seemed to swell at the sight of his friend. “Hello, son! How have you been?” he asked graciously.

  Pleased to see his friend, Test put his hand on Cliff’s shoulder and replied, “Not very good up until now. It’s very good to see you, my friend.”

  “I would say that we are in pretty deep right now, huh?” asked Cliff, fearfully watching the officer hovering inches above the ground next to Test.

  “You have . . .” Test paused. “I was going to say that you have no idea, but I would imagine that you know exactly where we stand right now, correct?” asked Test.

  Cliff turned his attention back to Test. “I like your plan. I think it’ll work,” he replied.

  “You think? Since you’ve obviously already been in my head, you think you can give me a prediction?” asked Test facetiously.

  “I’ve got nothin’, Test. I haven’t seen anything about this,” replied Cliff.

  Test had hoped that his friend was going to be able to ease his mind and tell him that everything was going to be all right. Now that he knew that wasn’t going to happen, he got a little nervous.

  “I said you’ve got a good plan, son, but you need to stay focused,” said Cliff.

  Test looked at John.

  “Okay, John, here’s what you are going to do. You are going to walk Cliff out of the front door of the building. You are going to be ‘evacuating’ Cliff to a more secure location. You walk out of the building and go to the street in front of the armory and wait,” said Test in a commanding tone.

  His face wrinkled in disgust, John replied, “What makes you think that I’m going to help you and this little old man?”

  “Because I’ll kill you if you don’t,” replied Test, calmly and matter-of-factly.

  Cliff’s eyes quickly found Test’s. While he knew that Test wasn’t telling the truth, something in the young man had definitely changed. Regardless, his delivery to John was very convincing.

  Test continued. “I am going to have a grip on your neck, and I promise you, the second that I feel you are compromising my plan will be the last second that you have. Is that understood?”

  John nodded, the look of disgust now overtaken by contempt.

  The room was filled with a tension so heavy that the weight made Cliff uneasy. Eager to move on, he walked away from the shelter and towards the hallway. He turned back to Test and spoke with a shortness of breath. “We best get goin’. The clock is tickin’.”

  Test released his grip on John and let him stand on his own. As before, he stretched out both of his arms, staring at Test with a hatred far too natural for any man to possess. Test opened his hands and then spread his arms wide for John to see. He let the pulses grow stronger, demonstrating the power running through his body. As the anger within him grew, the waves emanated from his core.

  “Easy, son, those waves will take me down, too!” said Cliff with one hand on his chest and the other outstretched towards Test.

  With his gaze focused on John, Test backed it down, hoping that he had made his point.

  “You lead the way, John,” said Test, holding out a hand for him to pass.

  The trio began down the hallway with Test bringing up the rear. As they approached the glass front door, he paused, fearful of being seen.

  “Okay. Cliff . . .” said Test, choking on his words. He was suddenly overcome with emotion.

  “It’ll all work out, son,” he replied with a wink.

  “John,” said Test as he raised his right hand. “Are you clear on what it is that you need to do?”

  John tried to speak, but the pressure on his throat increased.

  “You just nod your head. I’m not letting this pressure off until the job is over.”

  John nodded, his eyes continuing to blaze with hate. Cliff took off his glasses and put them in his pocket. He then slowly walked up to John and took the handcuffs from his belt.

  “You’d better put these on me, officer. I’m sure you ain’t taken no prisoner out of a building without no handcuffs on,” said Cliff as he placed his hands behind his back.

  With his neck locked in position, John grabbed at Cliff’s right arm and clapped the handcuffs around his wrist, followed by the left. Cliff then turned back to Test and gave him a nod.

  “See you in a few, son.”

  “No worries, my friend. John’s going to take good care of you. Ain’t that right, John?” replied Test with a wink to the old man. Pointing to John’s belt, he spoke in a more subdued tone. “I think you’d better get on your radio and announce that you are bringing Mr. Johnston out of the building. I’m sure that there is more than one trigger-happy soldier out there just itching to pop off at any sign of movement.”

  The grip loosened on John’s throat and he slowly pulled his radio off his hip. Clearing his throat, he looked back and forth between Test and Cliff as he spoke.

  “This is Officer Hanson. I will be coming out the front entrance with a prisoner. I repeat, I’m coming out the front entrance with Mr. Clifford Johnston.”

  An unknown voice came back over the radio. “Affirma
tive, Officer Hanson, have you had contact with the target?”

  Test tightened his grip on John’s neck and then loosened again.

  John replied, “Negative. No contact.”

  “Okay, guys, don’t keep them waiting,” said Test as he regained his grip on the officer’s throat.

  John took Cliff by the elbow and led him to the door. Test hung back, controlling his grip on John’s throat. The officer and the old man opened the door and were met by a barrage of light, forcing them both to squint blindly. It was as if the sun had risen in a matter of seconds. It was impossible to see who or what was in front of them.

  As Test watched them walk away, they seemed to dissolve into the light. Having difficulty seeing them, he panicked. As he watched their silhouettes take a step down, he surmised that they were now taking their last steps to the street. His time was now.

  He stood and threw both arms to the entrance, forcing an explosion of brick, glass, and metal. He ran to the opening, bricks continuing to fall around him, and pulsed into the air. In a matter of a second, he was flying over Cliff. Test reached out his hand and ripped Cliff into the air, catapulting the old man off the ground as if he were attached to a bungee chord snapping back from the end of a drop. The air erupted with gunfire, and before he knew it, Test was landing on the roof of a house a block away. He looked up to see Cliff falling towards him. With both hands, Test reached up and took a hold of Cliff.

  “Are you okay?” asked Test.

  Cliff stood silent.

  Test raised his voice. “Can you climb on my back and hang on? Do you have enough strength?”

  The old man remained silent.

  “Cliff!”

  Cliff’s head jerked, and his glazed over eyes finally met Test’s. “Yes! Yes, I think so!” he replied.

  “Hurry; we have to try! It’s the only way!” yelled Test.

  Test turned Cliff around and held his index finger over the chain on the handcuffs. With one pulse, the chain was severed and Cliff’s hands were free from each other, and as the chain dropped, the two men were showered in a blinding white light.

  In the heat of the moment, Test had failed to hear a helicopter close in. Panicked, he knelt down quickly and let Cliff reach an arm around his neck and wrap his legs around his waist.

  “Hold on!” yelled Test, feeling Cliff’s bony arms and legs become molded into his body.

  From his knees, he launched from the roof with shingles flying behind him like leaves in a hard wind. They landed a couple of blocks away and turned to see the helicopter still coming. With a difficult decision at hand, his options were becoming limited. He let the helicopter approach closer.

  “Don’t do it, son!” shouted Cliff, clinging desperately to Test’s back.

  As the helicopter pilot looked down to the targets on the roof, he felt his throat tighten. A voice then echoed through his mind. “You have to stop. This boy will kill you. It doesn’t have to be like this,” the voice pleaded.

  With his hand grasping the controls tightly, the pilot gasped for air.

  His mouth next to Test’s ear, Cliff yelled in desperation. “Stop it!”

  Test lowered his arms, and within seconds the helicopter changed direction and headed back towards the armory.

  I was going to hurt him, he thought. A feeling of guilt crept in, but was quickly interrupted by Cliff’s voice exploding in his ear.

  “What are you waitin’ for? We can worry about that man later; get movin’!” he shouted.

  Cliff tightened his grip and braced for another hasty ascent.

  ****

  They arrived at the elevator just as the sun was beginning to rise. The air was thick and heavy, making comfort in the air-conditioning-deprived room impossible. Cliff was stiff and sore from the night’s events, mainly from the takeoffs and landings that he’d had to endure while riding on Test’s back. Even so, the lack of a bed didn’t seem to bother him. He immediately took his spot on the floor and closed his eyes.

  Test was exhausted from the intensity that he’d had to carry all night. The glow that his body had been producing was now extinguished. He sat next to Cliff with his back against the wall and looked down to his friend, noticing the shiny metal bracelets on each wrist. “Let me get those cuffs off you,” he said, tapping Cliff on his shoulder.

  “Much obliged,” replied the old man as he held out both wrists.

  As he had done with the chain, Test put his index finger on each cuff, and within seconds, Cliff’s wrists were free from the shackles. After massaging his wrists for a moment, Cliff reached his hand into his pocket to pull out his glasses, only to find that one arm was broken off. He was actually surprised that there wasn’t more damage done to them. He slipped them on, happy that they still stayed in place. With a deep sigh, he felt his muscles begin to relax. Simultaneously, they both leaned their heads back and closed their eyes.

  “Good night, Cliff.”

  “Yep, you, too,” he replied.

  “Hey Cliff,” asked Test. “What day is today?”

  With a deep breath, Cliff replied, “Well, it’s got to be Saturday, I suppose.”

  Test was silent.

  Cliff turned, opening one eye to peak at Test. “You okay?” he asked.

  With eyes closed, Test replied somberly. “I should be graduating today.”

  Chapter 25

  A Lighter Conscience

  After just a couple hours of sleep, Test was awakened by a lightning strike that seemed to have hit just outside the window. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he looked to Cliff who was still sound asleep. This had been the only time that Test could recall that he’d been awake and Cliff asleep. Test stood slowly, his body aching with every movement, and walked to the window. The rain was coming down in sheets, and the wind was blowing steadily, causing the majestic oak to sway back and forth.

  His thoughts were overtaken by Nicole. He missed her so very much. He longed for her scent, the softness of her hair against his cheek. He tried to remember every detail of her face, but his mind failed him. A feeling of hopelessness surrounded him as he paced back and forth in front of the window.

  “What you doin’, son?”

  Test spun to see Cliff getting up off the floor. His bones cracked and popped as he used the wall to steady himself as he got to his feet. Test turned away and gazed out the window.

  “Nothing, just watching it rain,” he replied weakly.

  “I don’t know if she wants to see you, son,” said Cliff.

  Test spun around and confronted the old man with a serrated tongue. “You know what? If I wanted you to know everything all the time, I would have said so. My mind isn’t a revolving door for you to walk through any time that you want!”

  The old man looked to the ground in shame. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. When I was locked up, that’s all I had to do, and I guess I got too used to doin’ it to anyone that was in the room.”

  The two stood in uncomfortable silence. The thunder rolled outside, and the wind increased, continuing to rock the oak back and forth like a giant pendulum.

  “So…” Test asked with a pause, “you don’t think she wants to see me?” Though he asked the question, he didn’t know if he really wanted to hear the answer.

  Cliff, surprised by the question, looked up. “I don’t know, son. She’s been through an awful lot.”

  “I never wanted to hurt anyone. You know it?” replied Test, deflated.

  “I know. I know.” Cliff walked to Test and put his arm around him. “I do have something to tell you though.”

  Test rolled his eyes and arched his back. With a touch of disinterest, he asked, “What is it? And please, make it good news.”

  “Well, I suppose it’s the best news possible.” He paused for a moment, careful not to smile too large. “Your mother’s not dead.”

  Test stood lifeless, trying to process what Cliff had just told him. He walked away from him and then turned.

  “What do you mea
n my mom’s not dead? I saw it on the news!” he muttered, confused.

  “They lied, son. They just wanted to find you and thought that maybe leaking word that your mom was dead was the way to get it done.”

  “Where is she?” asked Test, his tone becoming hostile.

  “I don’t know, I couldn’t see it. I know she was in some kind of hospital, but it wasn’t here. I never seen a room quite like it.”

  Test stared blankly out the window for several minutes, a trace of blue light beginning to leak through his skin. He stood at the window, nervously opening and closing his fists while breathing deeply.

  “What’s the matter with you?” asked Cliff. “I thought you’d be happy that you’re mother’s okay.”

  Test turned sharply. “Is she?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “How the hell do I know what they’re doing to her? What if they think she’s like me? What will they do to her?” His mind was racing and the furnace had been ignited. The light from his core began to bleed through his shirt.

  With his hands up defensively, Cliff spoke in a calming voice. “Whoa son, you best settle down ‘less you’re plannin’ on a repeat of the hotel.”

  Test closed his eyes and tried to breathe slower.

  Patting his shoulder, Cliff continued to help ease the moment.

  “There you go. Don’t let it own you.”

  While the pulses still traveling down his arms continued, their intensity lessened. With a deep breath, Test opened his eyes and spoke to Cliff with determination. “Thanks… and I know you know what I’m thinking.” He paused. “I’m pretty sure that you don’t approve.” He turned from Cliff and returned to the window. “Now that I know my mother is alive, I have to live with what I am; if for no other reason than to make her safe. I have to make things right.” He looked back to Cliff over his shoulder. “I have to see Nicole, and then I have to find my mom. It’s the only way that I can be at peace.”

  “What if Nicole doesn’t want to see you?” asked Cliff, his glasses sitting at a slight angle on his face.