Fear Darkness (The Fear Chronicles Book 3)

by C. C. Bolick

  “You don’t owe her,” I said.

  “We all owe her for what happened,” Agent Lockhart said. “She was a member of our team and we let that evil bastard take her away.”

  I tried to shake the fog and remember the details of how she’d been dragged away from Earth. More than twenty years ago, a man came from Golvern with the same power to shoot precisely, a rare and sought-after power on their planet. I’d read the file on him in wonder—his name was Paleris. No one could stop him. Not Sylvia, not my dad, not Agent Mason.

  Eventually, she’d escaped. Despite the fact Sylvia insisted Charlene could be trusted, I had no plans to trust her.

  “Yes,” Dad said under his breath. “We all owe her.”

  “You don’t owe me,” Charlene said. “But I appreciate your help. Agent Lockhart’s gift is vital to helping someone I care about.”

  I spun back to Dad. “If you wanted to bring back Agent Lockhart, why take me? I searched for you almost thirteen years. Even when the other agents said you were dead.”

  “Did Sylvia tell you I was dead?”

  “Sylvia never told me jack. I always believed you were alive…” I struggled to keep the emotion out of my voice. “Why come back now? I almost died last summer. Where were you then?”

  “I wasn’t able to leave,” he said. “I’m sorry for abandoning you, but I knew Sylvia was the best person to raise you.”

  “You didn’t answer my question. Why now?”

  “We have business on Golvern. The queen has asked to meet you.”

  The ship shook again and I leaned over, gripping my stomach. “I’m not ready. I need to find Rena and make sure she’s okay.”

  “You saw her future, didn’t you?” he asked. “It’s why you told her to run.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “You changed the future by sending her away. Although changing the future is dangerous, I don’t think your action created any ripples we can’t control.”

  “I wanted Rena to be free. Sylvia was never letting her go.”

  “She’s free like you wanted, for now. You’ve got to understand her gift is powerful and necessary to save lives. Donald’s daughter can’t hide forever.”

  “She’s not even sure if she and Mason share the same DNA,” I said.

  Dad smiled. “You didn’t see her whole future.”

  I shook my head. “Only a few days into the future. I knew she’d make it out of the base and that Sylvia would have me captured.” I glared at Agent Lockhart. “You helped her capture me.”

  “I did my job,” he said.

  “I won’t forget that,” I said. “Don’t ever put a tracking device on my car again. Do you understand?”

  He gave a slight grin. “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

  Groaning, I turned back to Dad. He pressed a button on the control panel and lights in every color flashed across the screen. A river of colors flowing to a point, almost like a rip in space that floated before us. “I’m glad you came back, but your timing sucks. I’ve got to find Rena and make sure she’s okay.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Dad said. “We have someone looking after her.”

  “We?” My stomach lurched at the thought of anyone from Golvern going near Rena. “Who is we?”

  “Golvern’s queen has insisted she be protected.”

  “By who?” I demanded.

  “Van,” he said.

  I glanced back in time to see Agent Lockhart shudder. He and Van had a history; Van was probably one of the few people Agent Lockhart feared, if not the only one.

  “You can’t be serious,” I said to Dad. “Van doesn’t care about anyone. Last time we met, he wanted to kill you.”

  Dad shrugged. “He still does. Lucky for you, there’s something stronger than his hatred.”

  “What?”

  “His loyalty to our queen. If she wants Rena protected, Van will go to any length to follow that order.”

  “I don’t understand how Rena got dragged into this. Obviously, the queen wants something from me.”

  “Yes.”

  “Want to tell me what that something is?”

  “She wants to tell you herself.”

  I laughed as I stared at the lights that now filled the entire screen. We were almost to the point where the lights converged. “This is the gateway, right? This is how you travel to the other side of the galaxy.”

  He nodded.

  “At least I know where your loyalties lie,” I said. “Whatever this queen wants, she gets.”

  “Might want to prepare,” he said. “We’ll be passing through the gateway in two minutes.”

  “How do you prepare?” I looked back at Tyler. He gripped his armrests as if the ship might come apart. “I think you should take me back.”

  “We’re too close to turn back,” Charlene said. “If anything, we need to go faster to ensure our momentum carries us through.”

  “We’re at top speed,” Dad said. “Cutting all power except for the engine.”

  All of the lights turned off except for the flashing control panel. “What’s happening?” I took a deep breath but came up gasping for air. “This is a nightmare.”

  “No,” Tyler said. “Remember how much you hate those carnival rides?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You’re really going to hate this.”

  “What the…” I struggled to catch my breath. My lungs heaved but no air.

  “Hold on,” Dad said. “The sequence starts in three, two, one…”

  My body went rigid and it felt like the coma all over again. In the back of my mind, I thought this was it. I was finally dying. I’d never see Rena again.

  Breathing was no longer necessary. My lungs burned and the feeling faded with chilling speed. My heart clenched and stopped mid-beat.

  All sounds faded, along with the citrus smell.

  Only silence remained. Silence in my head, silence in my chest.

  I pictured Rena until even the silence was gone.

  * * * * *

  “Travis.”

  I jerked to attention and fell from the seat. Dad reached out and caught me before I hit the floor. He helped me back into the seat.

  “What… happened?” I asked.

  “Take a moment to let your brain catch up. You died.”

  “Died?” I tried to show anger but fear won. “How long was I out?”

  “Ninety-two seconds,” he said.

  “What the—”

  Tyler put a hand on my shoulder. “You did great for your first time. No sickness at all. Pretty impressive.”

  I watched Dad while trying to control the pounding in my chest. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  “We traveled through a black hole,” Dad said. “The gateway that connects Golvern to Earth and turns a forty-year trip into thirty minutes is a star that collapsed millions of years ago.”

  “But… I died?”

  Tyler laughed. “We all died. The gateway sucks up every energy source like a sponge, including the electrical pulses that make our hearts beat.”

  “The entire trip is ninety-two seconds.” Charlene reclined in her seat as if she’d made this trip thousands of times. “Every ship is equipped with a shock-pulse to restart your heart. Ninety-two seconds is hardly enough time to matter. People can hold their breath longer than that.”

  “Every trip you go through this?” I felt my neck just to be sure my heart was beating. “That’s insane.”

  Dad returned to his seat. “It’s a small price to pay for the ability to travel to another solar system. When people from Golvern discovered the gateway, all life changed on our planet.”

  Our? It felt weird to hear Dad talk about his planet. Maybe he was born here, but I wanted nothing to do with this place. Even if half of my DNA came from him.

  “It’s a view you’ll never forget,” Charlene said.

  On the screen, a planet came into view, bluer than the pictures I’d seen of Earth. Two flaming suns sat at eq
ual distance on either side of the planet. Despite being forced to come here and my worry for Rena, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.

  The planet grew in size as we approached, the suns now out of view. In the upper right corner of the screen a glowing red figure caught my eyes. Floating in space, this circle of lights took the shape of a snowflake as we moved closer. A glowing snowflake.

  “What is that?” I asked.

  A startled cry came from behind. I swung around, so did Dad, and Agent Lockhart stared at the screen with a ghost-white face.

  “Levendar,” he whispered.

  I glanced at Tyler, but his attention was focused entirely on Agent Lockhart. Tyler reached for the arm of an agent who’d trained us both. Mentored us both, even put us in our place on more than one occasion. Other agents respected his dedication and strength; they often told me I was lucky to have Agent Lockhart on my side.

  “He can’t hurt you,” Tyler said in a low voice.

  His concern for Agent Lockhart surprised me. For twenty years, Agent Lockhart lived without emotion. Now the man looked as if he’d fall apart with a simple command. Tyler seemed intent on consoling him.

  “Is this the prison?” I asked.

  Tyler nodded without looking my way.

  “Agent Lockhart was held here for two years,” Dad said. “I finally found a way to get him out.”

  “Is the prison still operational?” I peered at the glowing red lights as they changed to white and then to a deep blue.

  “Yes,” Dad said.

  “Is that where we’re going?” I asked.

  “No,” Charlene said. “We’re going to the surface.”

  As I stared at the snowflake’s pattern of light, I knew there was no going back. To get out of here, I’d have to play their game. “Are you sure Rena is okay?”

  “Van always follows orders,” Charlene said. “If he was told to keep her safe, I wouldn’t want to be the one who stands in his way. I hope Sylvia knows better.”

  Dad flew the ship past the floating prison and aimed us for the planet. Despite the fact this planet had two suns, he took us down where a shadow fell across a huge oval-shaped land mass surrounded by water. This planet seemed to have more water than Earth. The ground rose to meet us but I never felt the ship drop.

  “Are you sure this isn’t a dream?” I asked.

  “Just wait until you see the surface,” Tyler said. “You’re going to like the technology.”

  When Dad landed the ship with barely a thud, Charlene stood and so did Tyler. Agent Lockhart didn’t move.

  Dad turned around. “The trip is over. You can’t stay here.”

  Agent Lockhart stared straight ahead as if he didn’t see Dad. “I spent two years here,” he mumbled. “In Van’s prison.”

  I thought of getting off the ship and my heart pounded. “If Van’s watching Rena, he’s not here. That should make you feel better.”

  “Van is commander of the prison,” Agent Lockhart said as if in a trance. “Levendar. The snowflake. Terror in the sky. He was the one who held me.”

  Charlene reached for his hand. “I’ve got you, Jon.”

  He looked up as if seeing her for the first time. “I’m sorry we couldn’t save you.”

  She helped him up to stand. “You’re here now and that’s what matters.” Before he could answer, they disappeared.

  Dad walked to Tyler, reached for his arm, and they both disappeared. Within seconds, Dad returned and held out a hand to me. “Your turn.”

  “I’m not ready for this.”

  “You were born for this.”

  I shook my head. “This might be your home, but it’s not mine.”

  “Give this place a chance. You won’t know until you try.” He smiled. “You’re curious, admit it. I’ve waited a long time for this day.”

  “Promise me I’ll see Rena again.”

  “You will. Van is good at his job. He won’t let anything happen to her.”

  “You don’t know the man who’s after her. Louis Castillo—”

  “Is not who he seems.”

  I choked. “What do you know about Louis?”

  “Where do you think he’s getting technology for all of his bombs?”

  “How would you know about his technology?”

  “I have my ways.”

  In that moment, I realized two things. The first, Dad was no longer playing the part of agent. He had a life here and thirteen years of secrets. The second, Rena was in over her head and I had to find a way back.

  Chapter Five

  Rena

  “They took Alfie?” I glanced down at my hands, which were shaking. Control, I had to maintain control of my power. “I’m going back to the base.”

  “Sylvia’s been in meetings since we arrived,” Skip said. “Angel hasn’t had a chance to talk with her. Now isn’t the best time for you to show back up.”

  “I can’t let them hold Alfie.”

  “Your brother’s not in danger. I can’t see Louis hurting him.”

  “Louis tried to blow up half the state.”

  Skip gave a long sigh. “I can’t argue with that, but Sylvia has agents working on their return. There’s nothing you can do that’s not already underway.”

  “What if Louis hurts Dad?”

  “Agent Mason?” Skip chuckled. “You’ve never seen the file on what happened in Iraq. Louis is the one I’d worry about if anything happens to your brother. Your dad’s skills make him a lethal weapon.”

  I looked at Van. “Can you take me to Louis’s house? It’s in Spain.”

  His eyes never left the eighteen-wheeler trying to slide into our lane. “Only if I’ve seen the place you speak of. Do you have a picture?”

  “No.” I’d forgotten Travis needed to see a picture of the house before he could teleport there. Van’s power to teleport must work the same way. “They have pictures in Atlanta. Could you teleport us to the base?”

  “I’ve never been to your base,” he said. “If you could show me what it looks like…”

  I doubted if any pictures of the underground rooms existed. Sylvia probably had anything on the Internet wiped. “It’s under one of the airport’s runways. Maybe you could zap us there.”

  “Disappear and leave the car in this traffic?” He shook his head. “That would invite questions into how we disappeared. I was told no questions.”

  Skip laughed. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with Van. If you’re set on coming back here, best thing would be to drive. Maybe we’ll have answers by the time you arrive.”

  “Okay,” I said with disappointment. Atlanta was at least ten hours away. “See you when we get back.”

  The call ended and Van stared at the road ahead in silence. Behind me, Erin said nothing more as she stared out of her window. Our car moved through traffic at the pace of a snail. I was prepared to get out and walk by the time Van found an exit off the highway and aimed us in the direction of Atlanta.

  “Are you good to drive?” I asked as traffic began to thin and Van set the cruise control at the speed limit.

  His lips curved into the slightest hint of a smile. “If you’re asking to take over, the answer is no. I want to get back to your base alive.”

  “What?” I asked with mock anger. “You’ve never rode with me driving.”

  “And I have no intention of doing so.”

  As the horizon filled with a warm orange color, along with streaks of purple, I lowered my visor and settled back in my seat. “Are you sure Travis is safe?”

  “He’s safe,” Van said.

  “Can you tell me where Tyler took him?”

  “A place not even Sylvia can find.” With what might have been a laugh, Van glanced in the mirror. “I don’t think your friend likes me. Do you feel right bringing her into this conflict?”

  Right? What a strange question from Van. Now probably wasn’t the best time to fill him in on Erin’s history with Tyler. I glanced back at Erin. She’d closed her e
yes and again lay across the seat. Would she be able to sleep with Van driving, knowing we’d all face Sylvia’s wrath when we arrived?

  As if knowing mattered to me. Once we reached Atlanta, no one was standing in the way of me finding Alfie.

  * * * * *

  After three bathroom breaks, one stop for gas, and a bagged meal from a drive-thru Van tossed after one bite, the highway widened to six lanes on each side. He spoke to me only when necessary and never to Erin. She hardly said ten words beyond giving her order at the restaurant.

  Van followed signs for the airport with no guidance from me. When I suggested he use G.P.S. on the phone Skip gave me, Van only chuckled and cracked his window.

  The air outside felt hotter and muggier than it had in Virginia. I sniffed my shirt and groaned. Anyone within ten feet would realize how much I needed a shower and change of clothes. Next time I ran away, I’d have to remember to pack a bag of clothes first.

  Few vehicles traveled the highway this late; their lights cut through the fog as they weaved in and out of lines that merged into the darkness. Like ghosts, I thought. My next thoughts were of Mama. She’d appeared on camera as a ghost. I’d talked to her in the interrogation room as Bethany, but her words flowed from the stoic young face with dark hair. Words of someone with golden hair like mine.

  Lies, and now she’d taken my brother along with Dad. She probably had Dad convinced of who she was. Obviously, she was smart enough to dodge the agency’s security; maybe Dad helped her escape. But why take Alfie?

  Signs indicated an airport up ahead, with directions to south and north terminals. Van followed the signs and pulled off the highway at the exit for the airport.

  “We need to find a car rental office,” I said. “The one with green and white signs.”

  Erin leaned between the seats. “It’s one a.m. Do you think they’re open?”

  “If not, they’ll open when they see us.”

  Van said nothing as he navigated the roads through the airport. Despite the early hour, flights took off and landed at regular intervals. Lights flashed on a control tower in the distance. I laughed as I thought of people rushing through the airport with no idea a government base existed beneath the ground. How had the agency kept this secret for so many years?