Zhin turned to Bingwen. “Your new master will be here in a few minutes and he won’t be pleased if this house isn’t in order. I suggest you find that man immediately.”
Bingwen pursed his lips and exhaled through his nose like an angry bull. He pulled his radio and started issuing orders. All he heard in return was static. The door opened and a man wearing dark slacks and a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves rushed in. He was out of breath.
“Pak,” Lin said. “What’s wrong?”
“Our communications are down. Wireless, landlines, Internet—everything. And...and TurboHacker’s online!”
“What?” Zhin asked with a deep frown. She looked at Marshall in the cell. “Impossible. He’s standing right there.”
Pak moved around the desk and made an entry on the keyboard. Then he swung the monitor around and showed them lines of code streaming down the screen. He pointed at the bottom of the display. It was too far away for Jake to make out the text, but that didn’t matter. He’d heard Alex in the system earlier, and he knew from his conversations with Marshall that Alex had been using Marshall’s handle. He felt a flush of pride at his son’s attempt to help. It also scared the hell out of him.
“See?” Pak said. “Username is TurboHacker. Whoever it is, he’s taken over our entire network, deleting one file after the next, including all the linked files at your grandfather’s facility. We can’t break through. We’re losing everything!”
Zhin picked up the leather tote, strapped it across her shoulder, and held it against her chest in a white-knuckled grip. Lin and Min stepped closer, as if to provide a shield around her. “So you don’t know who he is,” Zhin said. “But can’t you at least identify where he is?”
Pak exhaled. “We’re working on it. We know that it’s originating somewhere on the local network.”
Jake tensed. Alex is here?
Pak continued, “I’ve got four people trying to fight through the attack in order to isolate the location. They’re making progress. As soon as they’ve got it, they will—”
The data stream on the computer monitor blacked out, replaced by a video image. Jake’s insides did a somersault and Francesca yelped. Alex was wearing the Spider headset, staring at streaming code on the computer beside de Vries’s bed. Sarafina, Ahmed, and a short monk stood nearby.
“It’s a child,” Lin said.
“He’s TurboHacker?” Pak said. “How can that be?”
Zhin spun toward Jake. “It’s his child, you fool. Find him!”
Chapter 29
Yóulóng Village
“IT’S WORKING,” Ahmed whispered, holding the five-by-seven tablet display so we could all see. His hands trembled a little, and I knew he was every bit as nervous as me. I was still breathing hard from the run through the tunnels.
De Vries had made a loop recording of us when we were in his room. That’s what my parents and the others were now watching. It had given us the time we’d needed to get into position. The old man had also linked our tablet into the CCTV system, and the wall cameras in the barracks prison gave us a perfect view of the room. I couldn’t believe we’d actually found Mom and Dad, and Uncle Marshall and the others, too. The tunnel had brought us to an old cellar beneath the barracks. Layers of dust and cobwebs covered the rotted remains of wooden shelves lining the walls.
We watched as Pak and all but two of the guards rushed out of the room. The sisters and the big man named Bingwen hesitated in front of the cell. The sister wearing a shoulder bag turned to face Dad. She looked furious. She extended a hand to Bingwen and he handed her his pistol. Then she turned and faced my father.
I held my breath.
“The time for games is over, Mr. Bronson,” she said. “When I return with your children, I will expect your full cooperation. You will answer every question without hesitation, and you will reveal the location of the alien technology.” She raised the pistol and pulled the trigger. I flinched as an Asian woman doubled over.
“Nooo,” Sarafina whispered, covering her mouth.
My father caught the old woman as she fell and Mom was quickly at her side. Bingwen chuckled. Uncle Tony lurched forward and his thick arm snapped through the bars. But Bingwen was out of reach. He smirked and spat in Uncle Tony’s face. My uncle froze. His eyes narrowed, and the guard’s saliva dripped from his chin. Uncle Tony brought his arm back through the cell bars and slowly wiped the saliva away. His face was as red as a stop sign. I’d never seen him so angry.
The sister locked eyes with Dad. “Have I made myself clear?”
Dad nodded, and she and her sisters left the room. Bingwen followed and closed the door behind them.
“We need to move quickly,” Little Star said. He climbed the stepladder, opened the trapdoor, and disappeared through the opening. A moment later he whispered, “It’s clear.”
Ahmed scrambled up two rungs at a time. I followed him, climbing as fast as my legs would take me, my pack jumping on my back with each step. My sister was right behind me. We clambered out to find ourselves in a dark pantry that smelled like rice and vegetables. Little Star opened the door to the adjoining kitchen. Although the kitchen lights were off, a band of light spilled into the room from the dimly lit hallway at the other end of the space.
“We turn left down that hallway,” Little Star whispered. “Ten paces later it opens to the room where your parents are being held.”
Ahmed handed the tablet to Sarafina. Then he dropped his pack on the ground and his hand came away holding a knife. “I’m ready,” he said. Little Star frowned at the blade, and Ahmed added, “I took no vow.”
Little Star’s lips tightened. He looked at the video stream on the tablet. There were still only two guards in the room. Looking back at Ahmed, he said, “I will subdue the guards, but if anyone approaches from the other end of the hall—”
“Then they will have to come past this room. I’ll cover you.”
The monk glided down the hall without looking back. Ahmed peeked around the corner and watched in the opposite direction. Sarafina and I stared at the tablet. The woman cradled in Dad’s arms wasn’t moving. He lowered her gently to the floor and used his palm to close her eyes. The two teens in the cell sobbed. My mom sniffled, too. She placed a hand on Dad’s shoulders. He rose and they hugged. Both guards were watching them, their backs to the camera. One guard said something in Chinese and the other one chuckled.
Then everyone in the cell turned toward the camera and a wraith of silk streaked into view. Little Star sailed through the air in a flying kick that drove the first guard into the bars of the cell. Uncle Tony had his thick hands around the man’s neck before the guard knew what had happened. Uncle Tony picked the man clean off the floor, and the guard’s body kicked and twisted in the air. Jonesy reached through the bars and yanked a key ring from the man’s belt. The other guard was spinning his rifle around when Little Star swept the man’s legs. The guard fell flat on his back and his rifle skittered away. He was trying to sit up when Little Star lunged downward with a palm strike to his forehead that smacked the man’s head into the floor. The guard lay still.
It all happened so fast that I’d barely had time to catch my breath. Jonesy tossed the keys to Becker and he was inserting one after another into the lock, trying to find one that fit. Our plan was actually working—
“Get back,” Ahmed whispered urgently. He waved us into the shadows, and Sarafina and I huddled behind a counter. A creaky hinge sounded from down the corridor and my brother flattened himself against the wall. The knife glinted as he shifted his grip around the handle. Sarafina turned off the tablet. Her breaths were shaky. I was scared, too, but I also realized it was time to act on the lessons I’d learned in the past two days.
I slid off my backpack, unzipped it, and reached inside.
“What are you doing?” Sarafina whispered.
“Shhh,” Ahmed hissed.
My senses came alert the moment I touched the leather case holding the mini. I focused my though
ts and the clamshell case clicked open. Energy surged through me when I wrapped my hand around the small pyramid. My sister moved away from me. “Stay back,” I said. She nodded.
A guard walked past and Ahmed slipped into the hall to follow him. I rushed to the opening to watch, determined to keep anybody from hurting my brother. The hard edges of the little pyramid dug into my grip, and its energy seemed to pulse in concert with every beat of my heart.
My brother moved with confidence as he snuck up behind the skinny guard. When the guard reached the door at the end of the hall, Ahmed made his move. I aimed my entire focus at the scene, and suddenly everything seemed to unfold in slow motion: The guard pulling the door open, Ahmed’s left arm locking around his neck from behind, my brother’s elbow cocking back, the knife aimed at the man’s kidney, the startled expressions of Dad and the others in the far room, the guard dropping to one knee, swiveling around with the practiced motion of a fighting expert, Ahmed’s knife missing its mark, the guard lunging upward, his hands grabbing Ahmed’s wrist and forearm, twisting violently and spinning Ahmed in a forward somersault that landed him on his back.
I was about to act when a loud roar sounded behind me. I turned to see Bingwen charging toward me like a freight train speeding down a tunnel. I swiveled my head to the guard standing over Ahmed, and back again to Bingwen, realizing I could stop one or the other but not both. I heard a loud scream, and was shocked to realize it was from my own throat. Sarafina snapped her head into the hall, her brow pinched with concern. Bingwen saw her and his nasty smile made the choice for me. I turned to face him. There were shouts behind me, a cry of pain, pounding footsteps. I ignored them all, raising the mini toward the big monster. His eyes filled with greed when he saw what I held in my hand. He picked up his pace.
I felt as if I might explode from the mini’s power. I focused on the monster’s brain and commanded the power toward him.
Nothing happened.
The energy didn’t flow. Bingwen kept coming. His footsteps vibrated through the wooden floor. I screamed so hard it hurt my throat, every ounce of my brain commanding the mini’s power to burst out and destroy the beast.
But it still didn’t work.
The world slowed around me, and I stood frozen by the realization that my family would pay the price for my failure. Suddenly I knew the pain my father must have felt when he blamed himself for placing us in danger.
Drop to the floor NOW, Alex! my dad’s thoughts boomed in my head.
My body reacted before my mind had a chance to think about it. I hit the floor just as Uncle Tony leaped over me. Bingwen skidded to a stop and yanked his pistol from its holster. But before he could pull the trigger, Uncle Tony collided into the man like a wrecking ball into an old building. They both flew backward. Uncle Tony’s fists pummeled downward again and again, and Bingwen’s feet twitched and jerked with each sickening impact. I had to look away.
Then strong hands picked me up off the floor, and the next thing I knew I was hugging my dad’s chest. A rush of tears spilled down my cheeks. Mom hugged my other side and Sarafina raced to join us. I craned my neck to see Ahmed walking toward us. He was rubbing his shoulder but he looked okay. The skinny guard was lying facedown on the floor. The back of his uniform glistened with blood. The woman who’d been wearing the fake nose crouched over his body and pulled her two throwing knives out of the man’s back. She saw me watching and offered me a grim expression, shaking her head as if to apologize for making me witness what she’d done. But I wasn’t sorry. Not one bit. I sniffled and gave her a thumbs-up. Her surprise was followed by a smile.
The teenage boy and girl stepped past her and stood facing me. The boy had a wondrous smile. “So you’re TurboHacker?”
Chapter 30
Yóulóng Village
A MINUTE LATER EVERYONE was gathered in the kitchen and Jake drank in the sight of them. They weren’t out of the woods yet, not by a long shot. But the situation was looking much better than it had five minutes ago. Ahmed sat at the table with Marshall, Dolphin, and Shamer. Sarafina and Alex stood on either side of Francesca. All of them looked at Jake with worried expressions. He’d outlined the plan and they hated the part he was going to play.
They don’t know the half of it.
Becker and Jonesy stood watch at the entryway. They’d changed into the guards’ uniforms and each held an assault rifle. Skylar stood with them. The three of them were about to slip outside to find Lacey and Pete. Then they were all supposed to meet up at the monk’s truck. Skylar wore the blood-soaked uniform of the skinny guard she’d killed, his cap pulled low. There hadn’t been any more rifles available but she had retrieved her pistol.
She offered it to Jake, who didn’t have a weapon.
“Keep it,” he said. “Could I borrow your knives instead?”
“You sure you know how to use these?” she asked as she handed them over in their Velcro sheaths.
He suppressed a smile and strapped one to either wrist. “I’ve got a few skills.”
Dolphin patted Alex on the back. “Dude, I still can’t believe you’re the real TurboHacker. You’re awesome.”
Alex smiled, and it fueled Jake’s determination.
Marshall turned to face him. He adjusted the pistol tucked in his belt and said, “I still don’t like not being on the team that’s going to find Lace.”
Becker spoke up. “I understand, mate. But Jonesy and I are damn good at this sort of thing, and from the looks of things, so is Skylar. You need to help Tony get everyone else up to the truck.”
Tony nodded. “I need ya to cover my back.” He carried Bingwen’s pistol. Both his knuckles were bloody.
Marshall sighed. “I know, I know.” Alex nudged up beside him and Marshall squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t worry, pal. I’ve got you covered. Just like in the game, right?” Alex smiled. He was wearing his backpack. Jake had helped him pack it, making sure the mini’s case was snug at the bottom.
Jake studied the tablet Sarafina had handed him. De Vries had shut down the communication networks but had made sure the CCTV system was kept alive. The old man had downloaded the control software onto the tablet so they had access to every camera on the grounds. But the real boon was that the software also controlled the loudspeaker systems, including the alarms. With the comm tower disabled, Jake had no way to communicate the go order to Pete. The klaxons were their last hope.
He turned to Skylar. “You’re sure Pete will recognize it?”
“He’d better,” she said. “We use that signal all the time when we’re doing outdoor shoots across a lot of acreage, like when you see three thousand warriors charging down a valley. It’s basically telling the entire cast and crew that cameras are rolling and the action is about to start.”
“Appropriate,” Jake said as he contemplated what was about to happen.
The squeak of brakes and a distant concerto of barked orders announced that the time had arrived. On the tablet Jake selected an exterior view from one of four cameras mounted on the communication tower. The paramilitary caravan had spread throughout the Center complex and into the village. Soldiers streamed from the backs of the trucks, at least a hundred of them. “That’s our cue,” he said, looking around the room. All eyes were on him, all ready to play their part. He was proud of each and every one of them. The monk flicked on his flashlight and aimed it into the pantry. The kids turned theirs on as well.
It’s now or never.
Jake opened a submenu and tapped in the entry.
The klaxons echoed across the valley—three short bursts, then one long one.
Jake waited, and it seemed as if everyone in the room was holding their breath. After a long, anxious moment, a series of explosions sounded outside.
“That’s my man!” Skylar said.
Then the lights went out.
“Go, go, go!” Jake said, tucking the tablet into his back pocket.
His eyes were wet as he watched his family and the others disappear down
the long tunnel. He burned the image in his mind, then turned and raced in the opposite direction. His insides were on fire from the mini’s pent-up energy. It had taken all his strength to disguise the rush that had come over him when he’d secretly slipped it into his pocket. Everyone had seen the object in Alex’s outstretched hand, and he’d made a show of placing it back in its clamshell case and tucking it into his son’s pack. But the moment his hands had been hidden in the bag, he’d opened the case and palmed the mini. It was for all of their sakes that he’d disguised his actions. Francesca had been worried enough as it was. If she’d known he’d kept the mini, she might’ve guessed his plan. Alex had turned to face him after he zipped up the pack. Jake had crouched down and held the boy’s shoulders.
I love you, he’d said to his son.
Alex had thrown his arms around his neck, and he’d felt his son’s tears against his cheek. Good-bye, Dad, Alex had whispered.
Alex knew.
Jake shoved the thought aside, running full out, the beam of the flashlight barely bouncing from his smooth stride, the walls of the ancient sandstone tunnel blurring past him. His senses prickled and he reveled in the rush. His mind was finally clear again, and he was reminded of the thrill he’d felt when he first brought the little pyramid home. He’d used it every day, training with an agility beyond human comprehension, running at unbelievable speeds.
Unstoppable.
Until it had killed him.
A star burns brightest just before it dies.
He drifted to a stop at the bottom of the iron ladder.
He climbed up, opened the hinged cover, slipped outside, and flattened himself against the chest-high remains of the old wall. Pete’s charges had severed the main power supply and doused the lights, and the thickening cloud layer had blanketed most of the valley in darkness. But a hundred meters behind him, a crisscross of headlights illuminated the Center complex. Most of the soldiers had taken up defensive positions around the vehicles. Others wound their way into the village and he suspected that Becker, Jonesy, and Skylar were among them, on their way to find Pete and Lacey. His neck twitched when he spotted two soldiers standing motionless among the parked vehicles. They wore Spider headsets and a robotic swarm hovered in a cloud of reflected light above them. Both Alex and Marshall had warned him about them.
Brainrush 05 - Everlast 02: Ephemeral Page 17