Jesse and I had spent all day studying the maps, knocking off a few strategies, but mostly arguing. “So, we’re really sending Azrian inside to find out where and when Farian plans to detonate the neutralizer? Where exactly are we sending him again?”
“Damn it, Brian, we’ve already discussed this one time too many.” Jesse pinched the bridge of his nose. “From the intelligence Euriel gathered, which I validated, it’s most likely located in Switzerland. Farian colluded with the Guardian fraction headed by Morgan Wayde. They reached an agreement to combine forces and strategize a plan: destroy most of the human race while the new alliance takes control.”
“Aye, I know,” I huffed. Private intel, Jesse and Tim E. Traveler, had already warned me that Farian had his own agenda—destroy the entire planet while Wayde and the Guardians believed they would be safe while hidden underground. They hoped to form a new government that would oversee the Fallen and humans alike. Farian’s idea to commit total annihilation confirmed he was a suicidal psychopath, nothing more, nothing less. Was it because the Colton tabs freed them from their dependence on blood? No need for humans or animals? The thought twisted my gut. Any tighter, and the organ would asphyxiate itself.
I slammed the laptop shut, my gaze focused on the back of Jesse’s head while he rubbed his scalp as if to massage a migraine away. One I probably caused. My gaze intensified until Jesse’s neck crawled from the sensation of having someone’s eyes on him. When he turned around to look my way, I smirked inwardly, confident my persuasive stare had worked its magic. “Azrian’s not ready.”
“Jeez, Brian. I trained him twenty-four seven all last week. Azrian’s perfect for the job. He speaks both German and French. He’s better with computers than you.” Jesse scoffed. “You’ve seen to that. All he has to do is identify any classified information the rogues might have exchanged and then destroy the data stored on the Guardian’s network. That, and find out where Farian planted the neutralizer.” Jesse placed a finger in front of his lips. “Shush.”
The gesture meant Sabree was in the house. In fact, he had just entered Duncan’s old office, the hidden passage to the secret labs. “Yes, hush,” I whispered to Jesse, who kept rubbing his persistent headache. “There you go. Finding the bomb’s location—now that’s the clincher. You make it sound like child’s play. Good thing, since we are sending in a child.”
“Stop already,” Sabree said, interrupting our private discussion. “Mini-Me is sharper than you think. Look at the damage you caused at age three.” Sabree clapped his hands when I opened my mouth to speak. “A year ago, I was at odds with a man-child much like him. Should I name names?”
Sabree’s logic made sense as it often did. Maybe it had something to do with three thousand years of life experiences on Earth never mind thousands in the portal universes. Last year, my flask of life experiences contained maybe a few drops, nearly as empty as Azrian’s. Neither Ariane nor Sabree could stop me from leaping headfirst into the scavenger hunts or portal worlds. So, why should I deny my son the right to earn his own experiences?
I conceded. “Damn it, Sabree, your logic’s impeccable. What about Zoe? Shouldn’t we give her something to do? What about the ceremony?”
“Has to wait until later,” Sabree interrupted. “She and Ariane offered to help with communications.” Then he asked Jesse, “Remind me why we are involved?”
“Reminding the two of you is all I do lately.” Jesse drew in a long breath. “Farian and his rogues, the Fallen, the HFA, and now the Guardians are worried about the anti-beings who seem to be increasing in numbers. Because of this ultimate enemy, the Fallen and Guardians are willing to work with the lesser of two evils. I’m guessing that ultimate enemy is you, Brian. Your uniqueness threatens all of the above.”
“Add Athorsis and the Malakhim to the list.” I left my sister out on purpose, her abilities nowhere near as dangerous as mine. “It seems our forbidden birth has imbalanced the harmony of the entire universe.”
“They don’t realize you just want to live life peaceably.” Jesse glanced at a quiet Sabree. “You should have made this known at the first meeting held after the Malakhim attack.”
Sabree shrugged. “We did, but apparently our words fell on deaf ears. It’s late. We should turn in.” He motioned Brian toward the door. “We need to talk,” Sabree added telepathically.
“Aye, here we go.” I grabbed my laptop, eyed the partly opened door that led into the adjacent lab, and cracked a smile. “Night, Jesse. Good night, Azrian.” I chuckled when my son squeaked a surprised gasp.
“No fair, Pop. How’d you know I was listening?”
“The stone, not your phone, keeps tweeting like a bird.”
Sabree frowned. “Who’d you steal it from? Only the proprietor of the stone should hear its call.”
“Serine,” Azrian muttered. “She didn’t need it where Pop sent her.”
Arms folded, I rolled my eyes. “How many times do I have to remind you? All of those crazy rocks speak to me foremost. Your science, not mine.” I left Sabree and Azrian gawking and ascended the stairs. “Good night, lads.” A content smile spread across my lips. Because of Azrian’s prying, I escaped Sabree’s request to talk. When the stone flew out of Azrian’s hand and into my jeans pocket, I pulled it out to examine the emerald gem. “No stone can resist my appeal. My A-factor outshines all.”
45
THE NEUTRALIZER
A zrian trained, our strategy in the works, I stipulated one condition before all systems go. My son would not enter the wolf’s den until I met face-to-face with the lunatic rogue himself. Farian. Sabree fretted about coming along. Dreaded the thought of seeing his father again, but as soon as I offered to go alone, he made up his mind. Not sure I approved.
“I want to know what’s going on inside his perverse mind,” Sabree said as he pulled on his long duster.
“If only you knew,” I said, my words muffled. I grabbed my bomber jacket. Farian made camp inside the old DanJal stronghold. Usually warm in the Azores, the underground facility, both dank and cold, remained inhospitable. “So, you’re coming along to hear the truth. Afraid I’d color it to get my way?”
“Shan’t grace you with an answer.” Sabree’s tight-lipped frown expressed dismay. “You, I trust. However, I do not trust Farian.” He held his hand out to me. “Ready? Take enough tablets?”
Chewing on a few, I opened my mouth and wiggled the jacket pocket. “Fueled and ready. Also stashed a few as backup.” A few days after Farian joined the Caderen council, he disappeared and went rogue a second time. The man never agreed with the Fallen’s clandestine lifestyle and expressed more than once that they should reveal themselves to the human race. Take control of them. Farian never felt comfortable around Ariane and me. This surprise visit should confirm my suspicions.
“Let’s go.” My eyes shut, I focused on visualizing the lower levels of the DanJal stronghold, in particular Serine’s lab, the one place that forever haunted my mind, the brutal tests still fresh. Arm in arm, we vanished and reappeared inside the lab. Sabree recovered from the abrupt JLS takeoff and landing, while I brushed the unpleasant memories aside. Certain no one occupied the less inhabitable units, I followed Sabree to the upper levels. A reception party did not show until level two.
“Halt,” a young man ordered. “State your business.” The longer he stared at me, the wider his eyes grew.
Did a sign warning anti-being plaster my forehead? “Aye, it’s the anti-bad boy in the flesh. Inform your boss that Brian and Sabree are here.”
“My commander never meets anyone without an appointment.”
“Seriously? An appointment?” I walked up to the guard and towered over him. “Shall I dust you out of existence?” Anticipating the guard’s impudence, I caught the stone that sailed from his pocket and juggled it to tease him. “Does this belong to you? Well, kiss it good-bye.” I smacked my lips on the stone.
The guard reached inside his pocket, his hand rummaging for the missin
g stone. “What the—it responds to my commands only.”
Sabree laughed. “He seems to have a way with every stone in existence.”
“Give it back.”
“Sword or shield?” I held the amethyst eyelevel to the guard’s face. “Sorry, no can do. I’m an avid collector. Now, let us pass.”
Farian opened the door. “Stand aside, Jardee.” He motioned us to enter. “Come.”
My hand patted Jardee’s shoulder as I followed Sabree inside the office. The stone pocketed, I almost slammed into Sabree’s backside. I leaned to the left to find out what held him up. My eyes grew like saucers. I grabbed Sabree by the shoulders and dashed in front of him to act as a shield.
Farian, Abyss, and Gibyss stood before us, all armed with crossbows aimed chest level. Even if they shot the bows all at once, death would be the least of our problems; however, the arrows would derail Sabree long enough to postpone an escape.
“Lower your weapons.” Anticipating an army, I swallowed half a dozen Colton tabs before we left. Lightning speed kicked into gear until time stood still as my body vibrated in place until it sped around the room faster than the eye could detect. Momentum fired up, I zipped in front, behind, and around the three, gathering the arrows aimed at us along with those stored inside the quivers. The vibrations increased until I could hover in place behind Abyss and pull out the chopsticks holding her bun in place. I propped them in Gibyss’s hand.
In a blur, I flew out the door, knocked the guard aside, and sped down the hall, tossing the arrows into a disposal bin. Before anyone could blink, rocket speed shot me back into the office, back to square one in front of Sabree. To him and the others, my body had not twitched a muscle.
Time wound up again. Abyss’s hair fell to her shoulders. Gibyss flicked his hand to rid himself of the chopsticks. The order to shoot went unheard when the weaponless crossbows snapped together. The three glanced at the bows, at each other, and then reached for another arrow from their quivers. Curses and a confused dance ensued as they twirled in place to find the arrows missing.
“Should’ve tied them up,” I said, “but then you’d question my manners.”
“Touché, Brian.” Farian shoved Abyss aside. “I forgot about your Fallen gift, more obsessed with the gifts Athorsis had bestowed on you.”
“You know about Athorsis?” I glanced at Sabree and saw innocence in those gray eyes; however, his jaw was set in cement. All Sabree or Ariane had to do was mention the archangel to Cayiel or any of the Fallen, and the news would travel faster than light speed. Juicy gossip appeased the Caderen clan, bored of subsisting as bottom dwellers.
“Not important.” Farian stepped forward. “You have my attention. Speak up.”
“I want the truth.” My finger stabbed the desk that acted as a barrier between us. “What’s really in it for you? Doubtful you’d work with humans, especially the Guardians.”
Farian dismissed the others. “Actually, it’s none of your business.”
“Oh, it’s my business all right. Sabree’s too. In fact, it’s the entire planet’s business.” The man’s crazed eyes made me cringe inside. The wrathful stew of emotions steeping inside Farian, on the verge of erupting, churned the contents of my own stomach. Jesse had warned me about the worst-case scenario—total annihilation. How did one negotiate with a tyrannical lunatic? My approach uncertain, I said, “Your mission is suicidal.” Sabree choked on my claim.
“Nonsense.” Farian leaned on the desk to pick up the remote and aimed it at the wall. A screen lit up the room.
A few steps brought me close enough to examine the image of a transparent capsule. Fine filaments orbited around its pulsating tubes. Brass coils inside a bronzed vacuum tube reminded me of an elaborate DNA strand. Kryptonite-green glowed bright enough to knock Superman into the next galaxy. The intricate device rang out as steampunk. “What’s its actual size?”
“Two-feet long and weighs next to nothing.” Farian stood beside the screen, the green glow deepening the shadow of his twisted smile. “The Caderen called it a Neutralizer.”
The sparkle in the man’s eyes revealed how much he worshiped the weapon equal to a God-like idol. At least that’s how I interpreted his crazed obsession. “Neutralizer sounds a wee bit final,” I muttered, unable to find my voice.
“Neutral means to take no sides, an impartial imprint if you will.” Sabree pointed at one end of the device with the shadow of his finger. “This end emits a neutralizing ray designed to anesthetize human life only.”
“Thanks, Mr. Spock.” I stared at Sabree, wondering when he had become a walking Wikipedia. A chill whipped through the office, the same type of breeze I created when my speed raced into hyperdrive. My gaze sped up to scan the room for the distortion. Seeing none, I commented on Sabree’s explanation. “How long does it render humans in suspended animation?” I nudged him for an answer.
“Until the device turns off,” Sabree said. We both ignored Farian’s nod of approval. “It creates its own limitless power. The Caderen designed the device for the sole purpose of suspending humankind until they could eradicate whatever wrong the humans committed without injury to plants or animals.”
My gaze perused Farian’s expression while Sabree droned on about how mammals remained in stasis, without aging or decaying during the neutralization process. His stare seemed glazed over, unreadable, as if he were somewhere else. Had he altered the device to augment its destructive power?
The screen rippled as if someone smacked into it. Bloody hell? Someone as fast as me. Had Tim E. Traveler dropped in on our party? My doppelgänger from another dimension popped in at the least opportune moments, which meant I’d have to speed up to communicate on his level. Again, without anyone detecting a single twitch from my body, I whipped around the room, accelerating with each orbit until I matched Traveler’s velocity. Together we sped around the room to enable telepathic speech.
“Farian lies,” Tim said. As to emphasize size, he spread his arms to encompass the entire room. “The lunatic plans to annihilate the entire world. Destroy everything. In fact, he succeeds.”
“Aye, Jesse already gave me the bad news. Why can’t we stop him?” Maintaining this speed began to drain on my reserves. I’d have to pop a few more Colton tablets and soon. Low fuel increased my dizziness. Tim sensed my vertigo and grabbed hold of me and performed the work for two. Did Tim find a way to enhance the Colton tablet formula?
“You cannot stop Farian. If you try to dust him and his rogues, you’ll never destroy them all. The neutralizer has already been activated. All will be lost unless you travel back in time and alter your original course. You will answer to the Lighted Ones if you continue to refuse.”
What Tim said rang false. Athorsis had threatened to destroy me. The archangels and Malakhim too. “What did you do?”
“What you do is all that matters. Through you, I hope to correct the wrong done. Rig the ante to make sure the house doesn’t swindle us.” His eyes glistened as he stared at me. “Please consider what I’ve said or everything you cherish will be lost. The exact time will be revealed soon.” Tim released me and faded from view.
“Exact time?” Oh, shi— The whirling room came to a crashing halt. Tim’s speed disengaged, my body freed from his grasp, I crashed into the wall behind Sabree. My neck snapped. Darkness replaced the tornado whirling inside my skull, although consciousness lingered in and out.
Farian and Sabree yelped together. Standing closer to the loud crash, not realizing I had caused the ruckus, Sabree lunged forward and scrambled on top of the desk. His shoe knocked the remote to the floor. The screen went dark and so did the room. My eyes adjusted quickly, fueled by a weak burst of adrenaline.
Sabree crouched low and crawled around to face the back wall. Seeing me in a heap, he spun on Farian. “You did this?” Sabree spoke to himself. The coward had already scurried out the room and down the hall. His cries to assemble the guards set my partner in crime into gear.
Sabree jumpe
d off the desk and landed beside me. He yanked my neck to straighten it before it healed. “Not a good time to break your neck. What the heck happened?”
Too weak to cry out, I growled inside his mind instead. “Easy there. That hurt.”
“Bet it did.” Sabree sat up and listened for activity while he waited for me to regain strength. Without JLS, we could not return home together. He’d have to mist and leave me behind if the guards ambushed the office.
“Here, chew on these.” Sabree shoved a few tablets into my mouth. “Snap to it!”
As always, the tablets worked their magic. The depleted state of my body absorbed all three. My eyes snapped open and I sat upright. “What the—” Seemed to be my question for the day.
“I was hoping you could tell me.” Sabree brushed the crimson dust from my head wound, long since healed. “One second you were beside me, and the next, you body-slammed into the wall as if you were an Indie car without brakes.” He helped me rise to my feet. “Good thing you brought extra tablets. You weren’t healing fast enough without them.”
“Tim E. Traveler paid me a visit. Depleted all of my reserves. Tell you all about it when we’re home free.” I slipped into JLS with Sabree in tow.
46
BLOODY TRIPLE AGENT
A zrian’s racing heart reminded him that he entered dangerous territory, a realm never visited. Yet, the Guardian camp in the Alps seemed peaceful compared to many of the portal worlds he and his father had visited together. The Guardians must have spent a fortune to make this secluded camp look like a gated community of log cabin type homes. Vacation homes for alpine skiers—for the wealthy. Bundled in a down jacket, gloves, and a trapper hat, Azrian’s teeth still rattled. It had to be his nerves on overdrive.
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