Terra Nova (The Variant Conspiracy Book 3)

by Christine Hart

  The train dissolved around me I stood in a glowing golden field outside a small village of cone-shaped thatched huts. I saw a peaceful scene, free of the complications of modern urban life. At the center of town was a simple brick well. At the far end of the settlement stood a small pavilion made with rows of tall white pillars. It suggested a temple of some sort. A woman in a white robe emerged from one of the homes and approached the well. As I watched her walk with a large vase on her head, a flash of red caught the corner of my eye.

  A ball of flame rocketed toward the field on the other side of the village. It left a trail of smoke behind that stretched up into the stratosphere. The red ball hit hard and the ground vibrated under my feet. Smoke rose from the patch of wheat around the impact point. A soldier ran past me, past the well, driving toward the crash site.

  A rumbling sound came out of the field. An armored thing burst out of the wheat and in one swoop of his metal-plated arm, knocked the soldier to his knees.

  The woman had dropped her vase. Several other villagers ran out of their homes only to stand frozen in shock as the armored person came to a stop in the middle of their town.

  The thing rubbernecked around for a few moments. Its helmet was a smooth metal dome with a dark black slit where eyes should be. The figure reached to either side of its neck with both its three-fingered metal hands and somehow released the helmet from the rest of the armor.

  The thing lifted its helmet and revealed a reptilian cobra-like head with bright red eyes full of hatred. The cobra man’s skin was black with a metallic sheen. Individual scales glittered in the sunlight.

  The cobra man bore into me with hateful eyes and made something like a smile with its mouth. He moved one step to his side just as a young boy appeared out of nowhere and plunged a huge sword at the cobra man’s chest. The long thick blade bent like butter leaving not so much as a scratch on the armor. The cobra man knocked the boy aside, sending him flying with one swipe.

  The village flickered and jumped forward in time. The huts had all been burned and only their blackened foundations remained. A line of chained people shuffled past me, wearing nothing but loincloths. Each person hung his or her head, struggling to find the energy for another step.

  The small temple at the end of the village was gone. In its place a shining white monument had been erected. The top of the monument was a platform where the cobra man sat on a marble throne, surveying his work. Two hooded figures stood on either side of the cobra king, who still wore his armor as he sat on a throne.

  I watched the scene spellbound, as one of the purple figures threw back her cloak. A beautiful woman chanted something that sounded like Latin. The cobra king moved to rise, but something held him. He tried to turn, but an unseen force held him rigid.

  The woman in purple chanted louder and the cobra man gripped his head with both metal-plated hands. He hissed. She chanted louder still, yelling as she continued.

  The cobra king hissed and hissed as the woman in purple pulled a small dagger from her robes. She stepped behind him, reached around his neck, and cut the cobra’s throat. Black blood oozed up over his armor and his body lay motionless. Chained villagers looked up and cheered.

  I focused on the dead cobra king and willed my viewpoint up to the top of his monument. I surged forward and rested above the cobra king’s face. Recognition flickered behind my eyes. This was the creature I had seen sitting at Ivan’s dining room table back in his cold Victoria condo. Those were the red eyes that haunted me at the Capital City Motel. This was what lived inside Ivan. Somehow. Instinctively I took a step back and the field fell away. I slid through time back onto the train to Chester.

  “What did you see?” Jonah stared at me with a furrowed brow.

  “Honey, you’re shaking.” Faith reached out across the table and put her hand on my arm.

  I took a deep breath.

  “She saw a snake beast, something that crashed to earth and annihilated a village. She saw the thing come out of a ball of fire and take over and then get killed by some ancient priestess. Holy shit, sis, what the hell?” said Ilya.

  “At least someone else can see what I saw,” I said to Ilya, calming down. “Actually, I think there’s more to it. Weeks ago, I dreamed of Ivan and my mother on their honeymoon. They went from Roman ruins to an old church from the Middle Ages. There was a moment where Ivan acted like something possessed him. I think the town I just saw in that vision was the original life of those ruins. I won’t know for sure until we get there, Chester could be on top of that ancient village. After we go to Chatham Park, we should find these ruins. That creature got into our father somehow. Maybe we can get it back out again.”

  “This just took a turn into the Twilight Zone.” Cole blew out a long breath.

  “Let’s worry about Terra Nova. Then we’ll think about doing an exorcism on Ivan.” Melissa unclipped her hair twist and rested her head against the back of the booth.

  The British countryside flowed past the train window for hours as I cuddled into Jonah’s shoulder. With every stop, passengers came and went. Our group sat under a thick blanket of tension as we wondered how our next—and maybe last—day would end.

  A recorded voice announced that the train’s next stop would be Chester. My stomach lurched before the train’s brakes hit.

  “You guys wait at the station while I rent a car. Melissa, if your card is valid, come with me in case they reject mine.” Josh watched Melissa expectantly.

  We found benches outside the station. I scanned the street in both directions, searching for some sign of the ruins or the church.

  “Do you think I have time to look around?” I said to Jonah.

  Concern wrinkled his nose. He knew what I wanted to find.

  “I think the source of Ivan’s madness will be moot if we don’t stop this virus in its tracks.”

  I paced while gripping my backpack straps firmly.

  Josh pulled up alongside the curb in a mint green Volvo van.

  “Is this what you call inconspicuous?” Ilya slid the van’s side door open.

  “We have a seven seat minimum. It was this or rent two cars. Are you footing the bill?” said Melissa curtly.

  “Nobody’s sniffin’ a gift fish here.” Faith used her most appreciative tone.

  “Good. Everybody in?” Josh turned around from the driver’s seat, observing us with authority as though we were children. “Buckle up, kids.”

  Josh hit the gas and I lurched forward. “This driving on the wrong side of the road is going to take some getting used to.”

  “Are you sure you want drive then? I’ll give it a try.” Cole sounded eager to take the wheel.

  “I’ve actually driven in the UK. Why don’t you let me drive?” Melissa reached toward the wheel.

  “No, I’m fine! I can drive the stupid van!” The impatience in Josh’s voice made my stomach churn. He drove too fast for someone so unsure.

  “If you change your mind, please do so before you crash into a telephone pole” Melissa crossed her legs, shifting in the seat.

  “Just keep the directions coming and I’ll be all right.” Josh risked a quick glance at Melissa.

  “Look for an exit to the M56. From there, it’s a straight shot to Hartford Lane. According to the map, we’ll go right past the entrance to the Chatham Park estate.” Faith had adopted Nellie’s tablet before we left Utah, and the device mercifully still worked in the UK.

  More quaint countryside rolled by as we drove. Picturesque hedges and Old World stone walls traded places until we came to a huge grove of trees and a two-story stone arch.

  “This must be the place.” Josh turned off the lane and onto the gravel drive that led to the arch.

  A cool breeze drifted through the van as we entered the shade of the trees.

  “Aaaaiiie!�
� squealed Melissa, suddenly flailing for all her worth.

  “What? What? Oh shit!” yelled Josh.

  I heard a buzzing and I knew what terrified them. Josh hit the brakes and clapped his hands together with a BANG.

  “Was it—” I started, but couldn’t finish.

  “Did you kill it?” said Jonah frantically.

  Josh pulled his hands apart. A large dead bee lay crumpled in an oily smear on his palm.

  “Burn it.” Josh’s voice was dark and angry as he glared at the dead insect. We all knew he spoke to Faith, and that he could handle the flames.

  Faith complied by reaching her hand out to shorten the range. A brief blast was all it took to eradicate the remains.

  “Let’s end this place.” Cole gripped the door until it crunched.

  Chapter 9

  Josh pulled into a parking spot at the outer edge of the estate’s visitor parking. We were all rattled. I comforted myself knowing we’d found the right place and the Terra Nova ordeal would end soon. Everything else we dealt with after that could be managed without the human race on the line.

  “We’ll need new disguises again.” Melissa seemed the most levelheaded of all of us as she carefully re-clipped her hair. “We should be tourists, preferably from a non-English country so we can easily keep to ourselves.”

  “How about a large Chinese family?” Ilya asked.

  “Bring it!” said Faith.

  The telltale feeling of cool wet air filled the van. My friends blurred around me and slowly resolved. Smooth heads of black hair surrounded me. I glimpsed the glass window next to me and saw the reflection of a pretty teenage girl with full lips and a soft white sweater.

  Next to me, Jonah’s hair remained black, but bone straight and sculpted with gel. His crisp collared shirt and khaki slacks weren’t all that different than something he would normally wear.

  Cole, Faith, Ilya, and Josh were all wildly uncharacteristic in their preppy outfits and clean-cut hairdos. Melissa turned around and I saw a lavender outfit exactly like one I’d seen her wear at Innoviro. I began to understand more concretely where Ilya’s illusions came from. His mind projected pieces of items and faces he remembered. How intentional those projections were, I’d have to find out over a coffee someday.

  “Don’t wander off too far and we’ll be good for the rest of the day,” said Ilya.

  “Take a moment and memorize the other faces in this van. If we have to split up and find each other again, you don’t want to grab the first dark-haired person you see.” Josh seemed far less serious with his new face. Fortunately Ilya hadn’t attempted to change any voices this time.

  “I’m sure this goes without saying, but Evonatura’s labs will be well hidden. We should be able to gain access both from the main manor house and from some point out in the adjoining woods. We probably won’t find the entrance in the woods, but let’s try to find a way into the house’s basement level.” In her lavender outfit, Melissa regained some of her former snootiness.

  Josh examined his face in the rearview mirror. “This is a tourist facility, so areas that are off limits will be clearly marked. We can’t go by the map on the estate’s website because that just showcases the spots they want people to check out. Look for a basement door or stairwell with a rope and/or sign for private or restricted space.”

  “Do you still have the tranquilizer guns? If we get past a barrier and run into some form of security, can we drop them without hurting them?” Jonah’s eyes, both familiar and strange, connected with mine.

  “For civilians, that’s fine. But for Innoviro and Evonatura, I’m not sure we can take the humane path here.” Cole massaged his palms again. He imparted a far less threatening vibe in his new body. The next adversary who underestimated this man would probably die.

  “Shouldn’t we assume Casey, Ivan, and Tatiana are all on site, along with all the Evonatura people from London and this facility?” Faith ignited a test flame on her disguised palm. Satisfied, she closed her fist.

  “And my sister? Won’t Gemma be here too?”

  “I’ll listen for her. I should hear Casey and Aunt Tat too. I won’t know what he’s thinking, but I’ll be able to sense my father.” Ilya paused as discomfort distorted his face. Was he connecting the primal snarl he had always sensed from Ivan with the cobra-like monster I’d seen in my visions?

  “Melissa and I still have the tranquilizer guns, but we don’t know exactly what we’ll find. We may have another Soho on our hands if we’re confronted. Remember what we’re after here. If we see Ivan or Tatiana and there are no witnesses, we should take the opportunity to take them out,” said Josh.

  “But I’m talking about innocent people.” Jonah’s voice got a little louder.

  “Anyone involved with Terra Nova is not innocent,” said Melissa, calm but firm.

  I couldn’t help but remember Melissa’s own role in Terra Nova. Would she seek revenge today?

  “We’re not getting any younger. Let’s do this!” Faith opened the van’s door.

  The rest of us piled out behind her. As I took stock of our party, I thought we more resembled a small high school class than a family. Regardless, we would not be what the Innoviro or Evonatura people hunted.

  Faith and Melissa led the way to the small ticket booth on the other side of the arch. Melissa pulled out her wallet again. I considered her reaction if I asked her where the money came from. Had she been that well paid at Innoviro? Or was she able to create a portal into a bank vault and take what she needed, like her surprise black dress in London?

  The Chatham Park manor house was a grand Victorian home. Its gray brick and stone pillar exterior implied a library rather than a home, but little touches gave it away. Vases and knicknacks adorned windowsills on the upper level. A restored horse buggy had been posed next to a carriage house.

  We crossed the estate lawn via the manicured stone path. The royal vibe from Regent’s Park emanated from Chatham too and I felt as though an aristocrat would stride past momentarily.

  “Good afternoon!” said a short round woman dressed as a Victorian housekeeper. “Have you dears been given your tour yet? We’re just startin’ another group now. Come on.”

  The housekeeper tour guide didn’t wait for our reply. She seemed not to expect a dialogue. She gestured fervently and we obeyed. Josh frowned at each of us and I knew he meant for us to keep quiet. Since none of us spoke Chinese we all stayed silent. The housekeeper ushered the rear of the tour group we joined into the house’s lobby.

  The Chatham Park house was as impressive inside as out. Two staircases curved together connecting two sides of the main lobby to a landing on the upper level.

  The main tour guide was a man in a black tuxedo with a white bowtie and white gloves. His clothing had seen better days, almost a genuine antique as well. “Now, ladies and gents if you’ll just follow me, we’re on our way through to the main sitting room. We’ll go through to the library and dining hall from there.”

  As our group began to move, I gave Jonah a gaze of approval and I thought to my brother, This could work in our favor. We get to thoroughly examine everything in the house and we won’t be suspected of anything sketchy.

  Ilya rolled his eyes, but began to ponder the idea.

  The tour guide described the duke and duchess who last lived in the house, their family’s heritage, and why the home was eventually donated to a public trust.

  If I had been free to lose myself in the drama of old world aristocracy, it would have been an engaging tour. The house was beautiful and it had been full of fancy people leading privileged lives. I could separate my actual life from the dream of their past and I surprised myself at feeling no bitterness at their charmed existence.

  We shuffled from the sitting room into the library, on to the dining hall, through the
huge kitchen ringed with bright copper cookware hanging from hooks, and up a narrow stairwell to the servant’s quarters. We made our way along an upstairs corridor to the family’s wing of bedrooms and guest rooms. It was hard to imagine that somewhere in this massive house Ivan and his accomplices were manufacturing the horror of Terra Nova.

  Several hallways not taken and doors not labeled caught my eye throughout the tour. Each time I saw a potential door to a stairwell or hall to a secret passage, I shouted mentally at Ilya. It did no good for our route though. Our housekeeper guide remained ever vigilant making sure we didn’t stray off course.

  Back on the lawn in front of the house, the tuxedo guide finally announced the tour’s conclusion and the group dispersed.

  “You dears have a lovely time at Chatham Park. Ask at the front gate or find one of the staff if you need anythin’ at all,” she said a bit too loudly before she bowed and left.

  Faith craned her neck around to watch the woman leave. “What was with that bow?”

  “Maybe she thinks we’re Japanese.” Cole shrugged his shoulders.

  Melissa smoothed her pencil skirt and adjusted her blazer. “Does it matter?”

  “No it doesn’t. That woman has nothing to do with anything. Did we all get a good look at the doors and halls with potential to connect downstairs?” Josh watched the building as though it could still convey information.

  “We should split into three groups. Melissa and Cole, with me on that stone corridor off the kitchen. Irina and Jonah, take that wood door in the-,” Josh stopped short as a cry came from the main house behind us.

  A shrill shriek followed the cry. The sound was as unnatural coming from that opulent building as if a lion roared in the middle of an urban mall. Another scream pierced the air and more sounds of vocal alarm rang out.