I noticed several Florida cops, and some uniformed military were helping. When I mentioned it, Dona said, "They're part of the Chosen. I'm calling in anybody that can help. What are you waiting for? Get busy!"
Koda and I glanced at each other, and started pushing tubes toward the surface. Again, I thought of ants, as the men in black uniforms pushed the gleaming white tubes to the surface. The image of ants moving the eggs around for safety came distinctly to mind. Then time flashed by, and before I knew it, we were removing the last tube from the bunker.
It had taken about an hour to empty the place. There were still a lot of the tubes on the surface waiting to be removed, but they were out of the bunker. With each passing minute, we were more in control.
I was walking back down the ramp, after taking one of the last cryo tubes up to the surface. As I crossed the now empty floor, I noticed Koda standing, looking at a wall in the control room. I walked into the smaller room, and asked, "What are you staring at?"
"There's a problem," she noted. "I still haven't found Terry! Aside from that, I can tell something here isn't right. I can see we still haven't got this nailed down." Then she stepped closer to the controls on the wall, and twisted one knob counter clockwise. A panel instantly opened, exposing a sheet of glass. Standing on the other side of the glass, were two very shocked looking enemy sentries.
I suppose we weren't any better. I heard screams all around us, as Guardians realized enemy troops were still loose on the premises. The sentries on the other side of the glass took off running. That set Koda off. She backed up several steps as she pulled her UZI, and let loose. The roar was deafening in the confined space. Even as she shouldered the UZI, she ran forward, and threw herself through the opening in the wall.
I saw no choice but to follow her. As I started forward, I could see other Guardians moving toward us. I followed Koda's lead, and dove through the opening in the wall, coming up in a tuck and roll amid the broken glass on the other side. The room was pitch dark, and I could tell by the echoing, running footsteps, that the place was cavernous.
About seventy yards away, I saw a flash of gunfire, and heard screams. I started moving toward the action as fast as I could, but the room was pitch dark. More screams, and I heard the crash of a sword hitting metal.
One of the Guardians behind me had a flashlight, and for a second I could see shapes in the room. The place was as big as an aircraft hangar, and filled with cryo tubes. There was a walkway between the tubes, and I could see at least two bodies lying motionless on the ground. Then the light dimmed, and I moved forward in a low crouch. I reached the first body, and checked for a pulse. It was a sentry. He was unconscious, but alive. I moved forward to the next body. It had been decapitated.
Keeping low, I started working my way along the rows of sleeper tubes, looking for Koda. Lights were flashing off the walls. Guardians behind me were bring flashlights and lanterns in, looking for us, or a light switch. The dim, flashing lights, were unnerving as they cast moving shadows all around me.
I came around the corner of a row of tubes, and saw Koda tracking on a shadow. I could tell by her stance she was waiting for the rush. When it happened, we were both shocked. The thing that moved on her wasn't human. It couldn't have been.
There were a series of movements, faster than anything I have ever seen. Just a blur of motion really. I heard a high pitched scream of rage, and there was another rush. Koda was fighting something too fast for me to see under normal conditions. I reached out, scanning with every sense I could bring to peak power. The creature that came to my mind's eye was only humanoid in a general sense. I got a flash of teeth, and the thing rushed me.
I backpedaled, and dropped my gun. It was useless with Koda in the line of fire. It was all I could do to clear my sword from its body shield as the thing hit me. The beast was incredibly powerful, and with a shock, I realized, it was female. The creature looked like a demon from some horror flick, and was armed with a short blade sword, about two feet long.
Koda was pressing the matter, and the blades were a blur of motion. The thing was pinned between us, and we were drawing the net closed. With a quick blur of motion, the attacker ran the sword into my chest, burying it to the hilt between two of my upper ribs on my right side. I could feel a hollow thump when the blade's hilt hit my torso.
Then the thing left the blade in me, and attacked Koda.
The first thing that hit me was the waves of agony as the blade entered my body. In my vision range, I could see the thing dragging Koda around the room, trying to wrestle Koda's blade from her. In two seconds, Koda was on the floor, fighting for her life.
Abruptly, the overhead lights came on. The shape wrapped around Koda seemed to reform standing over the girl. For a split second, the thing looked like a human woman. It turned, and gave me a really creepy grin. Then it said, "This is for Alain!" and began kicking Koda in the ribs.
Koda was screaming now, and trying to move away from the monster. The attack seemed relentless, and with a sudden blur of motion, the attacker grabbed the blade Koda had dropped, and raised it to kill the girl.
I had tugged on the blade in my chest twice. It was painful beyond description, and the blade hadn't budged. I couldn't breathe with the thing wedged there. With a bloodcurdling scream of pain, I ripped the blade from my chest, slinging it at the creature standing over Koda.
The woman looked at me as I screamed, and saw the blade headed straight for her. She tried to move, but the short sword entered her eye socket, throwing her against a wall next to her, pinning her head to the flat surface. The body fluxed for a second, and then went limp, with the blade buried in the wall by several inches.
Koda just laid there for a moment, and then sat up. She looked at the woman, and then me. With a deep sigh, she started to stand up, and I heard her ask, "What the hell was that thing?"
Right then Dona came around the corner with Kathy. She heard the question, and said, "It's a Sevranae. They eat people." She stepped closer to the thing, saying, "Probably a Clovis shapeshifter. I never heard of one being found on Earth."
My chest was on fire, and I just wanted to go home. I glanced at Dona, and said, "I've had enough for one day. Koda and I are going home. Keep us posted."
Kathy glanced at Dona, and announced, "I'm done for the day!"
Dona just smiled oddly, and said, "No problem!" I could tell in the link, that she was vastly amused with my casual attitude toward the entire occurrence. She glanced at Koda, and said, "I'll make sure your friend is safe. Why don't you take the old guy home, and let him prop his feet up."
Koda snorted loudly, and said, "Fine with me." In short order, we had picked up our weapons, and headed for the exit. As we staggered out into the sunlight, she glanced at me, and said, "Thanks for saving me back there."
"My pleasure," I noted.
Then we folded space, and went home.
Chapter 7
Heather Awakens
We arrived home, and went straight to the medical bay. The place was deserted, and as I reached out with a scan, I realized the entire house was empty. I focused on Tim, and found him at the same place Koda's sister was being kept. It was a special medical facility set up by the Chosen for their people. When I suddenly appeared, Lisa about jumped out of her skin. She was leaning over Tim, looking at his badly damaged arm. Koda and Kathy appeared right behind me, and realized at once where we were.
Lisa had collected herself a little, but I could tell she was stressing badly. She hesitated for a second, and then said, "I hate to ask for help, but he's going to lose the hand if something isn't done. Can you help him?"
I stepped closer to Tim, reached out, and took his uninjured wrist in my grip. I focused on his injuries, and started to restructure the burned tissue, replacing it on a cellular level. Tim was squirming around, and my arm felt like it was on fire. I could smell ozone in the air, and as I watched, I could see Tim's arm actually healing before my very eyes.
Lisa covered h
er mouth with the back of her hand, and started to cry. I heard he whisper, "Jesus wept!" under her breath. I just stayed focused on Tim, till the arm looked pretty well healed. Only then did I release his wrist. For just a moment, the burning and weakness was overpowering. Then I felt the rush of energy, as the environment around me returned my power levels to normal.
Koda quietly said, "Good job boss!"
Somewhere along the way, Tim had passed out. Lisa assured me he was fine, and I could tell in the scan that he was just sleeping. The relief from the pain had finally allowed him to relax, and he had passed out. We talked for a few minutes, and as we started to walk out, Lisa suddenly said, "Thanks for keeping him alive!" I got a brief, emotional flash from Lisa, that told me she was now strongly involved with Tim.
I immediately felt relief for both of them. They are two of the nicest people, and I suppose they’ll do each other a lot of good. I do question Lisa's tendency to fall in love with one hit man after another, but I suppose we all have our weaknesses. I suspect we have "faults" her natural maternal instincts wish to correct.
We left her there to attend Tim. As we walked through the house, I realized how exhausted I was. I didn't understand why for a second, and then I realized I was unknowingly sending an energy charge toward both Kathy and Koda. In effect, replenishing their natural energy levels, bring them up to full strength. I don't think Kathy was aware of it, but when I stopped the trickle of energy, Koda just smiled at me, as though she had been aware of what was happening.
As we reached the center of the house, Madias appeared. "If you want help, this better be good!" I complained.
The old guy burst out laughing, and stopped long enough to say, "Take a day off! I hear you've been busy!"
"You could have warned me about that Clovis thing!" I huffed loudly.
Madias sobered slightly. Then he said, "I have never heard of a Sevranae being found on Earth. I am certain I have never heard of anyone killing one in single combat."
"There were two of us," I noted. "And it was touch and go for a second!"
Madias shook his head, and said, "You don't understand! Our greatest warriors couldn't touch these things before. Satu-Ra ordered the decimation of their star systems, to bring an end to their evil. He will have to be informed of this!"
I paused, and then said, "I'm aware I don't understand the big picture here. Can you see why I feel insecure about what's going on around me?"
"How much should I explain?" he asked. "We are in a struggle on a galactic scale. I have personally fought monsters that I can't hope to describe. I have seen the destruction of worlds beyond your imagination. We believed these creatures were all dead. Should I warn you of legends, as well as known threats? Or would you rather receive your warning ten minutes before the thing jumps out of the shadows?"
"Not funny!" I snapped at him. "I'm going from battle to battle, and have no real understanding of why. People took advantage of me in the past. They used me for their own plans and schemes, and I made them pay. I want more Intel on what's going on, or I'm going to start to balk at what you ask me to do."
"You can scan my mind if you wish," Madias said. "You're a telepath now. You don't need to blindly trust me. You can find the truth without my cooperation if you wish."
"He's just exhausted, Madias," Kathy observed. "His body regenerates, but his mind is being overwhelmed by all the death around him. He needs more time off."
"That will be a problem," Madias said. "The situation continues to deteriorate all around us. What you have seen, is spilling over from larger events. If you think this is bad, I should note that what you have seen is nothing, compared to what you’ll soon face. You must work all this out in your own mind, but you must do it without delay. I can assure you, things will get worse, before they get better."
"Go get some sleep, Mike," Koda coaxed. "You'll feel better after you close your eyes for a while."
I started to turn away, and Madias stepped closer to me. He reached out, touching my arm, and quietly said, "I've gotten to admire you Mike. I'm sorry we won't have more time to prepare you. Things aren't going well for our side. I have tried to keep you out of the skirmishes we have been running into, but Earth itself may soon become the battleground if we don't take drastic steps."
"You mean more of those Clovis things?" asked Koda.
"Far worse than that," Madias answered quietly. He paused for a moment, and then said, "We may need to bring you into the front lines sooner than planned. Satu-Ra will need to be informed about your activities. We have kept information from both of you, so that when you first meet, there will be no misunderstandings, or false impressions. But that time will soon be upon us."
"I tell you now Guardian. You are preparing to step outside your safe world here on Earth," Madias hesitated again, deep in thought, and then said, "I would save you from this if I could. I don't know if you're ready for this yet, but when Satu-Ra finally calls for you, your days of relative normality will be over. Prepare yourself my friend."
"I don't think that's helping, Madias!" Kathy noted. "Let it drop!"
I turned, and looked at Madias, thinking, before I said, "They're right, I'm just tired. Let me get some rest, and we'll talk about this later."
Turning to leave again, I stepped away, and Madias said, "Have faith, Mike. Many things in the future are in flux, but you are not one of them. Ever since you appeared in the timeline, your image has grown more and more solid. You are now a driving force in the timeline. Like some meteor, you have shot in out of right field, affecting the orbits of everyone around you."
I just kept walking. I didn't want to hear what he had to say. Right at that moment, I was too tired to care.
Within minutes, I was sound asleep. But I really didn't sleep well. I was restless, and kept waking up. What Madias had said, apparently affected me more than I realized. About three in the morning, I woke up in a cold sweat. I had gone to bed fairly early, and not really paid attention to what time it was when I fell asleep. I couldn't remember how long I had been sleeping, so when I sat up in bed, I wasn't sure why I felt such a sense of urgency.
I sat there for a minute, debating why I felt the overwhelming need to be doing something. What Madias had said, about leaving, and going off to the front settled in. There was something I needed to do, before I went. I got up, got dressed, and went to talk to Lisa.
She was awake, but just barely. She answered her bedroom door, and I said, "I need to ask some questions about brain injuries."
A really funny look crossed her face, and she asked, "Do you realize it's after three in the morning?" I just grinned, and started explaining my intentions. An hour after that, we woke Koda up. She listened to us for a while. Then she got dressed, and we went to see her sister.
The medical facility is heavily staffed at all times. Research is done on the premises, so the place is busy all the time. Lisa asked to speak with the lead medical person on duty, and a few minutes later a small woman walked in. She was slightly over five feet tall, and I doubt she weighed a hundred pounds sopping wet. She listened to Lisa for five minutes, and then ushered us into a conference room.
The woman in charge was Doctor Grace Masters. I could tell in the link she was brilliant. She soon had several other doctors and scientists in the room with us, and they grilled me with questions. Doctor Masters finally looked at us, and said, "I consider this as pretty risky, but Heather is already in a vegetative state. I'm most concerned about you, Mr. Rutger. You do understand, this could affect your higher brain function? You could end up in the same state as Heather."
"Yes," I acknowledged. "I'm willing to take the risk."
Koda seemed to hesitate slightly. She was watching me closely, and she abruptly said, "Mike! I've had time to think this through. I want Heather back, but not at your expense. Heather, nor I, would wish you harmed. Maybe we should wait, and think this through."
"I have been given a great gift." I replied. "I really don't understand everything that is
happening, but I think we should try to wake Heather up. I might get called away tomorrow, and I may not be coming back. I've recently helped hundreds of strangers on the verge of death. How can I turn away family?"
Koda looked away. I could see in the link she was upset. I stood up, and asked to see Heather. Minutes later, I was in her room as a gurney was brought in, and set up next to her bed. I laid down, and cleared my mind of everything except Heather. I focused on her mind, and went looking for Koda's little sister.
Unlike working on cell structures, or dealing with some form of body trauma. This was a problem of the mind, and human perceptions. I had a feeling of disorientation, and waves of fear washed over me. I wasn't afraid. It was coming from Heather's mind. Flashes of light, and confused mental images fluxed around me in the link.
It was as if I was drugged, and walking in a fog. I had to work to remain focused on what I was here for. I called Heather's name out in the link, and just kept looking for her. I had no way to judge time. After a while, I began to hear a small child crying in the distance. I moved toward the sound, but it was always just out of reach in the fog.
At some point, I stopped trying to find the child, and simply called out, "I was sent by Koda to bring her little sister into the light! If you're here Heather, let me help you!"
Instantly the crying stopped, and there was a strange, eerie silence. I abruptly heard a small child's voice ask, "Who are you?"
"My name is Mike," I responded. "Can you hear me Heather?"
The child’s voice whimpered, "Yeah." The fog at my feet seemed to clear, and I could see a small child, perhaps three years old, sitting on the ground. The child looked nothing like the girl I called Heather. The small bundle radiated fear like a space heater at full blast pushes out hot air.
I squat down next her, and quietly said, "Koda would like to talk to you. Would you like to talk to her?"
For the first time, the girl really looked me full in the eyes, and I realized her eyes looked as if they were on fire. I was startled, but didn't flinch away. After a few seconds, the child said, "I'm afraid! I don't want to see! Everything hurts me!" She paused for a moment, and then added, "Go away!"
The Koda Files Boxed Set - Books 1 & 2 Page 23