Different

by Tony Butler

  Adam’s skin returned to its normal colour and he released the soldier’s body, which fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Picking up his bag, Adam nodded and they dressed before continuing on their way.

  Adam loped across the bridge towards the telephone wires that were strung across the road and Jay followed, concentrating on extracting the computer from her bag. When they reached the tree to which the wires were fixed, they started to climb and Adam extended his hand to help pull her up the last few feet.

  Clamping the computer terminals to the telephone wires, Jay started to type.

  * * * *

  The troops advanced on the helicopter and one of the men pointed to the solitary trainer that had been tied to one of the rotors. “It looks as though we’ve been suckered!” he said. There was a high-pitched hum from somewhere down by the lake and they advanced towards it, their weapons at the ready. In front of them a shape rose from the ground it looked like some kind of gigantic moth. Two wings made of parachute silk and metal tubes, each wing at least fifteen feet long, smoothly rose into place. The body was a metal and Perspex cylinder about seven foot long, with a diameter of three and a half feet that slowly and gracefully pivoted on billowing wings towards them, until they were staring at a circle of flashing neon lights.

  The lights started to spin, drawing all eyes to the centre of the spiral. Mission Accomplished – Weapon Recovered – Targets Destroyed!

  The message flashed on and off, followed by another subliminal message. Neither of which was registered by the mesmerised troops, but both messages were absorbed and accepted by their subconscious minds. After fifteen minutes the lights stopped and the machine’s wings seemed to flex, while the cylinder returned to its vertical position. Silently, the machine lifted off the ground, rising silently above the lake before skimming swiftly above the trees, in the direction taken by Adam and Jay.

  The Major blinked and took a step forward, removing the weapon from the tree. It looked like a cordless drill, but he’d seen what damage it could do. He secured it safely in his backpack and then, straightening, checked his watch. It was fifteen-thirty hours. They’d have over an hour to reach the radio a mile away. They’d succeeded! It was a pity they’d had to kill the man and woman and sink their weighted bodies into the lake. It was the ceramic bullets that had got them, and he could still see their bloody corpses in his mind.

  Chapter Thirty

  Rebecca ran her hand through the fine hairs on Doug’s chest and he smiled down at her from where he lay next to her, propping his head up with his hand.

  “This is crazy,” she said, looking into his eyes. “I mean, aren’t we getting a little old for this love at first sight thing?”

  “Yes, I reckon we are, but it happened and I’m not going to start complaining. Not when I’m lying next to the most beautiful and sexy woman I’ve ever met.”

  “Well, at least your eyesight isn’t failing,” she laughed and he grinned, pulling her closer. Scott came in. “Sorry,” he said, discreetly averting his eyes as Rebecca covered herself up. “But we’ve got a couple of visitors and the man says that Adam sent them.”

  Outside, she saw some of the other’s talking to a tall, ancient looking Native American. He had shoulder length silver hair and seemed to smile a lot. Beside him was a woman who looked familiar, and she had a dazed, lost look in her eyes.

  As the man turned towards Rebecca and Doug she saw the serenity in his eyes.

  “Rebecca, Doug, this is Dan McQuentin and Laura Green,” Scott said. That’s the woman who saved Mary and Jay! Rebecca smiled and moved towards her, holding out her hand. But Laura looked blankly at her and took a step back, as though afraid. Dan put one arm around her protectively.

  “It’s okay, Laura,” he said gently. Turning his head, he smiled apologetically at Rebecca.

  “Laura’s got amnesia. We got swept into the river and she was underwater for about three or four minutes before I managed to find her and get some air into her lungs. She seems alright apart from that.”

  Brain damage, Rebecca thought. Her brain was starved of oxygen for too long.

  “Adam asked Dan to help Laura and bring her here,” Scott said. “Apparently Dan here’s a Shaman.”

  “Are Adam and Jay alright?” Rebecca asked, still trying to remember where she’d seen Laura Green before.

  “I don’t rightly know for certain, but with his powers, I would think so. Ah yes, he asked me to tell you that it was almost over and that he’s going to—”

  “What the hell is that?” Someone cried out in alarm and, turning, Rebecca saw something hovering about a hundred feet above them. Some of the men were pointing their shotguns and rifles at it and then they saw the lights and the message.

  Put the coffee on down there, Rebecca. We’re thirsty!

  “Hold your fire,” she yelled. “Scott! It’s Adam and Jay!”

  As the men lowered their rifles, the object that seemed to have wings actually flapping, sank gently down and she could see Jay and Adam inside the cylindrical body. Part of the cylinder swung open and Jay stepped out first. She ran over to Rebecca and Scott, who was standing with an idiot grin on his face. Adam waved and was obscured from view as Jay threw herself into first her arms and then into Scott’s, who hoisted her off her feet and swung her around.

  “I’ve missed you, Jay!” Scott laughed, lowering her down to the ground. “You’ll never know how much I’ve missed you!”

  Jay hugged him. “I’ve missed you, too, you big hunk. Hey, isn’t that Sara over there?”

  Sara walked over to them and Rebecca thought she was acting a little strange until Scott’s arm encircled Sara’s waist and then she understood. Scott and Sara were apparently an item now, but she’d been too wrapped up in Doug to notice.

  “Did you know?” Rebecca asked Doug, who was looking at Sara with a half smile on his face.

  “I know she had a thing for Scott when they were in college, but she was a freshman and he never paid her any mind. Looks as though he’s making up for it now though.” He grinned.

  “Rebecca.” Adam took her hands in his and kissed her lightly on the cheek. He’s a man! she realised. He’s aged by at least fifteen years.

  “Adam.” She smiled and half-turned to Doug. “You remember Doug, Adam?”

  “Yes,” he said and shook Doug’s hand. “You’ll make her very happy, Doug.”

  Doug gave a how the hell did he know about us? look. She shrugged and grinned at the same time.

  Adam walked over to the old man and they embraced. Dan said something that only Adam was meant to hear, and he nodded. Jay was holding Laura’s hands and talking to her gently and then, removing her hands, she replaced them on either side of the woman’s head. Rebecca saw Laura start as a blue pulsating light flowed out of Jay’s fingers. The light covered Laura’s head like a living helmet before fading away. Laura looked around her and then started to sob, and Jay pulled her into her arms. Eventually, Laura’s sobs stopped and Jay kissed her on the forehead, in what seemed to Rebecca to be an act of absolution.

  Laura walked over to Scott. “I think I ought to tell you what happened to Mary at the Deer Lodge Motel.” She told the story quietly and after she’d finished, she told them who she really was and everything that had happened at The Devil’s Footprint in Britain. Rebecca wondered why Adam didn’t revile Janine for being the evil murderous bitch she was. All of the others except for Jay and the old man were staring at the woman in revulsion.

  “Janine, why have you told us this?” Adam’s voice cut through the air like a lash.

  “I don’t really know,” Janine sounded tired. “Perhaps it’s because I can’t bear to live with myself. Somehow, my conscience has finally caught up with me. I’ve been running away from it for a long, long time.” She shrugged. “You’ll just have to do whatever it is you want to do with me. I just don’t care anymore.”

  “We should string the bitch up, or shoot her,” one of the men said, and there were angry murm
urs of agreement.

  “She risked her life to save me and Mary.” Jay stepped forward and Rebecca’s breath caught in her throat as she saw the girl’s ethereal beauty for the first time. “Just as you were prepared to give your life for Mary who I loved like a sister, so will I give my life for you. Let those of you who would kill Laura—yes this woman is Laura, because Janine died in the very instant that Laura fought to save a girl she didn’t even know. Let those of you who would kill her, first kill me.”

  “And me!” Adam said, stepping forward.

  “Me too!” Dan McQuentin joined them, smiling benevolently.

  Rebecca looked at them and felt profoundly moved as she saw the love in his proud old eyes when they met hers.

  One by one, the men lowered their weapons and Scott walked forward, hugging Laura to him.

  “Thanks for what you tried to do for my friend,” he said.

  It was as though someone had waved a magic wand, Rebecca thought. All thoughts of punishing the woman were gone. Now everyone wanted to party and have a look at Adam and Jay’s flying machine.

  It was about an hour later when Adam called everyone together. “I must leave now. Scott, you look after Jay for me, and yes I know that you want to come with…” He broke off and looked around him. Then he was running—running towards the flying machine that was rising swiftly off the ground and out of reach.

  “No!” he cried No!”

  Rebecca looked at the message that Jay was flashing to them.

  I’m sorry, my love, but now it’s my turn!

  The lights went off and the machine swept out of sight. Rebecca knew that now any of them could do was wait.

  * * * *

  “Very well done indeed, Major. No, I think under the circumstances a field promotion’s called for. Don’t you agree, gentlemen?” Henry beamed expansively at everyone in the room and, one by one, the Generals and security Chiefs nodded. “Yes, I think that perhaps Colonel would be more appropriate.”

  Russell was unable to bring himself to look away from the weapon now gripped in Henry’s hand. They’d won! No one would be able to stand in their way now. He stood and summoned one of the Generals over to him.

  “It’s time,” he said. “Start the executions now.”

  The General nodded, for Russell had already briefed him. Once they had the weapon, the prisoners, including the acting Vice President and together with the Congressmen, were to be executed, live on television. The cameras were already in place on the roof of the building where the captives were now being held. Henry would personally supervise their deaths and then Russell would demonstrate to the World the awesome power of the new weapon.

  Convoys of tanks and trucks had been lined up, surrounding the building, and after they had been destroyed then so, too, would an air force jet. It would be destroyed in mid-air. The angry roar from the crowds below them surprised Russell when they emerged from the bunker, and he realised the mob was on the brink of starting a riot. The Vice President, congressmen and the British Prime Minister had been lined up against the wall and two machine guns had been set up to mow them down.

  Then Henry yelled out in surprise and pointed up to a woman who was standing astride a cylinder, lazily circling above them on billowing white, silken wings. In one hand, she held a tube that was pointing down towards them. Immediately, the machine guns and all the other metal the tube swept over disintegrated.

  Russell knew then. It was the freak and she’d built another weapon. “Shoot her down, Henry!”

  he yelled urgently. “Use the weapon and shoot her down!”

  Henry pointed the weapon at the flying machine and pulled the trigger. For a brief microsecond he seemed to glow with a white light that was so bright Russell could actually see Henry’s skeleton. Then the weapon clattered to the ground and Henry was gone.

  The freaks had booby-trapped the weapon and left it to be found, Russell realized. They’d tricked him.

  Down below in the streets, hand-to-hand fighting between the crowds and the troops had broken out. Russell bared his teeth in rage, drew his laminated plastic knife and leapt towards the helpless prisoners. A shadow passed over him and then the woman was standing between him and the Vice President. He feinted with the knife and lashed out at her stomach with his boot. The boot connected and she doubled over. With a cry of triumph, he slashed the blade across her exposed throat. Clamping her hands to the gaping wound, she sank to her knees, blood pumping from between her fingers. Standing over her, Russell raised the knife but his wrist was seized in a vice like grip.

  “You fucking bastard!” Roger Thompson, the British Prime Minister, snarled and Russell saw the frayed nylon rope still around the man’s wrist. A ham-sized fist grazed the side of Russell’s head, and he’d just managed to jerk away from it in time. Russell’s other hand found the big man’s neck and he dug his thumb into the artery. The grip on his knife hand faltered and Russell wrenched it free, plunging the knife into the man’s heart. He collapsed at once.

  Russell calmly pulled the knife free and walked up to the Vice President. “Are you ready to die?”

  Defiantly, the Vice President stared back at him. Chuckling, Russell pulled the man’s head back, exposing his throat.

  “Russell!” a woman’s voice came from behind him and he released the Vice President, turning to face Janine. Janine, wearing a blood saturated dress with an angry red mark across her throat. The face changed to Henry’s and then to the freak’s and she walked towards him, her eyes glowing with an inner light.

  He charged towards her and she extended her arms, fingers up and palms towards him. Although she was still several feet away, he was hurled backwards to crash against the wall. He screamed as he felt his rib-cage snap. He fell to the ground, crippled. Screaming in terror this time, he saw her coming towards him again.

  His scrabbling hand closed around something smooth and he saw the booby-trapped weapon in his hand. His finger closed around the trigger and with a final yell of defiance he squeezed.

  Epilogue

  Roger Thompson was buried with full military honours at a funeral attended by leaders from almost every nation on Earth.

  Rebecca, one arm held comfortingly by Doug, watched the television as Scott Williams laid a wreath by the grave. The President of the United States of America spoke with emotion, about the great courage of the man who gave his life in an attempt to save his and the other prisoners. He also spoke about the weapon that had been developed by Matheson and Downey. The weapon had been destroyed along with its plans so that it could never be duplicated and used to threaten civilisation again. He spoke of his regret that the Generals who’d supported Matheson had apparently committed suicide rather than be tried for treason, and were now all dead.

  “It was,” he said, “a tragedy.”

  Rebecca switched off the TV and walked over to the flap of the Wigwam. Jay, her stomach heavily distended by her pregnancy, was walking with one arm around Laura’s shoulders and they were giggling. Adam and Dan were talking to a new arrival over by the fire. Originally, there had been three Wigwams by the lake, but now there were fifteen.

  The new arrivals came from all over the country, many of them children but all of them having one thing in common. They were different. Some boasted an unusually high level of intelligence. Others were psychic or healers and some were called sensitives, whatever that meant. No one had told them where or who Adam and Jay were. But still they came, and all of them took extraordinary precautions to ensure they were never followed. They would stay for a week or a month and use Adam’s untraceable communicator to ring their friends or parents to say that they were taking a brief vacation. Then they would leave whenever they felt that the time was right. Rebecca sighed. It was too good to last. Too many people were aware of the truth about Adam, Jay and their capabilities. Yes, one day they would come for them, but until then, she had Doug. Jay and Adam had each other. Yes, she thought, patting her own slight bulge that was her and Doug’s baby, un
til then, life was pretty damned good.

  About The Author

  Tony Butler was born in 1942 and lives with his wife, Sue and their daughter Katherine. Even as a child he was an avid reader and his Saturday mornings would be spent in Wolverhampton Public Library.

  Tony, a professional magician since 1970, began writing routines and patter for other magicians and one-line gags for comedians.

  Today, he is better known as Clown Zozo and is the four times winner of Nottingham Guild of Magicians’ Best children’s Magic Act competition.

  His love of reading led to him to volunteer as a ‘Buddy Reader’ at his local school, helping slow readers to develop their reading skills. As a direct result of his mentoring, his protégé’s advanced their reading age by an average of two-years. He was chosen as Derbyshire’s Buddy Reader of the year and also received a presentation from The Times Education Supplement, for ‘Hero of the Week’.

  He has also written and broadcast a series of ‘Morning Thoughts’ for BBC Radio Derby and his short stories regularly win writing competitions.

  He has attended the residential Writers’ Summer School, held annually at Swanwick, Derbyshire, for five consecutive years. During this period, after being encouraged to write a novel for young readers, The Awakening, which became Merlin’s Granddaughter, was published as an e-book, by an American publisher, along with his novels, Different and Killing Cat. The same company also published Tony’s eighteen part series, Lord of the Woods (Robin Hood of Nottingham)

  Tony has been a member of Eastwood Writers’ Group for twelve years and served as Secretary, Treasurer, and Chairman. He is also a member of Nottingham Writers’ Club, where he served as Secretary and Prose Competition Secretary.

  As an anthropogenic global warming cynic, Tony researches, writes and publishes articles debunking what he describes as the biggest load of pseudo, scientific bunkum ever inflicted upon mankind. His articles, under the heading The Great Green Global Con-Trick, are read—er—globally. www.globalwarming.nottinghamshiretimes.co.uk.