Skye stood up, his eyes locked on to the person who had caused Athenia so much pain. The old man appeared proud and noble. Skye grabbed his sword hilt, ready to launch the most dangerous attack of his life. A single wrong move could spell the end for them all.
But panic set in as Skye realised something was not right. He stared long and hard at Archie. It took him several moments before he finally realised. “No ...”
“Skye, go! Now!”
His jaw dropped. Nikolai had expertly deceived them yet again. “He's not here. The president's not here,” he moaned.
“What do you mean he's not there?” Ren asked, baffled by his observation. “I can see him on my monitor in front of me.”
“It's a holographic projection,” he finally said, noticing the sharp contrast in colour and light on the man's suit and skin. The real Archibald was nowhere in sight. “They could be transmitting it from anywhere on the island.”
His headset went quiet as all of White Shadow faced the horrible realisation. They had focussed all of their attention on infiltrating the inauguration, but none of them had thought for a second that Nikolai would take his preventative measures to the next level.
“Ren, see if you can find out where the projection is transmitting from.” Skye could barely hear his own voice.
“Your president is not here,” Daye confessed, the Tianzu man appearing behind them.
Skye and Sierra both spun around, surprised to see the unwelcome visitor. Neither of them made any attempt to attack him.
“I'm not here to fight,” he said, raising his hands up peacefully. “I just wish to inform you that you can still save your friend.”
“Ladies and gentlemen of Athenia,” the president's voice professed, echoing loudly throughout the complex, “it is a glorious and historic day for our beautiful nation.”
“It's beginning,” Sierra said.
“What do you mean, save our friend?” Skye retorted, ignoring the inauguration speech. “Are you talking about Echo?”
Daye nodded. “He's in Nikolai's villa.”
“Who are you talking to?” Ren demanded.
“Daye's here.”
“What did he say about Echo?” Tango asked, suddenly enthusiastic.
Skye stared at the man, clenching his jaw. “I don't believe you.”
“Why would I lie?” Daye asked. “I have no qualms with you, Skye. I'm a man of peace who doesn't wish to see others come to any harm. I'm not lying to you, just as I didn't lie when I told you Archibald wasn't in East Tower.”
Skye stared back at him speculatively. “Is the president there too?”
Daye nodded. “Of course, but I don't wish for any harm to befall him either.”
“Where's the villa?” Skye asked, pulling his mask off.
“It's too late to stop the inauguration anyway,” Daye said, reassuring himself that Archibald won't be slaughtered.
“The villa!” Skye snapped. “Where is it? We don't have time for this.”
“... take a stand against all of the injustices and prejudices that are prevalent in our modern society. We will unite as one and right all of Athenia's past wrongs. We will transform this island into one of the most developed and diverse free nations on earth,” the speech continued in the background.
“Ren, are you hearing this?” Skye asked. “What should we do?”
“I think we may have to take a risk,” she admitted, her voice just as frantic as his. “I don't trust him either, but he doesn't have a reason to lie to us right now; we share a common enemy.”
Skye nervously paced back and forth, trying to process his thoughts. “Why are you betraying Nikolai? You work for him.” He desperately wanted to believe Daye, but was unable to shake the fact that it could all be yet another ploy.
“Nikolai is no ally of mine. Of course, I could also say the same for what the Tianzu have become,” Daye said, shaking his head.
“Where's the villa?” Skye asked again, changing the subject to the more pressing matter. Daye's confession about the Tianzu intrigued him for a brief second, but he didn't have time to give it a second thought.
“Not far from here. It's overlooking the ocean. It's completely walled off and well protected.”
“Where? Which street is it on?”
“Weijiu Lu. At the very end.”
“Ren, did you hear that?”
“Yep, working on it right now.”
“You'd better not be lying to us, Daye,” Skye warned.
The warrior smiled. “As I've advised, I have no reason to lie. I'm telling you this because I don't want your friend to come to any harm. All I ask is that you spare Archibald too.”
“Tahlia will know we're leaving,” Sierra said, ignoring the plea. “She might follow us.”
“Skye, I've got the address. Get back to the van now and I'll guide you. Quickly!”
Daye watched as the duo flew over the edge of the building. He turned back and watched the new president enthusiastically address his nation. With every passing second, the sky brightened and illuminated the land with a golden glaze.
“Skye,” Tango said, “please save Echo. Bring him back.”
“I will.” Skye ran through the secluded gardens. He thought he saw a patrolling officer see him rush past, but he pressed on regardless, paying little attention to the sentries. “Keep Juliet and Romeo safe.”
“Understood,” he replied in an uncertain voice, fearful for the lives of the youths in his presence.
“... corruption and fear. We will stamp this out immediately. Athenia is home for us all, and we must cleanse our society of this for the sake of our future children and our future leaders,” Archibald's voice echoed from inside the arena.
They ran past more officers, who barely even saw their movements. By the time the guards turned to see what they had just witnessed, the pair were out of sight.
They arrived back at the parking area. Skye jumped into the van, which was already in motion with Sierra at the helm. The engine roared as the vehicle sped down the road.
Skye's mind was racing. He felt foolish that they had wasted so much time at the convention centre, only to find the president wasn't even there. Nikolai had carefully stationed the remainder of Black Dawn there so that Juliet would confirm they were all inside. But with Black Dawn inside the centre, it might just provide him with the opportunity he needed to finally end Archie's life without any further hindrance. His only objectives now were to get to the villa and put a stop to the private inauguration, and to save Echo's life. Failure was not an option.
Fifty-three
Tango watched the soldiers conversing. The man who had escorted them earlier was still facing their direction, talking to his comrades. Tango contemplated leaving the queue with the young duo. Now that they had confirmed Archie's absence, there was no purpose for them to stand by. Fortunately, most of the bystanders were too distracted by the president's speech to notice their presence.
Juliet's heart was pounding uncontrollably. “She's coming,” she whispered weakly.
“Who?” Tango asked, looking down at her. He was trying to keep himself calm, but standing out in the open, exposed and alone, was proving to be quite the challenge. Less than a day earlier, he would have stood proudly, but his confidence had been all but destroyed after his two recent encounters with the Tianzu.
“Tahlia's coming,” Juliet whispered again, her lip trembling. She raised her shaking hand and pointed straight ahead toward the entrance. “I can sense her movements.”
Romeo frowned at the hundreds of faces in front of him, but he couldn't entirely remember what Tahlia looked like.
Tango groaned as he accepted that he might have to fight the woman to defend his companions. He was a skilled fighter, but Tahlia's abilities were highly advanced. He straightened his back, standing as tall as he could. Over the loud declaration of Archie, he could hear Ren navigating Skye and Sierra to Nikolai's villa.
Juliet gasped. Tango looked toward the entranc
e and saw a woman in a black suit emerge from the crowd. She was walking straight toward the trio. Juliet took a step backwards and bumped into several people standing in line behind her.
“Careful,” Tango cautioned, turning and offering them an apologetic look. He placed his arm around her shoulder and kept Juliet's face hidden from the peeved civilians. They quickly forgot about it and resumed listening to the loud speech.
Tahlia strode forward casually, her face sinister. Juliet began to hyperventilate again as she watched the woman in black cover the distance between them.
“We need to go,” Romeo urged, his voice cracking with fear. His eyes began to water as he watched the woman get dangerously close to them.
“Get behind me,” Tango said, preparing himself for the fight. He wasn't certain if she could be so reckless as to attack them in public or not, but decided not to take any chances.
Tahlia stopped walking. She turned her head to her right and looked off into the distance, as though something else had caught her attention. She seemed lost in her thoughts.
“What's happening?” the terrified Romeo asked, watching on with confusion.
“I think she can sense that Skye and Sierra are going to the villa,” Tango whispered. Juliet and Romeo stood rigid, waiting to see if their enemy would attack them or not.
Tahlia looked back to the huddled trio and gave them an annoyed look, before turning and running back into the centre.
Juliet slowly fell to the ground as she tried to regain control of her breathing. For a moment, she truly believed she was about to be killed. Romeo placed his hand over his mouth, having feared the same outcome for himself.
“Skye, Sierra,” Tango warned, “Tahlia's coming for you.”
Fifty-four
Sierra turned the corner sharply, listening to Ren's guidance through the earpiece. Skye tried to rub the fatigue from his eyes, preparing himself for what was certain to be a fight to the death. The president had to be stopped at all costs. The thought of the possessed Echo also weighed heavily on his mind, not knowing how they were going to be able to save their friend.
“What should we do, Skye?” Tango asked. “Where do we go?”
“Just stay where you are for the time being,” Skye said. “You're probably safer in the crowd. I doubt Nikolai would want to cause a panic by having you killed in public.” But then again, maybe he would. Maybe this is the beginning of Nikolai's version of utopia.
The van picked up speed as Sierra drove it down a straight road. Being the weekend, the Athenian streets were almost completely deserted. Most citizens were either at the inauguration, or watching it from their homes.
Skye took his mask off momentarily. “This isn't going to end well,” he admitted pessimistically.
“Probably not,” Sierra agreed. “I'll take Tahlia if she's there; you can take Archie.”
“As you wish,” he allowed, “but if you have a chance to kill the president, please take it. Don't let him get away while you pursue your vendetta.”
“Turn right on Jalan Danau,” Ren ordered, her voice almost trembling with both fear and anticipation.
“Agreed, but I don't expect the same from you—Tahlia's mine.” Sierra turned her head and looked Skye in the eyes.
“Okay, okay, just watch the road,” he requested. She was far too obsessed with Tahlia, almost to the point of insanity. She could have easily joined Black Dawn instead of White Shadow had Nikolai found her instead of Tahlia.
“Do you have a plan, Ren?” Skye asked, snapping out of his exhausted thoughts. He was so fatigued that he was beginning to lose concentration.
“You won't have time to sneak in. You're going to have to storm the villa.”
“How much time do we have? Is he still talking?”
“Yes, still ranting about all the good he'll do for the country. This speech sounds like it was written by Nikolai.”
“It probably was.”
Sierra turned the radio on, filling the car with Archibald's distinct voice.
“... where my predecessor failed. We are brothers and we are sisters, all marching together for a better tomorrow.”
“I hope there aren't many guards,” Skye said to himself. “They'll slow us down.”
The sky began to glow pale blue as the new day began. The outer perimeter of the villa was quiet, except for the nearby sound of crashing waves. Two guards stood poised on the balcony, their lifeless eyes surveying the front gate of the property.
Moments later, the tranquil silence was interrupted by the increasingly loud roar of an engine. A small van raced down the road, heading straight for the villa.
“They've arrived faster than I thought,” the two dead guards complimented, raising their automatic weapons in perfect unison with one another.
“I hope you're ready,” Sierra said, her foot flat on the accelerator.
“Aren't I always?” Skye asked rhetorically. “Just don't get us killed.”
The van screamed toward the giant front gate, not showing any signs of slowing down.
“Get down,” Sierra warned.
With an almighty crash, it tore through the steel, ripping the two halves of the gate from their hinges. The windshield of the van shattered as soon as the bullets started flying. Skye and Sierra hid low, avoiding any danger from the clumsy sentries. She hit the brake hard, causing the van to slide for several metres before finally coming to a halt.
The duo climbed out of the van via Sierra's side, hiding behind the door for protection.
“How many are there?” Skye asked.
Sierra leapt over the roof of the van majestically, firing two bolts at the guards and hitting them directly in their hands. They dropped their weapons, but showed no signs of anguish.
“Just two,” she called out. She jumped onto a nearby armoured car and then leapt high into the air once again, landing softly on the balcony and rolling forward. Like a whirlwind, she flew over to one of the guards and held her blade to his neck from behind.
“Where's Tahlia?” she demanded.
The other guard tried to pick up his large rifle, but was unable to raise it with just one hand. He slowly reached into his holster and removed a small pistol. Sierra caught the movement easily. She lunged toward him, swinging her blade and slicing his other hand off.
“Sierra!” Skye screamed bewilderedly, arriving on the balcony and running over to her. “Non-lethal force!”
“They're already dead,” she said. She turned back to the first guard and threw her blade into his free arm, ensuring he didn't try to reach for his pistol either. “Look at their eyes and neck.”
Skye realised she was right. Their eyes were glazed over, an obvious sign that Night had taken control of them, and their throats had been cleanly sliced open. Once again, their sadistic foe had been experimenting with the deceased.
“Where are you hiding, Night?” Skye asked.
“Come and find me,” the guards both said with an eerie smile.
“You're running out of time, Skye,” Ren urgently reminded.
“Let's go,” Sierra said.
Fifty-five
They ran down the long balcony and kicked open the double doors. As soon as they entered, an array of bullets flew toward them. Sierra dropped to the ground, her speed allowing her to dodge effortlessly. Skye made it too, although only by inches. Four guards stood on the other side of the room, their stream of bullets tearing through the furniture.
They stopped firing, leaving countless holes in the walls. Not a single window was spared from destruction.
“That was cutting it a little close!” Skye called out to his attackers, hiding behind a large marble counter next to Sierra. “I don't think Nikolai would appreciate you killing me!” The attack had taken him by surprise, and was a reminder that immunity from Black Dawn was not always a guarantee.
“My apologies!” Night called out via the four guards. “I was aiming for your friend. I'm not overly skilled with these weapons.” The sarcasm in his
voice indicated he didn't care for Skye's regard.
“Allow me,” Sierra suggested. She rolled out from behind the counter, firing four bolts, each hitting the guards in their chest armour. The force sent them stumbling backwards. She raced over and used her blade to finish them all off. They fell to the ground in a heap, all smiling the same terrifying smirk.
Skye jumped to his feet and joined Sierra, pressing deeper into the villa.
“Skye, what's your location?”
“There are armed guards everywhere,” he said while running. “But they're all dead—Night has taken them over.” He glanced at the wall and saw sprays of blood. He wondered if this was where the deceased men and women had lost their lives. They all wore the government insignia on their uniforms, indicating that they were members of the Presidential Guard. They would have all been following orders to protect their leader, he thought; all innocent civilians, brutally slaughtered by Black Dawn or the bizarre Night.
“Move quickly! The speech looks like it's nearing its end.”
Sierra turned a corner and walked into more open fire. She bounced back around the corner to safety. “Their reflexes are fast,” she said.
“No, they're not,” Skye corrected. “Night's controlling all of them simultaneously, so he probably knows where we're going.”
Skye heard shuffling and turned around to see Adam Price stumbling toward him with a kitchen knife. He jumped out of the way, more terrified of coming into contact with Night than the weapon.
“Don't let them touch you,” Skye reminded. He carefully inched back and removed his sword.
“That would be wise,” Adam agreed. He turned and faced Skye with Night's dull eyes.
Skye studied the man in the suit and noticed the identification pass around his neck. The man was clearly a member of the president's staff, and not one of the Guard.
“You've killed everyone,” Skye whispered, horrified. He tried to wonder what horrors had taken place in the villa earlier.
Adam lurched forward. Skye cautiously held his sword up and drove it forward. He knew that Adam was already dead, but it still pained him to attack the defenceless man.
Eternity's War (Books 1-3) (Eternity's War Boxsets) Page 40