by RJ Johnson
“Ole!” Kline shouted as he watched the truck flip and crash down the street. That should take care of Mr. McCray’s associates for now, he thought to himself in satisfaction.
Turning back to business, he brushed off his hands and began walking towards the wrecked truck, which pinned Alex to the ground. Kline was intent on claiming his new stone, and thought covetously about the invulnerability it could provide. His incredible strength protected him against most human weaponry, but if something catastrophic were to happen, there would be nothing he could do. He needed to be sure he was protected at all times, and the stone hanging around his foe’s neck would be exactly the tonic he needed. Not only for his own defense, but for so much more…
Alex had been taken off guard by the sudden appearance of a two-ton truck landing on his head, so when he awoke, he was understandably disoriented. He felt the stone around his neck finish curing his wounds and decided to take a moment to reassess the state of his situation.
The truck lay on its side, the left front tire crushing his leg. Withdrawing a knife from his belt, he plunged it into the tire, letting the pressure out, and giving him some much needed leverage to get his leg loose. Limping a bit as his leg healed, he peered over the top of the truck, watching for Kline.
“Come and get your prize, you limey bastard,” Alex whispered to himself. His weapon was lodged under the truck, and Alex didn’t have time to get it out anyway. Taking his knife, he stabbed the gas tank of the pickup. Gasoline began to pour out the side, running steadily from the full tank. Alex smiled. This ought to be good.
Dropping to the ground, moaning and groaning for Kline’s benefit, Alex played possum.
Kline stepped around the vehicle. Seeing Alex’s rifle caught under the truck, and his apparent helplessness, he smiled and moved in for the kill.
“Ahh, a necklace.” Kline whistled as he approached. “That is a novel way to do it. I myself choose the ring option.” He showed it to Alex. “I do like what you’ve done, though. Rest assured I won’t dare change a thing.” Kline leaned down to take the necklace off Alex’s neck.
“No, you probably won’t.” Alex smiled, and flicked his Bic.
The world exploded in a fiery maelstrom of heat and shrapnel. Kline was blown back fifty feet across the parking lot.
Kline landed hard. He sat up, and shook himself. Moving quickly, he got up and began running towards his helicopter; he was smart enough to know when it was time to pick up his chips. McCray was too much in his element right now. Kline could retreat back to the Mesa with the woman scientist, and Alex was sure to pursue him back there. It was in Joshua Tree that Kline would make his stand.
Geoffrey Tate covered his eyes when the SUV exploded. He watched his boss fly across the parking lot, thrown by the incredible force of the detonated gas tank. He stepped out of the helicopter for a moment, watching in amazement as his boss got up and brushed himself off. Kline began running towards Tate and twirling his fingers, indicating they were leaving. Way ahead of him, Geoffrey screamed at the pilot to get the bird moving.
The pilot, already shaken by everything he’d witnessed, was never happier to follow an order. Flipping switches and easing the collective up, he lifted the helicopter off the ground, gathering steam as he hovered toward Kline.
Alex survived the heat and fire just fine. His clothing, however, was in smoking tatters. Alex sprinted out of the blazing hellstorm and ran towards Kline, intent on taking him down. He tackled Kline with a move that would have made most NFL linemen jealous and brought him down to the ground hard. Kline rolled with the momentum and used it, along with his incredible strength, to throw Alex off his back like a rag doll.
Alex flew across the parking lot, falling in a heap far away from Kline and the helicopter. Kline smiled at his small victory and began running back towards the approaching helicopter, jumping over the wrecked and burning SUV with his arms extended up towards Tate.
Tate reached down and grabbed Kline, helping him climb up onto the platform of the helicopter as it rose quickly, turning south towards Joshua Tree.
Alex stopped running after the helicopter, watching it as it sped away up and over the mountains that ringed the valley.
The Hypertruck, looking slightly more battered, crashed through the burning wreckage of the truck Kline had dropped on Alex’s head. Wheeling to a stop next to Alex, Scott opened his door and watched with Alex as the helicopter faded from sight.
Cursing the retreating helicopter and the billionaire inside, Alex looked at the stack of cars and trucks Kline had been working on before they arrived at the complex. There, in startling detail, was the mesa in the desert. Alex knew it was a message from Kline to Alex, daring him to come rescue Emily.
Siobhan, as the red dragon, landed beside them, then quickly shape shifted back into her normal appearance. She limped over to Alex and grasped his shoulder to help stay standing. She had taken a beaten from the businessman, and the blue glow traveled over her body, fixing the injuries she had received in her fight with Kline.
Alex watched the helicopter retreat over the horizon, then got into the Hypertruck.
“That man is so…infuriating!” Siobhan spat. Her eyes were blazing with anger. Alex made a mental note to make sure he never pissed this woman off. He nodded in agreement as he watched Kline’s helicopter disappear over the horizon.
“Believe me, I know the feeling.” He turned to Scott, his face deadly serious.
“We’re going back to Joshua Tree.”
Scott nodded. “I figured.” He pointed towards the stack of cars. “This isn’t good, is it?”
Alex watched another car explode in the parking lot and shook his head. “No, it isn’t.”
The Hypertruck moved quickly out of the parking lot and back towards the main road. They only had a few hours to get back to Southern California. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be too late.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Emily struggled with the ropes that bound her wrists and ankles. The flight to Joshua Tree had been just over two hours long, plenty of time for her body to slowly come back to life. The torturous end to her frozen state left Emily frightened and weak, but her eyes had never stopped darting about, constantly evaluating her situation.
Unfortunately, Christina was much worse off. She had been sobbing nearly non-stop for the last ten minutes, ever since she had awakened from the neurotoxin. She had only stopped screaming after the bald man had threatened to hit her with the stuff again. Emily shielded Christina’s body as she watched Kline and Geoffrey talk to each other over the headsets wrapped around their heads. Emily kept her head low, her eyes still trained on Kline and Geoffrey’s lips. She had taken several sign language classes, and her professor had taught some basic lip reading. For once, what she learned in school might really save her life.
The pilot clicked the intercom, interrupting Emily’s attempts to read the two men’s lips.
“Sir, we’ll be arriving in Joshua Tree in less than ten minutes. I’d advise sedating our…” The pilot hesitated. He didn’t like being a party to kidnapping, but Kline had assured him there would be a sizable bonus in it if he played the good little pilot and didn’t say anything. The money was probably well worth it, but still, the pilot did what he could to avoid looking in the two women’s eyes. “Err…sedating the cargo for the landing. It may make things easier.”
Emily struggled against the rope that held her down. What she wouldn’t give for five minutes untied. She was a master black belt in Kung Fu, having learned the martial arts as a diversion after Alex’s death. The thought of that stopped her for a moment. She told herself that she needed to stop thinking about him like that. Apparently, Alex was alive. But how? The questions were piling up quickly, and even her massive intellect held no answers. The unknown was usually exciting for a scientist like her because it meant new puzzles to solve, but this was unlike anything Emily had ever experienced. For the first time, she had no idea what the questions even were, and that, more than
anything else, scared her the most.
Geoffrey glanced over at Kline. “He’s right. This one over here hasn’t stopped whining since we picked ‘em up. The neurotoxin is harmless, and it’d save us some trouble.”
“No need for that, Mr. Tate,” Kline replied coolly. “I’m sure these two ladies have become better behaved after our little demonstration back at the telescope array. Isn’t that right?”
Christina nodded quickly, her face smeared with the trails of dried tears. Emily didn’t respond, prompting Kline to lean forward, his rancorous breath in her face. “I said, ‘Isn’t that right?’”
Emily, not wanting to give up anything, only nodded slightly, her eyes betraying the fear rising up to her throat. Whatever happened, she would do whatever she could to not give this bastard the satisfaction of knowing he was winning.
“Besides,” Kline added maliciously, “I have quite a few questions for Ms. Harper over here, and I’d prefer her to have her full facilities for our conversation.”
Geoffrey nodded and put away the needle gun. Emily lowered her head and brought her bound hands up to stroke Christina’s hair as best she could. It was reassuring to both of them that they were still alive, and that the man sitting opposite wasn’t planning on hurting them anytime soon.
Kline smiled. “When we land, bring them with us to the mine. These two lovely ladies are going to see what I’m capable of firsthand.”
Emily whimpered. She might have been wrong.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Damaged by Kline’s assault, the Hypertruck needed a few minor repairs before they headed south in pursuit of Kline’s helicopter. It was obvious where Kline was headed; he had told Alex as much in their conversation, and the sculpture he had left erased whatever doubts might be left. The cars that had been parked neatly in the lot’s rows only a few hours before now lay crunched together in a perfect sculpted recreation of the Mesa in Joshua Tree.
After repairing the Hypertruck as quickly as possible, Scott silently indicated they were ready to go. Climbing into the truck, Scott turned to Alex, wordlessly waiting to hear what their next destination should be. The problem was that Alex knew exactly what the next move was, and he didn’t like it.
Alex had run through all the variables. He had always been particularly good at problem solving. This particular problem however, required a deft touch. Kline was smart, and obviously preparing himself for a showdown with Alex. The key was finding some weakness of Kline’s, something Alex could use against him. What sort of leverage could take down a monster like Kline?
“They’ve got Emily, but they’re not gonna hurt her.” Alex mused out loud. “That’s the good news. They need her.”
“I’m not sure I want the answer to this question, but…” Scott swallowed, “need her for what?”
“Bait.” Alex paused, thinking it all through like he’d been trained. “Kline’s counting on me to return to the Mesa, swap my stone in exchange for her. The problem is that damn stone of his. Plus you heard him talk about this second one he’s about to unearth. If that second stone he’s talking about is anything like the ones we have, we’re screwed. It was hard enough taking him on when he only had one.”
Siobhan cleared her throat nervously. Alex glanced up, looking at her worried expression. “There’s something else you should know about these stones.”
“I’m not gonna like what you’re about to say, am I?” Alex groaned, closing his eyes as he prepared for the bad news.
“I’m afraid not. You see, the stones are designed to reinforce each other. So with each stone you have, the power you can control…umm…doubles.”
“Great,” Scott said glumly, “so he’s really about to kick our asses.”
“I wouldn’t be so defeatist if I were you,” Siobhan purred, glancing at Alex. “Alex here has the most powerful stone there is, after all.”
Alex snorted. “You saw me out there. I couldn’t even hold Kline down for a minute. I got tossed around like a rag doll. How am I supposed to fight that?”
“There’s so much potential within you.” Siobhan’s eyes fluttered as she sighed. “It’s a shame you’re not ready to realize it all yet.”
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever get,” Alex retorted. “I’m just saying, the guy can toss semis around like Frisbees, and I make Band-Aids useless when I touch you. It’s not exactly a fair fight.”
“You’re absolutely right on one point: It isn’t a fair fight.” Siobhan smiled. “You do realize you don’t need to be touching the person to heal them, right?”
“I’m sorry?” Alex asked.
“Your stone provides you with the power to heal someone from afar.”
“Exactly how far away are we talking?” Scott asked.
She shrugged. “It depends on how focused the mind is.”
Scott snorted. “Oh, we're screwed.”
Siobhan shot Scott a dirty look before turning back to Alex. “Your stone is only as powerful as you believe it is. It’s hard to describe it any better than that. Imagine learning how to shoot a gun. I can show you the sights, how to care for it, how much pressure to put on the trigger, but in the end, your skill is dictated by how much you practice and focus on sharpening your prowess.”
“So show me how to use it,” Alex replied firmly. “It’s at least six hours to get to Joshua Tree. Plenty of time to train.”
A smile spread slowly across Siobhan’s face. “I like your enthusiasm.” She turned, withdrawing a knife that she had hidden under her jacket. Before Alex could protest, she stabbed Scott in the arm.
“Holy hell!” Scott screamed as the knife plunged into his arm. “What in God’s name are you doing? Alex!”
“Siobhan!” Alex shouted. “Randomly stabbing people isn’t generally accepted behavior anymore.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” She replied crossly, “It’s easier to use your power on someone if you know and care about them deeply. Since you two are close, the link between you two should be strong enough for a first try.”
“Why can’t you stab yourself?” Scott moaned in pain as he watched the blood trickle down his arm.
“OK,” Siobhan said, cheerfully ignoring Scott’s question, “go ahead and heal him from there without touching him!”
“What did I do to deserve this?” Scott moaned. “I swear I didn’t mean to keep looking at your breasts, I mean, they’re just there, and I’m trying to avert the best I can, but it’s hard, you know…?”
“Shut up, Scott. I can’t concentrate when you’re whining,” Alex said crossly, his eyes screwed shut in deep focus.
Scott looked in disbelief towards his friend. “But she just stabbed me!”
“And I can heal you if you stop whining long enough to let me concentrate. Now shut up before I give you diarrhea.”
Scott shot a panicked look over at Siobhan. “He can do that?”
She shrugged.
“Anything?” Alex asked, his eyes clenched shut.
“I’m not sure, but the sky certainly is a pretty shade of purple.”
Alex opened his eyes and looked at the pale face of his best friend. He leaned forward, intent on healing Scott before it was too late.
“No!” Siobhan slapped Alex’s hand. “Heal him from there. You can do it!”
“I can’t!” Alex yelled back in frustration. “He’s losing a lot of blood. Let me heal him, and we’ll try again with something easier.”
“Priorities; that’s why I’ve always liked you, Alex.” Scott muttered softly, his eyes closing.
“Concentrate!” Siobhan spat at Alex in anger. “You know you have the power. Why aren’t you using it?”
Alex shut his eyes again. This time, he concentrated on a simple image of his best friend. Slowly, other memories from their childhood together began to flash in front of his mind’s eye.
“Let go.” Siobhan whispered. “Let the power flow naturally over you. Don’t fight with the river; direct it.”
Alex nodded, c
losing his eyes again. This time, he felt the release of energy flow over his body.
“Not bad,” Siobhan said proudly. Alex opened his eyes, looking at Scott’s formerly bloody arm. The stab wound had healed somewhat, but not completely.
“You do that a few more times, and you’ll be unstoppable.” Siobhan turned, brandishing the knife in Scott’s face. “Ready to go again?”
“No, nope, I’m good.” Scott replied hastily. “I’ve got to uhh…keep my eyes on the road.” Scott moved out of range of Siobhan’s knife.
“Scott, learning how to heal you from a distance might come in handy during the next fight.” Alex pleaded. “I’ll heal you, I promise. It may take a few times as practice.”
Scott, knowing a good argument when he heard one, just shook his head and rolled up his right sleeve.
“Just try and avoid getting any blood on my clothing this time.” Scott screwed his eyes shut and braced himself on the Hypertruck’s console. Siobhan smiled and stabbed Scott again, this time cutting deeper and closer to the bone.
“Again, Alex. Concentrate on Scott and Scott alone. Let the energy flow…”
As Alex concentrated, the Hypertruck flew down the interstate highway, weaving in and out of traffic towards Kline and whatever he had in store for them.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Emily awoke suddenly to find herself sitting in a chair. A bright light shone down on her head as she squinted around the room, trying to make out any details. Somewhere, water dripped, and then she heard shoes scuff across the dirt floor.
“Hello?” she called out weakly.
No response.
Her heart thudded in her chest. She breathed deeply, concentrating on each breath as it moved in and out of her body. Opening her eyes, Emily looked around, her mind sharp and ready for whatever was in the big, scary, dark room.
A scuff sounded from the dark beyond the light. Emily’s eyes narrowed as she squinted to look beyond the bright lights in front of her.