by Lee Morgan
By noon they made their way there and entered the lobby to find it fairly crowded, but they were lucky that Amphrite and Poseidon decided to change out of their robes and into the usual human variety. Unfortunately they were stopped by a person behind the desk because seeing seven people carrying large gym-bags and backpacks were seen as suspicious, almost terrorist looking in fact.
They walked straight up to the desk before security could be called. Poseidon spoke calmly as he spoke to the middle aged and balding receptionist. “Might I ask your name, Sir.” The Head Elder hid his ancient accent very well.
The man pointed to a tag on his shirt. “My name is Marty. Please open those bags or else I’ll have security do it for you.”
Poseidon’s tone changed to cold and slicing. “Watch you tone with me or I’ll have you fired before you open that accusing mouth again.” The Elder pulled out both a golden key and a some kind of badge from his wallet. He held them both up to the man. “Even a new secretary, only on the job for an hour should recognize this. This should let you understand just who you’re messing with. I’m one of the few who actually own this entire building and everyone rents the office space from me. Do you understand?”
The man had gone from suspicious to worried and apologetic at just a glance from whatever Poseidon showed him. “Yes Sir, I… I understand. Please g…go right on ahead and forgive me for my mistake.”
By now many heads were turned in their direction, but the Head Elder casually tucked the badge in his wallet and slid it in his back pocket.
He turned around, picked up his bags and began walking while still holding that gold key in his hands. They all followed in behind him, made it to one of the elevators and only the seven went inside. Once the door closed Amphrite began laughing and saying “I enjoyed that show thoroughly.”
Poseidon smiled as he put his key into a slot in the elevator and turned it. Then he pushed the button labeled 102. Apparently the key made it an express elevator because it didn’t stop until their destination was reached.
When the doors finally opened, the room was alive with the workers of the station. Immediately Sarah saw three faces that were pictured on the wall. These pictures were extremely old fashioned. She remembered it took four or five minutes to take the photograph back in the day and you couldn’t move at all or else the picture needed to be done over again.
Before her sat the three pictures of Poseidon, Amphrite and someone else she didn’t recognize. Amphrite saw her staring and explained that the third person was a human child they raised once. He was a famous news caster for the radio, but he died in the sixties. Apparently his grand and great grandchildren still work here.
They took not five steps into the hallway when someone yelled “My Lord and Lady?!” a middle-aged and plump looking woman almost ran up to them. The room quieted drastically as the woman approached. She stopped not five feet away and bowed deeply. “Please forgive me, I wasn’t told that you were coming. If I were I’d have thrown a proper reception.”
People were whispering and they soon realized who stood before them. Apparently everyone in this room knew exactly who Poseidon and Amphrite truly were. Everyone stopped what they were doing to bow down to the elders.
Amphrite dropped her bag and sent the sound of metal clashing through the silent room. The Head Elder didn’t disguise her ancient accent as she spoke happily. “Ah little Margret. It is good to see you again. Please rise…everyone.” The woman and the other workers raised themselves up and were looking at the ancients with wonder. “Margret, it has been what… seven years since you’ve become the boss of this floor?”
Margret’s voice quieted as she corrected “It has been eleven years since I’ve seen you, my Lady, but only three since Lord Poseidon has graced us.”
“So it has.” Amphrite said lightly. “I trust you have kept our quarters just the way they were?”
“It is because I’m the only one who is allowed in to clean it. I’ve only added a new television as directed by your husband.”
“Very good. You have done a great service for us. When all is said and done, I shall give a bonus to you and your hard workers.” Then Amphrite stepped back and grabbed the bags again.
“Thank you, my Lady.” Before Amphrite took another step Margret asked “Might there be anything I might be able to get for you and your companions?”
Amphrite looked to Poseidon and he understood. He said “Yes there is something that we will require. Please order…hmm…two hundred large pizza’s with everything on them, minus the anchovies. Take the money from the usual account.” She turned quickly to get to work, but Poseidon said “Wait…” She turned around and Sarah noticed everyone else listening in. “Margret, I want you and your staff to act like nothing is different, but when your shift is over, either go home or leave the city for a few days. No one is to come to work tomorrow. If there are any problems tell everyone they will get paid as if they worked their shift.”
Margret spoke with something between unsure and worry. “My Lord, is something going to happen?”
“Nothing you need concern yourself with. Just stay safe and enjoy your fourth of July. Now we will go and don’t forget our pizzas.” He smiled and began walking down the main hall.
Sarah followed, with her family, down the silent hall as people bowed as the Elders passed. They led them to a massive mahogany door that had been well waxed and glossy. The only difference that showed who the room belonged to was the engraving on the doorknob. On the round handle was engraved with a pentagram. Poseidon put one bag down to take out another key and opened the door. Once he opened it they all entered.
The room itself was rather large and no one could see inside, from outside the doors. The room held a large meeting table on one side and the other held a large sofa that looked to be in great condition while also being decades old. On a far wall held a flat-screen TV that was turned off. Another door stood on an ajoining wall, that led to a bathroom and on the opposite wall led to what she guessed to be a bedroom. Then there was the enormous window that stood before them all.
Sarah dropped her bags, along with everyone else, by the front door. Then she walked up to the window to peer over and around the city. Her parents didn’t like heights, but they did enjoy the view. Unfortunately it wasn’t suited to her tastes. There were too many buildings and not enough nature. The crime rate was huge and there were just too many people. It was also so noisy and confusing, but up here all sounds blended together with the updrafts. Thinking about all this really made Sarah miss her quiet and peaceful home. But all these people were innocent and were going to be slaughtered if they didn’t do something. Lucky for them they are here for that very purpose.
In less than an hour the pizzas arrived and Margret also brought a large wheeled tray filled with an assortment of drinks to the table.
During the meal together Amphrite gained her attention. “Sarah, something has been nagging at me in the back of my mind. When we were given rides on the Keeper’s, I saw Head Elder Sorono looking strangely. I assumed you and Connor were speaking with him using your telepathy.” She took a drink to swallow the rest of her pizza. “My question is; What was said?”
“Connor,” She sighed and noticed everyone looking at her. “is about to do the most foolish thing in the world, that very few have had the guts to even think about. His plan scares me, but I know he has thought this idea through thoroughly.” She sighed again and could sense that he was reassuring her through the bond. “He’s going to practically kidnap…”
There was a sudden pressure against his ribcage. “Connor, it is time for you to awaken.” Then the pressure eased.
His eyes slowly opened and focused in the night. To the right stared Sorono, staring straight at Connor and it made him realize that he had fallen asleep up on a tree branch. He looked around and saw that just about every Keeper that laid on the ground remained fast asleep. Looking at the moon he knew it was the right time. Sorono had woke him up at four in
the morning, as promised.
Jumping down from the tree, Connor quickly remembered what recently happened before landing on the untamed ground.
After Sarah and the other Balancers left for New York City two days ago, Sorono helped him in carrying the crate that Sarah left behind. All of the Keepers and Connor flew straight from Pennsylvania to Virginia. Just like before, they made a raincloud to disguise their mass descent into the Pocahontas State Park. They chose this location because there were plenty of trees and it would be a great place to hunker down for two days and regroup. They kept close and the Keepers all became coldblooded so as to not draw suspicion incase there were any infrared sweeps to give away their location.
While they remained in the large group they didn’t make any fires that created smoke. All ate and rested during this time. Flying so far had reduced all of their energies by a degree so the crates were opened and cooked by their abilities. What they had to do was recharge their energies by resting and relaxing for the coming event.
There were many hikers and campers in the state park, but their force kept clear of the main trails and campsites. There were a few close encounters, but they managed to evade human eyes and had them remain oblivious to their surroundings. The Immortals needed to remain inconspicuous for the time being.
On the ground Connor felt Sarah’s climate and found her fast asleep because her emotions were calm and unstressed at the moment. There were several Keepers who remained awake because they turned their heads to look at his sudden movement. Once they understood, they went back to doing what they wanted.
Not wanting to startle anyone, since Sorono was still in his mind, Connor thought “Well, I’ll get going, once I top off my energy one last time.” Sorono then nodded in silent agreement.
Sorono and Connor silently made their way through the maze of tails, claws and snores to the covered crates and grabbed two handfuls of dried ground beef. Connor packed the meat into a single ball and pulled the moisture in the air to rehydrate the meat. Then he used the surrounding heat to cook the food thoroughly so that the last morning meal was no longer pink. Once it finished cooking he ate the meal. By the last swallow, Connor couldn’t eat another bite. His maximum energy topped off, but it wasn’t painful like it would be for a human who overate and developed a stomachache. It was a satisfied and relaxing feeling that made him feel stable.
Before Sorono used his telepathy, Connor used Liquid to gather the moisture in the air and washed his mouth out. “Today has finally and unfortunately arrived. Are you sure about this plan of yours?”
“I am. We do not have time to wait. You and I know that. Do you remember what you are to do?”
Sorono sighed and reconnected his predatory gaze upon his sibling. “Indeed. I shall awaken our fighters in a few minutes. Upon your signal, all of us will join up with you. We will stay hidden in the outskirts until then.”
Before anything else happened, Sorono knelt down and offered his hand. Connor smiled and shook the clawed index finger. In a whisper he said “I will see all of you very soon. Good luck.” Sorono smiled and his expression said to do the same.
Connor turned around and leapt. Using Pressure, he began flying.
Once air-born he gained a respectable amount of altitude until the city and streetlights illuminated the dark ground. The cool morning air helped remove the fog off his mind and it aided his focus on the task at hand. He then followed the winding roads that led towards Washington D.C. and towards the soon to be battlegrounds. This was Connor’s first time at the nation’s capital, but this wasn’t the time to be visiting. It is on the eve of war. Only a few even knew what is really going on and the humans were entirely oblivious to what approached.
Once he made it into the city, many of the landmarks were easy to recognize from the history books and TV shows. He saw the Smithsonian, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and many other well known sights. The journey reached fruition when Connor began hovering high above a very special place and it was very special building in the history of America.
The White House.
Over the past few months Connor has been racking his brain on how to save as many lives as possible. He researched what needed to aid his plan and this was the only logical solution to it all. He’s gone through every scenario and they almost always pointed to a correct decision. They were already on the defensive, but they couldn’t handle two enemies at once and this would help on one end.
Connor focused only a single flow of energy down his right leg to conserve energy while also maintaining a hovering position. His eyes stayed glued to the lit city beneath him. His only focus was looking for a certain kind of movement.
Now there was only one thing to do…wait.
When the sun first made itself known, his patience finally paid off. There was movement below. From this height Connor counted fourteen dots beginning their daily routine.
He now flowed energy down both legs and began descending towards the earth quickly. Before making his presence known, he flew just close enough to search for the target. Within seconds of the search he thought; There you are. He grinned like Kara when she finds something interesting, and started the plan.
In his hours of research Connor found out that the target does a daily run in the early morning. He is always accompanied by guards that would give their lives for him without a second thought or hesitation. This is the only time he will be out in public until nightfall. This was Connor’s only viable chance.
The target is the President of the Unites States.
He judged and simulated everything one final time before cutting his energy.
Connor dropped from several hundred feet and landed solidly on the White House grounds. The landing was perfect and made the impact that he desired because he landed not twenty feet from the President and his escorts of the Secret Service. The solid impact made a sound that reverberated off solid objects to announce Connor’s arrival even more dramatic. They all stopped dead in their tracks and it took only five seconds until they began to react.
In this lighting, to the humans, it must have looked like a shadow appeared out of nowhere. His presence wasn’t expected nor would it be left unattended to for very long. In this particular landing, Connor had broken who knows how many laws. The sun hadn’t risen high enough so that meant he couldn’t be seen properly. Right now things were just beginning to get interesting.
Each man besides the target stood in a business-like suit to run with the leader of the American people. Even under their suits Connor could see that these men were all in prime physical condition and carried side-arms. None wore sunglasses at this hour, but like in the movies they all had those spiraling earpieces. Just about every guard shaved themselves bald, but that seemed to make their presence known automatically. They would protect the President by any means necessary.
The President was surrounded by his protectors, but he was very easy to spot and he was also the real thing and not a decoy. He wore a jogging suit, but his daily run had been so short that he didn’t have enough time to break a sweat.
He, like the servicemen, stood in shock at Connor’s sudden appearance.
Connor’s brain began moving so fast that they seemed to be moving in slow motion. Despite the impossible speed of his mind, another part of his brain was remaining slow enough to understand what they were saying and doing.
A loud male voice billowed “Get The President Out Of Here!”
As every man began moving, seven of the Secret Servicemen reached into their jackets and pulled out their guns. Within moments each pistol was trained directly on him. No gun wavered at his appearance because these men were trained to react to sudden and unforeseen events. What they haven’t comprehended is that nothing in this world could have prepared them for Connor.
“Put Your Hands Up! You Are Under Arrest!” The same man billowed.
While he spoke, the rest of the President’s protection detail surrounded him and began running in the opposite dire
ction, back to the safety of the White House. Their feet crunching the grassy ground rang in Connor’s ears as the guns that were trained mainly at his head, had their hammers pulled back in preparation to fire.
Connor took a solid step forward to get out of the holes that his landing created. He spoke calmly and clearly to the men holding their weapons at him. “Sorry Boys, but you aren’t worth my time.”
He ran faster than their human eyes could follow as he rounded the runners and stopped in the same distance that he used in the original arrival. Twenty feet seemed more than sufficient to carry out the plan.
Then he heard the billowing man yell “Hey! Where!?”
“Over here, Gentlemen!” Connor announced clearly.
The runners almost tripped over themselves once they saw who stood in front of them. The men who only recently had their weapons drawn on him turned slowly to see his new position. Their expressions were priceless as they tried figuring out what exactly just happened. They quickly came to the conclusion this wasn’t possible, but they still had a job to do.
He remained completely still as everyone in the group with a gun had drawn them specifically for him. Connor grinned playfully at the honor and then said “I’m sorry, but those peashooters won’t have any effect on me.” Then his sights set upon the Commander and Chief. “Mr. President, I wish that we could speak on friendlier terms, but there are events about to unfold that you must hear about. I would like to request that you come with me so that we may speak.”
Behind the phalanx of Secret Servicemen the President finally spoke calmly and with a clear head. He must be used to stressful situations more frequently than the media portrays. “I do not know you nor do I understand what you want. You have trespassed in my home and that can not and will not be tolerated. You are in serious trouble if you think you can come in here, alone, and demand anything.”