by D. N. Leo
“You and your father are just the same. You never have to ask people to give!”
She smiled. “My father would let you think for yourself and make up your own mind about what you want to do with your life. On the other hand, I will prove to you that the way you think about yourself is wrong. I won’t risk my neck invading your privacy for nothing.”
“Good luck! So what have you figured out about Samuel, and how do you plan to use me?”
“There isn’t a Samuel. Samuel is just a form the Shadow takes. And it can take many forms, depending on its purpose—and that’s something I don’t quite know yet. What I do know is that the Shadow is a hybrid of a space creature and a machine. And after witnessing its encounter with you, I think it attacks people’s most vulnerable emotional weaknesses. To do so, it must physically engage with its victim. The baseline for an attack is that it has basic information that you voluntarily give.”
“Identification.”
She smiled. “Yes, so merely filling in a form would be enough. Or verifying yourself at a control panel. Or entering a holocast communication. Based on Gale’s estimation, it has hacked the surface data of the EYE system and stored it. So when it gets your identification, it compiles that with the stolen data and simulates scenarios of your most vulnerable psychological weaknesses.”
“That was what Samuel was trying to do.”
“Yes, once the victim bites the bait…”
“But I didn’t fall into the trap.”
“Unfortunately, Michael, you did. It didn’t have to be a physical reaction or a conscious recognition. Psychologically, your mind registered your deepest emotional wounds without you even knowing or consciously admitting to it. So then the pain is triggered, and your mind will click. It wasn’t you. It was your mind that played tricks on you.”
“Right, but say it gets people upset. Then what?”
“I’m not sure about what will happen in other cases. But in your case, what it tried to do was to get your full biological and psychological profile, copy it, then burn your physical form.”
“Burn me?”
“It didn’t burn you. You burned yourself.”
“Self-combustion?”
“Yes, but it was a slow burn. The longer it takes to collect your profile, the longer the burn is. And because you fought back, it gave me time to jump in and interfere.”
“It’s like getting the information and then burning the original proof of existence?”
“Yes. It chose you because you were the communicator of that holocast. It could have been me, Michael.”
“So how do you want to stop this?”
She smiled. “I need your consent this time so that you won’t accuse me of violating your privacy. But if you help me trace the Shadow and destroy it, when it counterattacks, you now know what it will go for.”
“My most vulnerable emotional wounds.”
“Correct. Do I have your consent?”
“Yes, I give my consent to Lyla J. LeBlanc to use my information in any way she sees fit to infiltrate the infiltrators of her computer system and save her universe from the cyber attack. How does that sound?”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
He held up her injured hands and kissed them. “You’re a hell of a brave woman, Lyla.”
11
Cayson yanked at the chains they had used to secure him to a steel pole in the middle of a stone chamber. It was hopeless, he knew. He had no idea where he was. But he had to do something. The cowards had snatched him from his own bedroom in the middle of the night and had chained him here. Judging by their language, they were most likely Xiilok creatures. He hadn’t had a chance to talk or negotiate. If they wanted to use him as some sort of ransom, wouldn’t they need proof that he was alive?
He heard footsteps. The guard must be bringing him food as he had before. He didn’t plan on touching any of the food they provided, no matter how long they held him captive. Not only was their food too disgusting for him to even think about swallowing, but he was also afraid it may be poisoned.
He wasn’t afraid to die, but he didn’t want to be controlled by any kind of chemical that might cause him to harm people he cared about. He didn’t want to reveal Lyla’s identity. And he would never do anything to jeopardize his future with Fifi—whatever it might be.
He couldn’t afford to daydream now. He had to get out of here. His Eudaizian code of conduct snarled at him from the back of his head, warning him that he might be harming innocent people by what he was thinking of doing. But what about those he cared about? If he did nothing now, harm would come their way.
Thinking no further, Cayson lay down on the ground and pretended to be unconscious. As he suspected he would, the guard panicked when he entered and saw him on the ground. He came closer to him to check on him. Cayson grabbed the guard with one hand and punched him in the temple with his other hand, knocking him out. He wasn’t much of a fighter, but he had learned enough to defend himself.
Cayson grabbed the key from the unconscious guard and freed himself.
Fifi clutched Linx tighter to her body as they sank even deeper into the mud, breathing through two small straws she had made from the hollow stems of giant water lilies. It was the only way the hounds of the brotherhood wouldn’t smell them.
She had thought the brotherhood was the protector of the village. She knew now, however, that they were the ones responsible for capturing innocent citizens. She didn’t know why they had taken her. Her family wasn’t rich. They had an unusual heritage, but that wouldn’t be beneficial in any way to the brotherhood.
It had been a while. Feeling that the hounds had gone, she surfaced, hiding underneath a large leaf. When she was sure the coast was clear, she led Linx to the bank of the muddy pond. The little girl’s body shook with the cold, and she was as pale as a sheet. Fifi held the girl tighter to give her some warmth. She wasn’t sure it how well it would work, because she herself felt as if she was going to freeze to death.
She had two options—die from starvation and the cold or go back to the village to seek answers. She decided to head back to the village. They needed clothes and food, and if the brotherhood had been kidnapping and slaughtering people, she needed to find out why.
They skirted a narrow strip of trees on the black hill. From her vantage point above, she could see the village lit up with torches and bonfires. People walked around in festive costumes. What’s the occasion? she wondered. But soon her questions were answered. The three leaders of the brotherhood marched out into the middle of the open ground—with her parents in chains.
She sat Linx down next to a large tree. “Linx, I have to rescue my parents. Can you stay here by yourself?”
Linx nodded.
“I’ll come back soon. But if I don’t, take this.” She gave her bracelet to Linx. “I have sent a message. Someone named Cayson will come to rescue you. Remember, show this bracelet to him. He has an identical one. If he doesn’t have a bracelet just like this, it’s not him. Don’t go with anyone but Cayson, okay? He’s a good man. He’ll take care of you.”
“Who is he?”
“He’s my husband. Well, he will be if we are ever officially married.”
“So he’s not your real husband?”
“Oh no, darling. He’ll always be my husband, in my heart. The official marriage just gives me permission to bring my family to another universe.”
Linx nodded. “Eudaiz.”
“What?”
“My parents always wanted to go to Eudaiz. They talked about it all the time. Something about an official application. Is that like your marriage?”
“Are you sure they talked about Eudaiz?”
Linx nodded.
Fifi felt a chill run up her spine. She had just found the common denominator between her capture and Linx’s—both of their families wanted to migrate to Eudaiz. But why had the brotherhood killed Linx’s parents? And what did they want from her parents? Why had they captured her in the
first place?
She secured a few large tree branches around Linx for camouflage, then went to the village for her parents.
From behind a small bush close to the village, Fifi saw her parents tied to two large poles. The leader of the brotherhood said, “I asked you one last time, are you willing to give me the list, or will you die for those strangers?”
Fifi felt her blood boil. That was what the brotherhood was all about—the list. Her parents would never agree to giving it up.
There was no time to think. She raced toward the brotherhood’s house. The streets were deserted because everyone was gathered around the bonfire to watch her parents burn. They would die protecting their own kind. They would never reveal the list.
She quickly gathered some dry tree branches. She made a small fire and from it made a trail of fire into the brotherhood’s house. She had grown up learning quite a few tricks from her own people—making fire was just one of them. The fire caught quickly, exploding straight into the dark sky like a giant torch.
It worked. She had caught the brotherhood’s attention just before they burned her parents. The men yelled at each other, scrambling back to the house to put out the fire. But Fifi knew fire. This fire would destroy everything in its way.
As the leaders of the brotherhood headed back to the house, two lower-rank brothers escorted her parents to where they had been held captive.
Fifi stepped out from the dark to stop them.
“Fifi!” her mother cried out. “I knew you’d be fine.”
“Behind you!” Fifi said to the gangsters. They turned around, and two large tree trunks with sharp edges swung at them from a large tree at the side of the road, piercing them from front to back.
She didn’t need to check the men. She knew they had no chance of surviving. Instead, she darted to her parents, untying her father first. Before she could get to her mother, she heard clapping from behind a tree. The three leaders of the brotherhood stepped out.
“Fifi Anton, you’re a brave girl.”
They three of them approached Fifi at the same time.
“Don’t touch my daughter,” her father roared. He picked up a tree branch and charged at the brothers. The leader pulled out a dagger and stood waiting with a smirk on his face.
12
“You’d better be sure about this, Lyla.” Michael adjusted the double daggers on his belt and tucked a couple of hunting knives into his boots. He gave Lyla two knives, tugged at her belt to be sure it was secure, and then looked her over to ensure her safety vest was in place.
“Relax, Michael. I’m trained in basic personal defense. I can handle myself.”
“Not in Xiilok where our technology doesn’t work and real weapons can’t be used.” Michael glanced suspiciously at the dark hillside in Xiilok. They were surrounded by thick bushes and hovering rocks. Any of those rocks could turn into a Xiilok creature and attack them.
“Knives are good enough.”
“I’d prefer a gun.”
Lyla pulled out a small chip and placed it in her palm. “It’s buzzing again. We’re close.”
“Are you sure it’s Cayson?”
“Michael, I know a bit about technology—even more than you do—so stop questioning. This bug is basic. It can’t broadcast our frequency. We won’t get caught. It only pairs up with one device—the bug I placed on Cayson.”
“How the hell did you manage to tag Cayson and not Ryan?”
“Because the night before, Cayson seemed to be more of a loose cannon than Ryan, and I only had one bug with me at the time. I had to make a choice.”
“What if someone or something else got their hands on the bug? What if you’re being lured into a trap?”
“I don’t know…but I told you this is a very primitive tracking device. It’s discreet and effective, but it has limited capacity. That’s why I need you here with me.”
“You just want to tag along with me. I told you I can track Cayson and Ryan without technology. I have contacts here.”
“I know you’re well-connected, but technology is faster. We’re running out of time. I thought we agreed on this.”
“I never agreed to take you here physically.”
“Okay, so I forced you. Can we go now? If you keep whining, I’ll truly believe you’re old.”
Michael shrugged, mumbled some profanity under his breath, and strode ahead. Then he swiveled around, grabbed Lyla, and abruptly forced her to the ground.
“Ow!”
“Shss, someone’s coming,” Michael said.
Lyla focused. Faint footsteps. She glanced at her device. “It’s Cayson.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s the signal of the paired device moving close to this host device.”
It was dark, but they could see the shadow of someone moving toward them. The person slid down a slope and dropped to a tiered rock base just below them. At that point, Lyla and Michael realized they were most likely at the top of the hill.
They crept closer and saw the shadow moving further down. They followed.
Nearer the ground, the bushes were thinner, and they could see farther into the distance.
“Cayson,” Lyla said, seeing his shadow crawling in among the bushes, heading toward what looked like light in the distance.
Then, before they could call out, Cayson stood up and made a run across the open field.
“Damn it,” Michael cursed and grabbed Lyla. “Let’s wait a minute. If he doesn’t get caught running across, then we’ll go after him.”
“You’re going to wait to see if he gets caught?”
“Would you rather we follow him right now, and all of us get caught? Let’s just say that when it comes to physical fights, you’ll have to take my word and trust my experience, okay?”
“Okay.”
Cayson made it across the field safely. They waited a bit longer. Nothing happened. Cayson kept crawling toward the light.
“Let’s go!” Michael said, and he and Lyla ran toward Cayson.
The closer they got to him, the clearer their view of the light was. It appeared to be a village of some sort.
Cayson must have been focused so intently on the village that he didn’t hear Michael and Lyla approaching.
“Cayson!” Lyla called when they stood almost right next to him.
Cayson was startled. “Lyla?”
She signaled him to keep silent. They looked toward the village.
“Is that where Fifi and her family live?” Michael asked.
Cayson nodded.
“Let’s go, but take it slowly,” Michael said.
They moved a little closer and heard someone sobbing. Michael whirled around, grabbed a large tree branch and tossed it aside, and thrust his dagger forward, anticipating an attack.
A timid little girl was crouched on the ground. Seeing the dagger, she started to cry.
Lyla grabbed her and held her close. “Shss, it’s okay. We’re friends.”
The girl looked at Lyla and then at the men behind her.
“Put your weapon away,” Lyla said.
Michael tucked the dagger back into his boot.
“See, we mean you no harm,” Lyla said. “Are you from over there?” She nodded in the direction of the lights.
The girl nodded.
“You’re hiding here, so you obviously don’t want to go back. If you tell us who you’re hiding from, we’ll make sure they don’t find you,” Michael said.
The girl shook her head.
“What’s your name?” Lyla asked.
“Linx.”
“Where are your parents?” Cayson asked.
The girl’s eyes gleamed with tears.
“Wrong question, Cayson,” Michael muttered. To the girl, he said, “We won’t let anyone hurt you. But you shouldn’t stay here alone in the dark. You should go with us. With Lyla. See, she’s your friend.”
“Fifi said I can only go with Cayson.”
“What?” Cayson exclaimed. “Fi
fi? Where is she? I’m Cayson. She sent me a signal, but I couldn’t find her.”
“What signal? Are we being tracked?” Lyla asked.
Linx looked up at Cayson. “Show me the bracelet,” she said.
Cayson pulled out a bracelet. Linx pulled out an identical one.
“Where’s Fifi?” Cayson asked. “In the village?”
Linx nodded. “She said if she doesn’t come back, her husband will come and get me.”
“She called me her husband?” Cayson said.
“What signal did she give you?” Lyla asked.
Cayson pulled out a small charm in his pocket. It glowed. “She said it’s her spirit. It will guide me to her.” He thrust the charm into Lyla’s hand and then turned toward Linx. “Did she go back to the village?”
“She said she’d come back for me, but she said if she didn’t, you’d find me.”
Cayson turned around and raced toward the village.
Lyla picked Linx up. Michael ran after Cayson.
At the edge of the village, they could see the bonfire. The village people gathered in a corner. A group of menacing men walked back and forth in front of the crowd.
“The brotherhood!” Linx said, eyes wide.
“Do you mean those scary-looking men walking in front of those people?” Lyla asked.
The girl nodded. A tear rolled down her face. “They took me. And Fifi told me they killed my parents.” She started crying again, and Lyla pulled the girl into her arms to give her some comfort.
Two gangsters dragged a dead body from a dark corner and placed it next to the fire.
“Fifi!” Cayson cried out when another man brought her out, a knife against her throat.
Michael grabbed him. “Calm down. If they wanted to kill her, they would have already done it. They’re keeping her alive because they want something. We need time to think…and plan. We’re outnumbered, Cayson.”
Cayson calmed down, but Michael still had this hands on his shoulders.
A second woman was brought out.
“That’s Fifi’s mother,” Cayson said. “I guess the dead body is her father’s.” A tear rolled down his cheek.