Masked

by RB Stutz

  I looked down at Sara, still sleeping soundly against my body and quickly lost the thought of the people I only knew in dream. I had someone now, warm and real. Someone I loved and knew loved me. Trying to wonder what was and what might have been, was a road that might never find a destination. Taking the road that lead to Sara was a route I knew would lead to perfect happiness.

  Also, dwelling on what may have once been was not fair to Sara. She deserved someone devoted to her completely, without a phantom past.

  The sudden realization that I really had to pee hit me. Maybe that’s why there had been all the water in the dream. I tried to gently move away from Sara. She stirred, but didn’t wake. I made sure she was adequately covered and then headed towards the bathroom, stumbling over items scattered on the floor, unseen in the dark.

  Before I made it to the bathroom door, I noticed a rhythmic choppy sound coming from outside. I guess it was there before, but whatever it was, the sound was growing louder. Was it a helicopter? My Spidey senses started to tingle. Something was wrong.

  I tripped over several other things as I tried to rush to the window, cursing the blasted darkness as I went. Finally I made it and opened the blinds. Our room was on the backside of the house and had a nice view of the lake. All I could see now was moonlight dimness and lights rapidly moving through the sky towards us.

  A fear based chill ran down my spine and before I had a chance to turn towards Sara I saw another, brighter more orange light erupt from the approaching helicopter. This new light rocketed towards the house. It only took me a fraction of a second to realize the new rocketing light was just that, a rocket, but that was still too late.

  The brightness zoomed right towards us, our room in fact. I dove from the window, crashed into cluttered darkness as the world around me filled with noise, heat and pain.

  CHAPTER 30

  It’s amazing I was still conscious, especially given my track record. I may have blacked out, when the rocket first hit but it couldn’t have been for long. I felt some pain in my right arm and side, but it was tolerable. As I tried to move, I realized the outside facing wall of the room was mostly on top of me. The ringing in my ears started to fade and I could hear again the rhythmic beat of the blades, loud, close.

  Now free from the shock induced stupor, I tried to assess the situation. I was on my chest and half the room was on top of me. The pressure of the debris made it hard to move, but I was able to shift enough to get my hands underneath me. As I lifted in a push up, a sharp jab of pain flared in my right arm and side. Ignoring the pain, I brought my knees to my chest, planting my feet on the ground and then pushed up with my legs, enabling me to break through the debris. I felt stone, glass and wood cut into me as I did, but ignored it. I had to get to Sara.

  Facing away from the outside wall, I saw what they’d hit us with had blown straight through to the other side of the house. Quickly, I turned to the other side of the room. It was brighter than it had been before due to the gaping hole in the wall and the helicopter lights just outside.

  I looked to where Sara had been and could only see debris covering that spot on the floor. Ignoring the helicopter, I tried to move through the wreckage towards Sara. I heard shouting and weapons fire from outside. I looked back towards the sounds and two figures, dark against the dim light, appeared just inside the room.

  I didn’t think. Not about the fact it was a two story fall to the ground, not that Sara could be hurt underneath the wreckage, not that I hadn’t had the chance to pee yet, or the fact I was only wearing briefs. I just acted.

  I launched myself towards them. My bloodied, dirty almost naked body hit its targets and all three of us fell through the gap, hitting the ground hard. Since I used their motionless bodies to land on, shielding me from the impact with the pieces of fallen house, their fall was a bit harder.

  It took me only seconds to catch my breath and I went for one of the assault weapons lying nearby. Once in hand I backed up against the house, finding some cover behind the wreckage. The helicopter was hovering over the space between the house and the lake. Down towards the lake, I could barely hear more weapons fire over the sound of blades above me.

  It sounded like Alex was holding them off, at least for now.

  I’d never had the occasion to shoot down a helicopter before, but thought it might be possible with the weapon I held. Raising the rifle, I aimed at the rotor and pulled off a burst of shots. A dim barrier of blue light appeared covering the helicopter just short of the blades. My shots had no effect.

  “You’ve got to be freaking kidding me! A helicopter with a force field! Not fair!”

  Since I wasn’t going to be able to shoot it down, I decided I needed to get back up to where Sara was. Would they let me? They’d literally caught me with my pants down and having one of those new PTD’s right then would have been handy.

  Suddenly I remembered I did have the ability to read people’s minds; in the heat of everything happening, it hadn’t occurred to me to try and reach out to Sara.

  Trying to ignore the commotion, I focused above me, back into the shambles of the house, at where Sara had been sleeping. I tried for several seconds but couldn’t make any contact. There was either no conscious thought there to connect with or I was being blocked. I hoped it was the later. She’d be okay, I convinced myself.

  I was trying to re-focus when my concentration was interrupted by a piercing pain in my right arm. I looked up as more figures dark against the light from the helicopter popped into being in the space just under the hovering vehicle. Each of the six figures appeared six feet above the paved earth. They hit the ground and moved towards me without even a stagger, never losing their stride.

  There was nowhere for me to go but towards them. If I was to have any chance of getting to Sara, I needed to take care of them first. The weapons fire I’d heard before from the direction of the lake house was gone. That meant someone had won that fight. I could only hope it was Alex and Laura.

  Wearing only my underwear, ignoring the now multiple injuries to my right arm and full bladder, I jumped from my position of cover, towards six fully armed and clothed soldiers. Yes, I know I shouldn’t have been focused on my bladder, but I’d really had a lot of beer that night.

  In the couple seconds it took me to reach the group, they were able to fire off a several shots which luckily missed. The one shot I got off as I ran, hit its target, dropping one opponent, at least temporarily.

  I jumped up and came down with a round house kick to the head of one and a downward punch to another, landing right in the middle of them. If I could keep the fight close, I hoped there was less chance of them being able to effectively use their weapons against me.

  There was an impact to my side and then another to the side of my head. Pushing through the pain and dizziness, I didn’t allow myself to slow down. With my left, I raked the assault weapon hard across the face of one attacker and threw a side kick to another. Turning behind me I was able to put a bullet in another. I’m not sure where it hit, but he fell.

  One of them got a shot off too, as I felt it go through my side. The spot exploded into fiery pain, but I could tell the bullet had gone straight through. I knew it would soon heal, so I ignored the pain and keep swinging.

  For each one I knocked down, one or two more rose back up, seemingly recovered and ready for more. Fatigue and injury were rapidly setting in, working to wear me down. I knew I couldn’t keep it up for much longer, but also knew my only choice was to try. They weren’t there to load us up with tranquilizers and take us back like before. They were there to take care of us for good. The rocket and live rounds made that apparent.

  A fist hit my head. I spun and fell back. As I did I saw another figure moving fast towards me. I hit the ground on my back, but now energized with renewed hope, I rolled out of it and tried to get back on my feet. I guess I wasn’t as renewed as I’d thought: I found I could barely stand.

  James was now engaged with two of the Tit
an soldiers, laying heavy blows and, lucky for me, the other two still standing had their attention focused on the surprise entrance of James. With a side kick to one and a right hook to the other, James’ took out his two, then turned on the other two and took them out as well, seemingly effortless.

  All six were now down on the ground. James picked up one of the fallen weapons and put a shot into each of their legs.

  “That’ll keep them put for a while,” he said.

  Apparently realizing their men were down; the helicopter lifted off and moved towards the lake.

  James smiled. “Wow, a real wild man. Fighting out here fist to fist in your man panties.”

  “Shut up,” I said back and added “thanks.”

  Now with the fight over, at least momentarily, and the adrenaline levels decreasing, the intensity of pain for my various injuries was suddenly apparent. It hit me at once and I stammered in shock. They’d really kicked the hell out of me. Of course, it had been me against six super-powered armed men and just after I survived an explosion. I should’ve got credit for that.

  “No problem. Sorry I didn’t get here any sooner,” James said.

  He noticed my wincing. “Are you okay?”

  “I think so, just need time to heal.”

  “Where are the others? Where’s Sara?” he asked.

  I quickly filled him in. “Sara is still upstairs. I need to get up to her. The rocket hit the house while she was asleep on the floor. I didn’t have a chance to get through the rubble before I was attacked. I haven’t seen Alex or Laura. There was weapons fire down by the lake house, but it stopped.”

  James picked up one of the fallen assault weapons. “You go get Sara and I’ll check out the lake house,”

  “Be careful. I’m not sure who won the fight down there. There could be more Titan agents. Once I know Sara is safe, I’ll be down,” I said.

  “Will do,” James said and added with a smile “and try to at least find some pants.”

  He turned and dashed towards the lake house and was just out of sight when I hear a woman’s voice from behind me. “Drop the weapon and turn around slowly.”

  It was another voice I knew from my past. It seemed to be the day for reunions.

  All the things I could do, other than what she asked, ran through my mind, all of which involved a significant amount of maneuverability and physical exertion. My stiff broken body could do little more than walk, so any of those alternatives were not really feasible. I didn’t have any viable options so I turned around to find Emily with her weapon fixed on me.

  Since I was apparently about to die, the fact I really wanted a pair of pants shouldn’t have been the prominent thought in my mind, but it was. Standing in your briefs in front of a girl you know, but not in an intimate way at gun point is one of those really awkward moments in life. It was happening to me and any pants would do.

  “Hey Emily. It seems you’ve caught me at an awkward moment. How are you?” I tried to be casual.

  “I thought Alex was supposed to be the humorous one?” She asked with a straight face.

  “I’m just trying to compensate for the lack of clothing. Do you think I can get something to cover up with before we proceed?” I was half serious.

  She showed just barely a smile. “No, I think I’ll keep you just like this. You’re more vulnerable this way.” She assessed what she saw and added insult to my already injured dignity. “I pictured you as more of a boxer guy. I just can’t see what it is Sara ever saw there.”

  “Okay, now that all of the niceties are behind us I assume you want something or you would have just shot me in the back when you had the chance?”

  “I want Sara. You tell me where she is and I will let the rest of you live.”

  Why did they want only Sara? Were they just trying to pick up where they left off over a year ago? Was that still what this was all about? Was it possible that she was the only one of us they were aware of with other abilities?

  “Why do you think I’d give her up now?” I asked.

  Emily smiled. “I don’t think you will, but maybe I can get her to show herself to me.”

  I could hear the blades of the helicopter again. It was circling back.

  “Let’s see if she’s willing to sacrifice herself for you. If my guess is correct she will. Now get down on your knees with your hands behind your head.”

  I didn’t do what she asked, but tried to scan her thoughts. It took a couple of seconds but I got in. It was only for a moment. I lost the connection when a familiar pain coursed through me and brought me to my knees.

  I’d seen it coming but couldn’t get out in time. I blinked up at Emily who seemed a little off balance and holding one of the blue electrode tipped rods that was used on me before at the HUB. She gathered herself before I could and prodded me again holding it against my chest for what seemed like an eternity but probably was only a few seconds.

  Fire burned in her eyes, fueled either by anger or fear. I wasn’t sure which. “What did you just do to me?”

  There was only one other time when the person whose mind I’d been intruding felt me there. I hadn’t been able to figure out why that pathetic excuse of a man back at the Idaho truck stop had sensed me. It seemed Emily had a similar experience.

  I caught my breath and moved into a seated position before I could answer. “What do you mean?” I grinned.

  She raised the gun again. “I guess it’s of no matter right now.”

  The helicopter was getting louder. It was definitely on its way back. For the very short time I spent in her head I saw she was telling the truth about wanting Sara alive. My assumption was correct. Sara was the only one they knew who had developed an additional ability. They wanted to finish their tests and try to reproduce the effect in their other soldiers. She planned to kill the rest of us though, either way.

  Emily’s voice boomed. “Sara. I have your boyfriend here. I came for you. I’ll kill everyone here unless you come with me.”

  “I know you can hear me. You have only until the helicopter arrives. After that, we will destroy everything and everyone here.”

  Obviously Emily didn’t know Sara was in the room hit with the rocket and was probably still lying helpless under the rubble of that demised part of the house. I didn’t think Emily was going to get a response and not knowing what happened near the lake I couldn’t count on Alex or James for any help. I could only count on action from myself. If I failed, we would all perish.

  Once the burden was appropriately laid across my shoulders, I once again forced myself away from the pain, fatigue and hopelessness of the situation. There had to be something I could do.

  I still didn’t see any other Titan agents aside from Emily and the six James had finished off, still lying on the ground. The helicopter was getting louder and would be back in position in only a matter of seconds. I needed a distraction.

  I looked around and saw there were no weapons or anything I could use as a weapon I could get to before Emily would stop me. There was no cover close enough for me to flee to. No matter how much I pushed it back, the fact was after the tangle with the six agents, I was too weak and injured to take on Emily.

  An idea came and I quickly tried to refocus on Emily’s mind. Since I’d just been there, it took only a second to reconnect. Instantly, I saw she sensed my presence but it distracted her for a split second, which was what I wanted. I severed the connection and moved to her before she realized what I was doing.

  I barreled into her legs and knocked her to the ground. The electrode and gun flew from her hands. I dove for the gun, got it in hand and turned back to meet the blue light of the electrode coming at me. I was too slow. It hit my weapon arm and I lost my grip on it before I could get a shot off. She followed with a left hook to my head and I landed back on the ground. I’d failed.

  I looked up and saw the helicopter moving back into place, hovering above the property. Something large soared towards it impacting with its side. I saw the di
m protective shield again upon impact, but it wasn’t enough to protect the helicopter from the force of the hit. As the helicopter tried to compensate, another something hit, followed by another. Debris rained down.

  Shifting my eyes up towards the house, I saw another large chunk of what used to be house fly from the cavity where the rocket had hit towards the helicopter. Then, I saw her, pale in the light from the moon and the struggling helicopter. Sara was throwing the wreckage of the house, using the sheer power of her mind and like me, doing it in only her underwear.

  CHAPTER 31

  Sara hurled another large piece of wrecked house at the helicopter and her aim was true. With a loud grinding sound and a painful crunch, the blades stopped spinning and the large machine dropped to the earth.

  I looked up at Emily, who was understandably distracted by the destruction of their largest advantage. She was glaring at Sara still standing up in the house, cold hate in her eyes and no longer paying any attention to me. As her weapon hand rose I pushed all exhaustion and weakness back one more time and launched myself from the ground. I barreled into Emily before she was able to get a shot off at Sara.

  The power and surprise of the impact threw her off of her feet. She didn’t have a chance to recover before I was on top of her, and having picked up the electrode from the ground, I shoved the crackling blue end right at the base of her neck. Her body convulsed under me as I held it there for several seconds. I moved it away and after a few remaining shutters, she was still.

  I stood up next to the motionless Emily to find Sara at my side. We embraced for a several long seconds.

  “Are you okay?” I asked finally pulling away.

  “I’m fine.”

  “I was worried about you. When I couldn’t get back up there, I tried reaching out with my mind. I couldn’t find you,” I said.

  “I think I was unconscious. I woke up covered in rubble. When I got free, I heard Emily shouting for me. I saw you on the ground with her and the helicopter was coming. I decided to take it out of the equation,” Sara said.