Takoda rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky. In the distance, he heard sirens. Closer, he picked up the sound of someone nearby. He would have turned to look but the smell of the approaching jakali negated the need. Takoda thought of his wife and her last moments fighting off her jakali attacker. He thought of Avana and wondered if she had fallen prey to one too. Closing his eyes, he said a prayer to the four gods, asking for a quick death and a reunion with his beloveds.
The snarling beast pressed against his ribs. He felt a heavy weight on his chest and heard a thud land next to his head. The jakali puffed hot breath against his neck. Gritting his teeth, Takoda braced for the end. The beast hissed in his ear. “Don’t…give…up.”
The hot breath on Takoda’s neck abated as did the pressure against his ribs. The snarls began to fade. Confused, Takoda opened his eyes. The jakali was staggering away, heading for the woods behind the property. As his mind grappled to make sense of the bizarre encounter, Takoda was reminded of the heavy weight on his chest.
He looked down and saw what looked like a socket wrench. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something black by his head. Turning to look at it, he discovered a backpack. On the ground around it, vials of a golden color were strewn about the grass.
Ke'e Cove
Kauai, the Hawaiian Islands
Ellie was waiting for the five Vipers as they emerged from the jungle onto the sandy beach. Behind her, the remains of the NASF escape craft ebbed in the surf. The lead Viper began spraying the beach with laser fire while three others strafed the jungle trail in a rearguard defense. But it was the Viper in the middle of the squad Ellie had in her sights. In its grip was the flailing Avana, kicking, hitting and screaming at the android.
Rising from the protection of a rocky outcrop half-buried in the surf, Ellie fired at the legs of Avana’s captor. It toppled onto the beach, spilling Avana in a tumble of sand. The lead Viper raked Ellie’s arm with a beam, severing the limb and sending her rifle into the water.
Behind her, she detected the high-pitched roar of an engine. As she turned to determine its source, another laser shot from the lead Viper cut off her leg below the knee and she fell into the surf.
Caelan arrived on the beach to see Ellie disappear beneath the water. “Hold on luv, I’m a-coming!” Accompanied by three of his Makoas and Ake, Caelan barked out commands, “Elvis, cover the girl! The rest of ya take out the bloody Vipers!”
Looking up, he saw a seaplane splashing across the water, headed for the beach. Vipers at the open door on the side of the plane’s belly fired onto the sand.
More Makoas raced by Caelan, ones he did not recognize, led by a large Hawaiian rumbling full speed toward Avana. Caelan joined the onrush, firing at the plane while the others concentrated on the Vipers.
The aircraft exploded with a mighty echo, deafening Caelan. Pieces of flaming debris sprayed the beach as the Makoas vanquished the last of the Vipers. Eyes riveted on the surf, Caelan dashed across the sand. A blur passed by him. Stumbling forward on adrenalin alone, Caelan reached the water’s edge just after Ake dove into the ocean.
He waded into the surf, intending to dive beneath the surface and follow Ake when he saw the Steel poke his head above the water. Trailing behind him, another head appeared. Her long black hair matted against her face. Caelan smiled. He had never seen such a beautiful sight.
CHAPTER 25: SNATCH OP
Ke'e Cove
Kauai, the Hawaiian Islands
Absent of the gunfire, explosions and lasers, an eerie calm descended upon the cove. Akela dropped his weapon and walked toward Avana. He could feel the wind whipping across the sand, but not its whistle in his ears. He could see birds flying into the jungle, but could not hear their songs. Even the waves seemed hushed to Akela, as if they, too, were in a state of shock.
He knelt by the shivering Avana curled up next to Bora, tears streaming down her face. She climbed into Akela’s arms and buried her face against his chest. She was saying something, but her words were muted to Akela’s ears.
Looking around, he saw a redheaded man carrying a damaged android. He was flanked by three Makoas. The man was smiling while he talked to the android in his arms. Behind them walked a fourth android, a Steel class if Akela was not mistaken. He held two android limbs in his hands, presumably those of the damaged andro carried by the man. Akela recognized none of them. Who are they? Where did they come from? They do not look like pirates. They helped to rescue Avana.
Three of his village Makoas, including Bora, met the strangers halfway across the beach and exchanged greetings. Bora turned in Akela’s direction and pointed. The redhead man handed the android in his arms to one of the Makoas and headed for Akela. Lifting Avana, Akela stood and waited for him.
Muted sounds began to filter into his ears. Though the man’s voice sounded as if he were standing a hundred yards away instead of three feet, Akela heard him say, “Is the lass okay?”
Akela looked down at the still-shivering Avana. “I think so.”
The man blew out a long burst of air, his cheeks puffing as he exhaled. “Thank heavens.” He reached out and touched Avana’s shoulder as he asked Akela, “How about the rest of your people? Do you need help tending them?”
“Who are you?” Akela asked.
“Name’s Horn. Caelan Horn.” He smiled and extended his hand. “Your lads said your name is Akela. Pleased to meet ya.”
While shaking Caelan’s hand, Akela said, “It appears our village owes you and your Makoas thanks, Caelan Horn, though I am at a loss to understand what this madness was all about.”
“Aye. Sorry about that. Had we gotten here sooner, we might have stopped the madness before it began. But don’t thank me. Thank that lass right there.” He pointed to the injured android. “Her name is Ellie, and if it weren’t for her, my lads and I wouldn’t have tagged along.” As Akela turned to look at Ellie, Caelan said, “She belongs to this little lass’s father. She was sent here to rescue her.”
Akela felt Avana stiffen. She lifted her head from his chest and said, “My father?”
“Aye. Takoda Wells is his name, I believe. Seems he got himself in a spot of trouble with the New Atlantians. They sent these nasty Viper buggers to take you hostage.”
Avana asked Akela to put her down. For a moment, she seemed caught in a memory. She stared into space with vacant eyes, her mouth hanging open. Akela imagined she felt very confused.
When parents of pre-jakalis sent their children away to a refuge, they severed all contact. It was a bitter practice but one Akela understood. Maintaining contact made the transition much harder for children and parents. But it left the children feeling abandoned. They didn’t understand their parents still loved and missed them. They didn’t realize their parents felt guilt and remorse for their decision. They couldn’t comprehend the rationality of the separation. They just felt tossed aside, unloved, unwanted.
So, it was likely shocking for Avana to hear her father had sent a band of mercenaries to rescue her. Akela placed his hand on her shoulder. She reached up and placed her hand on top of his. Speaking to Caelan, she said, “You know my father?”
“No, not me, luv. Never met him.”
“But you do?” Avana asked Ellie.
The android nodded and smiled. She tried to speak but only static sounded from her mouth.
“Her voice module’s fried,” Caelan said.
Avana rushed forward and hugged Ellie. With her one good arm, Ellie hugged her back. Avana then wheeled around and addressed Akela. “We need to take her to the garage and fix her up. I want to talk with her.” She turned back to Ellie. “Is your comms module still working? Can you send a message to my father?”
Akela watched Ellie look away to the Steel standing nearby. He came forward and knelt by Avana. “I can try, squirt. I work for your dad too. Name’s Akecheta. Most humans call me Ake. I can also translate for El. You can talk with her through me.”
As Avana began a procession of qu
estions, Akela heard his name being called from behind. He turned to see Malo dashing across the sand. “Chief! Come quickly! Natti. Kaleo. Lotus took them! They’re gone!”
With the entourage from the beach following behind, Akela headed back to Limahuli while listening to Malo. The medic told him that he returned to the infirmary after triaging injured villagers to discover Natti and Kaleo were no longer there. He said he didn’t panic at first, initially thinking the two teens had sought shelter elsewhere in the village.
“But then, as I was forming a search party, RJ ran in and told me Lotus had fled with Natti and Kaleo. He said he followed them into the jungle but couldn’t keep up. They were running too fast. RJ said he turned back when he heard jakalis.”
“Jakalis?” said Caelan. “You’re saying your people were taken by jakalis?”
“Taken may be too strong a word,” Akela said, continuing his march to the village.
On the beach, Malo had said Lotus had taken them. But what he described now sounded to Akela as if the two teens had left with Lotus willingly. He turned to Malo. “What about the device Lotus used to treat Natti and Kaleo? Is it still in the infirmary?”
“No. I was just about to tell you that. The backpack with the vials is gone too.”
Akela nodded his head. Lotus had gone to the infirmary to retrieve her injector and vials, saw Natti and Kaleo and probably feared they were at risk of capture, just like Avana. “All right, Malo, take Avana and the others to the village. Bora, follow me.
Caelan ran up beside Akela. “Forgive me for intruding, Chief. If some of your people have been taken by jakalis, you’ll need more than one Makoa to get them back. Trust me, I hunt them for a living.”
Forging ahead, Akela said, “I do not go to hunt jakalis. I go to find their tamer.”
Beacon lab
Eagle Butte, South Dakota
Exhaustion finally won out. Yon laid her head down on the desk and nodded off with visions of protein molecules dancing in her mind. They seemed to crash against each other like waves on rocks, some binding as they met while others bounced off and fell away into nothingness.
As she descended into a dream, the bound proteins became snakes, slithering all over her. They hissed and bit at her body. Yon swatted and squirmed to get away but they held her down. She looked up and saw a giant cobra swaying over her head. It bared its teeth as if ready to strike and then it split into two, one red, the other blue.
They began to fight one another, causing the other snakes to slacken their hold on Yon. She scurried free and began to run away. No matter how fast she pumped her legs, the sound of hissing snakes seemed only a step behind.
Yon felt a jolt and stumbled. And then another jolt knocked her off her feet. Something had her by the arm and was yanking at it, over and over. Yon swept her free hand to knock her captor away. When her hand struck, it felt as if it had hit solid rock.
“Get away,” Yon screamed.
“Wake up, Dr. Fujita! Wake up!” said her assailant.
Yon’s eyes flashed open and she sprang up from the desk. Through blurry eyes, she saw Cassidy in front of her, the android’s charred face and torso as black as night. “I’ve just heard from Hawkeye. We have to go! Now!”
“What?”
“NASF knows where we are. We have to go. Gliders are on the way,” said Cassidy.
Still groggy, Yon nodded her head and allowed Cassidy to drag her by the arm out of the lab and down the hall. While the android ran, she said, “Dr. Wells has been injured. There is a car outside. It will take you to him.”
This latter news sped through Yon’s brain like a triple shot of espresso. “He’s injured? What happened?”
“I don’t have any details. As soon as I know more, I will call you.”
“Wait? You’re not coming with me?”
“No. I’ve been instructed to take the Hearns women to a new hiding place.”
They rushed outside the building. Yon was shocked to see it was daytime. She shielded her eyes as Cassidy pushed her into the rear of an idling cruiser and shut the door. Yon heard two taps on the roof and the self-driving auto sped off. For a moment, the stunned Yon sat in silence, mouth agape, staring out the window. The car was five miles outside of town before she realized she had no phone. She had given hers to Cassidy after the confrontation over Takoda’s earlier call.
Querying the vehicle holonode, Yon said, “Do you have Cassidy Willow’s comms link stored? I need to reach her.”
“I’m sorry. You are not authorized for that function.”
“Then turn around. Return to the lab. I need to retrieve my phone.”
“Rerouting. Projected travel time is eight minutes, twenty-two seconds.”
As soon as the vehicle executed a U-turn, Yon saw billowing smoke in the distance. Five minutes and four miles later, she realized she could not return to the lab. It was no longer there, nor was the garage where they had sheltered after fleeing from Cannon Ball. “Oh, my God,” she whispered. “Hoot…her GODD chip…”
Yon ordered the holonode to stop the vehicle. It complied after pulling onto a side street. Yon tugged at the door handle. “Let me out.”
The door lock disengaged and Yon exited. Standing on the side of the road, she listened to the wail of sirens approaching the firestorm from every direction. She thought of Cassidy and Sarah Hearns. Had they made it out before the glider attack? It would have taken the android a fair bit of time to go from the lab to the garage, load the injured Sarah and her daughters into an escape vehicle and drive away. Too much time, thought Yon.
She reentered her vehicle and once again queried the computer node for a connection with Cassidy’s transmitter.
“I’m sorry. You are not authorized for that function.”
“Override. This is an emergency.”
“Emergency override denied.”
“Look, there are buildings on fire. Cassidy and other people I know may have been inside. I need to find out if they are okay.”
Yon stared at the blank computer display as she waited for an answer to her appeal. Finally, the holonode replied, “Override authorized. Attempting connection…”
After another stretch of silence, the node said, “Unable to establish a connection.”
“Keep trying,” Yon said. “In the meantime, drive to Euclid Street. There is, or was, a garage there near the intersection with this road.”
“I’m sorry, Euclid Street is closed to all but emergency responders at this time.”
“Then drive me as close as you can. And keep trying to connect with Cassidy.”
A few moments later, Yon was out of the car and walking toward the inferno. She scanned the rubble and burning debris scattered up and down the street. No one could have survived that, she thought. Nevertheless, she approached an ambulance and queried a medic about casualties. With a glum expression, the man told her they had yet to discover anyone, wounded or otherwise.
“What about androids?” Yon asked.
“Lady, if there were any andros in that garage when it went up, they went up with it.”
Yon stood beside the medic and watched the blaze until a policeman marshaled her away from the scene. On the way back to her vehicle, she pondered whether the holonode would authorize a second emergency connection, this one with Hawkeye. Unless the node was able to link with Cassidy, Yon had no other option to find out what was going on during the long ride to Thunder Bay.
Inside the cruiser, once again heading north out of Eagle Butte, Yon mouthed the node’s response to her request to link with Hawkeye. “I’m sorry, emergency override denied.”
In the jungle, heading toward Lotus’ jakali colony
North Shore, Kauai, the Hawaiian Islands
The moment Caelan caught the first whiff of jakali stench, he slowed to a walk. Three of his Makoas following close behind slowed as well. Sniffing the air, he turned to his left and saw stomped plants and broken branches leading down a hillside. He raised his fist next to his head,
telling his Makoas to stop.
Caelan bent low and looked up ahead. Akela, Malo and three of the village Makoas continued to run along the thin trail. They had obviously missed the jakali hillside detour. He did not dare yell to alert Akela. There were jakalis nearby, Caelan could feel their presence. In a whisper, he said, “Elvis, transmit a message to Akela’s Makoas. Tell them we’re making a side trip. Include our coordinates and activate a beacon so they can track us. Ask them to reciprocate. And tell them to keep their comms open. We’ll do the same.”
“Roger that.”
Motioning to the underbrush, Caelan whispered to another of his Makoas. “Prince, scan the cut-through, there. Tell me what you see.”
The crouching Prince duckwalked forward and swiveled his head slowly, moving it back and forth across the path of disturbed foliage. “No jakalis in range, though some did cut the path. Their oil coats many of the leaves. Judging by the large number of broken branches, they were moving fast.”
Jakalis moving in daylight? Were they running from something or chasing something? Caelan wondered. “Can you tell how many?”
“A small party. While their oil is on many leaves, it is not thick.”
“Sir, Akela’s lead Makoa, Bora, acknowledged our message,” said Elvis.
“Good. All right, lads. Let’s see where this path leads. Prince on point. Elvis, you have the rear. MJ, you’re behind me.”
The slope of the hillside was steep. Very steep. And slippery. A rain shower had popped up and now misted the mix of volcanic rock and red clay beneath their feet. Through gaps in the trees, Caelan saw glimpses of the ocean below. “Elvis, did Devo survive the Vipers?”
“Roger that. Should I deploy him?”
The GODD Chip (The Unity of Four Book 1) Page 31