My hands were shaking as I pulled out a security pass. It had been supplied to me by Graal. How he’d gotten it was a mystery, but now I swiped it across the reader and hit the button for Sub-Level Thirty. At the last moment, a security guard stepped into the elevator with me. Staring straight ahead, I ignored him as we descended to my level. I got out and walked straight ahead as the doors closed behind me.
Then I let out a breath and sagged against a wall. I’m not cut out to be a spy. I checked the device attached to my wrist. The three-dimensional compass with a map of the area was another gift from Graal. It indicated a supply room on my left.
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. What I expected to hear were alarms and the yelling of security guards. Instead, the only sound was the buzz of the air conditioning and the thudding of my own heart.
This is wrong, I thought. I should go upstairs and speak to Agent Palmer and tell her what’s going on.
Except if I did that, Brodie might die, and I wasn’t prepared to let that happen. My brief conversation with the others had already confirmed she was still alive. Involving The Agency might get her killed. I’ve got to do this alone. Later, when Brodie was safe, I would make things right.
I hoped.
An air conditioning grill was set into the wall above one of the storage racks. I wrenched it free, stepped up onto one of the racks, and flew in. Again I expected a dozen alarms to start ringing, but nothing happened. I slid down the access shaft until I reached a junction. It was dark, so I produced my phone and activated the torch. Taking a turn to the right, I followed it for about a hundred feet to the end.
This next step would be impossible for anyone else because before me lay a slim shaft that went straight down for hundreds of feet. I was unsure exactly how far; the map didn’t show. I slid over the edge and slowly lowered myself into and down the shaft.
I would be finished if my powers failed now. I would smash headfirst into the floor far below.
I tried to imagine what the others would make of my absence.
Both Brodie and Axel are gone…
They must have eloped…
Sir, we’re getting a very strange smell from ventilation shaft P18…
I continued down. After the first hundred feet, I began to really wonder about the depth of this shaft. What if it went for miles? What if my concentration wandered? What if a security system existed within the shaft that—
A bend in the shaft appeared. Letting out a long breath, I slowly lowered myself to the floor below. I curled up and lay gasping in fetal position. Sweat dripped down my back. A crick of pain had opened up on the right-hand side of my neck.
How will I survive this?
Because I had no other choice.
Brodie was depending on me.
The shaft opened out into a broader, flatter rectangular prism. I slid along it to a metal grate about fifty feet ahead. A slight breeze moved my hair. Pressing my face against the grate, I saw a thin, rectangular chamber beyond with an elevator to one side.
‘Uh oh,’ I said.
A round door, the size of a fully grown man, was set into the opposite wall. It had a digital combination lock on the front. Fortunately, Graal had supplied me with the code to open the door. I could get in. That wasn’t the issue.
I peered upward through the holes of the grill. The real issue lay directly above me. A security camera sat a foot over my head. It was aimed at the door of the safe. Alarm bells would start ringing if I turned the camera off or tried to reposition it.
I was stuck.
Chapter Nine
Dan’s head felt like it was about to explode. The pain began at the back of his skull and vibrated to a point between his eyes. One of the trainers at The Agency had called this his Third Eye, a point of psychic ability within Eastern mysticism. Dan had another name for it.
Super painful!
Chad and Ferdy were seated opposite him in the waiting area outside Agent Palmer’s office. Ebony sat beside him with a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. The secretary outside Agent Palmer’s office was an older woman with a severe expression. She’d already given them several disapproving looks.
Dan glanced at Ebony. He liked her. Not only was she always friendly, but she didn’t treat him like a baby, unlike her brother.
Chad stuck out his jaw. ‘Suck it up, little man,’ he said. ‘You gotta be tough to be a superhero.’
Little man?
‘Get lost,’ Dan groaned.
Chad rolled his eyes. ‘I’m just saying you gotta have a backbone if you want—’
‘Backbone?’ Dan snapped, feeling his face reddening. ‘My head feels like it’s about to explode!’
‘It can’t be that bad! If you can’t handle the heat—’
That was enough. Fortunately, Chad was sitting on a metal chair, which made it all the easier to lift it—and him—straight up off the ground.
‘Hey!’ Chad yelled. ‘What—’
‘Get some backbone!’ Dan yelled as Chad crashed headfirst into the drywall ceiling. ‘Suck it up!’
A ball of flame burst from Chad’s hand and flew towards Dan. The younger boy dived to one side as it hit his chair and sent it flying. The secretary screamed and escaped under her desk as Ebony scrambled out of the way. Chad and the chair landed in an untidy pile. He swore and started to his feet. Only Ferdy remained seated, his eyes focused on the new hole in the ceiling.
‘Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth President of the United States,’ Ferdy told them. ‘Born in—’
‘Fire alert,’ a computerized voice intoned from an overhead speaker. ‘Fire alert. Warning. Fire alert.’
The door to Agent Palmer’s office flew open. ‘What on Earth is going on out here?’ she yelled.
‘They’re out of control!’ The voice belonged to the secretary. The only part of her showing was the top of her head as she cowered under the desk. ‘They’re running amuck!’
‘Only a little amuck,’ Ebony said, climbing to her feet. ‘We need to see you.’
‘It’s important,’ Dan added.
Palmer studied the chaotic scene. ‘All right,’ she said. ‘Five minutes. No more. I’ve got paperwork coming out of my ears.’
They followed her into the office and sat down.
‘It’s about Brodie,’ Dan and Ebony started together, and stopped. Ebony continued. She explained about Dan’s headache and that they hadn’t seen Brodie all day. Agent Palmer interlocked her fingers and listened in silence until Ebony finished. Then she started punching keys on her computer.
‘We should be able to get an idea of her location,’ the agent said. ‘We can trace the phones through their SIM cards.’
‘You monitor our calls?’ Chad said, looking none too pleased.
‘No,’ Palmer said. ‘We just trace the phone’s location.’ She punched a few more keys and waited. ‘This shouldn’t take long.’
They waited while the agent stared at the screen.
‘That’s odd,’ Agent Palmer finally said.
‘What is?’ Chad asked.
‘I’m not getting anything.’
‘Maybe the phone’s switched off.’
‘We should still be getting a signal.’ The agent drummed her fingers on the desk. ‘That makes no sense.’
‘How can that be?’ Ebony asked.
‘I can only think of a few reasons,’ Palmer said. ‘The phone could have been destroyed.’
‘Destroyed?’ Dan said, alarmed.
‘There are other possibilities. It could simply be out of range. For example, too far underground for us to trace, or maybe it’s developed a fault.’
Dan realized his headache was gone. He was relieved, but now he began to worry that it could have a more tragic implication.
‘You don’t think Brodie’s dead,’ he said. ‘Do you?’
‘Let’s not jump to conclusions. How long has she been gone?’
‘Since this morning.’
‘Even local law enforceme
nt wouldn’t do anything until she’s been gone twenty-four hours,’ Palmer said. ‘Let’s give her till tonight.’
‘And then what?’ Ebony asked.
‘Then we’ll start a search.’
Chad frowned. ‘How?’
‘How what?’
‘The Agency is a secret organization,’ Chad said. ‘You’re hardly going to contact the police. Are you?’
Agent Palmer shrugged. ‘This is all hypothetical,’ she said. ‘Right now—’
‘It might not be hypothetical in a few hours. How are you going to explain to the police that Brodie is living here? That she’s part of The Agency?’
‘I know you’re upset—’
‘Just answer my questions.’
The silence lingered.
‘All right.’ The agent looked uncomfortable. ‘You might as well know that The Agency has been liaising with the US government since the United Nations revealed modified humans to the world. There’s an understanding between us.’
‘What does that mean?’ Dan asked.
‘They've made a deal,’ Chad said, glaring at the agent. ‘Nice of you to tell us.’
‘We don’t have to tell you anything.’
‘My sister and I aren’t even US citizens! We’re Norwegian! We can leave at any time!’
‘I wouldn’t advise it.’
Chad looked like he was about to explode, so Ebony grabbed his arm. ‘We’re all a little wound up,’ she said. ‘We’re worried about Brodie. Let’s just deal with one thing at a time.’
Her brother didn’t say anything, but he nodded.
‘I’ll keep on trying her phone,’ Palmer said. ‘We’ll call in reinforcements if she doesn’t turn up by tonight.’
The group silently marched out of her office. The secretary at the desk outside gave them a severe look, but they ignored her. Ferdy drew close to Ebony as they walked down the corridor.
‘Brodie is missing,’ he said.
‘That’s right. Brodie is missing.’
‘She is Ferdy’s friend.’
‘She’s a friend to all of—’ Ebony stopped. ‘Wait a minute. Where’s Axel?’
Chapter Ten
It’s a good thing phones are so versatile these days, I thought. This would have been impossible ten years ago.
Dislodging the grill from the air vent, I pulled it into the cramped space beside me. Using my powers, I levitated the cell phone so it hovered only a few inches below the camera and took a picture of the room. The next step was the most dangerous. Keeping the phone just below the camera, I focused on the overhead light. Fortunately, it was a simple fluorescent tube. By compressing the air at one end, I was able to break the contact, causing the light to flicker.
In that brief instant, I levitated the phone up in front of the camera. Even if someone were watching the camera, all they’d see was a flickering light. With any luck, they wouldn’t realize it was a photo of the room instead of the room itself.
Sliding free of the ventilation shaft, I dropped down to the floor below. I had to keep the phone hanging stationary before the camera. It was difficult, but not impossible; The Agency had trained me well over the last few months. Crossing to the enormous door, I examined the keypad and inserted the code.
Yes!
Metal rods slid into place as the lock disengaged. I opened the door.
Now for the Stonekiller.
The walls were lined with shelving. I felt a tinge of guilt at my betrayal. Stealing other people’s stuff didn’t come naturally to me. Keeping an eye on my phone suspended before the camera, I scanned the shelves. Graal had shown me a picture of the gun. The device was similar to a typical handgun but with a body and barrel about three times the size. Several objects lined the shelves, and none looked like the Stonekiller.
I felt a rising sense of panic. What if the weapon isn’t here? What if it were stored in some other vault of The Agency? I couldn’t return to Graal empty-handed!
A sound came from the outer chamber. Glancing back outside, I saw the elevator doors at the other end of the room were still closed. I’m imagining things. An idea struck me. The gun probably wasn’t sitting by itself on the shelf. It was probably in a container. On a shelf second from the bottom lay a small, gray carry case with a molded handle.
Opening it, I found the gun inside. The weapon looked terribly innocent when I considered what it could do.
They are unable to move a muscle, yet they remain alive, locked within the rock for all time…
How terrible. I tried not to think of what could happen if I handed the weapon over to Graal. No. I can’t let Brodie get harmed. Once she was safe, I could retrieve the weapon and then—
Another sound seemed to come from outside the vault. With the carry case in hand, I stepped towards the open door, but at the same time, caught a glimpse of a flashing light over the doorway of the vault. Oh no. I hadn’t seen it when I entered the room. Now I stared at it in absolute horror.
A camera above the door was trained directly on me.
Another sound came from outside, but this time I recognized it. The elevator’s descending. I bolted from the room, my attention leaving the cell phone completely. It dropped to the floor as the elevator doors slid open, and four security guards with rifles burst through. Their guns narrowed on me.
‘Drop the case!’ one screamed. ‘Lay down on the floor—’
Sorry. Not today.
I threw up a shield and ran straight at them. They fired. Bullets ricocheted. I leaped into the air, dove over them, and straight into the elevator. Spinning about, I hit the button for the top floor. The men spun about and fired again. Several bullets hit my shield and crashed into the walls of the elevator as the doors slid shut.
Falling back against the wall, my heart beat crazily as I felt light-headed. The Agency knows I’ve got the Stonekiller weapon. Nothing would ever be the same again. The elevator shuddered to a halt, and the lights dimmed. Focusing on the ceiling, I smashed it to pieces and flew through the debris. An alarm began to ring as I flew upwards for about a hundred feet to a pair of elevator doors.
I wrenched them open. The passageway beyond had a pair of scientists walking down it straight toward me. I flew at them, and they hit the floor. I had no idea what level I was on; I just had to get out. A sign whizzed past me. B12. I was still twelve levels down. This won’t be easy. An elevator shaft was at the far end of the corridor. I didn’t bother pressing the button. They were probably all stopped now anyway. Forcing the doors open, I stepped into the shaft and flew straight up. An elevator was heading down.
‘Sorry,’ I said.
I slammed into the bottom of the elevator and pushed upwards until I reached the top. Another pair of doors lay ahead. Taking a deep breath, I focused, forced them open—and faced twenty armed guards with rifles. A deafening roar exploded as they opened fire. I started forward, releasing the elevator behind me as bullets ricocheted off my shield. I flinched and fell back, but then pushed my way through the barrage. One guard started forward, and I used my powers to pick him up and throw him into the center of the squad. They fell about in a heap as the firing continued. I leaped into the air. I’d reached the Hub, but I still wasn’t free.
I could use the elevator shaft, but bursting out of a hotel in the middle of Las Vegas would leave The Agency completely exposed. I couldn’t do that. A better option was the exit shafts that led into the desert. Flying across The Hub, I found one of the tunnels and zoomed down it.
It was all completely surreal. Only a few hours before, I had returned from a mission as part of a team. Now I was leaving all that behind.
How can I ever be part of The Agency again?
‘Hey!’
The voice came from behind me. I recognized it immediately—and ignored it. Within seconds, I’d reached the outer doors of the tunnel. Forcing them open, I flew out into the warm air of the desert.
The cry came from behind me again, and I turned to see Chad about fifty feet behind me. H
e was riding on a surfboard of fire, a technique he’d been trying to perfect for weeks, but more often than not, it had failed.
‘What are you doing?’ he yelled.
I looked at him in dismay. ‘I can’t tell you!’ I said. ‘You have to leave me alone.’
‘I can’t do that.’
‘You’ve got to!’
He drew his arm back to create a ball of fire, but I was faster. In an instant, I built up a gust of air and threw it at him. He was thrown off his fiery surfboard. As he plummeted downward, I created a cushion to soften his impact as he hit the ground.
He didn’t move.
What have I done?
But there was no time to find an answer to that terrible question. Turning, I flew way across the hot, unrelenting desert.
Chapter Eleven
‘This is outrageous!’ Agent Palmer slammed her fist into the table. ‘I demand an explanation!’
Ebony was sitting in Agent Palmer’s office in the same seat she’d occupied only a few short hours before. She stared helplessly at the other members of the team. There weren’t many other eyes that stared back. Brodie was still missing. Axel was gone. Chad had chased him and had now also disappeared. All that remained was herself, Dan, and Ferdy. Dan looked utterly bewildered. Ferdy calmly met her gaze before looking up at Agent Palmer.
‘The domain extension for websites in Romania is dot RO,’ he said.
Palmer’s face went a brighter shade of red. She’d been standing, but now she collapsed back into her seat and didn’t speak for a long time. It occurred to Ebony that she was probably counting to ten. Finally, the agent swallowed hard and leaned forward. ‘Let’s go through what we know,’ she said. ‘When was the last time you saw Brodie? And Axel?’
Ebony went through the day’s events again. There was little to add from what had been previously discussed. Brodie had been missing all day. Axel had completed the mission that morning before heading off on his own.
Teen Superheroes Box Set | Books 1-7 Page 36