by Eric Burney
“Who... who are they?” I asked. At least I think I did. It was hard to tell anymore. I could have said my name was Batman for all I knew.
Before he could answer, one of the guards interrupted.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”
The guard on the left shouldered his weapon and thrust the muzzle in the other guard’s face. He was attempting to open the door using the keypad.
Kara was doing it!
Secretary Proctor spun around on his heels to see what the commotion was about.
“Stand down, soldier!” he bellowed.
The mind-controlled guard ignored the order and continued to input the door code sequence. Secretary Proctor must have known something was amiss because he walked up behind him and grabbed the guard’s sidearm, shooting him twice in the back. But the damage was already done. The large, metal door made a series of beeps before it began to slide open.
Secretary Proctor’s eyes grew wide as a blur of movement streaked into the room, knocking the other guard off his feet. The Secretary raised the gun and swung it wildly about, unsure what or where the threat was. Two roaring streams of fire converged on the floor in front of him and he cowered away from the scalding flames.
The cavalry was here!
Weak and disoriented, I watched as Kara and Michael enter the room along with an unlikely ally: Agent Simmons. Guess I owed him an apology for destroying his ride.
The scientists ducked behind the array of monitors and medical equipment, terrified by what was unfolding.
“Drop the weapon, sir,” Agent Simmons said, leveling his own firearm at Secretary Proctor.
“You…” the Secretary said, scowling at him. “So you’re working with the enemy now? Not a very wise decision, Simmons.” His index finger tapped the side of the gun, as if he were contemplating his chances in a shootout.
“Don’t do it, sir,” Agent Simmons pleaded, sensing the intent in his eyes. He’d been in this type of situation before, but never against one of his own.
“We can’t win, Simmons. Don’t you see that? You don’t know what’s going on. The others are coming. If we don’t do as they ask, we are all finished.”
“Who, sir? Who's coming? What are you talking about?”
Secretary Proctor didn’t answer. He seemed resigned to go out in a blaze of glory. Placing his index finger in the trigger weld, he slowly raised the gun.
“Sir! Don’t make me do this!”
Secretary Proctor ignored him, continuing to raise his weapon. But instead of pointing the barrel at Agent Simmons, he instead turned it on himself, pointing the muzzle at his temple.
“No!” Agent Simmons yelled and lunged forward.
But he was too late.
The gun’s firing pin struck the cartridge shell, igniting the gun powder and sending a hollow-point bullet spiraling through the chamber. And, for all intents and purposes, the contents of the Secretary’s skull should have been all over the room like a watermelon at a Gallagher Vegas show. But thanks to Nick, that wasn’t the case.
He raced up, faster than the speeding bullet itself, and caught the projectile with his bare hand. The Secretary was beyond shocked, and it showed on his pallid face. He was still alive. He stared at the gun in shock and disbelief. His eyes searched the weapon for some defect, anything that could explain what had just happened. He was totally unaware that Nick had just saved his life.
“I think the words he’s searching for are thank you,” the striking blond said. He stood over me with his usual machismo and helped me out of the handcuffs.
“Here, let’s get this thing out,” said Kara. Her eyes were wet and shiny as she discontinued the IV and removed the catheter from my arm. They both helped me to my feet. I felt instantly better, but not to the point where I could lift a car or anything. That, and probably most of my abilities, would take time.
“We should get this back and have Jasmine analyze it,” Michael said. “Maybe she can identify the compound and find a way to neutralize it.”
“She agrees,” Kara said, touching her ear.
I was still a little confused. Something just wasn’t quite registering with my muddled brain yet.
“Um… Kara, where is Jasmine? You’ve mentioned her twice now, but I still don’t see her. What gives?”
Kara looked to Michael, who looked to Nick. Then they all laughed. This time the joke was on me.
“She’s in my head, so to speak,” Kara said. “She created a new audio device that lets her communicate with me out in the field. She can also hear everything I hear. Pretty innovative stuff.”
“I’ll say. Well, tell her I said—oh, never mind. Hello, Jasmine. Good to have you on the team.”
“She’s glad to be of service,” Kara said. “She’s also picking up a lot of inbound chatter.”
“Reinforcements are on the way,” Agent Simmons said, grabbing the gun from Secretary Proctor, who appeared to be in a stupor. Simmons tucked the gun in the small of his back. “You want to elaborate on who they are? What have you been hiding? What are you really doing on this ship?”
Secretary Proctor remained cryptic in his response. “I have failed. We are not ready for what’s coming.” He spoke in an ominous, hushed tone; almost a whisper.
“Who? Who’s coming?”
“We’re wasting our time on this nutjob. The train has apparently left the station, if you know what I mean,” Nick said. He twirled his index finger around his temple.
I hobbled up to the Secretary and looked him in the eye. Maybe Nick was right. Maybe he had snapped. Either way, it didn’t matter.
I cold-cocked Secretary Proctor in the face with a hard shot that made his teeth rattle. His entire body went flaccid and he tumbled backwards onto the floor. He was lights out way before he got there.
“He deserves a lot worse, but we don’t have time to give it to him,” said Kara.
“He’s not worth it,” Agent Simmons added. “You guys go ahead. I’ll stay here with him until the recovery team arrives.”
“You sure that’s a good idea?” I asked. He had just aided and abetted known fugitives. I was grateful for what he’d done and didn’t want to see him get burned for it.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be just fine. Get your people out of here and somewhere safe. I want to see what I can dig up on the Secretary here and what he’s been hiding. I’m going to stay off the grid for a while, but I’ll find you when I have something.”
He extended a hand and I accepted, shaking it with much fervor and respect.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now go.”
Kara and Nick assisted me out the door and I couldn’t help but glance back to catch a final glimpse at a true American hero. There stood a man who was everything I strived to be. I hoped deep down we would see each other again.
Chapter 58
“Jasmine says to take a left just up ahead and that will lead us to the upper deck hatch,” Kara said. She walked out in front at a quick pace as Michael and Nick supported me, one under each arm. We’d been walking for what felt like hours to my aching bones. Our surroundings blended together due to my shaky and blurred vision. I could barely focus on Kara in front of me.
“So, did they waterboard you or anything cool like that?” Nick asked. “Or, did they go old school and use electrocution like they did Stallone in Rambo II?” He was totally serious.
“You can waterboard him when we get back,” Michael offered. “I’ll bring a towel and the jugs of water.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Hey, I was just trying to see if I could relate to what you experienced.”
“And exactly how could you have possibly experienced anything close to what Charlie just went through?” Michael asked. He sounded like an older brother who was constantly annoyed with a younger sibling.
“I watch movies, documentaries. 24 with Kiefer Sutherland was very educational and informative—not to mention total awesomeness!”
> “I think we should schedule him for a psych eval when we get back,” Michael whispered. I smiled, but even I had to agree with Nick. Jack Bauer is the baddest man on the planet. He would have gotten Secretary Proctor to talk for sure.
The jovial mood quickly turned sour. I felt a dark presence. And that dark presence wasn’t traveling alone.
“Kara, wait—”
But it was too late. She was caught unaware by the hulking beast of a man waiting around the bend. We’d met before. I should have finished him off the first time.
Kara was sucked forward as though she was a piece of lent in a vacuum and landed in his massive arms.
“She didn’t give her permission, Shrek,” Nick said and raced forward with reckless abandon; his usual mantra. But, before he could even get within arm’s length of Kara, he was stopped cold, ramming headfirst into an invisible force field. Out cold, the speedster’s body slid down the barrier like a slice of butter on a hot skillet.
Michael, seeing his hot-headed friend go down in such a way, was not about to stand idly by. His tightly clenched fists burst into flames, and for the first time I witnessed Jasmine’s craftsmanship in action. Amazed, I watched as the outer seam of his suit lit up, all the way to the center of his chest and formed what looked like a large M. He delivered a smoldering blast of flame at the energy field, but he was unable to penetrate its barrier.
Amazement quickly turned to horror as he was thrown back and forth against the walls like a dog’s chew toy before being flung aside.
That’s when I saw him—Cain. He stepped out of the shadows and stood tall next to his loyal brute. Kara struggled to free herself, but try as she might, it was of little use. He was much too strong.
Try and get into his mind. Use his strength to your advantage.
I tried already. It’s like I’m being blocked somehow.
I couldn’t believe it. This was crossing the line. If Cain was trying to force my hand, it was working.
“Is this the best offensive you could come up with?” he asked. He laughed as though it were the most pathetic thing he’d ever witnessed.
“You caught me at a bad time.”
“I can see that. You’ve been through quite a lot, so there’s no pleasure in taking advantage of that. I’m a patient man; I can wait. But I hope you pack more of a punch than your friends. Next time I won’t be so easy on them.”
He’d become such a pompous prick.
I closed my hand into a fist and ran at him, lashing out with all the strength I could muster. It wasn’t nearly enough. Pain shot through my wrist like I had just punched a concrete wall. The energy field around him appeared to be impenetrable and I was still much too weak.
More anger and frustration swelled up inside and I lashed out with my other hand. Again, nothing but raw, unfathomable pain. I felt like screaming, but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.
“Whoa, tiger. Don’t go hurting yourself before the big dance. There’s still a song or two left before the finale.”
“Oh, and to make sure you’re properly motivated, we’ll be taking this lovely young lady along with us. I already have someone else near and dear to you. That should give you inspiration to dig down deep for the fury that so often eludes you. Just like the last time you were able to find it when we rescued your old flame, Allison Archer. For the record, I think this one’s much hotter.”
My bottom lip dropped noticeably, and I gasped. The other shoe had just dropped.
“That’s right. I remember everything,” Cain said, to clear up any doubt I may have had. “I know exactly who you are, Charlie Reese. I know who I am. And I know what you did to me.”
“Look… Freddy,” I started to say, struggling to find the right words.
“That is no longer my name. And don’t bother with your useless explanation. There’s no point. I suffered horrendously. Now it’s your turn.”
He turned and placed a hand on the shoulder of the giant, who grunted and tightened his grip as Kara squirmed defiantly.
Don’t you worry, Kara. I will find you. And I will save you.
I know.
And then, before I could utter another thought to her, they disappeared together through the wall as though some unseen door had magically opened.
I stood there alone, staring at the spot where Kara had just vanished and wondered what my next move should be. I didn’t know if I could defeat Cain. But one thing was now crystal clear in my mind: I would die trying if I had to.
Chapter 59
“How are you feeling?” I heard as I came to in an unfamiliar room. I jumped at first, startled because I had no idea where I was. But there was something about the voice that brought me back down to Earth, so to speak.
The voice belonged to Robert. He was sitting next to the bed where I had been sleeping. For how long, I had no idea.
“I feel much better. I have a splitting headache, though.”
“Yes. Jasmine said you may have a bit of a headache. She was able to analyze the serum you were given and come up with a workable antidote that should help to flush it out of your system.”
“That’s good,” I said, sitting up in the bed. “Do we have any idea what it is?”
Robert shifted in his seat, and I could tell he was either hiding something or was having difficulty putting what he wanted to say into actual words.
“We… we don’t know for certain. What we do know is that it is not man-made. None of its elements matched anything found on the periodic table. How the government was able to get their hands on this kind of technology is beyond me.”
I sighed and realized it wasn’t a top priority at the moment.
“If there’s anything to find, Agent Simmons will find it. He’s looking into the Secretary of Defense and his dealings with some kind of secret organization. As soon as he turns up anything, he’ll let us know.”
Robert smiled.
“What?”
“I’m glad you’ve been able to put your trust in him. From what I hear, he’s an exceptional agent. We could use all the allies we can get right now.”
“He is,” I agreed. “How did I get here, by the way? I don’t remember a thing after Cain disappeared with Kara.”
My heart sank at the very mention of her name. I had to get her back.
“Well… that was all thanks to this remarkable young lady,” said Robert, referring to a perky and energetic Jasmine who’d just entered with a refreshing glass of orange juice in one hand, and an electronic tablet in the other.
“Here, this is for you,” she said in a bossy tone. She shoved the juice in my hand and made sure I turned it up to swallow every drop. “Vitamin C is important.”
She pulled up a chair next to the bed and took a seat.
“And now that we got that out of the way, there’s this.”
She tapped the screen of the tablet twice and it came to life with digital imagery.
“I hacked into the CIA mainframe and was able to retrieve this footage.”
I watched for the second time as Kara disappeared with Cain through the walls of the USS Alamo. It wasn’t getting any easier to stomach.
“As soon as they disappeared, I lost them on the cameras.”
“But you have the audio device implanted in Kara’s ear. Can’t we communicate with her?”
“Unfortunately, no. As soon as they disappeared, so did my comm link. It must have shorted out from the kinetic energy Cain is somehow able to harness and gives him the ability to teleport.”
“So they could be anywhere,” I said. I frowned as the little hope I had of finding her and ending this thing vanished.
“But—” Jasmine swiped a finger across the screen of the tablet and a holographic 3D image flew off the pad and lit up the room, “I was able to triangulate the weak signal still transmitting from the damaged chip in the ophthalmic insert by using satellite pings at just the right frequency…”
“English, Jasmine.”
“Right, right.” Sh
e rose from her chair and pushed her glasses up on her nose before continuing.
“The faint little dot you see here is where Kara is most likely being held.”
“And you’re sure of this?”
“At least 78.3 percent correct, give or take.”
I climbed out of bed and pulled her over. I could’ve broken her thin body in half had I squeezed harder, I was so happy.
“Jasmine, I could kiss you right now!”
She blushed and held the tablet tightly to her chest.
“Save it for Kara when we get her back, please. She’ll appreciate it more than I will.”
I grinned and nodded, staring at the images floating around the room.
“Where is this location exactly?”
“We’re working on that,” Robert injected. “You and the rest of your team need rest. I promise when we have a viable location identified you will know. In the meantime, get some rest.”
I didn’t argue and hobbled back to the bed.
“Oh, and there’s someone else here in this wing it would probably do you some good to see,” he added.
“A psychiatrist? No, thanks, I’ll pass. It’s the blond narcissistic roadrunner you’re looking for. Down that way I believe.”
I jerked a thumb to the left. Come to think of it, Nick would probably end up giving any shrink he saw nightmares.
Robert rose slowly and headed for the door. Then he paused and turned with that famous look of his that suggested he always knew more than he’d ever let on.
“It’s not a psych eval. It’s your brother. He’s in pretty rough shape, too. But he’s been asking to see you.”
Chapter 60
Standeval wanted to see me. This would be interesting. Two siblings with barely any connection, save for a psychotic estranged father hellbent on world domination. Seemed like prime material for an episode of Dr. Phil.
I walked the quiet halls of the estate like someone visiting a grandparent in a nursing home they didn’t really know or care for. That sounds a bit harsh, but if you had a sibling who’d done to you a fraction of what Standeval had done to me, you’d see things differently. He was a habitual snake in the grass, a danger to anyone foolish enough to walk through the tall blades without wearing high rubber boots— first, for personal safety; and second, to wade through the loads of crap he was sure to shovel your way. It also helped to carry a big stick. And my big stick was the unbridled energy that was finally coursing through my veins again.