The Brothers Locke, page 15
The passion in which Mouth spoke insulted Ikon. How dare this boy speak to him like he was some common piece of riffraff? On the other hand, he could see that there was something important that these kids needed to resolve. Letting his kinder nature take control, Ikon nodded in agreement and waved for them to follow him around the side of the building and away from the mob of people outside the main entrance.
Behind a column of power generators was a side door to The Paramount that was mainly used by maintenance workers. Ikon got them in, told them to keep this to themselves, and went back to the mob at the front of the building.
The lobby was surprisingly empty. The brothers thought that there’d still be people here cleaning up and looking for evidence, but there was no one here at all. It felt eerie.
Sharp looked up at the corner where he was staring hours earlier and, indeed, there was a camera there, it’s red power light still illuminated. He nudged his brothers, who looked at the camera as well.
“I have a feeling this is going to be trouble,” Kale said.
“Don’t chicken out now, Kale,” Mouth said to him.
“I’m not. I’m not. It’s just … well, it has to be said.”
They entered the elevator and headed up to the High Council Chambers. With any luck, Awolowo would be able to let them see what they needed to. If not, Echo had an idea that might force his hand regardless.
“Should I ask why you are all here?” Awolowo questioned as the quintet exited the elevator.
“We need to talk,” Mouth said. He immediately noticed that the other members of the High Council were there with Awolowo, and the looks on their faces showed a mix of confusion, anger, and plotting. “Are you in trouble?”
“Some might say that,” Awolowo confessed. “But I have a few minutes. What is it that you need, young brothers?”
“Security camera footage,” Kale said.
“From when, the attack? The cameras were all damaged, weren’t they?”
“That’s what we were told. However, Sharp here noticed that there is one in the lobby downstairs that is still functioning.”
Jocelyn continued, “And we think it might clear up any questions about Dana. We need to see it.”
Awolowo turned his attention to Sharp. The teen was almost shaking as he stood at the back of the group, trying his hardest to remain patient while the formalities of gaining access to the video footage continued. The Councilman was not without sympathy. He walked them into his office, which was surprisingly already well on its way to being repaired.
“Most of the system is back up, so I should be able to see the camera footage from here.” Awolowo pressed a few keys on his desk computer, and the newly furnished screen on the far wall flickered to life.
The teens crowded in front of the monitor as Awolowo scanned to earlier in the day. Time passed, rewound, and sped up as he navigated through the different time frames. Several of the cameras then went to static as No One shot them out.
“There’s the last one, in the corner near the elevator. That’s the one that’s still working,” Mouth told Awolowo.
Mongrel could be seen rampaging through security officers and citizens on its way through the lobby. No One was following behind as they reached the front entrance but then turned. Bando and Dana came into frame, sprinting as fast as they could towards the monster and his handler.
“Is there any audio?” Echo asked as he was having trouble seeing.
“No, this camera doesn’t have sound,” Awolowo confessed.
“Excuse me, you are needed Councilman,” came a voice from outside the office.
There were two men standing at the entrance, their faces all business. It was apparent that they were also members of the High Council.
“Just another minute, brothers,” said Awolowo.
“Now! I think you’ve had enough secret meetings, as it were,” one of the Councilmen said, his hint not so subtle.
“And you kids, out of here. The High Council Chamber is closed to outsiders. You’ll have to leave,” said the other.
A security officer entered the office and turned off Awolowo’s desk computer, much to the protest of the five teens. Their voices were quickly silenced by the stern looks the other Councilmen gave them. This was not the time to make waves, not here.
“I am sorry, my brothers and sister,” apologized Awolowo. “This must be done. But trust, we will pick this up again as soon as I can.”
“Let's go, Awolowo!” the Councilmen said. “Officer, please escort these children out of the building.”
“You don’t need to show us, we know the way out,” Mouth said as he shrugged away from the guard’s grasp on his shoulder.
“But what about the video?” Sharp signed.
“Uh, we … we can talk about that later, Sharp,” Echo said.
Sharp trusted his brother. For now, they’d comply and get out of the building before they were arrested.
“That could have gone better,” Kale commented as the teens exited through the side maintenance door.
Mouth held onto Kale’s arm to keep him from walking back to the front of The Paramount. Awolowo being unable to help them didn’t mean they were out of options. Mouth and Echo had already thought ahead in case they couldn’t get any answers here.
“It’s time to do that stuff you do,” Mouth said to Kale.
“What stuff?”
“With the technology and everything.”
“What are you talking about, Mouth?”
“He wants us to hack into the system and look at the footage,” Jocelyn interjected.
“Oh, I see,” said Kale. “What part of ‘I don’t want to get arrested’ did you not understand earlier?”
“Don’t be a baby,” Mouth said.
“It has nothing to do with that. It has everything to do with us being on our own right now. If you hadn’t noticed, Dana, Bando, and Bulk aren’t around. We can’t fight off security guards. Plus, there’s the little problem of not knowing how to get into the system, anyway. We’d need to know where to get in.”
“I can do that,” said Echo.
“What? He can do what? What is he doing?” asked Kale.
Without explanation, Echo knelt down and closed his eyes. Sharp and Mouth backed away from him. After a few moments, Kale understood what he was doing.
Echo had enhanced hearing, but beyond that, he had the ability to hear data passed along wires or even through electronic waves in the air. If he focused hard enough, he hoped to identify the information needed for Kale and Jocelyn to break into The Paramount’s security system and view the video footage from earlier.
“Got it,” Echo said.
It took a few more moments, but Echo was able to give Kale the information he needed to know where to hack into The Paramount’s security footage. It involved the talk of ports and number sequences and security protocols that neither Mouth nor Sharp was too familiar with. Their brother had always been way more tech savvy than they were. Jocelyn and Kale knew exactly what Echo was saying and got to work with their portable devices to start the hack.
“Keep a look out, will ya? If we’re going to do this, at least we can be smart about not getting found out,” Kale said to Mouth and Sharp.
“I’ll keep an eye out,” Sharp signed.
While Sharp used his enhanced vision to monitor for anyone who may wander down the alley or try to leave The Paramount through that exit, Kale was hard at work trying to crack into the surveillance security system. Feverishly typing on his computer, he encountered dead end after dead end. It was much harder than he had anticipated it would be.
“No. No. No. Not that either. This is becoming annoying,” he muttered to himself as he continued to work.
“Let me help you, Kale,” Jocelyn chimed in.
“No, that’s not necessary. I can do this. I just need a bit more time.”
“Well, you’re not accounting for any salt they might be using …”
Mouth scratched his head as he puzzled over the word salt.
“… did you try using that cracking software I made the other week?”
“Jocelyn, seriously, you’re not helping.”
“I’m just saying …”
“Stop. Just … just give me a minute.”
Kale continued trying to work, and it wasn’t long before everyone else became frustrated. The longer they were in this alleyway, the more likely they would be found out. Time was wasting, and Kale’s inability to crack into The Paramount’s security system was becoming dangerous.
“Got some bodies coming around the other end of the alley,” Sharp signed to Mouth.
“Sharp says we’ve got some people who are about to head down this way. Kale, hurry up!”
“I’m going as fast as I can! This is not that easy if you hadn’t noticed.”
Jocelyn saw it was time to take over, “Move aside, Kale. Let me do it.”
“I just …”
“Come on. You know I’m better at this than you are.”
Reluctantly, and with a long groan, Kale handed the computer over to Jocelyn and then proceeded to pout as she worked away. Jocelyn started by wiping away much of what Kale had written for his hack and began fresh.
“I told you to look for possible salts they were using. Here, that’s the port we need to be on,” she said.
“How did you …” Kale started to ask but stopped as he saw the lightning speed at which Jocelyn was cracking through The Paramount’s security. “Never mind. Go at it, girl.”
“Don’t be upset, Kale. You’re not good at hacking, or cards, but the rest you’re pretty decent.”
“Thanks for the glowing endorsement,” he responded sarcastically.
“There it is. Now, I just need to scan to when they were in the lobby.”
Mouth and Echo crowded around the portable computer screen. Sharp could see that whoever was at the end of the alley had now started walking in a different direction away from them. He joined the rest of the teens as they all watched the security footage that appeared on the screen.
“That’s it, right there!” said Kale as he pointed to the image of Mongrel and No One storming through the lobby.
“And here comes Dana and Bando,” Mouth commented.
The footage played on for another few minutes. The teens watched and their faces immediately froze in shock as the realization of what had actually happened hit them like a bus.
Kale summed up their collective reaction, “Well, now. That’s a shocker.”
***
Many miles northwest of Pharracrop, a lone transport carried several private security mercenaries of the High Council — all chosen covertly by Councilman Awolowo — along with Bando and Bulk Brown. The weather had already changed as they neared the northern mountain range, the air becoming crisper and the wind having a distinct chill in it. Bulk and Bando were wearing heavy leather coats as they rode in the back of the armored military transport.
The security officers were following the directions Awolowo had provided them. As the ground turned to ice, the vehicle adjusted to the new terrain, but the ride anything but pleasant. The passengers were bumped and shaken with every block of ice and uneven stretch of land the off-road vehicle muscled over. This was particularly aggravating for Bulk Brown, who was attempting to load his weapons while in the back of the transport.
“Should have done that earlier,” Bando said.
“Yeah, well, I was still trying to get feeling back in this leg. Those shots worked wonders, but they made my leg numb for an hour or so.”
“How is it now?”
“Feels like nothing’s wrong with it. But that’s the point, now, isn’t it?”
“Well, as long as you’re capable out there. I don’t want to have to save your butt if you fall down.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Ahead in the distance, the first mountain range continued to grow in size. There were several paths carved over the eons that their vehicle could pass through, but at some point, they would have to abandon it and go on foot the rest of the way. The hope was that they’d catch up with Mongrel and No One before that was necessary.
“So, what are you going to say to her when we catch up with them? Are you going to accuse her of switching sides?” Bando asked.
Bulk huffed as he continued to load his shotgun. “No, I thought I’d be more subtle than that. We have to worry about that monster they created before anything else.”
“Yeah, that thing does hit hard,” Bando said as he clutched at his right side.
Bulk watched his partner wince and then went back to preparing his gear. There was some chatter in the front of the vehicle as the security mercs tried to decide the best direction to go in. They didn’t want to get lost up here in the north. A wrong turn could mean half a day of backtracking in the mountains.
“What do you think I should do?” Bulk asked Bando. “About Dana, I mean.”
“You’re that guy. I never cared too much for making decisions. I just do the job, get paid, and go home. Isn’t that what we were taught?”
“This was my detail, though. My group. It’s a bit different when you feel responsible for everyone.”
Bando moved to the back of the vehicle where Bulk was, trying his best to remain steady as the truck bounced around. He sat down next to his longtime friend and assisted him with loading weapons and checking the gear.
“I could never do that, leading a group like you do with Solas,” Bando confessed. “I’ve never been one to want to have to look out after everyone.”
“You looked out for Dana when you two were undercover in Icagoro.”
“Yeah, but that was different. She was an asset, you know? And with those people there, that cult we had to be a part of for months and months, it can get in your head. Apparently, it may have gotten into hers, I don’t know.”
“I see,” Bulk Brown said. He nudged Bando and pointed to one of the other weapons on the rack behind them. It was a small handgun. It wouldn’t help much against Mongrel, but it was Bulk’s policy to always be prepared in case he ran out of ammunition.
“She was always a spitfire, though. When I found out that she was one of the Children of the Spire, I knew she’d take it the wrong way. At first, when I told her, she looked scared. Then, calm. Then, reassured. It was as if she had known all along and was more upset other people knew.”
“So you think she did know all along?”
“I can’t be sure, but it seems as much. Those Spire fanatics we were with wouldn’t let up. Every day we had to chant these mantras and do all this research.”
“What kind of research?”
“Really dark stuff. It was ancient, old, Shallowhale myths and legends. It’s wild, some of the stuff they believed in. Some of it was fascinating, but I couldn’t wait to be free of it.”
“Dana took to some of it, though?”
Bando scratched his chin as he tried to remember details of their time undercover. “It’s hard to tell with that woman, honestly. She was always weird. Are you going to be alright back here now?”
“Yeah, I think I’m almost done loading up. Here, you keep this one,” Bulk said as he handed Bando the handgun he had loaded.
“A bit small for me, don’t you think?”
“It’ll do the job. I put some special rounds in there,” Bulk reassured his friend. “Make sure they keep a look out up front for an ambush, by the way. It’s way too quiet out here, and we haven’t seen anything in hours. They can’t have gotten that far ahead.”
***
“You need to let us through right now!” Kale protested.
Three security guards had blocked the entrance to the elevators that lead back up to the High Council’s chambers. The five teens were frantically trying to explain to them why they needed to see Councilman Awolowo, all chattering away at the same time in a cacophony of noise. The guards stood like statues, none of them budging or apparently listening to what the group had to say.
“People’s lives are in danger!” Jocelyn cried out.
“You have to let us see him. Just let us see him. He doesn’t know what’s going on!” Echo said.
“You’re being stupid. Stop blocking the way, and let us through!” Mouth argued.
Another group of security guards was approaching from behind the teens. Sharp immediately picked up on them and warned the rest of the crew. It was no use. They had been surrounded on all sides by Paramount security.
“Well, so much for not getting arrested,” Kale muttered.
“Stop! Stop right there!” a voice came from behind the security guards.
Ikon was still in charge of the lobby area and had seen the commotion. He pushed his way through the guards and confronted the teens again.
“Didn’t I just see you all before?” he said.
“Listen, I know you said we can’t go up there and there’s all this mess going on, but we have to talk to the Councilman!” pleaded Mouth.
The rest of the teens all started talking again, shouting about their need to get upstairs. Ikon’s eyes fluttered from the barrage of voices. He put his hand to his temple and shouted for them to all stop screaming.
“Honestly, children, you are giving me a headache. You’ve already seen the Councilman, haven’t you? What happened in the last five minutes that changed?”
“We’d like to explain that, but …” Kale said while throwing a glance to Mouth.
“It’s complicated. Trust me, things have changed. We can’t explain it now, but we have to see him.”
“You’re all lucky you haven’t been arrested at this point. Look, I understand you’re all very worried about your friends, but this constant noise is not going to do anything to help them. The High Council is in a private session right now, anyway. I can’t even get up there, so this is all going to have to wait until tomorrow. Now, I’ll escort you all out of the building, and I stress to you … I implore you … do not come back here unless we call for you. I’m not sure I can keep them from throwing you in jail if you come back a third time!”
