Michael Vey 9, page 3
I immediately felt energy burst within me. Electricity arced between my fingers, and my skin began to turn whitish blue. It wasn’t the same as being struck by lightning, nothing close to it, but it had more than offset the effect of the RESAT.
I looked around the yard at the dozens of Chasqui soldiers that had their guns pointed at me. I reached my hand out and pulsed, knocking them all back. Then, when I felt I’d absorbed enough, I started running toward the front gate and the soldiers around it. Some of them started shooting at me; then, seeing that their bullets did nothing, they turned and ran.
I grabbed the zoo’s metal fence and pulsed powerfully. About a half dozen men shouted out in agony as they dropped to the ground. Then I walked out onto the road, pulsing and throwing electric balls while they emptied their weapons at me. Their bullets made a crisp ping as they hit the electric bubble I had created around myself.
Ten yards from the gate there were two men standing behind a washing-machine-sized apparatus. I had never seen the machine before, but I could guess what it was: an oversized version of the RESAT. I threw an electric ball at it, four of them, but that did nothing other than scare off the men, who looked surprised that their machine wasn’t working against me.
Even with the electricity I held, I could feel the machine’s power grow as I got closer. I grabbed a handle on the machine and pulsed, and the lights on it went out. A small puff of smoke rose from the machine. I kicked it over. Almost immediately lightning bolts filled the air as Zeus began firing again at the few Chasqui who hadn’t fallen back.
About a quarter mile down the dirt road a helicopter dropped below the forest canopy. There was excited chatter on the radio devices left on the bodies of the dead around me. I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but from what I was seeing, it looked like a call to retreat. The firing had stopped, and the Chasqui soldiers were running to the two trucks that still remained.
Ian, Johnson, Cibor, and Jax continued firing at the fleeing soldiers as my friends made their way to my side. In the distance a helicopter rose.
When we came back together, Jax said, “We did it. We scared them off.”
I shook my head. “Something’s not right. Why did they give up so quickly?”
“Michael’s right,” Ian said. “They’re not running from us. They’re leaving because they got what they came for.”
I looked at him. “What do you mean?” Then I saw Jaime, Ostin, and McKenna walking toward us, and it struck me.
Taylor wasn’t with them.
PART SIX
9 When Is a Traitor Not a Traitor?
Debris from the helicopter’s wash nearly blinded the guards as they rushed Taylor onto Amash’s waiting helicopter. There was a guard holding each of her arms, and they had handled her roughly since they’d seized her inside the cage.
“Stop pushing me,” she said, though she doubted they understood her, or cared, for that matter.
The guard sitting inside the helicopter’s door pushed her into a seat, strapped her down, then made a hand signal to the pilot, who turned to Amash.
“Listo?”
“Take us up,” Amash said without even looking at his prisoner.
The helicopter’s rotor sped up, and the craft lurched slightly forward before ascending back into the sky. Only after they had cleared the trees did Amash turn back.
“The one and only Taylor Ridley. Welcome. You recognize our mutual friend, of course.”
Jack also turned around. He was dressed in a black Chasqui uniform, just as she had dreamed. Taylor just glared at him. He reached out to touch her, but she pushed back into her seat. “Keep your hands off me.”
“Whatever,” Jack said, turning back around.
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to meet you,” Amash said.
“You have no idea how much I don’t care,” Taylor replied.
Amash grinned. “Insolent. I like that.” He nodded to the guard sitting across from her. “Put it on her.”
The soldier held out a RESAT vest. “Put this on,” he said in heavily accented English.
“I’d rather not.”
“It’s not a request,” Amash said. “You’re a powerful Glow. It’s better to be safe than dead.”
“Why would I hurt you? I surrendered to you.”
“And the reason you surrendered is still a mystery. Maybe even to yourself. Perhaps you have a death wish and plan to crash our helicopter.”
“I don’t have that ability. Or a death wish.”
“I know exactly what you can do, Taylor. And crashing this helicopter is something you could do if you put your mind to it. Definitely something you could do.” He looked at her. “We’re in a little bit of a hurry. I’ll tell you what, put the vest on, and I won’t turn it on unless you give me a reason to.”
“It’s just for our protection,” Jack said.
She reached out her arms. “Whatever,” she said, mimicking what he’d said earlier.
The guard slid the vest around her, then strapped it on, the locks clicking loudly as they fastened into place. An amber LED on the chest started flashing.
“You said you wouldn’t turn it on,” Taylor said.
“You’d know if it was on,” Amash said. “It’s just warming up in case we need it.”
The helicopter was still hovering over the zoo, and Amash looked down at the battle below. Taylor looked out too. She could see Michael fighting his way past the gate.
“Looks like they might prevail after all,” Amash said. “Maybe you surrendered too soon.”
“Would that have gotten my sister back?”
“I think not.”
“Then I didn’t.”
“You made the right decision,” Jack said. “You’ll see.”
Taylor said to Amash, “Would you tell this traitor to mind his own business?”
“You are his business,” Amash said. “You’re all of our business. And, like they say, one man’s traitor is another man’s hero. Jesus and George Washington were considered traitors in their time, but that’s not how history remembers them.”
“You’re comparing Jack to Jesus and George Washington?”
Amash grinned. “I’m demonstrating to you that if the cause is right, so is the action. No matter where you come from.”
“You sound like Hatch.”
“Now you’re being ridiculous.”
The helicopter sped east over the outskirts of Puerto Maldonado toward the river.
“Where are you taking me?”
“To your sister. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“And you’ll let her go.”
“I never said I’d let her go.”
“That’s not the deal. Jack said you’d trade.”
Amash cautiously fingered the button on the RESAT’s remote. “There was no deal between you and me. We never agreed to anything. Especially since you decided to come in on your own.”
Taylor began shaking. “You liar!”
“I didn’t lie. You know, we never intended to kidnap your sister. Our associates didn’t know there were two of you. You might say that Tara was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I’ve always said, if life gives you a lemon… crush it.
“Had we gotten this right, many lives would have been spared.” He looked into Taylor’s angry eyes. “Don’t worry. Your sister is being treated well. Just as Jack is. Just as you will be. You’ll see, this is all just a big misunderstanding. So relax and enjoy the ride. You have nothing to worry about.”
Said the spider to the fly, Taylor thought. She turned and looked out the window at the expanse of jungle below, a seemingly endless carpet of green occasionally parted by the snaking Amazon River. She knew Michael would come after her. That was the one flaw in her plan. He would definitely come. And Amash, Jack, and the Chasqui would be waiting.
She had thought that she was selflessly sacrificing herself for the good of all, making the noble choice. But what if Michael did the same thing? Not if. There was no question he would come after her. What if something happened to him? Her eyes suddenly welled up. She wondered if she’d just made the biggest mistake of her life.
PART SEVEN
10 Two Are Gone
“Where’s Taylor?” I shouted, afraid that I already knew the answer.
“They have her,” Jaime said.
“How did that happen?” I said angrily. “You promised you’d protect her!”
“Michael, I would have given my life to protect her. She didn’t give me the chance. She surrendered to them. She thought it was the only way to save her sister… and the rest of us.”
“This just keeps getting worse.” I turned to Cristiano. “I’m going after her. You’re coming with me. I’ll need your help to find her.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ll go with you,” Ian said. “You’ll need me.”
“And us,” Zeus said. “You’ve got the Electroclan.”
“What about Arequipa?” Nichelle said. “We can’t just let all those people die.”
“Alpha Team can handle that,” Johnson said. “We’ll scout out the best place to blow the road and take out those trucks. No one is better at demolition than Bentrude.”
No one said anything. At least not out loud. Johnson looked around. “How is Bentrude?” He looked back at me. “What are you not telling me?”
I just shook my head.
“No,” Johnson said as he ran to the house. I went after him. When I got there, Jacinta was sitting next to Cassy. Both women looked surprised to see Johnson in the house.
“Where’s Bentrude?” Johnson asked.
Jacinta’s eyes welled with tears. She glanced over at me but said nothing.
“Where’s Bentrude?” Johnson asked more forcefully.
Jacinta wiped her eyes, then pointed toward the darkened bedroom. I followed behind Johnson as he went inside. He let out a loud groan. “No, buddy. No, no.”
My heart ached at what I saw—Bentrude’s lifeless body on the bed. The sheet beneath him was soaked with blood.
Johnson sat down on the bed next to his friend. He lowered his head into his hands and wept. I stood there watching him, not sure if I should leave him alone in his grief. His body was shaking, and his cheeks were wet with tears streaming down them. After several minutes I walked over next to him and put my hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”
He wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “I’m a failure.”
“Not true,” I said.
He looked up angrily. “Let’s call this what it is, Michael. I let them down. I led them down here to save Jack, and I failed, losing three of my men on the way. And now Taylor’s gone too. My command has been a disaster since I got here.” He looked at me. “I failed them. I failed all of you. I’m not fit for command.”
I looked at him, then Bentrude, then sat down on the bed next to Johnson.
“We’re still here, aren’t we? We’re still alive. They should have run us over. Instead, we repelled two attacks.”
“You held them off.”
“We couldn’t have done it alone. And you had nothing to do with Taylor leaving.”
He turned toward me. “I had everything to do with her leaving. If I hadn’t lost those men, she wouldn’t have felt the need to surrender. She thought she was saving us.”
“They took her sister,” I said. “With or without us, she would have gone. I know her. And I know how she feels. I felt the same way when the Elgen took my mother.”
“You know they’ll never trade Tara for Taylor,” Johnson said. “They’ll keep both of them. For control.”
“Just like the Elgen,” I said.
After a moment he looked back up at me. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to save them. And you’re going to save thousands of lives in Arequipa. So let’s get going.”
11 Leaving a Man Behind
Ian kept watch while we all gathered again in the house. Cassy was conscious but still seemed a little out of it. She was leaning against Jax, who had his arm wrapped around her protectively.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Physically,” she said softly. “You?”
I just shook my head. “No.”
Cassy took my hand. “I’m sorry. We’ll get her back.”
After a moment Nichelle said, “What are we going to do with…?” She tilted her head toward the bedroom.
“We could leave him there and burn the house down,” Jacinta said. “Like the Amazon warrior.”
Johnson thought a moment, then said, “No, we’ll give him a proper Ranger’s burial.”
“Do we have time?” Jacinta asked.
“We’ll make time. Do you know a good place?”
Jacinta nodded. “There is a beautiful place behind the bird cages. It is cradled in the roots of a kapok tree, where the sun first hits the zoo. I often go there to meditate.”
“Show me.”
We followed Jacinta outside to the spot. The little cove was as beautiful as Jacinta said, lush and green with the massive, tall roots of a kapok tree framing the area. There was a cushion between one of the roots where Jacinta sat to meditate, and the roots that surrounded her were covered with wax and a few unspent candles.
“This is where I come to be close to God,” she said. “It is where I feel him most close.”
Johnson dug his heel into the spongy soil, then said, “This will do. Thank you.” He took a deep breath. “We’ll need some shovels.”
“We’ll get them,” Cibor said. He turned to Ostin and me. “Help me, guys.”
We followed Cibor to the warehouse, where we found three shovels and a pick. When we returned, Johnson took the pick from me and began fiercely tearing into the ground. Then Cibor, Zeus, and Jax took the shovels and started to dig. It took less than an hour to dig the grave, their work spurred on by their intense emotion.
Bentrude’s body had been wrapped in a bedsheet, and Johnson and Jax went back for it. They carried it out of the house and over to the grave site. Cibor got back down into the hole, took Bentrude into his arms, and gently laid him down in the moist dirt. I helped him out of the grave.
My heart felt as heavy as ever as I remembered the losses we’d suffered since this had all begun. Today felt most like Wade again, alone, deep in the jungle. For a moment we just stood there; then Johnson spoke.
“It seems like a hundred years ago when I first met Bentrude. After spending just a week in training with him at Fort Bragg, I remember thinking, ‘This is a man I want at my side in a firefight.’ He was smart, skilled, and maybe the most courageous man I’ve ever known. I wasn’t wrong about him. Through time, he became a brother to me.” Johnson sniffed. “It’s been said, ‘Courage is a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die.’ ”
Johnson wiped his eyes. “Bentrude knew how to live. He was the first to jump off a cliff to see if the water was deep enough or let you shoot a beer can off his shoulder. You would never know that Bentrude felt fear. But he did. Just like the rest of us. I knew this from the few times he confided in me. But, unlike the rest of us, he never let it hold him back from doing what he needed to do. Not once. He said his fear was his best friend. It made him smarter and sharper. What he left off is that it also made him brave. Because you can’t be brave without fear.
“The cowards who did this are going to pay for what they’ve done to my friend.” He exhaled loudly, then looked around at us. “Would anyone else like to say anything?”
“There’s just too much to say,” Jax said softly. He was holding hands with Cassy, and she squeezed his tighter. “Just way too much.”
Cibor nodded slowly. “Bent was always the first in action and the last to leave. I think I felt like he was my guardian angel.” He wiped his eyes. “I’m going to miss him.”
I picked a bird-of-paradise flower from a nearby bush and threw it into the grave. “God bless you, man.”
Johnson looked around the group one more time, then said, “All right. Let’s do this.”
Johnson, Jax, and Cibor took up their shovels and began filling in the hole. After they were done, Jacinta and Johnson placed a concrete statue of a kneeling woman on top of the grave.
Johnson stared at the statue for a moment, then said, “Let’s go before we have to dig any more.”
“Where are we going?” Cassy asked.
“Michael has Taylor to save. And we have a city.”
PART EIGHT
12 A Surprising Revelation
Taylor stared out the helicopter’s side window as the dense Amazon forest gave way to the sprawling compound that had once been the Elgen’s first Starxource plant. The Elgen had cleared hundreds of acres of forest for grazing, but the jungle now, with the cattle mostly gone, had already started to reclaim the land. There were still some cattle below, but now the beef was used more for feeding soldiers than rats.
Taylor was exhausted but too frightened to sleep or even close her eyes. Several times she caught Jack looking back at her, but she wouldn’t meet his gaze. Seeing him in the Chasqui suit was a bad dream come true.
The helicopter hovered for a few minutes over the former Starxource plant while the soldiers and crew below frantically prepared for their sovereign’s return.
Taylor thought it was oddly interesting seeing the compound from above, almost like an architectural model. From the ground, she hadn’t realized that the entire compound had been built as concentric circles, one ring of fences inside another, leading to the main building, where the rat bowl and laboratories were. There was also an airstrip on the north side of the complex, something she hadn’t seen before. She wondered if it had been added for the Chasqui’s drug business.
The Re-Ed building was still there, on the opposite side of the large open courtyard, next to the main building. The bowl was still intact, but it had never been fully repaired, evidenced by the cracks in the concrete on one side.
