Chapter 1: The Unwanted Traveler

Time was of the essence. Sweat beaded across my face as I quickly tried to break the security code. No luck the computer was protected to tightly to be unwound. I could hear footsteps down the hall. I ran out of time, and luck at that. The man approached me with his handcuffs and badge and shackled my hands together. Well there goes my plan of hacking into the National Security Agency. Not my brightest idea. How bout I go to the beginning to how I got here and explain a little bit to you.

My name is Lance Wakeman, and I am from Washington D.C. For some reason if it says restricted and there is technology I need to break the rules. My Dad is a Capitol Hill cop who often bails me out of my arrests, or saves me from the cops. I got a lucky dad. However my mom left us at birth and I have never met her. My dad tells me I have her eyes and smile and that I look just like her. Personally I have nothing to compare it to so I just smile and nod.

It was 9 o'clock on a Friday night. All offices were closed and everyone had gone home. Wait, I should go back even further than that. Earlier in the day some bullies at my school had dared me to steal information on a file named HEROES. It took them a little bit of persuading to get me to accept, but I was easily persuaded after I took a couple blows to the gut. Ok, now back to 9 PM. So after the last guard made his last tour and his way to his car, I tossed a little stone I found in the doorway. It worked and the door didn't catch on its lock. I swiftly made my way through the door and pulled out the stone. Now luckily the room I wanted to find was all the way in the back so hopefully no one would see that any lights were on. I came to the computer and once it booted up is where my troubles began to occur after five guesses the computers would go off and I would be in trouble. Luckily the fifth try was right.

I quickly looked around the desktop and server files for a codename HEROES. No such luck. I searched about three more times until one file came up, Will Parker. He was my age at 17. What I was more curious about was his history, blank. Why would they have an innocent kid listed in the NSA for no reason under his own codename file? Scanning through his information more I finally found another odd connection. Someone who I can guarantee he never had any contact with in his life a Kyle with no last name supplied and no point of origin. This kid, the NSA had less info on than someone with his own codename. Something was up under this file and I couldn't let anyone from school get access to it. I printed out a copy and then tried to hack into other Intel to see what I could dig up. And let's just say that I ran out of five tries and that is how I'm in my current predicament.

As I took my "death march" as I like to call the walk of shame I noticed something that usually would not be seen, a man about 8 feet tall. Me only being 5 feet 8, I knew he was tall. Something else I took into notice was that I could not make out his torso or feet. I heard him grunt and then snort almost horse like but I dismissed the idea. He must have been really drunk to be snorting like that in public. But with that you heard a loud screeching sound. The wailing got closer and it was a group of creatures limping, but sprinting closer and closer. They were after me. My dad pushed me to the side as chaos broke out. And to think we were only 20 steps from the car.

He drew his gun and ordered the creatures to freeze. Meanwhile the giant man pulled up a camera and got a picture of me staring straight into his lens. Whoever that guy was he was up to no good. As I looked back one of the wailing creatures had gotten closer to me and my dad yelled, "Move one more step and I'll shoot your brains out you understand!" I caught a glimpse of its face at that moment. I had recognized it immediately; it was one of the kids from earlier in my day that was punching my guts out. They had planned for me to get caught after getting the files.

If the thing had a brain to concentrate it looked completely clueless. It just froze and adjusted its gaze from me to my dad. It glared its rotten teeth and bared them towards my dad. It screeched again and ran towards my dad. It wasn't as much of a run as it was a gallop. The next thing I heard was three shots; POP, POP, POP! And the creature that was running towards him collapsed viciously onto the ground. The creature had translucent skin and you could make out its bones. It appeared to be a skeleton or zombie like creature that just remained motionless. No blood came from its head or anything. I slowly got back to my feet and whispered, "Thanks dad." As we made our way up the others were leaving their fallen comrade alone. I guess the sight of him dead on the ground had them concerned. Or they went to get back up.

"No problem Lance, but you got to be more careful and a lot less stupid. Now let's get you home." I quickly picked up my backpack and looked around. All the reporters were gone same as the tall man who managed to get a picture of me. I got into my dad's car. We drove home in his undercover cop car, a 2011 Camaro. Personally I'm not allowed to say this on the record, but I've "borrowed" this car a couple of times. Let's just say when dad found out it would usually result in me having to clean up the basement. And by basement, I mean his own personal evidence locker. Then for some reason I thought about the man who took my picture. Who was he that he had a head on everybody else and why did he want my picture. Now back in reality I caught the tail end of my dad's lecture, "You need to be more careful and a lot less like your mother."

Something he never mentions when I do wrong my mom. I sat there and stared at him for a few seconds trying to fathom what he just said. Without thinking I blurted out, "Who is she?"

I sounded like a little whinny two year old kid whimpering to him. He quickly snapped back to his old military self and murmured, "That's classified and you know it. Topic closed! Forget I even mentioned her boy."

"No this is not the military, and this topic is NOT closed. I demand information on her NOW!" This was the first time I had raised my voice at him in a while. He came to a hard stop in the road as the Camaro drifted some to its side taking up two lanes now.

"You can either shut the hell up right now, or you can walk home. Your choice, son."

"Fine, I'll shut up!"

"Aw I was hoping you would pick the second option," chimed in a third voice.

My dad parked the car and turned to him and said, "I'm sorry but WHO the HELL are you sir?"

"I'm the man of travelers. And I need my nephew's assistance of course."

"Wait nephew?" I asked. "You mean me? Dad you had a brother?"

"No, I'm an only child. How are you related to my son?"

"Why I am his mother's brother of course. I am Hermes, the god of Travelers, and you my boy are needed of my assistance, and the world's. If you don't mind Captain Wakeman, or whatever your military rank is, I need to borrow your son for an indefinite amount of time."

"No you can't take him. Not to your world! Not to the place your sister showed me!"

"Ah but see this is different. A place for his kind where you will be safe from the harm he brings you." With that Hermes put his arm on my shoulder and I blacked out and knew I wasn't in my dad's car anymore. I could tell my dad was furious.