Part 2
"So Gia tell me where we're going. If they're broadcasting from the radio tower would they have to physically be connected to it?" Kat questioned into her crystal. She's wrapped it up except for the tip where her finger touched it and she spoke into it.
"They're not actually using the radio tower, the transmitter is actually just stronger than originally assumed. They're using the radio tower to mask their signal." Gia explained.
"Chances of this being the government just went down a little." Riley quipped.
"I don't care how they're doing it I just want to know where they're doing it." Kat huffed.
Riley heard a subtle snicker in the background.
"The farthest hangar is where the signal seems to be originating from," Gia answered.
"The tower is all the way over there. How did you miss this?" Casey teased.
"Casey I will beat you up if you don't leave me alone." Gia snapped.
"Bring it crippled." Casey joked.
"Alright, children behave." Kat requested before covering up her crystal. "Farthest hangar," Kat repeated.
"Excellent, we got a read on hostiles?" Riley inquired.
Kat scoffed and revealed the tip of her crystal again.
"Gia if you're not to busy killing Casey, get us eyes in the sky. We need to know if we got company either here or coming." Kat told her.
"Aye aye captain," Gia spoke.
"Extra muscle on standby." Casey quipped.
"Go away!" Gia demanded.
Kat rolled her hazel eyes at the crystal and they marched down to the hangars. The weather wasn't bad it was kind of nice compared to the nonstop rain since they landed in Seattle. It didn't take them long from the parking lot to see their target. The flat land really helped them in having a full view of their surroundings.
"What the?" Kat muttered, squinting at the hangars.
Riley also looked at the last hangar as they approached the three rows of hangars. Two people were sitting on the roof of the hangar.
"I'm now definitely sure it's not EG. They wouldn't be that careless." Kat scoffed.
They both ran all the way to the last hangar. Kat looked up at the roof.
"What in the name of Lorien are you doing up there Chase?" Kat called.
"Shush." A familiar voice hissed.
Out of the shadows of one of the bays came a woman with a brown ponytail and harsh blue eyes. She was holding a girl in her arms that couldn't be any older than six.
"Glad to see you folks, must be the message worked." Cecilia greeted.
She sauntered back into the bay and they followed her. Inside were eight more children between the ages of ten to twelve. The girl in her arms whimpered.
"Hey, it's okay sweetie, I got you," Cecilia whispered in her ear.
Kat gave her a questioning look.
Cecilia frowned. "She's a newbie that was retrieved while you guys were at the academy. She has nothing but she lost her older sister in the raid. Her older sister is a Human Garde." Cecilia answered.
The girl nestled into her.
"What possessed you to send a message? That's like giving EG a sign pointing directly at you for them." Riley inquired rudely.
"Because we were looking for help. They've been chasing us across the country the past few weeks."
A young woman replied working with some device on the floor by the door. Her hair was like cornsilk and her eyes as blue as the sky.
"I never knew Emma was technologically skilled," Kat smirked.
"It's pretty simple to hijack a radio signal. But I'm nowhere near as good as your sister Gia." Emma casually replied.
"Folks EG just pulled into the parking lot. They aren't screwing around. There's gotta be ten vehicles full of agents piling out of the main parking lot." Gia warned through the still activated crystal in Kat's hand.
Cecilia swore. Emma sprang into action and packed up her gear into a bag. Cecilia ran outside and they followed her.
"Chase! I need your feet on the ground! We got company!" Cecilia called. Kat motioned for Riley to follow her as they peeked out around the corner of the opposing hangar.
"They're surrounding the whole airfield." Gia cautioned.
"Well, they certainly want us don't they?" Kat quipped.
"Kat, no screwing around. Get outta there." Gia scolded.
A boy with blonde hair and brown eyes jumped off the roof and landed on all fours. A girl younger but with similar features leaped down after him.
"Cover me while I get us some cover," Kat instructed.
She started rotating her right hand in full circles. The sky started to darken. Kat's muscles tensed as the sky continued to darken, clouds covering the once blue sky. Chase placed both hands on the ground and seemed to be pulling something straight out of the ground.
"Come on." He muttered.
Emma and Cecilia had rounded up all their charges and gathered outside.
"He won't get it ready before they descend upon on us." The blonde girl next to Chase admitted.
Cecilia handed off the little girl to Emma.
"Then we make time," Cecilia spoke with determination.
She and Riley walked to cover Kat as she seemed to be brewing a storm in the sky. And yep a whole squadron of EG agents was coming there way. Kats storm only seemed to be intensifying. Lighting struck in the middle of the squadron hand took the majority of it down. But some agents continued forth.
Riley felt the air crackle with energy near Cecilia. Riley didn't know what she was going to use but she was going to defend her friends.
"Come and get it, boys!" Cecilia taunted, balls of energy forming in her hands.
Riley decided the woman must've been very familiar with these standoffs. Riley smiled and flickered out of existence. She picked up a rock from the dirt path and slipped into the ranks of agents. She didn't know how long she could hold out using two legacies at once but she wasn't back down. She nailed unsuspecting agents just like she'd nailed Casey earlier.
She and Cecilia tore into the agents with no mercy just as the agents had no mercy for them. They seemed eager to target Cecilia with their devices but she kept deflecting them telekinetically.
"I ain't the little girl you're familiar with." Cecilia teased.
They took out the first round of agents and Riley was wiped.
"How we doing?" Cecilia called back.
"It's difficult to get it to come up. I don't why I'm struggling so much." Chase answered.
"We just happened to pick an area where loralite must be hard to summon," Emma added.
"I need a few more minutes," Chase argued.
"I don't think they want to give us a few more minutes. They got reinforcements." Riley warned.
Cecilia cursed again and bone fragments seemed to spring from her arms. "You holding up rookie?" Cecilia questioned.
"Never been better." Riley panted.
She wasn't sure she could handle more agents. The last round was much more tiring than she'd imagined.
"Keep up that storm Katarina!" Cecilia encouraged.
"Don't call me that!" Kat shouted.
Another lighting strike descended upon the approaching troops.
"Atta girl!" Cecilia laughed.
Riley couldn't imagine laughing at this moment but maybe Cecilia was crazier than she'd originally assumed. Riley took a deep breath and threw herself back into the fray. But this group seemed harder, or maybe she was just running out of steam.
"I got it!" Chase called through the chaos. Riley turned to see a glowing blue rock sticking out of the ground.
Emma was having everyone hold hands.
"Go we'll hold them off!" Cecilia commanded.
Riley's went with her gut.
"Go! We'll hold them off!" Riley argued.
"Not a chance," Cecilia demanded.
Kat grabbed Cecilia and started pulling her towards the others.
"You're too important," Kat informed her.
"I'll see you in a bit then," Cecilia whispered in her ear.
Kat looked at Cecilia confused.
"Come on the next loralite crystal is in Lincoln Park, Seattle," Chase whispered.
"Go!" Riley commanded.
Kat frowned at Riley before joining hands with the rest. Just as they disappeared Riley accidentally faded back into existence. She was overcome by the officials before she could regain her concentration.
But she refused to go down without a fight. She punched, kicked, and hit them with anything her telekinesis could reach. Even once they cuffed her she still was kicking and punching. She didn't give up until they stabbed something into her and a wave of exhaustion took her away.
They all unceremoniously tumbled onto the grass one right after the other. Kat rolled out of the way and punched the ground.
"Where's Riley?" She demanded.
Cecilia righted herself and took attendance. She double checked it and then sighed. "I'm sorry Kat but Riley didn't make it back."
"She has too. This was just an innocent reconnaissance mission." Kat huffed.
"She can still make it to the stone, can't she? The loralite crystal is still there isn't it?" Kat inquired.
Chase frowned and shook his head.
"We didn't use a naturally occurring loralite stone, I had to summon one from under the earth. The minute we went through it'll sink back into the ground."
"No!" Kat exclaimed. "This isn't happening, it's not a part of the plan," Kat muttered.
"Kat," Cecilia started.
"If it wasn't for your stupidity in broadcasting that message she'd still be with us! Who knows what they're doing to her!" Kat yelled at Cecilia.
"Katarina Sarah Goode." Cecilia barked.
Kat froze on command.
"Riley did what had to be done. We all wouldn't have gotten out of there. EG was out for their prey, someone needs to make sure we'd all make through the crystal. Riley's father would've done the same exact thing. She put herself on the line to protect the rest of us. Now she has to rely on her father's connections to keep her safe." Cecilia lectured.
Kat frowned and sat up.
"Well then feel free to repeat that lecture to Casey. He's quite smitten with her. He's gonna be livid that she was lost again." Kat informed her.
"How'd you know there was a crystal here?" Kat questioned.
"Eden and I grew up in Seattle. I remembered it being here." Chase shrugged.
"So where you folks at?" Eden inquired.
"Abandoned warehouse on Ohio Ave south," Kat answered.
"Well, then ladies and gentlemen let's get walking. We got some ground to cover before we get even close to the industrial district." Chase announced.
Riley came too eventually, she lazily opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was in a simple cot with metal side railings. Both of her hands were cuffed to the railing with scramblers. So we're her feet. Riley tried to use any of her legacies but all in vain, her head felt like something was trying to get out.
"Crap." She groaned, squeezing her eyes closed.
Hopefully, they ship her to academy. That's the only good outcome is putting her in the academy. That way she could at least help from the inside.
"Hello!" Riley called to the empty room. The room was horribly bland with all the white. She wasn't in a hospital, she was in a processing center. The question is was that a good thing or not? She was gonna have to play it by ear.
"I know there's gotta be someone out there!" Riley called.
"Calm down. You're not in trouble yet." An older woman scolded walking in.
"Sue me if I had to go the bathroom when you finally decide to rejoin the living." She huffed. The woman had graying blonde hair and tired dark eyes. She wobbled over to an intercom on the walk and pushed a button. "She's awake."
A few minutes later a man Riley could guess was a commander came in with four other agents. She tried searching her brain for this guys name. She was captured in Washington so who was the Commander in charge of Washington? She was drawing a blank on anything about the people in this state. He was normal size but held himself with authority. He looked like the hundreds of other officials she'd seen.
"Unless you'd like me to address you as LANE I'd recommend you tell us your name." The oldest looking man spoke coldly.
"I didn't know LANE was still in use," Riley commented.
"Don't be wise." The man scowled. Riley sat up in her bed. She rested her hands on the rails for they couldn't go much farther.
"If you tell me your name I'll tell you mine." Riley offered.
"Commander William Kennedy of Washington state. You?" He questioned.
"Riley Lexa Worthington of nowhere," Riley answered.
"Now that we have introduced each other I would like to ask you some questions. Answer them truthfully and honestly and we may be able to work out a deal between us." He calmly explained.
"Excuse me? What have I been charged with?" Riley inquired, trying to not sound irritated. She knew exactly what charges could be put on her but better let him tell her what they were.
"Aiding and abetting the refugees that have evaded the system. Rather vehemently attacking unsuspecting Earth Garde troops. And you are a known accomplice of the leader's of the refugee camp." One of his lackeys read off a tablet.
"You think I work with the leaders of the Human Garde refugee camp? Pfft. Who told you that?" Riley chuckled.
"Well, it isn't a secret you and Casey Raya grew up together until he ran away." Commander William answered.
"So what? Doesn't mean I have any contact with him since then." Riley argued.
"Surveillance cameras from your school show two wanted refugees in your school right before the power was cut. Casey Raya and Gia Goode." The same lackey reported.
Riley actually couldn't find a way to talk herself out of that bit of evidence.
"Moving on to the next line of questioning. You relentlessly attacked unsuspecting ground troops. What do you have to say for yourself?" He questioned.
"That those soldiers were far from unsuspecting. Just because they didn't see me doesn't mean they weren't ready for a fight. I didn't relentlessly attack them either. I attacked them in self-defense." Riley reasoned.
"Okay so now onto the part of you tell me what I need to know and I make sure you keep you legacies with a one-way ticket to the Academy." Commander William's face was like stone.
"Umm, sir. She's professor Nine's only daughter. He's very protective of her." Another lackey interrupted.
"Then he should've kept better track of her shouldn't he?" William scowled.
"Now you were spotted at the Olympia Regional Airport with a wanted group of LANEs. We know you weren't part of the group we've been tracking for the past two weeks. So you were there with an accomplice probably responding to their pathetic SOS." He coldly explained to her.
"Was there a question in there sir?" Riley inquired.
"Name all the targets there and where were they escaping too? We know they used one of those loralite crystals to escape but before any of my men could follow them the thing sank back into the ground." He scowled.
"I ain't no snitch." Riley sneered. "Besides I don't know where on earth her majesty was taking everyone. Those crystals are everywhere." Riley casually shrugged.
"Sylinda? Will you do the honors?" William questioned, still completely emotionless.
"Sir? Are you really going to do it to her?" The same lackey protested.
"She's another one of those loose cannons. Since her father doesn't seem to be able to keep her on a tight lease we'll be doing him a favor." He reasoned with no emotion whatsoever.
The woman left the room quickly, probably getting supplies for what Riley had seen and heard all about. The cure for legacies.
"You can still come clean and this all stops." William reminded.
Riley wasn't a snitch and she didn't care what they did to her. Just like her father and the other Garde, she would sacrifice herself to save others. Her father never cracked when the mogs held him captive and she wouldn't crack for these people. But that didn't stop her heart from trying to break out of her chest when Sylinda walked back in with a small tray. Riley's stomach had taken residence in her chest and moved her heart up into her throat. She felt sick which was one of the main side effects of the cure. Flu-like symptoms for a week after injection. She'd been reading Malcolm's reports to Gia about it.
"Roll up her left sleeve please." Sylinda politely requested. William walked over and rolled up Riley's left sleeve.
That's when she decided she wasn't going to snitch but she wasn't going down without a fight. She yanked hard against her restraints, legacies miserably failing due to the scramblers.
"Hold her steady," Sylinda commanded, readying what looked so much like a simple vaccine. Three guards came at her restraining her by pushing her against the bed. Sylinda wiped her arm with a simple alcohol wipe. Maybe if Riley got sick on the nurse that'd contaminate the needle which would make it useless. Riley tried struggling against her restraints again but the men held her firm. Riley's heart was either going to burst from her chest or she was going to lose her entire stomach in the next minute. She tried not to hyperventilate but her lungs weren't listening to her. While she was focusing on slowing down her breathing the woman jabbed her in the shoulder. Riley bit down on her lip to prevent from making a sound. She wanted to cry out in rage or sorrow about the injustice she was suffering. But the tiny logical part of her mind reminded her that she'd saved all those children and her friends. That made it all worth it. Then it was all gone.
Sylinda taped a small piece of gauze to her arm and left. The guards released her immediately.
"Put in a call to Malcolm Goode. Tell him he needs to get someone to collect his bosses daughter." William commanded before turning on heel and stalking out.
Riley tried to fight some more but all her energy was suddenly gone. But she refused to let herself fall asleep. She was going to protest however she could. Regardless of what this cure did to her.
