Looking for the Age of Aquarius
Chap 13 ("Passion Lends Them Power")
As I was leaving The Bug to go meet Saroya, the Saroya – the co-pilot of the ARDhet, Drake jumped the stairs to get by me, a odd, concerned look on his face, and headed over to the table where Sophia, Lukas, Julia and Erik sat, painting masks for the Mardi Gras parade. I turned, seeing Taylor pacing by her table, speaking to whoever called her, getting agitated.
Yep, Atrian pregnancies; emotions can flip as if by a switch. Not my problem.
I saw Drake whisper in Sophia's ear when I waved at my friends, but Sophia glanced up at Taylor. No one at the table looked at me, though; they were all focused on Drake. Whatever it was bothering Taylor, I knew that Sophia and Drake would sort it out; I needed to go rescue a woman I really admired.
I left, kinda glad that I didn't have to watch anymore of the Drake, Taylor and baby saga.
I got into my car and drove to Ebbingson Road, parking next to the old wood sign. I followed the path that only our people could see to what some called the dream gate. I hated this path, alligators lurked here, and I loathe alligators. The path stopped at an old boathouse and tackle shop called Jessy's Tours, but only the letters, J E S Y' T U R were lit, spelling out Jesy'tur, the name of the boatman and gatekeeper of Eljida and Negea. I don't know if it had been called Jessy's Tours before we arrived or if my people had built this place, since no road or real trail led to it, but I knew that no humans ever came close to the gate.
I saw a one of my Zæsak warriors, but only because he allowed me to see him. He was probably the one who had called Ian about Saroya being here. I knew that there were other Zæsak warriors near, watching me, and I made the formal salute in respect. The warrior returned the salute and withdrew into the shadows of the foliage, although I could still make out his silhouette. The warriors all knew me by sight, my name and even details of my life, but I only knew a few of them. Mostly, I knew their primary leaders and commanders, but I respected all of them.
As I approached the boathouse, a blonde woman in a black hooded coat stood facing me with her knife in her hand and the hood obscuring her face. "Escape is possible; to seek Eljida, journey by way of the ebbing sun…" I said in way of greeting in Sondiv.
"If you are Atrian you'll see the way," she replied in Sondiv, lowering her guard minutely. "You're the boatman?"
"No, I'm not. I mean you no harm, but come as a friend, if you'll allow me," I said in formal Sondiv.
She lowered her arm. "Where is Jesytur?"
I smiled. "He is not coming. May I?" I asked, coming closer.
She nodded, making her hood slip back a little.
"I'm Mahureen, Atriarch Iksen of the Tgorasad, daughter of Nehreen who served before me," I said formally. "I swore to protect all Atrians – the Tgorasad and Itrejivil – who survive outside the Sector. I extend to you my protection."
"Why can't I go to Eljida?" she asked.
I leaned against the handrail with my hands clasped in front of me so I'd seem informal, nonthreatening. The old boathouse might look dilapidated, but that was a façade; the dock area, deck and bench were really quite sturdy and well built. "I would suggest another placement for you, if you'll agree to it," I said in English.
She tilted her head as if skeptical, then answered back, "No, I wish to go to Eljida – to be among the others – to be free…"
Her voice trailed off as I looked at her, slowly shaking my head. "Eljida is not what you've been led to believe," I said, speaking again in Sondiv. She shook her head, about to argue with me, so I held up my hand. "I will not lie to you. Eljida was not built as a free city; it was built as a safe hiding place for those who managed to avoid the hunts after we crashed here, a refuge. We needed homes, places to live. Eljida is one of three places built out of the drop ships and what we could salvage from the remains of the life pods, plus a few trailers and drainage pipes… It's all deep under the water in the bayou. It was created to house about 350 – 400 people, but it is an internment, much like the Sector is, although, the people are there by choice, not by force. However, those who enter are not free to come and go since Atrians are not welcome by the indigenous people of this planet. When you enter Eljida, you chose to remain until either humans accept us and grant us freedom or we, Atrians, gather to leave the planet."
"No, that can't be right," she said, looking off into the bayou.
She lowered her hood, and for a moment I was taken aback; I recognized her! This was – she was… Saroya was the woman from Dinaskyu – the one Gloria brought to Drake's pod! How could I have forgotten that? She was – is Drake's mom!
She immediately backed up, her defenses heightened because of my reaction. I raised my hand in supplication. "No, Saroya, please," I dropped my hand. "I… I remember you from Dinaskyu," I said, trying to regain my composure. This woman was a hero to me, and I was blowing this – but she was Drake's mother! And I'd… with everything that had happened at Dinaskyu… but I should have remembered.
"You know me?" she asked, but her expression was guarded.
"I know who you are," I added, however my reply didn't reassure her. "Wait, I was told you'd been arrested because Castor didn't want anyone to know what had happened on the ARDhet – but I know. I know what really happened. So do my Ikseyan and the elders of my people. You are not without friends, people who know we owe our lives to you."
"You're crazy," she said, but she put her knife in its sheath. "I crashed the ship."
"But you saved our lives! The ARDhet takes a team of two to safely navigate in and out of a planetary atmosphere – I know this. However, you managed to keep the craft in one piece and relatively balanced, steady enough to allow the life pods and drop ships to disengage safely, all while under threat to your life, and you landed the ship with minimal damage – all on your own. I have seen your mirszan, the co-pilot's recorder, all ten hours forty-eight minutes of it."
"You've seen…?"
"I've seen it – I lived it through you," I said. "I can't fathom how you..." I regained my composure. Regardless of how awestruck I was of this woman, I was here on official business. "Please come with me to the houses. It's a community built by us for our needs. Everything will be explained to you, I promise."
She looked away, through the trees of the bayou, so I waited. Finally she nodded. I turned and made the formal salute to the warriors, then led Saroya to my car. I took out my phone and called Ian, putting the phone on speaker. "I have her; she's agreed to come," I said in Sondiv.
"The elders are eager to greet the co-pilot of the ARDhet," Ian answered back in Sondiv, then told me in English, "We'll see you when you get here."
I hung up. Beside me, Saroya was quiet, much like she was the night of Dinaskyu in her pod. "Do you know the human language English?"
Saroya shook her head. "Some; I'm not," she paused a second, then added, "fluent," in Sondiv.
I smiled reassuringly. "Then we will speak in Sondiv," I reassured her in our language.
To break the silence as I drove her to the houses, I told her what I knew about the hunts and the way we've lived to survive. "I know that there are people who think that Eljida is a safe haven; it is safe, and so well hidden in the bayou even the military satellites can't see it, but it is not a haven. Plus it's at maximum capacity. We've started building Negea, but it's harder to get supplies in, especially the huge drainage pipes. Building the houses was easier."
"Why?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," I replied. "I was young when Eljida and Ukænos were built; I was present at the meetings, but much of the discussion were… boring. Well, to be honest, I wanted to play with my friends."
"You were a child," she said, and I nodded.
"I have been groomed to be Iksen since I was eight, but didn't take it all that seriously until I was about eleven. I began to lead our Hwatab at fourteen and took the wysedia at fifteen. I've been the Atriarch Iksen of the people, for all of us hiding out here, ever since. My Hwatab consists of my Tgorasad Ikseyan and their Seconds as well as appointed representatives of the Itrejivil who live outside the Sector."
I turned onto Oak Knoll and into the garage of Meheka's house. "We're here," I said, turning off the car. "You will be welcomed here."
She didn't look convinced, but when we entered the house, I think she was thrown for a loop; the house was full and many of them were smiling at her. Every elder and all the Ikseyan and their Seconds were waiting to meet and greet her. I introduced her to many of them until Meheka spoke up and offered to help her settle in.
I watched as Saroya was led away by Meheka and Ian, smiling at the amazing woman I very much respected.
She'd be happier here, I hoped.
~~~~~o~~~~~
My phone rang at dawn.
"Castor was found dead last night; he was killed with a poisonous kos," Ryuta said, and I immediately became more alert. "No one has seen or heard from Roman and he's not in his pod."
"Roman, he wouldn't do this," I said confused.
"Roman opposed Castor, he didn't trust him, and Castor has been maligning Roman for a while now. Roman was seen falling off a crate and running away from the scene, but one eyewitness said Roman was bleeding – he may have been stabbed as well." He paused and I could hear indistinct vices in the background. "They're gone. It could be they had a knife fight, they happen here."
"Tell me again, but tell me everything," I urged him.
"There isn't much to tell," Ryuta said. "As far as the record shows, Roman did not leave with the float from the Sector. He was seen in various sections within the Sector, all public venues. He even met with the Iwabas Iksen. The last time anyone saw him he had fallen from the crates in section II, quadrant II, corridor E. He was running for the back of the corridor, not the Sector market or main corridors – away from his pod."
There was a shout in the background, and he paused.
"His mother said that he didn't come back before she turned in last night. But Maia said she was up reading until midnight, that's way after curfew. However, Sophia is contradicting herself: one minute Sophia says he was home, sleeping – but she didn't see him in the pod that night, and doesn't recall what time he came home, only that it must have been late. Then she said she thinks he had risen early to leave the Sector."
Okay odd. "She's covering for him."
"I know. We've been ordered to do a perimeter check just in case he found another way out," Ryuta said. "One more thing, Teri left the Sector late last night and returned two minutes after curfew. I let it slide, it was her first time. But a kid said she saw Emery Whitehill with Teri together last night sometime after eight o'clock, and they apparently left together. Teri left again first thing this morning at change of shift. Drake and Sophia, they clocked out twenty minutes later."
"So Drake and Sophia are outside somewhere?" I wished the seven were allowed cell phones.
"And Teri – all three, well four if you count Roman," he said, then added, "I have to go, they're calling me," and hung up.
I tried calling Emery and got no answer. I called Julia. "Where are you?" she asked in greeting.
"Home," I replied, surprised by the anxious tone in her voice. "Why…?"
"The Suvek was stolen last night," she stated.
"What?" I gasped.
"Grayson was highjacked and the Trags have the Suvek," Julia said.
"Where are you?" I asked, wondering what if anything Roman and Drake were doing.
"I'm on my way to the warehouse to meet up with everyone," Julia said.
"Okay. I'll see you there as soon as I can," I replied and hung up.
I called Justin and Jason's apartment, getting Justin. "I need your help."
"When haven't you lately," he said sarcastically and then asked, "Why, what's up?" So I told him what happened. "Shit. Okay, I'll be there in a minute," he said and hung up.
Shoot. I wanted him to bring his roommates just in case. I tried calling back, but it went to voice mail after five rings.
I tried calling Gareth, Mason, Arnund and Dunon's apartment, hoping to have them help me again, and Dunon answered on the fourth ring. "They're not here. Ian pulled Gareth, Mason and Arnund in around o-four hundred," he said.
"Why?" I asked and then shook the question off. "Are they coming back soon, I need their help."
"I don't know," he said. "Why? What happened?"
There was a pounding on my door as I told him what happened. I opened my door to let whoever in, finding Tyson, Justin and Jason there, Jason still pulling on his shirt.
"All right, I'll be right there," Dunon stated and hung up as the three at my door entered the apartment.
"Aren't you ready yet?" Justin asked as I turned to get my purse.
I grabbed my large Nine West bag, checking that I had my herb kit, and opened my door, finding Dunon with his fist raised to knock. "Let's go," I said as the other three exited into the hall.
"I'll drive," Dunon said.
Who was I to argue.
When the five of us arrived, the 'float crew' were already at the warehouse, well everyone but Roman and Emery, and the float was there, seemingly intact, just as it was supposed to be. Grayson was trying to give a report to the three cops, but for some reason the cops walked away and wouldn't help because of who Grayson was, or more specifically, who his parents were.
Dunon turned his head away as they walked by us, and swiped at his close cropped hair as if to avoid eye contact with the police.
Odd.
"Are you serious, they're not even going to help us?" Julia asked everyone as Dunon leaned in and whispered to me, "I recognize two of them."
"Just because of the Red Hawks? There is a bomb at Mardi Gras," Erick grumbled as I turned to Dunon and asked, "How?"
"I've seen them with Rayne…" he said softly. "They're Trag; I don't know about the third."
"That Trag who float-jacked you last night must have driven it here and taken the Suvek," Drake said, drawing my attention from Dunon's announcement. "They couldn't have gone far."
"Unless they used a truck," I pointed out, still wondering if the other cop could be Trag, too.
"Or my jeep," Grayson said angrily. Behind him, Tyson was watching Lukas as he did some kind of scan with his phone. "They'd want to set it off in a crowded place, and with the whole town here for Mardi Gras…"
"But how are we supposed to find it? They could've taken it anywhere," Sophia said.
"It could be somewhere in town, possibly along the parade route," Erik stated.
"If the security safeguards were set to kill anyone within thirty feet, I think it would be safe to assume that would be the same radius," I said.
Drake looked at me, and I could tell he didn't think so. "Main street is at least a mile, right? That's 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards," he stated.
"But it would make sense, wouldn't it? Somewhere in the middle of the parade route – maximum casualties," Julia said.
"Guys, I downloaded the Geiger counter app," Lukas said, joining the group as Tyson clicked away on his iPhone. "I'm picking up trace amounts of radiation from the float. It's probably left over from the Suvek."
"So we search the area and try to pick up the signal," Julia said.
"And if you measure anything over 500 cpm, then you're definitely close to it," Lukas said.
"So we should all add the app?" I asked.
"If you have the same phone, but you'll need a few other apps that support its function," Lukas said.
Julia pulled out her phone as did I. "No," Justin said, pushing my arm down. "I'll do it."
"I should too, just in case," I insisted, and Tyson took my phone to download them for me, getting a reprimanding look from Justin.
Tyson and Lukas helped Justin, Grayson, Dunon and Julia download the apps and then showed us how to us it.
"Let's split up," Grayson said. Drake paired up with me, Sophia with Grayson, Erick and Julia together, and Tyson went with Lukas.
Dunon said he wanted to check out the cop. "If he's at the parade, then I'll know."
"All the cops in town might be at the parade," I pointed out. Justin said he was going with Dunon and they left.
"What's up with him?" Drake asked.
"He recognized two of the cops as Trag," I told Drake.
"Are you sure?" he asked and I nodded with a shrug. "Anything's possible. Let's go."
We searched the street, moving through the crowd before the parade, hoping to get lucky, but so far, I wasn't getting anything. I stopped and turned off the app. "What are you doing?" Drake asked as I opened my contact list. "We are supposed to be using that to find the Suvek."
"Calling Ian, my Zæsak Iksen, for back up," I said and put the phone to my ear as we continued to walk through the crowd. He picked up immediately. "Ian, no luck on finding this… so far. I need the scouts to help us find it."
"We've another situation," he said.
"What?" I said slowly. Now what?
"Two more humans have been admitted to Endendale Hospital with what looks like black ciper burning," he told me.
"Are you sure?" I gasped, stopping.
"I'm sure. I have everyone I can spare on high alert and searching for the plant. Our best cultivators are on standby."
"Drake, someone with what looks like black ciper burning is being treated at the hospital."
"What?" Drake asked, but I'd turned my attention to Ian.
"When? Were they both exposed in the same place? Could it be from the same source?"
"Not sure," Ian said. "One victim is a patrol officer – we heard the report on the police scanners. He spotted someone on the ground clutching their throat, so he stopped to help. According to what he told the dispatcher, the man indicated that there was another victim, so went to investigate. He reported that there was nothing at the site, but apparently started to have respiratory issues and collapsed. However, he did manage to call for paramedical help."
"Where?" Drake asked.
"I dunno yet," I told him, then asked Ian, "How long ago was their exposure and where was he when he collapsed?"
"We know that he was admitted sometime last night," Ian stated. "He was somewhere outside town — we're guessing northeast of town, the closest point to Baton Rouge. I've all my scouts looking for the site, but unless we hack into the police computers, I can't get a definite on where the policeman was; Elias doesn't respond when I call, and no one has seen him since he notified me."
"Elias?" I vaguely remembered him; he had recently been promoted to warrior and opted to have his markings bleached. "Missing?" I asked and Ian confirmed it. I hoped he was all right and would turn up this afternoon. "What are we going to do about the humans? We can't purge them until the respiratory burns are cured by black ciper," I said.
"We have to find the plant first," Ian said. "The primary doctor considers it another outbreak of a highly contagious, rare and dangerous unknown pathogen, so Nerud, one of our Dævas Toxicologists, has obtained consulting privileges on the victim's case. But the CDC from Atlanta, Georgia has been alerted, and they are sending a representative to investigate."
"Shit! The last thing we need is for the CDC to find the black ciper spores in the victims' blood. If they run tests and find the similarities to red ciper, there will be a human panic. We'll – the Itrejivil in the Sector will be locked down and the interrogations will resume."
"I'm aware of that," Ian said. "I'll have the humans relocated within the hour, even if I have to steal them."
"Ian, no—"
"It has to be done, or we risk exposure of black ciper," he said. "Remember, Eva Benton worked at the Daigle Biomed-tech Pharmaceutical Research Institute, and she had ties with David Boehringer at the CDC."
"Right, keep me posted," I said and hung up. "My scouts are on it," I told Drake.
"Then let's keep moving," he said.
As the parade moved slowly down the street, the sidewalks became even more crowded. I spotted Lukas and Sophia getting off our float.
Drake took off running toward them, shouting, "Hey," and I followed on his heels. "You guys find anything?"
"I'm getting elevated radiation readings on this block," Lukas said. "The Suvek must be nearby. I'll tell the others to meet us here."
"Where is Grayson?" I asked them.
"He thought he saw something and ran off," Lukas told me.
"Is that Taylor?" Sophia asked.
Drake sighed heavily and walked over to her as Lukas started to alert everyone to where we were.
Taylor was all smiles as he approached, but I could tell he was really annoyed at her, it radiated off him. She held up her hands, one clutching a Coach clutch, the other a cup of water.
Drake pursed his lips as Taylor, obviously clueless, was smiling up at him, then turned as Zoeda joined them and removed her mask, holding up her hands as if to say 'surprise'. Zoeda put her arm around Taylor as Taylor kept talking. Drake was watching Zoeda as if he wanted to strangle her. Zoeda had an expression that was both cocky and smug.
"I'm going to go across the street and see if the reading is stronger over there," Lukas said.
"Okay," I said as I watched Zoeda point to a beignets stand. Not surprising, Taylor looked at the stand as if ravenous, and she walked away to go eat. Blissfully unaware and completely naïve. How in the world…? Hadn't Drake warn her about Zoeda?
Drake grabbed Zoeda's shoulder and turned her, his expression warning.
"Maureenn, Earth to Maureen," Lukas said.
"Oh yeah, I'll scan the area here," I said, still watching Drake.
"Whatever; Sophia, stay with her," Lukas said.
Zoeda was unfazed, and Drake turned to look where Taylor was standing eating fresh beignets. I turned too, seeing four men in black wearing the same type of black leather masks – masks that look altogether too familiar. Atrian, but I couldn't place them.
"It's across the street, somewhere," Lukas said as he joined Sophia and me. Drake turned to face Zoeda again, and she looked smug.
"Can you pin it down?" I asked him.
"Of course I can; I'll try there first," he said as he pointed to where the nail salon, the three story brick building that had been Delanne's furniture store at one point, and the pharmacy all stood.
Drake looked pissed as she walked away from him and joined Taylor at the beignets truck as Taylor bought another tray of the fatty treat.
"I'll call Tyson, he's really tech savvy, and go get Drake and try to find Roman," I said. "They are the best shot we have at stopping this thing. And find the others," I said as I took a few steps in Drake's direction. I dunno, maybe I'd call Daniel at his shop. Daniel was Me-ma's husband, guardian-father to me and a Sævad mechanical engineer, who was really good with vehicles. He and Baxton, another Sævad mechanical engineer, had submitted the patents for Atrian parts that improved electric cars, like improved batteries, starters, converters and such, and they had an automotive shop on 5th street.
Drake was still watching Zoeda and Taylor and the four men in masks who'd obviously taken four point positions around Taylor and Zoeda.
No one answered at the shop. Damn. I tried Daniel's cell, getting voicemail, so I tried calling Baxton.
He picked up after the fourth ring. "Hello."
"Baxton, where are you?" I asked, a finger in my other ear so I could hear him better, and Drake looked at me sharply.
"Baton Rouge," he said.
"Oh," I said, having a hard time hearing him. "Where's Daniel? I tried to call him but he didn't pick up."
"We've that meeting with General Motors today," he said.
Shit, I forgot. "Right, okay," I said as I looked around, and I realized that I couldn't see Drake. Or Taylor. Where did they go?
"Should I have him call you?" Baxton asked me.
"No, I'm fine," I said, looking around for Drake. I saw him standing a few feet away, staring intently though the crowd.
"You don't sound fine," Baxton said as I started walking in Drake's direction.
"It can wait till he gets back," I lied, saying bye to him and hanging up. "What happened?" I asked Drake as soon as I approached him.
"Zoe is alive," Drake said.
"I know that – I saw her," I said as he stormed away from me. I hurried after him. "Drake, wait…"
"Zoe is the one who float-jacked Grayson – she has the Suvek," he snarled, coming to a halt. "And now she's got Taylor."
"You mean those four men I saw in the leather masks? They're Trag – they have Taylor? Why…?" But I probably could have guessed, although I doubted it had anything to do with the Suvek. "Those masks, are they Atrian?" I asked as he started walking again.
"They are Iwabas masks from Swien Zmarzyje," he said, moving through the crowd, intently watching something ahead that I couldn't see. But then he was taller than me.
"The Day of the Dead celebration? How apropos," I said, hurrying to keep up with him. But try as I might, I was having a harder time navigating the crowd than he was. "Drake, wait! We shouldn't spit up," I yelled after him.
Suddenly a large Atrian man in a grey cowl-necked pullover grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. "Are you the one who seduced our Trag brother, Drake?"
"Let go of me," I insisted, but even though I tried to yank my arm free, this man was much stronger than I was.
"Answer me. Are you're the bitch who turned Drake from his brothers and defiled our Atrian purity with your salaciousness?" he snarled.
"No, I didn't!" I exclaimed, frightened. He was holding me so tight it hurt. I could still see Drake, but there were so many people. "We're friends, but I didn't…"
"Friends? Is that what you call it, lusting after our men?" he sneered as he pulled me into an alley space where the trash bins for the shops stood.
"Drake and I – we're not – not anymore! We-we're only friends," I stammered, looking for anyone to help me.
"Drake? Are you the blond he impregnated?" he demanded to know.
"What? I – no! I'm—" I couldn't tell this guy who I was – he was Trag. "We're friends, from school, and—"
He shoved me against the wall next to the dumpster so hard I thought my head would crack on the stucco. "You should have left well enough alone," he warned me, his arm now pressed on my chest. "You humans should stay with your own kind."
I saw Drake looking around, but there were so many people I knew he couldn't see me. "Drake!" I screamed out, and the Atrian pulled out a knife.
"You liar – you are his human sunka," the Trag snarled, calling me Drake's bitch, pushing his weight on his arm and making it hard for me to breathe. "You and your baby are an abomination and that thing in you has to be terminated."
I started to panic, pushing against him, but his body was like solid muscle and my struggling didn't even budge him. "I'm not—" I tried to say as I felt the knife press on my abdomen. I grabbed the man's wrist, hoping to stop him from killing me, but he just laughed at me. His wrist under my fingers felt like solid steel, but I tried to dig my nails into his skin nonetheless.
"You are a little pyekota, aren't you?" he sneered amusedly, calling me a hellcat, and for a moment I froze, my passiveness giving my attacker a false sense of domination.
But at that moment, just over the man's shoulder, I could see Drake's head; but he wasn't looking in my direction. "DRAKE!" I screamed, and I felt a prick from his knife.
"Shut up!" my attacker snarled as I shouted, "DRAKE!" again, praying he'd hear me. The Trag's arm pressed firmly, pinning me in place.
"Shut up, slut, or I'll slice you open right here," he said as his arm slid up to my neck, cutting off my wind pipe. I started to hit at him, pushing at him with all my might again, but he outweighed me by a good hundred pounds or more of solid muscle. He merely laughed at me. "You're making this fun—"
Suddenly the pressure on my throat eased and the blade slid on my skin as he was pulled backward. The Trag turned, knife in hand as Drake threw a right hook into the man's face. The Trag lost his balance for a second, but long enough for Drake to belt him with another solid punch. The Atrian swung with the knife, but Drake anticipated the blow and jumped back, then quickly moved forward, turning his torso as he landed a punch to the man's gut. I moved forward, and drew my leg back as the Atrian managed to hit Drake once, then again, and I slammed my foot into the man's knee with all my strength, making it buckle. Drake hit him again, and the knife clattered to the ground. The Atrian swung again, favoring his good leg, and Drake slammed him with an uppercut to the jaw. The Trag stumbled backward, his head jerked back as I scrambled from the wall and out onto the pavement.
I turned as Drake hit him again, making the man stumble into the dumpster. Drake turned toward me quickly. "Go," he shouted as he grabbed my arm, dragging me away at a run. I stumbled, and he hauled me up, pulling me along with him. "Across the street," he shouted, shoving me forward.
I ran, not looking back as I hurried through the people tossing beads alongside a float. I shoved a man out of my way as I ducked and dodged my way to the buildings, passing the Antique Shoppe and stopping between Brighton's and PinkN'Berry's, breathing hard. I bent forward slightly, grasping my middle, to catch my breath.
Drake came up to my side and clasped my shoulder. "Keep going," he said sharply, but his expression changed as he grabbed my hand when I stood up. "You're bleeding," he said, and I looked at my hand.
I stared at the blood on my hand – my blood.
"How bad is it?" he asked, pulling my navy top up to look.
I looked up at him, but saw my attacker coming with another man in a Swien Zmarzyje mask.
"It doesn't look deep – just a bad scratch," Drake said as I pointed at the two men crossing the street.
"He's coming, two of them," I stammered.
Drake took my hand, leading me down the sidewalk through the crowd. We ducked into a recessed doorway. "Did we lose them?" I asked as Drake examined my cut again.
"I don't know," he said. "Not for long."
I pulled out my herb kit from my shoulder bag and handed him cleolat, an astringent antihemorrhagic herb. He rolled it in his fingers and pressed it on my cut, and I tried not to hiss from the sting like a sissy. "He thought I was Taylor," I told him.
He gave me a quizzical look.
"He thought you and I – he accused me of defiling you and making you turn from the Trags," I explained. "If he was looking for Taylor… What happened to her? Last I saw her was before he…"
"I don't know," he said as he stood up. "Bleeding has slowed down, I think you'll be all right." He looked around. "I lost track of her and Zoe when I saw the guy in the Swien Zmarzyje mask pinning you to the wall." He looked at me. "You okay?"
"I am now," I replied.
"Where is everyone?" he asked, looking around.
"Lukas said that the signal was strongest over there," I said, pointing across the street. "We were over here and he was pointing to somewhere by the nail salon, Delanne's old furniture store, or the pharmacy. I don't know which." I paused. "What did Zoeda tell you?"
"If we don't stop, she'll kill Taylor," he said, moving to cross the street.
"Drake, Wait…!" I shouted after him, dodging floats and a people in costumes. If what I knew about Zoeda was right, she'd kill Taylor anyway simply for carrying a half-Atrian baby.
"I see Roman and Erik," he shouted, but I was searching for the man who had attacked me. "Erik and Roman went into Delanne's furniture store," he said grabbing my arm, dragging me with him.
"Wait," Drake shouted as he entered before me. "We have to pull out now."
Roman stopped the elevator door from closing on him.
"What's wrong?" Sophia asked.
"Zoe's alive, and she has Taylor," Drake said. "If we go after the Suvek, she'll kill her."
Roman stepped out of the elevator as Emery asked, "Where's Taylor now?"
The elevator hummed, obviously going up to whichever floor Roman had pushed.
"If Zoe is a hidden Trag, and she has the Suvek, then we should be up there trying to stop her," Grayson said as I called Justin for backup.
"If Zoe sees us, she will kill Taylor," Drake said as he flicked his hand on Grayson's chest.
"Look if we don't do anything, we'll all end up dead," Lukas said, coming between them.
Justin didn't answer. I tried calling Tyson.
"Drake, they're right," Roman said, sounding like the Iksen I knew he could be.
Drake rubbed his chin as he paced, then he pointed at Emery. "You and Emery said that the Trags are setting the Suvek off at sunset. We have more time."
I shook my head as Erik said, "Sunset's in ten minutes."
Just then the elevator opened and Taylor rushed into Drake's arms. "You okay?" he asked.
"Zoe – she's on the roof, and she's actually an Atrian, and she has four other fake Atrians with her," Taylor rambled off quickly and turned to face us, "and this machine that looks like a vacuum cleaner-espresso maker but could bring an end to humanity or-or something."
"Sophia and Lukas, get people away from the building," Roman said, taking charge of the situation. "Julia and Erik, find whatever you can to barricade the door, there might be hidden Trags outside. Drake, Grayson and I are going to the roof."
"Roman," I said, getting his attention. "Tyson, Justin, Jason and Dunon are here somewhere," I turned to Lukas. "Remember – from the Sector? If you see them, tell them I said to help you. Tell them their Iksen said to."
Lukas nodded but Grayson shot me a sharp look and Erik looked at me as if confused.
"Taylor, you need to get in your car and get as far away from here as you can," Drake warned her sternly. "Take Maureen with you."
I backed up, away from Taylor as Emery stepped up to my side. "I'm going with you and Grayson to the roof, but we need a plan. Zoe's not going to just hand over the Suvek."
Taylor ran off as we waited for Roman to devise a plan; he was leading this after all.
Suddenly the elevator bell dinged and the door opened, making Drake immediately jump into fight mode. Two Trags in Swien Zmarzyje, Day of the Dead masks, looked up in surprise. Drake hauled off and punched one hard in the nose before the man could react, smashing his nose and knocking him out, then he hit the other Trag just as hard as the Trag began to react, then Drake smashed the stunned man into the wall. The Trag fell unconscious at Drake's feet. That man was so incredible, he hadn't even hesitated. A true warrior.
"I think I have a plan," Roman said.
"The other Trag thought I was Drake's sunka, the one he got pregnant, you could use that, and maybe…" I pulled out my Iksen's key, "I can help disarm the Suvek."
"No, we have to get the Iksen's key out of the Suvek," Roman said, and I looked at him in confusion.
"Out of the Suvek?" I parroted in disbelief.
"My uncle's key," Roman said. "Zoe has it."
"You're uncle's – you mean your key?" I asked him, shaking my head.
"Guys, we've got to go now," Grayson said, and Roman nodded.
He told me what Jesytur told him about the device. "Saroya? When did she talk to him?" I was shocked that Saroya knew about the Suvek and that she'd spoken to Jesytur, considering he hadn't come to get her.
"Not to her; a Vwasak warrior named Elias had spoken to her – he passed on what she'd said," Roman explained.
"Elias?" I gasped, covering my mouth. "He's – he went missing last night… From Eljida – he's one of Ian's newest… guard-dians."
Drake smirked at my not to subtle innuendo as Roman nodded, understanding.
"Right, now listen." Roman outlined his plan as he picked up a mask, handing the other to Drake. Emery and I were to be 'hostages.'
"No," Drake said, looking at me as I nodded, saying, "All right."
"No," Drake repeated, sweeping his hand.
I picked up the Trag's gun. "I can fire this," I said, but Drake took it from me. "We don't have time for this, Drake. You subdue the Trags like Roman said, and I'll disarm the Suvek," then added, "somehow," under my breath. I wish Tyson was here, he'd know how to, maybe.
"Drake, now," Roman said with calm authority.
Emery and I helped them put on the men's shirts, since the Trags were both in all black and Roman had on a white T-shirt and Drake a light grey one.
The five of us got into the elevator, Grayson put on the mask, then grabbed me, and Drake gave him an odd-scowling look. Roman held Emery, and Drake pulled himself to the top of the elevator, his eyes on Grayson and me.
When the elevator opened, Emery and I started to 'struggle', Roman holding a gun to Emery's head and Grayson to mine.
"I sent you to get Taylor," Zoeda said angrily. "I don't have any use for them. Get rid of them."
Emery elbowed Roman and ran, and he ran after her, catching her as Zoeda followed them, saying, "Shoot her. Shoot her," as Drake dropped down and Grayson and I moved forward and closer to the Suvek.
"Are you sure you can disarm that thing?" Grayson said softly in my ear as Drake smashed a Trag's knee and moved forward quickly clocking another.
I nodded, hoping I could. Grayson edged me closer as I pretended to struggle. I could see the key, and the key pad…
Suddenly Zoeda fired a gun at Roman and Emery and they took cover.
"Mahureen, get the Iksen's key," Roman shouted.
"I'll keep her guys busy," Drake shouted. "Cover me," he told Grayson as I ducked and made a run for the Suvek.
Gunfire went off as I tried to get to the Suvek, and I had to squat down behind it as bullets ricocheted off the huge metal vents. But I was on the wrong side; all I could see were canisters with wires coming out of them.
I looked at the wiring, ducking again as a bullet seemed to hit near me.
"We don't have much time," Roman shouted, as Drake and Grayson fired at Zoeda.
Drake rushed forward and slugged a Trag, and blood squirted from the Trag's mouth as Drake dove for cover from the other Trag's gunfire.
I moved around the Suvek, pulling on wires, trying to undo anything I could, but it was very well constructed. Roman rushed up to me as I managed to disengage two wires from a canister. He grabbed the Iksen's key, pulling at it so hard his knuckles were white. Behind us, I heard Emery shout, and saw Drake fighting with another Trag. I managed to pull another wire out. Grayson stepped out, firing and I ducked as a bullet hit the Suvek. Drake ducked around the vent and clobbered the man aiming at Roman and me.
However, I pulled another wire loose, but it led back to the key pad. I tried to get the keypad to work, but it wasn't. Augh.
Suddenly Roman was distracted, and he stood up.
"I got this," I heard Grayson say as I leaned around the Suvek. "Roman, I got this!"
I saw a Trag restraining Emery with his gun pointed to her head. Shit!
"Drop your gun," Grayson shouted as I pulled on Roman's sleeve. "Disarm that thing!"
"Roman, the key – focus! We only have seconds!" I shouted as Zoeda laughed manically. "Hurry!"
Roman pulled on the key, finally making it give – but I saw Grayson fall.
Roman held up the key. We did it.
"You stopped the clock. Yea you," Zoeda said, clutching her abdomen. "But you should know," she said as she took something out of her pocket. "Trags always have a backup."
I tried to yank on the wires coming out of the key pad desperately, but the Suvek activated. Drake smashed his fist into the Trag he held by the collar as Roman pulled me away from the Suvek.
We watched helplessly as the Suvek slowly rose, humming, whirling, buzzing and clicking, panels opening and lights coming on.
Suddenly, an immensely strong electromagnetic pulse flash emanated from the device, sending a shockwave burst that threw everyone on the roof off their feet, literally sending us flailing in the air, and my head smacked into the yellow pipes along the low wall of the roof before I crumpled to the ground.