Chapter 15
Stealth?
September 6th Water Temple: Briefing Room 6:12 PM
The celebrations had been very short for Sion and Jamie completing the trial. Even the dinner that had been prepared for them all – after all the items were safely returned along with the teams that went after them – was postponed until the mission in North Korea was completed successfully. Jamie and Sion we're seated with Nall and Ruby at the front of the room. The support members, be them pilots or crewmembers, had already been briefed while the trial was going on and were in the hanger awaiting Jamie and Sion.
"Ok, so here's what's going on. We don't have a lot of information, but what we do know is scary enough."
The screen behind Nall displayed an overhead picture of the Presidential Palace in Pyongyang. "Kaname is alive and is one of the girls of the dragon, the blue one specifically. The girl of the blue dragon is endowed with a special title called The Oracle. The Oracle was invested with the knowledge of both the Book of the Dragon and the Book of Trials in case they were ever destroyed. She was also given the ability to interact with the dragon heart once in case of an emergency, and one wish would be granted. Kaname's wish was for our group to return safely from the Titanic mission." A feeling of dead set on at the mention of the Titanic operation.
"Anyway, while Kaname interacted with the Dragon Heart, she was also given the ability to see and know everything. During that time, she must have learned about us and saw through whatever lies the Virgo and Koreans were using to keep her under control; but something else has happened as well."
What looked like an infrared image of the palace was displayed with a purple fog rising from the center of the complex. "Somehow, the Virgo have started the process to raise their master, Virgo. Kaname is the only one who will be able to tell us the whole story, such as how much time we have before he is revived. She is also one of the girls of the dragon, and the daughter of Dr. Ami Konishi, so this mission holds a very high importance on our list."
The picture changed to a zoomed outside diagram view of the palace. A red dot shone in the upper front right corner of the building. "In the brief time Kaname and Lucia interacted with each other, Lucia was able to read a few of Kaname's thoughts, the most important being where Kaname is usually held. It's in a lavish bedroom on the upper floors of the complex. Unfortunately, this is also where the dictator of the DPRK is living and security is extremely tight. We know the DPRK and the Virgo are working together, and this combination is very dangerous. Jamie and Sion, you two will sneak onto the premises from a parachute drop from about a half mile nearby. The parachute is made out of a stealth material that won't show up on the Koreans older model radar, but that's as close as we can risk getting you to the building. Once in, you'll have to make your way up to Kaname's room and get her out. The Virgo have installed a private helicopter pad in the backyard large enough for us to land our Osprey on. Just radio in and we'll force a landing and get you guys out. Be warned: there are numerous security measures set around the palace, but on the inside, all you need to worry about are the human guards. Now, get to the hanger and let's get going."
The lights turned on, and Jamie and Sion stood and proceeded to the hanger.
September 6th North County: North County Mall Food Court 3:17 PM
Caitlin entered the food court area, and she could already feel eyes on her. Looking a little off to the side, she instantly spotted Kyle sitting at a table, eyeing her, and he motioned for her to sit down in a chair next to him. Caitlin slowly walked over to his table and took the seat across form him.
"Thanks for coming."
"No; if you hadn't asked, I would have. I was actually thinking we needed to discuss some things anyway, especially the other night."
There was a long silence between the two.
"I don't like beating around the bush, Caitlin. I kissed you, and you kissed me back; that much is done. Now, I just want to know where we go from here. You really freaked out after that, so I want to know you're alright and want to go forward with this. I'm not going to try and talk you into a relationship."
Caitlin found herself smiling at Kyle's concern, and she cautioned herself not to give him too much credit; there were still things to be cleared up. "There's one thing I need to know before I can even start to think of a decision."
"Well, all you have to do is ask."
"I want to know why you're interested in me, honestly." Caitlin started counting seconds in her head. If he takes more than a minute he's thinking of a lie if less than a few seconds he knew I was going to ask and it'll be a practiced speech that would be a lie as well
Kyle thought for a second, then came up with an answer. "You're an amazing woman, Caitlin, especially with all you had to go through. I've always liked women who are strong enough to stand on their own, but still need someone there for them. It hurts me to see you suffering so much with all that's happened. That's why I'm interested. You're attractive to me through looks and your strong-willed personality, but at the same time I can tell you'd like someone to help you through everything on a deeper level than just a friend. Does that clear it up?"
Caitlin was taken aback at how much Kyle had read into her. Suddenly, she found herself comfortable around Kyle. She was still uncertain, but she found herself wanting to get a closer look at just what Kyle had in store for her.
"I'll tell you what, Kyle; how about we go on an honest to goodness date tomorrow night. Just you and me. Pick me up at 7. Make sure to plan it right, and by the end I should have an answer for you."
Kyle smiled as Caitlin stood up. "Sounds good."
Caitlin got a little anxious when Kyle stood up to meet her. She was still comfortable, but no where near ready to kiss him again. Her fear went away when Kyle stretched out a hand.
"Don't worry; no kiss this time. Just a hand shake."
"…Ok then." Caitlin shook his hand and walked out to her car.
Entering the parking deck, Caitlin solemnly looked over the street. Why is something still bothering me about this? A breeze softly blew her hair across her face. She drew it back into place with a single finger, her mind still bothering her. I guess the date will solve everything.
Meanwhile, back in the mall, Caitlin wouldn't have been put to ease. Kyle was sitting in another corner of the food court, on his cell phone.
"It's looking better. She seems to be more than open to the idea of us getting together."
"She better be; you know how much is riding on this."
"You don't have to tell me. How many different matches do we have on this?"
"We have twenty-seven possible matches for a Dragonmaster candidate; they're all being handled."
"Has there been any news on Sion?"
There was a slight pause before the voice came back on the line. "That's none of your concern. Do what we tell you to do: nothing more, nothing less."
Kyle started to grow frustrated. "When will I get my money?"
"Your weekly check was deposited today with a little bonus for you to take the girl on a date. You'll receive another large bonus if you become her boyfriend; if Sion turns out to be alive and the Dragonmaster, you'll get the full million."
"Alright; I've got to go plan. Just make sure you remember my money."
"Just remember who you work for."
Kyle hung up the phone and looked over the food court; all the people walking around without a care in the world, except for eating and shopping.
"Ahh, what will I do with all that money..." With a small laugh, Kyle proceeded out of the mall the opposite way Caitlin had come.
September 6th 3,500 feet above DPRK Palace 11:37PM
"Jump - outta that!?" Sion looked out the door and saw nothing but clouds. The parachute strapped onto his back didn't help him at all. He felt Jamie's hand on his back and immediately jumped back in fear of her pushing him out.
"Hun, what's your problem? Don't you have a pilot's license? You should be fine with the air."
"Are you kidding? I'm fine flying the plane, but I'm scared to death of heights."
"Aww, sweetie, are you going to be ok?" Jamie walked up to Sion and wrapped her arms around him.Her face got closer to Sion's as she spoke. "You know Kaname's counting on us getting her out?"
"Yeah, I know."
"And you know you just count to five, pull that handle, and the parachute will keep you from falling too fast?" Now Jamie's lips were inches from him.
"Yeah, yeah, I know Jamie."
"Well guess what, hun?"
"What?"
"We're falling."
Sion had failed to notice Jamie had been pushing him towards the door as she had been talking to him. Right after Jamie finished talking Sion felt his heel touch nothing but air and he fell backwards with Jamie still holding onto him.
"I hate you!" Sion screamed over the sound of the air rushing around him. Jamie just winked at him, planted a quick kiss on his lips and pulled her cord. She broke her grasp from Sion as the parachute took hold of her.
"Shit!" Sion reached around himself desperately before finding the cord. He quickly pulled it and the parachute took hold of him.
After a short ride, both he and Jamie landed in a small clearing from the manor. They had gotten closer than estimated and found themselves inside the palace walls. Luckily, North Korean equipment was far out of date and they went undetected. Jamie placed her headset in her ear and checked her pistol. Their weapons were loaded with live ammo this time; no non-lethal equipment could be used in this operation.
Sion looked to her and noticed her solemn expression. Jamie had told him in the past she hated missions that required lethal force, but she did what she'd have to, and so would he.
Sion placed his headset on and checked his pistol as well, noting the 15 rounds in the clip. Checking the spare clip and noting the same, he fixed the silencer to the weapon and touched his headpiece to activate his radio.
"You ready for this, hun?"
"…Yes; let's go, Sion."
Sion frowned; he hated it when Jamie got like this, but there was no avoiding the situation.
Placing an eyepiece over his eye gave Sion a visual representation of the building with blueprints. A red dot gave them Kaname's location while a green dot gave them their location. Blue dots also scoured the map, showing possible enemy locations, thanks to satellite infrared technology.
"Heh, it almost doesn't seem fair."
"Sion, move it!"
Drawing his pistol, Sion focused on his surroundings. He saw three guards guarding the entrance. Moving faster than anyone could see, he rushed the guards and fired three quick shots, each hitting one of the guards between the eyes. They all fell to the ground, instantly dead.
"Ok Jamie, let's go."
Now Sion knew how it felt: To kill offensively. He wasn't defending himself; he was just doing a job.
"If you don't they'll kill Kaname Sion."
"I know, Lucia; just keep reminding me, ok?"
"Of course"
Jamie moved forward down the hall. A quick silenced shot took out one of the female lab technicians. Sion moved further down the hall and found a male lab technician in the break room by himself. He tapped a small area of the glass in the door and fired a shot, killing the lab technician instantly. After hiding both bodies and stripping their uniforms, Jamie and Sion donned the lab technician uniforms. Looking at each other, they both felt a little disgusted with themselves.
"Remember, Jamie, we're doing this to save Kaname."
"I know, Sion…I know."
Reaching into their pockets, they removed some lab ID cards and attached them to their uniform. Sion took one more quick glance and memorized the route to Kaname's room before placing his headset and eye piece in his stealth suit pocket; Jamie did the same.
They moved as quickly as they could down the hall without arousing suspicion. Turning a corner, they went through some double doors and they were in the living quarters wing of the palace. The hall was filled with intricate marble work and rugs; priceless works of art filled the area. They walked up a staircase and they immediately found a room flanked on either side by an armed guard. As they approached the door both guards blocked their path.
Sion was deeply impressed with Jamie when she fluently uttered a few phrases of Korean and the guards backed off. One of them unlocked the door and pushed it open, and Jamie uttered something that Sion could only guess was thank you. She then drew her pistol and slammed into the guard's stomach before pulling the trigger; Sion did likewise with the other guard, and they dragged both bodies into the room.
"Holy hell! What are you two doing?" yelled a female voice.
Jamie busied herself with hiding the bodies in the room and she began to strip one of the guards of his uniform while Sion walked over to Kaname.
"Kaname, my name is Sion. I was one of the men who tried to sneak you out of that airport that last time."
"Oh; you're the ones who have my mother?"
"Yes, and she's waiting for you, overjoyed that you're alive."
"Sion; here." Jamie threw the guard uniform to Sion.
"Jamie will help you get dressed; here." Sion quickly removed the Lab outfit and donned the guard uniform. Taking the rifle and other equipment, he went to stand outside the door.
The hallway was quiet, and Sion was on edge. Surely if not now, soon they would notice the guards outside not radioing back to the main security room. When they sent someone to check on them, they'd find their friends missing, and after a few minutes search they'd find the dead bodies, then would come the-
"BeepBeepBeep"
An ear-piercing alarm rang through the living quarters. Jamie quickly rushed out of the room with Kaname. They hadn't had enough time to spray Kaname's hair brown and she stuck out like a sore thumb with her blue hair. They quickly rushed down the corridor they had come from, Sion with his rifle at the ready.
"Alpha 3 to Alpha six, we need evac! Now!"
"Roger Alpha 3, Alpha Six enroute eta 30 seconds."
They continued to run down the corridor. When they came to the hallway leading to the exit Sion switched positions to cover the rear and Jamie with her pistol was ready to force her way outside. Sion's mind was in overdrive, thousands of thoughts going through his head at one. One in particular was, Why is no one coming?
"Sion look out!"
It was too late: the split-second Sion had dozed out to think a bullet pierced his lower calf and he went down, gripping it in pain.
"Keep going!" Sion shouted as a gas canister landed beside him, blocking his view. He saw Jamie run off with Kaname and both of them made it out the door. The next thing was blackness.
"What about that guy!" Kaname looked back to the door, but Jamie kept pulling her to the aircraft that was now landing.
"Aren't you worried about him?"
Jamie just pulled harder on the girl. She threw her into the osprey and then looked back. Whipping out her pistol she prepared to go back in. However, one of the osprey's crew grabbed her and pulled her back into the aircraft. With a little fight she finally gave up and the osprey took to the air.
The co-pilot returned to his seat. Kaname was about to go off on the girl when she saw her face.
Tears were streaming down Jamie's face. Kaname knew nothing about this girl, but she could tell from her reaction that the man they left behind was close to her. Kaname reached out a hand for her, but Jamie fell into Kaname, crying. Not knowing what else to do, Kaname wrapped her hands around Jamie and tried to comfort her as the ride went on.
September 7th DPRK Palace 12:42 AM
"Ah, Mr.Nickson. It's so nice to see your back in the land of the living, but I wonder for how long?"
Sion's eyes couldn't adjust to the bright light shining in his face. His vision was still blurry and his head hurt. He could make out three or four shadows. The man talking to him was to his left, and obviously the one in charge.
"My name is Zech; I'll be your host this evening. As my guest, it's my job to make you more comfortable, isn't it?"
The bright light was turned off, and Sion was able to see again. The man talking to him was taller than him, with long white hair and piercing green eyes. His lips formed a sinister smile like a predator which had cornered his prey. Suddenly, Sion realized he was strapped down to a hospital bed.
"Don't worry; there won't be any torture. We didn't need the girl anymore; we got what we needed from her. However, we do need you; lucky for us you fell right into our hands."
Sion decided that silence was his best option. Zech edged closer to his face.
"Aren't you the least bit curious how I knew your name, Sion Alexander Nickson?"
Sion still didn't speak.
"Your face was on the news everywhere that day last March. We had several leads on the Dragonmaster, but you seemed the most promising."
Sion looked across the room and saw a video camera. Zech followed Sion's eyes and noticed what he was looking at.
"Oh that, yes. I'm so sorry, I meant to tell you earlier: You see, we videotaped you unconscious in a small skit we sent to the press office. Technology here in North Korea is so outdated, so it will be several hours before it hits the states. Won't it be nice for your family to know you're alive?"
Sion scowled, but said nothing. Zech smiled as if he was about to bring out the ace in his sleeve.
"Aren't you glad Caitlin will know you're still alive?"
The name was out before he could stop it. "Caitlin?"
Zech's grin widened. "Ah, so you can talk. Did you both get that?"
The crew arming the camera gave him the thumbs up and took the tape out of the camera to where Sion could only guess was the broadcasting booth. Sion now felt there was no more damage he could do by talking.
"I thank you for that, Dragonmaster. We needed a voice print to verify your identify yourself to the U.S."
"Are you crazy? You'll start a war!"
"Oh pish-posh, there will be no war - not immediately, anyway. Your location will be unknown. However, our organization will get its name out."
"Why would you want that?"
Zech looked up at the ceiling, thinking. "...I suppose their's no harm in telling you. Even if you do escape, there's no stopping it.
"You see, Sion, my master, Virgo, is a being fed by hate. With Kaname's unwilling help we have started the process to revive him; however we need hate to fuel his revival. Our name will recruit members; the video of a helpless boy turned world-famous will generate hate towards countries suspected of kidnapping you - that will be, of course, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, among numerous others. True, a war may break out eventually, but that will only fuel the hate and bring Master Virgo to life that much quicker."
Zech smiled, looking at Sion's horrified face. "I can see you've heard some of the horror stories associated with my master. Don't worry: they're only stories."
Zech turned his back to Sion. "The truth is much worse. He will destroy this planet and create it in his own image; he will then rule it, with me at his side, ruling my own part of the planet."
At that, Sion smiled grimly. "Why would a being powerful enough to destroy and recreate the world need a human to help him rule it?"
It was obvious Sion had hit a sore spot as Zech instantly tensed up. "Because without me, he could not be revived!" he snapped. He seemed to want to say more, but thought better of it. "I'll leave you as you are. Dinner will be served later on. Don't try using your powers or my guards here won't hesitate to put a bullet in your head."
And Zech left. Laying his head down in defeat, Sion drifted off to sleep.
September 7th Water Temple Temple of Trials 2:34 AM
"Uncle Nall, we can't just leave Sion there! We have to leave now!"
"And what, Jamie?" sighed Nall. "Run into the middle of the North Korean army? That's not an option."
"He's my boyfriend; what am I supposed to do!?"
Nall ignored Jamie's outbursts as they walked down the corridor to the Temple of Trials. They were following Kaname, who had been in a dream-like state since she disembarked the osprey.
"Uncle Nall!" Jamie reached to grab Nall's jacket, but he brushed her arm off.
"Look, Jamie, I know, I hate it too, but we can't really do anything about it right now until the situation cools off. Lucia is watching over him and telling me everything that's going on as best as she can. So far, she knows Sion's not dead, and they're not planning on killing him. Right now, let's just find out what Kaname's up to."
They followed Kaname into the Temple area and she approached the center of the stage. She walked toward the center pillar, where an intricate diagram was laid out on the floor.
"This is where the start of the quest must occur; when the five embodiments of the dragons will station themselves, the dragons will be revived." Kaname's voice was monotone, as if reading like a computer.
"Five?" Nall was very puzzled with Kaname's statement. "But there's only 4 spots: one for the white, one for blue, one red, and one black. What could the fifth one be?"
"Here." Kaname gently moved the podium back that had held the Lucian pendent. It slowly sank into the floor to show another spot in the center that linked the four other spots. On it was a star.
"The star dragon... of course!" Nall's voice held agitation and wonder from the new discovery.
"Does this mean...?"
"Yes, Jamie: You, Caitlin, Kaname, and Amy are not the only ones we need. Now we've gotta find a fifth. Dammit!"
"Nall we have a problem."
"What could possibly go wrong now, Lucia?"
September 7thTaproom Sports Bar and Restaurant 7:57PM
In Caitlin's eyes, the date couldn't have been going better. Kyle had picked her up on time and had waited on her to get ready. He had chosen a somewhat casual restaurant, but it was nice enough for her taste. They sat at a table across from each other that was next to a large TV set. Their food had been served and they kept the conversation going between bites.
"So, how have you been adjusting to your new school?"
The idea of Sion's school only made Caitlin uncomfortable for a moment before she spoke. "It's really nice; the class sizes are smaller, and some of Sion's old friends have really helped me get adjusted."
"It's good they're helping you out; I'm sure it means a lot to you."
"It does. How has your day gone?"
"Quickly; I'll admit, after I got out of school I spent most of it planning for this date."
Caitlin felt her defenses lowering. Even with the talk of Sion's friends and his school, she still felt comfortable around him. "That's sweet, Kyle."
"I know, but you're worth it."
Without thinking, Caitlin noticed herself edging closer to Kyle. They came close to kissing when a waiter ran into the main dining area and turned the volume up on the TV, switching it to the local news.
"This just in: we have a huge story. Government officials just received a video tape from a rouge group known only as Virgo. Evidence indicates the young man in the tape is in fact Sion Nickson. A date stamp on the video puts the time of recording around 1 AM this morning. We're showing the tape now."
Caitlin's attention snapped to the TV at the sound of her boyfriend's name. Tears formed in her eyes as she viewed her boyfriend. His face was dirty, and he looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days; however, his face held determination. She didn't want to cry, but then she saw his mouth move and then one word came out:
"Caitlin?"
That did it: Caitlin started to cry. Happily, she stared at the TV, unsure of what to do. She had thought he was dead, but this video disproved it, didn't it? But wasn't Sion still in danger?
The anchor woman came back on. "Authorities are still trying to authenticate the video's footage as to whether or not it's actually Sion Nickson. We'll have more on this story as it develops."
Patrons from the bar started to talk. "Holy shit! Isn't that the kid who's plane crashed last March?"
"Looks like Sion's alright. I knew his father back in high school. Thought they said the plane disintegrated."
Caitlin turned to face the bar patrons, joyful. "That's my boyfriend - and he's alive!"
Kyle scowled.
September 7th Water Temple Temple of Trials 3:00 AM
"Oh shit; that's not good."
Nall had watched the national broadcast from a laptop computer an aid had rushed in with.
"She knows now, doesn't she?" Jamie's heart was now hurting double time. Not only was her boyfriend in danger, but now he wasn't just her boyfriend anymore: he was Caitlin's, too.
"They all know, Jamie: His friends, his family - hell, even people who never knew him! Everyone in the world knows now."
"So, what do we do?." Now it was Ruby who spoke up.
"Lucia, can we pull this off?"
"I'm sure he's ready, but I'm not sure how much he'll have in him after he does it."
Nall turned to the girl at his right. "Jamie, how much are you willing to risk to get Sion back?"
Without skipping a beat, she stated, "Everything."
September 7th Water Temple: Docking Area 3:07 AM
"Attention all personnel: immediate launch of Alpha 6, 7, and 8 in T-minus 10 minutes. All pilots get to your posts. Briefing will occur in the air. Destination has been loaded into aircraft's computer systems. Gamma 1, prepare for departure as soon as Nall and Jamie are aboard." Ruby's voice rang out through the docking area. Pilots and other support personnel scrambled to get to their aircraft.
One of the osprey that had A6 stamped to its side was already rolling. Its chief pilot had kept the crew in the aircraft, knowing they'd be going after Sion shortly. It had already been restocked and refueled.
The rest of the aircraft were all up in line on the runway before the 10 minute mark and were awaiting orders to launch. First in line was a C-152 bearing the designation Gamma 1 on its side. As soon as it received clearance the C-152 screamed down the runway and took to the air.
Inside, Jamie was busily strapping herself into a specialized jumpsuit and strapped on a parachute. Nall looked worried.
"Jamie, you know a HALO jump is no joke."
"I know, Uncle Nall. High Altitude Low Opening doesn't really sound nice and easy anyway, but I'm trained to do it."
"You've just never actually done it before."
"Well, I'm going to do it now."
Nall smiled, looking at the girl who he had seen grow from a street–smart, lawless little girl into what she was today: full of determination and, most importantly, in love.
"I've talked with Lucia. Sion is going to attempt a stunt he's never tried before. He's going to send his senses into overkill and slow down everything so much he should be able to dodge bullets and get rid of his captors. The only problem is, it'll take so much out of him he'll be too tired to make it out on his own. But there's another thing."
"What?"
Nall turned to face a temporary display that had been set up on the plane. On it was a diagram of the palace with the landing spot highlighted.
"Lucky for us, Virgo doesn't think we're stupid enough to try and land at the same spot twice. However, they have armed the SAM sites at the palace. We need to disarm three in order to make the landing and get back up in the air in one piece."
The SAM sites in question were highlighted on the map. "Now, to disable them, you can simply place a single C4 charge in the main control room. We have to time this just right. Sion will create a distraction with his escape; that should draw enough guards away from the control room for you to place and detonate the explosives. Then you signal Alpha Six, grab Sion, and get the hell out of there."
"Sounds simple."
Nall smiled. "Don't it always? I'll leave you here to prepare yourself."
Jamie flung herself at Nall and enveloped him in a hug before giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Uncle Nall."
"Anytime, Jamie."
With that, Nall left the room. Jamie sat on the bench and placed her mask on. She sat and stared at the red jump light.
She thought about all the moments she and Sion had shared. How they had come to meet, how they had come to like each other, but one thing left her amiss: When had they come to love each other? Jamie spent what felt like days searching for the answer when the sound of the PA system got her attention.
"Jumper prepare."
"Shit! We're already here!?"
Jamie quickly sealed the mask and checked her gauges. Everything was fine. She walked to the back of the ramp and prepared.
The hissing sound of the chamber being decompressed sharpened her senses. The cold air stung, but her suit kept it from being unbearable.
"Jumper ready."
Jamie gave the thumbs up sign. The ramp started to open.
"Jumper in 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4..."
Jamie took a deep breath. "...3 - 2 - 1: Jump!"
She immediately stepped backwards and began to fall, faster and faster. Her wrist GPS gave her coordinates and she was right on her mark. She glanced at her altitude gauge to wait for her parachute opening. She had started from 24,000 feet. It was extremely cold and she had to concentrate on her breathing the oxygen from the tank strapped to her back. After a period of time the gauge showed 1,200 feet and she pulled the cord. The parachute quickly grabbed her and she floated down to the surface; she pulled out her headset and replaced it with the mask and oxygen tank, disposing of them as they had no identifiable marks or their origin.
"Alpha 3 on site."
Jamie checked her side arm and attached the silencer. Crouching as she walked, she approached the front entrance, surprised not to find any guards. She slowly entered the complex. Sure enough; to her left there was a window that looked into a medical room of some sorts. Strapped to the bed was Sion with what looked like every guard in the complex aiming their gun at him.
"All up to you, hun."
Meanwhile, Sion was having serious doubts that he could pull off the plan that Lucia had told him about.
"Sion, Jamie just landed, and she's probably already in the complex. If you don't do thisyou're risking her life as well."
Sion thought, "Just how the heck am I supposed to do this There's got to be about forty-something guards pointing their guns at me right now."
"Just concentrate on their faces. Increase your senses slowly but keep going. They can't tell if you're increasing your senses."
"Hmm that's true."
Sion concentrated as hard as he could. Time started to slow down as he could tell it was taking much longer for the guards to blink. He continued to concentrate and soon a buzzing noise developed in his head, but he pushed further.
"That's it Sion keep going."
Sion pushed himself harder than ever before. Soon he was able to see the streams of air that came from a fan in the corner of the office. The piece of paper it was blowing seemed to just freeze.
"Ok Lucia now what?"
"Use the dragon edge and well get rid of your obstacles."
Sion was not looking forward to killing more people, but he knew there was no other way, especially if Jamie's life was now at risk as well.
"That was way too easy." Jamie had finished placing the explosives in the control room for the SAM sites.
"Alpha 3, present is under the tree."
"Roger Alpha 3 Santa waiting for signal"
"Alpha 3 en route to pick up… Rudolph".
"…Roger" Jamie could hear snickering in the background. She sighed at Sion's codename and proceeded to where she had found him.
When she got back to the medical room, she was surprised to find nothing had changed. However, she caught Sion's eye look at her and then she felt a finger tap her shoulder. Frightened, she drew her sidearm and pulled the trigger only to hear a click, then a kiss on her cheek. She turned to see Sion with the clip to her gun in his hand.
"Now Jamie, you don't want to shoot your boyfriend, do you?"
She looked into the medical room and instantly all the guards fell over.
"Don't worry, I didn't kill them; they just need a nap."
Jamie smiled. "Alpha 3 to Santa, I have Rudolph. Ready for pick up."
"Rudolph?"
"Sorry hun, Nall got… creative on the way over."
"But Rudolph?"
"Better than no rescue at all, right?"
"Santa's sleigh is landing; move it Alpha 3."
"How'd you get to be Alpha 3?"
"I told Nall I'd kill him if he called me Vixen. Now we have to move."
"Then just hold on."
Focusing again, Sion picked up Jamie and before she could protest they were in the Osprey, buckled into their seats.
Jamie smiled. "That's going to come in handy."
However her boyfriend didn't hear her as he was fast asleep.
"Guess Nall was right: that really must take a lot out of him."
September 7th North County: Nickson Household 8:23 PM
Caitlin wasn't going to let Kyle take her anywhere but Sion's house. When they pulled into the driveway, it seemed everyone else had rushed over as well as there were numerous cars in the drive way. It would only be a matter of time before the press arrived. Caitlin jumped out of the car, not waiting for Kyle, and ran for the door. Jeff answered.
"I figured we'd see you here before too long." Jeff's smile faded when Kyle walked up to the door. Caitlin's and Kyle's clothing clearly showed they were on a date. Caitlin knew Jeff was putting two and two together.
"Kyle and I were on a date, but I quickly ended it when I saw the news cast."
"I see... Well, Kyle, I'll be sure to take Caitlin home. Thanks for bringing her by." Jeff's tone made it evident that Kyle wasn't welcome inside the house.
"Thanks, Jeff," Kyle responded smoothly. "Give me a call if something big turns up, will ya? Oh yeah; Caitlin, thanks for going with me. I'm glad Sion's alive."
Caitlin gave him a brief hug. "And thank you for being so understanding. I'll call you later; promise."
"Sure."
Defeated, Kyle walked to his car and drove off while Jeff ushered Caitlin into the house.
"You know," said Jeff disapprovingly, "you really should stay away from that guy."
"Why?"
"Well, for starters, your boyfriend is alive. Secondly, the guy has always been a creep. Sion tried to stay away from him, too."
"Then why did he say he's such good friends with Sion?" Caitlin retorted.
"'Friends'? Sion couldn't stand Kyle. Sion would try to steer clear of Kyle, but then Kyle would taunt him. Sion's competitive nature would kick in and he'd take up Kyle's challenges. That's just how it worked out. I wouldn't be surprised if Kyle tried to fight him for you when he makes it back."
"Don't you mean 'if'?"
Jeff put a hand on Caitlin's shoulder. "I said 'when' and I meant it. Now come on: we're all in the living room watching the newscast."
Caitlin walked into the main living room to find all their friends as well as Sion's parents staring at the TV. Amy looked up when she saw Caitlin come into the room and patted the piece of carpet space next to her. Smiling, Caitlin took the seat next to her best friend as they waited anxiously for an update on Sion's situation.
September 8th Water Temple Temple Of Trials 10:45 AM
"WHAT!"
Sion wasn't quite ready for the news. He had known the video would be aired, but he had no idea it would reach North County so fast.
"Yep; we leave in about an hour. Better pack quick." Nall looked around. "Where's Jamie?"
Sion looked down at the ground. "We had a talk. We sorta broke up so it wouldn't be awkward between me and Caitlin when I got back. She wants me to have a few weeks with her before I make a decision."
Nall frowned. Jamie had been so happy when she and Sion had gotten together.
"Well, you've got a lot of stuff to face in an hour. I'll send Ruby to help you pack since me and her are already done. I've filed a flight plan, and all the maps and mess are in the plane - not that we'll need it with Lucia's magic."
"Mind if I ask what plane we're taking?"
"N989CX of course; what else?"
September 7th North Country: Nickson Household 8:52 PM
"This just in." The anchor woman was handed a sheet of paper from an aid. Everyone in the living room crowded around the TV.
"A flight plan was just digitally filed under the same tail number of the plane that crashed with Sion onboard. The plan states that N989CX will be landing at Franklin county airport in one hour from now at 9:55 PM. However, local authorities are skeptical because radar within an hour's distance of the airport is not picking up the plane's transponder. Despite the fact authorities believe this to be a cruel prank, many have started to make their way to the airport to greet Sion when he lands. We'll have live coverage of the situation from the airport if that should actually occur."
Caitlin turned to her group of friends and wordlessly they all agreed. Most jumped into Jeff's Explorer with the remainder grabbing a ride with Mr. and Mrs. Nickson. They were all on their way to the airport, prank or not.
September 8th WaterTemple: Tarmac 11:38 AM
Nall had finished his speech to the people in the complex and left it in the charge of Dr. Konishi. He promised they would return shortly with all the girls - including Kaname, who was accompanying them to help them find the girl of the star dragon they now needed.
Nall, Ruby, Jamie, and Kaname had all boarded the aircraft. Sion stood on the tarmac, staring at the plane that had brought him there. Now it was going to bring him back. Throwing his bag over his shoulder, he boarded the airplane and sat in the pilot seat.
Memories of his first time flooded his mind: The fuel dump, the auto-start sequence, the phonebook-sized checklist. Nall tapping him on the shoulder from the co-pilot seat snapped him back to attention.
"The plane's been inspected and it's ready to go. Just take off and Lucia will open the portal."
"Got it." Sion reached over and hit the auto-start button as the computer brought the airplane to life. Sion took a deep breath as the engines started to spool up. "Hello again, old friend."
September 7th Franklin County Airport 9:52 PM
When the crowd had recognized Sion's family, friends, and girlfriend, they immediately gave them a place to stand at the front of the pack. The police were present to keep to people away from the aircraft should it appear. Caitlin took out her cell phone to check the time: it read 9:54 PM.
Caitlin felt a hand grip hers. She turned to face Amy. Both were anxious to see what would happen. If this was a prank, they'd be heartbroken, and so would the person who pulled it; literally. Amy raised her watch and Caitlin saw they had fifteen seconds.
"14, 13, 12, 11...," Caitlin started to count.
"...10, 9, 8, 7, 6...," Amy joined in.
"...5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0," they both counted down together. When nothing happened, they were crushed.
Just as they were about to turn and run, a brilliant purple light shone from a distance. The purple orb pulsated and then exploded.
"So this is it." The portal on Sion's end had opened. Hesitating slightly, he nosed the airplane towards the purple opening. Once the plane made contact, it started shaking back and forth slightly as they traveled through a purple tunnel.
Meanwhile, back at Franklin county, Caitlin and Amy both stared at where the purple orb had been. Then a bright line of light shone from where the orb had been and drew a circle. It left a purple portal behind. It was hard to make out, but Caitlin could have sworn she saw a plane pop out before the purple portal disappeared. A few pilots had handheld radios and kept them tuned to the airports local frequency, waiting for a response.
Sion looked around from the cockpit. The airport was lit up with white lights everywhere. However, something was casting a huge shadow over the tarmac: he wasn't sure what.
"So, Sion, what are you going to say first?" Nall smiled, handing the sweating Sion the mic that was linked to the airplanes radio system.
"November ninner eight ninner charlie x-ray entering an extended downwind for runway- OW! What?"
"Say something more interesting."
"Ok." Sion pushed the receiver down again.
"This is Sion Nickson: I'm home,"
Caitlin felt the tears running down her face at Sion's voice.
Some of the crowd erupted into cheers. Others waited to actually see Sion before they believed what was happening. Mr. and Mrs. Nickson hugged tightly in anticipation of seeing their son again alive.
It seemed like days as the plane flew its pattern and then landed. The screeching of tires on the runway made Caitlin's heart pound in her chest.
"This is it, this is it."
The plane pulled up to the tarmac and came to a halt, the engines quickly shutting down.
Sion was a nervous wreck. That huge shadow he had seen was a crowd. As soon as he parked the plane he had run into the cabin to hide. Luckily, he also stopped Jamie from pulling the opening handle.
"What's wrong Sion?" Kaname was concerned as to what was going on. Since they had to leave so fast, she hadn't really been informed of the details on Sion's hometown happenings.
"I'm not ready."
"Oh, what are you going to do, live on this plane?" Jamie smiled at him as her hand teasingly moved toward the handle that would open the door.
"Come on, Jamie."
"Ok, ok, we'll all go out first. Make you look like a big hero."
The military had surrounded the plane to keep everyone away from it. The steps lowered and everyone was surprised to see others walking down the staircase.
Caitlin spotted what looked like a crazy haired young man walking holding hands with a woman with equally crazy red hair. "That can't be Sion."
Then a blue haired girl and a normal looking teenage girl emerged form the plane. The crowd was completely silent as Sion Nickson failed to appear. However, one of the women made an outburst that gave Caitlin hope.
"Sion, get down here."
Caitlin's heart nearly leaped out of her chest when Sion appeared in the door frame. The crowd erupted into cheers. Sion's friends and family were allowed through and they met him at the bottom of the stairs. Everyone let the parents have the first meet and greet as they both enveloped him in a hug and whispered things to him over the roaring of the crowd. Sion's mom was in tears, and it was obvious Sion's father was holding them back.
After Sion broke free he walked over to Caitlin.
"I'm back."
End Chapter 15
A/N: First off Calistar Heir deserves the credit for BETA'n this chapter. If it wasn't for her endless help and expert skills this chapter wouldn't be looking nearly as nice as it is.
Secondly I'd like to introduce ya'll to a new deal I've got going on. If you click on my pen name and go to my profile page you'll see I have a web address link that will take you to my message board. Their you'll find my daily blog which contains updates on all my stories, the Members Only section which points out stuff from the chapter you might have overlooked, my character personality development notes, music used to write the chapters (and I even break down the scenes to the music), and last but not least this coming week I'll be posting the original story for Dragon Heart titled Dragon Heart: Directors Cut which will only appear on the members only section. There's also boards for all you fellow authors to get together and chat on and what now. So go on get on my profile and click on the web link. Its completely free and painless. Also for some reason machines mess up the formatting a lot when you upload in the new office 2007 .DOCX format so I'm sorry if the words are jumbled a little or if italics are missing, hopefully they'll fix that soon.
Preview Chapter 16
"Kyle you've got to understand I've been waiting for something like this ever since he left."
Kyle was getting increasingly frustrated, "Caitlin what would you say if you found out he had a girlfriend while he was away.
Caitlin had to restrain herself, "Kyle I understand you don't think this is fair, but you've got to get over it."
"I'm serious Caitlin, I've got good reason to believe one of those girls Sion showed up with was his girlfriend while he was away."
"Then I'd have to say prove it."
GD: So I wonder what it'll be like for Sion when he returns home
Nall: What are you talking about its right here, lets see wow!
GD: SHUT UP DON'T SPOIL IT!
Nall: But this is so big I mean what if you make them wait another year!?
GD: Its already almost finished I'll send it off to my BETA before middle of July
Nall: Heard that one before
GD: sighs
