Young Offender, Part 38:
/Katharina! I've made contact with my friends. We're ready, so why are we waiting on?/ Ivan projected. He started at the shadow play on the ceiling of his bedroom in the Gamo's apartment; he was wrapped in several covers on his single bed.
/Visit Doctor Gilmore tomorrow morning and play a game of chess. You'll find out./ Katharina projected back. /He's working on an object 004 will need. You will need to trust him./
/Yes, Auntie... and.../
/I must go finish training Ann. Take care./
Her presences left his awareness; he was left alone with his frustration. She refused to tell him anything about the future or the steps he should take. He rolled over to his side and tried to force himself into sleep, but his energy levels were spiked so high he knew he wouldn't sleep for months unless something goaded him to expend his capital energy at a high rate. No doubt, their impending escape effort would drain him.
/This is what your aunt was referring to, 001/ Gilmore's thought drifted into Ivan's mind as he moved a black chess piece forward half way across the board: a black rook. Ivan couldn't see anything on the outside, but he could tell with his telekinesis it weighed twice as much as the other rooks.
/What is it?/
/A power device for 004. His new system depends on a power source they removed from his arm. They have it under lock and key; and they refused to let me have any knowledge of it. I think I've reproduced something that can work for about nineteen hours at a time. It'll due, but... it needs work. Kaminari would be our best bet for a long term fix. Give me until tomorrow to have this one ready./
/You need to work quicker!/ Ivan moved his white knight and knocked over a black pawn. He crossed his arms with a glare at the middle aged scientist. Gilmore's brow furrowed; Ivan could feel the man's anxiety.
/Right now, it's not ready. It could overload 004 and destroy him./
Ivan nodded. /Take the time you need, but please know I think they'll part us soon if you don't hurry. Still, be careful with Albert's life./
/I'll do my best. And check!/ Gilmore thought, getting a wide smile. Ivan looked down in dismay, seeing his white king in jeopardy by a black queen and scowled at his disadvantage. He dismissed his foreboding and brooding and took Gilmore's queen with his white rook.
/We'll all leave together. You included./
The man gave him a grim expression and nodded. /I'll do my best to hurry./ The Jewish scientist moved his bishop and called out, "Check mate."
"Damn!" Ivan swore. It was the first time he could recall loosing in decades.
"Try not to worry so much or you'll get too distracted and not do anyone any good."
/Why are you pacing?/
Ivan flinched at his mother's telepathic question. He looked over to where she was reading Dostoyevski's "Notes from Underground." She didn't bother looking up from the book Ivan considered an existentialist nightmare. Ivan checked his mental shields, relieved they were still up.
/I have very little to do./ Ivan put out the complaint and watched his mother's face drop into a scowl, her eyes still reading the words from the book.
/Soon. You can accompany your father and me to Moscow. Our beloved country seems bent on picking a fight with the United States over this whole Berlin Wall issue. We'll be convincing the government into maintaining a hostile posture. It's time you did take up your first mission with Black Ghost. I don't see why this wouldn't be an excellent exercise for you./
Ivan finally worked up the courage to ask his mother /This morning I sensed a lot of new minds on the island. What's going on?/
/An auction is being held this afternoon after a meeting./
/The Merchants of Death?/
/Yes./
/What kind of auction?/
/003 and 004 are being bid on this afternoon. Scar has decided to hang onto 002 for a while, but he has a buyer lined up to take that wretched troublemaker off of our hands. Soon they'll be gone and we can move onto phase two of the plans to gain more influence over more countries./
Ivan schooled his face to appear impassive. His emotions threatened to lash out, tickling his telekinesis, but he was able to tamp it down before he shattered something.
/They are being split up?/
/Why of course, son. One country can't hold all the power yet. Don't worry about it. Now be a dear and make some tea for us. Your father will want some when he gets back./
Ivan was grateful to get away from his mother's hated presence. His hands trembled in rage as he started preparing the tea. He was startled by Ann's sudden appearance at his side. The Czech girl wore the drab, old-fashioned clothing his mother provided her, and her glossy, black hair was twisted in tight braids around her head.
Her eyes glowed a deep green, not amber. His heart clenched, knowing what little of Katharina was left was almost gone. Green was Ann's eye color, not brown like Katharina's. Ann held out her hand and looked up at Ivan. An onyx rook rested in her palm. Her sweet, high voice sounded in his mind /Katharina says it's time. You are to go to your friends now, before your father gets home. I'll have to bring Gilmore to you. Katharina says that I'll not remember anything after that moment. I'll only have loyalty to your mother, so you should treat me like an enemy from that moment on./
Ivan's lips clenched, but he nodded as he took the chess piece from her. He could feel his father's mind get closer. He grabbed her upper arm and thought /Go! Now has got to be the moment Katharina knew would come./
The girl turned, but cast a worried expression over her shoulder. Her anxiety was like a hot ember flickering against his forehead. He gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. Ivan let out a sigh as she scampered off.
He clenched the chess piece and took a deep breath. He spiked his energy to a high level. Erika's voice echoed in his mind /Ivan! What are you doing?!/
He pulled his body threw space and appeared suddenly in the dormitory. Jet was the only one left there. He was chained to a chair, beaten black and blue, slumped forward. Ivan easily, mentally tossed the pair of guards, standing at the New Yorker's side, into the back wall.
/Jet! Where are the.../
/They took them and sold them this morning! Behind you!/
Ivan swirled and froze as the scientist, Doctor Noboru Yana, appeared in the doorway. The man looked grim and surprised as a scalpel fell from his fingers.
Ivan glared at the man and lofted the scalpel with his telekinesis. He turned it towards the man and stepped closer. "You're not going to cut him ever again! Back off or I'll be forced to destroy more than your hand."
Yana's eyes grew wide in fear before he turned tail and ran. Ivan let the scalpel clatter to the ground, turned to Jet, and burst the chains holding him down. He rushed to Jet and helped him to unsteady feet.
/Where are the others?/ Ivan asked.
/They said they're flying them off the island!/
The alarms started sounding, Ivan gasped and cursed the thought of his mother coming after him. It wouldn't be long before she found him even with his newly sharpened skills.
"Wait!" a girl shouted over the klaxon. Ivan turned to see Ann and Gilmore in the hallway. He and Jet jogged to them. "This is all I can do for you! Your mother is coming! Quick! Leave! She'll punish you if she catches you."
"I'll come for you one day. I won't let you stay here," Ivan promised, feeling frustrated by his aunt's dire instructions. He grabbed Gilmore and Jet's arms and dragged them with him through space.
Ivan shook horribly with the effort; his energy was starting to drop. He took his hands away from Jet and Gilmore and looked around the airstrip on the east side of Ghost Island. Two planes were preparing to take off. He stretched his mind and determined which place Francoise was on. He desperately wanted to go to that one first, but he knew Albert's power, abilities, and wisdom would give them more of a chance if he was freed first.
He extended his mind to the other plane starting to taxi the runway. Albert was there. Ivan had never teleported onto a moving object, but he had little choice and his energy was dwindling quickly. Ivan drew himself through space towards the plane's cargo-hold.
He stumbled realizing he was in midair and falling towards earth. Rapidly, he jerked himself towards where the plane would be in a minute. That got him on. He landed with a thunk on the cargo-hold. Ivan had several riffles trained on him in seconds by terrified guards, but he thought better of a fight. He saw a very dour Albert sitting on a create, cuffed.
Ivan took a deep breath and mentally tugged Albert with him back down towards the earth. They both hit the ground in an awkward tangle a few feet from Gilmore and Jet. Albert groaned, shook his head, and jumped to his feet.
"Thanks, I think," Albert said, looking disoriented. Ivan cursed his limitations; he was burning energy too fast or Albert wouldn't be so effected. He reached in his pocket and handed Albert the black rook.
"Put it in!" Ivan said snapping Albert's handcuffs with his telekinesis.
"Thanks!" Albert said, snatching it in recognition. He pushed it in a small, empty space on his right wrist and flexed his metallic fingers with a smirk. "Perfect!"
"We need to get Francoise!" Ivan shouted, but a huge vibration in the air knocked the four of them flat to the ground. Ivan coughed and sat up.
His mother walked through the dusty cloud, her amethyst eyes blindingly bright. Following her was Ann, her eyes glowing a bright green. Panic hit him when he realized he was almost drained. There was no way to defend against the both of them; plus, he really couldn't bring himself to fight Ann anyway.
/Ivan! How dare you? I know the treachery on your mind!/
/You'll not stop us, Erika! We will escape again!/ Ivan projected back. He glanced back at Albert and projected /Get ready. I'll put us on Francoise's plane. After that, I'll be spent. The rest will be up to you and Jet!/
"We'll get her!" Albert shouted.
Ivan reached out mentally and grabbed Albert, Jet, and Gilmore. He focused on the plane several miles off the coast and then dragged them all through space right as his mother's hand shot up in the air.
/Ivan!/ He shivered as his mother's mental voice echoed his head. Darkness lifted and the four of them lurched forward and dropped from midair. They sprawled on the floor of the cargo hold.
"Ivan!" Francoise shouted, but his body was too heavy to move. He felt the last of his energy drain away and then his mind sunk into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Albert quickly lofted his hand in spite of his disorientation. He took aim and fired at the guards surrounding Francoise. The five men dropped at Francoise's feet, smoldering lazer marks were on each chest. She rushed to Albert and gave him a brief embrace. He held her arms and looked her over.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes, but the airplane! It's still being flown by Black Ghost agents," she said.
Jet tapped her on the shoulder and waved her towards the cockpit. Albert followed knowing what was on Jet's mind. He raced ahead of his fellow cyborgs and lofted his hand at the back of the pilot's head. He and the co-pilot were oblivious.
"Surrender now!" Albert ordered.
The two swirled around in surprise. Jet yanked the pilot out of the seat and jumped behind the controls. The co-pilot rose as well, hands raised. Albert shoved them to the cargo hold. Albert avoided looking at the men he had to kill. He found rope and tied the two men together and shoved them to the floor.
He jogged back to the cockpit where Francoise now set beside Jet, trying her best to help Jet get control of the plane. Gilmore stood behind Jet, but cast a worried look at Albert.
"Go look after Ivan, Doctor," Albert ordered, in hopes the man could get his mind off what was going on. The middle-aged doctor nodded and went to find the physic Russian.
"Do you know what the hell you're doing?" Albert snapped towards the back of Jet's head. The New Yorker spared half a minute to flip off Albert before getting back to fiddling with the controls.
"Jet! There are planes perusing us now, but they're not gaining on us," Francoise said, hand to the side of her head. Jet gave a crisp nodded and continued his piloting. Albert slumped forward against the back of the pilot's seat. After half an hour Francoise announced, "We've lost them!"
She looked up at Albert and asked, "Where do we go from here?"
Albert racked his brain for a place they could catch a breath. He looked down when he felt Jet's scarlet, spiked hair against his left arm. The New Yorker pointed to Francoise.
"I don't understand," Albert said. Jet looked aggravated. He leaned forward and traced the word 'Paris' on the plane's window. Jet's finger left no trace, but Albert still read the word clearly from Jet's hand motions.
Albert flinched back and gave Jet a crafty smirk. "You are brilliant. Go back to where we were taken from. And we can look for Jean-Paul again."
Albert noticed a deep red come to Jet's skin before the young man jerked his attention back to the controls. Jet still didn't take compliments gracefully, and Albert wondered if he ever would.
To be continued.