Chapter 41
Kevin’s point of view
Through blurry vision, I saw hazy faces
looking down at me. Drawn out voices came to my ears like threads of sound.
“He’s still half conscious. Is the truth serum
working?”
“I can’t tell. His physiology is far different
from anything I’ve seen. He has no heartbeat, but a lot of brain activity –
technically, he’s alive and dead simultaneously.”
I blinked at the once again bright light
shining down at me. I tried to move, but my efforts were weak and feeble.
“What are you doing? Who are you?” I croaked
softly, my voice weary.
“We’re asking the questions.”
“What questions?”
“What is your name?”
As if possessed, I answered unquestioningly,
as if someone else were controlling my mouth for me.
“Kevin.”
“Kevin… how many more of your kind are there?”
“A thousand… maybe more…”
There were some incoherent mutters in the
background before my next question came.
“What were you doing when we found you?”
“Going home.”
“Are you a spy, Kevin?”
“No.”
“Does your species plan to invade Earth?”
“No.”
“What were you doing on Earth in the first
place?”
“I told you already: going home.”
More mutterings. I had no doubt now – I was
not speaking myself. Something was influencing me, making me give away the
secrets of my entire life.
“Where is your home?”
“Los Angeles… at least I think it’s still
there.”
“Are you sure the serum is working?”
That question, it seemed, was not directed at
me, but at another person in the room. I ignored it, but listened to the hushed
reply.
“It might have worn off.”
I felt my eyelids droop as if they were lead.
I desperately wanted to escape into the darkness of sleep – I needed rest, and
I couldn’t tell them anything there.
“He’s falling unconscious…”
“Let him rest a while. We’ll try again in 12
hours…”
And that’s how it was for the next two days.
I’d be drugged, interrogated and then fall unconscious. To make matters worse,
the serum they were using seemed to have a detrimental effect on me: while
under it’s influence, I couldn’t regain my strength, yet every time the drug
finally wore off, they’d decide to question me again. I was fading… fast.
Leon’s point of view
I could only watch, dismayed, as the other
guards returned with scientists to drug Zakkar and drag him off to
God-knows-where. I had planned to ask more about him, but he was out cold
pretty much most of the time. I pitied him – he looked as if he had been
dragged to hell and back.
Once again, Zakkar was pinned down and an
expressionless scientist stepped forwards brandishing a syringe. The sight of
him repelled me. He was acting as if he was experimenting on some caged animal.
“No…” Zakkar exclaimed weakly, “…don’t!”
The pinned prisoner began to writhe and
struggle, and the scientist snapped at the guards.
“Keep him still!”
“Don’t! You’re… killing me!” Zakkar pleaded
helplessly.
The scientists stopped abruptly. Looking
amongst themselves, they conversed in low tones, exchanging concerned glances.
“What do you mean?”
Zakkar took a deep, ragged breath: “That…
drug… it won’t let me recover… a few more doses… will kill me…”
“He has been getting weaker, Professor…”
The scientist with the syringe lowered his
arms. Nodding to the guards, they let Zakkar go, and closed the door with a
sharp click.
The group of guards and scientists filed out.
I overheard the Professor talking to his subordinate.
“We’ll wait until he’s recovered. Let’s give
him three days… then we’ll move onto genetic analysis…”
When the group had departed, I darted to the
cell door and glanced at the exhausted form of Zakkar lying inert on the bed.
Genetic analysis… that sounded as if they were going to use his genes to make
more of him. They probably would brainwash and train them to fight as soldiers
– I wouldn’t put it past some of them
I couldn’t just let him suffer like this. I
had to do something, and within three days. My eyes caught something shiny on
one of his fingers. It was a ring – it was hard to tell which of his three
gecko fingers would count for this, but I realised that it was most likely a
wedding ring. He was married?
This only sharpened my purpose – someone out
there was waiting for him…
Kevin’s point of view
My head had cleared when I awoke from my long
slumber. I felt my senses returning, as sharp as ever. I stretched, relishing
my returning strength. Now, I just had to find a way out of this damned cell…
As I turned, I stepped back in surprise.
The cell door was half-open!
Cautiously, I took a quick glance outside.
Leon wasn’t there. With trepidation, I pushed the door fully open and stepped
outside.
“You saved my life when you didn’t have to,”
Leon’s voice came from along the far side of the room, previously hidden from
the cell window. “I’ll give you five minutes, then I’m setting off the alarm.”
I frowned at him standing fearfully in the
corner. What would the guards think when they arrived? They’d know Leon had let
me go.
“Head down the left corridor, then right. Use
the elevator to get to the ground floor. From there follow signs to the exit.”
“And what happens when the guards show up?” I
quizzed. “Won’t they be suspicious?”
Leon bit his lip, “Uh… yeah, I suppose…”
“Come with me, man,” I suggested. “Now you’ve
let me out, we’re both in trouble!”
Leon shifted in conflict, “I can’t, Zakkar. I
have a family – I can’t just disappear on the run and leave them.”
I suddenly filled to the brim with empathy.
How many times had I made that case to the various companions on my journey? I
left the Dragon Empire, and eventually Karnak, because I have a family.
“OK,” I sighed, “but you’ll still have the
guards to worry about. How will you explain this?”
“I was thinking about acting unconscious and
saying you broke out yourself.”
I shook my head, “I think actually being out
cold would be more believable.”
Before Leon could protest, I deftly overturned
the table, watching the various papers and objects on it crash to the floor
horribly. Moving further towards Leon, I proceeded to decimate one of the
chairs.
“What are you doing?” Leon cried out in
terror.
“Making it more believable.”
I stepped up to him, and flexed my fingers
with unease. “I won’t lie to you… this will hurt. But unless you want to be
court marshalled…”
Leon shrunk back in fear. Moving fast enough
so he couldn’t follow my movements, I slashed across at him and struck a blow
to his face. With three grazing scratches on his face and now unconscious, he
crumpled to the floor like a rag doll.
“Sorry, man,” I apologised to his limp form,
“…had to do that, for your sake.”
Shifting to the spectral realm, I stood and
headed down the left corridor with confident strides.
It didn’t take long to get to the main lobby
of this place. Unfortunately, I would have to shift back to the material realm
to open the door. There were a dozen, armed guards around – I could sense their
fainter Aversions. This wasn’t going to be easy – being hit by too many bullets
would drain me greatly.
Like an echo, the alarm went off. With a
panicked rush, half of the guards in the lobby darted off down the corridor,
charging right past me.
I grinned, watching them run, totally
oblivious to my presence.
Thank you, Leon…
I shifted to the material world as I turned
the corner, summoning the Blue Flame swiftly. People cried out and dived for
cover, while the six horrified guards aimed their weapons at me.
“Hey, you! Don’t move, hands up.”
I held back a cunning grin as I obeyed, slowly
reaching my gecko paws into the air. They inched forwards, their weapons
raised, and I charged up my power of telekinesis. A flying plant pot hit a
totally unprepared guard as I flicked my wrist towards him. Stunned by this
seemingly impossible feat, the guards stayed rooted to the spot as I marched
forwards and pushed them aside easily. One of them resisted but I clawed out at
him, knocking his weapon aside. The Blue Flame set light to his sleeve, and he
frantically pulled off his jacket, crying out in terror.
Some of the other guards rediscovered their
ability to move, and began firing off shots at my bare back. I flinched as a
wave of gunshots hit my back, drawing blood. Half-turning, I thrust my hand out
towards them, knocking all of them backward with an unseen wave of telekinetic
energy.
“Nice try,” I commented arrogantly, convinced
that it was easy after all.
Grinning at the sea of dumbstruck faces, I
simply shifted into the spectral realm while walking into the endless darkness
of the night.
The base had been a few miles out from a small
town. Hiding in the wilds of the surrounding area, I had gained my bearings and
was circling around south, to avoid any human contact from the base or the nearby
town.
Now, standing high on a rocky outcrop, I could
see for miles towards the darkened horizon through the chill of the night.
South… I sensed Brian still lived to the south, in Atlanta. The wind blew
through my long hair (which I still had after 3 centuries), and I closed my
eyes in concentration. I didn’t quite know how, but I’d done this before.
Reaching out with my mind, I knew I could do it again…
Brian’s point of view
I awoke with a jolt. Panting with shock, I
wiped sweat from my forehead and struggled to control my breathing. I felt
Leigh move beside me, her hand resting gently on my chest. I sighed with
relief, yet the feeling of disconcertion remained. I grasped her hand, striving
for some comfort.
“Bri?”
I gazed down, seeing her looking up at me with
curiosity.
“What is it, honey?” she questioned, sitting
up and switching on the bedside lamp.
“I dunno,” I answered, frowning, “but I felt
nervous for second and woke up.”
“Nightmare?”
“No, it was something else…”
Leigh pulled me into a hug, holding me
tightly.
“You can’t explain?”
“No.”
“You haven’t looked this nervous since…”
I turned my gaze on her curiously: “Since
what?”
“Since … well, your problem… after Kevin…”
I could tell she was striving to avoid being
blunt, so I nodded and pulled her closer.
“I know what you mean,” I comforted, “but why
would it come back now? I got over it years ago.”
“I don’t know, Bri.”
“Well, no point worrying over it. Goodnight,
Leigh.”
“Goodnight, Bri.”
She turned the lamp off and pulled herself
back under the covers. As I did the same, she wrapped her arms around me. I
smiled gladly – she knew just how to comfort me.
Leighanne’s point of view
Troubled, I found it hard to get back to sleep
thinking about Brian’s problem 16 years ago. He managed to fall back into a
deep slumber easily (and I envied him). Lying awake, I gently caressed his
cheek, as if to offer some comfort despite him being unaware of it.
Yet, it wasn’t long before he jolted himself
awake again. Wide-eyed, he blurted his panicked question out as he pulled
himself upright again.
“Please tell me it was you… who just said
something…”
Dismayed, I shook my head slowly. I had
already guessed what was happening to him.
“Damn it,” he cursed, rubbing his eyes and
pulling himself out of bed. He clumsily stumbled towards the bedroom door. “Not
again…”
“Where are you going?”
“Bathroom.”
I got up myself and made my way to the door,
hearing the tap running and my husband evidently splashing water on his face. I
winced – it pained me to see him like this, just like 16 years ago. These
‘episodes’ affected him deeply.
“Go away…” I heard him growl. I could only
shake my head in helplessness.
Brian’s point of view
“You think I came all of this way to be
refused by everyone I knew?” the voice snarled back at me. “I made a promise to
you, Brian.”
“You don’t exist… this isn’t real!” I stated,
but more to myself than him.
“Don’t delude yourself, Rok.” He persisted.
“There’s so much that you don’t know about.”
“I don’t care!” I snapped. “I want to believe
you, that you’re alive… but my cousin died 16 years ago. I saw it myself.
You’re just a figment of my imagination!”
A moment of silence passed before the
irritated answer floated to my mind.
“We’ll see…”
No more came, and I wiped my face, chancing a
glance at my terrified expression in the bathroom mirror. I didn’t half look
scary!
Sullenly, I slunk back to the bedroom, and
Leigh was sitting up in bed, looking at me with concern. I climbed in beside
her.
“I’m worried… that I’ll have one of these
episodes when… when Julie is around.” I claimed blinking back tears.
I knew that it would terrify my daughter if it
happened in her presence. She wouldn’t understand.
“Get some sleep, Bri,” Leigh suggested softly,
“and maybe you’ll feel better in the morning.”
“I’m not sure, honey.” I wiped my moist eyes.
“What if she gets traumatised from-”
Leigh silenced me as she grabbed my chin and
pressed her lips against mine. Stunned, I immediately forgot what I was talking
about and relaxed.
Oh well…
When she pulled back, I gave her a lopsided
grin and raised my eyebrows in appreciation.
“Hmm… I think I should wake up in the middle
of the night more often.”
“Oh, behave, you!” She smiled and kissed me
again, “Go to sleep.”
***
