Aegis Incursion (45 page)

No sooner had the notion cropped up than a loud explosion rocked the city. The Sentry held onto the tower as he turned to see a home appliance store consumed by flames. Shockwaves from the explosion shook the tower, forcing the observer to tighten his hold on its steel frame. There was a brief moment of stunned silence followed by a flood of screams from the multitude below. The Sentry hurriedly surveyed the scene.

Fire shot through the roof of the ruined store and bodies of shoppers lay sprawled at its entrance. Many survivors huddled, bloodied and weeping, while others, obviously in shock, wandered around, seemingly lost. Police and troops ran toward the devastated shop, shouting into their radios for assistance. Even the guards posted at the grocery stores nearby ran to help.

And that opened the floodgates.

The people who’d been in the long lines outside these stores grasped the opportunity and rushed in to seize what they needed. They jostled one another away and ganged up on those who managed to obtain the products they wanted. Men and women flew from the shop with looted food only to have them snatched away by other desperate and hungry people.

Even though his intuition had turned out to be spot on, the Sentry wished it hadn’t been so. Riots like these tore at the very fabric of society and it hurt to see his fellow citizens reduced to such a state. He watched the enraged, frantic people below for a while longer until additional police arrived on the scene. He then vaulted from the radio tower and landed on the ground like a cat. Perfectly unharmed, he slunk away. He knew the time had come to inform the League of the darkness that was descending on his country.

* * *

Standing at the top of a knoll overlooking the district of Tongshan, in the southern part of Hubei Province, China, a tall young woman with lustrous black hair gazed out at the scenery of rolling hills interspersed with expansive stretches of rice fields.

The place was famous for its beautiful mountains that attracted tourists in large numbers from all over the world. On a normal day it would be a serene sight to behold, a vista little changed from the time Chinese farmers began cultivating rice in paddies nearly four thousand years ago. Today, though, the countryside was a scene of devastation. Pillars of dusky smoke rose into dark clouds that hung over the fields. From a distance, the landscape could have been mistaken for a tableau of quietude blackened by menacing tornadoes.

The rice fields had been hit with the same scourge that was sweeping much of the world. Overseen by government troops, farmers were clearing their fields and burning their dead paddies.

Reports that Australia, one of the country’s major suppliers of wheat—the other staple grain in China—had also been hit by crop failure caused major concerns for the government. It was especially troubling since the United States and Canada were not in a position to fill in the vacuum as they too had been badly affected by crop losses.

The young woman was a third-generation Chinese Sentry who’d driven to the countryside to escape the pain of having to witness the growing number of riots breaking out in the cities.
And then I see this out here,
she thought bitterly.

Rice was the staple diet for more than half of the nearly one-and-a-half billion citizens of the country. It was considered a part of China’s cultural heritage—comparable to the Irish and their potatoes. In fact, the word for ‘rice’ in Chinese
meant
food. The devastation of this crop could tear down the entire country, especially with rumors that the grain reserve figures the government had touted all these years were grossly inflated; some would call it an outright lie.

But what worried her just as much, if not more, was the information she’d received earlier in the day through her contact in the government. China had mobilized its military forces along its border with Russia and its operatives were preparing to hack into the Russian power grid system to take it down. That could only mean one thing: An invasion.

Russia, as it turned out, was the only country to have been mostly spared by the scourge. There was even speculation that the Russians were behind the attack on global grain production. Of course, there was no evidence of this but that didn’t keep the hardliners in the government from using it as justification for their desperate maneuver. The informant had also told the Sentry that China had covertly established a pact with India to secure Russian grain supplies following the invasion.

Turning her back on the burning crops, she thought,
Nothing like a calamity and fear of the loss of power to bring former enemies together . . . Time to reach out to the League.

A
ari was being prodded awake. He opened his eyes and raised his head from the ground where he’d half-slumped off his chair. Tegan stood over him, a thin layer of amusement beneath her morose stare.

“So,” she said, “I woke up and found you in a weird yoga position in your sleep . . . How’d you even fall off like that?”

With Tegan’s help, Aari pushed himself back into the chair and shook off his grogginess. “Beats me.”

Tegan walked from one corner of the room to the other and back again, head down. “Well, I’ve been trying to reach Jag.”

“Did you get him?”

“Not yet. It’s hard. The first time I did it was completely by accident.”

“You still managed to do it. Keep trying.”

“I am. That thing we saw last night, though . . . That’s bothering me.”

Aari shuddered. “At least now we know what this is all about.”

“That can’t be the full picture. What reason would they have for wanting us to join them?”

“We
were
in Dema-Ki for a while, and we were trained by the Elders. It’s like, if you had the opportunity to take someone who’s been on the other side and make them part of your group, wouldn’t that be valuable?”

“There has to be more to it. I don’t believe they’d go through all this trouble just to secure a few pawns.”

“I’m just shooting in the dark here, but you may be right. It makes me shudder to think what they’ve got in mind for us.”

Tegan joined him back at the table. “Did you see the way they cheered last night after the speech? It was . . . It was mob mentality, wasn’t it? How can anyone be so thrilled about tearing down the world?”

“It’s a cult, that’s what it is.”

“I’m gonna try contacting Jag again. I want no part of this.” She slouched down and closed her eyes.

Aari respectfully gave her silence. His thoughts wandered as he reflected on all that had happened to the five.
Never in a hundred lifetimes would I have thought we’d be involved in something like this. This is surreal. What the Elders said about the prophecy’s warning . . . It’s happening. How are we going to tell our parents about all this when we get out of here—if we get out of here?

Tegan knocked on the table rapidly. Aari shook away his thoughts and saw her staring at him. “Did you get him?” he questioned softly.

She put a finger to her lips and nodded. Then she startled Aari by pounding on the table. “Shoot! Lost the link. I’ll try again.”

Aari tapped his shoes together as he waited. The room was quiet for several minutes until Tegan said, “It’s done. I told him all I could and he’s calling Marshall as we speak. He’ll keep me updated on Marshall’s progress.”

“Good job, Teegs. Didn’t I say you could do it?”

“Yes, Brainiac, you did.”

“What’s it like, by the way? Conversing through thoughts?”

“It’s . . . well, if the connection’s strong, you can kind of feel their presence in your mind, like a gentle hand. Or a hug. I don’t know how else to explain it. Other than that, it’s really no different than thinking to yourself.”

Will I ever be able to do that?
Aari wondered.
It would be pretty cool to communicate with the others without needing to speak. We could probably achieve a lot more, too.

“What are you thinking about?” Tegan asked.

“Eh, nothing,” Aari said. “I hope we get out of here soon is all.”

“Marshall will find us. It’s just a matter of time.”

* * *

It was midday when Marshall parked near an industrial complex consisting of four linked buildings. According to a discreet sign, the facility belonged to Quest Defense. Marshall surmised that Quest Defense and Quest Mining, which ran the mining site that had held Mariah and Tegan, were part of the same operation. The complex was surrounded by a tall fence topped with razor wire and the Sentry wouldn’t have been surprised if it was electrified, except there were no warning signs to indicate so. The site was flanked by streets on two sides and by an empty plot of land on the third.

Through the fence he could see a large parking lot in front of a two-story glass structure that he assumed housed offices. To his right, at the center of a wide double-lane entrance was a security post. The road split, with one branch presumably leading to the back of the complex for warehouse deliveries and the other ending at the parking lot at the front. A small traffic circle was located near the guard post, just outside the fence.

He noticed a few security personnel patrolling the area. Though he couldn’t tell the exact number, he guessed that there were at least six men on duty with two at the post at all times. The Sentry thought it odd that a couple of guards wore black uniforms while the rest were in blue. He also noted a building about twice the size of the security post, tucked away to the left of the entrance, and wondered what it was.

Marshall was anxious to locate where Tegan and Aari were being held inside the sprawling complex. There was also the challenge of his being completely blind to the interior layout of the buildings. He would need eyes on the inside but the only pairs he could count on were locked away.

The Sentry thought about it for a while longer and a plan soon began to form. He slowly smiled as he picked up his phone to call Jag.

* * *

Tegan!

Tegan, who had been pacing, stopped abruptly.
Jag!

Hey. Okay. I’m on the phone with Marshall. He studied the facility as best he could from the outside. It’s under heavy security but he thinks he’s figured out a way to get you and Aari out of there. He will need your help, though.

Great! What does he want us to do?

There was a pause, then he said,
To begin with,
he wants you to remain inside.

Tegan couldn’t comprehend what she was hearing.
Come again?

He’s working out a plan. Since you guys are already inside, it gives us an advantage. You can help take down that facility. He wants to know if you have any idea about the layout of the building and where exactly you’re being held.

We were blindfolded when they brought us here, Jag.

Oh.

If only I had Devastator with me . . . I suppose I could try to link with an animal around here.

Another pause. Then,
Marshall’s relieved to hear that. You’re okay with this, right? You’ll have to endure maybe another day there.

As long as Marshall has a plan, I guess we’ll hang tight.

Thatagirl.

Tegan severed the connection and rested heavily against the wall as she filled Aari in. “So we’ve got to stay put for another night.”

“Let’s hope Marshall knows what he’s doing,” Aari said resignedly. “I really don’t want to deal with these people anymore.”

T
he magnificent pentagonal temple sat atop an exquisitely landscaped terrace at the western end of Dema-Ki. Five wooden columns, finely carved, rose thirty feet from the ground. Resting on top of the columns were statues of slender human figures that supported the dome of the building with their arms. At the center of the temple’s open foyer was a marble cauldron from which streamed dazzling, iridescent flames. The colorful plumes of fire would dance day and night. No matter how many times one passed it by, it would still fascinate and transfix the watcher.

Nageau sat with Tikina, Saiyu and Ashack upon three comfortable, curved benches that formed a semi-circle in a corner of the grand hall. The benches were surrounded with ornamental rocks and plants, flanking two small fountains that bubbled quietly. The whole temple exuded a meditative and serene aura. Many Dema-Ki residents visited this place for contemplation and spiritual healing.

The Elders spoke softly for a time so as not to disturb the villagers who were already inside the temple. When Nageau spotted Tayoka making his way over with quick steps, he waved a greeting. “And so our friend arrives at last.”

Tayoka took a seat on the only free bench. “Ah, I am terribly sorry for my tardiness. I had been called to tend to something at the other end of the valley.”

“Nothing worrisome, I hope?” Saiyu asked.

“No, no. Now, Nageau, is it true? Has the Sentry located Tegan and Aari?”

“Yes,” Nageau answered. “He mentioned that Tegan managed to connect with Jag and she was able to pass on some useful information.”

“The crystals must be helping,” Tikina said. “I am glad of the progress the younglings are making in spite of the challenges they face.”

“As am I,” Saiyu agreed. “Rejoice, Nageau! There seems to be a cloud hanging over your head. Are you not pleased with how the younglings are advancing?”

“I
am
thankful for this,” Nageau said, “but the Sentry also revealed to me that Tegan and Aari had witnessed a speech delivered by the leader of these people.”

“And?” Tayoka prompted.

“It was apparently a rousing speech about a vision for the planet, and it confirms our fears. Even worse, the younglings mentioned that this person was in possession of a . . . a small violet sphere.”

The faces of the other Elders turned pale.

“The
lathe’ad
,” Saiyu whispered.

Ashack shakily pushed himself to his feet and treaded with uneven strides out into the grand hall. Tikina took Nageau’s hand in hers. “Are you certain that is what they saw?”

“Yes,” Nageau murmured heavily. “I am convinced. Reyor is alive.”

“So we can rule out the notion of a rogue Sentry, then,” Saiyu said despondently.