Captured (The Prometheus Project Book 2) (10 page)

Ryan was quickly developing a headache to add to his other problems, but he forced himself to ignore the pain. They had developed a backup strategy in case their rescue attempt failed, and he wasn’t about to let a headache distract him.

“Time for plan B,”
he broadcast to Regan.

“Let’s do it,”
she replied.

Ryan gathered his thoughts and then met Manning’s eyes confidently. “Before you cuff us, I have a deal to propose.”

The short mercenary appeared amused. “A deal?”

Regan nodded beside her brother, forcing herself to look cool and confident as well.

Manning smiled without warmth. “For us to make a deal, you would need to have something we want. Since we already have everything we want, you might as well save your breath.”

“Not everything,” pointed out Ryan. “You want to get out of this city, don’t you?”

“How do you know that?”

“We overheard Tezoc admit that the technology he brought with him to exit the city isn’t working.”

The major raised his eyebrows. “Go on,” he said.

“Well, we think we’ve figured out where to find technology in this city that
can
nullify the force-field.”

“Figured out?” said Manning in disbelief. “Just like that?” he said, snapping his fingers. “What are the odds
that you figured this out right when you needed a bargaining chip?”

“Pretty good, actually,” said Regan. “Since my dad already created an entrance, we never tried to figure it out before. When we overheard Tezoc, though, we thought about it very hard and put a lot of puzzle pieces together. We think we’ve almost solved it.”

“That must have been some pretty remarkable reasoning.”

“
You
were the one who said not to underestimate us,” Regan reminded him. “Besides, you don’t have to believe us. Let us go and we’ll
prove
it. We’ll bring the force-field nullifier back to you.”

“I have a better idea. Why don’t you tell me where it is?”

“Because we’re not sure,” said Ryan. “Yet. We still have to solve a few remaining pieces of the puzzle—but we’re very, very close.”

“So you want me to just let you go?” he said, amused. “Just like that?” He paused. “How do I know you’ll even
try
to find what we want? How do I know you won’t plan another rescue?”

“Because we believe Tezoc when he says he’ll kill our mom if our dad can’t find a way out in time,” said Ryan. “That’s why we started thinking about this in the first place. With our mother’s life on the line, do you really think we won’t do everything we can to find the technology and return it to Tezoc in time?”

Manning studied Ryan carefully but said nothing.

“We’re also out of ideas for a rescue,” he continued. “Two kids against armed, trained soldiers. We’d rather spend our time trying to save our mom.”

“All we ask,” added Regan, “is that if we do find a way out, you promise not to hurt anyone on the Prometheus team.”

The major considered. “Okay,” he said finally. “You have a deal. You make some good points. If your dad doesn’t come through, perhaps you will at that.” He motioned to a soldier with a long, thin face and thin lips. “But there is no way I’m letting you just go. You must think I’m an idiot. Lieutenant Davidenko here will accompany you.”

The lieutenant stepped forward.

“Lieutenant, I want you to give them free reign and not slow them down. If they find anything, however, I want you to bring them back here immediately. You are not to bother Tezoc with it. I’ll examine what they find and make sure it works and isn’t a trick. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir,” said Davidenko.

Ryan and Regan turned to leave with their new escort following.

“Oh, and Lieutenant, one last thing. If they go anywhere near where Ben Resnick is working, or if they attempt to escape,” said Manning with deadly conviction. “I want you to shoot them both without mercy.”

C
HAPTER
14
Escape Route

U
nder the circumstances, they knew, they had done well. While they were still prisoners, at least they weren’t bound and gagged on the floor of the invaders’ headquarters. At least they had a chance to escape.

They had tried to think of a way out of the city to protect their mother from Tezoc’s threat—tried to think of what a force-field nullifier would look like, or where one would be, but had gotten nowhere. At least their attempt had given them the idea for a bluff. Now all they had to do, with time quickly running out, was escape from a heavily armed mercenary without having any plan, find a way to rescue the prisoners—again without a plan—and then rescue their father and defeat all the deadly enemy soldiers.

Piece of cake, thought Ryan miserably as they exited the building.

“Where to?” snapped Davidenko angrily, annoyed that he had been chosen for a baby-sitting mission.

“We need to take a Hauler,” said Ryan.

“A Hauler?”

Regan pointed to one of several of the green, electric trucks outside the building. “One of those,” she explained. “We need you to drive.”

Davidenko laughed. “Sure. Good idea. I suppose you’d be willing to hold my weapon for me.”

Regan smiled innocently. “Okay,” she said.

The lieutenant shook his head. “Your brother will drive.”

“I can’t,” said Ryan. “I don’t have my license. I’m allowed to drive a golf-cart but not a truck.”

“Drive!” ordered Davidenko impatiently. “Are you seriously worried about breaking driving laws? I’d be more worried about saving my mother’s life if I were you. Besides, I don’t think we’ll be running into any traffic cops,” he added sarcastically.

Ryan got in the driver’s side and Regan sat beside him. Davidenko stationed himself behind them with his machine gun trained on their backs.

Regan nodded slightly toward the assault rifle. “Do you have to point that at us?” she asked. “Do you think we’ll be able to take it away from you if you don’t?”

Davidenko smiled broadly. “Not in this lifetime.”

“So what are you worried about?” pressed Regan. “If we make a run for it you’ll still have plenty of time
to shoot us. Or are you such a bad shot, you don’t think you can hit us even with a gun like that?”

Davidenko didn’t respond, but a few seconds later he lowered the rifle and put it in his lap. “Let’s go,” he instructed Ryan.

“Any ideas?”
broadcast Regan.

“No,”
answered Ryan telepathically.
“You?”

“None.”

“I guess I’ll just drive and pretend to know where I’m going until we figure something out.”
As he sent the message, Ryan started the Hauler and began to pull forward jerkily.

Ryan drove aimlessly around the city for five minutes. Thankfully for all involved, his herky-jerky driving got better as he went along. No one spoke, although both kids were deep in thought the entire time.

“Ryan,”
broadcast his sister, finally.
“What if we went to the zoo building? We could go to a planet with dangerous animals and try to lose him there. One where we know which animals are deadly and which aren’t. It would give us the advantage.”

Ryan nodded.
“Good thinking, Regs,”
he broadcast, abruptly changing direction. It was a long shot, but far better than any plan he had been able to come up with.

Once again, they drove for several minutes in silence, both of them trying to remember all the planets they had visited through the zoo’s portals and which would provide the best chance of escaping the lieutenant.

Once more it was Regan who hit upon the answer.
“How about Walendam?”
she proposed.
“There are usually lots of furry rynows near the force-field. They’d do the trick.”

“Perfect,”
broadcast Ryan admiringly, feeling at least a tiny bit hopeful for the first time since they had begun driving.

Walendam was a planet whose animal life resembled the wildlife of Africa in many ways. They had watched one animal there, in particular, for many hours with their mother because it reminded them of a cross between a rhino and a cow. A rynow.

On Earth, the rhinoceros had terrible eyesight, but was very fast and was good at detecting movement. If a rhino charged and you ran, you were in big trouble. If you stood perfectly still, however, the animal could easily lose sight of you and wander off. The rynow was very similar in this respect, both in terms of its eyesight and its dangerous horn. The features that made it different from a rhino, however, were perfect for their needs. First, it was covered in fluffy black fur, like a dog, and was somewhat cow-like in appearance. It might have looked soft to predators, but underneath its fur it had body armor like a tank. Its nasty horn was retractable and could only be seen when it was about to charge. This made the animal appear very harmless—almost cuddly even. Davidenko wouldn’t think it was dangerous until it was too late.

All they had to do was step through a zoo portal to Walendam, telling Davidenko they were looking for an important clue. They would then take a tram and drive it through the force-field barrier surrounding the entry point and right into a rynow ambush. The mercenary wouldn’t have any idea he was in danger. They would stay totally still while Davidenko, knowing nothing about these animals, moved and made himself their target.

The plan was far from foolproof. They would have to be lucky for it to succeed—very lucky. On the other hand, while being closely guarded by a trigger-happy mercenary, any plan that gave them even a small chance of success was a good one.

Ryan glanced at his watch as they turned a corner and the zoo came into view in the distance, along with their parents’ octagonal lab building. If this was going to work—and Ryan knew the odds were against them—it had better work quickly. About four hours had passed since Tezoc had made his deadly threat. Which meant they only had two hours left.

He looked longingly at his parents’ building. Had it really only been five hours earlier when they had awakened there. It seemed like days had gone by since then.

Ryan barely managed not to gasp as a sudden flash of inspiration surged through him like electricity. His parents’ lab building!
That
was the key. But he needed to work out a detailed plan. His mind raced, and in less than
a minute he had it! The corners of his mouth turned up into the slightest of smiles.

Regan’s plan to ambush Davidenko on Walendam had been good. But his was better.

And with just a fraction of the luck they would have needed on Walendam—and some good performances—they might just be free of Davidenko.

They might be free of him far sooner than they had imagined.

C
HAPTER
15
Escape

“R
egan, I need you to pretend to get sick to your stomach.”

“Why?”
she broadcast back.

“No time. You’ll see. Just do it.”

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“You’ll have to trust me,”
he replied adamantly.
“Hurry.”

Regan moaned loudly. “I feel horrible,” she complained.

“Tell me to stop the truck,”
broadcast Ryan.

“Stop the truck, Ryan,” said Regan aloud. “I think … I might have to … vomit.”

Ryan stopped the Hauler abruptly and everyone got out. Regan stumbled away from the truck and dropped to the ground, rolling onto her back and groaning.

“Good acting,”
sent Ryan. Another of her performances
flashed into his mind for just a moment, when her pretend vomiting had created the diversion they had needed to enter the city for the very first time.

“There’s a nasty flu going around school,” explained Ryan as Davidenko looked on. “She must have caught it.”

Ryan reached into his pocket and—

“Freeze!” barked the lieutenant, his rifle up instantly.

“Okay, okay, okay,” said Ryan nervously. “Take it easy. I’m just trying to help my sister. Don’t shoot.”

Ryan pulled his hand from his pocket very, very slowly and removed what looked like a fancy, expensive pen. He opened his hand, allowing Davidenko to examine it while it sat in his palm.

“What is it?”

“It’s an alien medical kit,” answered Ryan.

Regan continued to make soft groaning sounds on the ground next to him and did a convincing job of looking nauseous.

“Watch,” said Ryan. He pointed the device at his sister. As he moved the device it changed colors so that it always stood out from its surroundings. As he pressed the bottom button the small triangle at the tip of the device glowed briefly and then stopped.

“Okay,”
Ryan instructed his sister telepathically,
“have an instant recovery now.”

Regan had no idea what Ryan was up to, but at this
point she had no choice but to do as he asked and hope for the best. She waited a few seconds and then breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Thanks, Ryan. I feel much better.” She hopped to her feet. “Okay, let’s go.”

Davidenko shook his head and sneered. “You two think I was born yesterday, don’t you? That was just an act. That isn’t a magical medical pen, you were just pretending for some reason. Why?”

“Not an act,” said Ryan. “When you push the bottom button it attacks infections. It must have already killed off all the viruses causing my sister’s flu. The top button helps wounds heal faster, and the middle one will give you complete pain relief for about thirty minutes.” Ryan paused. “I’ll show you,” he offered, turning the pen toward Davidenko.

“Push that button and you’re dead,”
barked the lieutenant.

Ryan shook his head. “Not very trusting, are you? Suppose for a moment this isn’t a weapon and I’m not trying to trick you. Suppose it really does what I say. If you could learn how it works, how much would medical technology like that be worth?”