The Battle for Earth (Teen Superheroes Book 3) (7 page)

“But it appears he has.”

The voice came from behind them. A man stood in the doorway. It took Ebony a moment to recognise him. It was Twenty-Two.

Agent Palmer looked flustered. “Twenty-Two. I was about to file a report –”

He shook his hand. “Don’t worry about your reports, Agent Palmer. Matters would seem to be moving rather more quickly than that.” He regarded Ebony and the others with an even gaze. “I think I would like to hear about the day’s events from our young friends.”

For what now seemed like the hundredth time, Ebony related what had happened. The alien listened to her in silence.

“So it would seem that Brodie and Axel have betrayed us –”

“That would never happen!” Dan said.

“– or Axel is being blackmailed somehow,” Twenty-Two said.

“Blackmailed?” Ebony asked. “With what?”

“With Brodie. She may have been kidnapped.”

Ebony let the idea sink in. She found it hard to imagine that Brodie could be kidnapped. She was so powerful, after all. Yet any of them could be overcome under the right circumstances.

“No matter what the situation,” the alien continued, “we must treat Axel as a hostile force.”

“Hostile?” Dan said.

“Until his loyalty can be verified,” Twenty-Two said, “Axel must be treated as an enemy of The Agency.”

“That’s not fair!” Ebony said.

“Life is often unfair,” the alien responded. “I must ask you to remain in the compound until this situation is resolved.”

“But we haven’t done anything!”

“You must remain here for your own protection.” Twenty-Two turned to Agent Palmer. “Continue with your investigations. The Stonekiller must be recovered at all costs.” He gave everyone a final nod before leaving the room.

“What is the Stonekiller?” Ebony asked.

With a weary sigh, Agent Palmer described the weapon to them.

“Axel would have no reason to ever steal such a thing,” Dan said. “And what would he do with it?”

“It’s not what he would do with it,” Palmer said. “It’s what a foreign power would use it for.”

“But –” Ebony began.

The agent held up a hand. “That’s all for now. You are confined to the compound. Whether Axel and Brodie have turned or are acting under duress, we need to keep you under lock and key until this situation is resolved. Our security cameras show Chad was in pursuit of Axel. I assume he will be returning shortly. The same rules will apply to him.”

There seemed to be very little to say after that. Ebony led the others from the room. She remained silent until they reached the concourse.

“We’re going to find Brodie and the others,” Ebony said.

“But Agent Palmer said –”

“Forget Agent Palmer! We’re not trained sheep! It looks like Brodie’s been kidnapped and Axel is trying to save her. And why hasn’t Chad returned?”

“Chad often acts in a highly independent manner,” Ferdy said. “Sometimes he is a painful individual.”

“He is still your friend.” Ebony laid a hand on his arm. “He still cares about you.”

“Ferdy knows this,” the boy acknowledged. “We must help our friends.”

“Absolutely,” Ebony said. “Now we just need to find a way out of here.”

Dan started. “But Agent Palmer said –”

“We’re going to escape from The Agency,” Ebony interrupted him. “We’re going to steal a Flex Fighter and fly it right out of here.”

Chapter Twelve

The last light of day creased the horizon as the Tagaar fighter ship slowly descended into the valley. The craft had been invisible during flight, but now the cloak was deactivated for landing. Dust and desert scrub were blown about by the exhaust of the ship as it settled onto the dry earth. Finally the rear of the vessel opened and Graal stepped down the ramp flanked by a team of warriors.

The Tagaar leader perused the landscape. They had sighted a long dirt road from the air and followed it to the abandoned shack with its leaning porch and broken windows. T’bar, his second in command, appeared at his side. They drew their weapons as they peered into the gloom.

“Is this the place?” T’bar looked about. “There seems to be nothing here.”

“This is the right place.” Graal remained motionless as his men fanned out into the surrounding desert and circled the shack. “A signal has been emanating from here for several days.”

“It cannot be an accident,” T’bar said.

“It is no accident.”

Graal shivered, not from fear, but from the cold. This air was too chilled for a Tagaar warrior! His people needed hot, steamy environments in which to flourish. The climate of this world was unnatural – it even had ice at its poles!

He knew the inhabitants were currently in the process of heating its atmosphere, but it couldn’t happen fast enough as far as he was concerned. That process would accelerate once the planet had fallen under Tagaar control.

The sooner the better
, he thought.
The empire must expand. An empire that does not grow is destined to die.

“You’ve come a long way,” a voice called from the darkness.

His men opened fire.

A deafening roar filled the valley as laser blasts struck the shack. Within seconds the windows and walls were demolished and it was possible to see straight through the structure. Several more seconds passed as Graal screamed to make himself heard.

“I gave no order to fire!” he roared.

The weapons fire drew to an untidy halt as Graal strode down the ramp. The Tagaar were born and bred to fight. It had been their way of life for millennia. Unfortunately, it meant they sometimes shot first and asked questions later.

“We were called here for a reason,” he said. “I wanted to discover that reason.”

“I’m pleased to hear that,” the voice spoke again.

Graal and his men looked warily about in confusion.

A woman appeared at Graal’s side. She seemed to appear from thin air. His men raised their weapons, but then cried out in dismay. Graal looked at them in confusion. They were pointing their guns at their own heads.

What in Bruuk’s name was going on?

“I have temporarily taken control of your men,” the woman said.

“Who are you?” Graal asked.

“I am Morgan Le Fay. I wish to speak to you about the future of this planet.” She walked around him as if examining a sculpture. “We both know that change is in the air.”

“What are you? Are you human?”

“What I am is unimportant,” she confirmed. “You may think of me as a hunter; my fellow humans are the hunted.”

That was a concept Graal could appreciate.

Graal introduced himself. “We are the Tagaar. We have come to this world –”

“I know why you have come to this world,” Morgan said. “I have been aware of your species for centuries, as indeed I have known of the Union of Planets.”

“Then you know our intentions are peaceful.”

Morgan’s laughter rang out long and high across the desert sands. Graal felt rage burning within him. He did not like to be laughed at – especially by a human. And a woman at that!

“Peaceful?” Morgan asked. “You must think me a fool. The Tagaar are one of the most warlike races in the galaxy. I know your tactics of disruption and eventual colonisation of worlds. I know your only desire is to conquer this planet.”

“You seem to know a great deal.” Graal cast his eyes across his men, who continued to hold their guns against their heads. “I will ask you to release my men. They will not harm you.”

Morgan made a motion with her hand.

“Your men are free.”

The men lowered their weapons uncertainly.

“We received your signal –” Graal started.

“As I knew you would.”

“– and we have come to its source,” Graal said. “What is it you desire?”

“What makes you think I desire anything?”

“Everyone desires something.” The desert was growing colder by the moment. “Is it gold? Or gems? Or –”

“I do desire something,” Morgan said. “I have lived a long time and I have seen a great many things.”

“And yet?”

“I have outgrown this world. The time has come for me to leave.”

“I see.” Graal considered the woman’s words. “You need a ship.”

“A starship.” She gave him a broad smile. “I like travelling. Visiting distant lands. Meeting new people. Consuming them.”

“Consuming –”

“Never mind.” The smile grew broader. “Let’s make a deal.”

“What do we get in return?”

“This planet.”

“We could conquer this planet if we wished,” Graal said. “We have conquered many worlds. We have expanded our empire to make it the most powerful in the galaxy.”

“That’s a lie and you know it,” Morgan said. “The League is more powerful than you, but they are constrained by their own moral principles. They will attack you if you attack the Earth.”

“We are powerful –”

Morgan cut him off. “You are powerful, but it is easier to be welcomed here as heroes than as enemies. You want this world in so much disarray that the human race will beg for your assistance.”

“And you can achieve this?”

“I can bring this planet to its knees. There will be widespread panic. Governments will collapse. You will arrive at the right time to come to its aid. The Tagaar will be welcomed as heroes.”

“How long will this take?”

“Only a matter of days.” She paused. “But I will need a small component from one of your ships. A quantum resonator.”

“I am not familiar with that piece of equipment.”

She described it to him.

T’bar stirred at his side. “I know the device to which she refers.”

Graal nodded. This campaign was estimated to take months. Now an opportunity had fallen into his lap to bring about the same result in a fraction of that time. And if this woman failed, he still had his other plan in motion.

And all of this for a starship
, Graal thought.
That’s a small price to pay for a world.

“Is it a deal?” Morgan asked.

The woman held out her hand. Graal stared at it blankly until he realised she wanted to link her hand with his own. He took her hand, expecting it to be warm. Much to his surprise, her skin was icy cold.

“It is a deal,” Graal said.

The night gathered around them.

Chapter Thirteen

“That’s impossible,” Dan said. “How are we going to steal a Flex Fighter?”

“Few things are impossible,” Ferdy said. “Stealing a Flex may be difficult, but it is entirely possible.”

“And then what? We still need to find Brodie and the others.”

“You’ll have to use your mind reading trick,” Ebony said. “We’ll use you like a human metal detector to track down Brodie and the others.”

“I’m not sure –”

“Well, I am,” Ebony interrupted. “Come on.”

One of the many tunnels leading into the compound was a service tunnel filled with Flex aircraft. Whilst they normally did not depart from here, Ebony had noticed the craft were usually parked here when not in use.

“This is a maintenance area,” Ferdy said.

The Flex vessels were in various states of repair. Men were working on a number of them. Ebony led them through the maze of ships until they reached a quiet corner. The back door of one ship lay open and they crept inside.  Ferdy positioned himself behind the controls.

“Uh, Ferdy,” Dan said. “Are you sure you should be doing that?”

“Doing what, Dan?” Ferdy asked.

“Shouldn’t we just set the Flex to automatic?”

“That plan will not work,” Ferdy said. He manipulated a few controls before levering part of the console free. “First of all, the automatic controls have been disengaged so that the craft cannot be stolen.”

“Oookaaay,” Ebony said.

“That is a standard Agency procedure.”

“Right.”

“Secondly, Ferdy must disengage the transponder so we cannot be tracked,” Ferdy continued. “This vehicle seems to have suffered from an issue with its navigation system, although its other systems are fully operational.”

“Hmm.”

“Thirdly…”

“Yes, Ferdy.”

“The eighteenth element on the periodic table is argon.”

“Er…”

“That is a joke,” Ferdy said. “Ferdy made a joke.”

“Ha ha ha.” Ebony’s stomach was feeling queasy. “Look, I really have to ask you –”

“Ferdy’s friends must sit down,” Ferdy said. “Security guards are approaching.”

“Oh, great,” Ebony said.

They sat. Within seconds Ferdy had started the engines of the Flex Fighter. It lifted up and swayed unnervingly from side to side. Ebony gripped her seat in panic as Ferdy accelerated the craft. They veered into a tunnel and Ebony caught a glimpse of a wall whizzing past. She caught a glimpse of Dan’s face. He had gone pale and was desperately trying to fasten his seat belt.

“Ferdy,” Ebony said. “Have you ever flown a Flex before?”

“Ferdy has flown a Flex Fighter many times.”

“Really?”

“There is a flight simulator in Ferdy’s room,” he said. “Ferdy used to crash it sometimes, but now he is a good pilot. He hardly ever crashes.”

“Hardly ever…”

Peering through the front window, Ebony could see the faraway entrance to the tunnel. She could see a patch of darkened sky and part of the desert. She frowned. The exit seemed to be contracting.

“The Agency is trying to stop our departure,” Ferdy said. “They are closing the exit doors.”

“Well, what –”

The Flex Fighter shuddered and Ebony saw the trails of two missiles roar away from them. The projectiles slammed into the doors, blowing them apart. An instant later they flew through the exit and over the darkening desert. Open mouthed, Ebony peered back at the scattered remains of the doors.

“Ferdy is having fun,” Ferdy said. “It is much more fun than throwing the ball.”

“I’m sure it is,” Ebony replied.

“Are Ebony and Dan having fun?”

“Uh, Dan’s fainted.”

“Possibly Dan has had too much fun.”

“Maybe.”

“We must discard our cell phones,” Ferdy said. “The Agency can track us through their transponder signals.”

Ebony nodded. Ferdy was right. She shook Dan into wakefulness, retrieved each of their phones and dropped them through a rear chute in the craft. Ferdy pushed a few more buttons on the display.