The Guardian's Wildchild (5 page)

The memory reminded her that she was about to be thrown against jagged rocks of her own doing. She closed her eyes and winced at the thought that if she was killed, it would be a consequence of her choice last year to help the underground organization plant spy devices. Following that adventure, the Elders had expressed their disappointment in the Davenport brother-sister duo.

Birthstone’s wise words echoed in her mind:
Our tomorrows are shaped by the choices we make today
.
Whatever energy you create will return to you. The Dark place you create for another, becomes your Dark place. It is the law of the universe. It is beyond man’s law, and it is inescapable.
Birthstone had advised the siblings there were
ways
to make amends with the universal law. The
way
would be revealed if one became committed to the higher good.

Sidney and Danik had been expelled from the Guardian community for up to one year, though not as punishment. They had to make a choice — either prove they could live by the sacred truths and return to the Guardian community, or remain in the outside world with the unenlightened sleeping Guardians. Their work as Lanterns during the year would help them make that choice. As Lanterns, they scheduled singing appearances throughout North America. Their songs were powerful, not to control, but to enlighten those who sought truth. For anyone who was waking from their sleep, it was vital that a Guardian be there to guide their faltering steps. The warmth and reassuring light given by a Guardian would ward off the fears of the unknown, of the forgotten. It had been difficult for Sidney and Danik to live without the guidance of their mentors, though. In less than a year, they had been allowed to return to the safety of Hawk’s Island and their family’s old log home.

She’d even begun to trust that last year’s impulsive action wouldn’t return to haunt her. But as of yesterday, her life had changed. She could no longer be the naïve young Guardian. In the next few weeks she’d have to grow up and face a terror from which she’d always been shielded.

She and Danik had continued performances on the mainland even after returning to their island home. The previous day, while performing for her audience, the future had come in the form of Badger and his men. She’d stood, eyes closed, before her hushed audience at the Texas Horizon Theatre. Alone on the candle lit stage, she’d filled the auditorium with her loving energy. The two hundred and fifty people eagerly awaited her closing number. The musicians began. The slow rhythmic drumming of soldiers marching far away cast the spell. Sidney stepped forward and raised her arms as if reaching toward the people. A sweet sound drifted toward the audience. Musical notes surrounded the people like a soothing embrace. At first it was only a hum, then grew to a chant. Her lyrics were passionately sung and spoke of an enduring spirit.

Three men in dark clothes waited in the shadows near the stage exit. Standing behind the curtain, Danik observed them. One of the men indicated with his hands that he wanted to meet with him and Sidney. Danik motioned back that in five minutes the show would be over.

For the year they’d been performing in small theatres, at every performance, there had been someone trying to get into the theater with a weapon. Danik’s trademark sense of humor became non-existent the first time someone fired a gun in Sidney’s direction. The bullet had narrowly missed her but did wound one of the musicians. There had been several more attempts to silence the singer.

Sidney’s audiences were moved by her messages about a grand power all of them possessed. She dared to tell them they no longer needed to follow the harsh and self-serving government restrictions, but could instead follow some “damned inner guidance,” as many U.S. Senators had phrased it while protesting her messages. People were listening to her lyrics, it appeared. Now that the crisis of the Great Quake was more a memory than a part of current daily life, the government’s hold on the masses was failing, even while it was still enforcing portions of martial law.

Once the curtain was lowered, Danik and a security officer quickly ushered Sidney off the stage. “We got company, Sid. They want to talk to us. Don’t like the way they part their hair, if you know what I mean.”

Sidney gave him a playful hip check. “Come along. There’s a comb in my room, and you can fix them up real nice.”

“Sid!” retorted Danik.

“Andy,” he said, turning to the security officer outside her dressing room, “three men will be arriving shortly to meet with us. Give us five minutes before you let them in.”

Danik slammed the door shut. “Sid, you’re way too lax about this business. You go milling about in the crowd during your performances, hugging anyone who greets you … ”

Sidney collapsed into a chair, exhausted from the evening’s four-hour performance. “We’re Lanterns, Dan. This is our path.”

Danik grabbed another chair and sat in front of her. “Look, we’ve just been accepted back into the community on the island. Maybe we should take a break. There’s tension building up across this country. I can feel it. Then we come along and stir up the pot. One of these days, someone will pull a knife and — ”

“Remember, only fear can harm. And I do see if a person has hostile intentions. I’m not blind.”

Irritated, Danik sprung from his chair. “Damn it, you take way too many chances. You’re not playing by the rules again.” He pounded his fist onto a table.

“I know, I know. So what else is new? I’m tired. Let’s see what these guys want.”

The door to her room swung open, and three men pushed their way past the security guard and quickly shut the door.

Danik stood like a wall between the men and Sidney. “I don’t appreciate your lack of manners, gentlemen!”

The men showed no emotion. Their confidence was unnerving. The older man stepped forward. “Relax. We’re not here to cause trouble. Your friend, Ryan, said you two might help.”

Sidney gasped. Though she’d never let on, Ryan had been the only man who might have won her heart. He was also a waking Guardian. He joked that he still had his training wheels on. Danik had been looking for a flight instructor in Vancouver and, as the universe does, like attracted like. Meeting him at the Hawk’s Flight Training and Rescue Service, Ryan was a match for Danik’s easy going manner and daring bravado. Ryan had trained Danik how to fly a helicopter, and in exchange, the Davenports had helped him spy on Admiral Garland.

“Ryan? How do you know him?” Sidney asked.

“Not important. You helped him plant some listening devices a year ago. Yes?”

Sidney paused. “There’s no denying that, Mister … ”

“Call me Badger. Sit down, shall we?” Badger placed a chair near a table and motioned for Sidney to sit.

Sidney glanced at Danik, standing with his fists clenched. She smiled. “Relax. Let’s see how many more rules I can break today.”

Danik escorted her to the chair but remained standing while Badger sat down across the table from Sidney and folded his arms across his chest. The other two men remained at the door.

“Well, let’s hear it,” Danik demanded.

Badger carefully chose his words, revealing nothing of where he was from or whom he represented. “Like I said, we need your help. It concerns a file known as
Thy Kingdom Come
.”

Sidney frowned. “Yes, Ryan said that file had to do with Admiral Garland discovering a new source of energy. Sounded routine except that he was hoping to have full control.”

“Do you know what that energy source is?”

“No. I figured it was some new technology.”

The man shook his head. “Ryan never told you?”

“No, and actually, I wanted nothing more to do with his underground activity.” She leaned toward Badger. “And I still don’t.”

Badger was unmoved by Sidney’s defiance. “You must! If we don’t stop Admiral Garland, we can all forget about singing, or dancing, or, or breathing. You see, this new energy source is sun crystals.”

Sidney looked up a Danik. “How could he … that is, how would the admiral know?”

Danik turned to Badger. “Just what do
you
know about sun crystals?”

“I know that most people can’t make them work. People have said they’re evil and will cause ruin. Ryan says certain people called Guardians use the crystals to create whatever they wish. That means if the admiral has just one Guardian in his back pocket, the consequences could be devastating globally.” Badger shook his head. “Would you agree with that assessment, Danik?”

Danik took a deep breath and sat down beside Sidney. “The power of a sun crystal, well, it doesn’t differentiate between good and evil. It only does the bidding of the one who’s able to connect with its energy source. Its power is limited only by the clarity of the user’s communication. Even Guardians seldom use them without the Elders’ approval.” Danik looked back at Sidney. “Badger’s right. This admiral has to be persuaded to give up the project.”

Badger snorted. “The admiral is only one player, and we suspect he is not the one pulling the strings. Listen, most of what we know is from the evening you and Ryan bugged the meeting between Admiral Garland and his scientists. And a few weeks later, a woman who worked with the admiral presented us with some coded information. She was killed shortly afterward. We’ve sent three men in and, well, they’ve all disappeared. We suspect they’ve been executed.”

Sidney stood up and backed away from the table. “Okay, Badger, out with it.” She was more angry than frightened. “Why have you come to us?”

Badger stood up and hesitated momentarily to respond. “Ryan says you and your brother have special abilities and that you’re in with this so-called Guardian cult. You, in particular, can get into places and do stuff that normal people can’t do. Is this so?”

Sidney considered denying the truth of her Guardian skills. However, it would mean that Ryan’s testimony would be considered a lie and that might cause him trouble with Badger and his men.

“I have some telepathic abilities and a sensitivity to energy. If conditions are right, I can manipulate energy a little, unlock doors. That’s about it,” she said, downplaying her powers. “Just exactly what is it you’re hoping I’ll do for you?”

Badger approached and stared into her eyes. “You can get the complete
Thy Kingdom Come
file from Admiral Garland’s office.”

Sidney laughed, backing away. “You’re crazy if you think I’ll — ”

“I’m not crazy! Just desperate enough to risk revealing our plan to someone not in our ranks,” Badger barked.

Unmoved by Badger’s belligerence, she asked, “Just how desperate?”

“We’ve learned that Admiral Garland is planning a demonstration next month, probably something dramatic to prove the authentic power of these crystals. Global authorities will be suspicious of the admiral’s intent, and I doubt he’s prepared for the chaos and paranoia that’ll follow. Then mass hysteria, and then, dear Sidney, what do you think happens when a planet goes insane?”

The image shook Sidney. She brought her hand up to her chest, a habit she had when seeking a connection with her spirit guide, Seamus.

Badger went on. “Much of what we know is only fragments of information. We need to see that file. If you can get it for us, we can find out who all the players are. We can put the right roadblocks up in the right places. We believe Garland is a small fry in this project. Someone bigger is at the head of this insanity.”

Sidney nodded. “I understand that. You want me to get into the admiral’s computer and send the file to you.”

“No, no. You’ll have to download it onto a memory rod. We can’t risk any electronic files being traced to us. He can’t know we’re on to him. He needs to continue on as though nothing is wrong.”

“That’s the real problem, isn’t it? Getting in the base is probably easy enough, and making a copy of the file will tax my knowledge of computers, but getting out with a memory rod through the security scans? It’s impossible.”

“You’ll hide the memory rod on the base. Someone will then enter the base with special equipment and retrieve it. If you’re arrested, you’ll telepathically tell Danik where you hid the rod. The admiral must not discover that you got his file, and we can’t help you escape. Is that clear?”

Sidney only nodded.

Badger continued on as though he was merely communicating a grocery list. “You’ll perform another task. In case you’re arrested trying to leave the base, the admiral must believe your target was something relatively benign. But it must be enough to keep him from digging deeper.”

“A diversion? Just what kind of diversion?”

“He’s got a small warehouse of old nuclear missiles on his base. You’ll get into the warehouse and defuse them.”

Sidney threw up her hands. “Oh, sure, no problem. Aside from the fact that I know nothing about weapons, it should be a breeze.” She mockingly slapped Danik’s shoulder. “What do you say, Danik? Piece of cake, right?”

Danik wasn’t amused and stood up. “Sidney, he’s serious.”

“I know he’s serious. Seriously deluded if he thinks I’m going to touch one of those things!” She turned back to Badger. “Look, this is getting way beyond something I can do. The person you should be talking to is my father. He’s far more experienced at this cloak and dagger stuff.”