The Purification: Book 3 of the Evaran Chronicles (6 page)

The pistol user knelt before Evaran, causing the others in the group to follow suit. “I’m John Holington, and this is the Earth Guard.”

Evaran bowed with his left hand across his stomach. “I am Evaran, and with me is Dr. Albert Snowden and his niece, Emily.”

John stood. “Oh … we know who you are.” He pointed in sequence at the group. “The big guy is Miles O’Bannon. The tree shifter is Shandra Everoak. The two blade masters are Dizz and Cantol, and the shape-shifter is Brills. We’re here to extract you.”

Evaran nodded. “It is good to meet you all, and your timing is excellent. We were just on our way to my ship.”

“The Torvatta. Right,” said John. “We have freed the clamps on your ship and are responsible for shutting down the power to your cells. Once we leave here, we will need you to open a portal and let us fly through first. I can explain everything in detail once we’re safe.” He handed Evaran a small tablet-like device. “These are the coordinates.”

Evaran scanned the device. “I have the coordinates. Outskirts of the Galvin Rim. Interesting. I have patched into your group communication channel.” He glanced at Dr. Snowden and Emily. “Your PSDs are tied in as well.”

Dr. Snowden nodded. He was not sure what to make of all this.

“Hermes, what’s the status?” asked John.

“Exterminators are closing in on your position. Some have taken up position outside the entrance to the ships,” said Hermes over the communication channel.

“The Greek god Hermes?” asked Evaran.

“Hah! Evaran … you old bastard. It’s been over four thousand years! Where the hell you been?”

Evaran tilted his head. “It is apparent I have a lot to catch up on.”

“You can say that again.”

Dr. Snowden’s eyes sparkled at the thought of meeting Hermes. He remembered Evaran had mentioned him in the past and said Hermes had issues. Maybe now he would find out what Evaran was referring to.

John sighed. “Those exterminators are tough to deal with. We better get going.”

“I concur,” said Evaran.

After twenty minutes and dealing with several guards along the way, they reached the last room. Three exterminators and a small group of guards stood fanned out around the exit to the ships.

John glanced at Evaran. “Thoughts?”

Evaran studied the exterminators. One moved toward them. “Miles and I will clear a path. Shandra, if you can provide support behind us, that should allow Dizz and Cantol to escort Dr. Snowden and Emily along the sides past them. John, you can provide long-range support, with Brills helping protect Shandra.”

Miles jerked his head back. “Damn … you just came up with that?”

Evaran nodded. “I observed you in battle and noted your combat skills.”

John nodded. “Doesn’t surprise me at all. We’re good to go.” He slapped Miles’s chest. “Do your thing.”

“Always.” Miles bobbed his head at Evaran. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

With a scream, Miles charged ahead with Evaran at his side. Shandra and Brills followed behind them. Dizz and Cantol moved to the side of the room with Dr. Snowden and Emily and inched forward. John took up a position in the back of the room.

Miles bowled into the exterminator that had moved forward, sending it flying back. The other two rushed forward and fired on Miles. Evaran grabbed the exterminator coming from the left side of Miles and tossed it against the wall. Shandra changed into a tree behind them and, with her vines, began wrapping up the third exterminator. Brills transformed into a large bearlike creature and attacked the nearby guards. John hung back and fired at the guards, thinning them out.

Dr. Snowden and Emily kept moving along the left wall with Dizz and Cantol. They reached the corner and began moving toward the exit. Several guards broke loose from the group melee, headed toward them, and began firing. Dr. Snowden and Emily ducked into a storefront foyer area. They popped out and fired back with their PSDs, causing the guards to fall. Dizz and Cantol took advantage of the situation and rushed forward. Within a few seconds, the headless guards lay still.

Brills let out a cry as a volley of fire smashed into him. He slumped to the ground. Shandra turned her attention to a new group of four exterminators and guards that came in from where they had initially entered the room. Miles spun around and charged toward them. John was firing sporadically as he ran forward to the exit where Brills had fallen. Shandra moved toward the new threat behind Miles’s charge.

Evaran zipped through the remaining guards at the exit, hitting them with his baton and knocking some against the wall. With the rest of the guards at the exit down, Dizz, Cantol, Dr. Snowden, and Emily rushed forward and through the doorway. Once through, Dizz and Cantol ran out to help fight the new group. Dr. Snowden and Emily peered out to watch.

John reached Brills and dragged him through the exit and out of sight.

Evaran scanned Brills. He tapped at his ARI. “He is alive. Stay here! V will be here shortly to administer aid.”

At the back of the room, Shandra shrieked as her branches caught on fire and she got slammed from both sides by the exterminators. She shimmered for a moment, then changed back to human form and crumpled to the ground. An exterminator raised a foot to stomp her head. Miles looked back after bowling into the new group and yelled when he saw Shandra. He grabbed the exterminator about to stomp her and threw it into the air. With a quick jump over Shandra, he charged the other exterminator. He tapped his chest, causing his armor to glow.

“Oh shit …
Miles! No! Everyone, to the exit now!
” said John.

“What is he doing?” asked Evaran.

“He’s activated his final burn. We have one minute before this place blows.”

“There is no need for that. Wait here.”

Evaran passed Dizz and Cantol as they rushed to the entrance. He reached Shandra and scanned her. He looked up at Miles, who had just been slammed into the wall by an exterminator. “Miles, come over here.”

Miles stood up and charged through the exterminator and several guards to get to Evaran.

Evaran placed his UIC on Miles’s chest panel. He tapped at his ARI, and Miles’s armor stopped glowing. “Take Shandra to the exit. She is hurt, but alive.”

Miles looked at the three remaining exterminators and small group of guards that were regrouping. Their weapon fire lit up Miles’s shielding as he stood between them and Evaran and Shandra. He shook his head. “You can’t hold them, and our mission is to extract you.”

Evaran half grinned. “Trust me. I can handle this. Go.”

Miles picked up Shandra and ran to the exit.

Dr. Snowden thought he saw Evaran’s eyes flash a glowing fire for a moment when Evaran turned to see Miles run back to the exit. He chalked it up to maybe a random reflection or his own eyes playing tricks on him.

John directed V, who had arrived from the Torvatta, to Shandra and Brills.

V pulled out a syringe and injected Brills and Shandra with it.

“What’d you inject them with?” asked John.

“Healing nanobots. It will stabilize them.”

“Okay … after you’re done, they need to get on the ship,” said John. He glanced at Miles. “Why’s Evaran not coming?”

“He said to go and he would handle it,” said Miles.

“What?” asked John as he turned to look out at Evaran.

Evaran rushed forward with his shield raised. He punched the first exterminator in the chest, cracking its armor. The exterminator flew backward, taking several guards with it. The other two charged, with weapons ablaze. Evaran stepped back and kneeled, reflecting fire back onto them. One exterminator burst into flames as it crashed to the ground. Several guards were caught in the reflected fire.

The remaining exterminator charged forward and reached out. Evaran grabbed it by the wrists and with a spinning motion sent it flying back at the guards. Its armor cracked when it hit the wall, and it stopped moving.

The remaining five guards dropped their weapons and pushed forward with glowing swords. Evaran dodged the first slash and turned sideways to kick the guard against the wall. He ducked as another sword swept across above him. He spun around doing a leg sweep, knocking the second guard down. He then tapped the guard’s chest with his baton. The guard stopped moving.

The third guard lunged forward and struck out at Evaran’s midsection. Evaran stepped back and placed his foot on the blade. With a downward motion of his leg, the blade was pulled out of the surprised guard’s hand. Evaran stepped forward and tapped the guard on the head with his baton. The guard crumpled to the ground. The remaining two attacked him simultaneously, one from each side. Evaran placed his hand on the right guard’s shoulder and somersaulted over him. Upon landing, he tapped the back of the guard’s head with his baton, then he kicked him in the back. The guard went flying forward and crashed into the last guard. The last guard struggled to get up as Evaran approached him.

“Leave,” said Evaran.

The guard nodded and got to his feet. He ran out of the room.

“Holy shit,” said Miles.

“Thankfully, they weren’t as strong as Seeros,” said Dr. Snowden.

John snapped his head toward Dr. Snowden. “You know Seeros?”

Before Dr. Snowden could reply, Evaran ran over to the group.

“We can go. Brills and Shandra would be better served in my medical lab,” said Evaran.

“No … no temporal shielding effect for us. Hermes said there are more on the way, and ships are beginning to close in. We need to get the hell out of here!” said John.

The Earth Guard boarded their ship while Evaran, Dr. Snowden, Emily, and V rushed into the Torvatta.

Evaran ran into the command area. He punched around his ARI. “V, take us out and open a portal to the coordinates I am relaying.”

“Acknowledged,” said V as he rushed to the front console.

Dr. Snowden and Emily sat in the U-shaped seating area to the right of the front console as Evaran sat in his command chair. The Torvatta pulled away from the station. After flying a bit, it held position and shot out a gold beam, opening a silver-ringed portal with a light-blue rippled surface. John’s ship appeared in front of them and flew through the portal. The Torvatta followed them in.

Dr. Snowden’s heartbeat was flying all over the place. These strangers had risked their lives for this rescue. What was so important that they needed to do that? It was apparent to Dr. Snowden now that Evaran could have taken the guards during their capture. Dr. Snowden figured Evaran did not because of the possible collateral damage. Sometimes he felt like he and Emily were a liability. Then again, they had saved Evaran once before. Maybe it was that balance that Evaran was okay with. Dr. Snowden shook his head as the Torvatta emerged through the portal and outside a large ship.

The Torvatta landed inside a hangar bay with John’s ship parked off to the side.

Dr. Snowden looked around outside through the transparent front screen. The hangar bay was large, and several other ships were nearby. Various people ran around in brown one-piece suits with gadgets in their hands. He could tell they were all nonhumans. It made sense that if the Purifiers were exterminating all nonhumans, then the nonhumans would band together and try to survive.

“Come, let us find out what is going on,” said Evaran, waving toward the Torvatta entrance.

Dr. Snowden nodded. “This new timeline has been … interesting to say the least.”

“Yeah … sucks so far,” said Emily.

They exited the Torvatta. Miles ran out of John’s ship with Shandra in his arms followed by Dizz and Cantol carrying Brills on a stretcher of some type. They disappeared into a large hallway. John and Hermes approached Evaran.

Dr. Snowden noted that Hermes looked a lot different than what he had imagined. A part of him expected to see some type of ancient Greek clothing and armor. Instead, Hermes wore a lightly armored gold-and-white suit over his thin build. It made sense given the time period they were in.

“Evaran … you crafty dog!” said Hermes with a wide smile and both hands flashed out to the side. When he was near Evaran, he extended his arm.

Evaran exchanged a forearm grab and shake with Hermes. “You are still alive. Impressive.”

“Well … can’t kill what they can’t catch.”

“Fair enough,” said Evaran. He turned toward John. “Let Miles and the others know that no medical intervention is needed for Brills and Shandra. The healing nanobots will stabilize their condition. If anything, they just need a place to lie down and recover.”

John nodded and relayed Evaran’s message.

Hermes extended a hand toward Dr. Snowden. “Dr. Snowden, glad to meet you. I’m sure Evaran has mentioned me to you a lot.”

Dr. Snowden shook Hermes’s hand. “We … have heard of you.”

“All good, I hope,” said Hermes. He held out a hand toward Emily, palm up.

Emily glanced at Evaran. She raised her eyebrows as she put her hand in Hermes’s hand.

Hermes bent forward and kissed Emily’s hand. “You would make Aphrodite jealous.”

Evaran eyed Hermes. “Hermes …”

Emily’s face turned a shade of red as she pulled her hand back.

Hermes pointed a finger at Evaran. “Right!” He grinned and winked his right eye. “Old habits die hard.”