Wheels (38 page)

Four guards broke away from the circle and surrounded her.

McKenzie ignored them, sensing they were far more afraid of her than she was of them. Besides, something more important was bothering her. Where was Hayes?

As though reading her mind, Wells stepped aside allowing two guards to step forward dragging a prisoner between them.

McKenzie felt ill. What had she done? She’d only meant to win the game—not this!

In an obvious attempt to conceal his pain, Hayes smiled. “Sorry,” he mouthed.

McKenzie looked away. How could she have been so stupid?

Wells’ guards must have been ready and waiting, just out of sight, the entire game. Abacis’ followers were being poked and prodded into the pit. Wells had never intended to let them win. Abacis had known this. “…impossible,” he’d muttered. So why had he continued to play? Had he hoped to expose his Advitor for what he really was?

McKenzie looked up again. Hayes was gone! She should never have taken her eyes off him
.
She should never have done so many things…
touch the box, agree to this stupid plan, and worst of all, let Pietas convince me I’m some sort of savior.
Humans weren’t meant to be special—not superhero special. What had Spiderman’s uncle said? “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Something like that.
From what McKenzie knew about being human—all fourteen years of it—it was impossible for a human to be in control all the time. If Superman had been an emotional human, he would have hurt people as often as he helped them. Lex Luther would have pissed him off so much the entire storyline would have been over in a day. So far, her own ability had brought only pain and suffering. Her mother had lost her life because of it, and if she didn’t think quickly, her best friend would, too.

“What’s going through that little mind of yours, Miss Wu? You look worried.” Wells smiled, clearly confident of his position. “Given your recent demonstration, I’d say your Gate is fully functional and capable of allowing you to escape at any moment.”

Interesting…
Wells thought she’d used her wheelchair, or rather, her Gate to disappear.

“You and I both know that would be a
most
unfortunate choice, given your friend’s position.”

As if on cue, Hayes was dragged into the pit. The circle opened and McKenzie saw Abacis kneeling in the center, his arms behind his back and a knife to his throat. A huge hulking Tsendi towered over him. Hayes was forced to kneel beside him and now he too had a knife to his throat. McKenzie studied the faces of the other Tsendi. Her heart beat faster. Where was Mallos?

“I suspect you’re feeling left out,” said Wells. And much to her surprise, one of the guards poked her in the back. “OW!” While another grunted and poked at her chair.

“You can stop poking. I’m going,” she said, allowing the guards to herd her into the center beside Abacis.

Wells paced back and forth, clearly enjoying the moment. “So, Miss Wu, save yourself or save the boy? Surely, you wouldn’t sacrifice his life simply to deny me. It is only a machine, after all. A machine versus a life. You decide.”

McKenzie needed more time. The chances of saving Hayes and herself were getting slimmer by the second. The chances of saving Hayes, herself, Abacis and all his followers seemed nearly impossible. But what the heck…” What about Abacis and his followers?” she shouted.

“Tutt-tutt, my dear. We had a deal. Olt-tsoot is an old and honorable tradition on this planet. While it may appear barbarous to your human sensibilities, it does serve the purpose of settling disputes quickly and cleanly. Furthermore, if you recall, Olt-tsoot was Abacis’ idea. While cheating, and thus forfeiting the game, was yours.

McKenzie disliked Joanne, Penny and a couple other stuck up girls at her school, but to hate—
to truly hate someone
—was a new sensation. And she hated Wells. Nothing seemed beyond him; torture, murder…even subduing an entire race through addiction. Unfortunately, he was right. Abacis’ and Hayes’ throats would be slit long before she could grab them and disappear. It looked as if, for now, they were trapped. Unless…

What if Wells were dead?

The thought, unspoken, seemed to silence everything around her. The air, oppressively hot, grew heavy. I could do it,
she thought, her heart beating like a pair of Tsendi drums. She wanted to do it. She wanted him gone. Out of her life. It would solve everything. Almost everything. And if she could kill Wells, she could also kill Mallos and then everyone would be better off. Right?

McKenzie studied the old man with the smugly satisfied smile on his face. For the first time she realized—completely understood—what it meant to be able to change matter into anything she wanted. McKenzie felt dizzy with power. A simple thought from her, like changing the old man’s heart into what it really was, a stone—a cold lifeless lump of rock—could change everything. The answer was clear; she had the ability, but more importantly, the responsibility to take one life to save many. Superman was a fool; he should have killed Lex Luther when he had the chance.

McKenzie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Back on Earth, her great-great-great uncle wouldn’t even be alive, she told herself. Another minute and the deed would be done. Wells would die before his heart returned to its original form. “A rock,” she whispered, forming the image in her mind.

Instead of a rock, however, two bright blue orbs appeared.

“The willful forcing of a sentient being into its final resting place
 is an unlawful form of particle-weaving.”

McKenzie’s eyes popped open.
Pietas!
Wells leaned forward, clutching the top of the short wall that separated him from falling into the pit. His face was pale, and one hand was covering his heart.
Oh God! Oh God!
What have I done!

A murmur of concern arose from the crowd, Wells leaned farther over the wall and—coughed. “Water,” he yelled, standing up and running his fingers through his hair. “Get me water!”

McKenzie was so relieved she almost cried. Wells was alive!

“Times up,” Wells said. “As you insist on ignoring my offer, I believe it is time to start taking some heads.”

“Wait!” There had to be another way. McKenzie had no idea where she was going with this, but it seemed honesty, at this point, was her only option. “Look,” she said, trying to push herself to her feet and falling right back into her wheelchair. “It’s not a Gate, it’s a wheelchair. A bit more high-tech than you’re used to seeing, but just the same, a plain old wheelchair.”

Wells’ face took on a host of emotions: shock, confusion, and anger. McKenzie blazed on not knowing what she was doing but hoping, in time, something would come to her. “Truthfully, I don’t even know what a Gate is. Hayes and I never intended to come to Circanthos. Somehow we got stuck in a portal and now the only way to get home is with the help of a cortext.”

“What nonsense is this?” thundered Wells.

“You know exactly what nonsense, because you have one.” Or had one, she thought. “I spent quite a while in your room. You have a cortext and it’s hidden in that blue chest of yours.”

H.G. Wells became very still. His face, a moment before so red, seemed to drain of all color. His eyes narrowed and suddenly he looked at McKenzie as if seeing her clearly for the first time.

McKenzie hardly dared breathe. Had she done the right thing? Or, had she just given Wells a reason to dispose of them all? If only Hayes could talk, he would know what to do.

Wells motioned to somebody behind him. Mallos stood up.

McKenzie shuddered.
So, that’s where he’s been.

“As it so happens,” said Wells, “I do own a… What do you call it? A cortext? Unfortunately, mine seems to be malfunctioning.” He smiled. “Perhaps we can be of assistance to each other.”

The vein in McKenzie’s neck began to throb. Of course, Wells had no idea the cortext would never work for him. “I can help,” she said, forcing a smile. “IF you let Hayes go, and IF you let Abacis and his followers go free.”

Wells laughed. “Don’t press your luck girl!” He turned and whispered something long and windy to Mallos, who then turned, but not before giving McKenzie a menacing look, and limped quickly away.

“Master Hayes and I will go fetch this cortext.” Wells waved his arm and seconds later Hayes was being led out of the pit. He turned back to look at McKenzie. It was tough to tell whether Hayes was more frightened for himself…

Mallos limped into the pit.

…or for her.

Mallos grabbed her under the chin and placed something sharp and cool against her throat.

“Master Hayes will be good enough to assist me with the cortext. Should you try any of your
tricks
, Mallos has orders to…” Wells swiped a finger across his throat.

Tricks?
Of course. If her wheelchair was no longer a Gate, then there was only one way she could have vanished to the other side of the pit. He’d finally realized she could particle-weave. And as soon as Wells and Hayes were out of sight, Mallos, she was certain, had orders to kill her.

Had she really come all this way only to let everyone down?
Think! Think McKenzie, think! There has to be another way.

And that’s when it came to her. A feather. A feather was their only way out.

Chapter 47

Excerpt from the personal log of Agent Wink Krumm

Thursday, March 19th
Just outside Avondale

News of the phenomenon has finally trickled down to headquarters. Accordingly, Wickersheim, bless his bureaucratic soul, agreed to do some research for me. He discovered the accident that left McKenzie Wu paralyzed and took her mother’s life. Also, that there was no conclusive evidence as to how the crash occurred.

The girl’s father, James Wu, is an inventor. My theory that he is the same “James” who accompanied the two aliens is correct. Wickersheim messaged a photo of him to my phone. What’s more, James Wu works for SPHAERA TECHNOLOGIES, owned by none other than Professor R. Furthermore, for the past few months he has been assigned to a “Classified Research Project.”

***

TIME TO TAKE ACTION

Thursday, March 19th

A
t one time, Circanthians numbered almost three thousand, making up approximately one-half the sentient population of Circanthos. By contrast, the population of Avondale, one small Earth town, was at least five times that size. On Circanthos, where every Circanthian knew every other Circanthian, if only by sight, abandoning a child would be—unthinkable. To Bewfordios Provost, a child like Hayes, abandoned by his parents, was more foreign than the planet Earth itself.

Principal Provost watched Hayes, Wells, and the three Tsendi leave the arena and head towards the large building in the middle of the compound.

I should have done more for the boy…

He and James Wu had been hiding in the forest adjacent to the tsoot pit for approximately ten minutes. Hayes, hostage the entire time, was now free—or at least, no longer under the knife. That honor had been transferred to McKenzie. Principal Provost contemplated turning the knife into something less deadly; but that would only alert Mallos, who would simply crush McKenzie’s throat with one of his hands.

It was time to take action. Provost tapped James on the shoulder. Then, crouching as low as his sphere would allow, he rolled out of the forest.

“FINALLY!” whispered McKenzie’s father, following closely behind him.

Provost signaled James to be quiet and stuck the final disrupter node in the ground. It was a stroke of luck he’d remembered to grab the nodes before leaving the cave. They were his first set, the prototypes; not as stable as subsequent sets, but hopefully stable enough to rescue McKenzie.

Moving several feet away, he removed the main disrupter node from his pocket, whispered, “Be still,” and began the activation.

Of all the Tsendi to be holding a knife to McKenzie’s throat, he would have preferred anyone other than Mallos. The giant Tsendi had a malicious grin frozen on his face. Had the disruption taken even a second longer, they might have been too late.

“I’m going in,” said Provost. “Wait here.”

“I’m going with you.”

Provost sighed. “I do believe McKenzie gets ALL her bad habits from you! Let’s go. And don’t let go of my shoulder—for any reason.” Seconds later, a bubble of present time encircled them both, and in they went.

Tsendi guards, frozen in time, encircled the tsoot pit. There was only one area large enough to squeeze through and it was not next to a ramp.

“We’ll have to jump,” said Provost. “Climb onto my back.”

“Excuse me?”

“Climb on, and I’ll carry you over.”

“I don’t think—”

“I don’t care what you think. Circanthians have exceptionally strong, upper body strength. Haven’t you noticed your daughter—”

“McKenzie!” Ashen-faced, James stared at his daughter, only seconds away from having her throat slit. “Okay,” he mumbled, looping his arms and legs—all six foot, three and a half inches of him—around Principal Provost, rather like a giraffe trying to climb onto the back of a buffalo. And, into the pit they jumped.

“OFF,” said Principal Provost.

“What?”

“Get off—NOW!”

“Sorry,” whispered James, unlooping himself.

“No one can hear us.”

“Sorry!” said James, in a somewhat louder voice.

Provost ignored him. He was trying to figure out a way to weave in McKenzie without weaving in Mallos. But there was no way around it. “We are going to have to weave the bubble around both of them,” he said. “Mallos’ hand is firmly attached to her shoulder. I’ll grab the knife. You shove him out of the bubble. Here we go!”

“DAD! Principal Provost?”

Mallos blinked and looked at them, clearly stunned. The shock caused his grip to loosen, dropping the knife, and his hand to fall slightly away from McKenzie’s throat. James Wu grabbed that hand, pulled it up and over McKenzie’s head and slammed it into the dazed Tsendi’s forehead.