Zein: The Prophecy Page 27

  ‘Well, young man, enjoy the moment because once you are married that choice disappears,’ said Sean, emphasising the point by using his hand to show a non-existent explosion in his hand.

  ‘There is something blocking the next troop arrival!’ shouted the Fathom operator, desperately trying to unblock the signal. Flintoff-Jones immediately commanded his troops to surround the portal. Sean leapt off his perch and raced to join his comrades. The portal instantly had over a hundred semi-automatic rifles pointing at the blank space. The air in the portal began to swirl and the soldiers maintained their concentration.

  Seven figures materialised. Bailey was watching holding his breath, and then he saw Kabel. Who was he holding?

  ‘Gemma! Holy shit, don’t fire, it’s my sister,’ said Bailey, racing forward quickly followed by Tyson and Amelia.

  Flintoff-Jones glanced between the portal and the figures of the three running towards the platform. ‘Stand down, stand down.’ The soldiers dropped their weapons.

  Bailey was there first. He went straight to Kabel.

  Bailey reached and brushed Gemma’s hair back from her forehead. His love for his sister he had taken for granted and seeing her now, pain showing clearly on her face, tore him apart.

  ‘Hi Sis, good to see you,’ he said gently. Her eyes were blurred, the pain too much, she tried to raise a smile but couldn’t. Bailey felt his heart break as realisation of how much he loved his sister hit him. Why did it take events like this to realise that a person was important in your life?

  At this point, for Bailey nothing else mattered. He held out his arms and Kabel could see there was going to be no discussion. He passed Gemma to her brother. Bailey walked past Tyson and Amelia and took Gemma off to the Medicare sickbay.

  Tyson was upset, his feelings for Gemma had changed but seeing her in such a state had brought back past history. Amelia was upset that her friend was injured and she then saw Tyson’s reaction. She was never going to win. She brought her fist down and hit her thigh. Girl, you are crazy, stop thinking about yourself. She hurried after Bailey to look after her friend.

  Kabel walked up to Tyson, ‘Brother, I would like to introduce you to our sister, Belina,’ he said, gesturing to the tall blonde girl next to him. Tyson shook himself out of his thoughts and held out his hand. Belina had watched the humans in front of her. It was the first time she had ever met a human male and she was surprised at the exchange of emotions and the unusual greeting. Realising that this the way humans greeted each other she took the hand of Tyson, who still looked troubled on seeing Gemma injured.

  ‘She will be all right once the medics see to her wounds,’ she said trying to comfort him. Tyson thanked her for her kind words.

  Belina thought back to the man who had taken Gemma from Kabel. She had seen the family resemblance and marvelled at how the humans were so quick to show their emotions, Belina was so used to the Easterners inscrutability.

  The Changeling padded down the causeway and a few blood pressures of the soldiers, who had lowered their weapons, went up when he changed from the wolf into a hawk and flew off.

  Kabel introduced his adopted mother and aunt to a bemused Tyson and Amelia and his remaining companions to Flintoff-Jones. It was agreed that Lord Fathom needed to be briefed urgently.

  When Lord Fathom was informed that the antenna was destroyed he set up a communication conference with the task force high command, a selection of senior individuals of each of the countries, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister. They confirmed that their respective submarines, nuclear sites, had all reported back that they were in control of all their weapons.

  Victoria Kirk, sitting next to Lord Fathom in the Core, spoke first after the update. ‘We still need to send Zylar a message that we surrender and he must not know that his ability to strike has gone. He will simply execute the prisoners.’ There was a murmur of agreement and it was agreed that the US Vice President, Jake Hidenburg, would be the best to convey the news, due to the horrific impact of the nuclear strike on New York.

  They then discussed the timing of the attack, which they all universally agreed should be timed for midnight, to enable the full force to be established. They would need to go in waves due to the limitations of the Core portal, one initial group of one thousand men in the main haulage portal, another five hundred in the main portal with reinforcements being sent in three minute gaps to both sites to reinforce the attack.

  The extraction team was to be led by Remo. They would directly teleport into the Palace using Tyson’s DNA, which would help them materialise near his mother. This group consisted of a regiment of the SAS, half a dozen Scots Guards, a dozen Americans from the First Infantry Division known famously as the Fighting First, four US Navy Seals, a couple of Chinese engineers who could handle any explosives needed, Tyson, Kabel, Belina, Bailey and Amelia.

  The latter had to fight her corner with Tyson and Remo; however, she was adamant that she had been at the start of this and would see it through. They relented. The American Vice President had pushed for the American involvement in the hunt for prisoners to enable the President to be secured safely. The total force numbered thirty-seven men and women; small enough to infiltrate, large enough to defend positions.

  Bailey had not had a chance to talk with Belina and took the opportunity to sit next to her whilst they waited for the green light for the operation.

  ‘How is your sister?’ she asked, Bailey’s humour had dissipated somewhat over the last hour and he had made sure his sister was sedated and recovering before deciding on joining the attack. He still hadn’t shared any thoughts about their parents with her.

  ‘She is sleeping now but they say she should recover,’ he said, a little self-conscious at how close Belina was to him. Bailey, who was so confident with women, found that he was a little tongue-tied around this woman. He sneaked a glance at her as her attention was taken by a heated discussion between Tyson and Kabel. She was nearly as tall as Tyson, with beautiful blue eyes and her blonde hair swept down to the small of her back. Bailey thought she was perfect. Belina turned back to him and caught the back of his appraisal.

  ‘Seen anything you like, human?’ she asked teasingly. Bailey went a bright red and half shook his head, and then opted for the safe option of just staring at the floor. Belina laughed and Bailey thought it was the most beautiful laugh he had ever heard.

  Bailey, listen to yourself, you are acting like a love struck teenager.

  ‘You’re cute, human,’ she said and playfully punched him on the thigh.

  ‘Hey, you two, stop that. Bailey that is my sister,’ said Tyson with an ironic smile on his face. Bailey gave a false puzzled look at Tyson’s comment and attempted to look cool, shrugged his shoulders and left to take one last look at his sister before the attack. Tyson sat where Bailey had been a moment before.

  ‘Bailey is a good guy; I think he likes you. At the moment he is worried about his parents. They were in New York when the bombs hit,’ he explained to Belina. ‘He thinks they are safe but we don’t know for sure.’

  ‘It must be terrible,’ said Belina thoughtfully at the retreating back of the human, then remembering the heated discussion between the two brothers, ‘What were you two arguing about?’

  ‘Amelia,’ he clarified, ‘I don’t think she should come with us, especially after what happened to Gemma.’

  ‘Why can’t she defend her planet when you can?’ said Belina, then seeing Tyson purse his lips, ‘just because you like her do not stop her doing the right thing.’

  Tyson didn’t answer. His feelings were all mixed up. He still felt the lingering looks that Evelyn gave him and her thoughts still had an essence of desire in them. He shook his head. He just wanted to get back to action.

  ***

  In the Southern Quadrant Palace a very satisfied Zylar had just watched the US Vice President deliver the surrender confirmation. He settled back onto the throne and planned his next moves. He would need to use the bulk of his force to
manage the control of the human prisoners once the countries began selection. It would take at least a month to train the first set of humans into the Ilsid way. He always enjoyed the process of installing the madness, wiping all memories and then undertaking combat training until they knew nothing else except his orders and the efficiency of killing.

  The only irritation was that General Chad had not contacted him today. He would need to have words with him tomorrow. He would release the prisoners when the first batches of humans were teleported to his training ground in the Eastern Quadrant Palace. He had a fully operational underground preparation area to make his Ilsid. He had tried to take it one more step forward by replacing elements of the body with advanced robotics. The results had generally not been good, with the tortured bodies not being able to deal with the pain and complexity of the new limbs. Something he could work on with a limitless supply of new subjects, he thought.

  Chapter 31

  Final Call

  Finally, the plans were ready. Brigadier Flintoff-Jones would lead the first force and materialise in the haulage portal, where they would be expecting the next load of zinithium. They would set up a defensive area for the other forces to be teleported to the main portal from the Core.

  The advance force marched into the haulage portal. Tyson felt the pride rise up within him as he saw the Scots Guards and First Rifles march behind their commanding officer. Their professionalism was astounding. They were being sent to a new world, against unknown forces and with a threat to their home planet held over their heads. You couldn’t tell. Their faces were expressionless, focusing on the task ahead.

  The two initial thrusts would draw attention away from the Palace, allowing Remo’s smaller force time and space to find the prisoners. Brigadier’s force teleported, Tyson waited nervously. He and the rest were provided with new full body armour from Lord Fathom, the best they had. The armour was a snug fit but flexed with the body’s movements as if it were part of the skin. He tried not to think of his mother. It was hard. Evelyn came into view; she was leading the second force with her father. Lord Southgate would stay and run the Core communications.

  ‘Hi, just wanted to say thank you for what you did to free my people,’ said Evelyn. It was the first time she had a chance to talk to him properly since he had held her in Manek’s quarters. The abuse from Manek had left mental as well as physical scars. He had been particularly brutal, revelling in her pain.

  ‘How are you doing?’ he asked, noticing Amelia watching the interplay.

  ‘A little stiff but still able to beat you in a fight, lover,’ she said, drawing her seckle, laughing. Tyson laughed with her. Her face turned serious, ‘Don’t worry about Leila, Zylar always likes to have leverage and at the moment your mother is good leverage against you,’ she said. Tyson reached out and gave her a hug and kissed her on her forehead.

  ‘Now you look after yourself,’ he said. She didn’t answer him and simply made her way to join with her father and the other soldiers.

  She turned and looked back, raising her seckle in salute and he returned the salute, holding up his seckle. Lord Fathom saw the exchange and placed a protective arm on his daughter’s shoulder. He was proud to be heading into battle with her. Hechkle and Bronstorm walked either side of them.

  As Tyson watched her join the multi-national regiments in the portal a flash went across his mind: he was watching the battle in the Southern Quadrant. The Brigadier’s force initially surprised the Eastern Quadrant army soldiers situated near the portal; however, the Ilsid had quickly mobilised and began to threaten the defensive line built by the task force. Then Lord Fathom was there with his all-action daughter. They attacked the Ilsid and were in fierce hand to hand combat. Lord Fathom was using his shield effectively and leading the combined forces with intelligence and courage. He saw Evelyn’s exultant face as she slashed and parried the Ilsid attackers. Her body was twirling and turning, seckles were missing her by inches or whistling over her head. She was in continuous movement, a whirling dervish of action. He saw Zylar close in on her. She hadn’t seen him. The final picture was the fierce look on her face as she turned to face him. Then the vision ended.

  ‘No, no…stop her,’ he shouted as he ran towards the portal. Evelyn saw him run towards her and frowned. The zinithium crystals flared up and the Fathom Army and the American Fighting First teleported.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ said Kabel, running after his half-brother. Tyson stood in the now empty portal area, which was already beginning to fill with the next wave of the task force.

  ‘I had a vision, Evelyn is in danger.’

  ‘I have those visions and they are sometimes misleading,’ said Kabel, reassuring Tyson, ‘Evelyn can handle herself; you have seen it at first hand.’

  ‘Shall we go?’ It was Remo at his shoulder, wondering what was happening. Kabel and Tyson joined the rest of the smaller force and made their way into the haulage portal. Tyson was still shaken. It was true that some of the visions he had only told an element of the future and not the full story. Tyson wanting to discuss his vision with Bailey however his friend was deep in thought. Tyson left it.

  They walked up the causeway to the portal. Sean Lambert led the way with Remo, the Scots Guard soldier’s face no longer displaying the jocular person he could be, his face serious in thought of the task ahead, like the rest of the soldiers. Assembled, they waited for the flash of the crystals, which came quickly.

  They blinked hard as they materialised. They were in a warm and well lit corridor. Outside there were tremendous explosions and gunfire signifying the battle raging outside. Remo pointed to Sean’s detachment and the SAS soldiers to scout ahead. He then pointed to the rear for the Americans including the Navy Seals to secure that position. He then looked expectantly at Tyson and Kabel.

  Tyson allowed his feelings to spread out. He thought of his mother, her image, personality. Kabel did the same for Delilah. It was Tyson who felt his mother’s presence first. It was close to where Sean had set up the vanguard. He hurried towards them. Suddenly a squad of Ilsid came jogging around the corner heading outside to the battle. Seeing the small force they didn’t even hesitate, pulling their photon shotguns from their shoulders. The vanguard opened fire. Two soldiers went down; however, all the Ilsid warriors were killed. Without waiting Tyson rushed past the grim looking Sean and raced up the corridor. The rest of the force followed him. He paused outside an ornate door which was well sealed. His mother was on the other side. Remo called up one of the Chinese engineers, who placed semtex against the door frame.

  ‘Mum, if you can hear me, move away from the door,’ shouted Tyson. They took cover and the semtex blew the hinges off the door and the door fell backwards. Tyson stepped through the door. He couldn’t see anything at first and then the smoke cleared. Leila ran into her son’s arms. Kabel was behind him and Delilah gave a squeal of delight and ran to him, jumping off the ground and wrapping her legs around him in joy. Tyson pushed his mother away from him gently.

  ‘Did he hurt you?’ asked Tyson. His mum shook her head, ‘Good. Mum, we need to find the other prisoners; do you have any idea where they are?’

  ‘When we were in the hall, they took them down in the lift so I expect they are in the dungeons.’

  ‘Let’s go then, the lifts will be too dangerous. We could be trapped if we go that way…I know a back entrance,’ said Remo, pleased to see two of the prisoners rescued. He led them to the back of the Palace.

  It wasn’t long before they ran into trouble. The Ilsid were everywhere and Sean was leading the vanguard clearing the way. The Americans had joined him, eager to find their President. They fought every inch of the way up the corridor. Amelia was blasting away with tremendous accuracy along with Bailey and Belina. Kabel and Tyson kept a wary eye open for any unsuspecting attacks from the rooms either side of the corridor. A number of times the Ilsid would come charging out of a side room and either Kabel or Tyson would flash their seckle effectively and clear the wa
y. Eventually they reached the back entrance. The force was down to twenty. They had taken a large number of casualties.

  Tyson saw something on his mother’s arm; it was a watch or bracelet. He grabbed her arms. ‘Mum, do you know what this is for?’

  ‘Not sure, they were put on our wrists when we were taken, Delilah has one as well.’

  ‘It’s a retrieval bracelet. They probably just left it on when they snatched them,’ said Belina.

  Tyson’s question was lost when half way down the back stairs one of the doors to what probably was the seventh floor burst open and five Easterners piled through. Tyson wasn’t sure who was the more surprised. It was Kabel who jumped into action first. Kabel fought with his usual skill and his reactions were quick. He killed the nearest Easterner with his seckle and then he threw the seckle, which spun and embedded itself into the chest of another. The remainder of the Easterners charged Kabel, who was now defenceless having lost his blaster earlier. Tyson pushed Kabel out of the way and one of the Easterners let off a photon shot and Tyson shimmered and the shot missed him. That was the last chance the Easterner had. Soon he was dead along with his remaining companions.

  Tyson helped his brother off the floor, handing him the seckle which he had pulled from the dead man’s chest.

  ‘Thanks, brother.’

  ‘Welcome.’

  ‘Isn’t that nice to see brotherly love,’ said Bailey with his traditional raised eyebrow. The reduced group continued down the stairs until they hit a formidable door at the entrance of the dungeons. The remaining engineer was called forward. His name was Xin. He spoke fluent English, from his days at Oxford University. He deftly placed the explosives against the door and then he gestured for them to all step back. The explosion tore the door away and blew away the couple of guards on the inside.