The Revelation Chronicles: Evolution Read online

  “No problem.” Kara smiled and went back to work.

  I walked to the window overlooking the street and stared outside while I slowly sipped my coffee. Things were still awkward between Kara and I. We kind of ignored the tension. She kept herself distracted by searching for her father, Arthur or hacking the FBI mainframe. I distracted myself by becoming the greatest solitaire player to ever live. We were good at pretending, but eventually we would have to talk. I could feel her sadness growing deeper each day and it sickened me. To know that I was the cause of her pain was the worst. But I didn’t know how to fix it.

  I thumbed the amulet on the chain under my t-shirt. Damn, if only I could talk to my mom. Maybe she could provide some guidance. She always did. Most likely, she would tell me to get my head out of the clouds and make things right already.

  “Charlie,” said Kara abruptly in a worried tone that pulled me back to reality. “You need to see this.”

  I turned from the window and made my way back to her. Perhaps she’d found the location of Area 51 or where Jimmy Hoffa was buried.

  “I don’t believe this. There’s been an attack at the U.N. and the Vice-President has been kidnapped. But... that’s not the real kicker.”

  She moved to the side as I stood over the laptop and looked at the streaming video. What I saw instantly made my blood turn cold.

  Staring back at me was a face I’d come to know and love. The face of my boyhood friend, my rock and my confidant. The one I’d been searching so long to find.

  It was the face of Freddy.

  Chapter 8

  I felt numb, as though the weight of the world were suddenly crashing down on me. I placed my hand on the chair to steady myself.

  “Wha…what is this?” I managed to ask.

  “It’s a live feed. They're running footage of the terrorists who attacked the U.N.” Kara punched a couple of keys on the keypad. “Looks like it’s on every major network in the world.”

  My mind ran through every possible scenario.

  How could this be? I thought.

  “I’m not sure,” responded Kara out loud, hearing my question. I still hadn’t quite gotten used to that, our telepathic link. “I’ve tried everything I can think of to find some trace of Freddy over the past few months. I used every program available and came up with nothing. Now he’s on T.V., involved in this? I can’t explain it.”

  “What’s going on?” asked Nick, taking a break from his comic to see what the fuss was all about. “Hey, isn’t that your buddy, the funny one?” He spoke with his mouth full of jerky. “Looks like he’s lost some weight.”

  “Yes, it is,” I said defensively, firing a metaphorical warning shot across the bow. This was a very touchy topic for me and I was in no mood for Nick’s insincere comments.

  “We have to address the obvious, Charlie,” said Kara. “He is involved with the kidnapping of the second most-powerful man in the world. Putting two and two together, that puts us right in the crosshairs again, him being your best friend and all. So much for proving we mean the people of Earth no harm.”

  She was right, I had to admit. This didn’t bode well for us. We were already wanted by the government, but this would almost certainly force them to double their efforts. And I couldn’t dismiss the look in Freddy’s eye, not to mention the abnormal color of them. Cold, dead eyes tinged in a strange greenish hue. I had a feeling I knew exactly what caused it.

  “We have to do something about this. I believe Freddy and only God knows how many others were exposed to the Orion device. Its payload was just starting to release before I submerged it in the Grand River. I have to fix this.”

  “You can’t take all of this on your shoulders. This isn’t just your fault.”

  I didn’t agree. I should have been faster. Stronger. I should have been able to stop the device before this was allowed to happen.

  “I’m with Charlie,” said Nick to Kara with renewed vigor. “I can’t wait to get out and stretch my legs.”

  “We have to be careful how we approach this. We have no idea what state of mind Freddy is in,” said Kara as gently as she could. “I know he’s your friend, but he may not be the same person you remember.”

  “I don’t care,” I said defiantly. “I created this problem and I will fix it.”

  “I don’t know, Charlie. I have a bad feeling about this.”

  Our conversation was cut short as the door swung open and Michael rushed in—followed by Allison of all people. I swallowed hard, confused by her arrival.

  “I have a bad feeling about this, too,” said Nick.

  Chapter 9

  I was speechless. I mean, I absolutely didn’t know what to say. This day was just turning out to be full of surprises. And I was hesitant as to whether this was going to be a pleasant one or not.

  “Allison,” I said with an overly reserved greeting. “What are you doing here?”

  What I really wanted to ask was what she was doing here with him.

  “Hi, Charlie,” she said, rather timidly and reserved, which struck me as odd because that wasn’t her nature.

  We gave each other an awkward hug. I tried looking into her eyes for a hint of something—anything, but she would barely even look at me. How could things have changed so quickly between us?

  “We were cornered by federal agents,” said Michael with a nonchalant shrug. He tossed his hoodie on the sofa. “I had no choice but to bring her here with me.”

  “I don’t think that’s quite what he’s asking, big guy,” Nick chimed in with a perfectly timed jab.

  “I don’t have to answer to you.”

  Michael shot Nick a menacingly cold look and he backed down, throwing his hands up in surrender and walking away.

  “Hey guys, you can continue… whatever this is later. Right now, I’m more interested in the ‘being chased by federal agents’ part,” said Kara.

  At least one of us was thinking straight.

  “I thought we were a team, Michael,” I said. “Yet, here you are doing your own thing and getting innocent people involved. In case you haven’t caught the news in the past hour, there’s been an attack at the UN by others like us. And to top it all off, my best friend, Freddy, who’s been missing for months, appears to be heavily involved.”

  “I’m sorry to hear about your friend; I really am. But I’m tired of being cooped up in this place. I wanted some fresh air, so I stepped out and ran into Allison along the way. I don’t have to check in with you. No one made you the boss.”

  “I beg to differ.”

  “Look, maybe I shouldn’t have come here,” said Allison. She looked uncomfortably from Michael to me.

  Couldn’t have said it better myself, I thought.

  Get a grip, Charlie. We could be in real danger.

  Kara’s words entered my mind like a fine-edged dagger. It still caught me off-guard when she did that. And, once again, she was right. Anger and jealousy were quickly clouding my judgment. I needed to try and focus on the bigger picture. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity to relay as much back to her.

  A loud voice amplified by megaphone pierced the air:

  “THIS IS SPECIAL AGENT SIMMONS. YOU HAVE SIXTY SECONDS TO EVACUATE THE PREMISES AND SURRENDER WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR, OR WE WILL ENTER WITH FORCE!”

  “I guess you weren’t as careful as you thought,” I said, shooting Michael a look of disdain. “We have to figure out a way to get out of here.”

  “I know one thing,” Nick said. “I’m definitely not crawling through any sewers.”

  “Everyone, grab what you can,” I instructed. “We need to get out of here with as little incident as possible. Remember, they are not the real enemy. I think we can…”

  I was interrupted by a loud blast that knocked the door to the factory off its hinges. Seconds later, scores of armed men in tactical gear swarmed the building.

  Chapter 10

  Agent Simmons entered the Clayton Farms Peanut Factory cautiously with his sid
earm drawn. He removed his Oakley sunglasses and looked around. The once-thriving factory had been closed and abandoned for nearly five years after a messy dispute in open court by two of the late billionaire Richard Clayton’s offspring.

  One of the tactical agents approached him.

  “We’ve searched the entire factory, sir. They’re gone.”

  “That’s impossible. All the exits were covered. They should be here. Check again,” he said sternly. “Rip up the floors if you have to. Check every air duct.”

  Agent Simmons holstered his sidearm and traversed the room slowly, methodically, as he’d done hundreds of times. He ran through every possible scenario in his head. He’d studied the classified files compiled on each of the extraterrestrial beings and had a good sense of their abilities. Not a single one of them had the documented ability to simply disappear. They had to be there somewhere. He just knew it. His gut instinct told him so. And his instincts were hardly ever wrong.

  He noticed a single cup of coffee on a table nearby and picked it up.

  Still warm.

  Agent Simmons had been a step behind Charles Reese and his band of merry aliens for a while now and knew he was getting close. He would catch them—every single one of them. And they would lead him to Vice President Palmer. It was just a matter of time. He always got his man.

  Agent Simmons had built his law enforcement career as a criminal profiler, able to track down some of the most notorious threats in recent U.S. history. He’d even been routinely requested by name to liaison with law enforcement agencies in other countries such as England, Lebanon, and Afghanistan to name a few. He found it easy to track criminals if you knew what to look for. Getting into the mind of those he hunted was a gift.

  ‘We’ve swept the area again and found no sign of them, sir,” said the senior tactical leader.

  Agent Simmons ran a hand over his bald head. He took a deep breath and exhaled, scanning the room again for an errant clue that would give him something—anything.

  “OK,” he said finally. “They couldn’t have gone far. Have your men fan out and search the surrounding buildings. They DO NOT leave this city.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The tactical squads departed, leaving Agent Simmons behind alone. He stood in the center of the room, tapping rhythmically on his gun holster. He would catch them. Sooner than later.

  He gave the place one final visual inspection before donning his sunglasses and departing.

  Chapter 11

  “Are they gone?” Nick whispered.

  “Yes, they’re gone,” I said, helping Kara to her feet. “It looks like one of us has been practicing.”

  I winked at her as she straightened her clothes. Kara had the amazing ability to get inside a person’s head. She could read their thoughts, project images, even make them do things if she wanted to. Apparently, she’d improved to the point of controlling large groups of people all at once.

  “Yes, I know we all made a promise, but I couldn’t help myself. It seems it’s a good thing I did.”

  “I have to agree,” Michael said. “A lot of those humans would have been hurt today if she hadn’t used her powers to convince them we were gone.”

  “Well, it’s obvious you have no regard for keeping promises or caring whether the rest of us are caught or killed,” I said, glaring first at Michael, then Allison.

  I couldn’t control myself. The thought of them together infuriated me.

  “We don’t have time for this sappy love drama between you guys. No offense to you, Kara,” Nick said, addressing every person in the room.

  “None taken,” she replied. She refused to even look in my direction. After all I’d already put her through, I couldn’t blame her.

  “We may want to get out of here before they realize they were tricked and double back,” Nick continued.

  Who would have thought he’d be the voice of reason?

  “He’s right,” Kara agreed. “I can guide us out of here, but where will we go?”

  I thought about her question as everyone discussed among themselves. They argued back and forth about what our next course of action should be. I wasn’t used to being a leader, but I knew one thing: we couldn’t stay here. The time for hiding in the shadows and running was over.

  “Kara, get us through their outer perimeter and find us a place to lay low for now. Use the FBI hotline to throw them a few false tips and keep them off our trail if you need to. I have a plan, but I’m going to need help. We need to track down Standeval.”

  “And how do you plan to do that? No one’s seen him since—”

  “I know that,” I snapped at Nick. “But Kara and I think we might know a way to find him.”

  “Do you want to lay your cards on the table for the rest of us to see?” he asked.

  “Not yet. I need to do this alone. Get to a safe place and I’ll contact you when I find something.”

  “You want to lecture us on being team players, but you’re about to strike out on your own now that the heat is on?” Michael asked. I was taken aback because he’d spoken more in the past few minutes than he had the entire time we’d known each other.

  “Time is of the essence and I can get where I need to go much faster alone. Trust me. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Michael didn’t say another word. He simply turned and walked away.

  Kara approached me as the others collected their things.

  “Are you sure about this, Charlie?”

  “About as sure as I’m going to get. We don’t have much choice, Kara. Things have gotten way out of hand and it’s our responsibility to do something. We can’t just stand by and let this happen.”

  “Be careful,” she said, touching my arm lightly. I felt a warm tingle run up my spine: a feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time. We’d avoided contact for months for this very reason—more my decision than her own.

  We’d discussed this very scenario several times: how to track and find The Great Standeval, master illusionist and major pain in the ass. One thing I knew for sure: Standeval was no butterfly. He was a moth. And to catch a moth you needed a flame. Or, in his case, you needed lights. Bright lights. The bright lights of a major city.

  Chapter 12

  We managed to make it out and escape without further incident. I parted ways with the others a few blocks from the peanut factory. Kara still wasn’t sold on the idea of me going alone, but I convinced her it was for the best. I could travel much faster by myself.

  I ducked into the alley of a locally-owned pizza parlor. The tantalizing aroma of freshly baked, hand-tossed pies smelled wonderful and I contemplated purchasing one to take with me but thought better of it. I needed to keep both hands on the wheel at all times while operating this vehicle.

  I quickly surveyed the area. I had to be absolutely certain I was alone. Kneeling down on one knee, I placed both palms on the ground. The energy coursed through my body in anticipation, yearning to be released. It had been so long since I’d taken flight. I had been waiting for this.

  ZOOM!

  I shot into the air and across the sky with tremendous speed and power, leaving a visible vortex in my wake like the propulsion jets on a rocket. It felt great!

  The landscape was an indiscernible blur beneath me. I was flying too high and fast to concern myself with being spotted from the ground. Now this was first-class travel. It sure beat today’s air fares. And ridiculous baggage fees? Forget about it.

  I needed this. I needed to be alone and clear my head. The jealous guy? Acting irrationally? That wasn’t me. This thing with Allison and Michael was really doing a number on me. Maybe because I had no idea when or how it happened. It must have developed when they were both being held captive by Viktor and his men. Can’t say I saw that one coming. And for him to say they just happened to run into each other today? That was just plain insulting. I saw the way she looked at him, and the way she wouldn’t look at me. I couldn’t fog my brain with these thoughts at the moment. I
had to be level-headed for the road ahead.

  Passing over clusters of tall green pines and live oaks, I knew I was now in the south. A cocky smile crept across my face: it had taken less than an hour to travel across several states! I’d forgotten how much I missed flying.

  I was on my way to New Orleans—The Big Easy. That was where I knew I would find Standeval. He was addicted to the art of entertaining, like a gambler who’s drawn to the race track or casino. Kara and I had conducted regular searches over the internet and visited several seedy chat rooms in the hopes that we’d pick up on any chatter involving an illusionist with… otherworldly talent. The efforts paid off, as stories trickled in about a mysterious performer who captivated his audiences with unbelievable feats. The stories formed a pattern along the lower west coast and headed east. If I was right, he’d be in New Orleans now.

  Chapter 13

  It was shortly after dusk when I finally reached New Orleans. I found a spot as well as any on a rooftop near the heart of the French Quarter and touched down. I didn’t exactly stick the landing; it was a bit rough, nearly causing me to tumble over the roof’s edge before I caught myself. Guess I was just rusty.

  The smell of authentic Cajun cuisine and the sounds of music were a delightful treat to my senses. I found the stairwell to the building, descended, and fell in with the other revelers taking in the wonders of the city. I’d never been fortunate enough to visit N’awlins before, but it was definitely a place I’d like to return to one day for some much-needed R&R. But I was there on an urgent matter. If we were successful at putting an end to this current crisis, it would go straight to the top of my bucket list.

  I followed the signs to Royal Street, a part of the city usually blocked off to traffic and a favorite spot to find street performers. I passed a guy dressed as an alien inside a creative homemade spacecraft of cardboard and metal. Then I came across a colorful human statue with a stuffed dog on a leash. I tipped both their coffers for originality.