The Revelation Chronicles: Evolution Page 7

  Michael hurled a scorching ball of flame directly at his target. The fireball blazed straight for the man’s chest. Then the unthinkable happened: the man’s body disintegrated into hundreds of individual spherical pieces, like a DNA helix. Or, more like someone had tossed a jigsaw puzzle box in the air.

  As the scorching ball of flame shot by, the spherical body parts snapped back to their previous form and Michael’s adversary was there once again, completely unharmed. But this time he went on the offensive, using his amazing ability to conjure up a gigantic fist that reared back, prepared to deliver a deadly shot to an overmatched and unsuspecting Michael.

  Charlie, do something! Kara screamed in my head.

  Already on it.

  I sprang into action, taking flight and streaking across the room. I tackled Michael with one arm, dragging him out of the way, milliseconds from his face being pulverized by the gigantic fist. He looked up at me with a deer-in-the-headlights stare as we toppled to the floor and came to a stop.

  But there was no time to linger and have a discussion about what had just happened. Jigsaw was caught off-guard by my interference at first, but quickly recovered and prepared to attack again, turning his full attention to me this time. He clearly wasn’t happy, as evidenced by the animalistic roar that emanated from his massive chest. He charged at me with the tenacity of a bull, steadily gaining speed as he drew closer. What made the situation even more daunting was the fact that his ability allowed him to actually look like a bull as he closed ground with powerful strides, intent on goring me as though I was some third-rate matador. I didn’t panic, though. Instead I braced myself and waited.

  Just as it seemed I’d be steamrolled or trampled to death, I brought my knee up hard and fast directly under his chin, knocking him backwards with tremendous force. He was out cold before his body ever even hit the floor. The upwards momentum carried me into a backwards somersault and I landed softly on my feet. Piece of cake.

  That was impressive. I see you haven’t lost a step.

  Thanks. See what you can do to help out Nick. I’m going after Freddy.

  OK. Be careful, Charlie.

  Chapter 26

  I raced through a maze of cubicles until I entered a large reception area. Two goons with glowing green eyes were guarding the entrance to an office and I could only assume Freddy was inside. But doing what? Why were they here? Questions I’d have to take up with their leader, no doubt. Whatever they’d come for was in that office.

  They hadn’t noticed me yet, and I wasn’t going to give them an opportunity to. There was no telling what sort of abilities they possessed, and I wasn’t too keen on finding out. Brute force was needed and that was exactly what I was going to deliver.

  I flew at them with all the speed I could summon indoors, charging through both men. Splintered wood exploded everywhere as the door was ripped from its hinges. I came to a stop in the middle of the room, lying safely on top of the immobile bodies of the two men who were now unconscious. I rose slowly to my feet and brushed my clothes off, looking around. And that’s when I saw him.

  Freddy.

  I stared at him, speechless at first. He was finally a hair’s breadth away from me and I couldn’t utter one word—probably because of the glowing green eyes. That was a major cosmetic update. Plastic surgery the likes of Mickey Rourke would have been less shocking.

  Freddy was standing in front of a huge painting that was swung open to reveal an electronic wall safe behind it. I must have arrived just in time, because it was still sealed and in one piece—for the moment.

  “What are you doing, Freddy?”

  The large beast of a man with him growled and took a menacing step towards me. I readied for a fight.

  “Lucian, hold up a sec. Before I allow my associate here to tear you to pieces, would you like to tell me who you are and who this Freddy is you're hoping to find here?”

  I was dumbfounded. He actually had no idea who I was. I searched the glowing green eyes for some form of recognition but found none—only coldness I’d never seen before from the stranger who stared back at me. My worst fears had come to life.

  “You really don’t remember me?” I asked. I was holding out hope for a miracle.

  “Should I?”

  “It’s me, your best friend. Charlie. You were in a terrible accident and have been missing for months.”

  “I don’t know who you think I am, but I can assure you, you are wrong. I am Cain. We are Evolution. And you are impeding our progress.”

  Turning his back to me, he faced the wall safe. As I watched, his right hand began to pulsate a shade of green, matching his eyes, and he reached inside the safe—while it was still closed. When he removed his hand, he was holding a small cylindrical object.

  I have to admit, my bottom jaw dropped a little as I attempted to wrap my brain around what I’d just saw. Freddy—or Cain, as he called himself—had obviously gained some extraordinary abilities since the accident, but I had no idea they were so advanced.

  “This will change the future,” he said, holding the object up for me to witness. “You will see very soon.”

  “It doesn’t have to be this—” I started to say, but was interrupted.

  “FREEZE! YOU’RE ALL UNDER ARREST!”

  Several FBI agents in tactical gear stormed the room and surrounded us, followed closely by an agent wearing only a blue windbreaker. I assumed he was the one in charge. He reminded me of Fox Mulder from the X-Files, minus the hair. So, in retrospect, I guess he was in the right place.

  “Set the contraband on the desk and place your hands in the air,” he ordered.

  I had a feeling things were about to get real dicey.

  Cain turned to Lucian and gave him a nod. The giant growled and sprang into action, brutally attacking the entire squad of agents. Gunfire struck him several times, but simply bounced off his skin. He quickly dismantled each of the agents with ease. I should have reacted sooner and tried to stop him, but my eyes were glued to Cain. I didn’t want to let him out of my sight. Not again.

  I had to get him to remember, had to make him see reason. That was my sole focus. That was, until I heard the gurgled sounds of a man being choked to within an inch of his life. Lucian had worked his way through the federal agents like a fat man at a hotdog eating contest until only one remained: the agent in charge.

  I ran at Lucian, unsure if I would be able to stop him. But I had to try. I threw several solid shots at his chest, but he didn’t flinch, not even once.

  “My turn.”

  With his free hand, he tagged me squarely in the chest, taking my breath away and sending me careening through the wall behind me and back out into the reception area. I struggled to catch my breath as I rolled over and staggered to my feet. I was in pain. Tremendous pain.

  By the hole my body created when I slammed through the wall, I could see the agent quickly losing consciousness. His eyes had started to gloss over and his face was a pale shade of blue.

  Ticked now, I flew back through the damaged wall and clutched Lucian firmly by the shoulders, narrowly dodging an attempted strike to the head. Lunging upward, I drove his upper torso through the ceiling. He immediately released the agent, but I managed to catch him before his body hit the floor. He looked up at me dazed and disoriented for a second, before fumbling at his ankle holster.

  “Really? I save your life and this is the thanks I get? You should be offering me a medal, but instead you offer a bullet? You cops are unbelievable.”

  I took the gun from him and tossed it aside. Then I turned to look for Cain. What I saw was as equally horrifying as it was amazing.

  Lucian had worked himself free from the ceiling and was eagerly chomping at the bit to get another crack at me. But Cain held him back, a merciless smile spread across his face. When he placed his hand on Lucian’s shoulder, they both began to exhibit a greenish hue. And then they stepped forward and simply disappeared together through the outer wall.

  I raced
to the window and looked below for any sign of them, but they were gone, vanished into thin air.

  “What happened here?” Kara asked upon entering the room and witnessing the slew of bodies and carnage. Michael and Nick were with her. “Did you do this?”

  I pointed up to the ceiling where I’d shoved Lucian like a cork in a wine bottle.

  “I caught a big one, but he got away. He was a nasty one, let me tell ya.”

  “What about Freddy?”

  “He got away, too.”

  I left it at that. She stared at me, searching for more, but didn’t press.

  “Let’s go before more feds arrive,” I said.

  “Wait…” the lone remaining agent managed to say in a coarse voice, rising to his feet. He loosened his tie. “I’m not done with you yet.”

  “I don’t think you’re in any position to make demands here Agent—” Nick leaned in close and checked his badge, “—Simmons. Better luck next time!”

  Chapter 27

  Agent Simmons bent down and retrieved his weapon, holstering the standard issue .40 caliber Glock 23. It was pretty useless really, considering the circumstances. He moved awkwardly, wincing from the pain. But he was alive. And that’s more than he could say for his fellow agents. They were all good men—most of them family men, and they didn’t deserve to die like this. No one did.

  He realized what they were up against now. He may have underestimated his prey this time, but that wouldn’t happen again. These agents would be avenged.

  Agent Kim entered the crime scene and froze in her tracks. Her jaw dropped and she gasped. Two tours in Kirkuk and Afghanistan were still not enough to prepare her for the carnage she saw.

  “Wh…what happened? Are you OK, sir?”

  “I’m fine. Pull yourself together. We need to figure out what was in that safe and find these men before they strike again.”

  His cell phone rang.

  “Get these agents covered up and off the floor. They deserve better than this.”

  Agent Simmons pulled out his cell and read the screen. Damn. This wasn’t a call he was looking forward to.

  “This is Agent Simmons,” he said, knowing full well the party on the other line didn’t require the introduction. A woman’s voice—alluring, yet professional—greeted him on the other end of the line.

  “The SECDEF would like a debrief in person, Agent Simmons. He will be at Camp Echo within the hour.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  Agent Simmons ended the call and exhaled deeply. The Secretary of Defense wanted a face-to-face. That was just what the investigation needed: pencil-pushing bureaucrats wanting to micromanage. Having Secretary Proctor involved at this stage would solve nothing. Agent Simmons longed to be out in the field, doing what he did best. Instead he was being called to the carpet and questioned. This fiasco definitely wouldn’t help the cause.

  Agent Simmons walked down the hall, back through the lobby and exited the Baxter Consolidated Research & Development building. He nodded to the agent, who held the door open to a dark blue SUV that was already running. Agent Simmons slid behind the wheel, snatched the gear shift in drive, and sped away, causing the tires screech.

  His mind catalogued and analyzed everything—as much as it could comprehend while the SUV traversed the night streets at a high rate of speed, heading south. How were they going to stop these beings? With amazing abilities like the ones he’d witnessed, a change in strategy would be needed if they were to stand any chance of putting an end to the threat.

  And that line of thinking brought him to Charlie Reese. Agent Simmons hadn’t counted on his presence back there, but nevertheless, it was his presence that had saved his life. But why? Why would Reese, a known fugitive, risk his own life to save the man tasked with capturing him? As much as he could figure, there were two opposing groups of alien beings, and one had just proven to be far more dangerous than the other.

  None of it made any sense. Agent Simmons was suddenly beginning to doubt the validity of his mission and what he was charged to do. More questions than answers clouded his mind. But answers, nonetheless, would be just what he was expected to provide once he was standing in front of Secretary Proctor at the ultra-secretive Camp Echo. Answers that had yet to be revealed.

  Chapter 28

  Viktor tried desperately to shift into a more comfortable position in the chair that bound him. That wasn’t saying much. Considering his predicament, any other position would have been optimal. The worn leather straps burned into his wrists at even the slightest twitch. Where was a switchblade when you needed one?

  He grimaced but tried to internalize the pain as much as possible. It was almost as if the straps were intentionally over-tightened so as to provide the most discomfort possible. Viktor half-smiled at the thought. He could almost appreciate the effort and attention given to even the most minute detail—all in his honor. He was touched. He’d have to express his gratitude soon. Maybe even reach out and do a little touching of his own.

  Viktor leaned back and glared at the airlock as he heard the electronic keypad on the other side come to life. A series of mechanical locks rotated in succession before the door finally swung open. Three heavily armed guards entered cautiously, the muzzles of their automatic assault rifles trained squarely at Viktor’s chest.

  Another man walked in behind them. This man was different from the others. There was an air about him that Viktor recognized—a sort of darkness. A kindred spirit, perhaps?

  The man, armed with only a sidearm on his utility belt, calmly approached Viktor, towering over him. His eyes were cold and void of compassion. If he was at all intimidated or concerned by the threat of Viktor’s abilities, as the other men in the room obviously were, he didn’t show it.

  “Are you comfortable?” he asked calmly. He tugged firmly on the leather straps, watching Viktor’s face for the desired response. “Can we get you anything?”

  His words reeked of sarcasm. The man was enjoying himself like a mischievous boy torturing a helpless animal.

  “Now that you ask, my neck is a little stiff, so I’d love a massage. Also, I could use a pillow. Oh, and a cup of coffee. Black. Three sugars, please. This repulsive cocktail you insist on force-feeding me isn’t really agreeing with my digestive system.”

  “I’m very sorry to hear that, but this ain’t exactly the Ritz-Carlton.” He walked behind Viktor who momentarily lost sight of him. It was all part of the charade, Viktor was convinced.

  “My name is Harken.”

  “I’m sorry. Is that code for something? Were all the other cool codenames taken? Is that even a real gun on your hip?”

  “Cute. You think this is all a game, don’t you?”

  “Isn’t it? I’m rather enjoying our banter.”

  “You won’t be soon enough, I promise you. You haven’t given us a thing so far, but that’s about to change.”

  Viktor laughed.

  “I’m quite bored with these antics. So trust me, if I knew something, I’d have told you already.”

  “I don’t trust you, and you haven’t told us a damn thing yet.”

  Harken turned to the guards.

  “Bring me the halo.”

  One of the guards approached carrying a metallic case and set it on the instrument table next to Viktor. Harken advanced to the table and placed his right palm on the biometric security pad atop the case. There was an audible beep twice before the case locks snapped open. Harken reached inside and removed a head harness of intricate design and interlacing rings of illuminating light. Viktor’s eyes widened once he saw the device ascending toward his dome.

  “Where did you get that?” He shifted in the chair and tried in vain to pull away from Harken as the harness was lowered onto his head. “This isn’t possible! But… your people don’t possess this type of technology! There’s no way. Unless… unless… you’re working wit —”

  Viktor fell silent and his body rigid like chiseled stone as the harness came to rest. Eight ti
ny metallic probes extended from within the harness like a spider’s legs, reaching, feeling. Then, as if guided by a homing beacon, they slowly injected into Viktor’s left iris.

  “Now let’s get down to business,” Harken said, with supreme satisfaction. “We will see for certain what you’re hiding in that brain of yours.”

  Chapter 29

  It was shortly after dark when we returned to the safe house. Robert had gathered everyone in the dining room and wanted to discuss our next move, but I wasn’t in much mood for conversation. Matter of fact, I wasn’t in the mood for anything.

  I retreated to a spare room I’d laid claim to earlier and threw myself on the bed, falling backwards in despair. I stared at the ceiling, as if the answers I needed were hidden somewhere up there. If only it were that easy.

  Then I realized what I had just done: I had bypassed everyone and ignored the need to strategize our next move. That wasn’t the sign of a good leader, and I wasn’t really feeling like much of one either. Robert had seemed particularly disappointed in me, but I didn’t care.

  I needed time to think. I needed to settle down, regain my wits about me and deal with the issue at hand—alone. Freddy, or Cain, was a threat— a very real threat and one that was not going to go away, no matter how much I wanted to wake up from this nightmare. A nightmare that had become my own personal reality. He watched those men die without even a shadow of remorse. How was I going to stop him? Would I freeze at the crucial moment again, thinking that I could reason with the Freddy I once knew, and witness someone else die? I couldn’t live with any more blood on my hands. And I sure as hell couldn’t stand by while one of my own team members was in mortal danger.

  I needed to fortify my resolve. I needed to recharge my inner batteries of courage, strength, faith, and most of all: self-esteem.