Brainrush 05 - Everlast 02: Ephemeral (17 page)

Zhin picked up the leather tote, strapped it across her
shoulder, and held it against her chest in a white-knuckled grip. Lin and Min
stepped closer, as if to provide a shield around her. “So you don’t know
who
he is,” Zhin said. “But can’t you at least identify
where
he is?”

Pak exhaled. “We’re working on it. We know that it’s originating
somewhere on the local network.”

Jake tensed.
Alex is here?

 Pak continued, “I’ve got four people trying to fight
through the attack in order to isolate the location. They’re making progress.
As soon as they’ve got it, they will—”

The data stream on the computer monitor blacked out,
replaced by a video image. Jake’s insides did a somersault and Francesca
yelped. Alex was wearing the Spider headset, staring at streaming code on the
computer beside de Vries’s bed. Sarafina, Ahmed, and a short monk stood nearby.

“It’s a child,” Lin said.

“He’s TurboHacker?” Pak said. “How can that be?”

Zhin spun toward Jake. “It’s
his
child, you fool. Find
him!”

“I
T’S
WORKING,”
Ahmed whispered, holding the five-by-seven tablet display so
we could all see. His hands trembled a little, and I knew he was every bit as
nervous as me. I was still breathing hard from the run through the tunnels.

De Vries had made a loop recording of us when we were in his
room. That’s what my parents and the others were now watching. It had given us
the time we’d needed to get into position. The old man had also linked our
tablet into the CCTV system, and the wall cameras in the barracks prison gave
us a perfect view of the room. I couldn’t believe we’d actually found Mom and
Dad, and Uncle Marshall and the others, too. The tunnel had brought us to an
old cellar beneath the barracks. Layers of dust and cobwebs covered the rotted
remains of wooden shelves lining the walls.

We watched as Pak and all but two of the guards rushed out
of the room. The sisters and the big man named Bingwen hesitated in front of
the cell. The sister wearing a shoulder bag turned to face Dad. She looked
furious. She extended a hand to Bingwen and he handed her his pistol. Then she
turned and faced my father.

I held my breath.

“The time for games is over, Mr. Bronson,” she said. “When I
return with your children, I will expect your full cooperation. You will answer
every question without hesitation, and you
will
reveal the location of
the alien technology.” She raised the pistol and pulled the trigger. I flinched
as an Asian woman doubled over.

“Nooo,” Sarafina whispered, covering her mouth.

My father caught the old woman as she fell and Mom was
quickly at her side. Bingwen chuckled. Uncle Tony lurched forward and his thick
arm snapped through the bars. But Bingwen was out of reach. He smirked and spat
in Uncle Tony’s face. My uncle froze. His eyes narrowed, and the guard’s saliva
dripped from his chin. Uncle Tony brought his arm back through the cell bars
and slowly wiped the saliva away. His face was as red as a stop sign. I’d never
seen him so angry.

The sister locked eyes with Dad. “Have I made myself clear?”

Dad nodded, and she and her sisters left the room. Bingwen
followed and closed the door behind them.

“We need to move quickly,” Little Star said. He climbed the
stepladder, opened the trapdoor, and disappeared through the opening. A moment
later he whispered, “It’s clear.”

Ahmed scrambled up two rungs at a time. I followed him,
climbing as fast as my legs would take me, my pack jumping on my back with each
step. My sister was right behind me. We clambered out to find ourselves in a dark
pantry that smelled like rice and vegetables. Little Star opened the door to
the adjoining kitchen. Although the kitchen lights were off, a band of light
spilled into the room from the dimly lit hallway at the other end of the space.

“We turn left down that hallway,” Little Star whispered.
“Ten paces later it opens to the room where your parents are being held.”

Ahmed handed the tablet to Sarafina. Then he dropped his
pack on the ground and his hand came away holding a knife. “I’m ready,” he
said. Little Star frowned at the blade, and Ahmed added, “I took no vow.”

Little Star’s lips tightened. He looked at the video stream
on the tablet. There were still only two guards in the room. Looking back at Ahmed,
he said, “I will subdue the guards, but if anyone approaches from the other end
of the hall—”

“Then they will have to come past this room. I’ll cover
you.”

The monk glided down the hall without looking back. Ahmed
peeked around the corner and watched in the opposite direction. Sarafina and I
stared at the tablet. The woman cradled in Dad’s arms wasn’t moving. He lowered
her gently to the floor and used his palm to close her eyes. The two teens in
the cell sobbed. My mom sniffled, too. She placed a hand on Dad’s shoulders. He
rose and they hugged. Both guards were watching them, their backs to the
camera. One guard said something in Chinese and the other one chuckled.

Then everyone in the cell turned toward the camera and a
wraith of silk streaked into view. Little Star sailed through the air in a
flying kick that drove the first guard into the bars of the cell. Uncle Tony
had his thick hands around the man’s neck before the guard knew what had happened.
Uncle Tony picked the man clean off the floor, and the guard’s body kicked and
twisted in the air. Jonesy reached through the bars and yanked a key ring from
the man’s belt. The other guard was spinning his rifle around when Little Star
swept the man’s legs. The guard fell flat on his back and his rifle skittered
away. He was trying to sit up when Little Star lunged downward with a palm strike
to his forehead that smacked the man’s head into the floor. The guard lay still.

It all happened so fast that I’d barely had time to catch my
breath. Jonesy tossed the keys to Becker and he was inserting one after another
into the lock, trying to find one that fit. Our plan was actually working—

“Get back,” Ahmed whispered urgently. He waved us into the
shadows, and Sarafina and I huddled behind a counter. A creaky hinge sounded
from down the corridor and my brother flattened himself against the wall. The
knife glinted as he shifted his grip around the handle. Sarafina turned off the
tablet. Her breaths were shaky. I was scared, too, but I also realized it was
time to act on the lessons I’d learned in the past two days.

I slid off my backpack, unzipped it, and reached inside.

“What are you doing?” Sarafina whispered.

“Shhh,” Ahmed hissed.

My senses came alert the moment I touched the leather case
holding the mini. I focused my thoughts and the clamshell case clicked open. Energy
surged through me when I wrapped my hand around the small pyramid. My sister moved
away from me. “Stay back,” I said. She nodded.

A guard walked past and Ahmed slipped into the hall to
follow him. I rushed to the opening to watch, determined to keep anybody from
hurting my brother. The hard edges of the little pyramid dug into my grip, and
its energy seemed to pulse in concert with every beat of my heart.

My brother moved with confidence as he snuck up behind the skinny
guard. When the guard reached the door at the end of the hall, Ahmed made his
move. I aimed my entire focus at the scene, and suddenly everything seemed to
unfold in slow motion: The guard pulling the door open, Ahmed’s left arm
locking around his neck from behind, my brother’s elbow cocking back, the knife
aimed at the man’s kidney, the startled expressions of Dad and the others in
the far room, the guard dropping to one knee, swiveling around with the practiced
motion of a fighting expert, Ahmed’s knife missing its mark, the guard lunging
upward, his hands grabbing Ahmed’s wrist and forearm, twisting violently and
spinning Ahmed in a forward somersault that landed him on his back.

I was about to act when a loud roar sounded behind me. I
turned to see Bingwen charging toward me like a freight train speeding down a
tunnel. I swiveled my head to the guard standing over Ahmed, and back again to Bingwen,
realizing I could stop one or the other but not both. I heard a loud scream,
and was shocked to realize it was from my own throat. Sarafina snapped her head
into the hall, her brow pinched with concern. Bingwen saw her and his nasty
smile made the choice for me. I turned to face him. There were shouts behind
me, a cry of pain, pounding footsteps. I ignored them all, raising the mini
toward the big monster. His eyes filled with greed when he saw what I held in
my hand. He picked up his pace.

I felt as if I might explode from the mini’s power. I
focused on the monster’s brain and commanded the power toward him.

Nothing happened.

The energy didn’t flow. Bingwen kept coming. His footsteps vibrated
through the wooden floor. I screamed so hard it hurt my throat, every ounce of
my brain commanding the mini’s power to burst out and destroy the beast.

But it still didn’t work.

The world slowed around me, and I stood frozen by the
realization that my family would pay the price for my failure. Suddenly I knew
the pain my father must have felt when he blamed himself for placing us in
danger.

Drop to the floor NOW, Alex!
my dad’s thoughts boomed
in my head.

My body reacted before my mind had a chance to think about
it. I hit the floor just as Uncle Tony leaped over me. Bingwen skidded to a
stop and yanked his pistol from its holster. But before he could pull the
trigger, Uncle Tony collided into the man like a wrecking ball into an old
building. They both flew backward. Uncle Tony’s fists pummeled downward again
and again, and Bingwen’s feet twitched and jerked with each sickening impact. I
had to look away.

Then strong hands picked me up off the floor, and the next
thing I knew I was hugging my dad’s chest. A rush of tears spilled down my
cheeks. Mom hugged my other side and Sarafina raced to join us. I craned my
neck to see Ahmed walking toward us. He was rubbing his shoulder but he looked
okay. The skinny guard was lying facedown on the floor. The back of his uniform
glistened with blood. The woman who’d been wearing the fake nose crouched over
his body and pulled her two throwing knives out of the man’s back. She saw me
watching and offered me a grim expression, shaking her head as if to apologize
for making me witness what she’d done. But I wasn’t sorry. Not one bit. I sniffled
and gave her a thumbs-up. Her surprise was followed by a smile.

The teenage boy and girl stepped past her and stood facing
me. The boy had a wondrous smile. “So
you’re
TurboHacker?”

A
MINUTE
LATER EVERYONE
was gathered in the kitchen and Jake drank in the sight
of them. They weren’t out of the woods yet, not by a long shot. But the
situation was looking much better than it had five minutes ago. Ahmed sat at
the table with Marshall, Dolphin, and Shamer. Sarafina and Alex stood on either
side of Francesca. All of them looked at Jake with worried expressions. He’d
outlined the plan and they hated the part he was going to play.

They don’t know the half of it.

Becker and Jonesy stood watch at the entryway. They’d
changed into the guards’ uniforms and each held an assault rifle. Skylar stood
with them. The three of them were about to slip outside to find Lacey and Pete.
Then they were all supposed to meet up at the monk’s truck. Skylar wore the
blood-soaked uniform of the skinny guard she’d killed, his cap pulled low. There
hadn’t been any more rifles available but she had retrieved her pistol.

She offered it to Jake, who didn’t have a weapon.

“Keep it,” he said. “Could I borrow your knives instead?”

“You sure you know how to use these?”
she asked as
she handed them over in their Velcro sheaths.

He suppressed a smile and strapped one to either wrist. “I’ve
got a few skills.”  

Dolphin patted Alex on the back. “Dude, I still can’t
believe you’re the real TurboHacker. You’re awesome.”

Alex smiled, and it fueled Jake’s determination.

Marshall turned to face him. He adjusted the pistol tucked
in his belt and said, “I still don’t like not being on the team that’s going to
find Lace.”

Becker spoke up. “I understand, mate. But Jonesy and I are
damn good at this sort of thing, and from the looks of things, so is Skylar. You
need to help Tony get everyone else up to the truck.”

Tony nodded. “I need ya to cover my back.” He carried Bingwen’s
pistol. Both his knuckles were bloody.

Marshall sighed. “I know, I know.” Alex nudged up beside him
and Marshall squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t worry, pal. I’ve got you covered.
Just like in the game, right?” Alex smiled. He was wearing his backpack. Jake
had helped him pack it, making sure the mini’s case was snug at the bottom.

Jake studied the tablet Sarafina had handed him. De Vries
had shut down the communication networks but had made sure the CCTV system was kept
alive. The old man had downloaded the control software onto the tablet so they had
access to every camera on the grounds. But the real boon was that the software
also controlled the loudspeaker systems, including the alarms. With the comm
tower disabled, Jake had no way to communicate the go order to Pete. The
klaxons were their last hope.

He turned to Skylar. “You’re sure Pete will recognize it?”

“He’d better,” she said. “We use that signal all the time
when we’re doing outdoor shoots across a lot of acreage, like when you see
three thousand warriors charging down a valley. It’s basically telling the
entire cast and crew that cameras are rolling and the action is about to
start.”

“Appropriate,” Jake said as he contemplated what was about
to happen.

The squeak of brakes and a distant concerto of barked orders
announced that the time had arrived. On the tablet Jake selected an exterior
view from one of four cameras mounted on the communication tower. The
paramilitary caravan had spread throughout the Center complex and into the
village. Soldiers streamed from the backs of the trucks, at least a hundred of
them. “That’s our cue,” he said, looking around the room. All eyes were on him,
all ready to play their part. He was proud of each and every one of them. The
monk flicked on his flashlight and aimed it into the pantry. The kids turned
theirs on as well.

It’s now or never.

Jake opened a submenu and tapped in the entry.

The klaxons echoed across the valley—three short bursts, then
one long one.

Jake waited, and it seemed as if everyone in the room was
holding their breath. After a long, anxious moment, a series of explosions sounded
outside.

 “That’s my man!” Skylar said.

Then the lights went out.

 “Go, go, go!” Jake said, tucking the tablet into his back
pocket.  

His eyes were wet as he watched his family and the others
disappear down the long tunnel. He burned the image in his mind, then turned
and raced in the opposite direction. His insides were on fire from the mini’s pent-up
energy. It had taken all his strength to disguise the rush that had come over
him when he’d secretly slipped it into his pocket. Everyone had seen the object
in Alex’s outstretched hand, and he’d made a show of placing it back in its
clamshell case and tucking it into his son’s pack. But the moment his hands had
been hidden in the bag, he’d opened the case and palmed the mini. It was for
all of their sakes that he’d disguised his actions. Francesca had been worried
enough as it was. If she’d known he’d kept the mini, she might’ve guessed his
plan. Alex had turned to face him after he zipped up the pack. Jake had
crouched down and held the boy’s shoulders.

I love you
, he’d said to his son.

Alex had thrown his arms around his neck, and he’d felt his
son’s tears against his cheek.
Good-bye, Dad,
Alex had whispered.

Alex knew.

Jake shoved the thought aside, running full out, the beam of
the flashlight barely bouncing from his smooth stride, the walls of the ancient
sandstone tunnel blurring past him. His senses prickled and he reveled in the
rush. His mind was finally clear again, and he was reminded of the thrill he’d
felt when he first brought the little pyramid home. He’d used it every day,
training with an agility beyond human comprehension, running at unbelievable
speeds.

Unstoppable.

Until it had killed him.

A star burns brightest just before it dies
.

He drifted to a stop at the bottom of the iron ladder.

He climbed up, opened the hinged cover, slipped outside, and
flattened himself against the chest-high remains of the old wall. Pete’s
charges had severed the main power supply and doused the lights, and the
thickening cloud layer had blanketed most of the valley in darkness. But a
hundred meters behind him, a crisscross of headlights illuminated the Center
complex. Most of the soldiers had taken up defensive positions around the
vehicles. Others wound their way into the village and he suspected that Becker,
Jonesy, and Skylar were among them, on their way to find Pete and Lacey. His neck
twitched when he spotted two soldiers standing motionless among the parked
vehicles. They wore Spider headsets and a robotic swarm hovered in a cloud of
reflected light above them. Both Alex and Marshall had warned him about them.

If they touch you, you’re dead.