Faith Defiled (Gray Spear Society Book 14) (33 page)

In the meantime, there were more explosions. Something heavy struck the wall with a metallic thud.

"Hurry!" Jia yelled.

Imelda and Min Ho both pulled on the heavy trapdoor to open it. There was a ladder underneath, and Jia smelled the ocean. The luggage was tossed into the hole, and then everybody began to climb down.

"This wasn't just a lighthouse," Imelda said. "A long time ago, smugglers lived here."

The ladder went down into a natural cave. She turned on a light switch, and a single bulb illuminated a wooden dock. A powerboat was tied to the dock.

"Cool," Corrie said.

The group climbed onto the small, unstable boat with their luggage in hand. Imelda grabbed a gas can from a shelf and boarded last.

"Now we'll see if I can get this thing started," she said. "A prayer wouldn't hurt."

She began to fiddle with the engine.

Jia heard thuds and crashes above, and dust rained down through the open trapdoor. The safe room wasn't so safe after all.

* * *

Iris opened her eyes. "They're getting away!" she yelled.

"How?" Laurence said.

"A secret cave underneath. It has a water channel."

They were sitting in a car parked on a hill with a view of the ocean. The battle was a half-mile away, and from this distance, it was hard to see the men. The explosions and clouds of smoke were easily visible though. The surviving Warriors of Dagda and the Circassian Democratic Front were pounding the shit out of the lighthouse, and anybody inside would soon be dead if they weren't already. Unfortunately, Olivia wasn't inside anymore.

Laurence issued urgent orders into his radio.

* * *

The sound of an engine starting was beautiful music to Jia's ears. Imelda whooped with joy.

She opened the throttle and steered towards a narrow opening in the cave. Jia, Corrie, Min Ho, and Olivia ducked automatically. There didn't seem to be enough space to get through safely. Imelda kept up her speed though, and with a couple of nifty maneuvers, she piloted the boat through the gap.

The boat exploded out onto the open ocean. It was a cool misty morning, and the waters were mercifully calm. Imelda drove straight away from shore.

The sound of gunshots made Jia look back. Soldiers were standing on a tall cliff and firing guns at the Spears.

"Serpentine!" Jia yelled.

Imelda opened the throttle to full with one hand while she used the other to control the steering. The ride became rough as the boat bounced across waves and rolled from side to side.

After half a minute, the cliff disappeared behind the mist. It appeared the team had escaped. Imelda slowed the boat to a less insane speed.

"Is anybody hurt?" she said.

Everybody responded negatively.

"How did they find us?" Corrie said.

"I don't know," Min Ho said. "The lighthouse was one of our best kept secrets."

"We can't trust any of our safe houses now," Imelda said. "If the enemy knew about the lighthouse, they might know about the rest."

"I don't see how that's possible."

"Then you explain what just happened."

Min Ho frowned and looked down.

Jia's feet felt wet. Bullets had penetrated the hull, and water was seeping into the boat.

"Plug the leaks!" she yelled.

There was a frantic scramble to stuff things into holes. Rolled up pieces of clothing seemed to work best, but they were still inadequate. There was a bucket in the boat, and Min Ho bailed water with desperate energy.

"I have to take us back to shore right now," Imelda said. "We'll sink if we stay on the water. We need a place to go. Somewhere the enemy can't possibly find us."

"I know a place," Olivia said.

Jia looked at the girl in surprise. "Where?"

"The witch in the mountains. Rachiel. She'll keep us safe."

Jia remembered the story. During Marina's period of madness a few months ago, she and Jia had met a real witch in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Marina had described the location as remote and difficult to reach.

"You can lead us there?" Jia said.

Olivia nodded. "I remember the way."

Jia smiled. "Smart girl."

"Works for me," Imelda said. "Now we just need a car to get us into the mountains. We're not hiking the whole way." She began to turn the boat towards shore.

Min Ho took out his phone. "I'll take care of it."

* * *

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Iris pounded the dashboard of her car with her fists. "We were so close!"

"Where are they now, ma'am?" Laurence said.

She closed her eyes and sent her consciousness back out. She found the Chinese woman easily enough, but when Iris looked through the woman's eyes, all she saw was morning mist. Iris couldn't even tell which direction the sun was in.

"Still on the water somewhere, but probably not for much longer. The boat is leaking."

"That's fine," Laurence said. "When they land, you'll figure out where they are, and the chase will continue."

He made it sound easy, but it wasn't. Iris couldn't just know where the target was located. She had to wait for visual clues like road signs. If the Chinese woman never looked at something that indicated her position, Iris would be out of luck.

She hissed through her teeth. "Tell the men to stop shooting. We might as well save our ammo for the next fight."

"Yes, ma'am," Laurence said.

* * *

Min Ho was staring at the display on his phone. The GPS navigation app was giving him directions even though the boat was still in the Pacific Ocean and shrouded by fog.

Jia had the privilege of bailing water instead of playing with her gadgets. The other assistants had taken their turns, so she couldn't complain about fairness, but it was pure torture for her. Her skinny arms were shaking with exhaustion, and the muscles in her back were on fire. Every bucket felt like it was full of lead instead of water. With a clenched jaw, she pushed through the pain and kept bailing. They would reach land soon.

"Make a forty degree left," Min Ho said. "Slow down."

Imelda pushed the steering handle and the boat turned. After a couple of minutes, the mist parted to reveal a sandy beach. She grounded the boat on the shore and killed the engine. The sudden silence seemed loud to Jia.

Min Ho climbed out of the boat. "Let's go! We have to meet the guy!"

The four adults each grabbed a piece of soggy luggage. Jia's arms were so tired, she had to use two hands and it was still a struggle. Olivia trotted along in the midst of the group but stayed closest to Jia.

The beautiful beach was empty. After walking through soft sand for some distance, they reached a highway.

"Does this look right?" Corrie said.

Min Ho shrugged. "The phone says it is."

When there was a break in the traffic, they ran across the highway, and an enormous industrial plant was on the other side. The giant buildings were painted blue-gray and were very dusty. A maze of conveyor belts ran between them. A big sign read, "Sure-ment Company," and Jia guessed the plant made cement.

"There!" Min Ho pointed at two men standing in a parking lot in front of the plant.

They had sharp, blue uniforms with cute caps. Black bowties were over the top in Jia's opinion.

Min Ho waved his arms and ran over. "Hey! We're here to rent the car."

The men had dubious expressions, and Jia couldn't blame them. The Spears still had the clothes they had slept in plus a few things they had pulled out of the luggage. Jia was wearing a green sweater over a purple nightgown. Imelda had pajamas on top and jeans on the bottom. Corrie was wearing a leather jacket over a long-sleeve shirt over a camisole. Min Ho didn't even have a shirt, but he was wearing a green business jacket. All the clothes were either damp, wet, or dripping with salt water.

"Really?" one of the men in blue said.

"I have my identification and a credit card," Min Ho said. "My money is good. Let's do this."

They exchanged cards and paperwork. Min Ho was renting a green SUV which looked perfect for getting high in the mountains. It had big tires, a steel grill in front, and an electric winch on the rear bumper.

The men in blue called their office to verify the credit card and driver's license. They were still suspicious, but a deal was a deal. Eventually, the Spears put their luggage in the back of the SUV and climbed in.

Min Ho took the driver's seat. "Where to?"

"Boulder Creek," Olivia said. "It's in the middle of the mountains."

He nodded and drove off.

"Why did you rent a car instead of getting another one from a car thief?" Corrie said.

"I don't like to use the same trick twice during a mission," Min Ho said. "Maybe the thief is what got us into trouble last time."

* * *

Iris opened her eyes. "They landed at the Sure-ment Company. It's a big factory right near the shore. They're in a green SUV headed south on the highway. We're going the right way."

"Where did they get the car, ma'am?" Laurence said.

"It appears they rented it."

"Did you see the license plate?"

"Not this time," she said.

He furrowed his brow. "A shame."

They were in the black McLaren on the same highway as the Society, but the enemy was at least ten miles ahead. Laurence was driving fast to close the gap.

As the morning sun burned off the fog, the view was rapidly improving. The Pacific Ocean was on Iris's right, and sunlight reflected from the waves. The foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains were on her left. Yellow grass and low shrubs covered the rolling landscape. Tiny flowers provided needed points of color and interest.

"You'd better go back in, ma'am," Laurence said. "Watch what they're doing."

Iris nodded and sighed. She closed her eyes.

Chapter Eighteen

"What's that for?" Marina said.

She was studying a device the size and shape of a coffin standing on end. The polished, silvery surface reflected the light in a surreal way. A complicated control panel included abstract symbols she had never seen before. Cables as thick as her leg snaked away from the base.

"The ignition source," Bethany replied. The artificial nature of her voice still annoyed Marina.

"What will it ignite?"

"The aperture. It will take a lot of energy to kick-start the event."

Marina scratched her neck. "How much energy are we talking about?"

"Approximately six million megatons equivalent, but that's just the spark. Once space begins to rupture and positive feedback is achieved, the power levels will grow asymptotically."

"I'm guessing bad things will happen if it fails."

Bethany's black crystalline eyes stared at Marina. "Earth will no longer exist."

"Ah."

"If you don't mind, ma'am, I'd like to get back to work. I'm quite busy."

"Of course." Marina walked off.

Her phone rang. The caller ID showed Jia's code number, and Marina eagerly answered. She had been waiting for this call.

"What's going on?" she said more loudly than she intended. "Are you OK?"

"We're fine, ma'am," Jia said. "We were attacked this morning, but we got away."

"Attacked how?"

"Soldiers with rockets, grenades, and a mortar."

Marina frowned and stepped away from the crowd around the aperture. "How did they find you?"

"We don't know. It couldn't have been a tracking device on the car. We left headquarters in our own vehicle, and we switched right away. The security system would've detected a bug on our clothes."

"But you're OK now? Olivia, too?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jia said.

"Where are you headed?"

"Olivia is showing us the way to the witch, Rachiel."

Marina raised her eyebrows. "That's a great idea. Nobody will find you there. It's completely isolated. Rachiel doesn't even have electricity."

"No computers," Jia said wistfully.

"Of course. I presume our headquarters was destroyed."

"Yes, ma'am. It self-destructed."

Marina didn't put much value in material possessions, and the loss of her headquarters was more of an annoyance than a source of grief. The one thing she regretted losing was her knife collection. It had taken years to put that collection together, and some of the knives were priceless, historic artifacts.

"OK," Marina said. "Stay safe. Call me if anything else happens."

"Yes, ma'am. Bye."

She closed her phone.

Wesley came over. He was still wearing his pretty white suit and looked adorable.

"They survived," Marina said, "as you foretold."

He nodded. "Where are they going now?"

"You don't know?"

"I can't foresee
everything
."

"The witch in the mountains," she said.

He smiled. "That's perfect. She'll be able to help Jia."

"What's wrong with Jia?"

He walked off. She wanted to grab him by the collar and shake the truth out of him, but she restrained herself. Even the Lady of the Society couldn't physically assault the Voice of Truth.

Marina decided to call Aaron instead. He was probably very busy, but she couldn't hold back any longer. She had to know what was happening outside of her little Chinatown bubble.

She walked to the far corner of the room so she could have privacy. Her footsteps clicked on the metallic tiles which covered the floor. Bright lights reflected off the many shiny surfaces to produce a dazzling effect.

She dialed his number.

Aaron answered enthusiastically, "Yes? How are things in Chinatown?"

"Good. We put the project back together. The twins and the scientists are hard at work on it. The rest of us don't have much to do but stand around and watch. I'm thinking about sending a team out to get Chinese food. What about you?"

"We had some battles last night and this morning. Thousands of soldiers died, but our casualties have been light so far. That could change. The war is going to get a lot uglier before the day is out. We learned some interesting things, though. The guy running the military is General Sandy Walker. He's in hiding, but we'll find him. Senator Bedford Forrest is the mastermind behind the kidnapping of the President."