The Arrival (19 page)

The office door opened, and I turned
just as two Eslite guards entered.

Crap.

“They’re here,” Kate sang, as she tapped
her soles on the floor.  “Oh, man.  And I wanted us to have a carbs-only
marathon.”

I jumped to my feet, searching for an
exit. A bright sign in neon orange and yellow pointed to the bathrooms. “Get
up,” I said, pulling her by the arm. 

“What?” She stumbled as we sprinted to
the ladies room.

I forced the automatic door shut and
pulled a metal trashcan in front of it. A closet sprung open and cleaning
supplies scattered on the floor.

With a hand on her hip, she said, “You
think that’s going to stop them?”

“No.” I picked up a mop. “But this might
help.” I shoved the stick through the metal handle, as a makeshift barricade.

“Now what?” Kate appeared skeptical of
my brilliant plan.

“There’s a window,” I said, pointing to
the opening above the bathroom stalls.

Kate spun around. “Do you think we can
fit?”

After a quick visual assessment of the
window, I studied Kate and then myself. “Good thing we’re skinny.”

“Yeah, right.” She rolled her eyes.
“Remember, I gained fifteen pounds.”

“Relax. You’re still small.”

A loud jolt startled us, and we jumped.
“Unlock this door. You are required by Eslite Order…”

“Quick,” I said, pushing her into the
stall. “Give me a boost.”  I hopped on the toilet seat and, with Kate’s help,
pulled myself to the window ledge. I sat with one butt cheek on the bathroom
partition and the other on the tiled shelf. Grasping the handle, I yanked on
the hopper-style window.

“Damn, it doesn’t want to open. I think
its painted shut.” I twisted and tugged, finally breaking the seal.

The bottom hinge screeched as metal
rubbed against metal. A gust a fresh air fluttered through my hair as I forced
open the window.

“That’s it?” Kate squealed.

I pushed on the frame. “It won’t go down
any further,” I said, trying to fully extend the hinges. The bathroom door
shook as the guards struggled with it, rattling the wooden stick, which
threatened to snap in half at any moment.

“I won’t make it.”

“Yes, you will.” I gave my full weight
to the frame until it caved. Screws shot from the brackets, and the window
slipped from my grasp. Glass shattered as it hit the tile.

“Oh, shit.” 

Kate jumped back, avoiding the flying
pieces of glass. “Are you okay?”

I quickly checked my arms, making sure I
didn’t cut myself. “Yeah, I’m good.”

After giving my palms a quick dusting, I
reached down. “Hurry, Kate, give me your hand.” Using all my strength, I
hoisted her onto the partition.

“I’m going to fall.”  She yelped.

“Extend your leg, and brace yourself
against the other side.”  Kate followed my suggestion.

A loud pop and a snap sliced through the
air, and the bathroom door flung open. “There they are,” one of the guards
yelled.

“Go! Go!” Kate pushed me through the
window.

With glass crunching beneath my feet, I
dove headfirst out the opening to the ledge. With a quick leap, I jumped about
six feet.

“Come on,” I motioned for her to follow
me. “It’s not that far.”

With her blonde curls whirling in the
wind, she leaned forward. Just as she was about to jump, an Eslite guard
appeared behind her. She fought hard as he wrenched her backpack.

“Help!” Kate screamed and kicked.
“Miranda, help me.”

“No!” I clawed at the brick wall but
couldn’t climb it. “Let her go.”

“Take your hands off me.” Kate wrestled
the Eslite as she hung over the edge of the building. I retreated to get a
better view of the situation. The guard yanked her hair, slamming her against
the opening. Kate sprawled her legs beyond the window, leveraging herself
against the building. “Leave me alone.”

“You have not been cleared to vacate the
premises.” The guard grunted as he grabbed her shoulder straps. “Cease your
resistance.”

“Get rid of your backpack,” I hollered.

In an instant, she dropped her arms to
her sides, allowing the bag to slide free. The guard flung backward, out of
sight. Without warning she lunged to the ground, landing on her feet.

“Kate.” I ran to her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, but they got my bag.” She reached
for my hand.

“Forget it. The senator has the
letters.” I smiled. “Let’s get out of here.”

That’s when I noticed the blood.

Thick crimson fluid stained my palm and
trailed my arm. Immediately, I wiped myself on my shirt, trying to discover the
wound. How did I injure myself? I didn’t even feel it.

Because I wasn’t the one bleeding.

I turned to Kate and asked, “Are you
hurt?”

She clutched a fist to her chest.
“Miranda, I’m cut.”

θ

Kate was in trouble.

“How bad is it?” I stood beside her.

“I don’t know.” She held out her hand,
trembling like a leaf. “I’m too scared to look.”

Blood seeped at a frightening rate,
staining the grass a bright shade of red. The warning Dr. Ridus had emphasized
to me rang in my ears. I had to staunch the flow, because Kate’s life depended
on it.

“Hold it up.” I reached into my bag and
pulled out a tank top. “Here—this will make a great tourniquet.”

She cradled her elbow, steadying her arm
in an upright position. “Miranda, if I—”

“Kate, you’re going to be fine.” I
quickly wrapped the shirt around her hand.

“Oww.” She whimpered as I tightened the
knot. “That hurts.”

“Sorry, but we have to stop the
bleeding.” Slipping an arm around her, I said, “Let me help you up.”

“I see them,” a guard yelled from above
us. The front desk officer peered through the broken window, with half his body
extended beyond the ledge.

“Shit,” I muttered, tugging at Kate.

“Go. Go without me.” She shoved me. “I
can’t make it.”

“No. I’m not leaving you.” I struggled
to keep my balance. “You’re coming with me. Now let’s get out of here.”

“I won’t make it.” Tears stained her
cheeks as she dropped to the ground. “Run, Miranda. You can make it without
me.”

“No. I’m not leaving you.” I stressed
each word. “We’ll make it—together.”

“Please remain where you are.” Several
Locubots and Dragonbots swarmed us, repeating the violations we had committed.
“An Eslite guard will apprehend you due to violation of Eslite Order…”

“Go away!” I swatted at them, but they
inched closer, encircling and confining us to a small space on the grass. My
head buzzed with confusion from their constant electronic humming and
chattering. I turned in a complete circle, trying to figure out what to do next,
but I swayed with dizziness.

I plummeted to the ground, eager to flee
the annoying electric vibration echoing in my ears. Crawling on all fours, I
searched for an exit. But the bots zoomed down, prohibiting any hope of escape.

Freedom.

We had to be free.

“Stop! Go away!” I screamed as visions
from the past few months assailed my senses. I would never give up. I couldn’t.
Kate, Destiny, Jessica, and all the girls at Nidus were relying on me. I had to
help them. We had to defeat the Eslites.

I’m a Mays and Mays never give up.

I gazed at Kate. She sat, tucked in a
fetal position, covering her ears as she rocked back and forth. “Make them
stop. Please,” she cried.

“Kate, we have to get out of here.” I
clutched her arm and tried to drag her with me, but it was no use. The bots
pursued us, diving at our heads like wasps, issuing commands to surrender, in
their electronic bug language.

“Miranda, it’s over.” She rolled to her
back. “They caught us.”

“No, Kate,” I swallowed my tears. “We
can’t give up. Not now.” 

“It’s too late.” She stared at the sky.
“They have us.”

“Stay with me.” I shook her, refusing to
accept our fate.

“I’m so cold.” Despite the warmth of the
sun, she shivered. A hot breeze swept over us, but it only increased her
trembling. Blood soaked my aqua tank top, as my friend fought to remain
conscious.

While I refused to obey the Eslites, I
wouldn’t let my friend die. I whipped out my cell and dialed 911. As I held the
phone to my ear, two police cars arrived, along with an Eslite transport. 
Officers and a group of Eslite guards surrounded us, as I asked the operator to
send an ambulance.

I may have surrendered the battle, but I
had not given up the fight.

***

I sat in the cramped waiting area of the
emergency room, my hands bound by some type of restraint that glowed neon blue
and resembled a Jedi light saber. Two Eslite guards stood nearby, waiting
patiently and watching me. After I explained that I had vital information that
could save Kate’s life, they transported me to the hospital, where I promptly
met with the doctors and detailed the effects of the serum so they could treat
Kate accordingly.

“Miranda?” a frazzled call echoed
through the room.

I turned as Mom ran toward me with
Kate’s mom. Dad strolled behind them with no urgency in his footsteps.

With a meek smile, I said, “Hey, Mom.
Hello, Mrs. Bosch.” Although glad to see them, I dreaded talking to my dad.

“Where’s Kate? What happened?” Mrs.
Bosch asked in a frantic tone.

“They have her in trauma.” I motioned
with my head. “Tell the nurse you’re here, and she will take you back.”

With a quick nod she dashed to the front
desk.

Mom embraced me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. But Kate cut her hand.”

“What were you two doing here?” She sat
beside me. “How’d she get hurt?”

I couldn’t answer her. Part of me felt
guilty about Kate and another part felt justified for my actions. The situation
was beyond the typical
breaking the rules
for a teen. It was serious.
The existence of the human race was at stake. But she couldn’t understand, let
alone sympathize with, what Kate and I had to do.

I glanced at Dad, standing in his
typical military stance with his arms crossed over his chest. Furry formed
across his face, his nostrils flared, and I imagined steam billowing from his
ears. I slumped in my seat. Boy, was I in trouble.

Big trouble.

Dad sighed heavily.  “You should be
ashamed of yourself, Miranda. I can’t believe—”

“Richard, please. People are staring,”
Mom pleaded.

“No, Victoria. She needs to hear this.”
He stepped closer and leaned over me, bracing against the armrest of my chair.
“Like I was saying, I can’t believe you did something this stupid. What were
you thinking?” His voice escalated with each successive word, and red blotches
spread from his neck to his face. He wasn’t just mad—he was livid.

I didn’t respond. Just stared at the
floor wishing he wasn’t my father and praying for people to stop watching.

“Did you even consider the consequences
of your actions? You have violated several Eslite orders, and now Kate’s
injured because of you.”

That got my attention. I lifted my chin.
“If you would’ve listened to me and agreed to help me, then none of this
would’ve happened.”

“What?” His jaw tightened as he gritted
his teeth.

“You heard me,” I retorted. “It’s your
fault she got hurt. Not mine.”

“You’re blaming me?” Dad snorted and
stood upright. “What were you doing? Why did you go see Senator Bosch? Huh?”

Shit. Busted again.

How did he find out? Had the Eslites
said something to my father or had the senator called, even though he promised
not to involve anyone else? Did the Eslites know about our conversation with
Kate’s uncle? I had so many unanswered questions.

“I, um…” I decided that I didn’t owe him
an explanation. Besides, he didn’t care about me anyway.

“I can’t believe you dragged your friend
along.” He rested fists on hips. “Now she might die.”

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled. My heart
crumbled, because I talked Kate into coming with me. I was the reason she
fought for her life. It was all because of me. Why couldn’t it have been me
lying there instead of her?

“Well sorry isn’t going to cut it.” Dad
struck my chair, and I instinctively spread my hands.

“Oww!” I screamed as a wicked current
shot up my arms and throughout my body. The wrist restraints emitted some type
of electrical shock, reminding me to keep still. I clutched my arms to my
chest, doubling over in pain.

“What’s wrong?” Mom shrieked. “Miranda,
are you okay?”

“I’ll be alright,” I managed to say as
the piercing agony subsided.

“Why are you cuffed?” She pointed to the
weird, glowing bracelets.

“Because she’s a troublemaker.” Dad
huffed. “She deserves to go back to Nidus.”

“Richard Mays, how dare you. This is our
daughter—not some criminal. What’s wrong with you?” Mom covered her face and
sobbed quietly.

Dad rolled his eyes. “You owe me an
explanation, Miranda.” He shoved a finger in my face. “If you think the senator
is going to listen to your stupid stories, you’re sadly mistaken. You did all
this for nothing. And now you’re going to pay for it.”

“Maybe so, but it was worth it.” 
Disgust, rage, and most of all hatred, seethed from every part of me, and I
caught him in a narrow stare. “At least he’s willing to do something—unlike
you.”

Dad raised his hand, threatening to slap
me.

“No, Richard, don’t,” Mom yelled. “Don’t
you dare touch her!”

“Mr. Mays, we will handle this
situation,” said a young, dark headed Eslite I’d never seen before. “Your
assistance is no longer required.”

Dad opened his mouth and then closed it.

“Thank you,” the Eslite replied, as he
stepped before me. Three Eslites, dressed similar to the other guards, stood
behind him, ready to assist at his word. With an expression of utter confusion,
Dad retreated. I guess the Jedi mind trick worked on him. Haha! Too bad, I
didn’t have that ability.

“Miranda Mays, it is time to depart.”
The guard’s orders rolled across his tongue in a sleek mind-numbing manner giving
me no other choice but to agree. There was no sense fighting. I had done what I
set out to do, and I needed to return to Nidus, so I could gather information
from Dr. Ridus.

“Okay.” I nodded. “But can I tell Kate—”

Instantly, another excruciating current
hit, striking my forehead and sending me into uncontrollable spasms on the
floor. Fierce pounding in my temples watered my eyes, until I lost all sense of
rhyme and reason. The room narrowed and my sight blurred. My body wrenched, and
I clenched my teeth against the unbearable torture.

“Stop,” Mom demanded. “Richard, make him
stop.”

 
“Please, please, no
more,” I begged as I gasped for air.

Slowly, the pain ebbed and my vision
cleared, allowing me to focus on the Eslite’s black and silver snakeskin
unitard that revealed layer upon layer of muscles. The deep brown in his iris
held an emotionless and ruthless gaze. Who was that guy? And why the hell was
he hurting me?

“Get up,” he said, grasping the nape of
my neck.

My feet dangled, and I coughed and
sputtered. “Please.” I pulled on his hands, trying to pry myself free. 

“Do not speak without permission,” he
stressed, as he released me. I stumbled and caught my balance. The command
vibrated in my mind. Speaking without permission equals pain.

“Screw you,” I bit out, ready to rip him
apart.

Another current struck, and I crumbled
to the floor.  I tried to yell for him to stop but no words formed. It was as
though I had lost the ability to think and talk.

“Stop!” Mom shouted. “What are you doing
to her?  You have no right to punish my daughter.”

The Eslite ignored my mom’s pleas as he
towered over me, punishing me for disobeying his command. With an
expressionless face he continued to transfer thoughts of pain and torment into
my mind. The current increased, and I screamed.  Mom buried her face against
Dad’s chest, unable to watch as the Eslite tortured me without touching me.

Then from the dark folds of my mind
entered the voice that wasn’t a voice.

Miranda, do as I say.

What?

I’m here for you.

Help me.

Trust me.

“Kavan, I order you to stop.” The
presence that once sent pinpricks down the back of my neck now gave me comfort.
There was only one guy who could possibly save me.

Dimas.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

The Eslite identified as Kavan stepped
away from me, and the agony ceased.  Dimas waved his hand, and the restraints
disappeared from my wrists. A small piece of shiny metal fell into my lap. How
did that happen?

“Why are you here?” Kavan turned to
Dimas, standing with his feet planted several inches apart and arms crossed,
methodically covering some type of device fixed to his wrists. “You have been
summoned to Ephesus.”

“I am well aware of my orders.”  Dimas
lowered his chin and stated in a definitive tone, “You are dismissed.” 

“You have no jurisdiction,” Kavan said,
with shoulders squared. “I have full authority over this dominion.”

“I understand your position, but I
remain the Strategos.” Toe to toe, Dimas confronted the Eslite that had tortured
me. “As such, you will obey me or suffer the consequences.”