“Then the missile didn’t make it all the way to Fort Knox.” Elam breathed a sigh. “There’s still hope for Sapphira.”
Yereq sniffed. “What is that odor? Garlic?”
Elam inhaled deeply. A blend of garlic and camphor tinged the air, a familiar odor . . . too familiar. “It smells like one of Morgan’s concoctions. I had to endure that foulness too many times in the mines of Hades to ever forget it.”
“And now Semiramis is Morgan’s successor,” Yereq said. “She has proven herself to be an expert potion brewer.”
Thigocia stretched out her wings, but they quickly drooped. “How strange. I feel so weak.”
“I feel it as well.” Makaidos snorted a thin flame through his nostrils that immediately died away. “This must be the danger I sensed. Something is sapping our strength.”
“That explosion delivered a payload of Morgan’s magic.” Elam patted Thigocia’s neck. “You and Makaidos had better get into the trailer while you can still walk.”
The two dragons climbed through the open gate and settled in their intertwined position, breathing in fitful gasps.
Yereq stroked his beard. “This incident makes me wonder if Sapphira is really where we think she is. The missile appeared to be aimed at Fort Knox, but this explosion could have harmed her or us, which would not help Tamiel’s cause.”
“Because he needs her and me both alive to gain access to Second Eden,” Elam said.
Yereq nodded. “She is the ransom bait, and you are the only one who can pay the ransom. Killing either of you would be foolhardy.”
“Then why the bomb? Why detonate it in the sky?” Elam began pacing again. “Using a nuclear weapon to deliver Semiramis’s potion seems too risky. How could they know the potion wouldn’t be instantly burned up? You don’t launch a computer-guided missile and then detonate it in the sky. They missed us. They missed Fort Knox. They basically just blew a hole in the air.”
“To open a portal?” Yereq asked.
Elam stopped and looked toward the west where the portal to Second Eden lay. “You can’t open a portal that doesn’t exist. If you know where one is, it’s possible to move it. Sapphira’s done that. But you can’t just blow up a bomb in the air and hope it cracks a dimensional doorway. I have to believe Tamiel knows better.”
“Then what was the purpose?”
Elam shrugged. “Maybe there was no purpose. Maybe it was an accident. We shouldn’t conclude that everything works perfectly for our enemies. They’re clever, but they’re not infallible.”
“So do we go on to Fort Knox?” Yereq asked.
Elam turned toward the east. A multicolored aura hovered over the horizon, intermixing with the expanding mushroom cloud. “I don’t think so. Radioactive fallout has to be terrible there, or at least it will be soon.”
“Then what about Sapphira? If the missile was an accident, then she might really be at Fort Knox.”
“No, no. The missile itself wasn’t an accident. The accidental part was that the missile blew up in the air. Tamiel intended to destroy Fort Knox before we arrived. I think he wants to redirect us to where Sapphira really is.”
“Perhaps to capture us in an ambush,” Yereq said. “With our dragons incapacitated, we are easy prey.”
“Which gives us more evidence that something in the explosion caused their weakness.”
“A poisoned payload,” Yereq said, “but it might not be deadly. Whatever was in it must have dispersed greatly.”
“We can hope.” Elam looked at his phone. The screen was dark. “If our theory is true, we should expect Tamiel to try to contact us to provide a new destination.” He pressed the Power button, but the screen just flashed and turned black again. “Strange. The phone’s not working.”
“Because of the explosion?” Yereq asked.
Elam scanned the sky, still pink with shades of blue and green. “I’ve heard that a nuclear blast high in the atmosphere can cause powerful electromagnetic pulses that travel for hundreds or even thousands of miles. They can knock out anything electrical.”
“That complicates things.” Yereq eyed the phone. “We have no way of receiving a message. Tamiel cannot redirect us.”
“Let me think.” Elam began pacing again. With each step, memories from previous centuries flowed like visions from above. Enoch’s voice echoed as if calling from a canyon. Methuselah inherited the oracle title from me, but the flood created the need to pass the Ovulum to Sapphira Adi, a special kind of oracle whose true mission has not yet begun. Now that she has been set on her path, the Ovulum is yours, and as my descendant, you are the rightful heir.
Elam whispered his reply from that day long ago. “So am I an oracle?”
The echo continued, though fading. That mantle is yours to be grasped, but time will tell if you are able to wear it with authority.
When the vision disappeared, Elam stopped and looked at Makaidos and Thigocia in the trailer, then at Yereq. They all had ancient, sagacious eyes. Only they and Sapphira could understand both the benefit and the burden of witnessing so many centuries of life—some wonderful . . . some terrifying . . . some lonely. Thousands of years of experience had infused them with wisdom, but Enoch had singled out only one as a prophetic oracle—Elam, son of Shem, son of Noah. He had to seek God’s insight and make a decision for everyone.
After taking a deep breath, he stood close to the trailer gate and spread out his arms. “When we battled evil forces on Second Eden, it seemed that God called every ally to come to our aid. Our paths converged then, and they are converging now. We should travel to the address Lois gave us. Since Bonnie and Lauren are trying to meet Matt, then we should add our strengths to theirs. We are a small army, but, with God on our side, we are a mighty one.”
Yereq clapped his huge hands. “Well stated!”
Elam held up the phone. “Makaidos, I can’t turn this on to get the address. Do you remember it?”
“I do,” Makaidos said, his voice weak. “But how will we locate it?”
“The old-fashioned way. We’ll go to an open gas station and get a map.”
After Makaidos recited the address, Yereq closed the trailer gate, and he and Elam reentered the van, Elam again in the driver’s seat. When he pushed the key in and turned the ignition, nothing happened. The starter didn’t even click.
Elam leaned back in the seat and heaved a sigh. “The electromagnetic pulses must have cooked the van’s electronics.”
“Could we try to find another vehicle?” Yereq asked from the back.
“Maybe. For obvious reasons, I’d have to search alone, maybe hitchhike, but there weren’t many vehicles on the road before. After that blast, they all might be malfunctioning.”
“Allow me to guide Makaidos and Thigocia into the woods while you search. Then you can return with your findings. Even if I accompany you to the rendezvous and we have to leave the dragons behind, they should be safe.”
“I definitely want all of you to come with me.” Elam climbed out of the van and hurried to the back of the trailer. After opening the gate, he explained the situation and Yereq’s idea to Makaidos and Thigocia. The dragons agreed to the plan, crawled out of the trailer again, and shuffled alongside Yereq toward a nearby cluster of trees.
Elam watched the trio shrink in the distance. How could he possibly transport such a cargo? Even if a car stopped to pick him up, it might not have a trailer hitch or the ability to pull that much weight. A tractor-trailer combination, maybe? Or a flatbed truck?
He retrieved a bag that held his normal clothes, then tore off his fake eyebrows, brushed his hair back, and straightened his uniform. At least he looked presentable. With so much turmoil in the world, maybe someone would stop for a military officer.
Chapter 14
ESCAPE
Something nudged Billy’s ribs. Half asleep, he blinked his eyes open. After spending another night on this bench, everything felt stiff, especially the broken toes. His mouth, still stuff
ed with asbestos, ached.
Ashley’s hand lay next to his thigh. She spelled out, Something is up. Might have to act now. Walter is awake. He is feeling good. I guess my healing touch worked.
Billy sent a thought her way. What have you heard?
Atomic weapon. Potential war. Pilot flying to base for safety.
He nodded. Better to face a few goons here than a bunch of them at the base. He leaned forward and looked at Gabriel and Walter. They stared straight ahead, both with bent brows. On the opposite bench, the four soldiers shifted nervously, fingers twitching on the triggers of their automatic rifles. This wouldn’t be easy.
He shifted his gaze to Ashley, keeping Walter, Gabriel, and the window beyond them in view. If worse came to worst, Gabriel might have to bail out and fly to safety. Ashley, I’ll let you give the signal to attack when you think they’re the most distracted. With cuffs on, it will be hard to grab their guns, so we can try to—
A brilliant light flashed in the sky. Rainbow arcs expanded from the center, and a mushroom cloud rose in midair, as if birthed by the colors. The interior lights blinked off, and the helicopter’s engine sputtered. The whirring blades slowed, making the chopper descend, while sparks and smoke erupted from the cockpit’s control panel.
When the soldiers turned toward the pilot, Ashley jerked Billy’s gag down. He blew the rag out and launched a ball of flames at the soldier in front of him, then bashed him in the head with a two-fisted punch. Ashley clawed at the eyes of the next soldier, while Walter and Gabriel grabbed the rifles of the other two and tried to wrestle them away.
Walter’s guard head-butted him, but Walter kept fighting like a wild animal—kicking, punching, and biting.
His eyes bleeding, Ashley’s guard grabbed her hair and twisted until her body arched backwards.
Billy wrapped an arm around his opponent’s neck and jerked. Something cracked. The man fell limp. Billy snatched away his rifle and fired at Ashley’s guard. The bullet plunged into his shoulder. He crumpled in place, releasing Ashley. She punched Walter’s guard in the nose and thrust a knee into his groin.
Billy aimed the rifle at the other two soldiers. “Surrender or you’re dead!”
Just as the soldiers gave the guns to Walter and Gabriel, the pilot twisted in his seat and fired a pistol at Billy. The bullet nicked his shoulder. He fired back with the rifle and struck the pilot’s neck.
The pilot fell to the side, coughing as smoke filled the cockpit. The chopper’s descent accelerated and bent into a sharp angle.
Billy set his feet and aimed at the two remaining soldiers. “Unlock us!”
The closer soldier took a key ring from his belt and unfastened Gabriel’s handcuffs. Gabriel then grabbed the ring and unlocked the other three sets.
After they shook the cuffs loose, Billy shifted the rifle back to the soldiers. “Now unlock the leg irons. Then I’ll see about flying this bird.”
Walter wrinkled his nose. “What is that terrible smell?”
The pilot pushed himself upright. Bleeding from a gaping hole at the side of his neck, he shouted into his headset. “Mayday! Mayday!”
The engine fell silent. The propeller stopped, and the chopper dove into a near-sideways plunge. Everyone toppled toward Gabriel, but the free fall kept their bodies from pressing against the side door.
Gabriel grabbed the latch and pushed, but he seemed unable to overcome the outside air pressure. Billy aimed the rifle at the door’s window and fired. The glass shattered and flew through the cabin along with a rush of foul-smelling air.
With a loud grunt, Gabriel shoved the door open. Holding the leg chains with both hands, he forced his way out and pulled Walter, Ashley, and Billy along. When Gabriel cleared the door, he set his feet against the fuselage and dragged his companions the rest of the way out, Billy still holding the rifle.
All four drifted away from the falling chopper. Gabriel beat his wings and shot upward while the helicopter continued plunging. The chains tightened. Walter, Ashley, and Billy dangled from his grasp in a vertical line of flailing bodies. They began falling again, though much more slowly, as if suspended by a perforated parachute.
Seconds later, the chopper crashed in a dry ravine and exploded. Smoke shot up from the site and enveloped them. Grunting loudly, Gabriel lurched to the side and dodged the choking fumes. His face locked in a tight grimace and his wings beating madly, he seemed to be guiding everyone toward a nearby bog of mud and swamp grass. “Brace yourselves!” he shouted.
Billy tossed the rifle and twisted until he faced upward. He splashed into thick muck and submerged. Three more splashing sounds erupted, one immediately after the other.
Billy turned his body upright and stood in waist-deep muck, while Gabriel waded several paces away, mud cresting at his chest. Reeling in the chain, Billy trudged through the bog. He found Ashley and hoisted her to the surface. She coughed and spat out a stream of brown sludge.
“You okay?” He thumped her back. More dirty water spewed, this time from her nostrils.
She sucked in a breath and rasped, “Find Walter.”
While Billy pulled the chain from one side, Gabriel pulled from the other until they met where Walter had submerged. Each holding an arm, they lifted him toward the surface.
When his face broke through the mud, he opened his eyes and flashed a pain-streaked grin. “Was that a new thrill ride? Let’s call it ‘When Pigs Fly.’”
Billy laid a hand on Walter’s mud-caked head. “I have a good mind to dunk you back in.”
“No time.” Walter set his feet and balanced himself. “Let’s check on the soldiers.”
Billy turned toward the chopper as it burned about thirty paces away. Flames roared within billowing clouds of black smoke. Probably no one survived, but they couldn’t just ignore the men. “Gabriel, did you manage to hang on to the keys?”
“Got ’em.” He held out a ring with several keys, all dripping muddy water. “Don’t know which one’ll work.”
“Let’s wade to dry ground first.” Billy took a quick drink to soothe his aching throat, then locked arms with Walter and Ashley. “All together now!”
As they slogged, Billy called out their pace. “Left . . . right . . . left . . . right.” With each step, they rose from the mud. His body no longer buoyed, pain ripped through his broken toes, but he had to go on.
When they reached the bog’s shore, they sprawled across a field of dried mud. Gabriel unlocked his leg irons, then Billy’s.
Billy struggled to his feet. “Give the key to Ashley and come with me!” He jogged with a limp toward the burning chopper while Gabriel half ran and half flew, slinging mud with his flapping wings. Heat from the raging flames made them stop about ten paces away from the wreckage.
Billy lifted an arm to block the scalding air. Four bodies lay near the fuselage and one inside the cockpit, barely visible through the blackened window.
“They’re goners,” Gabriel said.
Billy grasped his shoulder. “We’d be burning with them if not for you.”
“Just reacting. No big deal.” Gabriel laughed. “It’s funny, but I did the same thing with Walter, Ashley, and Lauren the other day and vowed never to jump out of a plane carrying three people ever again. Good thing it was a helicopter and not a plane, or else I’d be a liar.”
“Did I hear you say ‘no big deal’?” Walter asked as he trudged toward them, Ashley at his side. “If that’s true, then you won’t mind carrying us all to civilization. You’re the only one with wings.”
Ashley looked to the east, her dirty brow furrowed as she crossed her muddy arms over her equally muddy chest. “That was a midair nuclear blast. The EMPs blew out the chopper’s electronics.”
“Electromagnetic pulses,” Billy said. “I’ve heard of those.”
“Which means we might not find much civilization. Even if some electrical equipment survived, nothing will run if the grid is down.”
G
abriel slung the remaining mud from his wings. “I’ll see if I can find a car someone will let me borrow, and I’ll come back and pick you guys up.”
“Look for an old vehicle,” Ashley said. “The older the better. Newer ones have more electronic components, so they’re more vulnerable to EMPs.”
“Got it.” Gabriel beat his wings and leaped into the air.
As he shrank in the distance, Walter sniffed the cold breeze. “I still smell that odor. It started right before the chopper blew all its fuses. Does an EMP smell bad?”
“Not that I know of.” Ashley inhaled, then grimaced. “It smells like garlic . . . and something else.”
“Skunk?” Walter offered.
“I don’t think so, but it’s familiar somehow. It brings back dark memories.” Ashley shivered. “It reminds me of Morgan.”
“No wonder you’re shivering. It’s freezing out here, and you’re thinking about the coldest heart ever to inhabit a body.” Walter wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. “Okay, so assuming Gabriel finds a jalopy that still runs, where do we go?” “We try to contact Lois. She’ll know where Lauren and Roxil are.”
“But how? Even if we find a phone, if the grid’s down, cell towers won’t be working.”
Billy eyed the helicopter. “Maybe we can salvage the radio. Ashley can rig the frequency.”
“Not likely,” Ashley said. “It was spewing sparks. But Lois might still be up and running. Last I heard, Carly’s got Lois’s mobile unit plugged into her car’s power adapter. Even if the car gets fried, Lois can run on battery for a few hours. She monitors twenty-four different kinds of transmissions. If I can find a battery-operated ham radio, I can call her.”
Walter shrugged. “No problem. There’s got to be a thousand Radio Shacks. We’ll find one. And maybe Gabriel can hunt down my bag full of weapons. It should be near Merlin’s crash site.”
“But that might be pretty far away,” Ashley said. “We have to find fuel to get there. A gas station won’t pump without electricity.”
Billy shifted behind Walter and Ashley and laid his arms over their shoulders. “Ashley, Walter and I have literally been to Hell and back. You were locked up in your own hell for fifteen years, and in Second Eden you manufactured fuel cells from roof shingles, rubber bands, and twist ties.”