‘There’s someone,’ Sam says, enlarging the feed.
A solitary Mogadorian holding a tablet computer stands next to the truck. He looks bored as he
thumbs something into the tablet.
Adam squints at the tattoos on the Mogadorian’s scalp. ‘An engineer,’ he says.
‘You can tell that?’ I ask.
‘It’s in the tattoos. For trueborn, those are symbols of honor and what they’ve accomplished. The
vatborn get job titles,’ Adam explains. ‘Makes it easy to order them around.’
‘There’s more,’ Sam points out.
We watch as four Mogadorian warriors carry a refrigerator-sized piece of computer equipment out
of the house. They take it towards the curb and set it down in front of the engineer, then wait around while he circles the machine and inspects it.
‘Looks like a server,’ Malcolm observes. He turns to Adam. ‘Could they be replacing the
equipment you destroyed?’
‘Possibly,’ Adam replies, but he doesn’t sound certain. He points out a two-level house with a
porch a few doors down from where the Mogadorians are working. ‘That’s my old home. I know for
certain there’s an access point to the tunnels through there, but the other houses likely have access, too.’
While Adam’s talking, the engineer finishes his inspection of the server. He shakes his head, and
the other Mogs pick the equipment back up. They toss it into the trash truck, then return to the house.
‘I guess they aren’t big on recycling, huh?’ Sam says.
Before the first group of Mogs can head back into the house, a second group emerges. They’re
carrying what looks like a barber’s chair from a bad sci-fi movie, the thing equal parts futuristic and frightening, wires and nodes dangling from it. The engineer hustles forward to meet this second group, helping them to ease the equipment gently on to the grass of the front yard.
‘I recognize that,’ Malcolm says, an edge to his voice.
‘Dr Anu’s machine,’ Adam says, turning to me. ‘That’s what they used on Malcolm. And on me.’
‘What’re they going to do with it now?’ I ask, watching the engineer begin his inspection.
‘This looks like a salvage team,’ Adam explains. ‘I did some damage to the tunnels the last time I
was here. Now, they’re saving what equipment they can and getting rid of the rest.’
‘What about all the trueborns who were supposed to be here?’
Adam grimaces. ‘They might have been evacuated until this place can be brought up to spec.’
I widen my eyes at Adam. ‘So we drove out here for nothing? The trueborn are already gone and
the machine is busted.’
‘No,’ he says, and I can see the gears turning behind his eyes. ‘If we can take out this salvage team
before they get off a distress call, we’d have complete access to what’s left of Ashwood. From there,
we can get on to their network –’
‘And that gets us what?’
‘It’s like if one of my people could open one of your Chests, John. We’ll know their secrets. What
they’re planning.’
‘We’ll be one step ahead,’ I say.
‘Yes.’ Adam nods, watching the engineer as he evaluates Dr Anu’s machine. ‘But we should get in
there. What the salvage team decides to destroy could still be useful to us.’
‘All right,’ I say, watching the Mog salvage team head back into the house. ‘So, is there a secret
entrance or something?’
‘At this point, I think a direct assault is our best bet.’ He looks at me. ‘That all right with you?’
‘Hell yes,’ I reply. Originally, we’d planned to use our network of Chimærae surveillance to
observe the Mogs for a while, figure out the most strategic approach to attacking. But, now that we’re here, I find myself itching to go into battle. I need some payback for everything they’ve done – for
taking Ella, destroying Nine’s home, killing one of my friends. If Adam says we need to rush in, I’m
ready to go.
Malcolm grabs a box from under the seat. From within, he produces two earbuds, one for me and
one for Adam. The devices are connected to the pair of walkie-talkies Sam and Malcolm will be
using. I slip mine into my ear and Adam does the same.
‘Are we at all concerned with the local authorities?’ Malcolm asks. ‘A firefight in broad daylight
might attract some attention.’
Adam shakes his head. ‘They’re bought off,’ he says, then looks at me. ‘We will want to be quick,
though. Kill them before they can call for reinforcements. If I can get past them into my old house, I should be able to cut off their communications.’
‘I can do quick,’ I reply.
I strap my Loric dagger to my calf, hidden under my trouser leg. Next, I clip my red bracelet around
my wrist. The amber jewel in its center that expands to form a shield shimmers in the midday sun.
Immediately, the bracelet jolts me with icy pinpricks, warning me there are Mogs in the area. Of
course it would – there’s one sitting right next to me. Adam’s presence is going to really wreak havoc on my danger sense.
‘Ready?’ I ask him.
Next to me, Adam pulls on an over-the-shoulder holster, a silenced handgun now hanging under
each of his armpits. He nods.
‘Whoa, hold on,’ Sam says. ‘Check out this guy.’
Adam and I turn back to the laptop, watching as another Mogadorian emerges from the house the
salvage team is currently unloading. He’s tall and broad shouldered, bigger than the others, and with a more regal bearing. Unlike the others, he has a huge sword strapped across his back. While we
watch, he barks some orders at the engineer, then disappears back into the house. When I glance over
at Adam, his face is somehow more pale than usual.
‘What is it?’
‘Nothing,’ he says, too quickly. ‘Just watch out for that one. He’s a trueborn general, one of
Setrákus Ra’s most trusted men. He …’ Adam hesitates, watching the spot on the monitor this general
just occupied. ‘He has killed Garde before.’
I feel heat rushing to my hands. If I wasn’t ready for a fight already, I definitely am now.
‘He’s dead,’ I say, and Adam merely nods, opens his door and gets out of the van. I look to Sam
and Malcolm. ‘We’ll approach on foot, take out the guards and then you pull up to cover our back.’
‘I know, I know,’ Sam says. ‘I’ll watch the monitor and shout in your ear when I see trouble.’
Malcolm has already started unpacking his sniper rifle from its case. I saw him use that thing in
Arkansas – he saved my ass. There’s no one I’d rather have watching my back than the Goodes.
‘Be careful,’ Malcolm says, raising his voice so Adam can hear. ‘Both of you.’
Sam and I slap hands. ‘Give them hell,’ he says.
And then I’m out of the van, moving at a brisk jog towards the Mogadorian stronghold. Adam keeps
up alongside me.
‘John,’ he says, our feet crunching in the gravel on the side of the road. ‘There is something else
you should know.’
Of course. Just when I was beginning to let my guard down around this guy, right when we’re going
into battle together, he’s going to spring something on me.
‘What is it?’
‘The General is my father.’
8
I almost skid to a stop, but Adam doesn’t seem to be slowing down any, so I keep pace with him.
‘You’re kidding me.’
‘No.’ Adam frowns, focusing on the road ahead. ‘We don’t exactly get along.’
‘Are you going to …’ I don’t even know how to phrase this. ‘Will you be able to …?’
‘Fight? Kill?’ Adam replies. ‘Yes. Show him no mercy, because he won’t show any to us.’
‘Your own father, man? I mean, even for a Mogadorian, that’s pretty cold.’