The Fadian Escape Read online

  When they arrived, Egoly noticed the place hadn’t fully recovered from the last bloody raid by the enforcers. Soon, they marched to a small hut that served as their jail. It would be nothing for Mantua to break them out and certainly for Egoly to obliterate the structure, but they played along waiting for their chance.

  “You aren’t the only one concerned about Kaleigha,” Egoly started once their captors had locked them in.

  “No, but I’m the only one who didn’t betray her.”

  “But if you remember your previous lives, then you know you are no friend to her.” Mantua looked away, his face going red.

  “I know my failings, but I made up for them. I didn’t cower behind some big bad or hide my hands once I cast a stone.

  “No one can make up for the years of abuse she suffered at your hands,” Egoly scoffed. “I protected her to the best of my ability.”

  “You’re a liar, Mantua laughed. “You’ve been around Felder so long up in the thin air around those towers that you actually believe your own lies. You act just like those assholes.”

  Egoly sat up straight, even though he wanted to cringe from those horrible truths. Time in the clink had given Mantua way too much insight. Just as he was about to refute the charges again, the jail door opened, and in it stood Amina, Kaleigha’s aunt.

  “This can’t be real,” she said as she limped over. The injury was a tangible reminder of Egoly’s last visit. “I’ve never been this fortunate in my entire life.”

  “I’m glad to see that you think of us as luck,” Mantua retorted.

  “Don’t get feisty,” she countered. “I don’t trust anything that comes out of Obeh City, you included.”

  “No need for aggression,” Mantua said. “I’m just here to deliver a message.”

  “And this one?” She looked at Egoly with disgust.

  “He’s just a bodyguard,” Mantua dismissed her concern.

  “Where is Kaleigha?”

  “I’m not at liberty to say,” Mantua said.

  “What do you mean you’re not at liberty to say? That’s absolutely ridiculous. She almost killed us all the last time she was here.”

  “She’s with Felder,” Mantua said, carefully. “I can take her message if you wish.”

  “Do you think you’re leaving here?” Amina laughed. “I wouldn’t be so foolish as to let you out of this jail let alone back to the city. The only question today is how soon you die. If it were up to me I’d kill you now, you’re completely useless to our cause and a definite threat to our well-being. Oh, but that is not our way. Unlike the people you killed, you will get a fair trial.”

  “While I appreciate your morals,” Mantua said. “You’re breaking the understanding between the parties by holding us here.”

  “Do you think Felder would actually let one of us go if we wandered too close to the city? Do you think those old bats would releases back to the wild if we stumbled into their shity little village? The answer is no and we all know the fate we’d suffer at the hands of those fools. I’ll ask one more time before delivering the evidence against you, where is my Kaleigha?”

  “She’s a prisoner just like we are now, Mantua said. My companion, the alpha fadian, decided that she was no longer of any use to him and betrayed her to Felder.”

  “So much for a united front,” Egoly muttered under his breath. “However, that’s a lie. Felder controls everything in the city just like you do here.”

  “Enough of this bullshit,” Amina said. “I’ll present your statements to the council.”

  “Well at least let me give you the message,” Mantua said.

  Amina held out her hand as if waiting for a slip of paper. Mantua looked from her hand to her face and back again before saying, ‘you chose this.’

  “That’s it? Amina cocked her head to the side. I’m sure there’s a hidden meaning too bad you won’t be alive to see it come to light. And with that, she hobbled out of the jail locking the door behind her.

  Chapter Six

  “Did he tell you what it meant?” Egoly asked. “The message that he gave you. Do you know what it means?”

  At first, Mantua did not answer. After a few minutes, he shrugged. “I figured it was code and that Amina would know what it meant. I guess we’re all in the dark. Why do you ask?”

  “Nothing, it just seems like a really strange message,” Egoly answered he was not about to tell Mantua anything about his adventure in the village. “So how soon should we do what we came to do?”

  “I’ve done my part,” Mantua said. “Now it’s up to you to fulfill your end of this Devil’s bargain so that we can both be free.”

  “Do you really think he’ll let us be?” The idea that Felder would betray him once again crossed is mine several times during their hike to the settlement, but he didn’t have the heart to say it out loud. “Now’s as good a time as ever to get the party started.”

  “I’d give it a little longer,” Mantua advise. “But it’s not my game you got to play your part the best way you see fit.”

  Egoly thought about the odd message and decided he wanted to know more.

  “I’m curious to see how they find us what about you?”

  “Oh, they’re going to find us guilty,” Mantua said. “It’s all a matter of how guilty and what punishment they’re going to dole out.”

  “Something tells me you could probably talk your way out of this, but you’re choosing not to.”

  “No, Egoly, I’m not privileged like you. I earned every right that I had. Through hard work and dedication and living my life with dignity.”

  “Stop right there,” Egoly laughed. “I’ve seen her memories of you there was no dignity involved.”

  “I was not the most socially advanced man,” Mantua confessed. “But I would have never hurt her and I never did.”

  “No you just scared the life out of her on any day when she was too hungry to see straight,” Egoly countered. It released some of the pressure in his chest to demean Mantua.

  “I tried to give her the world,” Mantua spat. “But guys like you with their Flash and their privileged always turned her head. There was nothing I could do about that. I’m just a lowly Beat cop. But we had a life together afterwards in the other version of things.”

  Mantua struggled with his words, but he carried on. “We had an actual relationship and I know we were going to be married, but you messed that up. You tricked her into changing the world again and tore us apart. You don’t even want her. You don’t want anything. You’re just happy to be outside of that those caves beneath the village.”

  The accusation stirred up anger and sadness in the pit of Egoly’s soul. Before he could respond, the door to their jail opened and Amina ducked her head into the space.

  “Come on,” Amina waved them out of building then led them to a small circle of people standing near the edge of the settlement. Egoly noted that a few important figures, like Kaleigha’s brother, were missing from the council.

  “Are you sure about them?” One of them asked.

  “It’s an older code, but it checks out,” Amina nudged Mantua forward.

  “Greetings, stranger.” The group addressed Mantua, but some of them kept a wary eye on Egoly. Mantua followed their line of sight and when he made eye contact with Egoly, he glowered.

  “You have every right to be suspicious,” Mantua began, his voice small and unimposing. “Felder is scheming as always. He knows everything and uses our weaknesses against us.” Mantua looked around the circle before continuing in a louder tone. “My friend and I were offered clemency in exchange for the lives of each and every person in this settlement.”

  The group gasped and a few people recoiled.

  “There is no reason to fear us,” Mantua smiled. “My friend here is the Alpha Fadian. The first of his kind and strong enough to kill us all with little more than a nod of his head.”

  The man nearest Egoly pulled out a knife and lunged at him. The attack came as such a surpri
se that he didn’t react and if not for Amina’s lighting quick reflexes, the knife would have sunk into his throat.

  “You see, my friends,” Mantua came over to help Egoly to his feet while Amina disarmed the angry man. “He doesn’t even fight back when attacked.”

  “You are no friend to us,” a woman spoke up. “Have you forgotten what happened the last time?”

  “We have not,” Mantua put an arm around Egoly. “Which is why we have not carried out the plan.”

  “You can’t stay here,” Amina frowned. “Felder will have us finished off. Do you even understand why we’re here?”

  “I-” Mantua started, but she rolled over his response.

  “We are living proof that their beloved Method is nothing more than a hoax used to control people.”

  “You’re a bunch of romantic fools who can barely take care of yourselves,” Ilma strode into the settlement with a large detachment of her army and surrounded the council.

  The looks of shock on everyone’s faces were comical and Egoly let out a bitter laugh.

  “I’m happy to see you, too, old friend,” Ilma gave him a smile that did not reach her eyes. “But I don’t think you’ll feel the same about me.”

  “You’re impossible,” Egoly agreed and scrubbed his hands over his face. Part of him wanted to complete his Union mission then and there. He reasoned only Ilma would be left standing and he could bring her to the city for further praise. But in his heart, he knew Felder had no intention of keeping his promise, so he waited for this new twist to play out.

  “I’ll keep this simple,” Ilma was an inch from Amina’s face. “Surrender my protégé and I will leave your village to die a well deserved slow death.”

  “You’re not welcome here on a good day,” Amina said. “There is no way I will betray someone who’s sought sanctuary here.”

  “Oh, really?” Ilma asked, tucking a lock behind her ear. Egoly wasn’t sure if this was a shock or a challenge, but he dreaded the fallout.

  “Felder is our one true enemy,” Mantua slipped himself between the two women to redirect their focus. “Egoly has agreed to help rid us of that menace.”

  “How did you manage that?” Ilma’s voice went soft, but he knew she was not amused.

  “Kaleigha.”

  Several council members spit and Amina made a rude gesture.

  “I must say, I agree with our hosts,” Ilma’s voice trilled. “And Egoly doesn’t give two shits about that girl.”

  The accusation hurt more than it should.

  “That’s not entirely true,” Mantua said.

  “He left her to die in the void between worlds,” Ilma stated so simply that she might have been speaking about a dinner menu. “At my command, no less.”

  “You are discounting his attachment issues,” Mantua was enjoying himself. “Our Fadian friend has a new master and its name is love.”

  Everyone went quiet.

  The three of them studied Egoly until Amina broke the silence.

  “I don’t trust any of you,” Amina shook her head. “I appreciate you reaching out, Mantua, but I have to think of my people.”

  “You’re already slated for death,” Mantua said. “You might as well play along.”

  “Playing along goes against all we stand for.”

  “I don’t trust any of you except, Egoly, " Ilma conceded, " but if it means knocking that bastard, Felder, down a peg, then I’m in. I have no doubt you’ll betray me as soon as you get the chance.”

  “Which means you’re going to try to beat us to the punch,” Mantua sounded like a chiding father, but his eyes held fire. “Felder won’t take the loss of his favored fadian lightly, you’ll be in his sights next.”

  “So what is the point of this?” Amina paced around them, eyeing the ghostly detachment. “Why not just tear each other apart here and now and save Felder the trouble?”

  Mantua gave her a sincere smile. “Because I know how to dismantle the city’s defenses.”

  Chapter Seven

  The trek back to the city was slow and silent. Egoly wondered if they should have done more to make it look like they carried out the mission. The smoke from the remains of the settlement sent a tall, dark plume that dimmed the light even this far away.

  “We should have called for a pickup!” Mantua joked for the millionth time.

  Egoly gave him a sour look. Even this far out, there was a chance that their ruse would be discovered. Just as he and Mantua were hiking south, the inhabitants of the settlement were headed east to Ilma’s camp, and Ilma’s vast army marched into the city. It was a simple plan that seemed too easy to botch which, of course, meant that every moment was a new chance to fail. They couldn’t offer not one opportunity for Felder to discover their plans.

  “Why did you do it?” Egoly asked.

  “Be specific” Mantua asked, his cop demeanor slipped back into place.

  “Why did you betray the city?”

  “Well, that’s easy,” Mantua laughed. “I want nothing more than to see Kaleigha free. If that means betraying the city so be it.”

  Egoly studied his profile wondering if it was a lie or the truth.

  “You don’t love her more than I do,” Mantua continued.

  “I don’t think it’s a competition,” Egoly said. “And the fact that you see it as such probably means whatever you feel for her isn’t true.”

  Mantua spun around, his face contorted by rage.

  “Let’s go,” Mantua gestured for Egoly to attack him. “Let’s just get this over with so that you can go about your life with the black eye that you deserve.”

  Egoly contemplated taking him up on the offer, but quickly realized it was a trap. The man was trained in hand-to-hand combat and would best him with little effort.

  “That’s not who I am.”

  “No you’re one of those villagers who sit in the peace and quiet of a green dale judging others while we fight for your right to be free.”

  “My life was hardly a picnic,” Egoly said. “But you know that. You’re just trying to goad me into a fight.”

  “And what if I am,” Mantua step to him. “What if I want nothing more than to beat the life out of a useless fadian. You won’t even fight back. That settlement guy nearly took you out. Amina had to rescue you.”

  “I have many failures, Mantua,” said Egoly. " But none of them deserve a beat-down by you or death at the hands of anyone else. If we want to defeat Felder, we will also have to defeat his legacy of violence and intimidation.”

  This struck a chord with Mantua and the man backed off.

  “Come on, let’s go. We’ve got our part to play in this. “

  When they emerge from the woods, somewhere between the entrance of the village and the river, they stepped into a scene of pure pandemonium. Everywhere they turned, regiments of Ilma’s ghostly army created pockets of chaos and fear among the city dwellers. The lights flickered out in several towers and smoke rose from an unseen fire on the eastern horizon. The few people left in the street were panic stricken and fleeing for shelter.

  The men sidestepped the destruction and pushed their way into the Union Tower. Jim was nowhere to be seen but Felder was right there on the front lines issuing orders and proclamations to his eager minions who fanned out around the perimeter of the building to keep it secure.

  “YOU TWO!” Felder shouted as he spotted Egoly and Mantua. “Get to your post immediately.”

  Mantua obeyed immediately, ready to do his part to further sabotage the integrity of the city. But Egoly stood his ground.

  “And what of Kaleigha?

  “What of her? She’s at the top of the tower sleep what does that have to do with your job right now?”

  “She needs to be protected. I won’t go any further unless I know Kaleigha’s safety is assured.”

  Felder glared at him. “Nothing is assured right now, not even your own safety. Get to your post.”

  “Kaleigha is my post and if you don’t agree wi
th that, feel free to strike me down,” Egoly’s heart quivered with terror, but Felder did not push him any further.

  “Fine, you’re useless to me anyway. Get up there and keep everyone off from getting off that elevator!”

  Egoly sprinted to the elevator bank and hopped on the first one available. It took him to the lower levels, where he picked up Mantua. They glided right past the chaos of the lobby and up to the floor where Felder held Kaleigha prisoner.

  “I won’t have any power once we step off this elevator,” Egoly said.

  “I know,” Mantua smiled. “I helped design the place. Yes, in this version I am a security expert, remember.”

  “Right, how did I forget.”

  The doors opened, and Egoly hoped he could trust Mantua and his love for Kaleigha. They raced down the hall into the lab and begin their work. It was easier than they expected and with the tools Mantua secured from the basement, the crystal casket is open within minutes.

  Kaleigha wakes immediately, her face gaunt and her body frailer than it had been when she entered the casket. Although Egoly wanted to spend time easing her into consciousness, the clock was running out.

  “She can’t walk,” Egoly said, concerned.

  “Of course not,” said Mantua, who was used to seeing these things in his former line of work. “I’ll carry her if you can’t.”

  “It’s fine let’s go,” Egoly picked up Kaleigha and the three of them moved to the one place in the lab where Egoly’s powers worked.

  Mantua placed one hand on the other man’s shoulder and the other on Kaleigha’s knee.

  Egoly closed his eyes and pictured the place where Ilma kept her camp. The world went hazy and suddenly they were in the woods, but they were not in the camp.

  “Where are we?” Mantua asked, not letting go of Egoly’s shoulder.

  “I don’t know. I must have misjudged the location.”

  “It looks like we might be near the village.” Manuta took a step, but did not break contact.