Chapter 23

Melissa and Jonathan hang nearly suspended against the far wall of the busy room as technician after technician rush back and forth between stations. Before them are a group of monitors with various satellite images and diagrams surrounding a very large central monitor with a scene that just finished playing out the destruction of London, the second city since their arrival.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” Melissa whispers to her partner. The look on her face matches his: anguish, disgust and most of all anger. “We can’t believe help is going to come now.”

Before Jonathan can answer, a familiar voice answers for him, “You are correct in your assumption. You are all alone now and no one is coming to save you or the rest of the world.”

Both agents look over toward the direction of the voice, spotting two familiar figures as both their eyes go wide with confusion. It is Jonathan that finds the words first. “Grines? What the hell are you doing here?”

“Odd choice of words coming from a man in your circumstances considering you were just thinking how there was no hope for you.”

“Please tell me you’re not working for these bastards,” Melissa says, leaving out no bit of the anger that is starting to build up within her. “Because if you are, I’m going to personally kill you myself.”

“My dear I would really enjoy seeing you try,” he answers with an amusing smile. He turns to the woman accompanying him. “Natalya, please have our guests moved to the Solar Firing Chamber for the final target.”

The Goji nods her head and steps past Grines. “It really is a shame Agent Reeds isn’t here to join you, but no matter in due time I will deal with him.”

“You’re not going to get away with this you son of a bitch!” Jonathan yells.

A flash of light shoots through Grines’ eyes and in an instant the flesh melts away revealing a different body, one larger and covered with a chitinous like skin except for the eyes and the jet black hair covering the head. The creature in almost a flash steps forward past Natalya and wraps a hand around Jonathan’s throat. “You dare make threats against a force you know nothing about. It is why I, Tancheres, will succeed in my plans this day and why you feeble, weak and pathetic excuse for an existence will cease to live beyond today.”

“History repeats itself jackass,” Melissa says venomously, “You’ve gotten your asses handed to you time and time again and it isn’t going to change now.”

Tancheres flashes her a look of pure evil and grins. “We’re going to see about that.“ He releases his grip from around Stones’ neck and turns once again to regard Natalya. “Put them in the chamber.”

As soon and Tancheres leaves, Natalya begins pushing the two agents down the vacant hallway until they come to an unmarked door. The Goji quickly enters a code into the control panel next to the door and shoves the two roughly in a soon as the door opens, following them in quickly. “Tancheres has already destroyed two of his targets as you’ve seen,” Natalya begins to say. Both agents look at her with questioning looks and quickly she changes the subject explaining the matter. “In just a minute, Tancheres is going to be distracted giving you two the opportunity to escape.”

An instant later, the clamps holding their wrists together release and fall with a clang to the floor. Jonathan rubs his wrists and asks, “And why the hell should we trust you?”

Natalya grins deviously. “Without me you will fail in your feeble attempt to stop Tancheres.”

Melissa places her hand on her partner’s arm, stealing a glance from him which she ignores as she steps forward toward Natalya. “And you’re going to let us go in exchange for us to stop Tancheres. What’s in it for us other than the fact we get to stop him from destroying anymore cities?”

“Oh, I don’t want you to stop him from destroying cities, at least not his next one,” Natalya says drawing a serious look from both agents. “Moscow is the next target, the hub of the Goji world.”

“And you’d like to see it destroyed?” Melissa asks skeptically.

The Goji examines her nails as if looking for some kind of defect in them for a moment before finally looking up with an answer. “Let’s just say I have a few enemies I’d like to be rid of and at the same time it becomes beneficial for all of you as well.”

“I can’t guarantee if we cross paths out there we’ll stay on the same side,” Jonathan threatens.

Another grin forms on Natalya’s face. “I wouldn’t expect anything different.”

As Tancheres enters the targeting control room flanked closely by his horseman, Rahkar, silence falls. The room’s occupants turn to regard them and quickly Errios leaves her station to step up to the Sura. “Everything is ready as planned master,” she says with a curt bow.

“I would expect nothing less.“ Tancheres looks past her then steps past without regard. “Have my guests been placed into the chamber yet?”

“Not yet,” Errios answers as she stands with anger flaring in her eyes.

“I have found your actions here very disturbing as of late,” Tancheres says stopping short as he places his hands behind his back.

“I do not understand master,” Errios replies feinting denial. She looks over to Ehiel and the horseman gives her a curt nod, but remains motionless.

“I specifically gave you two targets,” Tancheres continues unhindered. “You’ve targeted London as directed but New York City still stands and Washington D.C. is leveled.”

“I must have misunderstood your orders,” Errios uses as an excuse.

“Do not play me as a fool,” the Sura says raising his voice. “I do not know of your personal objectives, but I will not have you interfere with my own.“

“I dare not make such moves against you my lord.”

“You reek of Natalya’s betrayal,” Tancheres snorts. “It is something I have expected for a long time and it will be your undoing as well as her own.”

Rahkar takes the cue and begins to move from his position from the door toward Errios. The Goji throws a casual glance toward the advancing horseman and cuts a smile. “You shouldn’t have one of your goons do your dirty work for you.”

Tancheres still unmoving says, “I would not waste my time with one as low as you.“

“And in there is your mistake.”