Not So Fast

Sundown in the desert trailer. Rylan and the twins sat at a table and discussed the plan to infiltrate the Albuquerque jewelry exchange.

“We just use the same tactic Anya and I used to steal the diamonds in this town. First we hack the city’s cameras and-oh, excuse me.”

Rylan’s phone buzzed interrupting his statement. He read the caller ID.

“Eh? It’s Rebecca. I wonder what she wants. Hello?”

“Hi Rylan, I got a phone call from Ms. Cesar a minute ago. She said she’s been trying to reach you but you weren’t picking up...are you ducking her?” asked Rebecca.

“What? No, not at all!” he lied. “Well...What did she say?”

“Oh, she said to tell you...hold on..I wrote it down..She said that you shouldn’t go to Albuquerque because the gate can’t open until saturday..Rylan what gate? What the hell is she talking about?”

“Umm...business...what else did she say?”

“.....Do you have something going on with Ms. Cesar?” asked Rebecca with mischief in her voice.

“Dammit girl! No! It’s just, you know, sometimes I need work so she hooked me up with a gig..in Albuquerque to do...some work,” said Rylan.

“Right...Anyway she said to tell you that if you aren’t in school tomorrow for that gig and you decide to go to Albuquerque that she would hire me instead haha!” laughed Rebecca.

“Did Ms. Cesar say that to you? What a devious woman,” he said in a monotone mutter.

“Is she? Well now I’m curious. What kind of job is she offering? I’m interested. Does it pay well?” asked Rebecca.

“Uhh...don’t worry about it Becca, I’ll be around tomorrow to do…that job. So don’t worry about it.”

“Eh? Okay Rilly, I won’t press you about it...And Ms. Cesar didn’t come to school today...Neither did you...Are you sure you don’t have anything going on with her?” asked Rebecca.

“No, I don’t! So stop implying that I do. Now I gotta go. Thanks for calling!”

“Oh, well you-”

Rylan hung up. Maya and Leif stared at him, waiting to find out why Rebecca called.

“Um..I think we should be cool and not steal diamonds in Albuquerque tonight,” said Rylan.

“Why? What did Rebecca say?” asked Maya.

“She relayed a message from Anya reminding me that she can and will hurt anyone in this town if I step out of line...I guess.”

Leif scowled and turned to Maya.

“Dear sister, Mother is holding back. You know damn well she would’ve just kidnapped Rebecca by now. But she didn’t.”

“She’s being cautious, Leif,” said Maya. “Kidnapping any civilian will draw attention to her and those barons. But she can still hold the threat of hurting innocents over our head.”

“Dear sister, you give Mother’s humanity too much credit,” said Leif.

“No dear brother, I don’t. But she isn’t a stupid woman by any means,” said Maya.

“Nope, she’s just evil!” laughed Rylan.

“Haaa!” Leif laughed and slapped the table in agreement.

But Maya didn’t find them funny, “Hey, don’t talk about my mother!” she laughed, feigning insult.

The trio chuckled until Chloe ran in the kitchen demanding to hear the joke. But their laughter only masked their fear.

Combat Veteran

Anya and three barons, Hannibal, Sorcia, and Icas sat inside her SUV. They parked on Evan’s tree lined block, down the street from his house. Anya spoke with Rebecca on the phone a moment ago and Hannibal grew interested in the conversation. He scanned Rebecca’s photo and information on his wrist device.

“This Rebecca Li is very pretty. Her eyes...they are shaped different,” said Hannibal, showing the image to Icas and Sorcia in the back seat.

“That’s because she’s Asian. We don’t have such a nation on Eres. And why are you checking her information? She doesn’t matter,” said Anya.

“Every leverage we can use matters, my lady,” he replied.

Anya narrowed her eyes.

“...Whatever, listen up. We need to slow all of this down. Opening that gate and letting you barons into this world extended the atmosphere’s recharge time. So the gate in Rylan’s yard can’t open again until Saturday,” said Anya.

“But my lady,” whispered Hannibal, “I believe with two grounders we can open a gate any-”

“And I think you shouldn’t second guess me, baron,” snarled Anya, glaring at Hannibal.

“...Yes m’lady,” he lowered his eyes.

In the back seat Sorcia and Icas muttered between them. Anya turned to them.

“Do you two have a problem?” she asked.

“No m’lady. Baron Sorcia and I agree with you,” said Icas. “It’s best we bide our time and get a layout of the diamond vault-”

“Your desire to gather information is wise baron Icas, and I appreciate it. But we needn’t be conservative on taking the diamonds. We’ll merely smash through the vault and leave this planet before the earthlings know what hit them.

“But my lady- Oof!” cried Icas as Sorcia elbowed his rib.

“Quiet fool, the duchess gave you your orders,” growled Sorcia.

“Hmph!” pouted Anya, staring at Sorcia in gratitude for her loyalty.

“Heh heh,” Sorcia chuckled, with a bow.

But all motion stopped in the SUV when Evan’s porch light turned on. Evan exited his front door and walked to his truck. Anya started her SUV, and keeping her headlights off on the dark block, she drove toward his driveway at a creeping pace.

“As soon as we get close, hit him with a force field,” said Anya to Hannibal as they pulled up to Evan’s house.

Hannibal popped open the driver’s side door to leap out at Evan, but Sorcia saw it first.

“A Sentinel!” she screamed from the back seat.

Appearing from nowhere and flying fast behind the SUV, Leif’s dented sentinel opened fire on them. Anya and each baron reflexively surrounded the vehicle in force fields, as the sentinel’s powerful laser blasts bounced off their shields with sparks.

“Fuck! That thing will bring cops, we gotta go!” yelled Anya.

But outside Evan witnessed the commotion on the street and jumped in his truck. Before Anya could leave the scene Evan peeled out of his driveway and sped down the block.

“My lady, follow him!” cried Hannibal!

“I know!”

Anya floored the pedal in pursuit of Evan. And above them the sentinel stopped firing and flew fast in front of Anya and toward Evan’s pick up truck. When it reached Evan’s pick up it faced its lasers toward Anya’s pursuing SUV then dropped its body out of the air and into Evan’s flat bed. Inside the SUV the barons gaped at the sentinel’s actions.

“That sentinel is conserving its power by riding in that boy’s vehicle, but not firing,” said Icas, “Why?”

Anya smiled.

“Hm hm hm, my clever son must have programmed it. He upgraded it with a higher performance learning processor,” said Anya.

“Eh? You mean that old beat up sentinel learns faster than your standard sentinel?” asked Hannibal as he watched the machine bounce around in Evan’s pick up truck, still ready to fire its lasers at them.

“Yes, and from the looks of that trash can, it’s a combat veteran so it's learned strategy from previous battles. It failed to kill us when it first ambushed, so it’s not going to fire on us again in a public place,” said Anya with a prideful grin.

“A smart sentinel, how interesting. It seems the Marquis Alexander takes after his mother in engineering and science,” said Icas to Anya.

“Thank you, baron Icas. My son Leif is a bright young man when he’s not acting a fool with his sister,” said Anya. She then turned in her seat and faced Sorcia, “And a handsome young man as well, in need of a bride.”

Sorcia blushed full red at Anya’s comment.

“Yes, m’lady...he’s quite handsome indeed,” said Sorcia with a smile.

Anya slowed her SUV and allowed Evan’s pickup truck to advance a full block distance. She continued her pursuit, but kept a safe range from the sentinel’s laser cannons in Evan’s truck bed.

“As soon as he drives out of public view that sentinel will fly up out of his truck and fire on us again, so be ready,” said Anya to the barons in her SUV.

“Aye m’lady!” they answered.

Night in the Desert

Leif’s wrist monitor lit up as the sentinel in Evan’s pick up truck sent real time reports to him about the chase. The sentinel provided complete data, to include how many pursuers in Anya’s SUV, and current distance from Evan’s truck.

“Damn you Mother, I knew you’d go after Evan simply because you disapprove of him!” Leif shouted, slamming the table with his fist.

He explained the situation to Maya and Rylan, who understood they needed to help Evan. Rylan considered the options and took command.

“Leif, there are only three barons and Anya chasing Evan. And I think we can call a truce with Anya!” said Rylan.

“What? Why would you think that, my mother is a killer?” shouted Maya.

“I know!” said Rylan, “But something’s not right….It’s like Leif said...she’s holding back for some reason and I think we might be able to talk to her!”

Maya shook her head in disagreement, but Leif considered Rylan’s statement.

“I have three shots left in my pistol, and if I can get that sentinel back in one piece he can be an ally...but we literally need higher ground to negotiate with Mother,” said Leif.

Rylan snapped his finger.

“Table Rock! Leif, text Evan right now, tell him to drive out to Table Rock in the desert. He knows where it is,” said Rylan.

“Is it high ground?” asked Leif.

“A little bit, it’s a rocky area and provides us cover to make our demands!” said Rylan.

Maya shot up from her chair.

“That’s a terrible idea,” she shouted. “Why don’t you tell him to drive to an open public place and we set up a meet there?”

“Because Anya won’t have any leverage that way and will just kidnap or kill someone else we know if she can’t have Evan...But if we make our stand now and force her hand in the desert, we might bring her to reasonable terms,” said Rylan.

“What reasonable terms Rylan?” barked Maya.

Rylan paused.

“...I open the gate, her and her goons leave,” he answered.

Maya smirked.

“It won’t be that easy!” she said.

Rylan nodded in agreement, and stared at his palms.

“I know. But I think I can persuade her,” he said as his hands pulsed with ampsediun energy.

Maya stared at Rylan’s hands and hugged him.

“Rylan, you don’t want to go against the barons or my mother..they’re warriors,” she said.

“I know, Maya,” he caressed her face, “But I’m not going to run from them...and I will protect my sister and you!”

Maya blushed and felt Rylan’s strength in his touch. But she feared the events to come.

“Right, so we’ve no choice, sister!” growled Leif, prepping his leather armor for battle.

“What about Chloe?” asked Maya, clutching the little girl who sat quietly watching television.

“She’ll have to come with us!” said Rylan.

Chloe sat up and faced them.

“It’s okay Maya, I’m not afraid,” she said, understanding the gravity of the situation.

“We’ll protect her,” said Leif rubbing Chloe’s head. “And as soon as we meet Evan the sentinel with him is programmed to guard Chloe on sight!” said Leif.

“Yay! Mr. Sentinel will defend me!” Chloe cheered trying to convince Maya.

Maya held her reservations and smiled for Chloe, while the Rylan and Leif formed a plan.

Orders

Anya kept her distance while pursuing Evan’s pick up. Suddenly his pick up took a right turn off the road and barrelled full speed into the pitch black desert. An unforeseen move by the barons.

“Where’s he going?” asked Sorcia.

Anya smirked.

“Hmph...he’s taking us to them,” she said.

“So it’s a trap?” Hannibal asked with a smile.

“I hope so, let’s spring it!” shouted Icas.

Hannibal turned to Icas in the back and communicated something to him with a look. Icas understood Hannibal clearly. From his seat behind Anya, Icas dug in his pouch and extracted three tiny marbles.

“You know what you have to do,” he whispered to the marbles.

Icas lowered his window and tossed the marbles into the desert night. The marbles took flight and exploded to the size of oil barrels, becoming sentinels.

“Go,” Icas whispered into his wrist device.

The three sentinels shot across the black desert sky, with one absolute order….

Assassinate Anya’s son, Leif Alexander….and no one else.

...