Operation Tenley (18 page)

And in what could only be seen as a miracle, milliseconds before his log disappeared, Emmie’s father caught her.

Holden started to cheer but the force with which Tenley had thrown the little girl was strong enough to keep pulling Tenley over the side of the waterfall.

“Tenley!” Holden screamed, lunging his hand out for her foot.

Just as he caught it, a huge roar, not unlike the sound of marbles getting stuck in a vacuum cleaner, covered everything like a blanket.

00:00:07

Adventures, Inc.

“Good day, Commander.”

“Your Fairship.” Dan saluted the figure hovering above him.

“I apologize for being a little early. This group was very
eager
to get here.”

Dan stepped out of the log and directly onto the water, which was frozen in jagged splashes. Pennie squeezed her eyes, then opened them again. Dan Ringer? Why was he talking to Fair Force?

Pennie wiggled her fingers and touched her face. Everything around her was frozen. And every
one
. Holden’s frozen body stretched across the hardened waterfall with one hand grabbing Tenley’s ankle. Tenley’s body was halfway over the side, her long blond hair fanning out behind her and a look of sheer terror on her face. They were at least twenty meters off the ground.

“Just another day at the human zoo, I see,” a snarky voice said.

Pennie recognized it.

Lady Fairship slipped off her hood and sneered down at the frozen scene of weary parents and screaming children littering the grounds of the theme park.

“Ah, there you are, Fair One
penn 1
. Commander,” she turned to Dan, “why don’t you tell me what’s going on here?”

“There was an incident. Ten seconds before your arrival, your Fairship. I believe the client used her element again.”

“It was only to help a little girl!” Pennie shouted up to her.

“Silence, Fair One!” Lady Fairship ordered. “Still with the interrupting, I see.”

Pennie shut her mouth. Arguing with Lady Fairship could only end badly.

“So am I to understand that we travelled all this way to complete the deletion process, only to discover that ten seconds ago the client broke the contract and once again used her element?”

“Yes, your Fairship. I will contact Headquarters to inform them that we will be transporting the client back with us for a complete erase now instead.” Dan revealed his tool belt under his dark-blue hoodie.

“What? No!” Pennie yelled. “You don’t understand!”

Lady Fairship dropped lower to address her. “I’m not sure what you think we don’t understand. Commander
dnrgr
has been monitoring the attempt on your client’s Right to Delete, which was about to be found successful. Your client
would have
remained here on Earth as a non-elemented human.”

“But I told you—” Pennie stepped forward, tripping on a jagged splash of frozen water.

“However, after this latest development, we find ourselves right back where we started in Room Thirty-three. Your client is headed to Fair City for an Immediate Erase.” Lady Fairship snapped at the Fair Force above her. “And unfortunately, you, Fair One, are to be banished.”

Two Fair Force zoomed down and grabbed Pennie’s shoulders.

“Your Fairship! My client had no choice. The little girl was drowning. She was going to
die
.”

“I’m sad to hear it. Arrest her.”

The Fair Force jerked Pennie’s arms behind her.

Pennie kicked at one of them, hitting his knee. She kicked the other one in the thigh. Both of them groaned and released their grips.

Pennie felt herself lift off the ground anyway.

“Sorry, your Fairship.” It was Dan. “It’s the gravity. Most of the Force aren’t up to speed yet.” But Dan, of course, was plenty acclimated. He kept his hold on Pennie while she remained hovering a few feet off the ground.

Lady Fairship crossed her arms. “Attacking Fair Force now, Fair One? Are you hoping to get your entire family banished as well?”

“My family? No, please, Lady Fairship.” The thought of her mother and siblings left to float in space for all eternity made Pennie go weak.

Lady Fairship enjoyed watching her threat take hold. “It’s
one
order away.”

Dan tightened his grip.

“You two,” Lady Fairship ordered the recovering Fair Force. “Get the client.”

“Lady Fairship,” Pennie said feebly. “Could my client see her mother one last time?”

Lady Fairship rolled her eyes. “You’re the most pitiful Fair One in Fair City. You were obviously too emotional for the job anyway.”

Pennie felt a thud on her head. Fair Force were not allowed to use aggressive force against a Fair One, but that was in Fair City. Who knew what they could do here.

It wasn’t just Pennie who was getting bombarded, though. Fair Force all around started to duck and take cover. Loud clankings were followed by painful crunching sounds while whatever it was falling through the air began hitting propellers. A few blades crunched down to a momentary halt before throwing off whatever had clogged them.

Stroons. Raining down from a wind tunnel above them.

A pair of Fair Force backed into each other with a sickening crunch of their blades. They landed hard on top of the frozen water. Another stroon hit Pennie on the shoulder. Lady Fairship pulled something out of her tool belt. A hologram wand.

The rest of the Fair Force pulled out the same device. Dan kept a tight hold on Pennie as he reached for his and pointed it at the wind tunnel.

“Fair Force! On my com—”

Before he finished, the wind tunnel broke apart into a swirl of white robes with a long red beard and a bald head on top.

Laraby
.

Fair Force grabbed him quickly. Laraby raised both arms in surrender.

“Name and rank,” Lady Fairship demanded.

“Fair One,
lara b3
, your Fairship,” he stuttered. “I’m sorry about the stroons, they flew out of my robes.”

“Arrest him.”

“Rule #567893 under section Z03965 in
The Rules and Regulations
!”

Lady Fairship glared at him. “What?”

“Rule #567893
: A client who risks his own life to save another life nullifies any and all elemental infractions up to said point and time.
” Laraby spoke so quickly he had to catch his breath. He sneaked a look down at Pennie, glanced back at the two Fair Force holding him, and then returned to Lady Fairship, who still had yet to respond. “Which
means,
” he continued, “that Fair One
penn 1
’s client no longer needs to be erased.”

Lady Fairship narrowed her eyes.

“In other words,” Laraby said, pointing at the waterfall. “Fair One
penn 1
’s client saved that little girl’s life. She risked her own life to do so. Which means that using her element again was, in this case, not a crime. The client may continue on with her Right to Delete, and after her powers have been deleted, she may remain on Earth as an un-elemented human. And Fair One
PENN 1
no longer needs to be banished.” He paused. “Should I say it again? Or are we all good?”

Fuming, Lady Fairship propelled herself closer to the waterfall to inspect the frozen Tenley. After a quick look, she summoned Dan, who dropped Pennie back down on top of the frozen water.

“Are you sure about this, Lar?” Pennie whispered.

“Completely.” Laraby nodded. Then hesitated. Then nodded again. “I’m completely sure. Oh, and I got your subtle not-so-subtle request for the hologram ad. I brought the Intel.”

“No talking,” one of the Fair Force warned.

Dan propelled back over to them. Lady Fairship kept her distance.

“It seems,” Dan reported. “Fair One
lara b3
is correct. Rule #567893 applies. You may release him, Fair Force.”

Laraby landed with a smack on top of the frozen water. He winced and gathered himself to stand.

“Thank you, Laraby.” Pennie’s voice shook.

“It was luck, really.” He tapped on his earpiece. “I just happened to be listening to the audio version of
The Manual
right before the journey down here, and then I overheard what was going on.”

“Fair Force, you may prepare the client for permanent deletion of her element upon our return to Fair City,” Dan ordered.

A Fair Force holding a skullcap with various cords attached to it started toward the frozen Tenley.

“Wait, Commander!” One of the Fair Force propelled closer to Dan. “We have a problem, sir. There are seven seconds left on the clock.”

Dan looked confused.

“We’ll need to let those expire before our systems can begin the return transportation process.”

“I see,” Dan said.

Lady Fairship zoomed over. A wide smile crossed her face. “We will allow the seven seconds to pass, then. After which, we will see what we’re left with.”

Laraby mumbled something.

Pennie turned to him. “Seven seconds? But—”

“Exactly,” Laraby agreed. “Excuse me, your Fairship, Commander. As you can see, the client is in a clear and present danger. It’s highly unlikely she will survive the seven seconds.”

Pennie’s heart sank. If time resumed where it left off, Tenley, and maybe even Holden, would plummet over the waterfall. There would be no need for a permanent deletion.
Or
an immediate erase. The waterfall was too high.

“My client, too, is in a dangerous position,” Laraby continued.

“Yes, I see that. Pity. Commander?” Lady Fairship turned to him. “What are the chances of either client surviving the fall?”

“Zero.”

“Your Fairship,” Laraby tried to sound casual. “If we could only turn back a little time to get both clients to safety—”

“Lovely thought. Can’t be done.” Lady Fairship nodded to Dan, who turned away to signal the rest of the troops. “We are not allowed to turn back time on Earth, only freeze it temporarily, as I’m sure
you,
Fair One
lara b3
,
are very well aware. Rule #1, section
1
. You will have seven seconds to save them.”

Pennie felt her knees buckle.

“But the problem is how?” Lady Fairship continued. “You don’t have your tools. And we are not authorized to lend you ours. I have an idea though.” She propelled lower to Pennie. “If you were to use a Renegade Weather to help you here, to bring your clients to safety so we can proceed with the transport and deletion, we’ll look the other way this time. In fact, we’ll even help you contact one.”

She gave Dan a silent order.

“In exchange, however, you, Fair One
penn 1
, will be required to stay here on Earth. We can explain to Headquarters that you were simply overcome with despair when your client was deleted of her element. You were
so distraught
, in fact, that you stole our tools and removed your own ID chip to remain untraceable to Fair Force forevermore. Sound good?”

“You want me to remove my chip?” Pennie touched the back of her head where the chip had been implanted.

Lady Fairship hovered higher. “Do I detect some hesitation? How very peculiar. One would have expected you to jump at the chance to avoid Administration and stay here with your beloved client. Now I’m wondering if it was just her element that made you so fond of her. Her personality is rather, shall we say, self-absorbed?”

Pennie’s head began to swirl. Staying here with Tenley Tylwyth for the rest of her life? Posting nail tutorials? And after Tenley was gone, what then? A Fair One could live for up to two hundred years. Two hundred years on planet Earth with no purpose. No identity. No propellers.

Laraby cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Lady Fairship, but removing a Fair One’s identity chip is against
Manual
rules.”

A flash of rage crossed Lady Fairship’s face. “Fortunately, there are still a few top-secret privileges the Original Eights possess, Fair One.” She turned to Pennie. “We’ll need your answer rather immediately, I’m afraid.”

Pennie looked over at Tenley. Dan was right; there was no chance that she’d survive the fall. In the next seven seconds, Tenley would be dead.

“Holden might make it,” Pennie said quietly.

Pennie felt a punch in her gut for Mrs. Tylwyth. If Tenley had been erased, all memories of her would have been erased as well. But not this way. This way, Mrs. Tylwyth was going to lose her child in a tragic accident. And be heartbroken forever.

She couldn’t let that happen.

“Call in the Renegade Weathers. I’ll stay.”

“No!” Laraby yelled.

“Yes,” Pennie nodded sadly.

Lady Fairship propelled higher and addressed her troops. “Fair One
lara b3
will need to have all memory of this incident stripped. Deliver him to City Hall upon our return. And you,” she pointed to a small petrified Fair Force. “You will remove
penn 1
’s ID Chip and make sure it gets scrambled. Transport will be sent for you immediately following.”

The petrified Fair Force dipped his head. “Yes, Lady Fairship.”

Two Fair Force dropped down to retrieve Laraby.

“Please, Pennie, make sure the Renegade Weathers catch my client too,” he said.

Pennie’s eyes started to tear.

“Prepare to evacuate,” Lady Fairship ordered. “Present time will resume in sixty seconds.”

“Wait! The Renegade Weathers,” Pennie panicked. “You haven’t called them in yet!”

Lady Fairship snickered before pulling her hood up. Above her, a white vortex was falling through the sky.

“Lady Fairship, the Weathers! You said you’d call them!” Laraby screamed.

Lady Fairship activated her propellers, shot up toward the vortex, and disappeared inside it.

“She lied to us,” Laraby yelled down to Pennie. “She’s going to let them die.”

“What do we do?”

“Family is always there to catch you when you fall!
” Laraby cried out.

The entire fleet of Fair Force, save the one waiting with Pennie, began propelling up into the whirling vortex, which was hovering now.

“
Family is always there to catch you when you fall
!” Laraby shrieked again.