Star Rebellion (32 page)

I quickly briefed Icestar on how to use the latches; it was something that the field agents were trained in on Calsh because of some of the craters that riddled the Barrens. Those craters had been tested for bungee-jumping. Darkstar tried it once, but he didn’t do so well.

After triple checking the security straps on Ice’s pack, he stood on the window ledge and stuck the first latch onto the rope. “See you at the top…” he said before stepping into thin air.

My breath caught as I saw the rope jerk around before steadying out. I think I could even see Ice’s chest deflate as he released a withheld breath. He smiled at me before pinning in the second latch and pulling on a few times to make sure it was sturdy, then releasing the first one. He would be rising about a foot a minute, and had twenty floors to go. At least this method didn’t take much body strength to perform.

I settled down in a defendable nook and pulled the book that I had left on the ground closer to me, while propping a few throwing knives around me and checking the ammo cartridge in the revolver. Wasn’t much else to do besides guard myself and read until Huang said Ice was in the copter. Demon claws on the floor would probably get my attention from the book. Hopefully, I think. I couldn’t risk going up any more flights of stairs for two reasons. One, the building may interfere with the headset connection, and two I could encounter demons in a large open space where they could attack from behind, while when I’m in the room, I can see when they enter.

Static came through the headphones and I reflexively grabbed for a few knives. Once I realized that it actually hadn’t been the demons and was Ice’s headset, I sat down one of the knives and messed with the tuner to clear up the voices. It may seem like ancient technology, but Ice likes old school stuff at times, and he was unsure of what connection could be received on Earth.

“What’s happened?”

“Ice is up here. The rope is ready for you now.”

I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “I’ll get ready.”

I pulled myself up while remaining armed. It was starting to freak me out that I still hadn’t heard anything from the demons. They should’ve broken through the locks by now, and for some reason I doubted that they would be able to track us by smell. Vlad had probably mentioned it to me at some point. But I mean, they were predators after all, weren’t they?

I reluctantly left the book on the ground where I had been waiting; didn’t need to weigh myself down while trying to climb twenty or more stories. I checked the straps on both of my packs and made sure both latches were securely tied to the rigging on the backpack Huang had sent on the rope.

I walked over to the window and looked down. Bad idea. I know you probably could have already guessed this, but thirty-two floors is a hell of a long way down.

I pulled back from the window and caught my breath a few times and swallowed. Come on! I was freaking Waterstar, scared of nothing. I love danger. I raced a car toward a cliff at near seventy miles per hour. I’ve driven Cerberus 99 over a tower of demon bodies. I’ve fought Lucifer and countless demons. Fine, maybe five demons. Whatever. I can climb a freaking rope suspended thirty stories in the air.

I took another breath and steeled myself before gripping the sides of the window, not caring that broken glass pierced my skin from where I had shot the window. I carefully pulled myself to a crouching position on the sill and reached for the rope. I could see the punctures from where Ice had put the latches previously, and I tried to place mine in the same spots. No need to wear out the threading anymore than possible.

When the starter latch clicked, I pulled a few times just to make sure that it was secure. Alright Waterstar… just step into the air. Come on… There!

My heart plummeted as I felt the rope swing around, but the rigging and latch held my weight. Half the battle was done, now just for the way up.

You know that catchy Earth song “One Step in Front of the Other”? Well, I currently had that playing through my head in a very cheerful comparison to what I was actually doing. Instead of falling onto my face if I had a misplaced “step”, I would be plummeting to a certain death. Damn did I need to make sure the latches were secured. A little over exaggeration never hurts anyone.

But, of course, life really sucks for me. I estimated that I was probably halfway to the helicopter when it happened. It wasn’t even the freaking latches that gave out. I knew that there was something up with the demons when they hadn’t come barging into the room earlier.

I was focused only on the rope in front of my face, refusing to look up at the helicopter or down at the pavement only Angles knows how far below me. The rope had started swinging, which wasn’t completely unusual by this point. I had already gone through a nasty gust of wind earlier which had me clinging to the rope for its duration. This was different though. I couldn’t feel the wind blowing around me, just the rope moving.

It wasn’t until I heard the frantic static over the headset. I stopped my progress with the rope and tuned the receiver to pick up what Huang was saying.

“-THERE NOW! WATERSTAR CAN YOU HEAR ME?!” Ice’s shouts came through the headphones.

“What?!” I shouted back, the paranoia was starting to set in.

“Demons! THEY’RE PULLING THE GODDAMN ROPE! Huang won’t move until you give an all clear that you’re secured on the rope!”

“Damn it, MOVE THEN!”

But it had been too late by that point.

I finally looked up. I first registered the helicopter since it took up such a large part of the sky. I was close to the top, probably only a couple of stories left to go. I could even see some details in Ice’s panic-stricken face barely visible around the huge oil tub underneath the copter.

My eyes traveled down the rope and my heart stopped. The demon I had seen earlier leading the charge was there, braving the sunlight that had peeked through the clouds. With one massive arm gripping the building with enough force to crush a few of the bricks, it was reaching for the rope with the other.

It was maybe a story ahead of me.

I could hear the engine of the helicopter whine as it tried to pull so much weight higher into the air. This wasn’t going to go well. The demon managed to grab the rope at the last second, but instead of climbing onto it, the demon positioned the threads between his claws.

It was cutting the rope....

It… was cutting the rope….

What was happening only registered in my mind when I felt the jerk as the last of the rope was cut. My hair rushed past my face as I felt my body falling, falling. My mind scattered and I remembered looking from the thirty-second floor to the ground below. That had been almost twenty floors previously though. Imagine how much further it must be now.

I stopped breathing. I was going into shock. This… this couldn’t be happening.

I could hear Ice shouting my name. I wasn’t sure if it was through the headset or if his voice was actually loud enough for me to hear over the roaring air and the whine of the helicopter.

This wasn’t happening.

I should be able to stop this.

Memories started flowing through my mind, and at first I thought I was having one of those corny seeing my life flash through my eyes right before death moments, but actually, it was only one memory, involving dog snot.

Right, I had done something like this before. The falling from a high place thing.

Except that had only been twenty feet. I think the point of the memory, however, was that my ability to manipulate energy had proved before that I could fly. It escaped me how I couldn’t remember this earlier, instead of climbing a huge-ass rope.

I started gathering energy beneath me like I had way back then, but it just wasn’t working. I felt my decent slow a tad bit, but not much. I tried even harder, focusing my mind and trying to draw the energy underneath me, even if it wasn’t to fly, just to slow my momentum enough not to be deadly.

It still wasn’t working though.

Something about Earth must dull the Rebellion’s powers. What the freaking hell!

I started panicking again, this just could not be my day, could it? First I have to try and reason with an angry Chinese man, then lure a ton of demons into an abandoned apartment, get chased by said demons, then fall fifty stories to my death. Next time you think you’re having a bad day, remember this instant.

My body was rotating in the air, due to my frantic struggling from the fear of this, making me sick. Some moments I could see the ground rapidly approaching me while others I was looking at the helicopter. In a detached part of my brain, I imagined what I must look like from their point of view. This must suck butts for Icestar to watch someone plumage to their death.

For some reason, my mind couldn’t wrap around the fact that I was going to die, no matter what now. My power wasn’t working. No one so far has survived such a fall, not that I’m aware of. Maybe I should’ve wished for a parachute.

I was in a rotation looking at the ground again. It was close. Like, really close. Like, I could actually make out some stuff that was down there now. If I had to guess, I’d say that I was probably ten or less stories away.

Now my mind decided to come to face the reality of the situation.

My breathing, what little I was able to manage with all the air rushing around me, wasn’t doing so well anymore. My chest clenched and I could feel my eyes open even wider. Small whimpering noises were coming unwanted through my parted lips.

This was happening.

Chapter 19: A Visit From the Terrorists

DARKSTAR

              Fire and I finally made it to the airport, and he had engaged Erik in an excited conversation about everything that we had seen while I took the more silent approach, as usual. Take the first time you have been to an airport. Remember the exotic feel and the anticipation you had to get somewhere else, or even just to get on an airplane.

              Then imagine if that had happened when you had no clue what an airplane really looked like in person. I’m sure you had at least seen some flying overhead from your backyard or something.

              Damn were Firestar and I amazed by just the airport alone.

              Seriously. Just try and imagine if airplanes and such were things that you would never be able to see. Like, they didn’t exist in your world period.

              Then imagine walking into one for the first time. In Russia, of all places. That was just interesting.

              I felt like Waterstar with how much excitement I had building up in me. I was supposed to be the calm and collected one, so I kept my composure. I could do this. I could keep poker faced.

              Erik led us down a few corridors, completely bypassing the security check with just a wave of his badge. Wasn’t that a completely illegal thing? What if we were carrying bombs? I mean, Fire had a huge sword lying across his back and they just let him waltz right through.

              Apparently it didn’t matter when you were the driver and manservant to the top power of the country. You could just wave a pass and viola! Problem solved.

              “Mr. Erik?” I eventually cut Firestar off.

              “Yes, young sir?” The Russian turned to look at me. I’m not necessarily a short person, but I had to look up at the man to look into his eyes, as is polite for conversation.

              “Do you have the time, by chance?” Before we left, Foreststar had given us a rundown of how long a plane ride would be from Saint Petersburg to Rome, which ironically was almost the same as the time difference between the two cities, three hours. That meant that we should leave Russia by nine p.m. at the latest, and though I doubted it to be past noon by now, political men were known to take their time and ignore punctuality unless it was completely mandatory, and I hadn’t wanted to confess why we were going to Rome, especially not in front of those advisers.

              Erik looked down at his watch. “11:42” he said then paused. “Are you hungry?”

              Firestar eagerly nodded his head, and I let my professional demeanor slip enough to laugh at my comrade. “I suppose so sir.”

              “The, ah, Mister Moscow,” it had taken him a moment to remember the name, and I supposed that his brother had informed him on what we called the Russian leader, “has given me instructions to get you anything that you request. I know a restaurant that has decent food here, and some other ones nearby that are even better.” He smiled at the end of this. I was able to figure out that Erik had more practice of the English language than Alexei because his accent wasn’t as pronounced and he hesitated less over most words.

              “I’m sure Firestar is in a similar position as me, but I have never experienced Russian cuisine. What is a place you would suggest to foreigners?” I also smiled, but with this man I didn’t feel like it was for the benefit of political politeness where a single mishap could ruin the entire deal. It was more so a sign of respect between two individuals.

              “Russian food is the greatest there is, young sir. I will take you to my favorite restaurant.” He chuckled at the end of this and took us once more outside of the airport. From the look the security guards gave us as we walked out, I had a feeling that they were annoyed that we had walked all of the way in there for what seemed to be a pointless venture, bypassing many people in an ever replenishing line.