ODE TO THE END: A BALLAD OF BROTHERS

CHAPTER 37

Achim's eruption from his shackles was a sight that went unseen. The dark boy blasted the Caitlyn Queen and her tea-toting lackie against the wall. He then disappeared and, in a blur, seized Naomi's mother by the backwards bend of her arm. It was in the woman's instincts to resist, even if this was her plan, but, after checking her strength against his, Mave knew that she was in the dark boy's custody for better or for worse.

As static spilled onto her skin, the Warden General looked to the recovering soldier. She saw a deepening terror in the young agent's eyes, and death in the image of Achim reflected by the soldier's tears. His murderous intent was like the depths of the infinite deep. Mave could feel it. So much so that, without thought, she screamed at Achim. "You will not kill my agents!"

Mave could feel the tightening tendons of Achim's killing hand. He was hesitating, her voice having overpowered him more than any amount of strength could. Alas, the warden agent got back on his wobbling feet and shouted, "Halt!" It was a hollow command that was given on a terrible stutter, a stutter that stemmed from fear and injury.

Mave heard the dark boy tsk his teeth. She then felt the cold blade of the knife so roguishly donated to him earlier pressing against her throat. "Move and she dies," threatened the dark boy. Achim spoke with such spite that Mave believed he meant the threat, but she was soon relieved by a whisper. "Where am I supposed to go?"

"Elevator," Mave whispered back. The instruction was woefully rudimentary. Mave knew this, but her position was difficult to say the least. She was thinking of a way to give more than what she had already, but off went the alarm. The system was activated by the agent Mave demanded Achim to spare. There was no more time for thought. Wailing sirens blared to the whirls of red and yellow lights, but, before the Caitlyn Queen commanded Achim to go, he was already gone.

Without warning he moved the woman at speeds for which she could never prepare. He wound around the checkpoint in an instant and spirited the queen through the prison as feint commands to stop slithered in and out of earshot in less than a second. There were other defenses in his way, deadly precautions that made the Warden General worry  , but the expensive tech Warden implored would only amount to special effect to Achim's theatrical escape.

As if a mouse in the dark boy's pocket, Mave saw the tunneling perspective of a monster vaulting high barricades, slithering between bullet spray, and sliding through enclosing walls. The red and yellow color of the alarm lights blended orange during the quick escape, and sound contorted around their high-speed movement until the world snapped back into place like elastic. Achim had stopped.

They had gone so far so quickly that Mave did not realize they had reached the elevator upon arrival. A moment was required, but, as soon as she regained her senses, the Warden General ripped from Achim grip and rushed to the elevator control panel. She quickly dialed the proper input and so began the slow arrival of their only way out.

"Why is it taking so long," complained the moon-eyed speedster.

"Do not worry about that," said Mave. "Even if"-- The alcohol Mave had previously guzzled emerged in a spew. The vomit, no doubt triggered by Achim's disorienting stunt, stopped Mave's thoughts while giving the boy an entirely new reason to complain. He knelt against the wall far away from the puke, but his disgust could not hide his exhaustion. Mave gave herself no such reprieve. She simply spat out the remaining bile and got back to putting in the passcode.

The pressure was on, the alarms were sounding, and agents everywhere were no doubt converging onto their location, but, even amid the chaos, Mave noticed that the dark boy was panting. "We do not have time for you to be tired, Mr. Arbitor."

"Shut up," said a heaving Achim. He crawled to his feet, but the boy did not stand as stout as Mave would have liked. "The elevator though! Where the hell is it," asked the hurried boy. "Does it even have power when the alarms are going off?!"