Chapter 37
Ambush

Aaron found him about halfway between the airport and hangers, lying in the grass. As he knelt next to the fallen body of Fred, Aaron prayed that he was alright.

The moment Aaron touched Fred, the boy seemed to return to life. He panicked and started to pull away, screaming “Don’t touch me!”

“Fred!” Aaron exclaimed, startled.

“Get away from me!” Fred continued to try to break free of Aaron’s grip, but the man had a tight hold on his shoulder. “Let me go!”

“I swore to protect you!” Aaron said.

Fred spat. “Can you save me from yourself?” He finally pulled away, and crawled backwards a few feet. Then he stopped. He held out his hand. In it was the ring. “I’ve been thinking…” He said. “Could you take it? You’d use it for good!”

For a moment, just a moment, Aaron wanted to take the ring. But then something stopped him. He remembered that he did not serve himself. He served the world, and the world wanted him to refuse the ring. He took FredÂ’s fingers and closed them around the ring. When he looked into the boyÂ’s eyes, he knew what he was planning to do. And there would be no stopping him.

“I would have followed you,” Aaron said. “Into Czaron’s lair, and to the very computer itself.”

Fred nodded. “I know. Take care of the others. Especially Sam. He won’t understand.”

Aaron nodded. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a high-pitched beeping. The sound of helicopters suddenly pierced the air. Aaron stood suddenly and looked up into the sky. Several military helicopters were descending on the runway. Aaron didn’t recognize the markings on the sides, strange emblems that depicted a earth encircled by the phrase “Imperial Order”. But he knew they were bad.

“Here,” he said. He withdrew a set of keys from his pocket and thrust them into Fred’s hands. “These are keys to a getaway car around in the parking lot. Near the door. Small red car. License plate says ‘Gov One-fifty’. And this,” he pulled out a fake id and handed it to Fred, “is a fake id stating you are seventeen and can drive.”

Fred nodded. “Thanks.”

“Run,” Aaron ordered. Then he turned and took off towards the runway, pulling out his handgun. Soldiers were jumping out of the now-landed helicopters. Several spotted Aaron and opened fire. He rolled behind a luggage carrier and started to fire back. One’s forehead exploded in a shower of blood, another soldier lost a leg. Aaron fired again and again, and the enemy fired back.

Suddenly, Liam and George catapulted around the corner. Their weapons came out, and the runway exploded into a fierce firefight.

* * *

Ling watched the carnage on the runway below. His copter still circled above, watching. He pulled out his radio and gave a status report to his team.

“Two of the teenagers are running for the RV. Stop them, and bring them to me. Kill the others. Bring me their heads. The bloodier the better.”

Emperor White would like that.

* * *

Martin ran just a little behind his cousin. Phil had suggested they start looking in the RV, and that was what they were going to do. Martin could hear the sounds of the copters and the gunfire from the runway. What was going on out there?

A helicopter flew over them. Martin watched as it touched down a little ways down the parking lot. Soldier began to dismount.

ThatÂ’s when he saw Fred. His cousin was crouched behind a car, waiting for the right moment to dash for safety. Unfortunately, the soldiers were between him and the airport. As Martin watched, he knew what they had to do.

“Phil!” he called. His cousin stopped. “We have to lure the soldiers out of here!”

Phil turned. He, too, saw Fred. And he, too, made the same choice Martin made. He started dancing and waving his arms. “Hey! Hey! Over here!” Then he started to run in the opposite direction as the airport. Martin ran after him, and the soldier followed them.

Martin only hoped that they could give Fred enough time to escape.

* * *

Fred watched Martin, Phil, and the soldiers run off. Then he took his chance. Springing from his crouched position, he bolted for the getaway car. He almost made it, too. But suddenly, something grabbed him and yanked him off the ground until he dangled in the air by the back of his shirt.

“Not so fast,” a cold voice intoned. “You won’t escape from me this time.”

Fred was turned until he was staring into cold, grey eyes. The man who had Fred in his icy grip was tall, dark-haired, and wearing a generalÂ’s outfit, complete with medals. He was also holding a handgun.

“Who… who are you?” Fred demanded.

The man chuckled. “Oh, you know who I am. You’ve met me before.”

“Where?” Fred asked.

“The Kentucky farm, before I was shot…” the man intoned. “The park in Illinois, before I was burned… the Bridge at St. Louis, before I was blown up… the trailer park in Oregon, before I was thrown aside like a rag doll…”

With a horrid jolt, Fred finally realized who was dangling him above the ground with a gun aimed at his heart. “Warren King…”

“The one and only,” King said coldly. “The one and only.”

To Be ContinuedÂ…