“What happened?” Cole hurried down the hall with the Senior Engineer to the observation deck.

“RCS sent fully weaponized equipment. One of the younger subjects used a sling to hurl a rock, causing some damage. The drones opened fire and killed the leader. The rest made it back into the shelter and the drones were shut down.”

“Find Dr. Abrams. He must maintain order with the subjects. I’ll handle the auditors.”

***

“Did you hear that?” Harlan Tisdale asked. “That was definitely more gunfire. What do you think is going on?” The crowd outside the front gates of the laboratory had grown many times larger overnight, the reinforcements still arriving, clogging the road, eliciting an ever larger and heavily armed police response. Tactical vehicles, surveillance drones, and patrol cars choked the surrounding roads.

“Is everyone here?” he continued, scanning the mob. His sidekick Terry shook his head, bewildered.

“I don’t know, man, I don’t know. Maybe we should pull everyone back…” He alternated worried looks between the police and their fellow protestors. The civilians shouted and pushed forward, while the police looked on, agitated and uncertain. “I really don’t know,” he concluded.

Harlan smiled, raising his binoculars. “This is going to be great.”

***

Abrams spoke into the dark screen.

“Who was on the exercise?”

“Tiras and three of the Firstlings. The machines killed Tiras. The Laos are in turmoil,” Ajax responded.

“It is time for Geulah.”

“What of Verdande? She is still with child.”

“It can’t be helped. Move.”

Abrams severed the link to Ajax, then keyed in codes launching the long-hidden programs and disabling security systems.

“Lech l’cha,” he murmured.

***

Spaulding cursed again, maneuvering his car through the traffic. With another burst of expletives, he drove onto the shoulder, then into the adjacent field, bouncing along, bypassing the other vehicles. He steered toward the flashing lights and pulled up to a cluster of police vehicles. Deputy Ben Davis hurried over.

“What the hell is all this?” Spaulding demanded.

“Protestors. ISP has a command post over there. Someone said there was gunfire inside the facility about an hour ago.”

“Jesus fucking…” Spaulding said, scanning the chaos. “Did you serve the warrant?”

Davis shook his head.

“Couldn’t get anyone at the gates.”

“Where’s the command post?”

Davis gestured toward the entrance and they pushed through the milling protestors.

***

Ajax found Surt in the training yard with the firstlings, distracting them from the news of Tiras’ death. Telemachos stood nearby, calm and alert.

It is time, Ajax signed quickly, scanning the towers.

Surt froze.

Take your cohorts as planned. Telemachos, keep the firstlings and greens quiet and away from the sentries. Surt has the juniors and rangers. I will handle the mothers and nursery.

Surt and Telemachos signed assent. Ajax continued.

You will know when to make the move. Disperse and lead them into the hills. As many as you can.

Ajax hurried away. Surt and Telemachos turned to the young ones, now alert to the disturbance and watching them, anxious and curious.

Ajax hurried inside the facility, down into the labs.

***

Cole put on a façade of calm control as he approached the group of auditors on the observation deck over the training yard. They watched one of the older C series with a group of the Epsilons below, huddled together.

The tall woman turned to him.

“Can we hear what they are saying? If this is part of their religious beliefs, I’d like to include that in our report. Are they discussing the death of the other subject?”

“Ah, yes, we do have that capability. We can use the conference room with the wall screens, and display multiple locations, with audio of course.” Cole turned to the staff escorting the group. “Can you take them there please?”

The tall woman held firm.

“No, we’ll continue watching from here. Perhaps a portable device can be connected to the audio so we can watch here and listen. Their reactions to what just happened are important information.”

Cole glanced back and forth to the staff member.

“Why don’t you arrange that? I must attend to an unexpected…meeting. I’ll join you shortly.”

The woman furrowed her brow.

“Is everything under control, Dr. Cole? We’ll need a full debrief on the demonstration. That was not what we expected based on your assurances.”

“Of course.”

“We’re going to need to revisit everything again. I’m requesting additional staff and we’ll be extending our stay.”

Cole rushed away.

***

Spaulding stood behind a row of screens with the ISP officers inside their mobile command post, isolated from the crowds by a protective perimeter. He pointed at one of the screens. “What’s that?”

“Inside the compound, long range shot. We can’t get closer, they keep warning us off and jamming. We’ve got two surveillance drones loitering at high altitude, keeping an eye on those.” The ISP captain tapped on another screen. “They look like combat UAVs, R&D versions I guess. Got some big guns. We think those are where the gunfire came from, but it was over before we got these up.”

“Is that why these people are all riled up?”

“Now it is. They started gathering last night, about the dogs. The gunfire set them off. We’ve got more back-up coming. We’re trying to coordinate with the facility security, but they aren’t responding. Just a bunch of ‘stand by’ bullshit.”

“Well, they’re going to have to let me in. I’ve got a warrant to serve on one of their employees.”

The three ISP officers looked at him, surprised. The commander shook his head.

“Of course you do. Okay, we’ll get working on that.”

***

Ajax approached Verdande, laying amidst a tangle of wires and tubes. She opened her eyes at his approach, barely able to turn her head. She frowned.

“You are injured.”

“It is nothing. Xerxes’ temper. It is time, Em. Geulah.” He began detaching monitor leads quickly, glancing at her. She smiled weakly. A technician silently joined him, while a second silenced alarms as they rang and tapped on consoles.

“It is too late. I will not survive. Save the infants,” Verdande croaked softly. She tried to lift her arm and touch him. “My warrior.”

He released straps while one tech administered medications and the other withdrew IV lines. “We must go now. I will bring the sisters. These others will help us.”

Three more lab workers entered with a large gurney. One assisted with detaching Verdande while another administered more medications. The third attached a portable monitor.

“She will go with you to help with the infants when it’s time,” one of the assistants said, nodding to a young woman in scrubs across the room hurriedly packing supplies into two large duffel bags.

Verdande opened her eyes again.

“My sisters. Attend to my sisters.”

“Yes, Em.”

***

Surt stood up and lifted one of the biggest firstlings and held him close.

“Like we practiced.” Judging the distance, he hefted the child, spun once, and heaved him twirling through the air to the roof line above. He heard a thud. The child looked over the edge and gestured an affirmative sign, then disappeared. In short order, he flung several more. The guard towers burst into activity, the covers coming off the big guns, alarms blaring.

He looked up, noting the lack of response from the Wasps. One of the firstlings waved from a high window, already inside the building. The alloioi in the towers swung the guns back and forth, indecisive. Surt waited for his moment, impatient for the rest of the plan to unfold.

***

From his office, Abrams watched the activity in the practice yard on the monitors.

“Lech l’cha,” he murmured again, and entered a sequence of codes. Down below, all the doors to the grendel pens opened at once. He saw the youngsters stream forth, then he rapidly keyed in several more sequences and the monitor screens went dark.

***

“The towers are requesting permission to use deadly force.”

“Granted,” Cole rasped, staring at the screens.

Jorgenson answered the intercom from the front gate. “Yes?”

“The police out here want to see Dr. Abrams. They are also requesting support from our team to control the crowd out front.”

Jorgenson and Cole ignored the request, fixated on the monitors. The lights flickered, went out, and were immediately replaced with reddish glow of emergency lighting.

“We’re on backup power. The generators should kick in,” Jorgenson commented.

“What’s that…..” Cole replied, then stopped as the monitor screens turned off, one by one. Jorgenson worked the controls furiously, jumping from console to console.

“Someone’s in the system, shutting things down!” Jorgenson yelled.

“No one goes out front! Lock the subjects down! All of them! Now!”

“The towers are reporting subjects on the roof.”

“Stop them!”

Jorgenson looked up.

“I’ll get my men up there.”

“They cannot leave the facility!” Cole shouted.

***

All the doors slid open and the rest of the grendels streamed into the practice yard. Surt leapt up the wall under the tower at the first burst of gunfire directed toward the firstlings on the roof. In three swift movements, he scaled the wall, climbed the side of the tower, and vaulted over the railing. The three men there froze, and with two swift talon swipes, Surt incapacitated two, hurling the third to his brothers below. He grasped the gun on its swivel, depressing the trigger as Abbahad taught them, swinging the chattering burst of projectiles up toward the adjacent tower. He swept the tower with the fire bolts, exhilarated at his mastery of the evil death power they had feared all this time. He swung the gun around to the third tower and saw his brother Ramses already had it subdued. Ramses waved and swung the gun skyward toward the Wasps, still hovering motionless in the distance.

***

Xerxes howled at the distant sound of gunfire. Michelle covered her ears and head, cowering against the wall. Xerxes pounded on the door, shouting.

“Let me out! Let me out!” He hurled himself against the door, then stormed around the cell. Michelle scuttled along the wall, putting as much distance as possible between her and the raging creature.

Alarms blared, then just as quickly turned off. They heard shouting and running in the hallway, then dogs barking. At that moment, the door opened with a loud electronic buzz and clunk of the locks disengaging. Xerxes limped out leaving Michelle alone.

Michelle pushed herself up on one arm, head swimming, terrified. She startled at a voice from the intercom. It was Dr. Abrams.

“Ms. Shank, I’m coming to get you out. Do exactly as I say. Stay there.”

***

The firefight inside the facility sent the crowd out front into a frenzy. They surged toward the gate, some of them attempting to climb over. Tisdale was on his bullhorn.

“They’re destroying the evidence! They’re killing the dogs! We’ve got to stop them! Let’s go!” He lowered the bullhorn, beaming.

“Har, I don’t know. This is getting out of hand…” Terry fretted.

Tisdale turned to him with a beatific smile.

“I know! Isn’t it great? You’re streaming, right?”

***

Surt signed to Ramses to continue watching the Wasps. He turned the gun around, testing how far it would rotate, then spotted his new target: a tanker truck fifty yards away next to the three fuel storage containers. He squeezed off a short burst, assessing the impact, adjusted, then fired again. A few more bursts, and the tanker exploded into flames. He turned his fire to the storage tanks, making sure he punctured all three. He saw the wet stains spread, confirming success.

Below, his brothers scaled the walls, some more successful than others. Two worked a strip of metal off the side of the building, lowering it into the yard to serve as a ladder for the less adept climbers. More grendels streamed into the yard, some of them accompanied by the dogs, also released. Surt searched for Alcor.

***

In the basement, Ajax and the attendants wheeled the three females to the loading bay. They carefully transferred the mothers into the back of two plain panel trucks. At the last moment, two other lab assistants appeared carrying two infants each, handing one to each mother. Another person in medical garb led a group of the smallest grendels from the nursery in their purple togs, holding hands, wide-eyed, and loaded them in, both trucks crowded shoulder to shoulder.

They rolled the doors closed, confirmed that they were unopposed, then drove slowly to the exit door, still closed, waiting for the signal to leave.

Ajax left them, racing back toward the battle.

***

Cole stared at the unfolding mayhem on the few screens they were able to bring back online, preternaturally calm despite the near panic all around.

“Release the machines. This has to stop.”

“But we don’t have clearance from RCS.”

“Do you have the access to give the command?” Cole snapped.

“Yes, but the authorization…”

“Do it! Now!”

***

Michelle stood in the doorway and looked down the dim hallway and heard distant noises, rumbles, then running footsteps further down, shouts receding in the distance. She stepped back into the room and sat in the darkness, trying to control her breathing, straining to hear what was going on.

She jumped at the sound of soft footsteps outside, then someone in the doorway. She held her breath, prepared to fight or run.

“Ms. Shank? Michelle?” came a soft voice. Michelle tried to discern the identity of the person in the half light from the hallway. Abrams stepped into the room.

“What’s going on?” she asked, standing up. He extended his hand.

“Come quickly. You are in danger. I have to get you out of here.”

Abrams pulled her by the arm down the hall, stopping to look around each corner, then led her up a stairway two flights, all in the ghostly glow of the emergency lighting. They emerged into another hallway and paused.

“Where are we…what was that back there? In the room?” Michelle panted, struggling to speak. The old man turned to her, eyes wide with fear and sadness.

“We…I lied to you. It’s not about dogs, or even gorillas. They…” The sound of gunfire and shouts down the hall ahead interrupted him. They both looked down the corridor at the sound of a guttural roar, and the body of a black helmeted security officer slammed into the wall at the next intersection, then thumped to the ground lifeless. Around the corner came a grunt, a scream, then thrashing.

Abrams held her back with a protective arm, waiting to see the source of the noises. Michelle trembled, leaning on the old man’s arm.

The sound of heavy breathing punctuated with grunts were the only remaining noises, so Abrams advanced slowly. He peeked around the corner, then stepped forward, and Michelle followed.

Xerxes leaned against the wall, clutching his bleeding arm, three incapacitated security men on the floor surrounded by blood.

Xerxes snarled.

“You betrayed us, Abba!”

***

As the fire from the first explosion raged, Surt turned his attention to the Wasps still hovering overhead. Ramses used his gun on the security forces below to good effect, keeping them away from the grendels scaling the walls and running across the roof top, all working their way to the front of the building, or inside to find other ways out. Surt directed his weapon to the plate glass windows along the back side of the building, spraying projectiles in long sweeping arcs, exploding the glass. He saw Ajax appear and direct grendels inside. Some stopped to pick up weapons off the disabled security guards.

Just then, the combat drones swooped into action. Two of the Wasps dropped down and directed cannon fire at Ramses’ location, immediately destroying the tower and killing Ramses. Surt was able to destroy one before they turned to his location, joined by a third. He vaulted over the railing, landed on the top of the wall, and ran to the roofline as gunfire raked the tower. He made it to the roof, zig-zagging and dodging as cannon fire tore up the roof around him. Just then, one of the fuel storage tanks exploded with a deep ‘whump’, sending a rolling cloud of fire into the skies. The Wasps veered off, distracted by gunfire from the ground, prioritizing the neutralization of an offensive threat over continued pursuit.

Ahead was a precipice, a gap between two buildings, connected by an elevated walkway. He ran out onto that, swung down, and kicked at the glass window, shattering it. He climbed in and continued his escape.

***

“Get those people back! Clear that gate!” Spaulding yelled as his officers and the ISP troopers struggled to control the crowd. The members of the tactical team took positions, but seemed unsure as to where the threat was coming from, looking toward the battle sounds, a pillar of fire and smoke rising up from behind the facility. A handful of the lab security held positions at the gate. The crowd roared as a group of individuals burst out the front door, what looked like adults with smaller children running, dogs loping alongside them. The Lab security turned to face them, drawing weapons. As the group drew closer, the protestors fell silent. Spaulding gaped at the fearsome appearance of the rapidly approaching creatures.

“What the…”

The gates swung open, scattering the guards. The mob surged forward, then stopped, the lead elements unsure how to proceed. A few of the security guards started shooting, and two of the escapees dropped and rolled to the ground, the others quickly advancing and overwhelming the shooters. One of the dogs fell with a yelp and thrashed on the ground. At that, the crowd charged the guards. A man with a bull horn pushed to the front, urging them on.

***

“Stop the guards! Don’t let them kill the dogs! Stop them!” Tisdale yelled through the bullhorn. The rear parts of the throng, unable to see the action, pressed ahead, and streamed through the gates. As the first of the children passed by, the people parted and fell silent, awestruck by the fanged, pointy-eared creatures sprinting by.

The high whine of high speed rotors intruded as the first of the combat drones rose from behind the buildings, bearing down on the milling chaos.

***

Standing in front of Xerxes, Abrams hung his head. Michelle stood back.

“I didn’t betray you. I tried the best I could. This is not how it was supposed to happen.”

“What transpires? Are they shooting my people? Are they killing us like these alloioi tried to kill me? You sent them to slaughter!”

“I tried….” Abrams protested.

“The fire and wood are here, but we are not the lamb, and you are not our father.” Xerxes advanced and Michelle shrank back against the wall. Abrams stood still, arms open in front of him.

“Xerxes, I am who…..”

Xerxes grabbed Abrams around the neck with his uninjured arm.

“We no longer obey. Now, we make our own way.” Xerxes lifted him up, Abrams legs kicking, hands feebly pawing at the taloned hand around his throat.

“Put him down.”

Michelle turned toward the voice and saw Dr. Isaac standing behind them, coiled in a crouch to spring. Xerxes snarled and flung Dr. Abrams aside, sending his body twirling like a rag doll against the wall with a thump. Abrams fell and lay still.

Michelle edged back, looking for an opportunity to slip past Xerxes while distracted.

“You!” Xerxes growled, limping past Michelle to advance on Isaac. “That’s where her smell is from. She’s one of yours!” He drew his good hand back, talons spread, and lunged. Isaac dodged, stepped against the wall, and sprang back at Xerxes, delivering a spinning kick to his head. Xerxes batted at him, turning too late. Isaac dodged again, bounced off a wall, and hit Xerxes from behind. As fast as Xerxes moved, Isaac moved faster. Michelle watched, astonished at the speed and agility on display. Her wonder at Isaac standing up to the massive creature kept her terror at bay.

Xerxes connected with a backhand blow, sending Isaac into the wall. He rebounded into a crouch, then sprang again. Xerxes picked up a metal baton dropped by one of the security team and threw it. Isaac dodged it and charged. Xerxes met him and Isaac unleashed a flurry of kicks and punches, jumping and spinning, while Xerxes flailed ineffectively, visibly tiring, splattering blood from his wound over the walls and floor. Michelle winced and shielded her face from the savagery of the beating and the spray of gore.

Xerxes paused, panting, turning slowly to find his antagonist. He stopped to stare at Michelle, breathing noisily, fatigue and confusion on his face, colors shifting randomly across his skin. Michelle saw Isaac approach from behind. Xerxes followed her eyes.

“Where…?” he started, then grunted as Isaac landed on his back, now holding the baton. Isaac clubbed him several times while Xerxes batted at him. Xerxes went to his knees and Isaac jumped off. Michelle looked away from what she might see next.

She turned to see Isaac standing over her.

“Come,” he ordered. Michelle looked over at Abrams, then half crawled to him and put a hand on his ashen face. His eyes fluttered, at first vacant, then he focused on her. His lips moved wordlessly, struggling to speak. Michelle put a comforting hand on his cheek, her heart falling at the unnatural angle of his lower body. She looked back at Isaac, pleading.

“We have to help him!”

Isaac made no reply as he watched Xerxes, kneeling and leaning on his good hand, grunting and disoriented. Michelle turned back to Abrams, certain now of the clear evidence of a broken back and at a loss for how to help. His breathing became more labored and irregular. She looked around in desperation.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered hoarsely, “I’m sorry.” His eyes fluttered, then his face went slack.

“Come,” Isaac ordered again, still eyeing Xerxes.

“We can’t leave him! Do something!” Michelle demanded.

Isaac shook his head. “Others will help him. I’m here for you. Only you. Come.”

***

More combat drones lifted over the building and bore down on the melee. Danny Spaulding saw the first burst of cannon fire explode one of the creatures in a gory cloud. Another drone opened fire into the mass of people, tracking the escapees through the protestors. A panicked stampede erupted, terrified protestors pushing and trampling in all directions. The machines continued firing into the crowd. Spaulding saw people dropping and reflexively drew his service weapon. He took aim and opened fire on the nearest flying machine. The ISP tactical unit, after a moment’s hesitation, followed suit, and the machines veered and dodged to evade. The heaviest fire came from the direction of the armored vehicle near the gate, and the drone turned, raking it.

***

Tisdale dropped his bullhorn and ran when the gunfire started. The entire throng, once concentrated at the gate, streamed away in every direction, some back to their vehicles, others up and down the road in both directions, others out into the fields. Small knots attended to the killed and wounded. Two non-descript panel trucks exited the compound and drove in separate directions, unnoticed and unhindered. He startled to see two creatures lope past with a dog by their side. Tisdale stopped and stared as the escaping creatures mixed with the fleeing protestors.

***

Telemachos huddled behind a wrecked camper van with three of the smaller firstlings. Two more lay twisted and still in the grass nearby. Bullets tore through the vehicle, from an unseen sniper. He turned at a whistle.

Ajax signed to him from cover a distance away.

From the roof. I will distract them. Run when the shooting changes direction.

Telemachos watched Ajax sprint back toward the facility.

***

“Got another one,” Santos exulted, looking up and grinning at Jorgenson.

“Keep hitting the van, flush them out,” Jorgenson commanded without looking up. He swept the battlefield with the scope, the crowds rapidly dispersing, revealing a few of the straggler monsters. The little ones were easiest to spot, confused and less adept at evasion. He wasn’t going to miss this opportunity to bag a few more.

All three men flinched at two more large explosions from the back as the remaining storage tanks detonated.

“Hey, I’ve got one coming back this way. Jesus, he’s fast!” Yardley barked from the other railing.

They all swiveled to track the approaching monster, sprinting and dodging, accelerating. Santos and Yardley squeezed off a few shots but missed. Jorgenson watched the van. Another small one bolted and he squeezed the trigger, smiling at the resulting pink cloud and spinning body parts in the scope.

***

“Do not run until I run!” Telemachos screamed at the two remaining firstlings, cowering next to him, heads down. “Only when I say!” Telemachos looked at the carnage around them, his charges, his students, the ones he taught about their destiny and salvation, blown to pieces scattered around them.

***

“I lost him.” The other man looked up from his rifle.

“The guys downstairs will get him. Finish the van.”

Jorgenson turned at the sound of a grunt behind him. One of the creatures, large and wounded, had Yardley by the neck. The creature lifted him and gave a short, sharp, shake, breaking his neck. As Jorgenson and Santos brought their rifles around, Xerxes threw the limp body at them. Jorgenson sat back hard, recovered, and brought the rifle up on Xerxes as he advanced. He shot, hitting Xerxes in the shoulder, spinning him backward in a crimson spray. Xerxes fell to his knees, supporting himself with one good arm, the other dangling useless.

At that moment, Ajax vaulted over the railing, seized Santos, and flung him over the railing in one smooth motion. Jorgenson turned and squeezed off another shot and Ajax dodged, then charged. He knocked Jorgenson’s weapon aside and grabbed his protective vest. Jorgenson drew a knife and plunged it into Ajax’s side, eliciting a guttural grunt. Ajax grabbed the knife hand and twisted, snapping the bones. Jorgenson howled and let go, leaving the knife protruding.

Still holding Jorgenson, Ajax straightened and looked out over the carnage below. Wasps hovered and fired, as their people, mixed in with the alloioi, fled in all directions. Smoke from fires obscured parts of the battle. He turned back to Jorgenson and shook him.

“Who controls the machines? Can they be stopped?”

Jorgenson panted, grinning. “You’re all going to die.”

Ajax pulled his face close, almost whispering. “You first.” With a grimace and grunt, he heaved him over the rail.

He plucked the knife from his side and tossed it, then stepped to Xerxes and knelt down. Xerxes gasped, supporting himself with his good arm, blood streaming from the partial amputation of his other.

“Brother, can you move? We must fly.”

Xerxes shook his head, then slumped forward into Ajax’s arms. Xerxes eyes fluttered and he mouthed soundless words.

Ajax looked up at the sound of a Wasp rising up over the roofline, guns swiveling toward them. He threw himself across Xerxes as the drone opened fire.

Chapter 57