87
It wasn’t pretty. We did manage to take out six or so Flyboys, but after all the metal springs and fur had settled, we were captured, our hands cuffed, our legs shackled.
My nose was bleeding, and a cut on the inside of my mouth stung. Ari had fared badly, and his recently healed face showed newly split skin and two black eyes. Both Angel and Nudge had nasty bruises, but nothing seemed to be broken. Total of course had done his best, biting the Flyboys, but he hadn’t done much damage.
The Flyboys carried/dragged us through a series of tunnels, and I tried to memorize the route. We went up and down stairs, through a round tower, and finally came to a pivoting stone slab that became a secret door. Through this door was an office, like a business office. It looked totally out of place, with fluorescent lighting and a modern wooden desk, instead of, say, a medieval torture device.
The Flyboys dropped us roughly on the stone floor, which was padded here and there by Oriental carpets. None of us made a sound as our knees slammed against the stone, our shackled hands unable to break our fall. In a second we all scrambled up, standing with our backs to one another, searching for exits, counting guards, seeking out anything we could use for weapons. We’re just funny that way.
My eye was caught by something on the big desk. A little plaque that said DIRECTOR.
Ooh, the Director! At last! The head honcho, big cheese, big kahuna! The one pulling all of our strings! The one in charge of everything and everyone! The completely insane psychopath who was trying to eliminate most of the world’s population! Finally we would meet. And I would take him apart using only my teeth if necessary.
I elbowed the others and nodded my head at the desk.
“You know what to do,” I breathed to Angel. Time for a little mind puppet.
The heavy stone wall pivoted again, and the fair-haired woman from the TV came in, followed by several other whitecoats. The whitecoats had the inevitable stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, etc. This was going to be amusing. A “totally horrible” kind of amusing.
“Hello, Max,” said the woman. She was about my height, with a slender build. Glancing at the others, she said, “Angel, Nudge, Ari. And the dog.”
I knew that killed Total, but he didn’t say anything.
“I’ve been waiting to meet you for a long time,” said the woman. “It’s very important that we speak, face-to-face. Don’t you think so?”
“Well, what’s important is that you believe that,” I said, and her eyes flickered.
“My name is Marian Janssen,” she said calmly. “I’m the Director of Itex, and its research and development companies.”
I kept my face very still. This was the Director? The Director was a woman? Oddly, it was disappointing that the person behind all of this destruction was a woman. This kind of schizo-steamroller behavior seemed more natural for a man, at least to me.
“Not only that,” she continued, keeping her eyes on my face, “but I am your mother, Max.”
PART 4
I DIDN’T
JUST HEAR
WHAT I
THOUGHT
I HEARD,
DID I?
88
Frankly, it takes a lot to surprise me. I’m pretty unsurprisable. But I admit, that was pretty much the last thing I expected to hear. “Hoo, delusional much?” I said, proud that my voice was rock solid. Almost.
The Director walked to her big desk and set down several CD-ROMs.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but look closely at me, Max. I’m an older version of you.”
I stared at her blond hair, her dark brown eyes. I remembered that Nudge had said she reminded her of someone.
“Yeah?” I said. “Let’s see your wings.”