Aegis Incursion (6 page)

They crossed the border into Idaho and traveled for a while until they reached Idaho Falls, whereupon Kody cleared his throat. “Um, I gotta take a leak.”

Jag made a sound of exasperation. “Dude, you shoulda gone when we stopped for lunch!”

“I didn’t have to go at that time, though.”

“Okay, okay—here’s a donut shop. Be quick.” Jag parked the car and Kody hopped out.

“Was it smart to let him go into a shop that sells food?” Tegan murmured.

“We just had lunch. He’s not gonna get anything.”

A couple of minutes later, Kody walked out of the store with a large cardboard box in one hand and a half-eaten donut in the other. Jag groaned and slid down in his seat.

Tegan smiled, her gray eyes lit with laughter. “Never underestimate that guy’s appetite. After seventeen years with him, you should know that.”

Kody strutted back to the Jeep and got in. “Glazed delights, anyone?”

“Why not.” Aari reached past Mariah and took a fudge-covered donut for himself. “You know,” he said thoughtfully as he took a bite, “if we were to drive thataway to Highway 20, we’d be heading toward Yellowstone National Park.”

“As much as I’d love to visit, I don’t think we have time for a detour,” Jag said regretfully as he put the Jeep into drive.

“I know, but . . . ” Aari took another bite. “You guys know that there’s a huge active volcano in Yellowstone, right?” When the others nodded, he continued. “Did you know it’s actually considered a super-volcano?”

“A super-volcano?” Tegan repeated.

“Yeah, the Yellowstone Caldera. Some folks are saying that it’s actually long overdue for an eruption.”

“That’s a real jolly thought.”

“It gets better. Because of its sheer size, when it erupts, the effects would be devastating. Everything within a hundred-mile radius would be destroyed. Ash would hang in the air for ages. With so much of all that stuff in the atmosphere, it’s not just North America, but the entire planet that would be affected. Sunlight would be blocked, making the temperature fall. It will be nature’s equivalent of a nuclear winter.”

Kody, who had been silently listening with a perturbed look on his face, emitted a funny sound. “Can we
please
not talk of depressing doomsday scenarios? Donuts are present here, and all you guys care to chat about is the end of the world as we know it. Come on, people. Priorities.”

“Alright, alright.” Mariah reached behind her to tie her copper-blonde hair into a ponytail. “Teegs, where are we spending the night?”

“I think we were gonna stay at a motel in . . . hold on, let me check the GPS . . . Ah, right. Salt Lake City, Utah.”

“Three states in one day. Neat.”

Tegan grinned. “I have a funny feeling Jag’s gonna be so done with this car once we return from this trip, what with all the driving we have to do.”

Jag scoffed. “How could I ever get tired of a car? Especially a beast like this.” He patted the dashboard affectionately.

Kody rested his head against the window, yawning, then muttered, “Food coma.”

Mariah glanced at him. “All the food’s catching up with you now, huh? How many donuts did you eat?”

“Like four,” he groaned. “And they were pretty darn big.”

She sighed. “Well, I hope you don’t get carsick. I wouldn’t want to be next to you when you throw up.”

“Gee, thanks for the concern.”

“Anytime, buddy boy.”

As they drove on, the chatter slowly died. Kody fought to keep his eyes open as Tegan, Aari and Mariah nodded off. He wanted to keep Jag company, but Jag could tell that he was struggling to remain awake.

“Take a nap, Kode-man,” he advised. “I’ll be fine.”

Kody stifled back another yawn. “You sure?”

“Yeah. You look barely alive right now.”

“Mmh . . . ” The sound had barely left his mouth when his head lolled back against the headrest and he fell into a deep sleep.

O
ne of the most family-friendly places in the United States, Provo, Utah was teeming with activity this particular day. With summer in and school out, kids and teenagers were biking, hiking, and enjoying the many outdoor activities that the town offered. Families were swarming the parks, trails, and recreation centers. Drivers had to be careful around neighborhoods and look out for kids and pets.

In one of the neighborhoods made up of different-colored homes with single-car garages, a small blue house sat nondescriptly near the end of the street, overlooking Utah Lake. The view was splendid. The front yard was well-kept, with trimmed hedges and a perfectly manicured lawn.

Inside, the house was equally neat and organized, with the exception of a few papers strewn on a large teakwood desk next to a window. Upon the mantle of the living room were several framed photos. In between them, a carefully-placed box held a United States military decoration of valor, the Silver Star Medal.

A man dressed in a dark polo shirt and fitted jeans sat on a sofa facing a television that had been muted. He tinkered with a tennis ball-sized device in his hands; a light-shelled glass container that looked like an oval perfume bottle with a deeply-notched surface. Attached at the top was a safety lever and a pin. The container was filled with luminescent blue liquid.

The man glanced at the watch on his wrist and continued to fiddle with the device for a minute more before placing the object into a cotton-lined pouch. He then very carefully tucked the pouch into a pocket in his backpack, and headed to the bathroom where he turned on the tap and splashed his face with cold water. It was late afternoon and the heat was clinging to the day as it always did this time of the year until after the sun began to set. When he was done washing he grabbed a towel off of a rack and patted himself dry, then studied himself in the mirror. He eyed the scars on the left side of his face and grumped at the recollection of his mishap two months prior. Looking down at his arms where longer scars were somewhat visible, he shrugged to himself. At least he was alive and in terrific physical shape.

Running his hands from his blonde hair to his short beard with a sigh, he strode out of the bathroom to the coffee table to pick up a small, beautifully chip-carved wooden box. He opened it and peered in. Then, with a glint in his eyes, he latched the lid and carefully slid the box into his backpack. He grabbed his car keys and quickly made his way to the garage. He flicked on the light and smiled as his prized Shelby GT500 greeted him. The classic red Mustang, handed down to him by his father, was continuously maintained to preserve its pristine condition.

Once inside the car, he opened the garage door with the remote and started the engine. Backing out onto the street, he shut the garage, and activated the home security system via an app on his phone. With that, he drove toward the highway and hoped that the events scheduled for the evening would go as planned.

S
omeone was shaking Mariah’s knee. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Jag and Tegan looking at her. “Oh, hi,” she said, letting out a large yawn. She noticed Tegan looked a bit groggy, then realized that Kody and Aari were asleep on either side of her. “Gosh, how long have we been out?”

“A good few hours,” Jag answered.

Mariah looked apologetic. “And no one kept you company?”

He smiled. “Nah, but I’m fine. Mind waking the two clowns up?”

Mariah picked up the box of donuts and took one out. She held it in front of Kody’s face until the scent reached him and his nose began to twitch. His eyes eased open after a few moments. When he saw the donut, he sat up and took it from Mariah. “Now that’s the proper way to wake a man up,” he said approvingly as he took a bite.

Mariah rolled her eyes and shook Aari’s shoulder until he woke up. As Aari rubbed his eyes, Mariah looked out of the window. The sun was only just beginning to set, so it was still quite bright out. She realized that they were parked on the side of a somewhat busy street and leaned forward curiously so she was between Jag and Tegan. “Where are we?”

“Salt Lake City,” Tegan answered. “We’re staying here tonight.”

“We’re in Utah?”

“Yep. It’s almost eight, so we’re trying to find somewhere to eat before getting a place to rest.”

“See if you can find a Denny’s,” Kody suggested.

“Sure . . . Okay, yeah. There are a few.” Tegan tapped the GPS screen a couple of times and the robotic voice of a woman came on, giving directions. Jag guided the car back onto the road and drove along, following the instructions. It was nearly ten minutes later when they saw the yellow sign of the diner just off the road, with a motel nearby. The parking lot was half-filled with cars and motorcycles. Jag, who Mariah knew wasn’t fond of parking near so many vehicles, drove toward a back lot where there were no cars.

The five hopped out of the Jeep and made their way toward the diner, stopping only to let a red Mustang drive past as the driver searched for a spot to park in. Mariah thought she saw the bearded driver of the Mustang scrutinizing the friends for a fleeting moment.

Inside, they sat in a booth and ordered to their heart’s content; Kody naturally ordering the most. They chatted for a while as they waited for their meals to arrive. Mariah looked up and happened to see a man sitting alone at another booth, sipping his drink and looking at his phone. She stared at him for a moment, wondering why he seemed so familiar, then realized that it was the driver of the Mustang.

The man glanced up from his phone and caught her eye. She quickly looked away—it was strange how some people seemed to almost have a sixth sense about being watched.

“I can’t wait to hit those Carpinteria beaches,” Tegan said dreamily. “Just lying in the sun with a good book . . . You may have to drag me away from there when it’s time to leave.”

“Carpinteria?” A young man sitting at a table beside the five and having pancakes for dinner looked up at them. He had short, honey-colored hair and a bright smile that was as charming as it was rascally. “You guys heading that way? It’s quite a drive.”

Tegan nodded. “It is. And we’ll be checking out other places in California as well.”

“Have you been to Cali before?”

“When we were younger, yeah. Our families went together. Don’t remember much about it, though.”

The young man’s eyes lit up. “Oh, you’re going to love it there. I’m driving that way, too. Took a week off work so I can visit my girlfriend in Morro Bay.”

Mariah smiled. “A week off to be with your girlfriend? That’s really sweet. What do you do?”

“I work for a security contractor.”

The friends all tilted their heads. The guy was slim-bodied and didn’t even touch the six-foot mark in height. He most certainly didn’t seem threatening in his flannel shirt, skinny jeans, and striped socks with penny loafers.

He noted their looks and laughed. “I know what you’re thinking. I actually have black belts in taekwondo, karate and judo.” When he saw that they didn’t believe him, he pulled out his phone and tapped it a few times, then passed it to them. “Proof. Go through the album.”

Tegan took the phone and held it, the others craning their necks to get a closer look at the screen. Jag let out a low whistle as she swiped through the photos of the blonde-haired fellow sparring in the black belt division of countless martial arts competitions. “Dude, that’s insane.”

“Looks are deceiving, aren’t they?” Kody muttered in awe.

Tegan passed the phone back to its owner. “We didn’t mean to doubt you, it’s just . . . ”

The young man laughed again. “Don’t worry about it. But that’s the beauty, right? I don’t look like I can defend myself, but if someone ever tries to best me, they’d be in for a nasty surprise!”

Jag grinned. “Good stuff.” He reached past the others and held out his hand. “I’m Jag, by the way. And these guys and girls are Aari, Tegan, Mariah and Kody.”

“Pleasure making your acquaintances. Name’s Anthony, but you can call me Tony.” He shook Jag’s hand.

The five chatted with him until their meals arrived a few minutes later, at which point Tony smiled at them and returned to eating his pancakes.

The friends gladly dug into their food. “Who’s paying, by the way?” Kody asked as he munched through his dinner.

The others just stared at him and grinned in response. He stared back at them, then groaned. “I had to ask . . . ”

While the five ate and laughed over stories, Mariah couldn’t help but notice that the Mustang driver in the other booth constantly glanced in their direction. He had a rather imposing air about him and Mariah felt a bit uncomfortable.

They spent nearly an hour in the diner before Jag finally said, “Alright, we should find a place to stay the night. We’ve got another early morning tomorrow.”

“What about that motel right across the street?” Mariah asked. “It looks decent enough.”

“Let’s go check it out, then. Kode-man, you’re up.”

Kody grumbled as he grabbed his root beer and trotted to the counter to pay for their dinner. The group then said goodbye to Tony before leaving.

As they headed toward the exit, Mariah saw the bearded man get up. He ignored them completely as he went to the cashier, but Mariah still felt uneasy and hurried the others out of the door.

They walked past the rows of cars until they came upon the Jeep parked in the back. Mariah saw the red Mustang parked a few slots away from them and frowned slightly as the five of them got into their vehicle and buckled in.

Jag was starting up the engine when a knock on his window startled them all. They looked out to see who it was. Mariah’s eyes widened when she saw that it was the bearded man who had been surveilling them.

As Jag was about to press down on the button to lower his window, Mariah stopped him. “What are you doing?”

“Seeing what this man wants.”

“I don’t think we should.”

“Why is that?”

“I . . . I don’t know. We should just get going.”

“That would be kind of rude. Look, he’s holding up a map. I think he needs directions.” Before Mariah could protest further, Jag lowered his window and smiled at the man. “Hello, sir.”

“Hiya.” The man’s voice was low and pleasant, his smile cheery and disarming. The five noticed some scars on the left side of his face as he brought up his large map to show to Jag. “Could you tell me where exactly we are on this thing? My phone died and I have no GPS, so I’m stuck using this dinosaur.”