THe Sentinal Satellite Read online

“Something isn’t right.”

  The other agreed and seemed eager to say,

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  As all three approached the exit, Monks was still in full panic and frantically running around the chamber. He was not running on the ceiling but rather around on all four walls. Belle again held out her arms and upon seeing the only sensible place in the room, Monks leapt at her. After waiting a few minutes, making sure that the invaders were gone, Liana finally said,

  “Come, we can now leave the safety of the table.”

  Quastima was not as sure and strongly advised,

  “Best we stay here a little longer.”

  Outside, Jinga fell victim to events that her mind was not capable of comprehending. She looked up to see another strange object suddenly appear in the sky. It had the color of metal and flew without benefit of wings or making a great roaring sound. Santo arrived in the D-wing and was quick to assess the situation on the ground. Wanting to strike the first blow, he pulled the trigger and a powerful laser beam hit one of the hovering helicopters instantly exploding it into a ball of flames. In both horror and confusion, Jinga saw the metallic bird crash to the ground in a ball of flames.

  At that exact time, Ivan and his two men came out of the dirt mound and saw the attack. With quick reflexes rather than quick thinking, one of the Russians reached for his portable battlefield rocket launcher. As it rested on his shoulder, he took aim at the D-wing. Pulling the trigger, flames shot out of the barrel and a deadly ground to air missile raced toward its intended target. Although Santo saw what was shooting toward him, he did nothing. The D-wing was equipped with anti-impact technology and a computer program automatically zipped out of harm’s way.

  The remaining hovering helicopter fired an air-to-air missile at them but anti-impact technology again reacted and dropped the D-wing under the trajectory. Santo again triggered the laser cannon. Jinga witnessed the dogfight and exchange of missile fire at the strange flying objects in the sky. She saw the second helicopter also explode and burning fragments flew in all directions.

  Jinga then drew her attention to the three remaining attackers at the base of the mound. Another ground to air missile was fired at the shiny object hovering above the trees but with the same result, missing to disappear over the treetops. Santo turned the D-wing and fired a barrage of bullets at them. Jingo saw two soldiers explode in a burst of blood while the third cringed in pain, blood pouring from his midsection.

  After landing the D-wing, Santo jumped out and yelled to Maria,

  “Stay in the safety of the vehicle.”

  He then raced to the only Russian still alive. From his painful and defeated expression, Santo knew that while still breathing, it would not be for long. He knelt beside him, pressed his AK handgun to his temple and demanded,

  “Who hired you to kill my daughter?”

  Back in the chamber, unable to hear the sounds of battle, Quastima said,

  “I think it is safe to leave the table now.”

  To normal senses, it appeared as if they were walking upside down on the ceiling. They then inexplicably stepped onto the wall walking down to what Belle hoped really was the floor and exit.

  As Santo tried to get answers from the dying soldier, he did not see Maria jump out of the D-wing and run toward the dirt mound. The dying soldier looked hard into the eyes of Santo who was still pressing a gun to his temple. In broken English he said,

  “Not looking good for poor Ivan huh?”

  Santo looked at the gaping wound in his midsection and shook his head. He again demanded,

  “Who hired you?”

  Ivan coughed blood and said,

  “You make promise to Ivan and Ivan tell you.”

  Santo was not polite.

  “What promise?”

  “You take dog tag around neck and deliver to address on back. You promise and I tell you.”

  Santo snapped the chain off his neck. He looked at the two metallic pieces and saw an address on one and a series of numbers on the other. Ivan again coughed blood and struggled to say,

  “Wife recognize bank account number and will get money. You promise, I tell you.”

  Seeing no harm in a dying man’s last request, Santo nodded and again demanded,

  “Who sent you to kill my daughter?”

  At first Santo thought it was too late, that Ivan had died but he suddenly gasped and spewed forth the words,

  “Was rich woman. Gleb call her Duchess Josephine de Meyer-David.”

  The name jolted Santo backwards. Because it came from a dying man, Santo knew he would not be lying. As impossible as it sounded, it had to be true. How else would a Russian assassin even know that powerful and secret name?

  Just as his stunned mind was reconciling the impossibility of the ‘how’ and ‘why’ he saw movement at the base of the dirt mound and turned to it. He saw Maria and Belle come out of the tunnel with Liana and Quastima close behind. When Maria saw the battlefield of burning helicopter carcasses and a dying man at Santo’s feet, she quickly covered Belle’s eyes. Despite Maria’s effort to shield her innocent daughter from the horror of death, it was too late. It was the first time young innocent eyes had seen such brutal death.

  Santo left the dying man to his peace and walked over to Belle. Only after a long hug did he release her from his tight grip. It was only a casual soldier type nod to Liana and Quastima but both understood the silent message of sincere gratitude for saving his daughter. He then looked to Maria and coldly said,

  “I thought I told you to stay in the D-wing.”

  Her reply was just as harsh.

  “You did.”

  She then looked in Santo’s hand, saw the dog tags and asked,

  “What’s that about?”

  Looking down at his clenched fist, Santo remembered his promise to the dying man. Recalling the purpose of the attack and how close he came to losing his daughter, he coldly said,

  “Nothing.”

  At that, he threw the dog tags into the bushes.

  Liana looked toward the trees where Jinga was hiding and called out for her but there was no answer. She was there, still hiding and observing but even with the assuring promise of safety, it was not enough to dispel the fear and horror of what she had witnessed.

  Maria, not thinking as pragmatically as Santo, gently pushed Belle in the direction of the house and said,

  “Go get your things. You are coming back with us.”

  Santo, absent of compassion for Maria’s wish harshly interjected,

  “No, she cannot come with us.”

  Startled at the hurtful statement, Maria snapped to Santo and cast him the frostiest stare he had ever suffered.

  He did not want to reveal that he knew who had destroyed the House of the Nazarene, but he understood the full scope of the unlimited resources coming after them. He also understood that even the secret location of the Three Sisters would not be safe for long. Santo answered Maria’s cold glare saying,

  “Because whoever did all this will also be looking for our new headquarters. We have to find a better place to secure Belle.”

  While Liana and Quastima took Belle into the house, Santo and Maria stayed behind. In a trembling tone spawned from fear of her daughter, Maria asked,

  “What are we going to do Santo?”

  Just then, Ivan moaned. Santo looked over and saw him struggling to pull a grenade from his belt. However, that was not what Maria saw. All she saw was Santo raise his weapon and callously put a bullet in the forehead of an already dying man.

  It was something she always feared might happen. She saw it as a cold-hearted murder and the ‘killer’ in Santo had returned. For the first time since they met, Maria now felt a twinge of fear for the man she loved. She understood his rage at the Russians sent to kill his daughter. His anger equaled hers but to react in this manner, to her was the act of a vicious killer. She feared that she had lost Santo to his old ways.

  Santo’s reaction to th
e shooting was different. He knew that he had simply neutralized a threat and it was time to get onto other things. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin Maria recognized as the strange disc Edward had given him when in London. Santo did as instructed, squeezed the coin hard. A few seconds later a voice was heard. It startled Maria for it did not come from the coin but rather from what she perceived to be all around her. It was Edwards’s voice coming out of thin air.

  “Greetings Captain Martinez.”

  There was a touch of jocularity in what he said next.

  “How can you be of service to me today?”

  Accepting the jest, Santo got right to business.

  “I need your help.”

  What Santo did next cut Maria to the core of her heart. He looked at her and then walked away. It was clear that he did not want her to hear the conversation. She was painfully aware that she had disobeyed a direct order not to contact Belle and all this, the killing as well as almost losing Belle was all her fault. She was willing to accept the consequences of her mistake but thought what Santo just did was beyond cruel. She recognized that she had now been demoted and no longer a trusted member of the House of the Nazarene’s high security level. She could accept that. It was the demotion from Santo’s trust that stopped her heart.

  After stepping away from the shattered Maria and at a safe distance, Santo explained to Edward everything that had happened. He heard how the Russians had attempted to kill his daughter as well as two Sky People, Liana and Quastima. Santo confided in him that it was the doing of Duchess Josephine de Meyer-David. She had somehow returned to Earth with the knowledge of how to reprogram the Sentry Satellite. Evidently her goal was to destroy the House of the Nazarene and the despised Vatican. Because of the hatred the Duchess had for Maria, undoubtedly she was out to get revenge by killing Belle. He explained the sins of the Duchess, why she had killed Kalian. As punishment for a crime against the Great Grays, she was imprisoned on their planet. Edward then said,

  “So that is what happened to her. We wondered about that.”

  Edward then voiced an appropriate understanding of the daunting news.

  “A formidable foe indeed Captain. I now understand why you cannot keep your daughter there as well as return her to your new headquarters.”

  Santo then dropped what he knew was going to be a decisive factor in acquiring the help of the Second Creation.

  “Do you suppose that the Duchess will stop at destroying the House of the Nazarene and Vatican or will she come after your House as well?”

  Surprisingly Edward chuckled and replied,

  “There is no need for rudimentary encouragement Captain. The threat she represents to the House of the Second Creation is also painfully understood. Would you be so kind as to stand by for a moment while I confer with my team?”

  Santo then turned around to see a despondent Maria in the distance staring at him. When she took a hesitant step toward him, he turned away from her pleading attempt for comfort.

  He casually turned toward the one remaining helicopter and threw a grenade into it. Just as the flames engulfed it, Edward came back on the air.

  “Captain. We have decided that because there are only two remaining Sky People on this planet, indeed in this solar system, they deserve saving. Also, because of your loyalty to us as well as a reward for the great risk you faced in returning Aaron to us, we will help your family.”

  Greatly relieved, Santo responded,

  “Thank you Edward. I will not forget this kindness.”

  There was a touch of joviality in Edward’s reply.

  “I will make certain of that Captain.”

  Then the urgency of the conversation returned in Edward’s tone.

  “It is our desire that you accept a proven proverb, ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ Through the communicator in your hand, would you be so kind as to keep us informed of the situation?”

  “Having you as an ally would be my honour.”

  “Would you now please confirm confidentiality of our conversation?”

  Santo looked back to see Maria enter the house. He noticed her slow step and slouched posture but assumed it was due to how close they had come to losing their daughter. Returning to Edward’s request for confirmation of secrecy, Santo confirmed,

  “I can confirm confidentiality.”

  Edward then asked,

  “Do you still get around in those antiquated D-wings?”

  Ignoring the slight, Santo replied,

  “Yes.”

  “Are you still using conventional GPS coordinates?”

  “No, but I can easily adapt to what you transmit.”

  “Very well. I am transmitting them to your location now. Also Captain, I need you to understand that where I am sending you is location sensitive. You must not know where it is, so trust in the coordinates that I will send you. In addition, we will require all of you to eat the food we supply. Do you understand what I am saying Captain?”

  “Yes, like the location of Aaron’s people, you will be erasing this location from our memory.”

  “Not only location but memory of what you will see there as well. Others are hiding there who also fear for their life. Nobody must know such people exist. Tell all concerned not to harm them for they belong to the House of the Second Creation.”

  Although he did not, Santo reported,

  “I understand.”

  From her hiding place, a frightened Jinga observed as those in the house came out carrying things in a bag. She saw them walk toward the bird with no feathers. With keen ears, she heard whom she perceived as Belle’s dad say,

  “I’m sorry honey but Monks cannot come with us.”

  Belle protested,

  “But he is my friend.”

  Santo was persistent.

  “Jinga is still hiding close by. Tell her to look after Monks until you return.”

  As Monks ran into the jungle, Jinga saw them climb into the strange bird and fly away.

  Although the D-wing sat four, two in the back and two in the front, the cab was still crowded. Liana and Quastima were in the back and Belle sat comfortably on her mother’s lap. As they lifted straight up and high above the trees, Santo entered the secret coordinates Edward had sent. A translator program then converted the code to a location the onboard computer understood.

  As they neared the stratosphere, Santo did something he had promised Edward would be done. He entered a computer command and suddenly the glass dome turned black. Surprised, Maria asked,

  “Why did you do that Santo? Where are we going?”

  His reply was far too direct for her liking.

  “I don’t know.”

  Maria thought he must know but simply did not trust her with the information. She felt another ton added to her dishonour. Belle did not know why she got a very tight hug and kiss on the cheek from mom.

  Chapter 29

  With Monks in her arms, Jinga was still stunned by what she did not understand and returned to her village. Because they heard the thunder and great disturbance over at Liana’s house, the villagers asked what she had seen. Still confused, Jinga sat on a log and began telling them a most wondrous and for many, an unbelievable story about how the spirits of the jungle fought a great battle in the sky. As more villagers gathered around to hear what happened over at the sacred ground belonging to Liana, they were held in awe.

  She told the story the way she understood it.

  “When I heard thunder, I looked up to see three living creatures come out of the clouds. They appeared in the sky as if a storm of thunder coming from the north. From above the living creatures, I heard the roar of strange wings brushing against one another and producing a fierce rushing wind. While two terrible birds stayed in the air, one living creature came to earth and stood on three legs that shone like gems. The great roar of the wings slowed and I saw what looked like a wheel within a wheel. From out of the belly of the creature came a demon most terrible to see.”
r />   To emphasize her description of the goggles the soldier was wearing, she raised both hands to her head and continued her description of what she thought she saw.

  “His eyes were this big and dark as night.”

  Some of the natives who had gathered were struck by the terrible descriptions of demons they had only heard existed. In fear, they took a few defensive steps away from the girl cursed to witness such terrible things.

  She continued,

  “I looked up at the two birds still flapping their great wings above Liana’s house. With the thunderous wind, the trees in the distance reacted violently to the demon power. Then from the belly of those two beasts appeared a ladder dropping all the way down to the ground. A demon on each ladder climbed down and walked toward the other demon spirit who had come out of the belly of the one that landed on the ground. They went into Liana’s house. When they came out they entered the great mound.”

  Eyes widened and gasps were heard. Not only was it a terrifying story but also disturbing because entering the great mound was strictly forbidden.

  Jinga continued to describe the Great War as she understood it.

  “Another but different great bird with no wings or feathers then appeared from over the tree tops. It stood in the air as if it might have stood on the ground. It shone a beam of light as bright as ten thousand suns at one of the birds above Liana’s house. That bird then lit up in flames and fell to the ground. The other flying creature above the house fired an arrow that looked like an iron thunderbolt but it did not hit the different bird because it jumped out of the way. Another light shone bright and hit the bird above the house. It too exploded in flames and crashed to the ground.”