Kronnus 13, Page 4

PARTS AND HE KILLED TWO SOLDIERS. I WILL NOT TELL YOU WHAT I DID TO THE SOLDIER WHO FIRED UPON ME, BUT FROM THAT DAY, THEY HAVE NEVER POINTED A WEAPON AT ME. I HAVE OTHER MEANS IF THEY TRY. DO NOT WORRY. CONCENTRATE ON YOUR MISSION

  Zak seized the thought of death, curved it into a ball and threw it away as his father had shown him. He thought of the image of his mother in white, lighting up the darkness. Thoughts changed to his flights on Kullen with his mother. Zak closed his eyes and was young again; his mother clutched him around his waist in an air of contentment. He threw out his hands to feel the wind flowing through his fingers, then twisted his body. Both hands reached out around her neck and he hugged his mother, safe within her grip. Nothing could hurt him if he kept this thought at the back of his mind. Nothing could make him angry.

  HOLD ON, ZAKANA

  Kullen's thought brought him back to reality.

  BEFORE WE REACH KRONNARIA CITY, WE ARE GOING FOR A BRIEF TRAINING SESSION. I WILL SWOOP TO THE NEXT CLEARING AND YOU WILL JUMP OFF. AS YOU JUMP OFF, KICK YOUR LEGS AS IF YOU ARE RUNNING, THEN KEEP RUNNING WHEN YOU HIT THE GROUND. WHEN I FLY BACK TOWARDS YOU, START RUNNING THEN JUMP ON MY BACK

  Kullen gave no warning sign for Zak and did not ask him if he understood. The mighty bird swooped to the clearing and gave Zak no time to think. He hoped Kullen would decelerate and give him a chance to jump off and land without falling. Kullen accelerated as he flew six feet off the ground. Zak jerked back and his eyes widened; he did not need time as he had done this before. As the memory flooded back, he jumped off, kicked his legs and ran as he hit the ground with his heart beating fast. A perfect landing. As he came to a halt, he saw Kullen rise and stop in mid-air then fall and turn in one fluid movement. Kullen flew back towards him gathering speed. Zak kept his eyes on Kullen, ready to climb on. A well-timed run made it look easy as he jumped on to Kullen's back like he had done it a hundred times before.

  WELL DONE, ZAKANA. THAT WAS MORE OF A MEMORY JOLT THAN A TRAINING SESSION. YOU WERE THE YOUNGEST CHILD EVER TO MASTER THAT TRICK. I NEEDED TO KNOW IF YOU REMEMBERED

  OH, I REMEMBERED. THAT WAS AWESOME. MY HEART IS POUNDING. CAN WE DO IT AGAIN?

  I CAN FEEL YOUR HEART. ONCE IT IS ALL OVER WE CAN DO THAT AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT

  Zak laid his chest and head on Kullen's back as he caught his breath. A strange feeling invaded his body: a oneness with nature below him. He sat up and moved both arms out to form a cross, then tilted his head back, splayed his fingers out and breathed in. He looked downwards and inhaled the beauty of his surroundings. The lush green forests moved forward with him and confused him.

  OUR FRIENDS, ZAKANA. THEY ARE MOVING TOWARDS THE CITY AND WILL BE THERE IF YOU NEED HELP. CAN YOU FEEL THEM?

  YES

  YOUR POWERS ARE GROWING QUICKER THAN MOST TREJOARIAN CHILDREN

  IS THAT GOOD?

  THAT IS UP TO YOU

  The wargara and other animals made their way to the outskirts of Kronnaria City. He was not alone; he felt at one with the animals. Kaldonnus Boar and horses with wings galloped and flew beneath him.

  The forest drained away to reveal the city, and the animals spread out around the wall. Zak had fallen in love with the city only a few months ago. Now he looked at it as a prison that held his fellow Trejoarians: his people.

  CHASE

  He barely thought of Chase since he left and a pang of selfishness hit him. Was it too late to find him and tell him exactly what happened? Kronnus probably told everyone Zak was a traitor, gone to live with animals.

  He hadn't fully thought the plan through, but Chase formed no part of this plan. Save Beaumont; find others. No elaborate plans. Get in. Get out. He thought of Brogan for a second; her betrayal cut deep, but he bandaged that wound and left it to heal. A wound that did not need a revisit. How could he have missed her intention? Out for Brogan and no one else: all for Brogan, Brogan for Brogan. Why did she latch on to Zak? What had she seen in Zak that made her want to be friends? She used him to get what she wanted, a rise to the top.

  NO

  Zak closed his eyes and curved her image into a glass ball and smashed it into a thousand pieces. The pure thought returned with the wind cleansing his thoughts. Rescue won over revenge. Love defeated hate. It had to if he wanted to save Beaumont.

  IT IS TIME, ZAKANA. TIME TO BE UNSEEN

  INVISIBLE

  39

  Kullen glided towards Kronnaria City with guards in the towers on high alert. They searched for intruders, but the eaglezore's graceful soar was a regular occurrence; a thing of beauty that turned the kill mindset off for a few seconds. Soldiers averted their watchful gaze to view the spectacular flying display. No passengers meant they could rest easy; they had orders to fire warning shots, but not to kill them. They knew what happened to the last soldier who shot at the eaglezore.

  I SOMETIMES FLY DOWN TO THE LAKE BELOW TO HUNT. ANYWHERE ELSE WILL CAUSE SUSPICION. GET READY TO JUMP AS WE PRACTISED. WHEN YOU NEED ME, I WILL MEET YOU HERE. ARE YOU READY, ZAKANA?

  I AM READY

  Kullen swooped towards the lake. One soldier pointed the turret gun towards Kullen.

  KULLEN, TO THE LEFT. HE IS GOING TO SHOOT

  RELAX, ZAKANA. HE IS STARING THROUGH THE SCOPE FOR ANY SIGNS OF LIFE OTHER THAN MY OWN. AND UNLESS HE IS A TREJOARIAN, HE WILL SEE ONLY ME

  BUT WHAT IF HE IS ONE OF THE THIRTEEN

  HE IS NOT A TREJOARIAN. PREPARE TO JUMP

  Zak took a deep breath with seconds remaining. It was for real this time, but his confidence was high, and he timed his leap to perfection. He met the ground running and stopped behind a tree to regain composure. Jumping off Kullen was a sporting activity in itself, he enjoyed the thrill. Kullen soared up into the sky, and Zak laughed inwardly as he imagined flight as one of his powers. The tree hid him from the soldiers, and then he remembered he was invisible, an even better form of camouflage. Zak stepped out from behind the tree, still invisible, and back in Sector 10; straight into Sector 11 or 12 was too dangerous.

  A confident Zak marched to the gate of Sector 11 and focussed on Beaumont. With eyes closed he cleared his mind and listened for her thoughts, but heard nothing. He surveyed the heavily guarded entrance. The usual two soldiers on the ramparts, replaced with ten, all packing laser rifles. Zak could not pretend this was a computer game. He could not pretend it was a paintball match with his friends. One false move and his life was over. Beaumont and the others would remain imprisoned.

  BEAUMONT, CAN YOU HEAR ME?

  Every ten seconds he repeated his call, but to no avail, and gave up after a minute. It was time for action.

  Two choices: wait for a soldier to pass through the gate or the computer game option he decided against. Zak examined the wall that led up to the ramparts and marked every foothold. He tagged every place where his hand could grip. He closed his eyes and imagined Nolan with his controller, pushing his character up the wall. A strange memory of something his uncle said when they played football ran through his mind.

  FOCUS

  BE THE BALL

  Zak changed it slightly to help the situation.

  FOCUS

  BE THE WALL

  Zak jogged towards the wall and sprinted the last few steps. He launched himself at the wall and his right foot planted on the first foothold. A push from his right leg propelled him upwards, and grabbed the next one with his left hand. He continued with the path he planned in his mind and bounded up the wall with ease. Zak landed on the ramparts in the centre of the soldiers with a smirk on his face.

  I JUST CLIMBED A TWENTY-FOOT WALL

  FREAKING AWESOME

  I WISH I KNEW I COULD DO THAT EARLIER!

  Zak regained his composure after the adrenaline rush and stepped back to tag the soldiers. Five left, five right. He clenched his fist, paused and moved his head from left to right. With his right arm raised he stretched his fingers out and then closed them into a ball.

  FALL

  The guards fell to the ground with the force of a shot from a sniper r
ifle, bang in the centre of their forehead. Zak knocked them unconscious long enough for him to complete his mission: no guilt, no shame, and no death. The soldiers were following orders, but they were in his way. They would have no hesitation in shooting him dead if he was visible. Zak was superior and felt no hatred for the soldiers who would live. He surveyed the wall below on the other side of Sector 10 for footholds. With the footholds tagged in his mind he stepped out, but stopped, and thought of a better solution. He jumped down and landed perfectly. A jump like that would have broken his legs six months ago. Now he was Zakana. If only his Trejoarian name was Zaketo.

  Zak stood still and closed his eyes.

  BEAUMONT, CAN YOU HEAR ME?

  The pure thought of his mother entered his mind, and he emptied it of everything else. He pulled Beaumont into his thoughts but still nothing. He jogged towards the Kronnus Bridge on the left: the one that led to Sector 12 and paused at the entrance. Last time he travelled through he turned visible, so this time he needed to concentrate. If there were guards on the other side, they would shoot him instantly if he lost his invisibility. He stepped tentatively through and said the word repeatedly in his mind.

  INVISIBLE

  INVISIBLE

  INVISIBLE

  Four guards stood watch on the other side with laser rifles in hand, but he breathed a sigh of relief as he remained invisible. A few silent steps to the left took him to the side of the guards, and then he walked forward past them and stopped again.

  BEAUMONT, CAN YOU HEAR ME?

  The faintest of noises pointed him in the right direction.

  ZAK

  The office next to Combat Operations was his destination: the office of Brey Kronnus. Kronnus City had little need for a prison building, but a few cells were on the ground floor.

  OPEN

  The door flew open as he swung his raised arm to the right. Zak tiptoed through, stepped two paces left in a hurry, and closed the door with a swish of his hand. Two guards at reception stood armed and ready to fire, their laser rifles pointed straight at him. The guards let rip with two blasts from their rifles that would have killed him in an instant. Zak was not convinced he was invisible, but he was sure now, as they aimed straight towards the door. Four small, round holes decorated the door instead of Zak's chest. The guards placed their laser rifles back to their sides and returned to their post. Zak marched along the corridor and mimicked their step pattern, careful not to alert them to his presence. His invisibility did not stop him from making noise. As they took their positions behind the desk, he dished out the same fate as the fallen soldiers.

  FALL

  The guards would be unconscious long enough for Zak to make the rescue plan succeed. He ripped off the security card from the guard's belt and opened the security door. The door opened with a swish, and he treaded along the white corridor. A check in each cell showed no prisoners in the four cells on either side of him. Zak stared at the cell at the end of the corridor. A desperate look on his face hoped this was her cell, but something did not feel right, and he paused again. Another power emerged that he sensed before. He could sense danger; he felt her presence. They were both in trouble.

  ZAK

  BEAUMONT

  RUN

  The door of the cell swung open violently and lasers fired from four rifles. Two soldiers knelt on the floor and two stood above, but Zak had enough warning from his newfound power. He jumped towards the ceiling, straightened his body, and landed on the roof. He lay horizontally on the roof, still invisible, safe for the next few seconds.

  The shooting stopped, and he dropped to the ground landing perfectly on his right knee and left foot. He clenched his fist and his right arm shot out in front of him.

  AIM

  The soldiers aim repositioned to each other's heads as Zak's eyes widened and his lip curled up. His fingers splayed open as he prepared to close his hand and make the soldiers blast each other in the head. Their hands shook as they battled Zak's force but they could not shake off his power.

   ZAK. WAIT! DON'T DO IT. YOU ARE BETTER THAN THEM

  The voice brought the image of his mother back to his mind. The murderous thought of the soldiers faded into darkness and he closed his fist.

  FALL

  The rifles dropped to the floor and the soldiers fell to the floor unconscious. Zak breathed a sigh of relief; he would have to control his anger better. A reassuring, helpful voice would not always be around to light the dark, to not hate the hate. His dad's words punched him in the face. An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.

  VISIBLE

  Zak appeared and sprinted to the prison door. Beaumont sat dazed against the wall. He removed the gag from her mouth and untied the ropes.

  "There will be more coming, Zak. You need to get yourself out of here. Just leave me. Please. I'm too weak."

  Zak held her battered face in his hands and stared into her eyes. He had to give her hope. Hope that she could escape and be free.

  "Your mother—Rayvell—she is alive."

  Her eyes sprang to life, injected with the hope she needed.

  "My mother! But…my mother…isn't called Rayvell."

  "That is her Trejoarian name. The name of this planet is not Kronnus 13. It is Trejoaria, and you were born here. Your name is Qalzera and your mother is very much looking forward to seeing you. So get off your ass, Beaumont; it's time to go home. There is much for you to learn about this place, and your mother will be the one to tell you."

  Captain Kronnus had drained the energy from Beaumont, but news of her mother sparked a light in her head. Her mum was alive. She picked herself up with a renewed vigour.

  "After that day we met, I always felt your presence, however faint, but hours after we got captured…the light went out. I returned to the darkness of being the only one again. Thank you for coming back, Zak. Thank you so much," said Beaumont, as she hugged Zak.

  "No worries, there was no way I was leaving you here for them to experiment on. Let's go."

  Beaumont limped out the prison cell and along the corridor holding Zak's hand. They picked up the pace, but Zak froze at reception.

  "What's wrong, Zak? We need to get out of here. More soldiers will be here soon."

  "Someone is here already, but I can't…something is wrong."

  "Hey, Connors. What's wrong? Can't read my thoughts," said Capperton as, he walked down the stairs from the office above.

  "Capperton. They sent YOU. Ha!"

  Capperton swaggered to within ten feet of Zak. He stood before them dressed in a black outfit with a black helmet on his head. He bent his head down so his eyes looked up at them, menacingly, he figured.

  "Well, what are you waiting for, Connors? Why don't you try your moves out on me?"

  "Seriously, Crapperton. You don't know what I can do, and you look like the worst, harmless villain from a superhero film ever. Why don't you go back to bullying lonely people who are smaller than you, Crapneto?"

  Zak clenched his left fist and pushed his right hand to the right, but Capperton's lack of movement stunned him. Capperton swayed to his left and then resumed his position.

  "That it, Connors. That all you got. I know now what you can do. You can make people sway to the left. What a tremendous power. Oh, how I wish that were my superpower. I will take on the world and make them kneel before me, by…err…making them sway to the left. Ha!" said Capperton, returning Zak's smug laugh. "Would you like me to kneel before you, Zak Connors, oh great one?"

  Zak remained silent and stared at Capperton. Kronnus may not have worked out how to utilize the powers of his people, but he had worked out how to defend against it. Fear did not cross his mind. Capperton was a small hurdle to overcome.

  "Not so brave now, Connors? Why don't YOU kneel before ME," said Capperton, relishing the power. "And if you don't, I will shoot you and your girlfriend," he said, producing a laser pistol from the back of his trousers. He pointed it at Zak, then Beaumont and jumped back and forth between them.r />
  "Which one first? Oooh, I can't decide," said Capperton, getting excited. "Nah, I'm kidding. I've hated you since the moment I saw you, Connors. I liked Brogan, in case you are wondering why I hated you. It wasn't a random hatred."

  "Yes, it's more of a jealous hatred from a simpleton. And I think you would have found another reason to hate me, Capperton. Bullies don't need much of a reason. In fact, you don't just hate me for that. You are jealous of me, aren't you? You hate the fact I am more popular. As it turns out, she might like you more than me after all."

  "Yeah, I heard about that. We're going on a date once we have killed all you freaks," said Capperton.

  "Well, that's something. I didn't think she could stoop any lower."

  "You got away with the sarcastic comments before, Connors, but now I have a laser pistol in my hand. I really don't think—"

  Zak turned his gaze to something behind Capperton, shook his head, and mouthed the word NO. Capperton twisted his head around, but with no one there, he quickly realised his mistake. Zak ran towards him as fast as he could and jumped into the air. With a swing of his foot in mid-air he connected with Capperton's face and his helmet fell off. Capperton fell back as the blood splattered from his nose. As he fell to the ground, his pistol fell from his hand a few feet away. He scrambled along the ground to reach it, but Zak was too quick for him and kicked it away.

  "I don't need my powers to beat a cowardly little bully like you, Capperton."

  Capperton jumped up and ran at him, but again, Zak was too quick, and he fell to the floor and scissor kicked his legs away. With a flick of his wrist Capperton flew towards the wall. He threw out his arms to protect his face, but his body crunched into the wall. The injured bully fell in a heap, barely conscious.

  "I didn't know you could fly, Capperton. Maybe you have a superpower after all. Let's go, Beaumont."

  "Shouldn't you knock him out? He looks like a nasty piece of work. If he gets another chance, he will be back."

  "I have a better idea." Zak twisted his wrist, flicked it, and Capperton slid along the floor. Zak pushed his arm forward and Capperton slid along the polished floor, to the cell that held Beaumont. The door banged closed and locked him inside. "Okay, let's go."

  Zak ran towards the door, but felt something lurking behind it; this time he knew what was happening.

  "DUCK," he shouted as he grabbed Beaumont, and moved them out the way of the door. Bullets flew in and ripped it to pieces; a minute of constant shooting decimated the door.

  "CEASE FIRE," shouted a soldier, Zak's cue to spring into action. He ran to where the door used to be with his fist clenched. The rifles flew up into the air and landed fifty feet away. The soldiers ran towards Zak and attempted to remove their pistols from their holsters. Zak clenched both fists and the soldiers hands stayed on their pistols. As he unclenched his hand, the pistols fired. The screams filled the air as the soldiers shot themselves in the foot. He thought his father might have something to say about that manoeuvre, but had no time to be nice. He hadn't killed; just a few minor injuries.

  Zak and Beaumont walked through the carnage unharmed. The soldiers knew better than to reach for their pistols again and were in too much pain to care. As Zak walked past the last soldier, he removed his pistol, and slipped it into the back of his trousers. They exited the prison and jogged to the Kronnus Bridge, but Zak had no time for a thrill ride.

  "Wait ten seconds before you travel through," he said to Beaumont. Without waiting for a reply, he stormed through the bridge. Beaumont travelled through after ten seconds as instructed. Three guards lay unconscious on the ground when she reached the other side. She took his hand; no questions necessary.

  They walked to the entrance of Sector 11 to meet with Kullen at the lake. Zak had no time to work out a quiet way to pass through the gate, so he opened his arms forcefully and moved them to the side.

  OPEN

  They jogged through as fast as Beaumont's weakened state would let her. The guards on the ramparts still lay unconscious. The guard in the security room burst the door open and prepared to fire at Zak.

  "Halt! Who goes there?"

  "Seriously, halt, who goes there? I have a good mind to—"

  "Zak, deal with him and keep moving."

  He clenched his fist, arrogantly brushed him aside and they walked to the meeting point. Kullen swooped down and landed at the side of the lake. Beaumont stood behind Zak, overcome with awe and fear.

  DO NOT WORRY, QALZERA. HURRY, I WILL TAKE YOU TO SAFETY. HURRY, ZAKANA

  Zak helped Beaumont jump on to the eaglezore and readied himself to jump on when he heard a faint voice in his head.

  HELP US. SECTOR 13

  A distant whisper: too quiet to know who or what it was.

  I HAVE TO GO BACK, KULLEN. THERE ARE MORE OF US IN SECTOR 13. CAN YOU TAKE BEAUMONT HOME TO SEE HER MOTHER?

  I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO RETURN TO THE COTTAGE. I WILL TAKE HER TO SAFETY FOR NOW, ZAKANA. BE SAFE. BE STRONG. I WILL RETURN FOR YOU

  The mighty wings flapped and Kullen shot off into the sky as Beaumont's cries of protest faded from Zak's ears.

  40

  Kullen launched up into the air with two flaps of the mighty wings as Beaumont, tired and scared, held on tight. Zak told the truth: the eaglezore can speak.

  LAY YOUR HEAD ON MY BODY QALZERA. TRY TO MAKE YOURSELF AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE. AND RELAX

  Beaumont pressed her head against Kullen's soft feathers, unaware of the danger. If the tower guards saw Beaumont, they would shoot them down in an instant.

  Zak grabbed the pistol from his trousers and fired towards one of the towers, wary of the threat to Kullen and Beaumont. The bullets ricocheted off the roof of the tower and grabbed the attention of the guard. The machine guns mounted against the wall swivelled around and pointed towards Zak. Another tower guard took notice and aimed at Zak, but he sprinted off, with a clenched fist.

  INVISIBLE

  Zak threw the pistol away as the bullets rained down, and he caught his breath behind a tree. The bullets stopped: they no longer had a target. Kullen soared up into the sky, beyond the reach of the mounted machine guns. Zak had saved Beaumont and she would see her mother soon.

  Zak breathed slow and emptied his mind. The pure thought of his mother returned, and he focussed. His mother would help him find the others; the voice must have emanated from Sector 13. The guards stopped the search for the invisible target, and Zak strolled out to begin the next step of the plan: the search for Sector 13. Half of his mission was complete and successful. Release the remaining Trejoarians in Sector 13 and his mission would be complete. He could return home. His real home. Zak was already home, but Kronnus changed everything. Kronnus kept him on Earth, his memories suppressed to keep him safe. He pictured himself with his mother on the eaglezore and sent thoughts of a dead Kronnus to the back of his mind. He stopped to concentrate; it was harder than he thought to dismiss negative thoughts. The anger must not get to the forefront of his mind. Kronnus had taken his mother away; he thought of nothing else, but Sector 13 was his goal. He closed his eyes and concentrated on Beaumont. The first time he saw her he recognised she had powers, and now he knew others existed. Children with powers; children born of Trejoaria but were in the dark. The Trejoarians in Kronnus City were in danger and one had called out to him. Thoughts of Beaumont might lead to Sector 13: a place that did not exist. Zak returned to the security gate of Sector 11 and traversed the wall with his new parkour skills. The initial thrill of the rollercoaster ride vanished as he travelled through the Kronnus Bridge to Sector 12. A confident Zak stepped through the other side of the bridge still invisible, so concentrated that he did not repeat the word. More guards patrolled than usual, but Zak strolled through, unafraid. A group of guards—unaware of his presence—marched straight towards him, and he jumped into a gap between the hospital and the office of Brey Kronnus.

  The gap stretched to the back of the buildings. A gust of wind from the back of the gap blew him forwar
d and almost forced him into the marching soldiers. Game almost over due to a gust of wind, but he regained his balance and spun around confused. No enemy appeared as he clenched his fist and prepared for another fight. The gap looked ordinary, wide enough for him to walk through and brush his shoulders off the walls. The wind stopped as he checked the gap and turned around, but as he turned, he heard a noise: a murmur, deathly quiet. He tiptoed to the end of the gap to locate the sound and peered around the corner to an unexpected sight.

  A building sat against the wall, surrounded by trees and brightly coloured flowers. A path in the centre led towards the door. The exuberant architects of Kronnus City had little to do with the design of this building. A plain cottage stood at the end of the path. The swing chair in the porch swayed back and forth with no wind. This was it. This was Sector 13. A cottage painted white in need of a makeover. He squinted at the cottage; he knew this place, but could not trigger the full memory. Why would Kronnus build a cottage at the end of his glorious new city? Something was wrong. Was someone playing with his mind? Was this cottage real? Questions swam around his head. Why did he know this place? The cottage would not have been out of place in the middle of Tradoria Forest, apart from one major thing. Ten guards with laser rifles stood in front of the cottage, unaware of Zak's presence. Capperton's helmet must have been a prototype; the guards wore no headwear. Zak bounded over the gate, clenched both fists, and stretched his arms out. He focussed on the guards and stretched his fingers out wide.

  UP

   The guards flew backwards, hit the wall of the cottage and dropped to the ground unconscious. Like the cottage, it seemed too simple. With a twist of his hand he opened the front door from a distance and walked in. A check on the interior of the cottage showed no present danger. The cottage was bare with just one room, white walls with no windows and plain white tiles on the floor. Inside the cottage defied the outside. The floor showed no sign of footsteps; recently polished tiles gleamed. Zak saw his reflection materialise on the tiles as he became visible and sensed danger. A heat wave flickered on certain tiles, one tread on them and his adventure would be at an end. An elevator door at the back of the room looked out of place. How many cottages have elevators? A game he played crossed his mind as he tiptoed across the floor one cautious step at a time, avoiding the danger tiles. But this was for real: one mistake and the white tiles would not be so white. He reached the elevator and pushed the red button with his thumb. A computerised voice said, "UNKNOWN FINGERPRINT. ACCESS DENIED."

  Zak retraced his steps with care and jogged outside to the unconscious soldiers. He dragged the highest ranking soldier to the tiles and hovered him to the elevator with his telekinetic power. All of a sudden a sidearm fell from the soldier's holster and Zak panicked. He watched as the sidearm twisted and turned towards a danger tile. Zak slowed down the movement of the gun and he grabbed it, an inch from the floor; an inch from death.

  Zak placed the soldier's thumb against the button and the elevator door slid open. A quick scan of the elevator revealed no buttons to push, but the elevator shot down at high-speed. One second later he was thirty feet below ground. Zak emerged from the elevator feeling queasy; he still could not use a high-speed elevator. The door zoomed shut and Zak sighed. It might have been a good idea to bring the soldier with him to return to the surface. He walked out into a reception area that had more white walls and another polished white tiled floor. Beyond reception were three corridors: one to the left, one to the right and one at the end of the room. A guard sat at the reception desk in the corner, his head bowed with a cap on that hid his face. The guard looked up and smiled, like he was expecting a visitor. He stood up straight, removed his cap and replaced it with a helmet from under the desk.

  "Ah, Mr Connors. We've been expecting you," said Brey Kronnus. "BOOM! I've always wanted to say that!" he said, getting excited.

  "The helmet didn't help Capperton. Why do you think it will help you?"

  "WOO HA HA HA!" shouted Brey, with an unconvincing evil laugh.

  "Don't tell me. You've always wanted to say that too!"

  "My ambitions are almost complete. We knew Capperton would fail; he was a test subject. Thought you might like pitting your wits against one so strong. It was easy to persuade him to be our guinea pig and fight you, funnily enough."

  Brey snapped his fingers and ten soldiers wearing helmets marched from the left and right corridors.

  "Only you would make the cue snapping fingers, Kronnus," said Zak unmoved. He showed no fear as he surveyed the soldiers for any weaknesses. The helmets suggested he was the one with the weakness.

  "What have I told you about calling me Kronnus? Sheesh! Kids these days. No respect whatsoever."

  "What is your problem with that, Kronnus? Are you ashamed of your name? Are you ashamed of your dad? Or is it something to do with your mother? Don't worry, your helmet works, but I feel a—how shall I put it—a disgruntlement from you when I mention your mother."

  "DO NOT MENTION MY MOTHER AGAIN, CONNORS. OR THIS TIME I WILL KILL YOU."

  "To get back at your dad?"

  "Keep trying, Connors. You are thirteen, you cannot get inside my head, you weak little boy."

   Zak heard a whisper in his head.

  DO NOT FIGHT THEM

  WHO IS THIS?

  Zak stood motionless and stared through him. The voice could not be Zella; she did not need to mask her voice now.

  "Oh, Zak, you are so strong in the face of adversity, aren't you. Look at you, staring blankly at me like I'm supposed to be scared. Is that your evil face? Err…no…don't think so! Tell you what, if you give up now, I will go easy on you. Well…that's a lie, but if you give up now, I won't shoot you."

  "You mean you won't have me shot."

  Brey looked at the ground, smiled and shook his head. He took three steps towards Zak, removed a pistol from his trousers and tapped it against his helmet.

  "Believe me, Connors. I have no reservations about killing you. I have killed before and I will kill again."

  Zak stared into his evil blue eyes: they distorted his handsome features. The helmet did not work one-hundred percent, and Zak eased his way into the mind of Kronnus.

  "You won't kill me," said Zak smugly.

  "Would you like a small wager, Connors?"

  "You won't kill me, because you are not allowed to kill me."

  "Ha! You think you are intelligent, don't you, Connors? Think you have it all worked out. Yeah, okay, my father said I am not allowed to kill you. Top marks, soldier, or should I say recruit, but he isn't here right now. Do you see him here? So—and please believe me when I say this—I will kill you if I deem it necessary. Please, by all means, continue your mind games or try to escape," said Brey, stepping closer. "Because I would love to kill you. I would love to kill ALL of your kind." He looked at the soldiers and gave them another cue. They launched forward and grabbed Zak's hands. One of them slung his rucksack on the floor and produced two metal gloves. Two of the soldiers grabbed Zak's hands and kept them straight behind his back. They clipped the gloves onto his straightened hands and snapped the lock into place.

  "Go ahead, Connors. Try to clench your fists."

  DO NOT FIGHT THEM. NOT YET

  The whisper echoed around him as he stared straight into Brey's eyes.

  "Do you know why Sector 13 looks like a cottage, Connors?"

  "No idea."

  "It's hilarious. You'll laugh if you ever find out." Brey strolled towards the end of the room with his hands behind his back.

  "You even walk like your father, Kronnus," said Zak, bursting into laughter.

  A door unlocked and opened as Brey commanded it to.

  "OPEN."

  Zak smirked as the soldiers pushed him forwards.

  "You should have clenched your fist and pretended to be one of the race you are so eager to destroy. Do you hate us so much because you had a difficult childhood and your dad was always working? Or are you just afraid of what you don't
understand?"

  Two soldiers marched Zak through the door. Behind the door lay another six doors on the left, six on the right and one at the end.

  "Thirteen doors. Nice," said Zak. "Good job I'm not superstitious."

  "Oh, you are so funny, Connors. I will be there when we start the tests on you. I'll be listening out for your smart-ass comments when we torture you. Not for information; just for the hell of it. Clearance: Brey Kronnus. Open door one."

  The door swished open to reveal a prison cell.

  "No wait! You are angry because of your mother, aren't you? Something happened and you blame someone. You blame—" a punch to his stomach interrupted Zak.

  "Never speak of my mother again, Connors. Go ahead. Your prison awaits you. You can't do any damage beyond these doors. Don't worry. I'll come and visit you," said Brey, as he punched Zak in the stomach again. Zak wrenched his head forward, trying to conceal the pain as much as possible.

  "Take him in."

  The guards grabbed his arms and dragged him into the prison cell.

  NOW. DO IT NOW

  Zak stopped, and the soldiers halted with him.

  "I have one thing to say before you lock me up, Captain Kronnus." The guards tried to push him forward, but he stood his ground.

  "Finally, he called me Captain. There's progress for you. Turn him around. Let him speak."

  Brey pointed his pistol at Zak's head. A red dot appeared on his forehead.

  "I've changed my mind. Please mention my mother so I have an excuse to kill you." Zak paused and smirked. He wasn't stupid enough to rile Kronnus further. "Okay, Connors. Make it quick. Do you want to grovel for your life?"

  "Absolutely not. I wanted to tell you I have evolved past the requirement of clenching my fist to use my powers. And these gloves do not work. Good idea though."

  "Really," said Brey nonchalantly.

  The gloves slipped off his hands, he lifted his arms, and his gaze remained on Kronnus. The soldiers flew back, whacked their bodies against the wall and slumped to the floor unconscious. Kronnus fired his pistol, but Zak kept his cool and slowed the bullet. His eyes concentrated on the bullet and it swerved to the right and hit a soldier in the arm. He reassured himself that the bullet might have ricocheted against the wall and hit him. Every time he hurt someone, he thought of his dad. Kronnus dropped the gun in a panic and sprinted off as soon as he witnessed Zak's power.

  Zak walked calmly out to the cell across the corridor and flicked his right hand. The cell door opened to reveal one of the missing children with powers who looked weak and tired. The sight of Zak gave him strength.

  "Can you walk?"

  The boy stood up and staggered forward. Zak stepped out the cell and looked inside the next cell; a girl lay on the bed. He opened the door, and she forced herself from the bed and walked towards him. They looked two or three years older than him, and their tired faces suggested Kronnus kept them awake against their will.

  "I am here to set you free," said Zak.

  "Thank you, Zakana," said the children together.

  "Is there anyone else in the cells? Wait—how do you know my—"

  ZAKANA

  He turned his head sharply to the door at the end of the corridor. They knew his Trejoarian name. Zak sprinted towards the door, his heart thumped faster than ever before. He came to a halt outside the door, flicked his right hand and the door swung violently open. Zak tiptoed through the door and stopped in amazement. He gazed at the woman dressed in white sat on the bed, and fell to his knees in disbelief.

  "Mother?"

  41

  As Zak fell to his knees, his mother rushed towards him and did the same. She held his face in her soft hands and kissed his forehead.

  "Is…is it really you, Mother? I thought you were dead. Dad thinks you are dead too."

  "I was close to death, but I am very much alive, Zak. Kronnus made it look like I didn't survive. It is a long story, but right now we have to get out of here." She looked into her son's tearful eyes and hugged him. The news of his mother's demise hit him hard. The news she was alive came as even more of a shock, and he weakened. His emotional bottle exploded, releasing all the emotions he could usually control. The tears flooded down and left him weak and fragile.

  BE STRONG, ZAK

  Zak's mother pulled him up from his knees and took him by the hands.

  "Did I imagine you speaking in the mirror or was that really you?"

  "It was me, but Kronnus has built this place too far underground for me to speak to anyone telepathically, until you came. It took all my strength to output those messages. Your powers are strong; you have at least three powers, don't you?"

  "Yes, but—"

  "Zak, I love you; I never stopped loving you, but we need to get out of here soon. Once we are outside the city, I will tell you everything. Kronnus will have reinforcements outside; the path will be blocked if we wait any longer."

  BE STRONG. NOW!

  "Please, Zak. Snap out of it."

  "Sorry, I'm okay. How long have you been here?" said Zak, wiping away the tears.

  "Long enough to know that all I want right now is to get the hell out of here. As soon as we are out of Sector 13, Kullen will sense me. He can't sense me in here."

  "He will sense me too. I flew in on him."

  "Really?"

  "Yes, you sound suspicious."

  "If I did, I didn't mean it. Surprise was the emotion I meant to convey. This is good news, Zak. Go! We need to help Clara and James; they have been experimented on a lot recently."

  "Is that how they developed the helmets?"

  "Yes, they forced them to use their powers to test it. They tried it with me a few times, but…well, that is a story for another time. Follow me."

   They ran along the corridor to Clara and James and kept a watchful eye for guards beyond the door. The corridor was empty.

  "How many powers do you have, Zak?"

  "Five: invisibility is one of them. Do you have that?"

  "No, but with the power of invisibility you can make others invisible when you hold their hands. Zak, this is Clara Mason and James Larton. Clara, James, I know you are weak but in fifteen minutes your nightmare will be over. Be strong." The promise of the end of their prison nightmare gave them renewed strength.

  "We are with you, Trakana. Tell us what to do." They struggled towards the elevator and pressed the red button. Zak breathed a sigh of relief; the guard's fingerprint was not required. As the elevator neared ground level, Trakana spoke.

  "Okay, hold hands. Zak, try it now."

  INVISIBLE

  Zak turned invisible, as did his mother, Mason and Larton.

  "Awesome," said Zak, impressed with himself. His mother smiled. That was her boy. As the elevator reached the top, Zak floated upwards until he was horizontal on the roof of the elevator. They all floated, thanks to Trakana.

  The elevator door swished open and bullets sprayed into the elevator. The glass of the elevator walls smashed to pieces.

  "Come out nice and easy or all you freaks will die. Show yourself," shouted a soldier, as the shooting stopped. Trakana glanced at Zak.

  ARE YOU READY?

  HELL YEAH

  Trakana released the grip and she and Zak jumped down to the floor, their hands clasped together. They sprinted towards the soldiers and slid along the floor at speed. The soldiers could feel something was wrong, but were too confused to act.

  NOW, ZAK

  Zak and Trakana released their hands, turned visible, and the surprise hit the soldiers. Trakana raised her right hand mid-slide, and the soldiers flew into the air. They whacked the ceiling then fell to the floor. Zak flicked his wrist, and rifles flew from the soldier's grasps, and knocked themselves out as they fell to the solid ground. Mason and Larton knelt on the floor of the elevator; too weak to help with the fight, but their strength grew with each step they took to victory.

  "Hey, we will get you out of here. Stand up and let's go. We need to get to the
lake. Kullen won't get in here. We need to travel through the Kronnus Bridge to Sector 11, then back to Sector 10," said Zak.

  "Is that what he calls them? Kronnus Bridges. The arrogance of that man is astounding," said Trakana.

  Zak and his mother helped them to their feet, and they walked out to the garden area.

  "Is there a reason this old cottage is the outside of Sector 13?"

  "It is a copy of the cottage where we lived on Earth. A joke from Kronnus, I imagine."

  "Not a funny one then. It's through there," said Zak, pointing to the gap in the back of the buildings. The group moved in single file through the gap with Zak at the fore. "It's all clear," he whispered.

  Sector 12 was strangely quiet as they jogged to the Kronnus Bridge back to Sector 11. Trakana halted.

  "I sense danger in Sector 11. As soon as we reappear, soldiers will rip us to pieces. Zak, do you remain invisible when you travel through the transporters?"

  "Yes, if I concentrate."

  "I doubt we will all remain invisible. We will materialise as soon as we pass through. You need to go through first. I sense a lot of soldiers on the other side and they have their rifles pointing at the transporters. Zak, it may be difficult for you to deal with all of them. As soon as you reach the other side, concentrate as hard as you can, and move their rifles up in the air. Clara, James, you need to help or none of us will survive this. We will wait ten seconds before we enter. Our combined strength will be enough to deal with the soldiers. Concentrate on removing their rifles first and then concentrate on staying alive. We are ALL going to survive. Does everyone understand?" asked Trakana, in a calm, forceful manner. She didn't need to raise her voice for them to hear and obey. Trakana was their leader now with no discussion required; everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

  "Look at me. ALL OF YOU. We are ALL going to make this. Believe that. Nod your heads like you believe in this plan; like you believe in yourself. We have been through a lot and we will not end here. Are we ready?"

  Zak stared at his mother with a sense of pride. He had not come all this way to lose her; he believed. Two hours ago, all he had was a dream of them flying free on the eaglezore. Now, she was alive, standing in front of him, giving a speech that would save their lives. She told him to be strong all those months ago, and he remained strong over the last six months. There was no reason to give up now.

  "I love you, Zak. We will be together with your father soon. Count to five when you get through, then raise their rifles."

  "See you on the other side," he said as he stepped through the transporter alone.

  INVISIBLE

  INVISIBLE

  INVISIBLE

  Zak reached Sector 11 and remained invisible. His mother's power was strong, she was correct: over a hundred soldiers lined up, ready to fire, but Zak was ready. He counted to five and concentrated on the soldiers that stood before him, clenched his muscles and raised his arms. The rifles moved upwards at a steady pace as he turned visible. One soldier fired his laser rifle before they moved upwards and it grazed Zak's arm. He remained steady with his arms in the air, defiant the wound would not end his hopes of reuniting his family. Ten seconds passed with no sign of movement in the transporter. Another ten seconds passed and still no sign. The soldiers fought back and their rifles descended, only a few feet above Zak's head. His arms shook and the pain in his arm grew more intense.

  MOTHER

  PLEASE

  NOW

  Trakana burst through the transporter with seconds to spare. Mason and Larter raised their arms towards the soldiers with a newfound belief, instilled by Trakana's confidence boosting speech. A hundred rifles launched into the air and fell on the other side of the wall of Sector 11.

  "CHARGE!" shouted a soldier, as they ran towards them. Zak froze, his arms weakened from the strength required to hold them at bay. With no energy left he looked at his mother for help. Trakana fell to the floor on her knees and stretched her arms out wide, her eyes closed, but she did not panic. She looked calm and serene, like she had chosen the wrong time to meditate. A hundred soldiers charged towards them and unleashed their sidearms.

  "Mother," whispered Zak, as the soldiers prepared to shoot. Negative thoughts rushed through his mind. The time with his mother, short-lived, but the thoughts ended abruptly. A humming sound resonated, and the ground vibrated. An explosion to Zak's left interrupted thoughts of their impending death. The wall exploded and sent the bricks and stone hurtling towards them. Mason and Larter raised their right hands, directed the missiles away from them, and launched them towards the soldiers. Five wargara bound through the hole and the soldiers stopped in their tracks. They aimed their guns towards the vicious killers that hurtled towards them. Bullets wounded the wargara, but they remained strong as though nothing had happened. Sonar pulses expelled from the wargara towards the soldiers. The stunned soldiers flew backwards into the air, unconscious before they hit the floor. A few escaped the blast and ran back to their vehicles, but the wargara picked them off with their fangs. It was all over within a minute. One bloody minute.

  Zak stood up and surveyed the bodies strewn across the courtyard. The blood red paint splatter at the paintball party back on Earth was pretend. The devastation of war games he played was fake, but this was real, and it hit hard. Throughout the last six months he had remained strong with all the upheaval. Zak hadn't moved house or moved country, he had moved planet. He was not of Earth. He was Zak Connors. He was Zakana. He was a Trejoarian. Dizziness overcame him and he fell to his knees, his face flushed and the colour drained from him. He closed his eyes and vomited.

  Zamastri bounded towards the four of them and stopped ten feet away. Trakana rose to her feet then bent back down on to one knee and bowed her head towards Zamastri.

  "There is no need to bow, Trakana. I am glad you are alive, but you need to leave. Reinforcements will be here soon. Welcome back." Zamastri turned his attention to Zak and bowed his head. "We meet again, Tredica. Hopefully we will meet again in better circumstances and talk further."

  "Please refrain from calling him that, Zamastri. You do not know he will ever be Tredica, he merely has the potential, as do many others," said Trakana.

  Zamastri and Trakana stared at each other and gave nothing away. Zamastri bowed his head as he took two steps back. "As you wish, Trakana, but you must go now. There is a lake a half a mile from the hole in the wall. Kullen will meet you there instead. It is too dangerous to breach the walls now."

  The wargara turned back towards the hole they created, bounded through and disappeared within seconds. Trakana turned, walked towards Zak and offered her hand to him. She pulled him up off the ground, raised her hands and held his face and pulled his head down to her chest. The loving mother kissed his blood-splattered forehead.

  "Zak, it’s over, for now, but there will be more coming. You need to breathe slower and relax, but you need to do it now. We need to leave."

  Zak snapped out of his frozen state and sucked his emotions back into his bottle. He would process it all another time. Now, it was time to live; time to reunite his family.

  "Let’s go," he said to his mother.

  Trakana took Zak by the hand and ran towards the hole in the wall, Mason and Larton followed behind them. She looked back expecting more soldiers to follow, but none came. Surely Kronnus would send more soldiers to stop them; he wouldn’t want her son to escape. Freedom stamped out her doubts and they ran towards the lake.

  As they reached the lake, Kullen landed. Mason and Larton jumped on to the eaglezore. Zak and his mother climbed onto Kullen and they flew away from Kronnaria City.

  Zak held onto Kullen and his mother held onto him. He looked down to the sprawling countryside: green, lush plains, forests and rolling hills. This was his dream, his mother's hands clasped around him. He turned around to look at his mother. She was still there, the dream did not end. The dream did not end because this was real. She smiled at him. A smile reserved for him alone. A smile
preserved for this moment.

  "Not long now, Zak. We will be a family together again soon."

  Zak smiled, and a tear rolled down his cheek: a tear of joy. He was home now, in his mother’s arms. Nothing could take that away. Nothing.

  42

  Zak stared at Tradoria Forest beneath him and breathed deep, he was mentally and physically exhausted, but he was the happiest boy alive, reunited with his mother. The woman he thought he would never see again, and soon his whole family would be together.

  "How is your arm?"

  "It's fine, it's just a graze. How long have you been on the planet, Mother?" said Zak.

  "Ah, still calling me Mother, Zak."

  "I know my Trejoarian name now. Call me that if you wish."

  "We called you Zak for short. It's only in front of others we call you Zakana. I'm not sure how long. Kronnus imprisoned me on Earth for a year, but transported me a few years ago. He needed time to build Sector 13, so he could experiment on us. Daniel was a brilliant man before he learned of our powers. A caring man too, and he used his money to help others, but that changed when he met us. Kronnus had everything, and then we came along. He learned of our powers and wanted them for himself."

  "What happened to his wife? I sensed something when I was with him."

  Kullen tensed his back muscles and accelerated as Trakana was about to answer.

  "What is it, Kullen?" asked Trakana.

  "Something is not right. Something has happened at the base. We will be there soon. Hold on."

  "I sense it now," said Trakana.

  Kullen accelerated as Zak panicked and thought about the people at the cabin. His mother and father were alive; it would be a cruel fate if anything happened now. Kullen began his descent as they saw smoke from the forest. As he swooped closer to the ground, Zak and his mother prepared to jump off as he had practised, and they jumped and ran in mid-air. A perfectly executed landing was followed by a sprint towards the danger. The cabin lay riddled with holes and fire damaged the wood where laser rifles penetrated it.

  Trakana leapt up the stairs and barged into the front room. Three people lay on the floor.

  "NOOOOO," shouted Trakana, falling to her knees next to her husband. She lifted his head in her hands.

  "Trakana, you are alive, I sensed you," said Talkara, smiling through the pain.

  Zak stormed into the house behind his mother and saw his father on the floor in a pool of blood. He collapsed to his knees next to him and held his hand and his mother's.

  "We are together again," he said, forcing a smile.

  "Save your strength, Talkara. I will patch you up and have you back on your feet in no time," said Trakana.

  "Trakana, Zak, I love you both, but we all know that will not happen."

  "Dad, don't say that. You will be fine. Won't he, Mother?"

  "What happened, Talkara?"

  "Kronnus attacked us, he took us by surprise. I don't know how he found our location. This place is shielded beyond human eyes."

  Zak's head drooped with the stark realisation he knew exactly how Kronnus had located them.

  "I know," said Zak, wiping the tears away. "We had trackers injected into us when we arrived. It's all my fault."

  "Zak, son, this is not your fault. None of this is your fault. Kronnus is the closest thing to a demon you will ever know. This was his doing. Kronnus implanted a tracker, not you. Do not blame yourself for this," he said as blood trickled from his nose. "Kronnus spoke with me after his soldiers did their business. Kronnus has been after you since we left. He knew we didn't have time to take our children with us to Trejoaria, and knew they were still on Earth. He devised a plan to get you all here. The virus that hit thirteen-year-olds was not a natural virus, it was man-made. It was Kronnus-made. He created it himself, and created the cure for it too, way before he sent the virus out to hospitals. Brey Kronnus never had the virus. Earth children are immunised when they are six months old through to they are twelve. He made sure all children got immunised, but changed the drug to the virus."

  "But how did he know to select us?"

  "Kronnus knew we had children, and he knew roughly how old they were. Trejoarians all have the same blood type, the same as the rarest blood type on Earth—AB negative. The selection process would have chosen any child who was AB negative, and children of the rich and powerful. All our children are now on Trejoaria. Find out who they are and rescue them, Zak. Find the Kronnus 13. Tell them who they are. Your powers are growing and you can locate them. You can sense danger, but you will also sense powers within others. Reach out to them and get them out of Kronnaria City. And when the last of them is free, get off this continent, as far away as possible from that demon. Promise me, Zak. I'm dying, I don't have long left."

  "You're not going to die, I'm not letting you. I need your help to seek revenge on Kronnus. I need you to make us a whole family again. I need you to be my father. Kronnus will not get away with this."

  "Do not seek revenge, Zak. Remember, an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind. Live in the light. Love not hate. Tell everyone here and on Earth what Kronnus did. Make him pay for his crimes. Killing him will not make up for losing me. Goodbye, Zak. I love you. Look after him, Trakana, my love. I love you both."

  BE STRONG

  Talkara's final words drifted around Zak's head in a daze. This could not be happening. His dad died holding his hand. Back together for minutes with his family and now gone for good. Zak closed his eyes, and the tears rolled down his face as he laid his head on his dad's shoulder. His mother placed her hand on his hair and stroked it. Tears rolled down her face, but anger burned within her, reunited with her family for minutes.

  "He wants me not to kill Kronnus, Mother. I can't agree to that. The only thing I can think of right now is ripping his heart out and feeding it to his son."

  "Your father was a more peaceful person than I am, Zak. Kronnus can die the most horrible death for all I care. Hell, I'll even serve the wine to go with the heart. Your father will be avenged. Everyone who died here today will be avenged. We will fulfil his request. We will rescue our people from Kronnaria City, but then…Kronnus will pay. And his payment will be death."

  Zak stood up and stumbled out the door as he wiped the tears away and breathed slower. His hands rested on the posts and he stumbled down the wooden steps. He fell on his knees and vomited again. Shadows emerged on the ground and suggested that something large and powerful stood before him. He looked up to see the wargara and the eaglezore ten feet away.

  "We are sorry for your loss, Zakana. Your father was a brilliant man."

  "As are we," said Zamastri. "We do not bow to many people, Zakana, but we bowed to your father. And we will bow to you."

  Zak stared at Kullen for a few seconds and then switched his gaze to Zamastri.

  "We will help you in your quest to rescue the remaining Trejoarians, Zakana," said Kullen.

  "And in return—will you help us rid this planet of Kronnus?" said Zamastri.

  A single tear rolled down his face. His dad tried to teach him self-control. The ethos of an eye for an eye did not belong in his teachings. He said he should not kill Kronnus. He wanted his dad to be proud of him, but revenge won. He would make his dad proud someday, just not today.

  "Try and stop me."

  THE END

  About the author

  James Sharkey lives in Fife, Scotland where he lives with his partner and son. He is currently writing the second book in the Kronnus 13 series.

  Other books by James Sharkey

  Sergeant Smelly And Captain Chunder Save The Day

  Sergeant Smelly And Captain Chunder Save The Day Again

  Sergeant Smelly And Captain Chunder: Lost in Time

  Sergeant Smelly And Captain Chunder: Dimensions

  A Sergeant Smelly Christmas

  Sergeant Smelly And Captain Chunder: Aliens

  Sergeant Smelly And Captain Chunder: Aliens Revenge

  Sergeant Smelly And Captain
Chunder Save The Day Audio Book

  Coming Soon in 2017

  Kronnus 13: The Dark

  Sergeant Smelly and Captain Chunder: Pirates

  www.jamessharkey.com

  Thanks to John