Nanowars: Rebirth - 6. Chapter 6: Ambush

Chapter Six: Ambush

Jumping up with a start, Harry found himself lying in the back of a military truck bouncing along a jungle road.

“I don’t know how much more of this I can take.” He sighed as he sat up.

“Travis has to sleep too Harry. It can’t be helped that his dreams enter your mind.”

“If his dreams were in anyway pleasant, I wouldn’t mind.” He ran his hands through his unwashed oily hair.

“We’ll be at the next airstrip soon. From there it’s off to Patagonia. The Ocean Forge is waiting in port there. “

“I knew I should have had the wedding in July instead of January.”

“Why do you say that?” Tobias asked, trying to ignore the way Lance was looking at him.

“Remember the seasons are opposite here… winter is summer and summer is winter. If I had the wedding in July the complex would have been snowed in. Travis wouldn’t have been able to get me.”

“Yes, you would have gotten married but then your wife would be here with you.” Lance replied. “It would have been worse for you both if she had became pregnant.”

“Will someone please stop Travis from dreaming.” Harry begged, holding his head tightly.

“Go back to sleep Harry, it will be easier on you.” Logan suggested.

“It’s not easy Logan… If you saw what he dreams.”

“It’s your head he’s in. Take control.”

“But I have to believe I can. If I doubt even for a second…”

“Lay down. We’ll do this together.” Logan said as he moved onto the stretcher. “Now close your eyes, try to relax, and let yourself be pulled in There was that so hard?” Logan asked as he appeared as a ghost inside Harry and Travis’s shared dream.

“Look where we are…” Harry said, pointing the twisting black walls that surrounded them.

“The Maze… it still scares you I see.” Logan said as both of them heard a long loud roar.

“We better get moving. He can track us you know.”

“Not so fast. We shouldn’t make it easy for him.” Logan said. “Now I want you to concentrate and seal this side of the passageway off.”

“I’ll try.” Harry replied. A wall slowly materialized in front of them.

“Nice but not good enough.” Logan said, as he punched the wall to show it was paper thin. “Try again.” This time, the wall that appeared was as hard as stone. “Good, now we can start running.”

“Which way?”

“You tell me. This is your dream.” Both of them heard another roar.

“I think this is more than a dream Logan.” Harry said as he turned left at a quick pace.

“You might be right… we have dreamed of this place before.”

“And we all know what lies in the center.”

“The Relic.” Logan nodded as the two of them began to run. “Come this way. There’s something I want to show you.” he said as he led Harry down a narrow passage.

“Where are we going?”

“To the end of the maze… or I should say the entrance.”

“You know where that is?”

“I’ve only been there once but it’s guarded.”

“By whom?”

“Our enemies, of course… the one’s who control the Eye.”

“I know little about that business.”

“Your parents used to work for a group called Lordon. That was before you were born.”

“You never told me that.”

“You usually don’t like me bringing up your folks.” Logan reminded. “It’s one of the secrets I’ve been keeping from you and Travis. Now be quiet, we’re getting close to the entrance.”

Darting his head around a corner Logan saw a pair of gold masked guards dressed in white robes, each carrying a long spear.

“Trouble ahead… you think you can take care of it?”

“Take care of it how?”

“You and Travis used to play together in the Maze all the time. Just do what you used to do.”

“You mean stun them?”

“Whatever it is that you do.” Logan shrugged.

“I don’t know if I can.”

“All you have to do is believe you can… the rest will work on its own.” Logan said.

“Alright, there’re just two of them?”

“Yep, but watch out for those spears.”

“Okay.” Harry said rubbing his hands together as he prepared himself.

            ***********************************************************

“Dr. Frost… subjects nine and eleven are in trouble.” Lordon technician Barry Dowager hated reporting bad news but it was better than letting things spin out of control.

“What sort of trouble?” The chief researcher at Lordon’s Big Rock base demanded, from the observation balcony, a pair of dark green goggles protecting his eyes from the brilliant light coming from a hole in the cavern floor.

“They’re no longer maze walking but we can’t wake them up.”

“And the others?”

“The others have been told and are moving in to investigate.”

“Dr. Timmons, open the Eye by another fifteen percent. If that creature is out there… let’s give him a sunburn.”

“Opening the Eye to 55% sir.” Todd Timmons replied, turning a large dial by a fraction of an inch, the light coming from the hole growing brighter.

“Sir… subjects three, five and seven have just been knocked out of dream-state as well.” Barry reported a few minutes later.

“Activate emergency protocols… order the standby team to the sleeping chambers.” Before the emergency shutdown could finish the Eye exploded. Todd and his team were knocked off theirfeet by the blast wave. The air in the cave moved with hurricane-like force keeping them down. When his eyes turned toward the pit, he saw the shadow of a man floating in the middle of the pillar of light.

Dr. Timmons, struggling back to his feet, fought through a storm of sparks to reach the control panel, turning the dial all the way to the left. The metal iris around the pit swirled closed. The man and the pillar of light disappeared.

“What the hell was that?” Barry demanded as he slowly got back to his feet, the cavern littered with papers. The smell of burnt ozone was in the air.

“We must not open the Eye until we find out .” Dr. Timmons knew how that would infuriate Dr. Frost.

“Start recovering as much data as possible and get a crew to clean up this mess.” Heading for the exit, Landon Frost slid his ID card through a reader unlocking the lab’s door. Storming out of the room, he went to his office and called his bosses in Washington.

“Well Dr. Frost, what do you have to report?” Julian Lordon, CEO of the company that bears his family name, was impatient for news.

“Something happened. We had to close the Eye.”

“What do you mean something happened?”

“The test subjects we have in the Maze were taken out and there was a power fluctuation. Until we know more, we can’t risk reopening the Eye.”

“This will delay our research… speaking of which, what success have you had from the samples we sent you.”

“They are quite amazing sir. They also concern me. If Dr. Walker is this far ahead of us, we are in serious trouble.”

“Then you better make sure you find out what went wrong and get your experiments back on schedule.” Julian paused for a brief moment. “There is another matter… the Pentagon has started snooping around the NSA. Our friend Mr. Richardson is starting to feel uncomfortable.”

“Why?”

“It seems Dr. Winter’s fiancé’s ex-boyfriend works in the Pentagon’s intelligence division. He recognized the name Travis and was able to determine which flight he was on. He also knows that cargo was exchanged between his plane and ours.”

“Is this a problem?”

“We don’t know. He came to our DC office looking for answers but our friend Mr. Richardson ordered him to drop the lead. He’s gone off radar since then. We hope he’s now in Brazil tracking Travis down. That is what he should be doing at least.”

“And if he’s not?”

“Then I think you should be prepared for some unwanted guests. You know our usual contacts so I trust you know what to do.”

“How many can I expect?”

“We don’t know… the General he’s getting his orders from, has never been one to play ball. If he’s in Alaska or Brazil, the Colonel is doing so without government sanction. You’ll have a free hand to do with them as you will.”

“We are also in need of more specimens.” Dr. Frost asked.

“Yes.” Erik chuckled. “Make them a part of your freak show if that’s what you want. Now tell me… you’ve met Dr. Winters. What did you think of the man?”

“He is intelligent but not an intellectual. Given what he told us, we know he has an excellent memory for detail.”

“Do you think we made the right choice letting Travis get him back?”

“If you are asking if he was an important test subject, I must tell you again, no. There was nothing physically abnormal about him. He was Dr. Walker’s accountant, that’s all. Travis most likely wanted him back to find out where he hid all the money. This is about revenge, nothing more.”

“Good, That’s what I needed to hear. I would not want to find out later that we’ve been swindled.” Erik said with relief. “Get the project back on schedule doctor but be careful. The last thing we need is for everything to get out into the open.”

“I understand sir. I’ll see to everything right away.”

“See that you do. I want to hear about real progress the next time we talk.” Julian hung up.

“I’ll do my best sir.” Dr. Frost sighed into a dead connection.

            ******************************************************************

“Good, you’re awake.” Tobias saw Harry open his eyes. They had been closed for two days.

“What happened? where am I?”

“You’re in the infirmary aboard the Ocean Forge.” Tobias answered. “I don’t know what really happened but Travis almost killed Logan over it. He’s in the bed next to you.” he said pulling away the curtains to show Logan in a bed, bandaged up, both arms and a leg in a cast.

“How are you doing Harry?” Logan smiled. One eye was swollen shut.

“What did you do?” Harry asked.

“What I had to do.” Logan said turning his face away from Harry.

“You… you threw me into the Eye. That could have killed me!”

“No, it wouldn’t have.” Logan grunted as he glared at Tobias.

“Okay, I can take a hint.” Dr. Green raised his hands in surrender before leaving.

“Please explain.”

“You’re not who you think you are.”

“Who am I then?”

“Your last name is Argot, not Winters, and the people Travis killed weren’t your real parents.”

“What?” Harry said, trying to sit up only to lay back down when a wave of dizziness hit him.

“Lie back down and listen. You can ask questions later.” Logan made sure Harry was comfortable before continuing.

“Your real parents were David and Amanda Argot… a pair of archeologists who discovered a cave and dozens of artifacts on an island in Alaska. Their research was funded by a man named Julian Lordon. They were the ones who first opened the Eye. Your parents, being the curious people they were, performed the ceremony to create you, but to do it, they had to enter the Eye, hanging inside it within a cage as you were conceived. That’s when Julian betrayed them. He wanted all the credit for the discovery for himself. While your parents were exploring the Maze, he closed the Eye, leaving them trapped. By that point, your mother was pregnant with you. As you know, there are things living in the maze, many of them quite dangerous. That’s how your father died, fighting off a pack of spiderwolves. You know what I’m talking about.”

“From her research, your mother knew there was another way out… what you know as the Relic. While she carried you inside her, she made her way through the Maze, living off of the few weak animals that live there. Eventually she found the Relic but it had already been discovered by Travis’s father. Travis’s birth mother and the pregnant mothers of the other children were being kept just inside the Maze as part of their experiments. “

“As luck would have it, you were born around the same time as the other children. Your mother then had to make a difficult choice, to have you live with her in the Maze, with all its dangers, or hide you among the other children. You’re mother chose the latter.”

“So my mother… my real mother is still in the Maze?”

“Remember when we ran into that pack of Spiderwolves? You were so scared, you woke up, so you never saw what happened next. I was running for my life until I heard a loud screech. Turning around, I saw a ragged haired woman dressed in animal skins. She had used a knife made from a spiderwolf quill to slit the creature’s throat. I was half tempted to start running again but she blocked my path. She told me everything… about the Eye, how she had ended up here, and her son… conceived in the Eye but born in the radiance of the Relic. I knew at once you had to be that child. I wanted you to meet her… to come through the Relic but she refused. She had witnessed how the people who worked of Travis’s father behalf acted. She knew all the mothers who had been put through the Relic had been killed after their children had been born. She wanted nothing to do with us. She only wished for at least one person to know the truth before she left.”

“Left for where?”

“As she explained it, the Maze is a giant train station. Tucked away in the tunnels are things she referred to as Gates… the trains that take you from one world to another.”

“Gates? Does Travis know about this?”

“As I said, they are hidden. The only way you can see them is if you’re physically inside the Maze. In a dream-state they are invisible to you. Considering the risk of physically dying inside the Maze, neither Travis nor his father have ever been willing to risk sending men exploring, especially since they don’t know such Gates exist. Your mother only wanted me to tell you when I felt you needed to know the truth. There are many Gates in the Maze but only one will lead to your mother.”

“So I could go after her…” Harry whispered.

“Yes, but not alone, and not without Travis.” Logan said sternly.

“Why did you push me into the Eye?”

“You complained yourself that Travis was too much for you to handle. All I wanted to do was help you get your strength back.”

“I could have died. Travis can’t get near it.”

“He was born and conceived under the influence of the Relic. That is why he can’t approach the Eye. You, however, were born under the influence of both. It is why you can enter the Relic while your true power comes from the Eye. I’ve been telling you for years you would not end up like Travis but you’ve never believed it.”

“If I’m not like Travis, what will I become?”

“I don’t know but it’s past time for you to stop avoiding it.”

A sense of dread fell over Harry. “I want my blood tested.”

“Tobias already did the test. Your Alpha counts have tripled, you have a moderate amount of Beta in your blood, and a trace of Gamma… an accelerated cascade effect. It’s only a matter of time before Omega proteins start showing up. You are no longer in remission Harry and no amount of the inhibitor drug can stop it this time.”

“No!” Harry shouted pounding his bed with his fists.

“It’s who you are. Stop fighting it.” Logan pleaded. He tackled him to the bed.

“This will turn me gay again.”

“You were born gay… the drugs, Emily, those things were unnatural.”

“I never wanted this.”

“Neither did I or Travis but we’ve both came to accept what we are long ago. It’s time you did.”

“I heard shouting, is everything alright?” Travis asked on entering the room, a worried expression on his face.

“It’s… it’s happening again.” Harry whispered.

“And that’s a good thing. Still I don’t understand how you could survive what happened.”

“It might have been because he was in remission.” Logan shook his head to warn Harry to stay silent.

“That was a big risk to take.” Travis grumbled. “You could have taken him to the Relic.”

“With you standing between it and us?” Logan replied.

“I was a little out of control but nothing bad happened.” Travis confessed. “No harm done, so all is forgiven.”

“Travis.” Harry scolded, his eyes darting to Logan.

Travis ignored his beloved’s anger and caressed his face. “Well, he’s always been a fast healer. By the time we reach Antarctica, he should be back on his feet. Right Logan?”

“That shouldn’t be a problem sir.” Logan said in a deferential tone.

“Good, so how are you feeling Harry, up for some breakfast?” Travis said, quickly changing the subject.

“Things are moving too fast Travis. I don’t know if I can handle it.”

“That is why my best medical team will be flying in by helicopter tomorrow. They’ll make you as comfortable as possible.” Travis’ boastful grin was insensitive.

“If you’re trying to impress me…” Harry sighed as Travis walked towards his bed, closing the curtain between him and Logan.

“I can feel it Harry… You’re different. You’re going back to how you used to be.” Travis grinned, pulling the sheets off Harry.

“And that scares me.”

Travis loosed his tie before replying. “I know, but this time I promise it’ll be different.”

“Stop smiling at me like that.” Harry replied, feeling half blinded by Travis’s brilliant white teeth.

“You mean like this?” His grin widened. “Or like this.” he whisper kissed Harry quickly on the lips, the alarm going off on Harry’s pulse monitor.

“Damn this stupid machine.” Travis said, pulling the sensor off Harry’s left hand.

“Is there a problem?” Tobias asked as he staggered into the room, his glasses askew.

“Lance, I told you to keep this bumbling doctor occupied.” Logan grumbled.

“Doing that right now sir.” Lance replied, grabbing Tobias by his shirt as he pulled him out of the infirmary.

“There, now where were we…” Travis said, all grins again as he started unbuttoning his shirt, revealing his built hairy chest. “That is unless Logan wishes to say anything.” Getting silence Travis laughed. “If he said anything, I would have broken his jaw.”

“Travis!” Harry said rolling on his side and looked away.

“Oh come on now… I’m not that scary.” Travis insisted, rolling Harry so he was facing him once more. “Now let’s play a game… truth or dare?”

“No.” Harry said curt as he tried to cover his face with a pillow.

“Yes!” Travis replied stubbornly. “I’ll even let you decided who goes first.”

“You go.” Harry replied, giving up. Even after all this time Travis had not tired of the old games. “Truth or dare?”

“Truth.” Travis replied, throwing his shirt off as he sat down on a stool to remove his shoes.

“Are you a monster?”

“I am.” Travis replied throwing one of his shoes down on the floor hard. “Your turn. Truth or dare and your only choice is truth... do you love me?”

“You’re not even giving me a choice.”

“You’re right I’m not.” Travis said as he let the other shoe fall.

Harry covered his eyes with one arm before responding. “Yes.” he whispered. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” Travis replied his voice now very soft and gentle.

“Will you really be good from now on?”

“I will try but we both know I will fail. Truth or dare… does it really matter?”

“It does.” Harry replied, using the arm he had used to cover his eyes to prop himself up.

“Will it stop you from loving me?” Travis said, his voice showing both stress and fear.

“It… it won’t.” Harry stuttered. “You’re a monster, inside and out, but…”

“But I’m not all bad.” Travis smiled pulling off a sock.

“But I know why you do what you do.” Harry replied. “You don’t want to be hurt anymore… you think if you become powerful enough you can stop it from happening.”

“I don’t want you to hurt anymore.” Tears running down from his gray eyes as he pulled off the final sock. “But that is exactly what I did… I hurt you and I can’t promise it won’t happen again.”

“We’ll figure something out.” Harry replied, squeezing one of Travis’s hands.

“Dare…” Travis grinned. “I dare you to let me in your bed.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Doesn’t this look serious to you?” Travis asked as he sat up and pulled down his pants and underwear in one go, his hard cock bouncing free. “It’s been like this since you told me you still loved me.”

“It’s… It’s my fate.” Harry replied as Travis started removing his medical gown. It was what Logan had been trying to tell him these past several days.

“I’ve always have felt that way.” Travis said as he climbed on the bed, kneeling between Harry’s thighs. “I always knew we were meant to be together… forever.”

“You don’t own me.” Harry insisted.

“I know I don’t.” Travis sighed, lying down on top of Harry as his arms wrapped around the man’s back.

“Travis!” Harry shouted as he felt both their bodies start to lift off the bed.

“I’m sorry hon… you know I can’t help myself.” Travis replied, more interested where his lips were than his body.

Knowing what Travis said was true, Harry gave up caring that Travis had once again lost control of his power. Harry let his mind go back to the days when he first realized how much Travis really loved him and he loved Travis. It had all been a game back then, each of them trying to outdo the other. Those years had been perfect only for them. At the end of the day, Travis took over the project by killing its former leaders. He would do his best to concentrate on Travis’s good qualities… his love, his humor and his charm. Harry would try to ignore the bad… Travis’s ego, his temper and his lack of self-control. One day, after Travis had enough of this life, Harry hoped to lead him through the Maze to the Gate his mother had gone through. There, Harry hoped, they could start a new life with only the good and none of the bad. Looking up to see Travis’s eyes frozen on him, Harry touched the man’s face before leaning up to kiss him, hoping it would tame the monster within.