The Red Phoenix 12: Strength Comes in Numbers (48 page)

“Trap time,” Siddoway responded. “As I said before, the apparition is not of this Earth.”

“I don’t understand the
apparition’s
change from being such an advocating power of electricity to turning living things into such hellacious creatures,” Chris stated.

“Perhaps it’s from anger,” Siddoway replied.

“You think the phantasma feels emotion?” asked Chris.

“Yes,” Siddoway answered. “As it befriends a host, like it did me, it becomes one with you. If the host angers it or betrays it, its destructive powers are nearly unimaginable.”

“Like a bi-polar genie?” asked Chris.

“Precisely,” Siddoway responded. “Perhaps the most potent mutations began at the beginning of this
atomic
jungle and thinned to the outer boundaries as it dissipated,” he suggested, “which would be the only explanation for the hollow, log-like creature. It didn’t seem to be a direct mutation of anything like a person, or other living creatures.”

“Maybe there are things like it on the world where it came from,” Chris stated.

“Possibly,” Siddoway said.

“Still, whatever was changed from the fallout could be anywhere,” Chris stated. “We all need to be on the lookout.”

“I agree,” Siddoway stated.

“From now on, you guys, let’s stay out in the open,” Chris said. “No more sneaky shortcuts. This place is just too bizarre to trust any nooks or crannies.”

“Yes sir,” Kirk One stated.

“They seem loyal to you,” said Siddoway.

“I hope so, I spent two months training them,” Chris replied.

“So, tell me when you made the decision.”

“For what?” Chris asked.

Siddoway motioned his head, indicating Kerry and the other clones.

“The moment I knew the place was going up in smoke,” Chris answered. “Because I knew a certain crazed scientist was running loose in the lobby.”

“You’re welcome,” Siddoway stated.

They chuckled.

“So, explain the explosion,” said Chris.

“Simple. It was mixed with nuclear chemicals, which most likely agitated it,” Siddoway stated. “And my guess is it didn’t like being dropped to the floor either after I was shot, thus creating the electro-dome that formed over the facility just before the explosion.”

Chris glanced at Siddoway, listening.

“The scary thing is it stopped obeying my commands after it activated the bomb,” said Siddoway.

“Stopped obeying you?” asked Chris. “What do you mean?”

“Until it hit the floor it did everything I asked of it, even read my thoughts,” Siddoway answered. “I tried to shut down the bomb, Chris, but it wouldn’t listen to me. I just wanted a way to escape.”

“I guess you’re not its master anymore, huh?” Chris jested, glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

Siddoway glared back, finding no amusement in his joke.

“Where the hell were you going with the bomb?” Chris asked.

“I admit it was one of my darkest hours, but I’ve made my connections overseas, especially for contingency plans,” Siddoway replied.

“Contingency plan? Overseas? What are you talking about?” asked Chris.

“There are many who are willing to pay big for sagacious weapons, Chris,” Siddoway answered.

“So, you really were going to take the
sell-out route,
huh?”

“I didn’t see any other way,” Siddoway responded.

A helicopter was heard above, overpowering the strange sounds of the unseen jungle creatures.

“Everyone, take cover!” Chris hollered.

They scattered to hide under the branches of the trees and the moss-covered vines. Chris and Kerry hid together behind a tree, watching the Blackhawk pass by above them. The group stood still, holding their weapons, ready for anything.

***

As Braddock’s helicopter flew over the jungle, he watched for anything to move like a hawk, wearing a headset, scanning over the patchy tree tops of murky, thorny branches. He kept a firm grip on the handle of the mounted machine gun and a finger on the trigger.

“See anything?” asked the co-pilot in a loud voice.

“Negative,” Braddock answered.

“I can circle around, Commander,” the pilot suggested.

“Head to base,” Braddock replied.

“Are you sure?” asked the pilot.

“Affirm. Tomorrow morning the jungle will be crawling with soldiers,” Braddock responded in a stern voice.

“Ten-four,” the pilot stated.

The Blackhawk flew over the jungle.

***

Chris came out of his cover, watching the tree tops, holding his gun.

“Is it safe?” asked Kerry.

Siddoway and the clones came out from behind the thorny branches.

“Yeah, it’s gone. Let’s keep walking,” Chris replied.

***

It was late afternoon. They had been walking for hours. Chris and the clones stopped to rest. They were a few miles into the trees. Siddoway wiped the sweat from his face, leaning against a tree. The whispery sounds of the phantasma echoed off again like it was teasing him. He perked up, looking around, staring at Chris, Kerry, Kirk One and the other clones, watching their lips move as they talked to each other. He looked through the trees, hearing the strange, unseen animals make faint rattling noises as the congested tangles of thick branches, elephant ear-sized leaves and moss-covered hanging vines blocked his view.

“You hear that, right?” he asked.

“Hear what, Alex?” asked Chris.

Chris, Kerry and the other clones stood, staring at Siddoway like he was losing it.

“Do we hear what?” Chris asked again.

“Never mind,” Siddoway answered, retreating into the trees by himself, moving vines out of his way.

“Don’t wander off too far, Siddoway,” said Kirk One in a loud voice. “It could be unsafe out there alone!”

Siddoway didn’t reply but clenched his fists, gritting his teeth, walking a distance into the trees.
Why are you doing this to me, taunting me the way you are? I hear you calling to me and you hide. Why? You are my power and mine alone. Why do you tear at me like this?
he thought as his kindled anger rose to boiling point. He swatted a hanging vine out of his way.
You came to me and I released you from the chest
, he thought, pulling his thigh-holstered knife, gripping it in anger.

The whispers were heard again somewhere in the trees then faded.

“Where are you?” Siddoway growled, scanning the trees, still not seeing any sign of the phantasma.

The echoed whispers came through the trees again.

“Where are you?” he yelled.

The whispers became louder like they were passing through his ears. Siddoway covered his ears like he was in pain then stabbed a tree multiple times like he was a homicidal maniac who had gone crazy, making one slash mark after another. He stopped, stepping back, panting, and gazing at the tree truck that he mutilated. The whispery sounds came back again. Siddoway gripped his knife like he was going to kill somebody. He slashed a few more vines, moving the leaves and plants out of his way during his frantic search.

“You’re hiding from me, I know you are,” he said in a soft, troubled voice.

The whispers continued to come through the vines and the branches. Siddoway swung his knife into the air above him, below and at his sides, turning around, continuing to slash at the air like he was fighting multiple invisible ghosts. He stopped after tiring himself a second time, catching his breath.

You’re my power, my power, my power, my power, my power, you’re mine,
he thought as his obsession tortured him, causing his eyes to water like he was going to sob. He glared up at the trees as his mindset sank further into mental insanity as time went on.

“I will find you,” he growled in a scary, threatening tone. “I will find you. I know you need me,” he added in a louder tone, standing.

He turned, looking around him with an evil stare.

“I WILL FIND YOU!” he shouted in anger, his voice echoing.

Siddoway looked over his shoulder, noticing Kirks One and Six standing on a boulder as though they had been watching him the whole time.

“What do you want?” asked Siddoway in a hard voice.

“We were just going to tell you it’s time to set up camp,” Kirk One.

“Very well, I’ll be right along,” Siddoway responded.

The Kirks glanced at each other, concerned that Siddoway was out of his mind. They headed back through the trees.

***

Night was beginning to fall over the jungle. Chris and the clones made a small pile of firewood that was cut from the trees.

“Let’s see if we can get a fire started,” said Chris.

Kerry sat on a rock, watching something change in the jungle as daylight withdrew from the trees. The sharp thorns on the branches began to retreat into the branches, making a crackling, slicing sound like they were transforming. Chris and the clones dropped their wood, holding up their weapons, ready to kill.

“What the hell is that?” asked Chris, looking around, scared.

“Something is happening in the trees,” said Kerry. “They’re changing.”

The crackling sound in the trees stopped. The jungle began to light up with soft, neon-like purple, green, pink and blue sparkling colors on their branches. Some of the plants’ leaves glowed a radiant yellow and a vibrant red. The vines and the moss that hung from them shined a brilliant green with orange sparkles. Other round, flower-like plants with ripples lit up with a light source inside them, pulsating gentle, purplish blue colors. The sounds of the unseen animals in the short distance seemed to be in harmony with the calm throbbing of the beautiful colors that surrounded them.

“Chris?” asked Kerry, gazing at the flamboyant environment.

“Yeah,” he answered, waiting for a threat to appear.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked, moving toward a patch of elephant ear-sized leaves.

“Kerry, wait! Be careful,” said Chris, worried. “Maybe you shouldn’t touch anything.”

“Don’t worry, there is nothing here that’s going to hurt us,” Kerry stated.

“How do you know?” Chris asked.

“Because it’s too beautiful,” she replied.

“Why are the trees and plants giving off so much light and sparkling color?” asked Kirk One.

“The thorns, they’re … entirely gone,” added Eleven.

“I don’t know but it sure in the hell beats the dead, hellacious jungle-forest look during the day,” Chris answered, crouching to a reddish blue mushroom-shaped plant that stood two-feet above the ground.