figured out that I was their target. I leapt behind some boxes as they turned their weapons on me. I heard the thwap, thwap of several darts plugging the area where I had just been.
My heart pounded with fear. If they hit me with a dart, I’d be done. I wouldn’t be able to help Kishan or find Ren. Hearing shouts of men searching for me, I gathered my courage and nocked another arrow. The golden arrow twinkled in the moonlight and shimmered as I infused it with lightning power. This time, I was too close to my target, and as the explosion of the tower rocked the complex, the blast lifted me into the air. My head slammed against the building on the landing. Heavy wood chunks from the destroyed tower rained down and several of the flaming fragments hit me as I stood up. Gingerly I touched the back of my skull. I was bleeding.
A soldier jumped out to attack me. We rolled across the dirt. I punched him in the gut and leapt up. When he started to rise too, I jumped on his back as Ren had taught and tried to cut off his air. He struggled only briefly before twisting and slamming me against a rock. I cracked my head sharply and felt a wet trickle of blood drip from my temple down my cheek.
I lay still against the rock panting, exhausted, dizzy, and bloody. The soldier stood, grinned, and stretched out his hands to strangle me. I raised my hand, narrowed my eyes at his soot-blackened face, and shot him in the chest with a lightning bolt. He flew back several feet, hit the command center, and slumped to the ground in a sitting position, with his head drooping heavily on his chest.
Now I had to find Ren. I ran unsteadily between some huts, and when another soldier came after me, I ducked to the side, dropped and rolled. When he shot a tranquilizer, I came up on one knee and took him out with a quick jolt. The door to the main building was being guarded by two soldiers standing at battle alert. When I approached, they spoke several words in a different language. I nodded briefly, and one of them used his key to let me in. I got off easily that time. I was a familiar face, and they hadn’t seen me in action.
I stepped between them and quietly slipped inside. Unfortunately, the door shut behind me and locked itself automatically. I ignored the problem, figuring I’d just zap my way out later. My head throbbed at my temple, but other than that I’d been lucky. I had several wicked scrapes and cuts on my limbs, a major bump on the head, and I would be bruised all over my body, but nothing life-threatening. I hoped that Mr. Kadam and Kishan were faring as well.
The inside of the command center was dark. I was in a storage area full of boxes and supplies. I crept through another section and found the barracks for the soldiers. An awkward moment came when I turned a corner and ran into the person I was imitating. The amazed expression quickly changed as I struck. A brief burst of light lit the room, and the individual sank to the floor.
Despite the building being sparsely furnished, I stumbled over boxes in the dark while checking room after room. Finally, Fanindra’s green eyes glowed so I could see my environment more clearly. The area was lit with her special night vision, and I could make out nearly everything. I heard Lokesh and Kishan in another room. The situation there was escalating. Time was running out. According to our drills, I should have found Ren by now.
If I had taken out the generator, I could have saved time; but, instead, I had to take out the lights one by one and fight more soldiers than I’d expected. The plan needed to be modified. I needed to get to Kishan first. Luckily, Mr. Kadam had prepared us for this contingency. Reluctantly, I left off my search for Ren and went to find Kishan instead.
I made my way into the rear part of the command center and climbed several boxes until I was perched high above. It was a large room, almost as big as a warehouse. Metal shelves held weapons and supplies of every kind. A heap of soldiers’ bodies indicated that Kishan had been successful in disabling Lokesh’s guards.