Freya was sitting in the lobby of Stone’s hotel when he returned. She stood to her feet with a smile that Stone had not seen since her return from Lakluun.
“You’re looking better,” he said.
“Thank you.” Freya said. “I feel better.”
They entered the elevator and Stone hit the button for the sixteenth floor. He always chose a room on one of the top floors. He had always claimed that it was tactically advantageous to be on a higher floor, but Freya suspected that Stone just enjoyed riding elevators.
Once the doors closed, she turned toward him.
“Did you meet our new pilot?” Freya asked. “He is such a sweet old gentleman.”
“Old Captain McCrotchety?” Stone asked. “Are we talking about the same guy?”
“I believe so,” Freya said. “An elderly man wearing a red cap and a perpetual smile.”
“That coot can smile?”
“He was very funny,” Freya said. “He even imitated you.”
Stone grunted.
“Yes, it sounded just like that!” Freya said.
“Ha, ha. Very funny. Things have gotten serious here. Looks like we just stepped right into the middle of a war.”
“I thought you said that it was boring.”
Stone entered his room and led Freya inside.
“I’m gonna call Cole and catch you up at the same time,” Stone said, dialing his cell.
“Hello?” Ben answered.
“I’ve got a doozy of an update for you.”
“Did Freya make it?” Ben asked.
“She’s right here. Hey boss, this just went from ‘Weak Power’ to ‘war power.’ I found your Nazi guy. Get this: he’s black, and he wants to start a new ‘master race.’”
“Slow down,” Ben said. “I need names.”
Stone tried to use a memory trick Sunny Joe had taught him, but only came up with partial images.
“Quasi Affidavit,” Stone said. “No, that’s not it. He’s a professor from Bughanum…”
“Kwame Afolayan,” Ben said. “That confirms my suspicions.”
“Yeah, that’s him,” Stone said quickly. “What’s his deal, anyway?”
“He was one of Colonel Musobote’s prized scientists, but he escaped. On his way out, he stole a lot of Musobote’s money.”
“I heard Musobote beheaded someone for sneezing in the throne room. I doubt he would take too kindly to someone stealing his money. But is Kozi…”
“Kwame,” Ben corrected.
“Yeah, is he, you know, crazy?”
“Doubtful. Why do you ask?”
“I looked over his pamphlet. It’s pretty disgusting stuff. He’s basically quoting Mein Kampf, but in reverse. Hitler must be spinning in his grave.”
“He can keep spinning in Hell,” Ben said darkly. After a pause, he spoke again. “You mentioned a war? Why? What’s happening?”
“Well, while I was there, a reporter came in to interview him…”
“You made direct contact?” Ben said, his voice straining. “Stone, there are procedures to follow!”
“Don’t worry. No one saw me. He basically told the reporter that the clown girl was his doing — part of a new master race. That sounds crazy, but she was strong! If he has plans to make a whole army of them — ”
“How strong was she?”
“Stronger than me, and I was centered. She threw me into the wall like I was an old tomato. It took a full clip to drop her.”
“The police report stated that a total of nine shots were fired. Seven hit the woman. You said that she kept fighting?”
“She kept fighting until her body gave out. After she killed everyone, she started crying and yanking her hair out. Then she collapsed.”
There was a moment of silence as Stone only heard Ben typing.
“I’ve accessed the professor’s computer and found a digital copy of his magazine,” Ben said. “What worries me is that I see eight students, all with orange hair. The girl who died is among them. If each of them have been altered like the girl, including the professor, then we have a problem.”
“That would definitely be a problem, because she was faster than a normal person, too. She was almost as fast as I am. She got me because she took me by surprise, but with Freya here, we should be able to take them down.”
“We won’t let you down, Mr. Ben,” Freya said cheerily in the background.
Ben had heard that before, but Freya was unpredictable. If she had been responsible for the killings in Lakluun, Ben absolutely did not want to give her free rein on a densely-populated college campus.
“Can she hear me?” Ben asked.
Stone turned on the speaker on his cellphone.
“She can now.”
“Freya, you will follow Stone’s lead. You will not make personal contact with the enemy unless ordered.”
“Yes, sir,” Freya said. “I understand.”
“Good. Both of you need to remain at the hotel until I contact you.”
“And if Professor Adolf decides to turn Barklee into the Fourth Reich?”
“Then you have my permission to defend yourself.”
“Looking forward to it,” Stone said and Ben hung up.
“Why is he so angry when he discusses me?” Freya asked.
Stone glanced down for a moment before returning eye contact.
“It’s not personal. You just don’t know the difference between power and skill. Right now, you have power — plenty of power — but you don’t have enough experience to be as effective as you could be.”
“But I — ” Freya started, but Stone held up his hand.
“Sometimes, you try to interpret our orders to meet your worldview. We don’t have that luxury.”
“Are you talking about 14?” Freya asked. “Because if you are, she saved us.”
Freya and Stone had met a chemically-enhanced girl who had been raised to kill, but Freya saw something in her that Stone could not understand. Freya’s reluctance to fight her had almost gotten them killed, but her faith paid off in the long run. The girl sacrificed herself to save them.
Stone stepped a bit closer to her. “Sis, you have to know the rules before you can break them,” he said gently. “You can’t risk our lives on what someone else might do. Seriously, can you honestly tell me that you’re ready for field work after Lakluun?”
“Yes. I found out what triggers…Shiva,” Freya said, her voice dropping to a whisper at Shiva’s name. “If I am in mortal danger, Shiva takes over to protect me.”
“Are you saying that you can’t die?” Stone asked.
“If I suffer fatal damage, Shiva takes over to protect me. It kills everyone around me in order to protect me, so that later…”
Her voice trailed off.
“What happens later?” Stone asked.
“I can’t tell you. I’m sorry. Let’s just say it’s really bad,” she said reluctantly.
“Okay, Freya,” Stone said. “Just remember to follow your marching orders, and that way, neither of us will get hurt. Trust me, there are enough loonies on this campus. The last thing they need here is an angry god stomping on their chalk.”