Episode 088

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            “Dead or alive, you’re coming with me.”

                        Officer Alex J. Murphy, Robocop

 

            For the briefest second, Sarah felt a hand grab her mouth.  She whirled around, her gun ready to fire, but saw nothing.  She spun back at Khizer, but he stepped at her, throwing his hand forward.  An Arabic sigil appeared on his palm and she was sent flying back into the wall.

            Rebounding from the impact, she leapt at Khizer as he recovered from the magical blast.  She planted her right knee into his solar plexus, knocking him into the wall.  He coughed and fell to the ground, clutching his chest as his bag slumped off his shoulders.

            A hand grabbed Sarah’s shoulder.  She spun around, throwing her own arm into a wide circle to entrap the hand that had grabbed her.  But her hand passed through a smoky arm.  The woman in the black dress and blue headscarf stepped at Sarah and jammed her hands into Sarah’s chest.

            Sarah was thrust back against the wall, her body convulsing in agony.  A light appeared inside her mouth and the smoky visage of a woman screamed as she fought to keep her hands just inside Sarah’s body.  Khizer looked up, astonished.  Go!” the woman screamed, still fighting Sarah.

            Khizer stood and grabbed his bag, dashing down the hall.

 

            “Isaiah,” came Alex.  “Have you got an LOS on Khizer?”

            On the roof of the air traffic control building, Isaiah searched the windows.  Next to him, Lisa looked through a pair of binoculars.  “Negative,” he reported.

 

            Khizer burst through the metal door into the maintenance hangar.  Filled with spare parts and an array of tools, he glanced around, trying to get his bearings.  He turned to the door and spun his right hand over the handle twice before touching it in the middle.  The handle flashed with a metallic green light followed by the door frame flashing with a dark, dull green.

            Khizer walked away from the door, taking note of the workers who went about their business, not bothering to pay attention to him.  He started towards the far side of the bay when he saw a luggage cart on the tarmac.  A blonde woman was going through the bags one by one.  Khizer started to run towards her.

            Dashing between work stations, he didn’t notice Til until the thick German stood up, his palm catching Khizer in the chest.  The blow stopped him cold, knocking him to the ground.  Jason came up behind Til, his pistol drawn.  “Don’t move!” he yelled.

            Khizer evaporated into smoke.  “What the hell?” Til said, looking away to watch for where he reappeared.

            “Til, it’s a…” Jason started to say, still staring at Khizer on the floor.  With a fast kick, Khizer knocked Jason’s legs out from underneath him.  As the psychic fell, Khizer threw his hand at Til, knocking him off his feet.  He then held out his hand over Jason’s forehead, whispering quietly.  Jason passed out instantly.

 

            Alex dropped down over Sarah as she lay on the floor.  “You okay?” he asked, Eliot running on past them while Irene waited with the airport security guards.

            “It’s a shaitan,” she breathed.

            “What?!” Irene exclaimed.

            “There’s a shaitan,” she repeated.  “There’s a shaitan with him.  She tried to possess me, but wasn’t able to.”

            “Where is she now?” Alex asked.

            “She disappeared after he got away,” Sarah said, sitting up.  “He went towards the hangar.”

            “He’s headed for Emma,” Irene said.

            “He’ll get passed Jason and Til,” Sarah said.

            “Alex,” came Isaiah into Alex’s ear.

            He reached up and touched his earpiece.  “Yeah,” he said.

            “I’ve got a lock on Khizer.  He’s approaching Emma.”

 

            Emma held her hands out, stepping away from the bags.  Khizer approached as the two throwers backed away as well.  “You’re not going to get away with this,” she said as Khizer neared the bags.

            “I don’t know why you’re trying to keep them enslaved and I don’t care,” Khizer warned.  “Nobody has to get hurt.”

            “I agree,” Emma said.

            “Emma,” came Isaiah.  “I’ve almost got a clear shot.  Back up three more steps.”

            “Listen to me,” she said loudly over the sound of jet engines and the whipping wind.  “We can resolve this.”  She kept walking back.  “I don’t know who you’re talking about being enslaved, but maybe we can help them.”

            “The syncretax will release them,” Khizer said certainly.

            “The syncretax?” Emma said.  “That thing’s not a syncretax; it’s a bomb.”

            “Emma,” Isaiah said.  “I’ve got a shot.  Blink twice if I should take it.”

            “Khizer, please listen to me,” Emma breathed.  “That box you’ve got is a spirit bomb.”

            Khizer glanced at the luggage cart, seeing his bag.  He looked back at Emma, then shook his head.  “No it isn’t.”  He stepped to the cart and grabbed his bag.  Pulling it free, he extended his arm, preparing to fire.

Emma stiffened up.  “Don’t do this,” she whispered.  As she spoke, she blinked twice in rapid succession.

 
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