Free Destroyers of the Lost Garden (The Lost Garden Trilogy Book 3) by K.T. Tomb Page B

it?”
     
    ***
     
    Alexey Konstantin was sweating and frustrated. He had burned through what he believed to be half of the forest, with no sign of either the Tree of Life or the Tree of Knowledge. His patience was gone. He called out to his men.
    “Halt! Stop! Or whatever the hell it will take to get you to listen to me!”
    Most of the men responded within minutes. They showed up looking tired. The smell of burned foliage and wood replaced the scent of fresh, clean air. Alexey looked behind him at all of the greenery that he sacrificed to find his target. He didn’t care about what he had to destroy to get to the healing oil, but he expected to find something.
    He threw the flame thrower to the ground and took off the backpack that went with it. He rubbed his neck as his men stood patiently and waited for an order. Any order.
    Alexey looked toward the Mountain of God. He imagined what it entailed to create the inner sanctum within. His eyes squinted as something caught his eye. There were plenty of things to catch his attention on the ground, but this wasn’t on the ground.
    On the side of the mountain, about halfway up, was something that finally made the aging Russian smile. There were two small ledges. On those ledges were two trees.
    Alexey smiled as he waved his men back toward the mountain.
     
    ***
     
    Sulina double punched Myora. Mother Daughter fell backward.
    “You dare strike the Mother Daughter?” she screamed.
    Sulina cracked her knuckles.
    “Since you are neither to me, I thought it couldn’t hurt.”
    Sulina went in for another strike. Myora spun out of the way. Morina crouched and then disappeared in a blur. Her fists were nothing but quick flashes to Myora, who felt every blow to her mid-section as she doubled over. Sulina kicked her sister in the head, which caused Myora to reel back into one of the computer consoles.
    Sulina saw the computer, which sparked an idea. She went to the console and started typing furiously. She smiled as she found the directory she wanted.
    The two Fallen each grabbed one of Myora’s arms and stretched her out, as Morina continued her assault. Mother Daughter spit out blood and she could hear a few of her ribs crack. She was in terrible pain. She wasn’t used to that feeling, but she knew what needed to transpire, if she were to save Eden. She collapsed to the floor.
    Sulina clicked her way into the self-destruct directory. She set the timer for five minutes.
    “Time to leave boys and girls!” She yelled as she shook her fists victoriously and walked out of the control room.
    Morina stopped her attack and left with Sulina. After the last Fallen had left the room, Myora rose slowly from the floor. Her face was bloody and her ribs were cracked and bruised. Her legs were wobbly as she worked her way to the door. She looked at Ellisia’s lifeless body.
    “Don’t worry, Ellisia. I won’t allow this travesty to continue.”
    With that she sat at the console in front of the computer and began working.

 
    Chapter Fourteen
     
    Alexey and his men made it to within 100 yards of the mountain. He saw the two Chinook helicopters between his army and the mountain. He smiled as if he had already won the war.
    He knew that the Daughters were deep into the forest and wouldn’t be able to get back in time to stop him. He picked up his pace as he and the soldiers headed straight for his prize. The Tree of Life. As he closed in on the helicopters, he noticed that the pilots weren’t standing in front of them as they should have been.
    Alexey stopped short of the helicopters, but waved his men on ahead. They ran past the vehicles. The Daughters of Eve poured out from both helicopters and immediately engaged the Iranians.
    “Damn it!” Alexey yelled. He knew then that the Daughters had purposely led his army away from the mountain. They must have known that he had abandoned the search and turned back. Somehow they reached the helicopters before him. He stepped further back as