Hidden Hero

by Nix Whittaker

  There was a clatter as the phone on the other end hit the floor. He ran now, but away from Portland and towards Freya.

  ___

  Rawiri pushed the broken door aside. Whoever had kidnapped Freya hadn’t bothered to cover their tracks. The door gave under his treatment and fell with a crash.

  The empty ballroom had that eerie feel to it that said it was deserted of all life. He ignored that and strode across the large room to the room on the other side.

  The agents knew of these drug dens which were called Elysium rooms by the rich. But there was no point in dismantling them as they were temporary in nature.

  Rawiri pushed open the door of the room and almost gagged at the smell. Didn’t they clean out these rooms after they had been used? It astonished him that this place, though decked out in expensive furniture, had the same smell as the dens in the city.

  He ignored all of that when he found Freya lying on the floor.

  Crouching next to her he asked, “Freya?”

  She looked up and he could see she was still in the drug’s grip. Her eyes dilated and she shivered even though it wasn’t cold. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her. He pulled her into his arms and wondered if she would mind if he never let her go.

  She snuggled herself against his body. “Thank you for coming.”

  He gritted out. “Of course.”

  Didn’t she realise already he cared for her? He would not have left a stranger in this place and she was more to him than a bloody stranger.

  His arms tightened around her. “What happened?”

  She rubbed a nose into the hollow of his neck as she answered, “A guy who looked like you approached me and someone behind me caught me and they drugged me and brought me here.”

  So, it was his brother. He was worried that Mana could have done something worse to her while she had been unconscious. “They didn’t do anything else to you?”

  She shook her head against his chest where she was curled up against his body. “No, I think this was their plan all along.” Her voice was soft. “I think putting me here and doping me was the plan.”

  Chapter Six

  Whatinga: April, 2088

  “Take me to my lab,” Freya growled.

  He held her close. “It’s going to be alright.”

  She pulled away from him. “I’m a doctor. I don’t want things sugar-coated. If I can analyse my blood, I can see what they gave me.”

  He had a sad look on his face and she glared at him. She didn’t want sympathy right then, she wanted action.

  He murmured, “It doesn’t matter what drug it is. No one is going to believe you didn’t take it willingly.”

  She waved him off violently as she shook her head. “I don’t care about that. I need to know if they gave me Ambrosia. I have to know if they will have leverage over me.”

  He looked surprised for a moment then said with an edge to his voice, “That’s evil.”

  She nodded. “I know. That’s why I must go to my lab. I have to check.”

  He smoothed a hand over her hair and said gently, “Alright but you know the chances of it being anything but Ambrosia are slim. Besides, we know how to make the drug ourselves now. They won’t own you.”

  Her voice carried her despair. “I know. And it wouldn’t matter if we knew how to make the drug or not. There are signs that the Ambrosia will make everyone’s lives shorter. They are hindering essential brain functions. The drug will eventually make them brain dead. It could make me brain dead.”

  The silence between them was still as a pool. Neither of them wanted to break it again as they thought of the implications of her kidnapping.

  It didn’t take long to drive to her lab and Freya was already jittery as she rummaged in the drawer for a syringe. It would take a while to test the blood but she hoped it would at least give her answers.

  She didn’t realise that Rawiri had stayed until she whispered over the results, “This is impossible.”

  “What is impossible?” he asked as he moved to her side of the table.

  She glanced up surprised to see he was still there. But also, glad he was still there. She motioned for him to come over so she could show what she had found.

  She pointed out some of the results. “My blood is positive for traces of Ambrosia but this also shows that it hasn’t affected my brain like the drug usually does. The receptors are somehow slippery and most of the drug hasn’t affected my brain at all. I’m not dependant. The drug didn’t work.” She waved to the brain scans she had taken earlier.

  He looked at her with a soft look. “That is good news.”

  She shook with reaction now. “Yes, very good news. I think I might isolate the part of my blood that makes the receptors slippery.”

  This was the breakthrough she had been looking for. With this added element to her blood, she might replicate it and free so many people who were now dependant to Ambrosia. Maybe make a vaccine.

  ___

  Rawiri watched her as Freya worked. She was still pale and weak from whatever concoction they had given her. She muttered to herself as she worked and her hands moved as if they belonged to someone else. Occasionally she would realise that they weren’t doing what she wanted them to do and she would shake herself off. She paced and moved things that didn’t need to be moved.

  The energy was frantic and it bothered him. Actually, it made him more than bothered. He was angry and he could feel it through his whole body.

  He knew it messed up his chi as he shook in a blur. He clenched his fists and the shaking stopped. At least he could control it better now he had the balance atramento.

  That speed hadn’t helped him so far, but with the strength tattoo also added, along with the health tattoo, he now had the full complement of atramento. He would make sure Freya was safe. Even if that meant never letting her out of his sight.

  He turned when Jephry enter the lab. He must have realised something wasn’t right from the message he had left on his phone. He looked pretty grim as he approached.

  Freya was oblivious. She was like this when she worked. He had to stay as she was vulnerable when she was like this.

  Jephry stopped next to him and motioned with his head towards Freya. “She alright?”

  He nodded. “They gave her Ambrosia but it seems there is something that keeps her safe. Probably the health atramento.”

  Jephry nodded. “He won’t be pleased when he realises it didn’t work. He wants her under his thumb and if he can’t do that, he will kill her. Regardless of the risks. He must know by now we are after him and he will be desperate.”

  Rawiri nodded. “I saw my brother. He was the one that kidnapped her. He is probably Portland’s new muscle. We have forced him to take his drug production out of the city. He must have snuck Mana in to do his dirty work.”

  There was a long silence. Jephry knew most of his history so there was no need to divulge more. Eventually, the agent said, “You’ll have to go after him. Do you think he’ll stay in the city?”

  Rawiri shook his head. “No, that would be too dangerous with his criminal record. I’ll go to our old place to see if there are any clues to where he has gone.”

  Jephry shrugged. “There aren’t many habitable places left out there. He might even still be there.”

  Rawiri’s hands tightened into fists. The last thing he wanted to do was to return to his old home. It had too many memories.

  Jephry motioned to Freya. “You should take her with you. You are better than anyone to keep her safe and it is harder to hide strangers out at the Edge. You’ll see Mana coming from a distance. She isn’t safe in the city.”

  Rawiri hesitated. He didn’t want to take Freya with him. He knew his trip back to his old home would be difficult and he didn’t want Freya to know what had happened there. What he had done.

  There was a part of him that knew if she realised what was in his past, she might never want him.

  Gritting his teeth because he knew Jephry
was right and he also knew she would see who he truly was. His heart dropped. He should just admit to himself he was going to lose her now and maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much when she finally did.

  ___

  There was a crowd gathering at the station. There was a large arch that kept the Shield from closing over and completely sealing them in. Other than the river this was the only way in and out of the city.

  The ticket to travel to another city was very expensive so large piles of luggage surrounded the well-dressed people. Police patrolled vigilantly as this was where most people tried to smuggle themselves into the city. Freya glanced at Rawiri. She knew he had come from outside the city. Had it had scared him when he had travelled on the train, like she was?

  Freya rubbed her hands on her legs. She paced a little. She had never been outside of Whatinga before and she wasn’t sure she wanted to even now.

  Rawiri leaned back on a seat that overlooked the platform and the tracks. He smiled at her. “You need to relax a little.”

  He sounded so casual as if yesterday she hadn’t been kidnapped and that they weren’t now running to the Wildlands to escape a king pin drug lord who was also a corrupt council member.

  She glared at him. “Why? I have someone that is trying to kill me and we are about to head off to the Wildlands. I’ve never been outside of Whatinga. Everything I’ve heard about outside, is that it is horrible and dangerous.”

  He got to his feet and stalked her until she stopped and turned to look at him. Rawiri caught her hands and tugged her closer. Cupping her cheek, he said, “Outside isn’t that bad. It can be beautiful. Especially when you get up early and watch the sun rise and it makes the sky all pink.”

  She sighed and settled in closer to him. “I’m just worried and there isn’t anything I can do about it. I hate it when I can’t do anything.”

  He kissed her. “We are doing something. With your brains and my brawn, we’ll have this sorted out soon enough.”

  She couldn’t believe he had just said that. Amusement made him chuckle at the bland look she gave him. He kissed her again and tucked her into his side.

  His eyes were warm. “I’m serious, Sweetheart. Things will be all right.”

  Her voice was soft as she pressed her face into his shoulder. “I hope so.”

  She turned around when she heard the call for passengers. The milling crowd moved quickly. The passengers rushed the narrow stairs to the train. Rawiri said, “We want to board with all of them and hide in the crowd. Though I reckon Portland probably will figure out we have left town.”

  Freya growled, “As long as he leaves us alone, I don’t care what he knows at the moment.”

  Rawiri pushed her gently along and they went with the masses. Her heart skipped. She wasn’t comfortable with so many people. Rawiri on the other hand seemed like he was in his element. He leaned down and whispered in her ear some dry observation and she relaxed a little more. If he was this relaxed surely there was nothing for her to worry about.

  ___

  The train pulled into the station in the middle of the small town of Edge. It would be the only stop the train would make before it went onto the bigger cities up the coast.

  Rawiri shook Freya’s shoulder and she woke up.

  She glanced around. “Are we there?”

  He nodded, picking up her bag along with his own. She stretched and blinked. He looked at her lithe form from the corner of his eye. She really was a stunning creature.

  She asked as they got off the train, “Do you think they will mind? I mean just showing up like this.”

  He flashed her a grin. “You are the one that is friends with Warren.”

  She shrugged. “Well, more of a friend of his parents. They were interested in my case when I was a child.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Case?”

  She answered absently as she navigated her way onto the platform, “Yeah, I was a genius but in one of the central city quadrants. They sponsor a child every year and help them gain the best education. I met Warren through them. At parties and things but we didn’t hang out or anything. He was always nice to me though. I rather liked him.”

  The flash of jealousy surprised him. Also redundant as Warren was happily married to Misha’s cousin, Natasha.

  Rawiri reassured her. “I’m sure it will be fine. Hal organised it. And she is married to Warren’s wife’s cousin. Surely, she would have said no if it wasn’t fine.”

  He knew it would be all right. He had met Natasha. She was a down-to-earth kind of person but she would accept Freya and him while they hid out here.

  His thoughts went to his brother as they made their way to the waiting couple on the train station platform.

  Rawiri couldn’t stop thinking about his brother. Would things have been different if he hadn’t left the house that night so long ago? What had his brother been up to in the years since he had seen him last?

  He shook his head. There was no way he would get any answers. But one thing he was sure of was that there was no chance he would have stayed and the past was set.

  Rawiri saw Natasha and her husband. She was a dark-haired Russian woman. Warren was much darker as he had an Arab father. He had heard stories of the Shield Maker herself and she was clearly some old Pakeha mix which meant she could be from any ethnic group.

  In Warren it blended well. Maybe that was why Rawiri was a little jealous.

  Natasha offered her hand. “Welcome. I heard you two have had some challenging times lately.”

  Freya smiled. “You could say that. I brought some things to set up a simple lab. Is there somewhere I can set that up?”

  Natasha shrugged. “Just pick a room in the house. It doesn’t really matter which one.”

  Natasha motioned for them to follow. “Come, Dad has loaned us the truck today.” She motioned for them to follow. “It’s bigger than mine so we could all fit comfortably.”

  As they drove through the town Rawiri looked at the growing tower in the center of the town. He had heard Professor Nasser had gifted a small Weather Shield plant to Natasha. Someday soon they would plant it at the top of that tower and it would grow down around the town and create a mini ecosystem.

  Rawiri asked, “How is that going?”

  Warren said knowing he spoke about the Shield and the tower, “They should complete it later this year. The Shield itself shouldn’t take more than a year to grow. Once that is done my sister will come out here to live for a while.”

  Freya asked, “You mean Megan? I thought she was going to work with that architect that built all those buildings in Serenity District.”

  Warren snorted. “They get upset whenever she corrects them about the stress values of different materials. She never lasts long with those kinds. I think she will be better out here making her own buildings, anyway.”

  Rawiri asked, “How old is she?”

  Warren glanced over and his eyes sparked with amusement. “She is thirteen next month. You can see why craggy old men find it hard when she knows more than them. She’ll be building proper infrastructure out here and some luxury homes. We are hoping to lure some more even minded scientists out here.”

  Warren glanced at Freya. “Maybe even a medical lab.”

  Freya shook her head. “I like the city. There are actually people there that I can talk to.”

  Natasha laughed and turned her comments to Warren. “See why I thought you would never move out here?”

  Warren shrugged. “I kind of like the quiet. You can get so much more done.”

  Freya shook her head. “But then you deal with long dead people. I need patients to do my work and they are in the city. If I wanted to work purely on research, I might move out here but I like working in the clinic.”

  Warren glanced back at the two of them. He gave Rawiri a significant look. “One room or two.”

  Rawiri answered before Freya could, “Two.”

  Though he wished for more from their relationship, he wasn’t going to pus
h Freya when she was vulnerable. She had been through a lot with the kidnapping and losing her house. She needed someone to lean on and he wasn’t going to take advantage of that need. Besides, he truly thought when she found out what had happened before he came to Whatinga city that she would leave him. It would be better for all their hearts if he left it at causal dating at this stage.

  Chapter Seven

  Edge: April 2088

  The truck pulled up outside a mansion. Rawiri hesitated as he got out of the cab. Freya made a soft gasp. “Is this really your place?”

  Natasha flashed them a grin. “We have more space out here. They built this before the wars and they weren’t very concerned about the weather though. So, it will be good when the Shield is up as we can only use half the rooms at the moment.”

  Natasha motioned with her head. “Come inside and I’ll show you around. We don’t have many guests out here.”

  There was a large foyer where they could leave shoes and gear. Most of the rooms that had windows, were closed off. It led them into a large kitchen and there was a definite homey vibe. It didn’t matter that they only used half the rooms they certainly made the place feel like people lived here.

  There were a few dishes in the sink and there were some loaves of bread cooling on the table. Warren was already making them some tea and chattering with Natasha. He kissed her in passing. His jealousy surprised Rawiri.

  When did he want this? The cozy house and the home life. He had always been a loner but with Freya he had been thinking differently.

  Rawiri glanced at Freya. She looked a little lost. He went over to her and put his arm around her. He reassured her. “It’s going to be all right, Freya. Portland won’t know you are here.”

  She shook her head. “That wasn’t what I was worried about. I might be safe but my family isn’t. Do you think he will go after them?”

  He hissed. “Heck no, and don’t worry about it again, Agent Harold is on it.”

  She flashed him a grin. “I thought the two of you were friends but you still call him Agent Harold.”