by M. J. Reed
Stirred Cinders
M.J. Reed
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Copyright
Chapter 1
I’ve spent the whole day running, and I’m almost out of steam. I dropped the rag I had been holding against my chest, letting it fall to the ground with a splat. I can’t seem to make the bleeding stop. I wondered if I should have tried to make my escape with some supplies, but I pushed the thought away. No, theft was never part of the plan. That’s what got me in trouble in the first place. I pressed my hands against the gash that ran from my chest to my stomach and continued onward.
All I need to do now is shake any Unseen Company trackers off my trail, and I’ll have made a clean break with my old gang. I gritted my teeth as a fresh trickle of blood oozed from between my knuckles. Once I’ve gotten away safely, I’ll start over. I’ll make a living as a laborer, or become a drifter. It doesn’t matter what I do, as long as I don’t need to be dependent on other people the way I was dependent upon the Unseen Company.
It’s already sunset. Anyone trying to follow me will probably be setting up camp for the night and will try to pick up my trail in the morning. Without shelter and a fresh change of bandages, I knew that all they would find when they caught up with me was a corpse. I need to find somewhere to rest soon. I scanned the horizon, but I still couldn’t see what I was looking for.
I decided to escape in this direction because of all the solar panels around the area. I’ve always assumed that there has to be an abandoned pre-war military base or some other large building nearby that had set up the solar panels as an emergency power source. I planned to find whatever structure the solar panels were connected to, fortify it, and wait for my old gang to get tired of looking for me. After that, I’d gather whatever I could scavenge and wander off into the sunset. Unfortunately, I’m having trouble finding whatever building the solar panels power.
I still don’t see any buildings out here, and I really need to find somewhere to bed down for the night. I decided to head towards a large rocky outcropping. If I can’t find what the solar panels feed back to tonight, I might have to settle for sleeping in the lee side of those rocks. Sleeping in the open wasn’t ideal, but I was running low on options. I clung to the hope that on the other side of the rocks I would find the building I had been looking for.
I struggled my way to the other side of the stony outcrop but was disappointed to find no hidden building lay beyond. My hands were coated with blood. The bleeding is getting worse. I looked for a rock to sit down on and saw that instead of a building the rock formation had been concealing the entrance to a small cave. Better than nothing, I suppose. I thought, making my way towards the cavern. At least I have somewhere to rest tonight.
My head spun from the blood loss as I limped my way to the cave. In the fading light, I could see that the cave was large enough for me to enter without crouching, and went much deeper than I had initially expected. I struggled my way to the back of the cavern. At least it’s vacant. It would be just my luck to stumble into another hostile group of raiders right after escaping my own gang.
The ground was strewn with small, jagged rocks, mixed with scraps of trash left from whoever stayed here before me. I took a cursory look around to see if I could find anything useful that had been left behind when I thought I saw a flash of light. Maybe someone stashed something here and forgot about it? When I found the source of the light, I discovered that it was the glint from a small bit of metal hidden along the bottom of one of the cavern walls. I swept the dirt and stray chunks of rock away with my free hand, revealing something unusual.
The metal was part of a control panel affixed to the stone wall of the cave. “This looks like an access panel.” I mused, with only the emptiness of the cave to hear to me. The panel looked like a standard numerical entry keypad, except it had two extra keys marked “open” and “close.” I brushed the rest of the dust off the panel, curious about what the keypad was meant to control.
I couldn’t remove the panel, at least not without my tools, and I couldn’t see any wires to indicate what the panel might be connected to. Does it connect to something in the rock itself? Maybe, whatever it’s connected to is buried in rubble?
“Only one way to find out,” I muttered to the empty cave, pressing the green open button.
I covered my head as the cavern trembled. Much to my surprise, the rear wall of the cave shifted, and a thick door, designed to look like a rock face, moved aside to reveal what appeared to be an underground bunker. Jackpot! I thought as I staggered into the shelter.
The place looked nothing like I had thought it would, and right away something about it started nagging at me. For a start, it was clear that this was a larger facility than I was expecting. The area I had stumbled into was sizable, and instead of looking like a fortified military base this floor looked more like a cluster of government buildings, with a secure storage area, and one or two large residences. There was an elevator and a wide stairway nearby, so I imagined that the bunker continued downwards for several stories. No wonder there are so many solar panels around this area. Must take a lot of energy to power this place.
That’s when I realized what was bothering me. The lights are all on. Someone must be living here!
An alarm blared to life. I tried to turn to leave, but the room swam and spun. I knew that I had fallen, but I didn’t feel any pain from my unceremonious landing. I couldn’t get my feet back under me. I thought I heard shouting, and someone running, but I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. My vision tunneled, and I heard the same familiar rumble as the door closed behind me.
Chapter 2
It’s an hour past curfew, and the city is perfectly still, as it should be. I’ve spent most of my adult life keeping the citizens of Departure safe, but I can’t pretend I enjoy mixing with the throngs of people wandering the common areas during the day. It’s only now, on my last patrol of the evening, that I can enjoy a little solitude for myself after the hustle and bustle of a long day. I strutted around the upper levels of the city, admiring the clean, empty streets.
The middle and upper tiers of the city house engineers, scientists, leaders, and other skilled laborers. The crime rate on these levels of the colony ranges from low to non-existent, so I let my mind wander. My attention drifted, for what must have been the hundredth time today, to my concern for my son.
Jarno had turned twenty this year, and like all the city’s twenty-year-olds he’s due to be matched with his future wife, and given his permanent career assignment in just a few days. I’ve been trying to be happy for my son, but I can’t help but worry about him. Traditionally, children are assigned the same jobs as either their parents or their future in-laws. This allows an apprentice time to bond with their family, or their future in-laws while completing their training. Unfortunately, Jarno doesn’t seem to have the same talent for a job in security that I do.
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bsp; I shuddered at the thought. He’s good at a lot of things, but if Jarno becomes an enforcer, he’ll just wind up getting hurt. Or worse. I said a silent prayer to Solne that my son be assigned a job with his future in-laws, but even that didn’t do much to raise my spirits.
The matchmaker, Dr. Ward, tries to pair those who are both genetically compatible, and from a similar tier within the colony, so in all likelihood, Jarno will be matched with someone from another mid-tier or low-tier family. I’ve worked my way up from being just another enforcer to being the Constable, but what good is all that if I can’t secure a better match for my son? I fumed at the thought.
Still, Jarno could get lucky. Every now and again someone would get matched with another person far above their station and be assigned a more prestigious career. Maybe I could appeal to the Charr family on Jarno’s behalf. Try to get him a more favorable match. After all, as head of security for this city, I deserve to be able to give my son a good life! The thought made me uncomfortable. I’ve always hated when the other department heads found ways to bend the rules to suit their own needs, but for the first time, I was tempted to try it myself. Not that it’ll do any good. Matches are sacred. It’s unheard of for someone to be given a new match without a really, really good reason. I sighed to myself, still thinking about my son when something snapped me out of my contemplation.
My trepidation had carried me all the way to the fourth floor, where a noise snapped me back to the present. Shit. Should have been paying more attention. I made a mental note to be more cautious in the future and crept towards the source of the racket.
In addition to housing some of the less prominent skilled laborers, the third and fourth levels of the city include several large common areas. On the fourth level, there is a space set aside for the Church of Solne, a large meeting area for community events, and the personal storage lockers of many of the upper tier residents. The fourth floor is arguably where the upper and middle-class sections of the city end. Citizens from the lower levels have access to the fourth floor, since so many of the common areas are located here, but the crime rate is still relatively minimal, and the streets are frequently patrolled to keep the common sectors on this floor safe. I was surprised that someone would be bold enough to break curfew and sneak around on such a well-guarded floor. My heart thudded against my ribs as I closed in on the offender.
Following the racket was easy enough. Whoever’s over there, they’re not doing a very good job of keeping quiet. I thought as I tiptoed my way towards the sound. I made it all the way to the storage area before I realized what was causing the noise. Someone’s trying to break into one of the storage lockers! They must be having trouble getting through the lock.
The lockers are meant to allow citizens living on the upper floors of Departure to keep their tools and valuables in a safe, central, and convenient area. Given how cramped living quarters on the third and fourth floors can be, the lockers are incredibly popular with the residents and are where locals store some of their most valuable possessions. Unfortunately, they’re also the perfect target for an ambitious thief.
I could tell that the noise was coming from amongst the first row of lockers. I made my way to the end of the aisle, heart racing. Every muscle in my body tensed as I sprang around the corner, ready for a fight. “Stop right there!” My voice rang out against the stillness, startling a man who appeared to have been trying to force his way into one of the larger storage lockers.
He rocked back onto his heels in surprise, unbalancing himself. He fell gracelessly onto his back at my feet, sending a crowbar skittering across the floor. The intruder, even in his disheveled state, wore the soft, clean garb of someone who lived on one of the upper levels of Departure. The ring of salt-and-pepper hair surrounding his bald spot stuck out at all angles, and beads of sweat formed on his preternaturally white skin. The man looked grimy and exhausted, making the clean medical coat he wore seem out of place on his trembling frame.
“Dr. Ward?” I exclaimed, surprised when I recognized the man on the floor as the same man in charge of so many of Departure’s essential operations.
Dr. Paul Ward is, or at least was, a brilliant man. He’s head of the medical department, functions as the physician for the most important families in the city, and is responsible for assigning genetically and socially compatible matches to those coming of age. He has a lot on his plate, and over the past few years, it’s become evident that the stress of his job, combined with his dismal personal life, is getting to him.
I sneered at him in disgust. “What is it you think you’re doing out here? It’s past curfew, and this is a restricted area!” I snapped.
“Please,” he implored. “I need some water.”
A man with Dr. Ward’s clout gets more food and water in his weekly rations than entire families in the lower levels of the city! I thought, glaring at him. His hands shook, and his sweating seemed to intensify. The doctor looked ill. “What could you possibly need water for so badly that you would need to steal it?” I growled at him, my rage building. But I already knew the answer.
Excess food and water rations are often used for bartering in Departure, and since I’ve arrested several people with similar symptoms for intoxication over the past few months, it didn’t take much for me to connect the dots. Looks like our doctor has a drinking problem. I felt an iota of pity for him as I watched him tremble before me. A bad drinking problem, if he’s willing to risk being sent to level seven to pay for his habit.
I dragged him to his feet. “Theft is illegal, a curfew violation is a serious infraction, and alcohol is prohibited in Departure. You know that you’re going to face dire consequences for this, right?” I asked quietly.
He nodded and cast his eyes towards the floor.
Given Dr. Ward’s status within the city, he’ll probably only get a slap on the wrist, but I didn’t want him to know that. He’s had a rough few years, but that doesn’t give him the right to break the law. I reminded myself. He deserves whatever he gets. I guided the broken looking man towards the staircase. With each step, I felt him shake unsteadily beside me. I felt sorry for him. Normally, I triumph in arresting troublemakers, but capturing Dr. Ward feels less like curing a disease, and more like treating a symptom.
A member of my own security staff, Sade Charr, has been a thorn in my side for too long. Someone in Departure is manufacturing alcohol, and I’m sure it’s her. Of course, I can’t prove it. There have been whispers suggesting that she’s behind the illicit alcohol in the city for some time. Unfortunately, as the daughter of Syndic Reglin Charr, the colony leader, I can’t investigate her too closely without definitive proof of her guilt.
If Sade were a more ambitious person she could be shadowing her father, preparing to rule the city after he stepped down, or overseeing any department in the city that struck her fancy, but she has shown no interest in any of the respectable positions available to her. Instead, her father had foisted her off onto me in hopes that an apprenticeship as an enforcer might encourage her to reconsider her behavior.
Because she’s still a minor, I can’t send Sade out on patrols. Instead, she manages a guard station on level five, where I’m positive she peddles hooch to the people living on the lower levels of the city. And, apparently, she also sells to the occasional upstanding doctor.
Dr. Ward bowed his head as we began our descent towards the holding area. “Please, Constable Greer.” His situation seemed to be sobering him up. “I’ll do anything.”
I privately cursed Sade. She’s going to destroy a respectable man, just because she’s bored! Sade’s one of few people who know the city’s master security codes. Her brother is the Cardinal of the Church of Solne, and her father is the Syndic, but she doesn’t use any of her influence to make life here in Departure better. She lives on the first tier of the city, with every advantage imaginable, and she’s still somehow found a way to be a failure! Anger seethed from my every pore. I can’t wait for the day when she gets assign
ed her permanent career. Then, hopefully, she’ll be out of my hair! I did my best to stop thinking about the youngest member of the Charr family, and focus on the sickly doctor beside me, instead.
“I’m sorry Dr. Ward,” I began. “You’ve committed a crime, and-” I stopped mid-sentence, and froze on the staircase, almost toppling my pathetic captive down the steps.
“I’ll do anything.” That’s what Dr. Ward said. The words echoed in my mind, tempting me. I struggled against the machinations of my own mind. I’ve spent all of my adult life enforcing the laws of the city! I can’t get involved in something illegal for my own personal gain! I almost won the struggle with my own inner demons, but then I thought of my son. The doctor can help Jarno. I thought, already angry with myself for what I was about to do. I love my son, and I would do anything to keep him safe. What kind of a mother would I be if I let this opportunity slip through my fingers?
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. “Paul,” I began, after a long pause. “I think we may be able to come to some kind of understanding.”
Chapter 3
After my encounter with Constable Greer, I took the water she gave me and headed to the fifth floor to meet Sade. I was terrified that Wrenna was going to have an enforcer follow me. That in my weakened state I would lead them right to Sade and land myself in more hot water. But I was desperate, and in pain, so I decided to take one more risk.