Chapter Ten
Byr
The night was dark – darker than I was used to. Optorio only had two moons and even at that, the light they cast seemed somehow dimmer than back home. Murkier, somehow. The pockets of shadows that were seemingly everywhere seemed darker, more sinister.
Maybe I was jumpy and seeing ominous shadows because, for the first time in my life, I was outside of my village. Really outside of my village. I'd never gone farther than Kinray proper, let alone to a foreign planet. I'd never even really dreamed of seeing another world.
And yet, there we were.
Hatare seemed utterly unfazed by it all. In fact, she seemed to be reveling in it. There was a part of me that wished I could be so nonchalant about it all. Perhaps her education had helped prepare her for something like this. I would have imagined that being exposed to different worlds – even if only through books and vidscreens – would make it easier to adjust to being on another planet. Even if only a little.
And maybe because I was already jumpy, I was a little more paranoid than normal. But I would have sworn that we were being followed and watched. I didn't know where they were – or who they even were – but I just felt eyes on us as we walked. It was a tingling up my spine and the back of my neck, but it was strong – and getting stronger.
“You okay?” Hatare looked at me with a smile.
I nodded. “Yeah, I'm fine.”
“It's all a little overwhelming, isn't it?”
My laugh sounded dry and nervous, even to my own ears. “Yeah, a little bit.”
“Don't worry,” she said. “Everything is going to be okay.”
I gave her a small smile I hoped didn't look as false as my laugh had sounded. “Sure,” I said. “It will be.”
And that was the problem – I didn't know that everything was going to be okay. Hatare was a remarkable girl. Obviously, very well able to take care of herself. But there was something in me that wanted to protect her. That wanted to stay by her side and make sure that she was okay. I didn't know what it was and knew how insane it sounded because we barely knew one another.
But there was something inside of me profoundly attached to her already. I knew it was something I needed to rein in only because women from the upper classes never mingled with men from the lower classes. It was just a fact of life on Unduth. Knowing that, I knew I needed to keep from getting too attached.
But there was some small spark of hope within me that remained. And what was it she'd said earlier? As long as there is life, there is hope?
Before I could even take the time to sit down and process all of the mental and emotional debris swirling around inside of me like a windstorm, we needed to survive everything happening. We needed to meet with this King Jendrish and convince him to grant us asylum. It was something I wasn't feeling overly optimistic about.
“We need to cut through this park up here,” Hatare said.
The lighting was dim and the pockets of shadow even deeper. I had a bad feeling about setting foot in there, but I wasn't going to give voice to it. I wasn't going to give in to my paranoia. It wasn't long though, before I regretted that decision.
“Hatare, stop,” I said, catching movement out of the corner of my eye.
I moved closer to her, standing protectively in front of her – although, given her fighting prowess, it probably should have been the other way around.
From out of the shadows came half a dozen men in dark clothing and armor. I felt the knot in my stomach tighten as they raised their weapons, training them on us. They stepped closer and I felt Hatare's body tense, as if she were preparing to attack. Reaching down, I took her hand in mine and squeezed it gently.
“Don't,” I said softly. “I will not have you getting yourself killed.”
“We have to do something,” she whispered.
“Just wait,” I replied.
Shoulder mounted lights flared to life on the men approaching us, making the both of us wince. I held a hand over my eyes to shield them from the worst of the glare. It was then that I noticed the odd symbol on their armored shoulder plates – it was the same symbol I'd seen on the men who'd raided the factory where I'd worked. These were government soldiers.
I felt my heart sink and my level of anxiety go through the atmosphere. They were here for me.
The men closed in and formed a half-circle around Hatare and I. They all very nearly simultaneously raised a hand to their helmets and pushed a button that raised their darkened visors. With weapons still trained on us, the soldiers moved in behind us, the barrel of their weapons against the small of our backs.
I looked over at Hatare and could see the fear in her eyes. But also the anger and defiance. She wanted nothing more than to fight, I could tell. But it was a fight she was going to lose. And I wasn't about to watch her die right in front of me – so, I tightened my grip on her hand.
“General Gravus,” said the man in the middle of the half-circle, obviously speaking into his helmet's comm device. “We've acquired the target. There is an additional liability. Requesting instructions.”
I looked at the soldiers surrounding us. Trying to figure out how we were going to get out of this – and honestly, not seeing how we would. We were surrounded by men with large weapons.
“Understood, sir,” the man said into his comm device.
He looked at one of the soldiers behind us and nodded. I felt a sharp pain in the small of my back as the butt of the soldier’s weapon was driven in to me, forcing me down to my knees
“The General says this one's of no consequence,” the man obviously in charge said. “Execute him and let's get the girl back to the ship.”
“No!” Hatare screamed before the soldier behind her clamped his hand over her mouth, silencing her.
She fought and struggled in his grip, but another soldier moved forward and put the barrel of his weapon flush against her forehead. Her eye markings flared with her anger and outrage – as well as her fear. I wanted to stand up, to go to her and comfort her. And most of all, to get that weapon out of her face.
I was so concerned about Hatare that I was oblivious to my own plight until the soldier in front of me stepped up and put the barrel of his gun inches from my face. It was then I realized I was going to die. I looked up at Hatare and saw tears in her eyes as she looked at me. She was powerless to stop what was going to happen and she knew it.
I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw. I would not give them the satisfaction of seeing just how terrified I was.
“In the name of King Jendrish, you are ordered to lay down your weapons.”
The voice boomed through the park, shattering the relative stillness of the night air. My eyes flew open and I watched as men in red and blue armor – two dozen of them, maybe more – advanced into the park, in a ring around the Unduthian government soldiers.
The man who'd been holding the gun to my head spun suddenly, and squeezed off a shot. The blue laser streaked across the open space and hit its mark, knocking one of the Optorion soldiers to the ground, where he lay completely still and lifeless. But he then took at least six shots to his body, green lasers slicing through his flesh. He fell to the ground beside me, thick, blue blood pouring out of him – more blood than I was comfortable seeing.
“Drop your weapons to the ground or you will suffer the same fate,” came the voice again. “You have three seconds to comply.”
The Unduthians looked at one another and then to their leader. With fury in his eyes, he ordered his men to lower their weapons. They dropped them on the ground at their feet – at which point, the Optorion soldiers moved in and secured them all with sonic binders.
The soldiers led them away, leaving Hatare and I standing there with who I took to be the Optorion commander. He looked from Hatare to me and then back again.
He shook his head. “Mercenaries,” he said, not bothering to hide the disdain in his voice. “You two should be flattered – a private army like that is costly. Somebody wants you
back on Unduth very badly.”
I looked from the bodies on the ground back to the large man before me. “And who are you?”
“My name is Vink,” he said. “I am Captain of King Jendrish's personal guard. And I need to ask the two of you for a favor.”
Chapter Eleven
Hatare
I knew that Byr was doing his best to protect me and I appreciated the gesture. I thought it was sweet. Unnecessary, but sweet.
“How do you know who we are?” Byr asked the man named Vink.
“We've been keeping tabs on you since you arrived, Byr,” he replied matter of factly. “A couple of smugglers – brothers, in fact – were more than happy to tell us all about you and Hatare here. We did a little digging on our own, of course, but confirmed some of what they told us. Though, it's obvious they made some extremely wild exaggerations in recounting their tale.”
Wyn and Wyk. They had sold us out like Byr feared they would. I looked up at the tall Optorion Captain, so scared, it felt like my body was on fire.
“The brothers, it seems,” Vink continued, “had hoped to parlay information about the two of you into a handsome payday for themselves.”
My stomach clenched painfully. “And where are they now? The brothers?”
Vink's smile was predatory. “Sitting in a cell,” he said. “We did a cursory inspection of their ship and found enough contraband to lock them up under Optorion law for quite some time.”
I wasn't sure what to make of the man before us. He was making no move to arrest or restrain us – but he wasn't letting us go, either. I shot a look over at Byr and could see that he seemed to be having the same thoughts I was.
Byr cleared his throat. “You mentioned needing to ask a favor of us,” he said. “What would that favor be?”
Vink looked from Byr to me and then back again. “We know that a man made contact with you in Ornal Plaza earlier today,” he said. “And from what we've been able to piece together in the short amount of time we've had, the two of you are on your way to meet him right now. Is that accurate information?”
Byr looked at me and I nodded. “That's correct, Captain.”
“Can you tell me what the nature of this meeting is?” he asked.
I looked at Byr, feeling less and less certain of anything as the seconds ticked by. Was this a trap of some sort? But then, why? He had us dead to rights and could take us in right now. He could even take us back to Unduth and claim the reward for himself. But he was doing none of that. He was simply standing there before us – having saved us from an ambush – asking for our help.
We needed help, that much was clear. And unlike the others we'd dealt with so far, I didn't get a bad feeling about the man before me. I knew we needed help and that I needed to trust somebody – my hope was that I was putting my trust in the right man.
If he truly was the Captain of the King's personal guard, helping him could be a big boon for Byr and me. When I looked at him, I could see that Byr was having the same thoughts – and reservations – I was. I could see it in his face. He met my eyes and I gave him a small shrug.
“The man we are meeting with says he knows somebody who can get us a meeting with the King,” I said.
Vink smiled. “And why would you need a meeting with the King?”
“We need to ask for asylum,” I said. “Byr and I both have reasons for not being able to return to Unduth.”
“Yes, I know,” Vink replied. “Very serious reasons.”
I nodded. “I suppose,” I said. “But neither of us have ever done anything criminal.”
He shrugged. “Somebody seems to think he has,” Vink replied. “They think you're a rebel agitator and extremist responsible for bombings in your capitol.”
Byr shook his head. “I had nothing to do with any of that,” he roared, his eye markings glowing with his fury. “I did nothing and they're trying to pin it on us. My family is probably dead because of their lies!”
Vink held his hands up in surrender. “I'm sorry, son,” he said. “I know nothing other than what I've read. And it's not really my place to know. I cannot interfere with Unduthian affairs.”
Byr took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. “I'm sorry,” he said, his voice soft. “I know it's not your fault.”
“Let me tell you what I can do,” Vink said. “Provided you help me with my little problem. If you do as I ask, I can guarantee you a meeting with King Jendrish. You can explain it all to him and he can make a decision.”
I looked up, feeling my spirit lift and there was a glimmer of hope in my heart. “What do we have to do?”
Vink looked at us, his expression grim. “I can't say it will be easy,” he said. “And in fact, it could be very dangerous.”
“What is it?” Byr asked.
The big man sighed. “The man you are meeting tonight is part of a terrorist group in Optorio,” he said. “Like Unduth, we've had our fair share of trouble with agitators. They are attempting to assassinate the King and overthrow our government. Obviously, we'd like to stop them from doing so.”
“And how can we help?” I asked.
“We haven't been able to draw them out into the open,” he said. “But I have reliable information that these men know who the two of you are. And they know how much you are worth. It's their intent to take you back to Unduth themselves to claim the rewards – money that will be used to fund their campaign of terror here in Optorio. All I need for you two to do is keep your meeting. Lure them out into the plaza. My men and I will take care of the rest.”
Byr shrugged. “Seems simple enough.”
Vink's grin was rueful. “These men are very good at seeing the traps we've laid for them. As careful as we've been, they've always managed to elude us,” he said. “They are unpredictable and can be volatile and violent. But then, we've never had bait quite as tantalizing as the two of you before.”
“So, what you're saying,” I started, “is that these guys could catch wind of you and decide to kill us on the spot.”
Vink's face was grim. “It's a possibility,” he admitted. “But I tend to doubt it. They can only collect the rewards on you two if you're alive. So, there's that.”
“Comforting,” Byr said.
I nodded, a sudden wave of nerves washing over me. But what choice did we have? We needed a meeting with the King – and I really was not sure we were going to get one any other way.
“We'll do it,” I said.
Byr looked at me, his eyes wide with alarm. But he seemed to realize we had no other alternatives because he simply clenched his jaw and gave me a small nod.
“Excellent,” Vink said.
Chapter Twelve
The night was dark and utterly silent. Not a breath of wind seemed to disturb anything around us as we entered the plaza. I looked up and Optorio's second moon was high in the sky – at its zenith. We'd made it on time.
“If anything happens, I want you to get down on the ground,” Byr said. “I want you to stay out of harm's way.”
I looked over at him and smiled. “That's a very sweet gesture, Byr,” I replied. “But as you well know, I'm more than capable of taking care of myself.”
He nodded. “I know you are. You're probably better suited to taking care of yourself in a fight than I am,” he said and then turned, looking deeply into my eyes. “But I don't want to see you hurt. I really don't.”
I took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, holding on to it as we made our way to the fountain. A strange noise overhead drew my attention. Silhouetted against the darkness was a bird of some sort – obviously something native to Optorio. Whatever it was, it was very large and its cries were ominous sounding.
“Did you bring the money?”
I quickly snapped my head back to see the man we'd met earlier standing near one of the buildings in the plaza. He was half cloaked in shadow and was strangely, refusing to come to where we were. I pulled some of the money out of my pocket and held it up for him to see.
<
br /> “W – we have it,” I said, my voice echoing around the empty square.
My nerves were tingling and I could feel my body's fight or flight response beginning to kick in. Something seemed off. Not right. And given the death grip Byr had on my hand, I thought he was feeling it too.
The man hesitated among the shadows for another long moment, making my anxiety grow even wilder. He eventually stepped out of that pocket of shadow and whistled. I looked around and felt my heart stutter as adrenaline raced through my body like electricity, setting my every nerve ending on fire.
Out of the darkness stepped a group of men I hadn't seen – they'd simply blended in with the shadows seamlessly and were practically invisible. There were fifteen, maybe twenty of them in all. Large men. Rough and hard looking. They looked like the kind of men who'd inflicted their fair share of pain onto others.
I looked over at Byr who looked frightened – and yet, was doing his best to not look that way. The group of men stopped a few feet away from us and nobody spoke for several long moments. I looked at the man in the center of the group – he was tall and had that ethereal pale skin common to Optorions. His dark hair – I couldn't quite tell the color in the darkness of the night – was pulled back in a tight tail, and he had a ragged looking scar that ran from the crown of his forehead down to his chin.
Whatever had left that scar on his face had also taken his left eye along with it. He had a presence about him. He was compelling and forceful without even saying a word. I took him to be the leader of this group. My hands were shaking and I felt the beads of sweat rolling down my back, making my shirt cling to my skin uncomfortably.
“A – are you the man who can get us a meeting with the King? I asked, hoping they couldn't hear the nervous tremor in my voice.
The man looked at me and then at Byr, before looking back at me again. There was an arrogant, cocky smile on his face.
“There's no meeting with the King to be had, Hatare,” he said.
Even knowing what I knew – that they'd already discovered our identities – hearing him say my name made the blood in my veins run cold. Byr's grip on my hand tightened and I knew that he was growing as anxious as I was.
Rocor (Dragons of Kratak Book 5) Page 83