Ethan swung a rifle off each shoulder and placed them on the ground at his feet. Then he removed the blue hiking pack from his back and set it in front of Grant, unzipped the main compartment, and began removing its contents. “I have seven handguns, a handful of extra magazines, and this.” He unzipped the side pocket of the bag and removed the QueSet. “Micah gave us this. It’s a quantum encryption… I don’t know. It’s a secured military phone. He called it a QueSet.”
“Are you serious?” Grant exclaimed.
Aleena made a quiet moan and rolled to her other side.
“Oh, sorry, Aleena,” Grant whispered. He turned back to Ethan. “I’ve heard of these. I read about them in a tech magazine before the Urlowens showed up. Does Micah have its twin?”
“He has the other one, yes,” Ethan said.
“How’d he manage to get a set?” Grant was struggling to keep his voice down. He was a self-proclaimed tech nerd. “I never thought I’d actually see one of these things in person.” He took the QueSet from Ethan and turned it over several times.
“Turns out, he’s still part of the Alliance. He got it from them.”
“Figures. I’ve wondered for a while now. Leon thought he was just helping us because of his past experience, but I knew it was more than that. A former spy wouldn’t join a resistance, he’d go back into the service. Do they have him out here training us, trying to make us more effective?”
“That’s what he said,” Allison replied.
“Seems about right. Militaries have done that in the past, you know. Train and supply the resistance when they can’t get behind enemy lines themselves.”
“Well the jig is up, I guess,” Ethan said. “He’s calling in an evacuation for all of us. He’s going to get us out of here.”
“But what about getting Valaan?” Grant asked. “Aleena explained everything to me before she fell asleep.”
“He’s going to call us on the QueSet to tell us where to meet for the pickup,” Allison said. “It’s five days from now.”
Grant looked back at Aleena sleeping on the ground. Her armor seemed to have subtly changed shades of green so it blended into the grass. “That doesn’t leave us much time.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Ethan said. “We should leave pretty soon.”
“Did you grab food?” Grant asked.
“I got a few cans of soup, some spare clothes, blankets, and water bottles in my bag.” Allison had a green and black hiking pack strapped to her back, which she resituated by pulling on the arm straps.
“Seems like that’s everything, then,” Grant said.
“I hope so,” Allison replied. “We don’t have time to go back and grab more. How is Aleena doing? Do you think she’ll be able to start the hike?”
“I think she’ll do it whether she’s ready or not. She was pretty vehement about this plan when she explained everything to me. I can’t say I blame her, being the last of her kind and all. The prospect of finding another living Elf must be exciting.”
“We should get going, then,” Ethan said. He walked over to Aleena and gently shook her shoulder. “Aleena, we need to go. You have to get up.”
Aleena stirred just a little.
Ethan shook her a bit harder, which was apparently a mistake. Her eyes snapped open and locked on him with a green blaze. Before Ethan had a chance to move, Aleena’s hand shot out from her side and hit him square in the chest. “Ahhh!” she screamed, clearly startled.
The impact was like nothing Ethan had felt before. The force from Aleena’s hand itself wasn’t that bad, but at nearly the same moment it felt like electricity shot through his body with searing heat, and Ethan was thrown five feet away, landing in a mercifully soft patch of long grass. He grabbed his chest and moaned with pain.
“Ethan!” Allison cried out and ran to him, followed quickly by Grant.
Aleena slowly pushed herself to a sitting position, groggy and dazed from a nap cut too short. Seeing Ethan lying on the ground several feet away, Allison and Grant kneeling beside him, and a warm tingling sensation in her right palm, she gasped. “Ethan! Oh, Ethan, I’m so sorry!” She got to her feet as fast as her tired legs would let her and joined the others around Ethan. She pulled his shirt up to find a small burn in the shape of her hand on his chest. “I am so sorry,” she said again. “You’ll be all right. It’s not nearly as bad as it could’ve been.”
Ethan started to push up from the ground, and Allison helped him sit upright. “You’re waking her up next time,” he told Grant, then looked over at Aleena. “Really?”
“Ethan, I’m so, so sorry,” she said. “I didn’t realize it was you. I thought… I thought I was back in the palace. I thought they still had me.” Her cheeks flushed. “I could’ve killed you.” She began to move away from the three of them slowly, clearly ashamed of her mistake. “Maybe you shouldn’t come with me.”
“No,” Allison said forcefully. “We are not starting this again. We’re in this together now.”
Regaining his strength, Ethan spoke up. “It’s all right, Aleena. I’m all right. I’m sorry I scared you.”
“But I could’ve killed you,” she said.
“But you didn’t. It was just a bad dream. No harm done.” He rubbed his chest and winced as his hand passed over the burn. “Well, a little harm done, but nothing that won’t heal.”
Aleena still looked bashful.
“Also,” Ethan added, “you’ve got to teach me how to do that.” His request got the intended response, Aleena smiling just a bit. Getting to his feet with a little help from Allison, he walked over to the rifles on the ground and picked them up. “This one’s for you,” he said, handing one to Allison. “Grant, you’ve already got yours.”
Grant nodded an affirmative.
“This one’s for me, then,” Ethan said, moving the rifle closer to his pack.
“Where’s Aleena’s?” Grant asked.
“She doesn’t need one. You’ll see.” Out of instinct, he gently touched the burn on his chest.
“All right, then.” Grant certainly wasn’t going to press the matter after seeing Ethan get tossed back and burned from just trying to wake her up. “Sidearms?”
“Two for each of us, and one for Aleena.” He began handing them out.
Grant took his and slid both between his waistband and his back. Allison put one in her front pocket, and the other in her waist strap over her hip.
“I don’t need it,” Aleena said.
“I know you don’t,” Ethan replied, “but would you take it for me? I’ll feel better knowing you have one, just in case.”
“In case what?” Aleena asked.
“In case your magic stops or something. I don’t know. Will you just take it, please?” Ethan urged.
Aleena rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t really work like that,” she said, but took the weapon from him anyway. She slid her hand down the top of her left forearm and the armor extended, forming a small pocket just large enough to fit the sidearm. She set the gun into the pocket, and the armor tightened to hold it snugly in place.
“I want one of those,” Grant said.
“Sorry, they stopped making them some ten thousand years ago.”
“Wait, was that a joke?” Ethan grinned.
“I can joke,” Aleena replied.
“Not very well, apparently.” Ethan chided her.
Aleena glared playfully at him.
“Ahem,” Allison began. “If you two are done now, let’s get this show on the road.” She gave Ethan a subtle look, but it was enough.
Ethan went to Allison, wrapped her in his arms, and kissed her. “I’m yours,” he whispered in her ear. “You have nothing to worry about.” He felt her muscles relax.
Taking Ethan’s lead, Grant walked over to Aleena, “So, we might die on this little escapade. You wouldn’t want to leave this life without knowing what it was like to kiss me, would you?”
Aleena raised her eyebrows, giving Grant a look that stopped him in place.
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“Keep trying, Grant. I think you’re wearing her down,” Ethan said, laughing.
After Ethan finished repacking his bag, the four stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the dense woods and mountainside ahead of them. The sun was low on the horizon but hadn’t quite dipped beneath the mountain peaks.
“Everyone ready?” Ethan asked.
“I’m ready,” Allison said.
Grant looked over at Aleena and smiled. “Always.”
“Then let’s find Valaan.” Aleena entered the woods with the others following.
Kalma sparred with Traven in the tower’s cafeteria, having pushed tables to the sides of the room and leaving the center barren with plenty of space to practice. Their boots squeaked on the white-gray speckled tile as they wove around the room, attacking and defending. Kalma twisted at the hips and leaned backward just as Traven’s sparring sword slid past his chest, missing by mere inches. Throwing his body weight into the swing, he parried using a short blade held in his right hand. The weight of the blow pushed Traven to the side, nearly making him lose balance. Kalma spun using the momentum he’d generated from the parry and brought the blade’s twin, held in his left hand, around behind him as he turned. The dulled sword nearly caught Traven in the side, but he managed to step back just in time for the tip to graze his armor.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kalma saw a flash of blue emanate from his multiband. It was seated on top of a stack of tan cafeteria trays next to the long stainless steel serving line on the other side of the room. He had a message from his new friend.
It’s time to end this session. Kalma made straight for Traven’s chest. As Traven brought his sword around to deflect Kalma’s blade, Kalma turned, raising the weapon vertical and pushing it straight out, meeting Traven’s swing. He continued to turn his body, stepping inside Traven’s reach as he brought the other blade low, slapping Traven’s knee with the broad side. As the sword made contact, a stun pulse poured through the metal, involuntarily contracting Traven’s leg muscles and dropping him to his knee. Kalma finished the turn by striking Traven’s upper arm, which went limp and dropped the sword. Traven reached for Kalma with his other arm and grunted as Kalma struck it, sending it limp to his side.
“I yield,” Traven said, kneeling with both arms dangling helplessly beside him. “That’s the first time you beat me, kid.”
Kalma was not in the mood for chitchat, and certainly not in the mood to be called ‘kid.’ There was apparently new information about the resistance that Eric deemed worthy of sending a message concerning, and Kalma had been waiting for news of Aleena since her escape and inadvertent murder of Malik. Kalma held Aleena responsible even though the girl had no idea what the ramifications of her escape were for the Guard. Nor would she care, for that matter, being enemies and all. Unfortunately, Kalma still had plans for the girl, so it was in his interest to keep her alive—for now.
“Right, yeah, I guess I must be improving,” Kalma lied. The truth was a different matter entirely. He was simply growing bored of playing the weak new recruit, and the message gave him reason to end the sparring session quickly.
“Mercy?” Traven said with as much charm as he could muster.
“The Guard don’t show mercy,” Kalma said distractedly. He tapped Traven’s last working leg with a sword, then kicked him in the chest, sending him to the floor. Kalma stood over Traven. “Nice practice.” He lightly touched Traven’s chest plate with the tip of the weapon, sending a stunning blast into his torso. Traven groaned and gasped for air.
“Now I’ve beaten you,” Kalma said. He glanced over at his flashing multiband. “I have a few things to do. Would you mind putting these away for me?” He laid both swords at Traven’s side, then retrieved his multiband from across the room.
“Yeah, no problem,” Traven replied in a labored, rasping voice. “I’ll be down in five or ten minutes when this wears off.”
Kalma ignored Traven’s response, consumed with his own thoughts, and made his way out of the cafeteria, leaving Traven on the floor like a dead man. He’d expected to hear from Eric shortly after Aleena disappeared from the cell, but it’d been almost two full days with no message. He thought about activating the detonation sequence on Eric’s communicator, but restrained himself. Eric wasn’t stupid enough to try circumventing their little arrangement. Kalma decided patience was currently in his best interest.
He slid the multiband into place on his left arm and activated the message.
Eric’s voice popped into his mind. “Tomas, I have some information that you probably want to know.”
Kalma rolled his eyes. Obviously you have information, or you wouldn’t be bothering me, nitwit.
The message continued. “Ethan and Allison got back from some sort of raid a couple of mornings ago, but Aleena wasn’t with them.”
Kalma felt like reaching his mind out to turn on the detonator. With information like this, who needs this guy. He shook his head. No, not yet. He still might be worth something. Maybe.
“I’ve had trouble getting you information because it’s been hard to get around the cave with my broken leg and everything. You know, you didn’t have to push me down the hill like that.”
Nope, didn’t have to. That was just for fun.
“Anyway, I got some info yesterday,” Eric continued. “Micah, he’s the one in charge around here, being former Alliance Intelligence and all.”
Kalma’s temper flared a bit. Alliance Intelligence! You’re just telling me this now? That’s it, I’m gonna kill him.
“He had John call a meeting with everyone. It turns out Micah is still part of the Alliance. I know, right! It blew my mind. This whole time he’s been telling everyone that he retired, but he’s not. Anyway, it took a while to convince everyone to get on board with it, but he’s gotten the Alliance to agree to come pick everyone up. They’re going to take everyone to an Alliance base, and then distribute the children and families to some of the remaining free cities. Um, not free. I mean Alliance-controlled. Personally, I really like what you’ve done in Madison city. I didn’t at first, but now that I know you better, man, you guys are awesome. Look, just don’t blow me up, okay?”
Kalma chuckled. It’d be fun to blow him up, but unfortunately this information was useful.
“Right, so this extraction is going to be in roughly three days from now. Apparently, Ethan, Allison, Aleena, and Grant have gone off on some hairbrained rescue mission. There’s something about someone’s uncle. Anyway, Micah isn’t willing to leave them behind, so they’re going to meet us at the pickup. In the meantime, the rest of us are packing up essentials and getting ready to leave.
“That’s all I know right now. Micah’s been acting a bit strange around me lately. He doesn’t like to tell me stuff for some reason. I’ll send you another message if I find out more. Also, can I go? I mean, if it’s not too much trouble, could you just let us leave? We’d be out of your hair, and I’ve done what you asked.” The message ended.
Kalma had made it back to his quarters by the time the message stopped. They left two days ago? He pulled up a command channel on his multiband. “I need a single transport skimmer—now!”
“Yes, sir. Right away, sir,” a requisition officer stationed a few blocks away at the vehicle control depot replied. “I can have one driven remotely to your location within five minutes, sir. Will that suffice?”
“Not a minute later,” Kalma barked and closed the channel. It was sloppy using the fake Guard commander ID he’d programmed into the system to requisition a skimmer directly to his location, but the time for subtlety was passing. The depot was heavily armed, and Aleena had already proven she wasn’t skilled enough to avoid capture. She had to be successful; his entire plan depended on it. Kalma had to get to the depot.
After securing the transport, he sent a message back to Eric. “Great job, buddy. I really wish you’d told me about that information sooner. My finger is getting a little itchy on your communicator’s detonation tr
igger. Next time, please do try to be timelier with your messages. Also, get me the location of the extraction point. And Eric, I’ll see you soon.”
Kalma grabbed the rest of his gear from his room and stashed everything at the appropriate spots in his armor. There was no time to come up with an excuse to tell the others. He’d have to deal with any fallout when he got back.
He ran downstairs and waited the remaining two minutes for the skimmer to show up. Jumping inside, he disconnected the remote access, turned off all its tracking abilities, and set off toward the depot.
Chapter 27
Two days of hiking were taking its toll on everyone except Aleena. The first evening had been rough on her, the drugs still wearing off from her capture. She’d expected to feel their effects for another day, or worse, for the entire trip. But surprisingly, by midafternoon the next day, she felt right as rain. She figured the Urlowens must’ve dosed her as a Human.
The others were starting to slow down on the second day, their legs sore from the constant drum of their feet hitting the ground, stepping over fallen logs, and pushing through thick underbrush. They had to stop more frequently the last day to rest, which was making Aleena restless.
It was evening when they finally found the depot, situated about halfway up the eastern side of the mountain, on a ridge that protruded off the peak’s main incline. Approaching from below, they couldn’t tell how large the compound was, but a line of double fences and the edge of the ridge were clearly visible. The fence ran the perimeter of the ridge, and the terrain up to it was relatively steep. Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any guard towers, though Ethan wasn’t sure if that was good or bad at that point. Either the Alliance had built the base quickly upon discovery of the chamber, or there were other defensive positions that were hidden well. He hoped it was the former.
At the base of the ridge, they were well hidden. “Let’s wait here for a little while and see what the patrols are like,” Allison recommended.
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