“Not everything,” I tell him, already thinking of the inevitable outcome. “Unless we figure out who they are, those Agents of Guidance will find a way to lead Caelum to us no matter where we go. It wouldn’t matter how viable or isolated any settlement is if we bring spies with us.”
Arluin’s enthusiasm disappears. The further we get, the more it seems like Mr. Vaden was right all along. Caelum is exponentially more prepared than we are. If we do not find a way to change that soon, we will never win our freedom. With each new setback, my hope becomes steadily marred by festering doubt.
After thanking them for their help, I leave the Learning Center, retreating into my own mind on the way. Even though the news leaves me feeling overwhelmed by the control Caelum wields over us, we still have a chance to counter the imbalance of power. If we are destined to follow in the footsteps of the last ill-fated uprising, I plan to make regaining control of Securus as difficult as possible for those bastards.
After a quick stop in my quarters, I take the central elevator to the lower levels. Once the door opens, I walk through a nearly empty hallway. Given my mood right now, having less people around is a good thing. At the end of the walkway, the stairs take me down to the entrance of The Caves. Many research workers come and go through the open lounge area. I ignore them, heading to the outer door. Two guards are currently stationed there. Only one of them is the man I am looking for.
“Radek, how are you feeling today?” I ask, extending a hand to him.
“Better every day.” He shakes my hand with a vice-like grip.
“It sure feels like you’re doing better.” I shake the sensation back into my hand. “Are you up for something more challenging than watching this door?”
“Depends on how challenging.” Radek flashes a subtle grin as he continues. “Your personal missions don’t exactly have a good record for ease or safety.”
He meant that as a joke, but I am barely able to suppress the haunting guilt his words elicit because of the friends I have lost. Even so, it is good to see him feeling better. “This is one you’ve been on before, except now we have more direction.”
I take out the tracker Sayda and Hadwin made to find the boxes. The initial team we assigned to look for these poisonous devices was only able to locate a few of them. Hadwin and Sayda had more luck, but now the remaining boxes are in restricted areas. That means a ranking member of Leadership must be involved, and most of them are not exactly the hands-on type. Personally collecting the boxes is more than fine with me. I consider anything that helps us counter Caelum’s Methods of Guidance a worthwhile task.
“I’m in,” Radek replies when realizing what I intend to do. He looks back to the other Guard. “Can you handle it here without me?”
The second Guard feigns insult at the question. They both know one man is more than enough to cover the door. Radek follows me over to a table in the center of the lounge. He activates the tracker while I open up a schematic of Securus on my Coden. If the signal takes us to an unfamiliar area, we need to know what to expect before barging in. The locator on the screen gives a three dimensional direction of which way to go. Considering our location, it is not surprising when the indicator points us into The Caves.
“Looks like we’re going that way,” I say, pointing to the upper tunnels before putting on my illuminator.
We both head out past the massive steel door, into the initial chamber of The Caves. Going into the upper tunnels makes me nervous. I have never been in there, but the reason they were closed in the first place was because they communicate with Caelum’s supply tunnel. That means we face the dangerous possibility of the Soldier Guards appearing. Even though they did not attempt to kill us the last time we met, they may not show the same leniency again.
While we walk through the initial chamber, another faint signal appears on my tracker. It would have been easy to miss if I were not paying close attention, especially since just a moment ago the readout indicated there was nothing in this area. That must be why the other teams passed this one up. We both follow the path around the main pool in the center of the chamber. As we do, the indicator flickers on and off of the screen. I slowly move back and forth, looking for a spot to keep the signal transmitting. When it reappears the angle is different than before. It points downward and to the left, directly into the main pool.
“We found the first one,” I tell him, straining to see anything beneath the surface of the water.
“I’ll go get some goggles,” Radek says, turning back to Securus.
While he is gone, I move around the edge of the water, trying to judge where the box could be. We cannot take the tracker in the water with us, and I do not want to be in there for long. Unfortunately, the box seems to be on the far side of the pool where towering formations line the edge of the water, preventing us from entering near it. After only a couple minutes, Radek returns. We both strip down to our underwear and put on the goggles. Like our illuminators, these goggles have a row of lights built into the upper edge of them, helping us see in the dark water.
Typically, the only ones allowed in these pools are the workers that fish them and the researchers who monitor the ecosystem’s health. Because of that, the sight of us getting ready to dive in attracts the attention of the researchers as well as the secondary Guard. Normally he would come and check our orders, but knowing who we are, he stays at his post. The curious stares usually do not bother me, but now I cannot help but wonder if there is more than curiosity behind them. Could any of these people be Agents of Guidance?
With no way of uncovering any spies now, I need to focus on the task at hand. I turn away from the onlookers and look over to Radek. Despite his recent injuries, he has worked himself back into very good shape. Even the massive scars now lining his abdomen and flank seem befitting to his rugged exterior.
“The tracker was pointing over there, near that cluster of stalagmites,” I tell him.
Radek immediately jumps into the water. Before he gets too far, I follow. As soon as I break the surface of the pool my body screams to get back out of the cold water. My muscles stiffen, making it difficult to move. I fight to keep pace with Radek, who is already halfway across the pool. The effort helps to keep the cold from paralyzing me.
When we reach the area the tracker was pointing toward, we both take a deep breath and swim down to the floor. Under the water, the sounds of the workers above disappear. Our lights search the area but all we see is dirt. The pressure builds up in my ears, making it painful to go any lower. After a few more seconds, my oxygen runs out, forcing me to return to the surface. Somehow, Radek remains below, still searching. I take a few deep breaths and go back under. I thought the box would be easy to find down here with the lights from our goggles reflecting off its metallic surface. Unfortunately, no such glare appears to guide us.
Just before my air runs out again, I notice a small break in the soil with a barely visible clear tube protruding. I swim over and wipe away a layer of mud, revealing a metallic surface. The box is too embedded in the mud for me to move it. We are forced to take numerous trips to the surface and back again while digging it out. Once the box becomes loose enough, Radek pulls the poisonous device out.
“L-lets go, it’s really cold in here,” he stutters when we reach the surface.
I put my head down to swim back to the other edge. For the first time since we dove in, I notice movement in the water below. Most of these pools have fish in them, so this is not surprising. After a few more strokes, my hand hits something. Two of the fish appear to be circling me. Even though they are devoid of color like some of the common fish in these pools, these appear different than the usual ones we see. These fish have no eyes at all and have numerous pits lining their skin, starting from behind a row of pointed teeth.
One of them accelerates at me. I swipe at the fish as hard as the resistance of water allows, but it easily avoids the strike. The two ghoulish fish regroup and continue to circle. The edge of the pool is
not far away, so I race to dry land. As I pull myself out of the water, they both charge me. The fish barely miss my feet as I jump onto the dirt.
“What was that about?” Radek asks while moving side to side in an attempt to warm up.
“You didn’t see those fish? They were trying to bite me!” I tell him.
“I didn’t see anything,” he says, looking at me like I am crazy.
I turn back at the water to point them out to Radek, but they are gone. The only thing left is the quiet rippling of the surface and frigid water below. Was I really cold enough to have been hallucinating? Though I tend to assume everything unexpected has something to do with Caelum, it is difficult to imagine what purpose the small fish would serve for them. My shivering muscles distract my attention. I join Radek’s shuffling dance to get some circulation back into my extremities. When the numbness subsides, we put our uniforms back on and take the box to the research workers inside.
“I want you guys to set up a new contained isolation room for these boxes. We’re gonna be bringing in more, and it’ll be easier to dispose of them all at once,” I tell the researcher. He takes the box from me and carefully walks back to the office as if the device might explode at any second.
“Where to next?” Radek asks. I suspect his time watching people come and go at the entrance to The Caves must have bored him, since he looks so anxious to keep searching.
“Back on our original heading to the upper tunnels,” I say while reactivating the tracker. We are both anxious to keep moving since physical activity will help erase the residual chill left from the water. The same signal from before reappears. I just hope we don’t have to go swimming again, I think to myself.
We return to the main chamber and take the path toward the secondary Guard. Near his post is a side trail leading to the upper tunnels. The Guard watches us as we pass, silently nodding his head in acknowledgement. Radek and I walk around a cluster of stalagmites before heading up a steep incline. As we move forward, my eyes do not search the formations for new features like they would have in the past. Instead, they remain focused on the path in front of us. I have lost my taste for exploring the many tunnels and chambers. Unfortunately, this is yet another small joy that Caelum has robbed me of. Sometimes it feels as if that place is sucking the life from me one small piece at a time.
The seal on the entrance to the upper tunnel system looked sturdy from afar, but as we get closer, proves to be surprisingly flimsy. Radek rips the thin sheet of metal from its attachment to the cave wall with one hand, opening the way for us to continue on. The passage inside appears identical to the other mapped tunnels. Like the others, eventually the smooth, secured walls disappear.
Now in the unmapped portion of the upper tunnels, the rough path we follow does not appear to have had much traffic in the past. This is exactly the type of area where we could run into the Soldier Guards. I ignore the thought and look around for anything out of place. Nothing appears to be unusual. Despite the ragged surface of the tunnel, the ceiling is more than high enough for us both to comfortably walk upright. After a while, Radek breaks our silence.
“Kagen, can I ask you something?” He is normally very confident, so the hesitation in his tone catches me off guard.
“Sure, what’s on your mind?” I ask, still following the tracker’s signal under the vision of my illuminator.
“It’s kind of a touchy subject,” he says.
“Just spit it out. After everything we’ve been through, how bad could it be?”
“Well, I know Hadwin’s your friend, so this could be weird for you. But I was wondering if Sayda has said anything about me lately?” he finally asks.
I am at a loss for words and already regret urging him to speak. He is right though. I have been hoping Sayda would choose Hadwin over Radek. Now that he says it aloud, I feel ashamed. We all owe our lives to Radek. He deserves my honesty.
“To tell you the truth, she hasn’t said anything about either of you. The few times I’ve tried to bring it up did not go well at all. I was lucky to escape with my life,” I say.
He stops for a moment, before letting out a small laugh. “Do you think I’m wasting my time?”
His question is difficult to answer. I could easily help Hadwin simply by saying yes. But it would be impossible to look myself in the mirror if I lied. Not to mention what Sayda would do if she found out.
“All I know is she cares for both of you. One of the worst things I’ve ever had to see was her pain while she watched over both of you in the ICU after we came back from Munitus. Give her some time. If I know anything about Sayda, she’ll talk about her feelings only when she is ready to, and not a moment sooner,” I answer.
He stops for a second to look me in the eye. After a brief pause, the glimmer of uncertainty in his eyes disappears, replaced by his usual rugged exterior. Radek pats me on the shoulder. “Thanks, I appreciate the honesty.”
The tunnel ahead shrinks more and more. Soon we are both forced to crawl on our hands and knees. The tracker points straight ahead, so we keep moving. The already constricted tunnel tightens even more as the slope abruptly increases. The awkward direction forces us to lay flat to pull ourselves forward and upward. The surface we slide against is made up of hard, jagged rocks, making our movement through the small portal exceedingly uncomfortable. My shoulder catches on a rock protruding from the ceiling, as if the tunnel is attempting to keep me from continuing.
The tight surroundings do not affect me like they used to. With our prior trips out here, I am getting used to going through these tunnels, and having Radek as backup helps.
After squeezing up through the tortuous shaft, we enter an open chamber. The area is not very big, but after the tunnel we came through it feels as voluminous as the main chamber near Securus. While stretching my arms and legs out, I notice that other than the passage we entered through, there does not seem to be any visible tunnels. The chamber is rather bland, with one exception. A low murmur from running water echoes all around us. The sound bounces off the walls, making it hard to locate the source. With no visible water, the flow must be behind one of the walls.
I follow the direction of the tracker over to the left. Along the wall, an unmistakable tube sprouts from the ground, twisting into a small crack in the wall. The closer we get, the louder the water becomes. When I lean down, my supporting hand feels the vibrations from the running water coming though the rocks. Radek lowers himself to the crack and angles for a glimpse.
“I see moving water in there. The flow travels directly under the end of the tube,” he says.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the main supply feeding our main pools,” I tell him, knowing Caelum would pick out the best strategic locations for these poison boxes.
Radek already has his knife out to dig the box up. “Let’s just get it out of here.”
The box lies in a tight area, not giving me enough room to help. Instead I turn to carefully scrutinize the rest of the chamber. When reaching the other side, something curious catches my attention. There are about ten holes in the wall, though no sounds come from them. I am not sure if this is a natural occurrence or not. Either way, I cannot see anything inside and they are way too small for me to fit through.
“I got it. Are there any more signals nearby?” Radek asks.
I check the tracker again before answering. “No, let’s get out of here.”
He carries the box to the shaft we entered through before pausing to figure out how to bring it down safely. We decide he should climb down first, keeping the box above him. I tie a thin rope to it and attach the other end to my waist. This way, even if he loses his grip, the box will not fall. After Radek snakes his way into the tunnel, I lower the poison box to him. Before I follow him down, a rapid tapping fills the chamber. There’s no one else in here, so where’s that sound coming from? I ask myself as my eyes dart around the room. When I look over to the holes in the back wall, my question is answered.
Ch
apter 6
Four hideous creatures scurry out of the holes in the wall. The long claws protruding from their feet tap on the rocks as they move. Like the fish I saw earlier, these things have no eyes. Wrinkled skin hangs from their bodies, without any hair or fur covering their pale flesh. Long whiskers dangle from their snouts, set just behind four oversized teeth. I have seen moles in The Caves before, but these are different. They are easily twice the size, with more vicious teeth to match. I never thought it possible, but somehow these ones are even uglier than the known moles. Even worse, they are heading straight at me.
Am I hallucinating, or is this really happening? I hold my ground, hoping the hideous creatures will leave me alone. Instead, they keep coming toward me. My legs tingle, wanting to get away. I cannot stay here any longer or they will corner me.
“What are you doing?” Radek asks, noticing my hesitation.
“Some ugly little bastards came out of the walls. They’re running right at me,” I tell him. “I’m gonna untie the box.”
The instant the rope is untied, I jump to the side. The creatures immediately alter their waddling trot. They are definitely chasing me. One of them gets too close, so I wind up my leg. My kick connects with the animal. It lets out a high-pitched squeal while flying through the air. The other repulsive things keep coming. I have no weapons available, so my only option is to keep dodging and kicking when they get close. My plan is made even more difficult when more of the revolting creatures wriggle out of the wall. There are too many of them to avoid for long. I need to get out of here.
“Keep moving down that shaft. I’m gonna distract them for as long as possible and then jump down,” I shout to Radek.
Another one gets close. I kick it away. Unfortunately, the animal flies straight into the shaft Radek went down. Ignoring the mistake, I move further against the wall to my left, waiting for them to close in. When the combined mass of pale, wilted flesh gets close enough, I jump over them. The second my feet touch the ground I sprint to the shaft and dive in head first. My hands barely rise in time to stop my head from crashing into a rock. With gravity assisting, I maneuver down the shaft quickly. Soon, my hurried descent slows as the pitch of the tunnel levels off. When the passage becomes wide enough to turn around, I steal a brief look back. Thankfully, none of the creatures are following me. Now that I think of it, the one that fell in seems to have disappeared as well.
The Seat of Power (The Securus Trilogy Book 3) Page 6