Skybreach (The Reach #3)

by Mark R. Healy

  Maybe if I had more time with the longwave to myself, I could figure something out, Ursie thought. I could find a way to reach him.

  She raised her eyes and looked at Heck, who was watching her expectantly.

  “Do you need some help?” he said.

  You need to convince him, Ursie.

  She reached out tentatively with her mind toward Heck and was immediately assaulted by the throbbing pain behind her eyeballs again, the needles poking into her cranium. It was not as severe as the last time she had grasped toward Tobias, fortunately, but it was still harsh enough to make her reel backward and clamp her eyes shut.

  As the world went fuzzy and black she was subliminally aware of the longwave beginning to slip from her grasp.

  Ursie flung her eyes open and came back to reality, snatching the longwave protectively to her chest. The two men were standing there regarding her curiously. Heck was closer than before, leaning toward her with a concerned look on his face, and behind him Tobias was frowning, perplexed.

  Heck glanced back at the old man, then looked at Ursie again.

  “You okay?” he said uncertainly.

  “Yeah, sure,” she said, a little short of breath. She gave a nervous little laugh. “This is just really exciting for me, this…” She held the longwave up as she tried to find the right words. “This tech stuff.”

  Heck seemed to perk up. “Really? I don’t find many people around here who are into this stuff for fun.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Ursie said with mock enthusiasm. “I can’t get enough of it.”

  “So what kind of things do you like doing?”

  Ursie stared at him with what she imagined must have been a stupid expression as she tried to think of something to say. She knew she was out of her depth here, however. She wasn’t technical at all, and if she tried to con Heck he’d see through her instantly.

  “Look, I’d love to shoot the breeze with you, Heck, but I need to make this private call first. How about I come back afterwards so we can chat?”

  Heck studied her face for a moment longer. “All right, you can take the longwave for a bit. But you need to take very good care of it.”

  It worked, Ursie thought distantly. I must have gotten through to him. Peripherally she was aware that she’d fallen into old habits with her psycher abilities again – deceit and manipulation in order to get her way – but right now she couldn’t see another option.

  “Thank you, Heck,” she said, feeling a little dizzy for some reason. “Thank you so much.”

  “I’ll need it back tomorrow at the latest, all right?”

  “Yes, okay.”

  “And don’t do anything stupid with it.”

  “No, of course not.” She smiled, genuinely this time, and tucked the longwave under her coat. “I really appreciate this.”

  “Good fella,” Tobias said, clapping Heck on the shoulder. He smiled at Ursie. “I told you he was a good man.”

  Ursie nodded and thanked Heck again, then turned away and headed for the exit. It occurred to her that she now knew who it was that she needed to call. Once she made it back to Tobias’ room she’d be able to speak privately.

  Between now and then she had to figure out exactly what she was going to say to the person on the other end.

  11

  Talia had been looking for Knile throughout each of the rooms at Skybreach headquarters, and finally she found him shoving supplies into his backpack in one of the makeshift storerooms on the northern end.

  “There you are,” she said. “I wondered where you’d gotten to.”

  He glanced at her over his shoulder. “Yeah, I’m all over the place at the moment. So much to be done.”

  “About that,” she said. “Silvestri wants me to help him go after these materials Yun is chasing for the semiconductors. Do you think I…?”

  Knile raised his eyebrow as he waited for her to finish.

  “Do I think you should go with him?” he prompted. “Why not?”

  “Well, it’s just that… you and Roman…”

  He straightened and moved over to her, clasping her shoulders reassuringly.

  “I know what you’re thinking, Tal. That as soon as you’re out of sight that something bad is going to happen to Roman and me.”

  “Kinda.”

  “I can relate to that. It’s a natural response after what we’ve been through. The problem is–”

  “We don’t have that luxury anymore.”

  He grimaced. “Right. The three of us can’t just huddle together here and hope that everything turns out okay. Given what’s happened over the last twenty-four hours, and this new timeframe we’re working on, I don’t see how the three of us can ever escape unless it’s through Skybreach. I mean, sure, if we’d had a year to plan it, we might have been able to set up three hacked passkeys and make all of the other arrangements we needed to get off-world. I just don’t think we have that long.” He pointed at the ceiling. “If we want to get out of here, we need the help of everyone else in Skybreach. And they need our help in return.”

  “So you, Roman and I–”

  “We’re still as close as we were before. We’re just part of something bigger now. And if Skybreach fails, we lose it all, so we have to put everything into making it work. If we’re not going to do that, we might as well just pack up and head out into the lowlands right now. It’s probably safer.”

  “That’s not an option.”

  “I agree. So for now we have to do what is in the best interests of Skybreach. Right?”

  She nodded reluctantly. “Yeah. Makes sense.”

  “If Silvestri needs you for this heist, you should go with him. Roman will be fine here without you.”

  “What about you?” Talia said.

  Knile looked abashed. “I’m going shopping.”

  She raised her eyebrow at him. “Uh-huh. Looking for new carpets or something?”

  “No such luck. I’m chasing parts for the EMP.”

  “And you’re doing okay?”

  He shrugged. “Uh, yeah. The EMP isn’t a–”

  “No, Knile.” She gave him a direct stare. “I don’t mean about the EMP. I mean about you. You haven’t really talked about the whole thing with Emil yet. Are you okay?”

  He fidgeted with a strand of wire, curling it around his finger.

  “That’s because I’m not exactly sure what I should say.”

  “You know that Emil lost touch with reality in the end, right? You know that his reaction to your arrival in Skybreach was crazy?”

  “Was it?” Knile said sharply. “Sometimes I wonder if he was justified in what he did.”

  “Are you kidding me? The guy poisoned Roman and basically gave you both a death sentence up there in the Infirmary when he sent the Redmen after you. How is that justified?”

  “Didn’t you hear what he said? I destroyed his life. When I stole those passkeys from him, it drove his wife to suicide.”

  “You didn’t know that was going to happen.” She reached out and clasped his hand. It felt cold to the touch. “You can’t equate one simple theft to the chain of events that followed.”

  Knile shook his head disparagingly. “It just seems that, no matter how much I try to atone for all of the things I did, I just can’t seem to make things right. How many lives did I destroy? How much ruin was left in my wake?”

  “Yes, you did some bad things,” Talia said, “but look around you. We’ve all done bad things. That’s the world we live in. We’re all trying to get ahead, and sometimes we make poor choices. The main thing is that you’ve realised your mistake. You’re trying hard to fix it.”

  “Am I?”

  “You came back for Roman and me, didn’t you? That was a choice you didn’t have to make.”

  “I guess.”

  “So forget about Emil, huh? It’s over now. You have to move forward.” She squeezed his hand. “People here are depending on you.”

  “Yeah,” he said, pressing his lips together. He d
idn’t sound convinced. “Anyway, I’d better get busy putting together this EMP.”

  She relented, realising that she wasn’t going to get any more out of him for the time being.

  “Are you sure you can build one of those things?” she said.

  “It’s not like I haven’t done it before.” He lifted his holophone. “I’ve made a list of parts. Hopefully I can track them down from some old friends here in Gaslight.”

  She grinned wryly. “I seem to remember you trying to build one in Link, years ago–”

  “That was my first attempt. It was an experiment.”

  “More like a disaster.” She lifted a finger to her chin in mock thoughtfulness. “It made one hell of a paper weight, though.”

  She was glad to see him smile, and he narrowed his eyes comically.

  “Don’t you have somewhere to be right now?” he said.

  She turned on her heel. “Stay safe.”

  Silvestri and Talia stepped out of the elevators and wasted no time in starting off down the first of the narrow corridors that led away into the maintenance level. Silvestri consulted his holophone, where he had brought up a floorplan of the place, then replaced it in his pocket.

  “Down this way, then second left,” he said.

  Talia glanced behind them nervously. “How did you find this place, anyway?” she said.

  “Remus. He told me that there used to be a high concentration of tech manufacture in this area, back before it all shut down. He seemed to think this would be our best bet.”

  “What if we run into someone who knows we shouldn’t be here?”

  “We talk our way out.”

  “And if your silver tongue fails you?”

  “We fight.”

  “So that’s why you brought me, huh?” she smirked. “Because I’m the muscle.”

  “Or perhaps I just think you’re a good talker.”

  She grunted. “You should have brought Knile for that. He can talk his way out of anything.”

  The corridor opened out into a broader area with a high ceiling. The metal walkway sounded hollow under their boots as they walked through, and somewhere below them Talia could hear the dull echo of industry – clanking machines and the thud of blunt objects striking metal. Over on one side of the room, a large man in grey overalls was poring over a panel full of blinking lights. He glanced over his shoulder at the two newcomers and Silvestri waved companionably at him, trying his best to sell the idea that they were meant to be there. The man seemed disinterested, turning his attention back to what he was doing a moment later.

  They passed through to the other side, then took a left as Silvestri had suggested.

  “Locals seem friendly,” Talia muttered.

  “As long as they don’t trouble us, I couldn’t care less about their conversation skills.” He went quiet for a moment, then added, “You’ve got a thing for him, don’t you?”

  “Huh?”

  “Knile. There’s something between you.”

  She frowned, shaking her head. “Where did this come from?”

  “It’s just an observation.”

  She shrugged. “Of course there’s a bond there. We were companions for years.”

  “No, I mean something more. Something beyond friendship.”

  “If you’re asking me if Knile and I are together, then the answer is no.” She looked across at him. “Why are you asking me this now?”

  “I’m just not sure if he feels the same way about you.”

  Talia snorted. “What are you, the love doctor?” She looked across at him, and something occurred to her. “Are you hitting on me, Silvestri?”

  He gave her an uneasy grin, one that lacked its usual confidence.

  “I’m a professional. I wouldn’t even think of doing such a thing in the middle of a mission.”

  “Let me guess – you woke up this morning and flipped that coin of yours and decided that today would be a good day to try your luck with me. Is that it?”

  “No.”

  “Is that the only reason you brought me along?”

  He stopped walking abruptly. “Please, Talia. I wasn’t trying to upset you. I brought you along because I need your help.” He spread his hands wide. “I suppose I’m not the best when it comes to smalltalk. I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, okay.” She smiled and whispered conspiratorially. “I’m not really upset. I’m just trying to mess with your head.”

  “Mission accomplished,” he muttered.

  They began walking again. “What’s Holger and his brawlers doing, anyway?” Talia said. “Why couldn’t they help?”

  “A crate of our weapons didn’t make it through the gates when we relocated. They’re out trying to obtain new ones. Not an easy task considering the current climate.”

  He stopped at a scuffed metal doorway and pressed his fingers to the security panel. It turned green, and Silvestri gave Talia a wink.

  “Aksel came through with the security, at least,” he said.

  He turned the handle, then proceeded inward. They found themselves inside an old storeroom with shelves that were practically bare, containing empty cardboard boxes, some cables and a few other dusty old relics. A metallic grey pedestal fan sat in one corner, drooping forward like an old man with a hunched back.

  “Is this it?” Talia said.

  Silvestri glanced around sceptically. “Seems not.” He gave the room a final, cursory glance and then returned to the corridor. “Let’s try the next one. This way.”

  She fell into step with him again. “Do you think we can actually pull this off?” she said a moment later. “Skybreach, I mean.”

  “I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think we could.”

  “But what about how you’re always telling me that you play the odds? From where I stand, this mission is starting to seem like a long shot.”

  Silvestri pulled out his holophone and began to scrutinise the floorplan again, and Talia couldn’t be sure if he was concentrating on the task before them or if he simply didn’t want to answer her question. When he finally spoke, his voice had taken on a pensive tone.

  “The odds aren’t in our favour, but I’ve invested too much into this game to pull out now. I’m all in. Besides,” he said with a rueful smirk, “this is the only game left that’s worth winning, isn’t it?”

  “I guess so.”

  “Now,” he said, his voice sounding strong and reassured once again, “are you going to tell me about that thing in your back pocket?”

  Her hand wandered to her pocket self-consciously and she snuck her finger inside.

  “You noticed, huh?” she said.

  “Yes. What’s the story?”

  She dug her hand into her pants and pulled out a length of what looked to be some kind of stiff, dark brown fabric.

  “I found some leather scraps when I was cleaning out one of the crates last night. Well,” she amended, “not real leather. That faux leather shit they make these days.” She gripped one end of the strap in her fist. “Anyway, seeing it there reminded me of something from a long time ago.”

  “What was it?”

  Talia took a moment before answering. “My mother and I lived together in a shithole down in Link when I was a kid. She was a seamstress once, but when that fell through she became a cleaner, and she used to earn some creds on the side by stitching up thugs who’d gotten themselves cut up in knife fights, bar room brawls, that kind of thing. It helped to pay the bills for a while. Eventually she had me helping out as well. She showed me how to handle a needle and thread and how to make a neat stitch.” She twisted her mouth. “It’s the only thing she ever really taught me before she ran off with one of the bastards who came in for a patch up job.”

  “Sorry to hear that,” Silvestri said.

  “I was on the street after that. It’s a tough life out there for a ten-year-old, y’know? Dog eat dog. You never know who to trust, because the other kids are always trying to climb over the top of you, get the edge
on you. I got into a lot of disagreements back then. A lot of brawls. And that wasn’t a good thing. I was smaller than most of the others and not as strong, and I took a beating more often than not.”

  She began to wind the strap around her forearm as they walked. “There was one kid who had the run of the neighbourhood. Big guy with bright red hair. He’d fixed a bunch of rusty nails to an old glove, or a gauntlet, and he messed up a few kids with it. Took one kid’s eye out, even.” She finished winding the leather strap around her forearm and slipped the end of it through a snug little notch, effectively fastening it. “I didn’t have muscles and I wasn’t particularly fast, so I figured I needed to protect myself if I wanted to survive. I made a leather arm brace for myself, just like this one. Figured it was better than nothing.

  “The kid came at me one afternoon, right on dusk. I can still hear his footsteps on the pavement as he closed in.” She shook her head. “I was so scared. Terrified. But he had me cornered and I had no option but to stand my ground.

  “He swung at me with the glove, and I held up my arm to fend him off. It hurt like hell, just from the force of the strike, but the guard on my arm did its job. It kept the nails from slicing me up like a side of beef. The kid stood over me, leering like an idiot as he waited for me to cry out and start bleeding all over the place. That was what all the other kids had done. While he stood there I got the jump on him. I swung the rock that was in my other fist and hit him right in the jaw with it. Knocked him on his ass good and proper. By the time he got up I was gone, and he was missing three of his teeth.” Her lips curled up at the memory. “That earned me some respect. They didn’t come after me so much after that.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Silvestri said appreciatively. “But why did you make the arm brace now? The people we’re going up against are going to be equipped with more than a fist full of rusty nails.”

  Talia seemed to think that over. “I guess I’m just gearing up for the next fight.”

  They found another storeroom, but, much like the first, there was not much to be found inside. They continued on through the next, then the one after that, and then they finally found what they were looking for.

  “Here,” Silvestri said excitedly, holding up a canister and checking against the specifications on his holophone that Yun had provided. “This one and this one.” He hefted one of the canisters and handed it to Talia, who staggered under the weight.