“Did he tell you anything?” Erynn turned right, following an exit sign. The hall offered a lift in the center or stairs at the far end. Erynn opted for the stairs.
“He invited me to sit and gave me a hot drink.” Nev smiled. “He sat behind his desk, staring at me. He then asked only one question the whole time we were together.” Nev grew quiet. “I guess I answered correctly.” His gaze slipped back the way they had just come. “He let me go.”
Erynn tapped the control for the door and it glided open to the stairwell. She dashed through, descending the first of three flights to the ground level. Their boots rang on the metal treads, echoing through the tall, narrow stairwell as they trotted down, the effect creating a staccato cadence. “What did the captain ask you?”
“He asked me if it was true.”
Erynn slowed and turned to Nev. “If what was true?”
Nev shrugged. “I’m not sure. He could have been asking me if I was Dhoran, or he may have been inquiring if I was Nev.”
Erynn nodded. “What did you say?” They reached the last floor and the door automatically opened before them.
Nev leaned down and whispered, “Wait till we’re outside.”
The lobby closed in on her. A cold sweat slicked her palms and trickled under her shirt. Security officers moved in and out of the station, their actions purposeful. Four people between two scowling officers stood before a reception desk, all of them shouting to be heard first and dripping melted snow on the polished marble floor.
A line of three glass doors framed in burnished metal ran across the entrance to the station. Erynn pushed through the one on the right, rushing headlong into the storm, down stone steps, and onto the sidewalk. She pulled her hood down over her forehead and turned right, not really knowing where she was going. Transportation to Glaskra offered a completely new set of problems. The base was an easy fix—find a transport and go—but they needed a Herk, or something like it, to reach Glaskra.
Nev gazed behind, back up at the massive structure and answered Erynn’s question, “I simply said yes. Nothing more. I wasn’t sure what else I should say. He continued to watch me until I finished my drink. Then he went to the door, opened it, and told me I could leave. Dhoran has followers in security.” He returned his attention to Erynn. “That’s why I got out of this mess.”
“Yes, but I’m not so sure the captain is one of them. I believe Aven may have sent Anbas here to advise the authorities of what he believes about you. According to Nash, three Anbas Warriors spoke at length with the captain this morning.” She turned to Nev and gazed up at him. “We need to be careful. Our circumstances just got more complicated. Dhoran’s followers believe you are him and want to do your bidding, to aid you any way they can. And it’s only a matter of time before the real Dhoran steps up. I’m surprised he hasn’t already.” She lowered her head against an icy gust. “Those who believe what Aven and the Anbas say, that you are not Dhoran, want to help me—us. Then there are those who belong to neither group. I’m not sure what they believe.”
Nev nodded. “Our situation is quite complex. We have to be careful what we say and to whom.”
“So we keep our responses ambiguous.” Erynn stuffed her hands in her pockets as a blast of wind-driven snow slammed into her. “It worked for you.” Disheartened, Erynn’s voice lowered. “And by the way, the base has been evacuated. Cale has taken Jaer to Glaskra.”
Nev stopped and stared at the storm around them, his expression grim at this latest development. “We don’t need a transport. We need a Herk.”
A snow covered vehicle pulled up to the curb, the window gliding open. Vars called out, “That was really something. I’ve never been taken into custody by the authorities before. Well, not like that, anyway.” His wide grin stayed in place. “They never questioned me, though. Just put me in a room by myself for a couple of timnents and turned me loose.” Excitement flavored his words and seasoned his tone. “What do you think that was all about? Come on, get in. We’ll find a dry, warm place to talk.”
***
Captain Erac’s COM beeped. “Captain Erac.”
A female voice crackled over the connection. “Captain Erac. I’m Agent Beal with CIB, Core Investigations Bureau. Do you have a Captain Erynn Yager detained at your station?”
Erac frowned and leaned back in his chair. He turned toward the window, snow blurring the view beyond a meter or two. “No, Agent. Just released them.”
“Them?” Beal’s tone rose.
“Captain Yager and Byan Nev. Nothing to hold either of them on. Is there a problem?”
For a brief moment, Beal remained silent. “No. But if you do run across them again, bring Captain Yager and the byan in. We have questions regarding Erynn Yager’s . . . shall we say . . . background that could be of value to our government. But only if she is alive. Contact me at CIB 007010.” The connection ended.
“What’s that about?” Erac shook his head, reaching for a number left by the Anbas earlier that morning. He straightened in his chair as his door slammed open and an officer burst in.
“We have a situation at reception, Cap. A suspect grabbed an officer’s staser and is holding hostages.”
Agent Beal and her cryptic request forgotten, Erac rushed from his office.
Chapter 23
ERYNN MOANED, ROLLING HER EYES. “Not you again.”
Nev glanced at the vehicle. He smiled, stopped, and reached for the door, sliding it open. “Ah, it’s our good friend Vars. We won’t have to walk in this storm.” He tossed his pack on the backseat and motioned Erynn to do the same.
Erynn hesitated, shaking her head. She sighed with resignation, placed her pack next to Nev’s, and slid in beside Vars.
Nev climbed in and closed the door.
Vars navigated into the light flow of slow-moving transports.
Snow fell in a solid wall of white, blanketing the streets, getting deeper, and driving the inhabitants of the city indoors.
“I’m sure glad to see you two. What happened? I mean obviously they let you go, you know.” Vars frowned. “They knew who you were. Why did they pick you up in the first place?” Wind whistled across nooks and cracks, rocking the vehicle.
“Mistaken identity,” Erynn mumbled.
Vars shook his head. His eyes remained on the street before him, hands tight on the controls. “This has something to do with Vynn. Is he why you’re here, in Tamaagra?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Vynn. Huh. Who knew? After I went back and got my transport, I stayed in front of the security station, watching for you. I figured you’d be out soon, you know. So what now?”
“We still need a COM,” Erynn grumbled.
Vars shrugged. “Sure. But with the storm, communications go all weird, you know.” He craned his neck to gaze out the front panel and up at the dark, roiling sky. Snowflakes danced and capered in the wind, obscuring a clear view. “Supposed to push through late tonight, early tomorrow, you know.” Vars nodded. “Sunshine and clear skies in the forecast.” He grinned.
Nev’s gaze followed Vars’s. He turned away and rubbed at his eyes as if the scene before him caused them to burn. “Dhoran’s gone. Don’t have to worry about him for now. Not here, anyway,” he whispered to Erynn. “We should contact Cale—let him know what happened to Jaer and about the antidote. Then see if he can arrange transportation for us.” Urgency underscored his words. “We need to get to Jaer. If we can’t leave Tamaagra until the storm passes, we should find Kira and take her with us.” Nev nodded vaguely and stared out the side window at the billowing snow, his frustration at the delay contagious. “There’ll be antidotes for every possible poison at a Medical Unit. I hope.”
“I don’t think we’ve seen the last of security. I suggest we stay out of sight until we leave.” Erynn sighed, her shoulders slumping. “But I agree. We can’t leave Kira here alone.”
“Who’s Kira?” Vars’s nodding became vigorous. “I agree. Wait until the storm passes.” He cleared his throat and fidgeted in his seat.
“By the way, I’m having trouble contacting my friend. You know, the one who can get you the transport? I’ll keep trying. As for a COM, authorities have locked down my building, including the warehouse. I can’t even get in. They believe the break-in was an inside job—one of my employees.” Vars turned left down a narrow, dark alley and then right onto a wider four-lane street. “No one affiliated with E-Speak will talk to me. They don’t want to compromise the investigation, you know.”
When he finally stopped rambling, Erynn cut in. “We don’t need the transport anymore, Vars.” She sighed a murmured prayer. “Just a COM. And a good one.”
“Is it finances? I know you were worried about being able to pay. I’m sure once he knows who it’s for, he’ll let you take a transport—as long as you promise to bring it back in good condition.” Vars frowned, the soft lines around his hazel eyes and wide mouth deepening. With his hood pushed back, Erynn saw a sprinkle of gray in neatly trimmed dark hair, a contrast to his pale, round face. “I could go with you, you know.”
Erynn nodded, disregarding Vars’s enthusiasm. “Yes. Credits for what I need are a definite problem.” She continued the thought in a low whisper under her breath, “What I really need is an expensive chartered or military aircraft.” Disappointed, Erynn grew quiet. She didn’t want Vars to feel any worse. After all, he was trying. Besides, he had his own problems. She and Nev could catch a commercial flight from Tamaagra after the storm passed, hopping from one spaceport to the next in what would take at least two days to reach Glaskra. Adding the huairs they’d have to wait for flights to resume would make it over three days. Time stretched before her—a long dark tunnel to a conclusion she refused to consider. Cale would help—more importantly, he could help Jaer—if they could contact him. “I really need a COM, Vars. Right now, any COM will do.”
“Sure.” His brow drew down. “Now let me see, where . . . Got it.” He straightened and maneuvered the transport into the far lane. Making a series of turns, Vars left the city center, taking them to a combined residential-business area. He turned into a vast parking area, in front of a massive block-long, three-story structure advertising a variety of shops. “Come on. We’ll find a public COM inside.”
The storm, it appeared, had brought in a broad population of Tamaagra. Erynn would have preferred quiet and seclusion, but at least they would blend into the throng here.
Nev’s gaze roamed the interior of the loud, crowded space lined on either side of a wide corridor with brightly lighted and colorful stores.
Vars led, pointing ahead. “There should be a COM down the small hallway with the restrooms and offices.”
He was correct. The space was quiet compared to the main corridor. Erynn hurried to the COM, slipped it around her ear, and pressed Tam’s code into the keypad. After a short interlude of clicking and buzzing, the attempted connection died.
She glanced at Vars and grimaced, shaking her head slightly. “Nothing. I can’t get through. They’re too far away.” Glaskra or Jaer’s family’s place—either way, they were halfway across Arranon.
“I told you. These big storms mess up all kinds of communications.”
They stood in the hallway closest to a cluster of food stands. Erynn’s stomach growled at the aroma of fried, grilled, and baked food, mostly a variety of meats. It must be late afternoon. They hadn’t eaten since morning. “How’s the food here, Vars?” Erynn asked with little enthusiasm.
“Not bad.” Vars grinned. “May I make a suggestion?”
“Sure. Why not?” Erynn said, beginning to feel the effects of an emotional day filled with one extreme high and several lows.
Vars led them to a stand at the far end, near an exit. He ordered three meals—which Erynn paid for—and they went to sit among other diners at small cramped tables, their plates heaped with grilled vegetables and thin strips of meat covered in a sweet but spicy sauce.
Erynn took a small bite, hoping the food would revive her plummeting energy. Her stomach rebelled at the first spicy blast. Sudden exhaustion crashed over her. Cold, stress, her concern for Jaer, and the fact they were stranded here for many more huairs all added to her gloomy mood. Her throat closed and she pushed her plate away, unable to eat.
Nev watched the activity around him between shoveling in mouthfuls. When his plate was nearly empty, he glanced at Vars. “Where would the authorities have taken the girl from Vynn’s apartment?”
Vars pierced his last strip of meat and stuffed it past his lips. He glanced around as if Nev had meant here, in this place, and nodded. “Oh, yeah,” he mumbled around the dark wad. He chewed quickly and swallowed. “Probably the closest medical facility.” He picked up a cup of water and drank. “There’s one over on Fourth and Trent, big enough to handle just about anything.”
Nev leaned toward Vars. “Would you take us there?”
“Sure.” Vars stood up and gathered his and Nev’s empty plates, dropping them into a waste compactor behind their table. It hummed for a brief moment. He reached for Erynn’s full plate and stopped. “Erynn? Didn’t you like it?”
Nev turned toward Erynn. “You okay?”
Concern flowed from him like a rushing wave. Worry knocked against Erynn and she swayed. The nauseating aroma of scorched food, noisy conversations, and bright lights bombarded her. The air around her thickened and sparkled with brilliant white pinpoints. Drenched in a sudden sweat, her stomach lurched with a slippery roll. She slid from her chair and fell forward, grateful for the momentary coolness of the floor before everything went black and silent.
Out of the blessed quiet, a soft breeze scented like a fresh, crisp forest replaced the greasy odor of food vendors. Chirps and chattering supplanted the drone of conversations. Erynn blinked and the impenetrable dark lightened to a soft, swirling gray.
“Kipa?” Jaer’s voice surrounded her. “I was wondering when you would come see me.”
“Jaer? Where are you?” She forced her eyes wide open and closed them quickly as a brilliant white light blinded her.
“Do not try to open your eyes, Erynn. The light—it hurts, unless . . .” Jaer’s voice trailed off.
“Unless what? Where are you?” Panic shaded her tone. She turned her head, trying to locate his position by his voice, but it seemed to come from all around her, not from one specific point.
“That is difficult to answer. Just listen to me.” Jaer paused. “I want you to know I am okay. If this is all there is for me, for us, then I am grateful for the time we had.”
“No!” Erynn screamed. “We’re going to get you back. Nev can help you. He knows the poison Dhoran used. I can’t lose you, Jaer.”
“Poison. Hmmm. He said the blade was poisoned.”
Erynn stumbled forward, hands reaching out, searching, feeling her way. She tried opening her eyes again, but the burning white light was too great. “Who, Jaer? Who said the blade was poisoned?”
Silence answered her.
“Don’t go, Jaer.” Racking sobs choked her voice.
Jaer whispered, “I can hear voices, Kipa, from the other side of the light. They call to me. It is getting harder not to go, not to join them.”
“Give me just a little longer, Jaer. Don’t go yet,” Erynn pleaded between shuddering breaths. “Remember what I told you—you can’t die. I saw the vision, the little boy, your little boy, ours. He has black curly hair and blue eyes. You were holding him, laughing. Both of you were laughing. Jaer? Jaer!”
Erynn came to and bolted upright. “Jaer. Come back. Don’t go!” The twinkling stars threatened to return.
Nev knelt, leaning over her. “Relax, Erynn. Lie back down.”
“Where? What?” She gazed about but did as Nev suggested, the floor cold and hard. People crowded around, staring and whispering.
Vars rushed up, a dripping towel cupped in his hands. “Here, Nev.”
Nev sat down cross-legged next to Erynn on the cold floor and laid the cool, soothing rag over her eyes.
“Thanks. Feels good.” Erynn
pressed the rag to her forehead. “What happened?”
“You fainted after we finished eating.”
Erynn sat up, more slowly this time, her head adjusting to the transition. She blew out a breath between pursed lips. “Sorry. Never did that before. I mean, passed out.” She frowned. “Not even during flight training when they try to make you pass out.”
“In my medical opinion, you’re exhausted. You haven’t eaten enough, your emotional state has fluctuated from bad to good and back to bad.” Nev smiled and helped Erynn into a chair, sitting across from her. “You’ll be fine.” He glanced around the food stands. “Vars? Would you go get Erynn one of those?” He pointed in the direction of a vendor who served fruit and protein drinks. “Any flavor will do.”
Vars darted toward the juice bar, hand digging into his pocket. He returned a moment later with a tall pale-pink drink, offering the cup gingerly to Erynn.
Erynn took a small sip and licked her lips. “Ummm. That’s good.” She quickly gulped down the contents.
Nev winced. “Easy, Erynn. You’ll get brain freeze.”
Erynn waved her hand at Nev, shaking the last drops from the container into her mouth. She licked the rim and set the cup down. “I’m fine.”
The crowd thinned, going about their shopping or eating.
Nev watched her and nodded. “That didn’t take long. You’re looking much better, not so pale. You’ve got some color in your cheeks.” He sucked in a deep breath. “Speaking of your cheek—”
“Don’t even go there.” Erynn frowned and then smiled. She traced the scars with her fingers. “Maybe. Someday.” She sat up straight and glanced around, her energy renewed. “Suppose we should do something.” Erynn jumped up and tossed the empty cup in the compactor. “Let’s go get Kira. Better to keep busy—keep moving.” Erynn started through the crowds.
Nev glanced at Vars. “You had to get her a large?” He chuckled, pleased with Erynn’s recovery. He stood and hurried to keep up with her.
Vars trotted alongside, glancing at Nev. “Who’s Kira again?”
Storm of Arranon Allies and Enemies Page 20