Allie's War Season Two

by JC Andrijeski

  Instead, he found his mind drifting to Ute, and to Yarli, who had left earlier that same day, pretty much the moment they understood that Revik intended to work with the Adhipan and the Seven, and not butcher them wholesale. Rigor and Tan had left as well.

  He knew many of the rebels would do as they had, and leave rather than lose their connection to the Dreng. He’d expected it, braced for it...but not losing Wreg had almost compensated for losing the other four. He’d been afraid to hope that the older seer’s loyalty might extend that far, but he couldn’t suppress his relief that it had.

  To have the four younger seers throw in with him so easily heartened him even more. More than he could really express, at least in words. Smiling wider at Jax and Holo when they looked over, he nodded, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back in the padded chair.

  “That is good you are staying,” he said in formal Prexci. “...very good. I thank you.”

  “Jesli is staying, too,” Holo offered. “She is with that old seer now...along with Garensche and Silwa.”

  Smiling wider, Revik nodded. “Eight. So half of you, then.”

  “It will be more than half,” Holo said, confident. “Once we reach out to the others.”

  “You do not mind the stink of the Adhipan?” Poresh said teasingly.

  Holo answered him more seriously. “Not if you mean it...that the Sword is in charge.”

  Dorje looked faintly surprised at this. “The Bridge is in charge, you mean.”

  Holo looked at Revik. So did Jax.

  Revik acknowledged this with a gesture of his fingers, not quite meeting either gaze.

  “Where is she, then?” Jax said.

  Revik hesitated.

  He glanced at Balidor, pausing at the hard look on the other’s face. He realized then, that the older seer wasn’t listening to any of them, and perhaps hadn’t been for some time. Ever since Dorje entered the room and said something to him, he’d seemed distracted. Now he appeared to be doing something in VR, and watching one of the feeds. Without interrupting him, or answering Jax, Revik called up a duplicate channel on the screen closer to his hand.

  Reading the feed signature, he frowned.

  “Rynak,” he muttered. He glanced at the Adhipan leader again.

  Balidor didn’t seem to notice he’d duplicated his feed.

  “‘Dor?” Revik said to him. “What are you doing?”

  The older seer didn’t look up, but Revik saw his frown deepen at whatever he was looking at. His gray eyes moved back and forth across the screen, as if reading one of the entries there. Revik saw his eyes move again a second later, as if he’d either re-read what he’d read before, or had scrolled down the page. But the image on Revik’s screen didn’t move.

  “Balidor!” Revik said.

  Balidor turned his head, meeting his gaze. When he saw who called him, his expression changed, holding less anger and more of a heavier reluctance. Revik saw a glimmer of guilt in his eyes as well, mixed with...something else. It occurred to him in the same instant that the other was shielding him, blocking him from pieces of his light.

  It was the first time he’d noticed him doing so since he’d taken off the collar.

  Revik glanced at Dorje, who wouldn't return his gaze, either. His eyes returned to Balidor.

  “What?” he said, sharper.

  Balidor gestured at Wreg, not quite looking at him with his eyes.

  “They did not quite tell you the truth, brother,” he said quietly. “About how they got out of China. They had help.”

  The room grew deathly quiet.

  Revik saw Wreg glance at Holo, then at Jax, as if threatening them with his eyes.

  Studying their reactions briefly, Revik concentrated his focus back on Wreg, who was standing by the console again, his black hair hanging down to the middle of his back in a long braid. Revik studied the Chinese seer’s light, feeling where Balidor indicated.

  He felt a pulse of pain even before Wreg’s eyes met his. Wreg’s nearly black eyes held their own sort of reluctance, and the guilt there was stronger than it had been in Balidor.

  With the silver light gone, Revik saw more of him, as well. He saw pockets of his light that had been chambered off...places where he’d hidden things suddenly exposed.

  He saw enough that he could feel what Balidor was talking about, and kicked himself for not seeing it before. Wreg was hiding something from him. He’d chambered it off in such a way that it had to be something pretty important. Revik remembered where Balidor had been looking on the feeds then, and returned his gaze to the screen.

  He knew this particular feed, of course.

  The Rynak was infamous.

  It was shorthand for the market feed. The seer’s black market, that is, and it was well-trafficked, particularly by those in trading and smuggling, but also among those with enough money to purchase rarer items. The Rynak had its own regulars, but its clientele was varied enough that it remained accessible to most seers without overt fear of reprisal from SCARB or the other authorities. The World Court pretty much ignored it, in fact.

  Even so, it wasn’t exactly common knowledge, either. One needed to know how to read it, and what they were looking at...and sometimes, for.

  Entries in the Rynak were generally written in old Prexci only, which only the scholars and ancients still spoke, even though it continued to be taught in seer schools, sort of like how Latin or Sanskrit was for some human disciplines. Moreover, the Rynak’s feed lines were constructed in a specific form, usually coming across as flowery if somewhat cryptic prose. The combination tended to confuse anyone who stumbled across it unknowingly.

  Most adult seers could read it, of course, even outside the various hierarchies. The majority of pre-first contact seers knew how to read Old Prexci...and could speak it even, under duress. Humans who traded in those markets, who lived professionally off the seer black markets, knew of the Rynak too, of course. Most required translation of the old-form Prexci, but there were humans who could read that, as well. For those who couldn’t, any seer could be hired for a fee to translate it live.

  Revik focused on the entry in front of him.

  His eyes had skimmed over it before, perhaps unconsciously...perhaps because some part of him knew. Perhaps because he’d felt it already, in Balidor and Wreg’s and Dorje’s light.

  Now he forced his eyes to take in each word, to understand.

  “...Rare and exquisite jewel...over the water and with eyes of fire. Invitation by the white cat only, but requests to see her unique shine now considered for invite’s extension. Limited time, buyer pending. For private showing, contact the gold wire and ask for the jade bird...”

  Something in his chest clenched. He stared at it, reading it again.

  A voice over his head made him jump...making him wonder how long he’d sat there, silent.

  “Gods.” It was Wreg. “That bitch put it on the Rynak.”

  Revik forced his eyes up.

  Seeing the hard, almost furious look on the other’s face, he felt the pain in his chest worsen, growing into something closer to a clenching inside his ribs. It made it hard to breathe for a moment, almost to see.

  He glanced at the others, as if for someone to refute what his mind was telling him. He saw Holo and Jax paling, staring at the same piece of screen, which Balidor had projected to the main monitor for the others’ benefit. None of Wreg’s people looked as surprised as they should. Least of all Wreg. Revik looked at Jon, whose eyes held only confusion...and Dorje, whose skin looked almost gray as he stared up at the same block of text.

  Jon finally looked back at Dorje, frowning.

  He hit a key for translation while Revik watched, but his expression didn’t clear.

  “What is it?” he said. “Why is everyone freaking out? What is the jade bird?”

  Holo looked at Jax. For a second, one or both of them seemed about to answer.

  Then Balidor spoke up from the corner, his deeper voice heavy.
/>   “Allie never left China, Jon,” he said.

  “What? What do you mean?”

  “The Lao Hu have her.”

  “How the hell do you know that?”

  Jon’s voice sounded angry though, and Revik looked away, realizing the human already understood, at least in part.

  “Because they’re selling her, Jon,” Balidor said simply.

  “Selling her?” Jon looked at Revik, pressing his lips together. The puzzlement remained in his eyes, but Revik saw something else flare there. “Selling her how? In what way?”

  “What way do you think, worm?” Wreg growled. “Are you soft in the head, cousin? Or do you want me to draw you a goddamned diagram?”

  But Revik was on his feet before the seer finished speaking. He didn’t know what he intended to do, hadn’t thought a single word in his mind when he caught hold of Wreg by the front of his shirt. He punched him in the face, hard, knocking the heavier seer backwards. Wreg’s legs slammed into the organic console, his fingers clutching the sides. Revik hit him again and Wreg held up a hand, trying to block it.

  Everyone rose to their feet, backing away.

  Revik barely noticed.

  Wreg stared up at him, his eyes widening in disbelief. “Nenz...”

  “What the fuck did you do?”

  “Nenzi...brother Syrimne...gods...”

  Revik was over him before he could finish, his hand gripping his shirt. He slammed him back against the console, then stood there, panting, barely able to make himself stop. “You let my wife sell herself to the Lao Hu?”

  “Let her?” Wreg gasped. “I didn’t do anything of the kind, brother! I was there on the ground...in chains. I didn’t do anything...”

  “You walked away! You walked away and left her there...”

  The room fell silent.

  Jax and Holo froze, staring at Wreg where Revik held him.

  Revik couldn’t breathe, couldn’t force out more words. He gripped the seer tighter, slamming him against the computer station again, using more of his strength. He felt eyes on him, but the only face he could see was the one in front of him, the dark eyes rounding in fear as they stared up at his, taking in his expression. He saw his own eyes reflected there, shining a pale green in the darkness of Wreg’s irises, and fought it back, even before he felt others approaching him from behind.

  “Revik...” Jon said, breathless. “Revik, Jesus...calm down, man...”

  “Deghoies...” Balidor’s voice held an open caution. “Brother...please! Do not kill him. We need to know what happened...if you kill him we won’t know what happened to her...”

  Revik didn’t take his eyes off the seer in front of him. He heard the words, somehow, well enough that he fought harder to force it back, to gain control of his light. Wreg stared up at him, his eyes sliding between the glowing pulse in Revik’s.

  “Nenzi...gods...I’m sorry...I’m so sorry brother...”

  “Explain this to me!” he burst out. “Fucking explain it!”

  “It was her decision...”

  “It was her decision to sell herself? To turn herself over to the Lao Hu?”

  His voice came out hoarse, thick enough that it sounded foreign in his own ears. Gripping Wreg harder in his hands, he slammed the broad-shouldered seer against the platform again, hard enough to shake the walls of the rounded room. He had to fight not to do it again.

  “You let her prostitute herself?” Tears came to his eyes, hot enough to blind him. “She’s the Bridge. If you don’t care about me – ”

  “Nenz...gods...it wasn’t like that! I tried to talk to her. I told her not to do it. Even thinking she had you somewhere, that she had hurt you, I still tried to talk her out of it. She wouldn’t listen to reason...she was adamant...”

  “Why? Why did she do it? Did she tell you?”

  “She said it was to make things right...for what she did...”

  “Did she do it because of me? Was she angry at me?”

  Wreg stared up at him. Slowly, his eyes bled into a deeper understanding. Swallowing, he shook his head, grabbing the taller seer’s arm.

  “Nenz...no. She didn’t say that. She didn’t say anything like that...”

  “Then why? Why would she accept those terms? She never wanted that...never!” Pain swallowed his sight as he remembered what he’d said to her, the look on her face. “Why did she do it, Wreg? She must have told you why...”

  Wreg shook his head, once, but it wasn’t a no. His gaze turned inward, but the look there grew almost angry as he seemed to be remembering.

  “That Lao Hu bitch wouldn’t take any other terms,” Wreg growled after a pause. “Damn it, Nenz...she set her up...lured her there. Hell, the only other terms she offered were if Alyson was willing to sell you to the Lao Hu. They knew damned well she wouldn’t agree to that...”

  Seeing the look that rose to Revik’s face, Wreg gripped his arm harder, his voice holding fear once more.

  “...It was a ruse, Nenz. Your wife thought so, too. Voi Pai wanted her. She was like a cat with the cream when Alyson finally agreed...”

  Revik felt his jaw harden more. He fought to speak, gripping the other’s shirt tighter in his fingers. He knew he was probably hurting him, but Wreg’s expression barely moved. The Chinese-looking seer didn't move where he half-lay against the console, his face wary as he stared up at him.

  “Nenz,” he said. “She’s stubborn, your wife. She wouldn’t listen to me.”

  “How hard did you try, Wreg?”

  The other’s eyes narrowed. For a moment, the look in them was almost angry. Then he averted his gaze, his voice low as he shook his head.

  “They agreed on terms. It was legal, Nenz...and I was in cuffs. What could I do?”

  “Why would you let her?” Revik growled. “Why did the others? You just let her trade herself for you, and you leave, just like that?”

  “Voi Pai wouldn’t take anything else...”

  “You left her there! You left her there!”

  “What else could we do?” Wreg snapped. “I obeyed the Bridge!”

  Revik just stared at him for a moment, trying to make sense of his words.

  “Your wife did not want us to refuse, Nenz,” Wreg said. He looked up at him again, almost at a loss, right before his jaw hardened. “Gods, man. Are you listening to me at all? She made up her mind...she demanded that we go. She demanded that I take a blood oath not to tell you. She threatened to sell me back if I didn’t agree to her terms...”

  “You should have let her!”

  Wreg gave him a disbelieving look.

  “Why, Nenz? What good would it have done? I was a prisoner of the Lao Hu when she arrived...I had no pull with them! My only hope was to get out, and to find you. She would still have done it if I refused...she made that clear enough. Hell, even if all of my people refused, she would have done it anyway, for the ones in the camps. They wouldn’t even have known why they were being let go...”

  Seeing the Elaerian’s eyes focus back on his, Wreg lowered his voice, speaking almost angrily. He showed him his palm as he spoke, and Revik stared at the red line there, a scar that had mostly healed.

  “She made me vow it, Nenz...hell, we took a blood oath, right there in that damned garden. She made me swear not to tell you, to not let any of my people tell you.” Swallowing, he stared up at Revik’s face, as if he barely recognized it.

  “...Jesus, Nenz...she told me you wouldn’t care!”

  “And you believed her?”

  “Hell, yes, I believed her! She believed it, Nenz...and the last time I’d seen her, she had you collared and tranked like an animal. Right before she shot me...”

  Revik’s jaw hardened more.

  Before he could speak, the other went on, his voice sharper.

  “She even let me scan her, so I’d know you were all right. She convinced me that you were alive, that the Adhipan would let you go...and that you wouldn’t care what she did...that you'd only come out of some sense of reli
gious obligation...”

  “And you believed her?” he said again.

  “I did,” Wreg answered without hesitation. “She believed it, Nenz...I’d swear to it.”

  Revik released him, stepping back. His hands were shaking. Forcing himself to look away, to take another step from the other seer, he leaned his weight against the other side of the console. Holding himself up by his palms, he fought to breathe again, unable to move for a moment as he stared sightlessly at the controls.

  He fought to restrain his light, keeping his hands flat so he wouldn’t move.

  He felt the others’ eyes on him, but no one spoke.

  “How long has she been there?” he said finally.

  There was another silence.

  “Goddamn it,” he said. “How long, Wreg? Since she left here?”

  “Nenz...” Wreg approached, looking almost as if to touch him.

  Revik stared at him, hard enough that the other backed off, holding up his hands.

  “I don’t know when she left this place.” He exhaled then, and his voice turned businesslike, as if he were giving an ops report. “...She got us out about four months ago. I used the old rebel code to speak to her a last time, once we were away. Allie requested that they let us call in once we were away, as insurance that Voi Pai had been true to her word. Even so, I could tell she was worried that Voi Pai only pretended to agree to terms...and would pick us up before we got away. Sell us maybe, or throw us all in another work camp...”

  When Revik didn’t answer, Wreg lowered his hands.

  Sighing, he leaned against the wall, rubbing his face with a tattooed hand.

  “...After we left, I checked with some of our contacts, got wind of a few of the invitations to high-end clients...” Feeling Revik’s eyes on him, he swallowed, then glared up at the screen, his dark eyes flashing in the organic lights. “...I never thought that bitch would put it on the Rynak.”

  When Revik's gaze didn't move, Wreg averted his.

  Glancing around at the others, he shrugged his broad, tattooed shoulders.

  “I assume she’s been there since,” he said. “It took us awhile to find you...your wife promised you’d be going free. She said it would only be a few months at most, before they released you, but when we didn’t hear from you...” He trailed, as if seeing something on Revik’s face. “I honestly assumed they were treating her well, Nenz. From what I heard, it was a simple debt contract, nothing more. I knew they’d train her...but the Lao Hu are supposed to be decent in that, compared to most. Their consorts are supposed to be well cared for...and to have at least basic rights of refusal. I figured if she didn’t care, and the two of you weren’t together...”