Time of Treason

by Susan M. MacDonald

  “Personally I think William should train with someone more like himself. I mean, look at him. The definition of loser.”

  “Riley,” Dean raised his voice in warning.

  The ground shuddered underneath their feet. For several long seconds the tables, counters and walls swayed back and forth. A chair toppled over. Riley grabbed the edge of the counter and her face turned white. Alec clutched at the closest divider wall.

  “You know, building on a fault line is seriously stupid,” Riley gasped as the shaking slowly subsided.

  Before Dean could answer, the lighting turned an ominous red.

  “Cripes,” Riley breathed. “Not again.”

  All three turned towards Central command at the first sound of warning that echoed around them. “Security breech. Secure stations.”

  “Come with me,” Dean barked.

  There was no time to argue. Alec fell in behind Dean as he raced out of the eating area and down the narrow corridor. Riley was right behind him. He could hear her rapid breaths between his shoulder blades. They headed straight for the command center and reached it, along with at least ten other Operatives. Kholar and Logan stood side by side, Logan facing the arriving crowd and Kholar staring in the opposite direction at something on a small screen in front of him. Tyrell was at his side, pointing wordlessly.

  Logan spoke. “We have identified a time-space anomaly beneath this Base. The tremor you just felt is the shifting of our reality with the disturbance.”

  “There’s a rip underneath us?” someone asked from behind Alec.

  Logan nodded. “Several. It is unprecedented to have so many in one area at the beginning of the invasion. Our Sensors are gathering data and will have a report shortly.”

  Alec stared at his shoes and tried not to let his mind churn with the worrying thoughts that Rhozan had followed him. He hardly needed anyone picking that particular nugget out of his brain. Riley was standing close behind him. He could almost feel the warmth of her skin against his arm.

  Tyrell straightened. “Another two in the last thirty seconds.” As if to accentuate his words there was another tremor, which rumbled along the floor of the base. Alec braced himself against Dean’s shoulder and waited, heart pounding for the sickening undulation of the ground to stop.

  “Our stabilizers can’t manage more than this, Logan.” Kholar turned to face his subordinate. “Potential for base disintegration at three point seven. Suggest withdrawal. Immediately.”

  Logan gave Kholar a sharp look but didn’t argue. “Evacuation. Now.”

  Tyrell waved his orb over the console in a figure eight pattern twice and the lighting darkened to an even more disturbing hue. It began to pulse rapidly.

  Instantly the Operatives around them drained away as if siphoned. Kholar reached out an arm and grabbed Alec’s elbow. “Come with me, boy.”

  Alec turned to urge Riley to follow him, but Dean had beaten him to it. He was already tugging her away, and heading back down the corridor with rapid steps. Alec had a brief glimpse of Riley’s pleading eyes before she was forced to turn away and run with Dean. Whatever she’d wanted to say would remain unspoken now.

  Kholar didn’t run, but his legs, shorter than Alec’s, still managed to cover the ground with impressive speed. Alec found himself almost jogging to keep up.

  “What’s happening?” he asked.

  “Objects that come in contact with time-space anomalies disappear into them. If one develops inside solid rock that rock falls into it. So does the rock around it. Until the rip seals itself closed, it’s a channel between here and elsewhere.”

  “And if it doesn’t close?” Alec gave the floor a worried look. How many rips were there under his feet, literally tunnelling into the Base’s foundation?

  “They always do. Eventually,” Kholar said. His eyes were taking in the ordered evacuation around them as they headed directly for the main doors. “It’s the increasing number of them that is causing us harm.”

  Around them, Tyons purposely walked in the same direction. A couple had small pieces of equipment in their hands though most carried only their orbs, which glowed eerily against the blood-red overhead lighting. No one spoke. If anyone was scared that the floor might disintegrate beneath their feet and the roof cave in, they were hiding it well. Alec hoped he didn’t look like a deer in the headlights.

  Several Operatives joined them, surrounding Kholar as if guards. Alec noted uneasily that all were exceptionally tall, broad-shouldered, and granite-jawed. None paid any attention to him. Encircled, he moved steadily towards the exit. Several other Tyons passed around Kholar’s entourage, some giving furtive looks, none getting too close. The hair rose on Alec’s arms. It wasn’t just him who felt the menacing presence of this particular group of men.

  The floor began to move again, this time tilting to Alec’s left. A distant rumbling vibrated throughout the cavern. There was nothing to hold onto. Before he could hit the floor, two strong hands gripped his shoulders painfully, pulling him upright. The silent guard let go the instant Alec’s feet could find a stable spot. The tremor stopped but the floor was slightly slanted. The stabilizers were working overtime now. He vaguely remembered standing on the island overhead. The sea had stretched for miles in all directions. A shiver coursed down his spine and ended at his ankles. They had to hurry.

  “Are we going to the surface?” he asked Kholar.

  The Commander didn’t answer. He held his orb up to his face and was frowning. “Anna has not left Med Ops. Paran, convince her to join us.”

  The steel-eyed young man, who’d prevented Alec from falling, gave a curt nod and peeled off to the left, darting back into the surging crowd of Tyons and almost instantly disappearing. The rest of them continued to head for the main doors, now easily in sight over the divider walls. The doors were wide open. Alec could make out Logan and his toady, Kellin, standing on either side of the doors watching the others leave. Kellin was tapping on a small portable screen with every departing Tyon. Logan looked his usual constipated self. Kholar came to an abrupt halt and Alec barely stopped himself from walking up the back of his heels.

  “Report,” Kholar barked.

  “Fifteen remaining. All accounted for. Six on field assignments. Tyrell has been dispatched to notify them. Med Ops is now cleared.” Logan didn’t look at Alec but he had the distinct impression the man was very aware of him. Alec took a slight step behind Kholar and tried to look inconspicuous.

  One of Kholar’s nameless guards reached out and grasped Alec’s shoulder, pushing him slightly to the side. Alec turned to tell him to keep his hands to himself, but closed his mouth the moment he saw Martje and her several assistants approaching. All the assistants were holding their glowing orbs over a type of floating stretcher. They passed at a rapid jog. Alec had a glimpse of Darius’s deathly pale face and his bare shoulders before the medical team passed and headed out the main door.

  “Eight remain,” Kellin said.

  The groaning rumble of rock shifting dangerously under their feet began again. Alec grasped the closest wall and tried to stop looking scared. The floor shuddered and the walls groaned. Several chunks of stone fell from the roof not far from where they were standing. The crash as the rocks pulverized the floor reverberated over and over. It took several heartbeats for the tremor to stop.

  Alec saw Anna’s head over a divider wall in the distance, near where the rocks had fallen only a moment ago. She was arguing with Paran who had his back to them. Their words were not audible but then, they didn’t need to be.

  As if she felt Alec’s gaze, Anna looked up at them. Her gaze slid past his to settle on Kholar. Her lips pursed in anger. She reached up to her neck and pulled at the chain she always wore. Alec had a glimpse of something bright between her fingers, flashing through the red haze towards him. The flash passed him and struck Kholar and dissipated into nothing. Kholar didn’t react.

  Another rock fell with a resounding crash, this one much closer.

&
nbsp; Anna pulled her arm away from Paran and marched towards them, her face set and her eyes gleaming. The tremors, coming now much more frequently, didn’t seem to bother her or slow her down. Within the space of a few heartbeats she was at the entranceway with the rest of them, Paran at her heel and looking implacable.

  “This is the last of us,” Kellin reported. He gave Anna a sharp look before waving his hand at the little screen and turning towards the outside foyer. “I’ll meet you on board, sir,” he said to Logan.

  Logan nodded. His eyes didn’t leave Anna.

  “Anna has a change in her orders, as I’m sure you are aware,” Kholar said smoothly.

  Logan nodded stonily.

  “There will be little contact. Temorilius is out of Sensor reach. Training of the Potential will take the better part of fifteen sections.”

  “I understand,” Logan said. Alec watched his left hand curl into a fist behind his back and out of Kholar’s sight.

  “Your pair bond will be respected once Anna’s assignment is finished, should you so wish it. Otherwise, if the training schedule for this Potential is too long, apply and I shall personally see to it you have choice in your mate.”

  Anna’s jaw tightened.

  “I will wait.” Logan spoke to Anna.

  Anna said nothing. She gave a slight bow of her head, turned and followed the last of the Operatives into the caves beyond the Base.

  “A successful evacuation, Logan. Carry on. File regular reports.” With that, Kholar turned his back on the commander and strode out the doors into the short hallway that led to the outer tunnels. Two guards on either side of him and two directly behind gave no option but to follow. Alec gave a quick glance over his shoulder. Logan was watching Anna’s departure with an expression of raw anguish. The shock of it hit Alec like a punch in the guts. He’d never considered for a second that Logan could love anyone.

  There was no time to think about it. Kholar had picked up speed and led them down a wide rock-hewn tunnel at a quick clip. His retinue was bunched closely to him, almost squeezing Alec into Kholar’s back. It was hard to see in the tunnel. The dull red lights were spaced far apart and cast an eerie glow on the walls, almost as if they were painted in blood. Up ahead, someone shouted. Kholar stopped and held up a hand. The guards instantly came to a standstill and were silent. Several pulled out their orbs. Alec leaned over Kholar’s shoulder as another shout, this time closer but still unintelligible, rang out.

  “Paran.” Kholar nodded forward.

  The big guard said nothing. Orb drawn, he left Kholar’s side and silently ran up the tunnel. He was out of sight in less than a minute. A distant tremor, slighter than those previous, rattled the walls of the tunnel. Small pebbles dropped with a clatter to the stony ground and tumbled away. Alec’s heartbeat quickened. Truly horrible thoughts of being buried alive flitted across his brain and he forced them out. The power that sang in his veins strained against his control. He wondered if he could possibly fix things but quickly realized that showing Kholar just how strong he was—especially when he was supposed to be untrained and ignorant— would be a highly unintelligent move. Teleporting out crossed his mind briefly but he rejected it for the moment. The guards were too close, someone was always touching him, and if he vanished he’d likely take someone along with him. If he was desperate, and only if, he decided.

  The shouting began again. This time several voices. Alec identified the sounds of several people running towards them. Kholar’s orb filled with white light and lit up the entire tunnel. Alec raised a hand to shield his eyes.

  Paran came first, running flat out towards them. Right behind him were several Operatives including a familiar face. Dean was near the front of the crowd.

  Alec’s stomach clenched. Where was Riley?

  “Rip, at the ship’s entrance, sir,” Paran shouted when he was close enough to be heard. “Coming after us, fast.”

  36

  “Retreat,” Kholar shouted.

  The guards immediately obeyed. Alec had no choice. Someone gripped his arm firmly and he was swung around. He was nearly pulled off his feet as they all made their way back at a run.

  The Tyons were eerily silent. Only the echoing laboured breaths and the slapping of shoes against the stone made any sound. The tremors grew in strength the closer they got to Home Base. A particularly strong jolt nearly knocked Alec off balance. He recovered in time and kept running, throwing rapid glances over his shoulder. The guards who surrounded him were too bulky and tall to see past and if Riley was in the group behind, he had no way to tell.

  Suddenly they emerged into the large cavern where the door to Home Base stood open and empty. Kholar came to a stop and the crowd behind him followed suit.

  “Report,” he barked.

  “The rip was huge,” Dean said. “It followed us. We lost Rinna.”

  “How quickly did it move? What was the size?”

  “As tall as me and as wide,” Dean replied with a quick glance over his shoulder.

  “It has stopped.” Paran was peering intently into his orb. He glanced up at Kholar. “Two more, section six-D-three. One advancing.”

  “If tunnels six and four are impassible, then we must use number two and make for your ship, Kholar.” Anna’s voice came from somewhere behind him. Alec twisted around but the proximity of two guards restricted his movement.

  “Removal of personnel outside my contingent is not desirable,” Kholar said.

  “Death is not desirable either. The Base is about to be destroyed. Both the small ships are inaccessible. Logan’s transport has departed. There is no other option.”

  “There is still a ship at dock five,” Paran said. He was still staring at his orb and the slight orange glow mixed with the overhead red made his face appear to be blushing.

  “Stop arguing and get us out of here.”

  Alec nearly burst out laughing at Riley’s aggrieved shout from somewhere behind Dean. Trust her to get to the heart of the matter with no tact whatsoever.

  “The Terran speaks truth,” Dean said. “Time is short.” Another tremor, larger than any previous, seemed to emphasize his words. Several rocks, the size of Alec’s fist, fell from the roof above. Murmuring unhappily to themselves, the group clustered away from the widening crack in the ceiling.

  Kholar looked as if he’d swallowed sour milk but, without any further discussion, pointed towards a wider tunnel to their far left. Wordlessly the group turned as one and headed for the opening. Several stones fell as they passed, echoing sharply among the rapid tramping of feet. The rumble of grinding rock grew louder and the vibration leeched into Alec’s bones as he ran. The tunnel sloped downward and the air around them grew colder. The lights were closer together than the previous tunnel but the reddish hue had become deeper, reducing visibility. How stupid to make things harder to see in an emergency, Alec thought to himself, mostly to keep his mind off the millions of tons of water overhead, just waiting for a crack in the ceiling. Despite their advanced technology, some of the things the Tyons did made no sense.

  The tunnel abruptly widened to a small room, similar to that where the main doors of the Base were located. Two smaller tunnels branched out, one to Alec’s immediate right, and the other barely visible ahead and to the left, behind the shoulders of one of Kholar’s guards.

  A horrific cracking brought everyone to a screeching halt. A huge jagged fissure spread across the ceiling, moving like lightening from one side of the tunnel roof to the other. The sound was deafening. A second later, the fissure widened over the opening of the tunnel straight ahead and huge chunks of rock rained down. There was massive clattering of stones and pebbles as the debris rained down on the temporary orb-created force fields and onto the floor. Someone didn’t get their own orb activated in time and their cry of pain was barely audible above the din.

  The crowd surged back away from the rock fall instinctively. There was only one real option and Kholar didn’t need to voice it. As one, the crowd turned to
wards the right-hand tunnel and surged forward.

  Alec was thrown between Kholar and Paran. He found himself running forward, all pretext of a calm and ordered retreat abandoned. The frantic scrabbling and gasping breaths mixed with falling limestone and slate. Someone behind him shouted again, the words unintelligible but clearly laced with fear.

  The swaying of the rocky floor worsened and every step was now fraught with danger. One wrong move and he’d be on the ground and trampled. He doubted anyone would stop to save him. Heart in his mouth, his hand reached into his pocket and clasped the orb. Instantly the soothing sensation filtered through him. The power in his blood began to sing.

  He could stop this. He knew he could. But what would the Tyons do if they caught him?

  37

  The sky was falling around her

  Riley was jolted from behind in the mad dash to the ship. She thrust out both hands to prevent herself from falling. It didn’t help. She tumbled forward into Anna and for a split second her hand touched Anna’s bare wrist.

  Power. Control. Anger. Something locked deep inside.

  Riley’s eyes opened wide with shock.

  Anna yanked her arm away from Riley and whirled around, her pale blue eyes sharp with crystal anger. “How dare you,” she hissed.

  Riley caught only the brief instant of eye contact before she hit the ground. Dean immediately grabbed her waist and pulled her up against his chest.

  The crowd surged forward. Riley held onto Dean for dear life. Around them rocks were falling from the ceiling, dust was swirling around like a vortex of angry ghosts, and the red glow made everything look like it was saturated with blood. A gapping fissure cracked in the wall next to them. Riley pointed wordlessly but Dean was already aware. He aimed his orb in that direction while he pulled her away from the disintegrating wall and back into the middle of the tunnel. They ran forward as quickly as the rocking floor allowed.

  “Transport immediately.” Kholar’s voice boomed throughout the tunnel as if a megaphone was directly against Riley’s head. She clasped both hands to her ears and groaned. She had to warn Alec. Where was he?