“Dig.” Grey stared off toward the city, no doubt using her ocelli. “I don’t know.”
Rin jammed the shovel into the hardened dirt and it gave, crumpling into the hole. She dropped to her knees and pulled out handfuls.
“Be careful,” Grey added.
“Oh, okay.”
They switched one last time, and Rin strained for warning of a patrol’s approach. Her stomach jolted when she heard the boots hitting the ground. For a moment she wasn’t sure if she was correct, but then a rhythmic crunching came and she knew the drones were coming.
“They’re only a couple miles away!”
Grey dove into action, stuffing all their tools back into the packs. “I’ll go first,” she said, pausing to meet Rin’s eyes. She knew what her sister wanted to say—something about if she didn’t make it and what she was supposed to do—but Rin quickly stopped her with an upraised hand.
“We’re gonna do this together,” she said, and they stared at the hole, neither really wanting to move but knowing they had to. Natalya had supplied them with everything they needed. Now it was up to them.
“Here goes.” Grey lay down and crawled on her belly into the hole like a lizard in the heat of the day. Her head was only inches from the wire, and Rin saw her glance up at it with terror in her eyes.
“You’re good,” Rin encouraged. “There’s space.”
Grey slowly and methodically pulled herself through inch-by-inch. She paused at the halfway mark and let out a gasp that sent dust flying up into her face. Her breathing was heavy, and Rin imagined the panic swelling in her chest. Grey had never enjoyed tight spaces.
“Keep going. You got this, Grey.”
Her sister’s legs passed under the wire, and then she was scrambling to her feet on the other side. Rin pushed their packs under, and then she climbed through the hole herself, trying not to think about anything but her sister. She needed to be there for Grey. She couldn’t mess up.
Grey pulled her up and gave her a quick hug. “Good job.”
Then they saw the dust cloud in the distance.
The patrol drones were coming.
“Run?” Rin suggested.
“Walk quickly. It’ll save our strength.” Grey shouldered her pack and helped Rin do the same with hers.
Rin helped Grey cover the hole with the chameleon cloth that mimicked any surface it was placed near and followed in step behind her sister.
Their destination was a bunker Natalya had marked out for them on a holographic map. Grey flicked the map on and checked their coordinates, pointing them out to Rin. She’d never been great with navigation, but her sister was trying to teach her the little she knew.
“We need to head north,” Grey said.
“Got it.”
They walked a few minutes in silence. Rin scanned the area, listening with the auris plug. The drone footsteps faded a little, but she could still hear them pounding. She turned the volume down with the swipe of her finger. She’d hear if they got close, but she didn’t have to drive herself insane listening.
An orange lizard scurried across their path, its tongue flicking, and Rin had the strongest urge to follow it. She’d never seen one with that coloring before. But she reined herself in and focused on their mission. Find a man named Jet and give him the book. He’d pay them in silver coins, and Natalya would pick them back up at the rendezvous point also marked on the map.
Rin glanced over her shoulder, wondering if the bounty hunter was somehow watching them even now. If she had technology like these implants, who knew what else she had?
“Pay attention, Rinny.”
“Why do you always do that?”
“What?”
“I know to pay attention.”
“Then stop looking around and focus.”
Rin let out a frustrated groan. Older sisters could be bossy sometimes.
Five miles later Grey stopped, holding up her hand. She dug out the disc containing the holographic map and studied the lines and squiggles.
“It should be right around here,” Grey said. “See anything?”
Rin turned around in a circle and scanned their surroundings. The saguaro cactus had gotten thicker, which thankfully obscured them from any patrol drones that might have ventured this far. Sage and other shrubs dotted the landscape. Rin pulled out her canteen and took a long swallow. What would a bunker look like?
“Wait, what’s that?” Grey pointed at something in the distance.
“You’re the one with the ocelli.”
“Right.” Grey swiped at her bracelet controller, probably zooming in with the lens. “It’s something metal on the ground.”
Rin followed her sister, and soon they stood in front of a circular metal plate that was nearly hidden with sand but at the exact coordinates Natalya gave them.
“Do we knock?” Rin asked.
Grey shrugged. “Any sign of the drones?”
“I think we lost them.”
Something rustled beside them, and Rin swung toward the cacti at the same moment Grey did. Her sister whipped the coilgun from its holster and aimed at the Asian man who stepped out. He held his own weapon. Rin couldn’t tell what it was exactly until he took a step toward them.
Painray.
A blast from that would cause excruciating anguish, as if your skin was on fire, but it didn’t kill.
“State your business,” the man said, his voice calm and low. He was probably in his twenties and had the lean, muscular body of a fighter, yet his face showed no signs of the sun. Mazdaar had probably come up with some way to inject skin so it didn’t burn.
“Depends on who we’re talking to,” Grey said.
Rin didn’t know how she did it sometimes, but her sister could sound bold in the face of threats. If Rin had been the one to speak her voice might’ve squeaked, but Grey matched the man in poise.
She wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw him grin for a split second, but then it was gone as he waved his weapon at them.
“You do realize I’m not alone.”
From behind several other cacti, a dozen men and women, all dressed in dark blue body armor, appeared. At least there was no sign of the dreaded red Mazdaar star on their sleeves.
Rin watched Grey’s eyes. Her sister was keenly aware of all the guards surrounding them, and yet her hand didn’t waver. She kept a steady aim on the man. Neither of them had ever killed before, but she knew if pushed Grey would protect her, which is why Rin stepped closer to her sister and gently rested her hand on Grey’s arm.
“We better listen to him,” she said.
“Very wise girl,” he replied.
Grey lowered her gun, but she didn’t drop it. “We’re looking for a man named Jet.”
He smiled. “You must be Natalya’s couriers.”
Rin and Grey exchanged a glance.
“Yes, I did know she was sending someone.”
Rin cleared her dry throat, but before she could get out any words, Jet gestured toward the metal on the ground. One of the guards went to it and pulled it up, revealing a set of stairs. They were certainly familiar with underground facilities out here. Everyone and their brother had built a bunker back before the war, but Rin wasn’t sure if she could trust this man any more than Natalya.
Jet’s eyes flicked outward and she realized he had to be connected, which meant he could be communicating with anyone. Maybe even calling in Mazdaar catchships to take them away and “process” them.
“You can relax,” Jet said.
Grey held on to the coilgun, and no one moved to take it from her. “Really?”
“I do not mistreat anyone Natalya sends me.”
Rin wasn’t sure why, but she felt like she could believe him. Another glance at his face, and she realized he was probably only ten years older than Grey, if that. And his clothes weren’t even dusty. His hair was meticulously in place.
Well, they’d come this far. They might as well go the whole way. Rin took steps toward the bunker, a
nd Grey reluctantly followed her.
“Ladies first,” Jet said, even as all but one of the guards disappeared into the landscape again.
Rin decided not to hesitate and marched down the cement steps as if she owned the place instead of walking into a dark hole that scared her to pieces.
# # #
Rin expected utter darkness, but instead the corridor at the bottom of the stairs was lit up brighter than any power source they had in their silo. It seemed to come from lamps embedded in the ceiling. What in the world had they just walked into?
“I see your surprise,” Jet said, coming up behind them. “The Alamo Republic enjoys many perks from its ties with Mazdaar, unlike your Preserve. But I meant what I said. You can relax.” Jet smiled. “I will not report you.”
Which meant he somehow knew they weren’t connected. Rin swallowed, licking at her cracked lips and tasting blood. This man had enough power and money to employ his own guards. He was not someone they wanted to cross.
“Let’s just complete our transaction and be done,” Grey said.
“What, and not enjoy a meal?”
Rin couldn’t help it. Her stomach growled just thinking about food. She and Grey ate better than many of the outlaws in the Preserve, but that still meant going hungry at times, and they always ate lightly on their smuggling runs to make their packs easier to carry. Some days all she ate was a little jerky and crackers, but Rin never complained about it. She knew Grey was doing everything she could to take care of them and save their canned reserves for when they really needed them. Like if one of them died and the other was left alone or they got a broken leg and couldn’t travel, or . . . Rin shook her head and tried to center herself. She needed to focus on the here and now.
“I would hate for it to go to waste,” Jet said, waving them down the corridor.
Rin knew Grey would not like that he walked behind them, but they didn’t exactly have much choice. And he could’ve simply taken their packs and kicked them out if he had bad intentions, right? Or was he going to grill them for information first?
“You are quite young,” Jet said.
Grey remained silent. Rin did too.
“What are your names?”
Grey told Jet their first names only, but it apparently wasn’t all that much of a secret in the Preserve who their parents were if Natalya was any indication.
“It is dangerous, this business,” Jet said.
“So’s surviving in a wildlife preserve.” Grey took long strides, as if she knew exactly where they were going.
Jet guided them to a door with a circular lock. He swiped his hand across it, and it opened with a click. He bowed as he held it for them. Rin raised her eyebrows just enough for Grey to see, and her sister’s imperceptible nod was enough of a response. They walked inside the room, hoping they’d made the right choice.
Utter silence hit Rin. Even their footsteps were muted on the floor. More lights like the ones in the corridor brightened a room with green potted plants sitting on a ledge around the entire perimeter. Her jaw almost dropped. She hadn’t seen truly green leaves like that since when she was five and the Preserve had the most unusual rainy season anyone could remember. She remembered discovering lush patches of green grass and moss up on the hill above the silo. They hadn’t had another season like that since.
“Before we dine, I would like to see the merchandise,” Jet said.
Grey slipped out of her pack and set it on one of the chairs that looked comfortable enough to fall asleep in with its plush seat and backrest. It was a reasonable request.
Her sister unzipped the pack and withdrew the carefully wrapped package Natalya had prepared. Grey didn’t hand it to Jet but undid the rawhide straps herself and lifted the book from its protective leather wrappings. Holding the book as if it was a delicate flower, Grey turned it toward Jet so he could see.
He reached for the volume but Grey shook her head, pulling it back. “Natalya had a firm price for this.”
Jet bowed again, and Rin couldn’t decide if he was patronizing them. It didn’t seem fake, but his smile didn’t completely reach his eyes.
“Very well,” Jet said, glancing quickly to his left. Rin hadn’t been around too many connected people, but she knew he was communicating somehow with that gesture. Sometimes she wondered if staying unconnected was worth it when so much could be done with the Mazdaar brain implants they called “Dots”. They enabled the user to do pretty much everything except fry an egg. She’d heard of business people who sat in chairs all day, able to talk to people virtually all over the world without saying anything. If she and Grey were connected they wouldn’t have to hide so much, and they certainly wouldn’t have to hike all across the Preserve to meet their contacts in person.
She suddenly noticed how sore her legs and back had become, not only from their trek but Natalya’s abduction. Rin blinked back her fatigue. She’d think about sleep and rest when they got back home. If they got back home.
A woman wearing the same blue armor as the guard appeared at the door and handed Jet a draw-stringed cloth bag the size of his hand. With no fanfare he opened it and poured the silver coins into his palm, extending them to Grey. Her sister reached for them, but Jet pulled back with a laugh, mimicking her with the book.
Grey nodded, and they seemed to come to an understanding. Rin tried not to care that Jet hadn’t even bothered to show her the coins. She was used to it, but it didn’t mean she had to like always being the younger one.
“I think it would be best if we take care of the transaction first,” Grey said.
Jet hesitated, but he obliged. Grey handed him the book at the same time he gave her the coins, and they shook hands.
“Have a seat,” Jet said to them as someone entered with trays of fruits, cheeses, and vegetables that made Rin’s mouth water.
But the meal was not to be.
Before the food ever touched the table, a siren blared and the lights flashed on and off. Rin lunged over to her sister who’d already pocketed the coins and hoisted her pack onto her back again.
“What’s happening?” Rin asked.
Jet rushed over to the door. “Mazdaar.”
“Here?”
“An unexpected visit,” he said.
Grey glared at him. “You reported us?”
He held up his hand, and Rin noticed the gold rings on his thumb and pinky finger.
“I did not,” he said.
“Then who did?” Rin said.
Jet tuned her out and stared straight ahead, no doubt receiving information through his Dot implant, though she wasn’t sure how that was possible underground.
“You must leave this place.”
“Will you let us?” Grey’s voice came out higher than normal. For the first time in awhile she actually sounded her age, something Rin was sure would annoy her if she knew. Jet opened the door and gestured for them to follow. Rin hoped that meant “yes”.
Jet took huge strides down the hallway, and Rin and Grey scrambled to follow.
“This way,” he said. “I do not wish to explain your presence.”
Which made sense and did not at the same time.
Leading them to another closed door, Jet ushered them inside a utilitarian stairwell of concrete and dim lights. No plants would be growing in here—that was for sure.
Jet pointed toward the stairs leading upward, presumably to another hatch outside. “Once you exit, your lives are in your own hands. I wish you godspeed.”
“Why do you care?” Rin asked.
Jet tilted his head. “Good couriers are hard to find.”
He closed the door behind them, and Rin and Grey were alone.
“What in the world just happened?” Rin shifted her pack to a more comfortable position, her heart pounding.
“Stay quiet.”
Grey led the way up the steps, and they cracked the door at the top. Saguaro cacti surrounded them, but she saw no sign of a Mazdaar ship. If it had landed, it was out of sigh
t. Grey stepped out, reaching her hand to Rin who followed.
At the border fence an hour later, the sisters dove under the wire as carefully as before and made sure to re-cover their hole with the chameleon cloth. They might need to come back this way again.
In the refuge of the cacti and shrubs, Grey high-fived Rin, and they sighed in relief. They weren’t home yet, but they’d survived their first venture into the Alamo Republic.
“We did it,” she said.
“We’re a good team, Rinny.”
Grey’s words warmed Rin, and in between two sandstone boulders she gave her sister a hug as the sound of a motor hit their ears. Dust soon swirled around them as Natalya’s hovercraft whooshed over.
“Get in,” Natalya ordered, and they obeyed. “We have lot to talk about. I have plan.”
“No kidding,” Grey said.
“You are alive. That is good.”
Yeah, it was pretty good, Rin thought to herself. While Grey and Natalya divided up the coins, Rin stared off in the distance where a small cloud of dust rose toward the sky. Was it a herd of wild zorses? It could be. Maybe Grey was right about taming a zorse being a crazy idea, but Rin resolved in that moment to make it happen someday.
Thank you!
If you liked Under the Wire and would like to read more of Grey and Rin’s adventures, check out the Jupiter Winds series starting with Book 1, Jupiter Winds available now on Amazon: http://amzn.to/ZBgWki
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About the Author
C. J. has loved to read since she was a kid dragging home bags of books from the library. When she was twelve she started dreaming about becoming a published author. That dream came true when her first novel Thicker than Blood won a national contest. It became the first book in the Thicker than Blood series, which also includes Bound by Guilt, Ties that Bind, and Running on Empty. She has also written the children’s fantasy Alison Henry and the Creatures of Torone. C. J. lives in Pennsylvania with her family and their menagerie of dogs, a tabby cat, and a Paint mare named Sky. Visit her web site at http://www.cjdarlington.com/
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