Pendulum

by Ciara Knight

  “Ye see, we were supposed to meet for a trade. Supplies are growing scarce where Fallon an’ his people be hidin’. He got to Acadia to pick up his shipment. The council caught ’em good. But not good ’nough. He escaped and hid on me ship. UE council guards boarded us and checked papers. They find him, take him, and calls the queen. Cost me big ’cause he swears you gonna pay booty fur him.”

  Harrison’s back straightened. That vein in his temple throbbed once more. “When’s her ship arriving for the transfer?”

  “End of week. Believe he’ll tell ’em where ye is. He won’t. I questioned him meself. Got nothin’ outta him.”

  “Where specifically in the Tower is he being held?”

  “Not sure ’bout that.”

  “Then I’m not sure you’ll be safe in ENR waters.” Harrison nodded to the woman at the console.

  “But ye—”

  The communication terminated and we all sat in stunned silence. Dred finally found a bench on the far wall and sank onto it. “I was sure he was dead. Beat him and took charge of Oasis. I watched his craft go down in flames.”

  “Don’t worry. He won’t be around much longer. My men will take care of him.” Harrison gestured everyone to have a seat and pressed a button on the edge of the brass lined table. In the center, a hologram displayed a long waterway that stretched between a large ocean and several bombed out buildings.

  I pointed to a destroyed city near the ocean. “That’s where we docked. And there’s the river we traveled on to get here.” I pointed to an area where intact buildings were surrounded by large rubble.

  Harrison’s nostrils flared. “You have an eye for maps.”

  I shrugged.

  Harrison touched a knob. A red beam rotated until it pointed to our current location. “We’ll travel from this point to the cliffs outside the UE.” The red beam swooshed down the river and across the ocean to a city, reminiscent of Acadia East and West.

  He pushed the control again and the view zoomed in on a large tower at the edge of the water.

  “Is that the Tower where Fallon and Thornton are being held?” I asked.

  Harrison rotated the view. “Yes. There’ll be armed guards around the perimeter, inside the entry, and along the corridor. The facility is nearly impenetrable. Once someone enters it, they stay until they’re executed or die of torture or disease.”

  Penton cleared his throat. “I might be able to distract the guards with some weapons I’ve been working on. If they work,” he said, staring at the table.

  Raeth covered Penton’s hand with hers. “Of c-course it’ll work.”

  “I don’t know. I still can’t figure what went wrong with my gun. I’m not sure you should trust my abilities.”

  Harrison scrubbed his chin. “Will it distract the guards or warn the UE council we’re there?”

  “It’ll put them to sleep.”

  “That’ll work for the various guards inside the Tower. We still need to figure out how to get inside.”

  I winked at Bendar then chuckled. “Getting in won’t be a problem. Look close,” I pointed at the Tower’s schematic on the hologram, “their ventilation system design is identical to the one in Acadia and on the queen’s ship.” I looked at Raeth, Ryder, and Bendar then nodded.

  Major Stevens swiveled to face the room. “How will you fit?”

  “As the four of us have learned, they’re large enough for people to crawl through. The queen refuses to spend money to change anything unless it increases her show of power. As long as it works, she’ll be uninterested in it. Getting in won’t be a problem.”

  Ryder cleared his throat. “It’ll be the getting out that could cost us. If we have wounded, it’s nearly impossible to drag them through the vents. Trust me, I know.” He gave me a wink.

  Harrison eyed the city, zooming in and out several times. “Without cover, the most dangerous point will be accessing the Tower’s ventilation system.” Harrison glanced at us as if we had the answer. “Pull up our latest intel on the number of guards and access points to the Tower.”

  The woman flicked a few switches and twisted some levers. The screen blinked then numbers scrolled across it.

  Harrison stood, leaned forward, and inspected the prison. “Looks like there are three main entrances. One’s a service entrance and two ventilation points which look like they’re at the second story level. We have to figure out how to access them, but they do appear large enough for us to use. The problem is getting from the channel to the ventilation system.”

  “Wait!” I said. “Go back. There, stop. What’s that below ground?”

  The woman moved the image of the building higher and overlaid it with one showing the subterranean area.

  Dred hooted. “That there’s a water tunnel. Looks like what we’ve got at Oasis. Me family helped build the waterways and tunnel systems.”

  Ryder smacked his hand on the table. “That’s our way in. We’ll take the shuttle to the water tunnels then, using rebreathers, we’ll swim to the basement and enter the ventilation system.”

  I thought about all the possibilities, but knew it was our best shot. “How will we reach the cliffs without being detected by the queen’s scouts?”

  Harrison looked to the woman at the console. “Bring up the SB-06.”

  The hologram flashed and a beautiful, sleek ship appeared.

  “Amazing,” Raeth murmured.

  “I agree.” I glanced at Harrison. “I didn’t realize you had a ship, let alone one like this. I thought I’d seen all the queen’s vessels, but I’ve never seen this one.”

  “That’s because I built her.” He pushed away from the table. “Chows ready in the mess hall. Turn in after. Tomorrow promises to be difficult and dangerous at best, deadly at worst. If you plan to make it out alive, you’ll need to be well rested and alert.”

  A bottleneck formed at the door. Penton stopped and gestured Raeth through the exit.

  “I’m s-starved. Let’s eat and g-get some sleep,” Raeth said.

  The thought of being together tonight smothered away the fears of tomorrow. I reached back to grab Ryder’s hand, but only grabbed air. I turned and discovered he was nowhere to be found.

  “He stay with Dad,” Bendar said. He scrambled ahead. “Starved.”

  “Go ahead, I’ll catch up.”

  Raeth and Penton joined hands, excited to have a few minutes without Ryder around.

  Dred shifted between feet. “Want me to go back with ye?”

  “No, I’m fine. I’ll be there in just a moment. Trust me, I’m starving, too.” I smiled with the happiness I felt for him being alive and with us.

  He turned on his heel and followed the others.

  Slinking back around the corner, I slipped into an alcove near the war room and listened.

  “SB-06,” Ryder said. “SB stands for Semara Bellator, right?”

  “If you’ve already figured it out, why ask?” Harrison’s voice sounded stern.

  “Because. I see the way you look at Semara when she can’t see you. It’s the same way I looked at my sister for years. I was hard on her, not wanting anything to happen to her. Even with other people. After my parents were murdered, I closed my heart to everyone, except Raeth and Fallon, until I met Semara. It almost killed me losing them. But with Semara, I love her and know that if anything happened to her, I wouldn’t make it.”

  Footsteps echoed into the hall, but I couldn’t move. I had to hear Harrison’s answer. “My job is the ENR. Everything else comes second.”

  Why wasn’t I surprised? His words didn’t penetrate my soul and tear it like earlier. Perhaps it was exhaustion, or the love of my friends, but I’d let go of the past. Ryder was my future.

  “If you never open your heart again, you’ll never feel the love of another. And you’d be missing something truly amazing, especially with a daughter as special as Semara.”

  At Ryder’s words, I nearly melted every piece of metal around me. The man was my hero, my love, and he’
d soothed my heart.

  “Six years old,” Harrison said, his voice cracking.

  “What?”

  “She was six years old when she was ripped from my. For now, it’s better if things remain as they are.”

  “But—”

  “I’m the commanding general of the ENR, the one man who can crush the queen and free our people. I have neither the time nor need the distraction of being a father. Semara’s no longer a little girl, but a grown woman capable of taking care of herself. She doesn’t need me. She has you.”

  “I’m not her father. The reason she survived the queen and these last few months has been the drive, the desire to find the loving father who visited her dreams.”

  “That man no longer exists. He was fiction.” Harrison’s voice returned to the cold, commanding tone he used when addressing subordinates. “It was a lie, to keep her going, to fulfill her destiny. Without the Triune, we fail.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  I bolted down the hall and skidded around the corner. The fire in my core seared my ribs. Panting, I bent over and put my hands on my knees, taking slow, steady breaths. Harrison’s words hurt, I couldn’t deny that, but it was more. I’d lost him once. Would the war take him again? Even if it didn’t, and we finally found freedom, what then? What was life with a father, even if he did care? Did I have a place in my life for him? Did he have a place in his life for me?

  For now, our personal relationship was unimportant. It was critical that we free Thornton and Fallon, and save those in the Mining Territory hiding within the depths of the underground.

  I wasn’t meant to have a family. I was born to fight to free the innocent.

  Ryder’s firm grip lifted and turned me, then crushed me to his chest. “He didn’t mean it.”

  “Yes, he did. And…he’s right. We’re fighting a war, one started by our parents. But we’ll end it.”

  “I love you, Semara. You’re right, we’ll end this war. Then we’ll live happy and healthy lives rebuilding this world. Neumarians, humans, and Kantians will be treated the same.”

  “Think that be possible?” Dred asked.

  When I started to jerk free of Ryder’s embrace, he tightened his hold. Then, resting his chin on my head, he asked, “If you don’t believe that’s possible, then why are we fighting?”

  “End our slavery. Free our people. But that don’t mean the world be a garden. Too many snakes. People change when somethin’ or someone scares ’em.” Dred peeked around the corner. “Think Kantians and Neumarians ain’t scared of each other, an’ them humans ain’t terrified of all us?”

  “What are you saying?” I glanced toward the mess hall to make sure no one could hear us.

  “I’ve been thinkin’ somebody kept me unconscious and was shippin’ me off to the Tower ’cause I scared ’em. Your father be scared of something. I see it in his eyes. Malvek wanted to kill Ryder ’cause the Triune is bigger and more important. Somethin’ he don’t understand. All I’m sayin’ is you don’t have to be human or Kantian or Neumarian to be scared.”

  I bit my lower lip then turned slowly in Ryder’s arms. “But Neumarians only want their freedom.”

  Dred shrugged. “And what be happenin’ when the freedom be threatened? Don’t go mindin’ me ramblings. Best be gettin' some food and sleep. Tomorrow’s closin’ in fast.”

  Dred ambled away, and Ryder and I headed for the mess hall. The smells of fresh bread and vegetables invited us into the large room with massive tables. “Do you think there’s truth to what he said?”

  Ryder cleared his throat. “I have to admit, I wouldn’t mind the pendulum of power swinging our way. Don’t have any desire to harm the Kantians, though. Just want to live free and in peace.”

  “Food good.” Bendar shoved a tray at me. “Eat.”

  For once, my stomach begged for the earthy aroma. I sat between Raeth and Bendar, Ryder across from me. Ryder clutched a biscuit in his hand and took a big bite. I scooted my boot toward his, wanting to maintain contact in some way. He smiled and winked, sending a surge of want through me.

  I suppressed my need to connect with him for now and scooped vegetables onto my fork, devouring the savory goodness. In the absence of the chemical aftertaste, my stomach welcomed the fresh, natural flavors. Lifting my fork once more, I noticed my dirty fingernails. Ugh, I need a shower and some fresh clothes.

  “Never seen you eat so well. Good, you enjoying food for a change.”

  I smiled at Bendar then shoveled in the last two bites of greens and pushed the tray away. I grabbed Raeth’s hand and dragged her to the nearest guard, who happened to be the one who’d run the scan on me. “Is there any way we can get a shower and fresh clothes?”

  “Of course. Follow me.”

  We followed the guard through winding passageways. I pulled Raeth tight to my side. “I’m so glad you’re okay. Don’t do that again.”

  “I w-won’t. Th-that mist was n-nasty.”

  The guard halted at a wooden door. The bottom half was shut, while the top stood open. “Girls need some fresh clothes,” he said to a lady sitting at a table, a sewing device mounted to the top.

  “Come on in and get whatever you need,” she said.

  Whatever we need?

  After thanking the guard, Raeth and I stepped into a wonderland. Boots, in soft browns to jet black, lined the wall. Corsets, vests, and shirts hung above them. Pants, skirts, bustles, and undergarments, everything a girl could want or dream of, sat stacked on shelves and hung from the walls. “I’ve never picked out my own clothes before,” I murmured. I’d always been forced into whatever outfits the queen wanted me to wear or given hastily acquired hand-me-downs.

  Raeth grabbed a pair of boots. Clank. Accidentally knocking her metal leg with a boot, Raeth’s face colored with embarrassment at the seamstress’ gasp. “I, uh, don’t need t-two. C-can I t-take just one?”

  The seamstress nodded and smiled. “Of course.”

  I rummaged through the shelves, pulling fresh undergarments, socks, and a belt. Spotting a pair of lace-up kick-butt black leather boots, I snatched them. “I like these. They look tough.”

  Raeth giggled. “Yes, th-they do.”

  I knew she was remembering Mart, but thankfully she didn’t mention it and ruin my moment. I snagged a black corset from a shelf. “Look what I found.”

  “Th-thought you were done with c-corsets.” Raeth winked.

  “Yeah, well, this one isn’t frilly and gaudy-looking. It’s sexy and daring.” I grabbed a pair of leggings and a skirt. “Perfect.”

  Raeth had an arm full of similar pieces in tan and brown. “Let’s get a sh-shower.”

  As I followed her to the door, I snatched a short night gown from the lingerie area. Tonight, I’d look like a girl again. For Ryder.

  Tucking it inside my shirt, I made my way to the showers with Raeth.

  Smirking, Raeth stared at the bulge. “Got s-something special?”

  My cheeks flamed, but I didn’t respond. The guard gave me a knowing smile as he escorted us to the showers, and my cheeks grew hotter.

  As soon as he left, I placed my garments on a bench, stripped off the awful jumpsuit, and stepped beneath the spray of steaming hot water. I pressed the plunger on a wall-mounted, brass container and squirted floral shampoo into the palm of my hand. My scalp tingled from the latter, reducing me to giggles. I had to shampoo my hair three times before the rinse water ran clear. Dispensing body soap, it only took two washings to get my body clean. Never had removing dirt and sweat felt so decadent. I was in heaven.

  Raeth poked her head into my stall. “Are y-you ever going to leave?”

  “Coming now.” Even after I’d cut off the water, I remained surrounded by steam. As it dissipated, I toweled off.

  In the changing room, I quickly dressed and joined Raeth in the hall. When we arrived at the wing with our rooms, I clutched my nightie and the rest of my new clothes close to my chest. “I’ll see you in the morning. Don’t do anyth
ing I wouldn’t do.”

  She smiled and wink. “You, t-too.”

  I slipped into the dark room, placed my extra clothes on a cabinet then undressed. Cool air from the vent overhead blasted me. Shivering, I reached up and pushed it closed then yanked the nightgown over my head. Sheer fabric caressed my body until it brushed the tops of my knees. Grabbing a brush off the dresser, I pulled it through my hair, drying it as I paced the room.

  How long did it take for Ryder to shower and get to the room?

  Just as I was about to call a guard and send out a search party, the door knob turned and Ryder stepped inside. My breath caught. The room heated, and I was very glad all the furnishings were wooden as anticipation, nervousness, and love swamped me.

  It took a second for me to realize he hadn’t seen me. Smiling, I watched silently as he towel-dried his hair and dropped clean clothes on the top of the dresser. As he turned toward the bed, his eyes shot wide open, his dimples making a rare appearance. “Dih jemajoči,” he whispered.

  “Is that good?”

  He dropped the towel on the floor and scooped me into his arms. “Absolutely. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “I aim to please.” I’d barely gotten the words out before his mouth claimed mine. He tasted like mint, and oh, how I loved tasting him. The hard planes of his chest pressed into my softness as he deepened the kiss. It had been so long since I’d experienced the world of passionate, soft touches and lingering want that only Ryder created. Only when in his arms did I know true happiness and fulfillment.

  Pulling back, he took several quick shallow breaths. “Need a second before you melt the compound or I freeze their security system and the entire ENR comes charging in, weapons blazing.”

  “We wouldn’t want that. They might toss us in the dungeon and forget about us. But, if that means we’d be alone,” I shrugged, “it’d be worth it.” Laughing at his look of mortification, I tugged his shirt up to his shoulders. With a snort, he yanked it over his head and tossed it across the room. Grinning, I ran my fingertips over his chest, relearning the feel and shape of him. Hard, sculpted muscles had replaced the lean young man of six months ago.