Pendulum

by Ciara Knight

  “Tell you later,” I muttered. I wasn’t sure she’d understand that an itch under my skin alerted me each time we neared a mine. And now that I’d seen the map, each time I located one not identified, I added it. “Twelve meters dead ahead.”

  Once again, another mine, not indicated on the map, was suspended in the water ahead.

  “That would’ve been the end of us,” Lieutenant Briggs mumbled behind me.

  “Twenty meters, one port, two dead ahead.”

  As Raeth relayed her data, the intercom clicked and a man from the engine room said, “We’ve lost maneuverability, sir.”

  “All stop,” Harrison ordered in a cool, assured voice.

  The engines groaned. Everyone slid. Somewhere on the bridge, a person gasped.

  I knew, given our location, we wouldn’t stop in time. I gripped my pistols, hoping they’d help keep my hands cool and not melt the bulk head. With a sharp exhale, I surged heat through my body, focusing on the chains restraining the mines beneath the channel’s surface.

  “Prepare for impact,” Briggs said. Like Harrison, her voice remained calm.

  The chains’ metal, combined with the cold ocean water, fought the fire within me. Iron coated my taste buds. The chemical odor of smelting flooded my senses. Concentrating my energy on one link, it quickly weakened and broke free. The chain sank to the seafloor as the mine floated to the surface. I turned to the next one.

  As I directed my fire on the last mine, the tip of the ship slid into the weakened chain. Gasps filled the bridge. The next moment, the chain fell to the sea bed, freeing the SB-06’s bow, as the mine drifted upward.

  Choking on the smothering metallic stench, a soothing coolness calmed my fiery energy. Somehow, without touching, Raeth, Ryder, and I had joined our gifts. And because of that, everyone had survived.

  “You did it,” Briggs said in an awed voice. “Even if we’d missed the last mine, we would’ve hit these. They weren’t on the map either.”

  It took several hours to solve the problem with the steering. At one point, an engineer came onto the bridge and whispered something to Harrison before departing again. His grim expression told me the news wasn’t good.

  What’s wrong? I asked through our mental link.

  Bendar and Ryder discovered sabotage while fixing the steering problem. But keep this to yourself for now.

  I nodded.

  Once control was restored, we slowly worked our way through the rest of the field. Raeth and I remained connected, manipulating the water, sand, and metal, while no one made a sound. Turn after turn, the SB-06 maneuvered with ease. The last mine bleeped in my mind and we bypassed it without incident.

  With a long, deep sigh, I straightened, rolled my shoulders, and readjusted my corset. Then I checked my guns. Seeing that the blue coolant had remained in position reassured me. My gift wouldn’t melt Penton’s weapons. But would it fire when I needed it?

  Harrison flicked on the comm. “Well done. Landing team, report to the shuttle.” Flipping off the comm, he turned to the bridge. “Remain outside the sea wall, ready for combat, if required.”

  Armed guards entered the bridge. “All secure, sir.”

  Harrison motioned an older man forward. “Is communication locked down, Sergeant?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Blank-faced, Harrison scanned the crew. “The SB-06 was sabotaged.” Several people gasped. “While I’m gone, follow Sergeant Mason’s orders. When we’ve freed Fallon and are five minutes out, I’ll contact Mason and you’ll prepare for departure.”

  He walked to the lift and motioned Briggs to join him. Gradually, her expression changed from incensed outrage to understanding. Then she nodded, a small smile curving her lips. The doors of the lift slid shut behind them.

  When it returned, Raeth locked arms with me, and together, we crossed the bridge and boarded it. As soon as the doors closed, I collapsed against the back wall.

  Raeth met my gaze. “Th-that was t-tough.”

  “You did amazing. And we’re alive only because our gifts merged.”

  “I know.” Raeth wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Yuck, m-metal tastes gross.”

  I laughed. “No kidding. But I’m not sure which is worse, the stink or feeling like there are grains of sand stuck in my teeth.”

  The lift opened to the shuttle bay. Arched steel beams extended from one side of the bay to the other, over the two crafts. Crewmen moved a shuttle to the side and secured it to the bay floor with large bronze clamps, while others readied the one we were to take. Compared to the massive bronze and gold shuttle on the queen’s ship, these two looked like newborn babies. Yet unlike her ship, whose main purpose was to awe and intimidate, the SB-06 was a functioning war machine.

  I felt Harrison join me. Without turning, I said, “It looks like you’re planning to fight Mandesa.”

  “Since the day you were ripped from my arms.”

  Before I could respond, he marched off toward our shuttle. Staring after him, I realized I couldn’t remember the moment the queen had captured me. I’d question whether Harrison had told the truth, but Bendar had already confirmed what I could remember.

  But now wasn’t the time to confront him and, not wanting him to see my turmoil, I morphed into solider mode.

  As I approached the shuttle, Ryder took my hand. “Thanks for helping free my uncle.”

  “It’s our family, assuming he still wants me to be a part of it.”

  His shoulders bumped mine. Even without his touch, I knew our connection was as necessary as air, if I was ever to be whole.

  “He’ll be ecstatic. Always said I needed a good woman to get me straight.” He winked.

  Together, we plodded up the gangplank. Separating, we ducked to enter the ship and squeezed into two empty seats.

  I elbowed Ryder when Harrison directed Raeth to the captain’s chair, taking the co-pilot’s chair for himself. “I hear you have mean pilot skills.”

  Raeth chuckled. “S-sounds like my brother’s been t-talking.”

  “He may have mentioned something,” Harrison said in a casual, light voice. Like a father to a daughter. The way I wished he’d speak to me.

  Penton’s long limbs curled and twisted like a spiderat, enabling him to fit in the seat. “It’s true, sir. Raeth’s a great pilot.”

  “Comfy?” Ryder said, grinning.

  Penton flashed his normal pensive greeting at Ryder. I wanted to smack him and tell him to banter back, but he needed to figure it out on his own.

  With a tooth-baring grin, Bendar entered the shuttle, jumped onto the seat next to Penton, and checked out the cramped cockpit. “Once good be little.”

  Penton rolled his eyes and grunted. “Guess you’re right. It’s good to be the size of a Meroder bug at times.”

  “Oh.” I slapped my palms over my mouth to stifle my shock.

  Penton seemed to realize then how his comment had sounded, for his face paled. “Uh, no, I didn’t mean―”

  Bendar clawed at the air. “Bug infests, mean and stings.” His impersonation of a Meroder bug brought me to giggles and effectively eased the tension from Penton’s posture.

  “But bugs aren’t as nasty as a spiderat,” Penton said. He flailed his long limbs, earning another tooth-baring grin from Bendar.

  The lit display up front drew our attention. As soon at the docking crew cleared the bay, the air lock sealed. My ears popped as the internal pressure increased to that of the water outside.

  “Clear,” a man said over the comm.

  Raeth nodded to Harrison and he answered, “Clear and ready.”

  Clunk…thwank…boom.

  I started at the sound. Then as water filled the bay, I realized the noise came from the clamps releasing. Our engines engaged as water filled the bay. The double doors slid open and we blasted out into the sea.

  A hint of our connection filtered into my consciousness, and I realized it was Raeth’s gift working with the water in conjunction with her skill
. I was in awe of her capabilities. So much had changed. Only a year ago, her prosthetic leg negated her ability to use her gift.

  Ryder leaned toward my ear. “That’s my sister for you. Full of surprises. Sometimes, I think my parents should’ve made her promise to protect me.”

  My heart warmed at his words. There was no malice or jealousy in them, only admiration.

  I glanced at Penton to see his reaction to Raeth’s gift. He sat, his posture rigid, clutching a small bag in his lap. His gaze was distant, his brows drawn into a straight line.

  I touched his arm and whispered, “The guns you gave me are more than just weapons. They saved us as I guided us through the mine field.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I wrapped my hands around their handles and the coolant dissipated my energy. It prevented me from overheating. I would’ve fried the console otherwise and possibly discharged a fatal amount of energy that would’ve melted the ship.”

  His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. After a second, he recovered and grinned. “It worked?”

  Ryder cleared his throat. “You’re brilliant, Penton. Just ’cause one weapon didn’t work as planned, doesn’t change the fact it saved us from the Wasters. You’re mighty talented with weaponry. Just need to keep working. I know you’ll be the one to save the Triune.”

  My chest swelled with pride and a lump rose in my throat. I didn’t dare look at Ryder. Knowing him, he’d say something silly to cover his kindness and acceptance of Penton.

  The ship zoomed through the water without resistance. Within a few hundred meters, the small craft zigzagged. The ship screens revealed the underwater world near UE. Littered across the sea were destroyed bridges, buildings, and large vehicles. My gaze narrowed on a spot where the sea floor had been cleared of debris.

  “Listen carefully.” Harrison flipped on the speaker.

  Bing…bing…bing.

  He nodded to Raeth then stood and joined us at the rear of the cockpit. Pointing at the monitor, he said, “According to our sources there’s a stationary sonar beacon. It’s part of the trusses of that bridge. It’s designed for larger ships, to alert of an attack. We’ll be considered insignificant as long as we don’t disturb it and it doesn’t pick up the ship. The key is timing.”

  He held a finger to his lips for silence as the ship’s engine idled and we floated with the channel’s current.

  Bing…bing…bing.

  Raeth closed her eyes and listened. The entire cabin sat in silence.

  Bing…bing…bing.

  If even the tail of our craft caught in the beacon’s sweep, we’d be done for.

  Bing…bing…

  The ship shot forward between one bing and the next.

  Bing.

  “Clear,” Raeth said.

  Ryder exhaled by my side. “Stealth is not my thing.”

  Bendar chuckled. “No, never silent. Big opinions.”

  I snickered, but squeezed Ryder’s hand.

  “Five hundred meters, Penton,” Harrison said.

  “Ready, sir” While his voice was full of confidence, his pressed lips showed his anxiety.

  “Don’t worry, Penton, you’ve got this,” I whispered.

  He nodded, pulling his brown satchel closer and I could hear glass clank together.

  The ship arched, drawing our attention forward. Large, curving steel beams held pods made mostly of glass, long since cracked and broken. The structure resembled a large wheel and I could see benches lining the insides of each pod. Some pods hung over the side of the river wall. More blocked our path ahead.

  “Here’s the end of the line,” Harrison announced.

  A sting rushed through my arms and legs and I took in a long breath. My lungs were tight, almost restricting my breathing. I inhaled again. Soothing air calmed me.

  Raeth cut the engines. The craft bobbed to the surface and rocked in the waves. “Sh-should appear as d-debris.”

  “I thought we were entering through the waterways?” I asked.

  Harrison gave a curt nod. “Change of plans. Time to go.” We stood and joined Harrison at the hatch. He pulled a handle and it popped open.

  Penton stuck his head out of the hatch, scanning the landscape in all directions before pulling back into the ship. “All clear.”

  Harrison clapped him on his shoulder. “Go.” As Penton cleared the craft, Harrison gave Bendar a lift. Raeth stepped up next to Ryder and he and Harrison passed her up to Penton.

  I kissed Ryder’s cheek then raised my hands to grasp the hatch’s rim and climb out. But before I had chance, Harrison clasped my hands and lifted me through the opening. His strength surprised me.

  Despite the overcast sky, I squinted for a moment, my eyes adjusting after being in the dark ship. Marshy land, filled with tall weed and crushed buildings, lined the edges of the channel. I curled my lips at the dead fish floating in the milky grey water. A half-eaten bird draped over the sea wall. Death whispered a warning to my soul.

  From his satchel, Penton removed several bottles, a few bullets with tiny syringe-style ends, and some rags.

  Ryder grinned. “Might need an explanation.”

  “They’re darts, loaded with fast-acting neuro-toxins mixed with tranquilizers. They’ll be quick and affective. If a person’s smaller than average, it could be deadly. If they’re larger, it’ll take two darts. While resources were scarce, I was still able to make extra serum and brought it along.”

  “And the bottles?” Ryder asked.””

  “If you run out of darts, saturate a rag with the liquid from the bottle and shove it in their face. Low tech but effective.” Then Penton retrieved a black metal object, with a bronze-looking cylinder attached to the top, from his satchel. “You’ll load the darts into this.” He front-loaded all the darts into the cylinder as if he were packing a cannon with multiple shots. “While it only fires one at a time, as soon as you fire it, the next drops into the muzzle, ready to use,” he said, handing it to Ryder.

  “How much noise does it make,” Ryder asked.

  “It’s silent because it runs on compressed air.”

  “Down,” Harrison ordered. As we all squatted near some brush, Harrison pulled a monocular from his belt. “Looks clear, but the nearer we get to the prison, the tighter the security.” He glanced at Penton. “What’s the distance on your darts?”

  “I haven’t had a chance to test its full range, but I’d say about a hundred meters.”

  Harrison nodded then looked at Ryder. “I hear you’re a good shot.”

  “You heard correct and,” he studied the gun, “it’s better than me draining their life force.”

  Harrison motioned us forward. Bendar took the lead, creeping to the edge of the brush and peeking over the top of a weed. “Me lost.”

  “You c-can hold my h-hand,” Raeth said.

  Harrison rubbed his forehead, in a way I’d already learned meant he had an idea I wouldn’t like. “Bendar’ll make an excellent distraction.”

  Bendar shot Harrison a knowing look, filled with hidden meaning. “Me decoy.” He straightened the rope ladder around his shoulder and belt full of supplies then faced me. “Semara, no worry. Hiding and fooling guards, Bendar the best.” He beamed at me. His flushed round cheeks glowing with pride warned me any attempts to stop him would be foiled. He’d always enjoyed besting the queen’s guards when they’d used him for target practice, and I could see he viewed this as, once again, defeating the queen.

  Leaning forward, I pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Be safe.”

  He sprang into the tall reeds, their movements the only indication something other than wind was out here. The heavy odor of plant and animal decay hung ominously in the air.

  As Bendar disappeared, Harrison motioned us over. “From this moment forward, no one speaks. I’m going to tap into each of your minds and function as a transmitter between all of you. Is that understood?”

  Biting my lower lip, I joined my friends and nodded.

>   Let’s go, he ordered silently.

  Ryder led, with the dart gun in hand. He nodded, the gesture reassuring me that he’d get them before any harm befell Bendar.

  The gloomy overcast sky made picking out hidden guards difficult. But not impossible, I thought, spotting two shadows moving along the stone walkway. Their guns rose and I tensed, my hand flying instinctively to my holster.

  Harrison grabbed my arm and shook his head. Unless necessary, do not engage. If you must, use doused rags and save the darts for outside the Tower. He glanced at Ryder. Don’t use your gift. It’s a calling card we don’t need. If it’s life or death once we’re inside, do whatever is needed to survive and get back to the ship.

  Understood, I heard everyone reply in unison.

  With a soaked rag in each hand, Ryder and Penton disappeared into the thick grass. I trusted Penton’s concoction would work. How fast, was another matter.

  I kept my neck stretched, watching over the tops of the weeds, but I’d lost sight of them.

  Suddenly, one of the guards snapped his gun in my direction. Instantly, I dropped to my belly on the hard ground and froze. Months ago, my heart would have leapt out of my chest. Now, it took more than a pistol to make me sweat.

  With a shaky breath, I glanced at Harrison and Raeth. They nodded at me, but Raeth’s expression was pinched.

  “Hear something?” one guard asked.

  “It’s probably just a rat.”

  “Think we should check it out?”

  “Don’t be stupid, Private,” a third voice snapped. “That brush is full of things you don’t want to face. No use wasting your ammo. Now, get back to your post.”

  A moment later, shots echoed off the stone walls.

  As I started to push upright, Harrison flung himself over my back. If they’re dead, there’s nothing we can do. You move again, and we’ll join them.

  Raeth reached out, grasped my fingers, and squeezed. Big brown eyes pleaded for me to settle. Reluctantly, I did.

  Then Ryder’s voice whispered in our minds, Two down, one to go, followed shortly by an All clear.

  Grinning, Raeth and I crept toward Bendar’s last known position, praying he hadn’t been hit by the bullets. I slipped one of my guns from its holster and aimed toward the nearing footsteps on my right. As Ryder broke through the thicket, I exhaled, not realizing I’d been holding my breath.