The Legend of the Red Specter (The Adventures of the Red Specter Book 1)

by M. A. Wisniewski

  Joy shifted her position a bit to get better horizontal stability, and called for the next person. Shu Bo slid down without a hitch. The next three went pretty well. Joy thought she had done a pretty good job coaxing and guiding the scared ones. Plus, each girl who made it down was a successful role model for the next, calling up encouragement from the bottom of the hold. But then it came time for the last girl, and Joy's heart sank when she saw her seasick expression, which reminded her of seaweed—Noriko. Noriko was huddled in the far corner of the cage, clinging to the bars with a death-grip.

  "Noriko?" said Joy, putting on her most inviting, encouraging expression. "Come on, now--it's your turn."

  Noriko stared back at her, stricken, and curled up against the cage, forehead pressed against her wrists.

  "Noriko's afraid of heights," called up a voice from below, helpfully.

  "Lir's balls," Joy muttered, and took several long, deep breaths. She couldn't get impatient. She had to remember that everyone was different, and not everyone was a whiz on the Caliburn courses like she was. There were things she was scared of that didn't bother other people. Some people didn't mind spiders. Even had them as pets. Really big ones. Joy shuddered and decided to focus on the immediate problem.

  She went to Noriko, put her arms around her, tried to calm her, reassure her, explain how easy it really was, but nothing worked. But of course, you couldn't argue someone out of being afraid. Fear wasn't rational, and Noriko's terror was overwhelming. How in the world had she made it through the past several days like this? Not well, probably. But what could she do about it? They were losing time, and Joy couldn't even get Noriko to release her death-grip on the bars. How was she going to get her to climb the rope? If she panicked this much, she really would fall.

  "I can't!" Noriko moaned. "Just... Just leave me. Take everyone else and go."

  For a second, Joy seriously considered it. But only for a second. Everyone was coming. She would make it happen.

  "Noriko, is that what you really want? To be left behind? To be separated from everyone else? Your friends don't want to leave you," said Joy.

  From below, voices wafted upwards.

  "Come on, Noriko."

  "You can do it!"

  "It's not hard. It's really easy."

  "We're here. We'll catch you."

  "Noriko!"

  Noriko raised her head at the sound of the voices. She glanced over at the open cage door and the dangling rope, and her face twisted.

  "I can't!" she sobbed.

  Okay, different tack. Noriko really was incapable of climbing. So what then? Maybe lower the entire cage? There were five girls on the ground. But they weren’t as heavy or strong as four sailors and Joy worried at their ability to safely unhitch the complicated knot-secured block-and-tackle that kept them aloft. Maybe they could do it, but a mistake would send the whole cage plummeting to the deck.

  No, she couldn’t take that chance. But it did give her a better idea.

  "Hold on," said Joy. “We’ll be down in a minute.”

  She grabbed the rope and pulled it all the way up. Then she took the end and started wrapping it around Noriko, around her chest and across her shoulders, to make a kind of harness.

  "Wh... What are you doing?" She said.

  "Okay, you're not going to climb," said Joy. "You won't have to do anything. I'm going to lower you down. I'll do all the work, okay?"

  Noriko started moaning, but Joy stood over her and pulled on the rope, lifting with her legs.

  "Feel that? It's solid," said Joy, tugging a few more times. "I've got you, and nothing's going to happen to you. You don't even have to look.

  Joy got a burst of inspiration. "Yes, that's it-—close your eyes. Close your eyes and pretend you're on solid... Pretend you're on a pier—one of those floating ones, mounted on a bunch of hollow barrels, just a few feet off the water. You know what I mean?" Joy knew she had to pick something that floated for her image, given they were in a swaying cage in the middle of a ship.

  "Floating pier," Noriko repeated. Joy saw that she'd closed her eyes. “Yes, I’ve seen those.”

  "Right, and they’re nice and safe and wide and stable, just a few feet above the water. That's not scary, is it?"

  "N-no. No, that's not scary."

  "Okay, great," said Joy. "So, keep your eyes closed and just picture that. That's where we are right now. So, take my hand, and we can walk across the pier.… or crawl, crawling works fine. Now just... okay you can let go of the—of the rails by the mooring. With both hands. Both of them. Like... this, right?"

  Noriko was turning her body to crawl with Joy, but leaving at least one arm behind, seemingly unable to force herself to sever her last connection to the cage bars. Joy had to pry her fingers off, and herd her away to prevent her from re-grabbing the bars. The two of them crawled together, Joy with one arm around Noriko's back, gripping her makeshift rope harness and guiding her. It was like some whacko three-legged race. Good thing they didn't have far to go.

  "Okay, that's great, Noriko. Now, what I want you to do is sit up for me. Don't worry, I've got you. I've got you, right here." Joy was hugging Noriko from behind now. The girl was vibrating, muscles locked in a rictus. "So now, what you can do is stretch your legs out, and dangle them over the edge pier, just a few inches over the water—"

  "Don't push me!" Noriko froze in place and leaned back, away from the edge. "Don't push me off!"

  "What? I'm not going to push you. I would never do that."

  "Y-you swear?" Noriko sounded desperate. It was practically a wail.

  "I swear on my soul that I'm not going to push you off," Joy replied. "We're going to do this, but we're going to go at your pace. Nothing's going to happen until you're ready."

  Noriko's tension relented, but only a little. "You're sure you're not going to push me?"

  So suspicious. "Noriko, if I give you even a little push, then let me be cast from the Great Wheel into the freezing darkness of the Outer Abyss, my soul to be ripped to pieces by the hateful monsters who dwell there, 'til I am unmade, a shadow cursed to be exiled from the Cycle of Rebirth, wretched and pitiful, for all eternity."

  Joy felt a tremor pass through the terrified girl's body, as she released a long breath. She let Joy coax her into dangling her feet over the edge, and was able to start scootching forward, inch by inch, while the other girls yelled up their own encouragement.

  "That's it, that's good," cooed Joy. "We're almost there. It's such a hot day, doesn't a dip in the water sound great? Just picture that. Everybody else is out swimming, and they want you to join in. And the water's right there. Nice and cool and inviting—it's just below your toes. Just a few feet, see?"

  That was the wrong choice of words, because it prompted Noriko to crack an eye open. Just a tiny amount, but enough to shatter the illusion.

  "I can't!" She howled, and would've sprang back from the edge, except Joy pushed her off.

  Noriko's shriek only lasted for a bare second, for the few feet she fell until Joy’s hands clamped down on the rope. Those first few feet were crucial, to make sure Noriko’s head had dropped well clear of the cage’s edge. Joy leaned back into the cage, feet braced against the bars on each side of the doorway, and let the rope slowly slide through her hands, listening to Noriko's sobbing from below, trying not to feel like a complete shitheel. And hey, maybe the Outer Abyss wasn't that bad. For all she knew, it could have a thriving theater scene. That would be something.

  The rope went slack, and Joy peered down to confirm that the other girls had collected Noriko. Great. Joy took a moment to blow on her palms. Frickin' rope burn.

  She wasted no more time climbing down after. Noriko was blocking the bottom, sobbing on Shao Yin's shoulder while the other girls tried to undo the knots on her harness. Joy had to do a little swing and drop to avoid landing on anyone's head. Shao Yin fixed her with a look of pure hate as she landed. Looks like that little breakthrough they'd had a minute ago was undone now. Oh well—
sometimes doing the right thing meant being a heartless lying bitch. She thought about apologizing to Noriko, but decided against it. Noriko was not going to be ready to hear that right now. And Joy wasn’t actually sorry about what she’d done. And they'd already lost too much time as it was.

  Joy led them through the hold and up to the deck. On the way, she found another emergency cabinet with more blankets, one for each of the girls. She had the girls wrap the blankets around them like cloaks, to hide their chains. Then she led them up one more deck, keeping them under cover, so they'd have a good view for what she needed to show them.

  "See that?" She said, pointing at the seven spires of the Prakasa Mandira, its ceremonial lanterns lit up with a warm glow, outlining it against the night sky. "That's where you need to go. Hsiu Mei is waiting there, along with Mrs. Jakuba. They'll be expecting you. The criminals won't be able to get to you there. They wouldn't dare to defile the Temple."

  The girls all stared at the spire. "That's where you're taking us?" asked Shu Bo. "It seems far away."

  "Not so far," said Joy. "Probably a twenty-minute walk from here. Just keep it in your sight and keep moving toward it. This city is mostly a square grid. If you find yourself going sideways from it, just turn a corner."

  "What do you mean?" Said Lin-Lin. "Aren't you coming with us?"

  Joy smiled at her. Hopefully it was reassuring. "I've got another job. See those men?"

  Joy pointed at all the Triad men patrolling the docks. "Those men are a problem. So I'm going to create a distraction, and while they're dealing with that—you're going to slip past them."

  "Slip past them?" Said Shu Bo. "How?"

  Joy let out a long breath. Honestly, this was the diciest part of the plan. "I guess just try to walk out normally? Act like you’re supposed to be there and nothing wrong is happening."

  The girls just stared at her.

  "If my plan works, they're going to be paying attention to other things. So try not to draw attention. I'm guessing most of these men don't know who you are, not like the men on the ship. Act like you know where you're going, like you're out for a stroll. That's my advice."

  "What?" said Shao Yin, her voice dripping scorn. "That's your plan? What if your distraction doesn't work? What it not all the men leave their posts? What then?"

  "I dunno. Try to bluff your way past? Say you're evacuating the fire, say you were told to go to one of the warehouses. Or just try to run for it? Split up, disappear into the streets and hide—then break for the temple when it's clear. I really can't predict everything that's gonna happen, so the rest is up to you—"

  "I can't believe it," said Shao Yin. "You say you come to rescue us, but then you say it's up to us? This plan is awful. You're just going to get us captured again and punished. We were better off in the cage—"

  "Is that what you think? Fine! Then you can walk right back down to the hold, climb up the rope, and lock yourself right back where I found you. Go ahead," Joy snapped, and was about to say more, but she saw the girls flinching back from her. She stopped, closed her eyes, and took several long, deep breaths.

  "Sorry," she said. "I'm sorry for yelling... It's been a really long, stressful day. But I'm serious. This is your freedom and your lives, so it's your decision to escape. I can give you a choice, and I can.…”

  She glanced over at Noriko. "I can push you through irrational fear, but I can't make you do anything you don't want to do."

  As Joy said the words, she felt a bit lighter. "And you're right. My plan isn't great, but I... It's just the best I could do, okay? If you can come up with a better one, go right ahead. That's not sarcasm—I mean it. Pick the best plan for you. And if that means not escaping at all, I'll understand. But just remember, not everybody is going to give you that option. This chance... If you don't take it now, if you get sold—I don't know when you'll get another. Might be a long time, and you'll have to look back, and wonder what could have been.…"

  Joy realized she was rambling now. "Look, all you have to do is make it to the Temple. Just get there, however you can, and you'll be fine. I'm going to go create your distraction now. You can think it over while I'm getting ready. Just... good luck, all of you. I believe in you."

  Shao Yin just stared at her, taken aback. She looked back at the stairs leading down to the hold, but Shu Bo and Noriko both clutched at her shoulders and started whispering in her ears, pleading with her to stick together. It seemed to be working. Joy turned to go, but Lin Lin grabbed her in another chain-restricted hug.

  "Thank you," she said. "Thank you for helping us. Me and Hsiu Mei. And we don't even know you."

  Joy smiled down. "Well, when I found her, I told Hsiu Mei to think of me like a big sister. So that means you can, too—alright. I guess… I felt I had to take responsibility. Live up to my words?"

  "Thank you," Lin Lin repeated, anxiously looking up at her. "We'll see you again? After you start the fire?"

  "How'd you know I was going to start a fire?" Asked Joy. She hadn't recalled mentioning that bit.

  "You said we could bluff by saying we're evacuating the fire."

  "Oh, right. I did say that."

  "You're going to be okay, right? You won't let the bad men catch you?" Lin Lin gazed up at her, eyes pleading.

  "Nobody's catching me. I'm way too slippery. Same for you guys. I know you can do it," Joy ruffled her fingers through Lin Lin's hair. "I'll see you later, okay?"

  Lin-Lin smiled up at her and nodded. Joy crossed to the other side of the ship, away from the dock, and started prepping the next part of her crazy-ass plan.

  Chapter 43

  Light It Up

  Joy retrieved the small tin of sealant grease from inside her satchel and made sure she still had everything important. Mainly the flares, her notebook, and the small "insurance" ledger. She'd lost her flashlight at some point. No matter. She swiped three of her fingers in the sealant, like she'd been taught, replaced the tin, and closed each of the three zippers in turn, sealing them with one fingerfull of grease each, before rolling up the top, and cinching the strap around her waist, as tight as it could go. She spent a long time surveying the docks, until she saw a ladder going down to the water level, one that didn't seem to be too tightly monitored. She fixed her diving mask in place, took a fast glance to make sure no-one was looking in her direction, and dived over the side.

  Joy hadn't practiced diving nearly as much as she'd practiced climbing, but she knew the basics pretty well. A good dive, with proper form, should pierce the water with virtually no splash. And this was a very basic dive, with no flips or anything, so there wasn't any reason for her not to nail it. She felt good about her form as her palms hit the ocean, but one thing she hadn't considered is she'd never practiced diving with anything belted around her waist before.

  The satchel slapped the water hard and rebounded to smack her in the ass. Ow. And the salt water was not loving her rope burn, or any of the other cuts and scrapes she'd gotten from climbing up the paddle wheel, but she ignored it and tried to dive as deep as she could. If anyone came to investigate the splash, they shouldn't see her. She aimed to surface beneath the docks, make that trip in one breath. It was harder going than before, without her swim fins. And she was still wearing her reed sandals. They weren't really impeding her, but she'd never tried swimming with them before. She completed the long arc to her destination, lungs burning and screaming at her. She forced herself to pierce the surface slowly and breathe through her nose when she did. She missed her snorkel.

  Joy took a moment to orient herself, make sure she'd come up in the right place—the ladder wasn’t too far away. She treaded water, listening for the sounds of people rushing over to investigate the splash from her dive. After hearing nothing unusual, she climbed up the ladder, and, after some truly nerve-wracking moments of zipping between points of available cover, made her way to the cargo maze, the same one she'd gotten lost in earlier that day. She worked her way over to the maze's border, the one closest to t
he Joanne Spaulding.

  There were two large rows of crates and sacks stacked high that weren't connected to the rest of the maze. Good. She didn't want the fire to drift over to the weapons container further in the maze. That would be bad. But what if these "safe" piles also contained explosives? That seemed unlikely. You’d want to conceal them better. And she didn’t see any of the Nibiru markings that had been on all the other weapons crates. She couldn’t be one hundred percent sure, but everything she was doing was already stupid and dangerous, so add one more crazy risk to the pile, right?

  Joy pulled the signal flares out of her satchel. How did these things work again? She'd noted they had instructions printed on them when she'd grabbed them, but she hadn't paid any closer attention to them than that. Another mistake, not like her. Well, she'd been up since morning. It was now ungodly late—who knew what time it actually was. Well past her bedtime. She didn’t feel sleepy because she was so keyed-up, but her lack of sleep could easily be affecting her judgement. It probably was. So what? Was there anything she could do about it? Nope. So focus on the now. This should nearly be over anyway.

  She managed to make out enough of the flare instruction to get the gist of it. The flare had a cap on the end, which she popped off, exposing the black core. It was like an oversized matchstick. There was even a layer of sandpaper on the end of the cap. Joy noted some of the flare's printed warnings with amusement—DANGER! HOT MOLTEN MATERIAL! Wear GLOVES and hold over WATER. Point AWAY from BOAT and BODY! She was breaking all the rules tonight. Hee hee hee!

  Joy steeled herself and prepared to strike the flares. She took a minute to review her plan in her head. Was there anything she'd forgotten? Anything else left to do? No, there was nothing left but to go for it. She held the flare up to the strike paper. Or tried to. Her hands were shaking. Hoo boy. Deep breaths, breathe in. Breathe out. This is the last bit. The girls were waiting. They were counting on her. This was last thing she needed to do, and then she could run away and hide. She could rest then, and deal with whatever came next. She just had to get through this. Like Noriko going off the edge of the cage. Just do it and be done. Do it and be done.