One turning, Rayn and Rasiana had just completed reviewing the list of stowed items when the image of three whaks and their compeers flashed through her mind. Aquila’s images faded. A message from Kuparak followed: Intercept guests. Keep them away from the ship. Be careful.
Rayn pursed her lips in thought. Vygel Vintrusie was one of the guests. Yet, Kuparak’s message had been clear. She ducked out the back of the warehouse and jogged to a long, low building housing several offices and sleeping quarters for the Vasrosi. Once inside, she hurried to the front door, ordered her thoughts, and gripped the knob.
41
Jaradee’s Legacy
Part 3 - Conflict
R ayn stepped into the open. Vygel Vintrusie and two men jogged across the weed-riddled parking lot.
“Hey, Rayn!” Vygel waved, picked up speed, and stopped beside her. Self-importance bristled around him. He scanned the area and flashed her a toothy smile. “Where’s Kup? And…” He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Where’s the ship?”
“Nice to see you, too, Vygel.” She led them into an office. “Who’re your friends?”
Vygel scowled. “Taze and Styn… Rayn.”
“You’re the one everyone says is going to save us?” A bulky, Thornlandian male looked her up and down and smacked his lips.
Rayn returned his lecherous gaze with disinterest. “I’ll see whether Kup is available.”
Vygel grabbed her arm. “I’ll come with ya.”
Kuparak walked into the office. “I understand you wish to speak with me, Vygel. Please sit. Rayn, join us.”
Defiance radiating around him, Vygel pulled out a chair. His companions flanked him and, though less overt about their feelings, glared at Kuparak with a touch of rebellion.
Keeping his attention on Vygel, Kuparak stated casually, “I understand you are the leader of the Vasro rebels, Vintrusie. What brings you here?”
“I have discovered a way to destroy El SyrTundi and end this war. We’re here ’cause you have a ship, and we require the use of it.”
Kuparak remained quiet.
Vygel pushed ahead. His eye twitched. He pulled his gaze from Kuparak to his hands and then, contempt blazing, raised it. “I’m aware of your principles , Kup.” The word, dripping with sarcasm, hung in the air between them. “But if the Eleo Preda must give up their homes and flee, we do not intend to let the Pheet Adole live here either. I brought my men with me. If you won’t give us the ship, we’ll take it.”
Daar rushed into the room. “We’ve got trouble.” He scowled. “And not just this riffraff.”
Vygel came to his feet. “We aren’t riff—”
“A Rompeerial corps truck and a jeep drive this way. My tukoolo picked up the presence of a SorTech and several soldiers.”
Kuparak pushed his chair back. “I don’t expect the RomPeer’s men will care which rebels they kill. Call your men and join the fight or turn tail and run. It’s up to you.” He motioned Rayn and Daar to follow and hurried from the room.
When they were out of hearing, he gave quick orders. “Rayn, get Rasiana and tether up. I need you on a roof top keeping watch. Daar, warn Cammoll. Tell him to cloak the ship.”
Vygel and his comrades strode from the office. “We’ll help, but only because we don’t want to lose the ship. I’ll ready my fighters.” Turning on his heels, he motioned his two men to follow and disappeared behind the office building.
Rayn jogged down the field in Daar’s wake. She found Rasiana in the ship. A quick explanation and they tethered, shifted, and flew to the caved-in roof of a nearby building to keep watch. Aquila lifted off and flew a wide circle. Two distinct images formed in Rayn’s mind: two military vehicles closing in; Vasrosi and the Vasro rebels creeping through the prairie grass surrounding the warehouse.
The MasTer stirred. His presence intensified. She clung to her galee form.
Vehicles racing down the deserted parking lot screeched to a halt, dust and dead grass flying. A SorTech jumped from the jeep and began to assemble his equipment. Placing the patch on his temple, he scanned the dome and pointed. “Tukoolo!”
The tailgate of the truck flew open. Boots hit the ground. A soldier shouldered his rifle. A shot rang out. Aquila’s body jerked and floundered. Strong wings fought, righted him, and carried him over the sea. Rayn’s tether to her compeer broke as the forest galee vanished behind a rocky headland.
Unprotected and terrified for her compeer, she swooped into the dingy interior of the building and changed to Human. Rasiana materialized beside. “Oh, Rayn—”
Rayn raised a hand. Holding back tears of rage, she whispered, “Hide.” A sharp pain shot through her head. She gripped her temples and flinched.
Rasiana steadied her. “What?”
“SorTech. Much stronger than usual. Keep your tether secure.” A shudder left her gasping. “The MasTer. Help me focus.”
Rasiana held her and whispered the names of the people she loved. The MasTer’s presence faded.
Shouts, shots, and the roar of engines shook the building. Creeping to a jagged break in the wall, Rayn pulled her dagger. “Time to use our training.” She hugged her friend. “Thanks for helping me.”
Battle raged around them. A dozen soldiers met as many rebels. Knives flashed and rang out. Fists hit their target with a dull crunch or thud or the recipient’s grunt of pain. Rayn ignored her regret at taking a life. Need dictated each thrust of the dagger. Rasiana fought at her side. Staying out of firearm range, they downed a soldier with the quiet efficiency of their Animilero training.
He crumpled to the ground. Rayn pulled the blade free and wiped her brow as she sought her next target. A hand jerked her around. She dropped her arm, her weapon hidden behind her back. Two men sized her up. Rasiana lay unmoving behind them. One of them whipped out a worn piece of paper and compared the picture to her face.
“She’s the one. We got her! We got the reward.”
The second man began to undo his pants. “Let’s make sure she remembers us.”
His comrade stopped him. “RomPeer wants her for hisself. Better not mess up the merchandise. You can help yourself to the other one.”
Kuparak stepped from behind a truck. White teeth gleamed in a black face beaded with sweat. Blood oozed from a gash in his side. He crouched lower. “Come play with me instead.”
The soldier fastened his pants, whistled, and leapt forward. The dull thud of bodies hitting, the groan as they slammed to the ground, the smash of a fist against a jaw… Rayn kicked her captor in the knee, slashed the hand holding her wrist and spun around. Eye to eye, they circled. Keeping her chin down to protect her neck, she analyzed his movement patterns. He lunged, hit her arm as she dodged clear, and sent her dagger flying. Hands up, wrists inward, she danced one way and then darted forward. His hesitation gave her the advantage. Grabbing his knife arm with both hands and using his natural reflexes and her forward motion to help, she rammed his knife into his throat. A gurgled sound accompanied his collapse.
With seconds to spare, she recovered her footing and turned to meet an oncoming opponent. A hand pulled her out of range and shoved her toward Rasiana. Retrieving her weapon, Rayn slid it into the scabbard, scrambled to her friend’s side, and pulled her behind an abandoned motor vehicle. A cursory examination prompted a rush of relief. Rasiana had sustained only minor injuries.
The loud report of a weapon flattened her to the ground. Peering beneath the vehicle, she scanned the battlefield. The fierce momentum of the Vasrosi’s fight had littered the area with uniformed bodies. A double blast of the truck’s horn mingled with the chaos of battle and pain. Rompeerial soldiers scattered. A volley of shots sent Vasrosi diving for cover. Bullets peppering the area whizzed past much too close for comfort.
Engines revved. The SorTech jumped into the back of the jeep beside The Box. Another series of shots gave those soldiers left standing a chance to clamber into the back of the truck. The vehicles roared down the service road bordering the
lot, leaving behind their comrades whether wounded or dead.
At first, nothing moved on the battlefield. In the distance, a sea bird called. An occasional groan drifted over blood-drenched bodies. The decreasing sound of the retreating vehicles brought Vasro and Vasrosi from the shelter of trash piles and old buildings.
Rasiana stirred and pushed herself to sitting. She touched the back of her head, flinched, and stared at her bloodied fingers. “Didn’t see it coming. Are you alright?”
Rayn scowled. “Bruised shoulder, a couple of cuts—”
“You Rayn?” A man she did not know peered down at them.
She nodded.
“Daar says you’d better come.”
They made their way through the carnage to where Rayn had last seen Kuparak. The Vasrosi leader lay with his head resting in her uncle’s lap. His black skin had lost its luster. Scarlet covered his side and chest. A blood-covered hand clutched the silver moonstone locket.
She fell to her knees beside him. “Kup. It’s Rayn. Kup, please don’t leave me.”
His eyes fluttered open. A pink tongue licked his full lips. “Closer.” The whisper ended in a gurgle of pain. A shaking hand held up the locket. “Take this. Find Rethdun. He’s—” A cough spewed blood over his chin. The life-giving fluid dribbled from the corner of his mouth. Daar wiped it away. The hand gripped hers. “Don’t let Him gain control. Don’t give in—” Another cough racked his body. The hand went slack.
Death came so quickly Rayn fought to comprehend what had happened. She stared from the locket to the man who had been in her life longer than anyone else—the man who had rescued her, mentored her, and loved her like a daughter. Desolation ripped through her. Looping the silver chain around her neck, she pressed the catch. The locket clicked opened. Rethdun’s miniature face smiling at her fanned the embers of her despair. She gripped the front of Kuparak’s shirt. “You told me he was dead. You, the man I trusted more than any other, lied to me.” Betrayal burned her throat. Anguish and loss twisted her gut. Rethdun’s alive, but where?
She snapped the locket shut and hid it under her clothing. Wiping her hands on her pants, she came to her feet. The blood-smudged reward poster lying in a pool of Kuparak’s blood infuriated her. Spasms of emotion doubled her over, roiled so hot they exploded in a long, drawn-out moan. She grabbed the paper; crumpled it into a tight ball. Her head flew back. Her arms flew wide. The MasTer’s emerging presence ripped her female essence to shreds. He glared at Kuparak’s body.
A gasp of astonishment went through the crowd.
Rasiana reached for his arm. “Rayn, don’t let him—”
“Stay out of my sight woman, or I will make certain no ever looks upon your person again.” A venomous glare devoured her.
When she did not move, he took a threatening step. Immobile and blank-faced, she stood her ground. A slap sent her reeling.
Daar eased Kuparak’s head to the ground, came to his feet, and strode forward. “Leave her alone.”
The MasTer smirked. “You think you can best me? Do not put your desire to the test, Daar Palmira. I care less for you than a flea on a dog.”
Fear for her friend and her uncle hit Rayn’s subconscious with the force of cold water thrown from a bucket. She exploded into being, fought to keep The MasTer at bay.
Huddled Vasrosi gasped.
The MasTer heaved her essence deeper. Strangling her in his hatred, he rose like a tsunami. Floundering in the cesspit of his loathing, Rayn experienced her conscious awareness flooding away. Masculine submerged the feminine. Brutalizing power trapped her in the total darkness of not being.
Rasiana slipped behind Tealin. I will help you, Rayn. I promise.
The MasTer’s head came up. He scanned the crowd. She masked her mind and hid her essence in the restless, uncertain energy roiling around her.
“Kuparak is dead.” Rayn’s masculine voice boomed. “I am The MasTer. I am now the leader of the Vasrosi. The Pheet Adole have destroyed our home, killed those we love. Today, we return the favor. Bring me the man who killed Kuparak.”
A soldier held between two Vasro struggled. His captors shoved him forward. The MasTer caught him up by the front of his uniform and lifted him off the ground. “Unlike Kuparak, I kill to avenge and for revenge. I kill for the thrill of it. But you—” He set him down, forced him to his knees, and pulled Rayn’s dagger. Holding the soldier by the hair, he placed the blade on his cheek. “You will be my messenger to the RomPeer. You will tell him the Vasrosi now follow The MasTer . Every Pheet Adole we encounter will die. But before they do—man, woman, or child—we will mark their face as I mark yours.”
The blade gleamed and split the cheek from the top of the ear to the jaw on both sides of the man’s face. Quaking with pain, he choked back a scream and fell forward on his hands. The MasTer’s grip on his neck kept him from standing. “You will crawl from my sight. Then you will go to the RomPeer, delivery boy, and give him my message.” He wiped the dagger clean on the man’s back and sheathed it. “Do you understand?”
The soldier’s feeble nod inspired an answering kick in the ribs.
“I did not hear your answer, cur of El SyrTundi. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
“I cannot hear you. Speak Eleo Predan, the true language of El Stroma.”
A pain-wracked answer brought a sardonic smile to The MasTer’s vulturine features. “You two.” He motioned the Vasro captors forward. “Escort this vermin to the end of the service road, then get back here.”
A steel-hard gaze scrutinized the gathered crowd. Broad shoulders squared. He clutched the locket, yanked the chain from around his neck, and announced in deep baritone, “I , The MasTer, am now your leader. You will never see Rayn again.” The silver locket and chain sailed through the air and hit the ground some distance away. A savage scowl distorted his features. “Forget her! Follow me or leave and never return.”
No one moved; no one spoke.
“Where is the man named Vygel?”
The leader of the Vasro raised a hand. “Here! My men and I are at your disposal.”
The MasTer’s charming smile made a fleeting appearance; then morphed into a stern, thin line. “You have no men, Vygel. They are now my men. You are my man. Agree, or leave.”
Vygel pushed his way through the small crowd. “We are yours to command.”
“Vasro, make sure that truck never makes it to Tic Calag. I want The Box and the SorTech brought back here. Vasrosi, set up a perimeter around the center.”
Men and women scattered. The MasTer glared down at Daar. “Are you with me or against me?”
“I’ll fight at your side.”
Rasiana heard the flatness in the answer and held her breath.
“Good. Arrange for the care of the wounded and the cremation of the dead. And make sure the area looks deserted. Come, Vygel. I would learn more of your thoughts on how to destroy El SyrTundi.”
They hurried toward the office building.
Rasiana joined Daar. “Will we ever see Rayn again?”
Daar pulled his attention from the retreating figures. “I don’t know. I need Rangi to spy for us. I know you made a complete tour of the area when you arrived. Suggestions?”
She made a quick mental review of the low building. “There’s an air vent in the office wall. Your tukoolo will fit. If we remove the outside grid, he can get in.”
“Give me a minute.” He turned to two men who had been waiting close by. “Umbba and Watuli, dispatch tukoolos to keep watch. Don’t get caught. Tealin, supervise the building of funeral fires on the beach.”
While they conversed, Rasiana sprinted to where she had seen the locket land and scoured the area. A glint of silver rewarded her anxious search. It lay open in a clump of weeds. The face of Rayn’s birth-mate gazing up at her made her heart ache. Snapping it shut, she cradled it in her hands and pressed it to her heart. “I will keep it safe, Rayn. I promise.” She looped the chain around her neck and tucked t
he locket beneath her shirt.
“Rasiana, let’s go.” Daar ran toward the office.
At the back of the building, they removed the metal grid and sent Rangi into the ventilation system. Daar tipped his head. “Good. We’re tethered. Now, I have a surprise for you.”
42
Jaradee’s Legacy
Part 3 - Conflict
H urrying to keep up, Rasiana double-timed Daar’s long stride across the tarmac and into the blistered warehouse. Capese undulated into view. The cargo bay doors gapped open. Daar climbed the ramp, led the way to a small cabin, and knocked.
A gravelly voice answered. “Come in, Daar Palmira.”
Daar ushered her in ahead of him. Her heart gave a leap of joy. Aquila perched on a cot in front of a thin, stoop-shouldered man whom she knew and admired. White hair framed fading, brown eyes narrowed in concentration. Gnarled fingers worked with meticulous care on the tukoolo’s mechanical wing.
Tazio glanced up. A wide smile formed beneath a nose much too big for his narrow Pheet Adolan face. “Good to see you, Rasiana.” His attention returned to the galee. With slow, precise movements, he made several minute adjustments and sat back. “Wing’s almost as good as new. Nioka is working with the ship’s engineer. She’ll finish the job when she comes back.”
Rasiana glanced from Daar to the royal jewelry maker. “Does Rayn know you’re here?”
Tazio made careful notes in a small black notebook before running a hand over Aquila’s mechanical wing. “No. We arrived just ahead of the RomPeer’s men. Kuparak hid us here. We’ll miss him.” Careful fingers stretched the wing open and folded it back into place. “Now, Aquila, show me how it works.”
Rasiana moved nearer. “How do you know his name?”
“He shared it. After all, Nioka and I saved his life and rebuilt his injured side.”
Aquila’s wings opened wide and fanned the air. A soft whistle accompanied their return to place.
The UnFolding Collection Three Page 95