The Lost City: The Palumbra Chronicles: Book Two

by L. D. Fairchild

  "What about Rufus?" Emery asked. "How do we get him in the tunnels?"

  Maeve saw Gray wince at the question. She had already asked Gray that question before they abandoned the hovercar. She didn't like the answer either. Gray crouched down so he was eye level with Emery and put his hands on her shoulders. "I don't like this any more than you're going to, Em, but we can't take him into the tunnels."

  Emery began to shake her head, her hair flinging from side to side. "You can't leave him out here. What if they find him?" Her voice shook, and she blinked her eyes rapidly. Maeve moved to Emery's side and pulled her into a hug.

  "I know it's hard, Emery, but Rufus is smart. He saved me, and he can survive out here until we can come back for him."

  Emery looked up at Maeve with shining eyes. "You promise we'll come back for him?" Maeve squeezed her into another hug.

  "Of course, Em. That dog's a hero. We'll come back."

  Maeve knelt next to Rufus and stroked his head. She thought his brown eyes looked resigned as if he knew what was about to happen. Emery dropped to her knees on his other side and brought his face around until they were nose to nose. Rufus licked her nose, and Emery giggled. "Be good, Rufus. Go and hide. Don't let them find you." She kissed his nose and stood up.

  Maeve stroked his head again, and echoed Emery. "Don't let them get you, Rufus. We'll be back. I promise."

  She would have sworn Rufus nodded, then turned his back on them and trotted into the trees. Maeve sniffed once, then squared her shoulders and turned back to Gray. "Let's get moving before we get caught."

  He gave her a quick nod, then disappeared down the well. Everyone peered into the darkness, listening for any sign of resistance when Gray reached the bottom.

  "It's good." His voice rose out of the darkness. "Send Emery down, then Tristan with Ginger, then Patrick. Let's get the most vulnerable down here. The rest of you keep watching for Arabella's troops."

  Emery scampered over the rim of the well, and Maeve held her breath when Tristan hoisted Ginger over his shoulder and slowly descended into the darkness. Patrick took one last look around and followed Tristan. Maeve scanned the horizon in the direction where they had seen Arabella's troops but saw no movement.

  "Your turn, Maeve," Amelia said. Maeve gave one last look in the direction that Rufus had gone and swung her leg over the edge of the well.

  "Move it," Private Thompson said, pulling his gun to a position where he could fire it and pointing it in the direction where they had last seen Arabella's troops.

  "What is it?" Amelia asked.

  "Movement over there." He motioned with the tip of his rifle. "Move it, Maeve."

  Maeve scrambled down the ladder and waited at the bottom for Amelia's feet to appear. Gray took in her furrowed brow and worried look and rushed to join her. "What is it?"

  Amelia's feet finally appeared on the ladder. "Arabella's troops are headed this way."

  "What?" Gray asked. "Why? They should be headed toward Palumbra, not back toward us. Is Private Thompson coming?"

  "He was supposed to be right behind me." Amelia twisted her hands together. "I don't know why he's not already on his way down." They tilted their heads back, eyes focused on the place where the ladder extended up into the meager daylight.

  "Where is he?" Amelia asked.

  "Where is everyone else?" Maeve asked Gray as it registered that they were the only three at the foot of the ladder.

  Gray never took his eyes off the ladder. "I sent them down the tunnel to find supplies and to find a place for Ginger to rest."

  It seemed to Maeve that an hour had passed, but she knew it was only a few minutes, when Private Thompson's feet finally appeared over the edge of the well. He pulled the cover over the top of the well as he quickly descended the ladder.

  "What took you so long?" Amelia demanded.

  "I was trying to see where Arabella's troops were going. It looks like they're retreating."

  "That's the best news of the day," Gray said.

  "But they were headed into the woods where Rufus went."

  Maeve's face fell, and she began to chew on her thumb once again. Gray gently pulled her hand away from her face. "He'll be fine. Let's get into Palumbra to get Ginger some help and the venom to Emma. Then we can come back and find Rufus. If Arabella's troops are retreating, that means that the Palumbra troops are driving them back. She'll be on the run. That's good news."

  Maeve lifted her troubled eyes to Gray's. "But what about Thomas?"

  Gray gave her a grim smile. "One problem at a time, Maeve. One problem at a time."

  ###

  "Do you think we can get her to swallow it?" Tristan held out some ground willow bark to Maeve. She and Gray had found the others in a room just down the tunnel from the well entrance. Ginger lay on a cushion of blankets with another blanket covering her. Patrick sat in a chair, wincing as Amelia peeled the makeshift bandage from his leg.

  Maeve turned her attention back to Tristan. "Mix it in some water and get Gray to help you hold her up. Just don't let it choke her." She shifted her head toward Patrick. "I'm going to look at his wound."

  For the next 20 minutes, Maeve checked everyone's wounds, binding up Patrick's leg with a better bandage and helping Gray and Tristan force willow bark water down Ginger's throat. She wasn't sure how much Ginger actually drank, but something was better than nothing. She stroked her hand over Ginger's hot forehead while Emery held her sister's hand. Maeve leaned close to Ginger and said, "Come on, Ginger. Hang on for just a little longer."

  Emery watched her every move. "Is she going to be OK?" Her voice sounded small and unsure. Maeve stood and walked around Ginger's makeshift bed and pulled Emery to her feet, wrapping her in a strong hug. "I hope so, Em. I really do." She stepped back, placing her hands on Emery's shoulders and leaning down to look her in the eyes. "We're going to do everything we can to help her get better, OK?" Emery nodded and bit her lip. "And that means getting back to Palumbra so we can send help here. I'm going to go talk to Gray. Keep wiping her forehead with a cool cloth."

  Emery grabbed the scrap of fabric they were using as a cloth and placed it on Ginger's forehead, and Maeve joined Gray and Tristan as they examined a map on the wall. Gray's eyes lit up despite the serious nature of whatever they were discussing. He took her hand and pulled her into his side, and Maeve leaned into him, happy to once again have the option to touch and talk with him, happy that the kiss they had shared in Arabella's company was not the last one they would ever share.

  "We need a plan," she said.

  "That's what we're working on." Gray gestured toward the map. "Look familiar?"

  Maeve smiled in spite of herself. "That's the map of the tunnels we used last time."

  "Yeah. Not much has changed."

  Tristan pointed at a black line on the map. "It should be a pretty easy walk to get into Palumbra. This tunnel comes out right in the city center."

  "What are we waiting for?" Maeve asked. "Let's get going."

  "I think you should stay here." Gray's serious blue eyes bore into hers. She was shaking her head before he finished talking.

  "Maeve, listen to me. You're a nurse. We're leaving wounded people here. They need you."

  Maeve continued to stubbornly shake her head. Tristan tapped Gray on the shoulder and said, "I'm going to go check on Ginger."

  "I'm going with you." Maeve stood with her feet spread apart and her hands on her hips, ready to do battle. Determination blazed in her eyes.

  "That doesn't make sense. You can be much more useful here."

  "I already dressed Patrick's wound. He'll be fine. There's nothing more I can do for Ginger. She needs help from Palumbra. Emery and Amelia can keep her comfortable until we get back. Please, Gray. I don't want to be separated from you again. Not knowing what had happened to you was worse than anything Arabella could do to me."

  Gray closed his eyes as if in pain. "Don't you think I know what that feels like? I thought you were dead. I can't bear th
e thought of putting you in danger again."

  "Am I really any safer here?"

  "Yes! This part of the tunnels is deserted. No one uses these anymore, but the closer we get to the city center, the more likely it is that someone in The Resistance remembered they were here and decided to use them in the fight against Arabella's troops. That means some of Arabella's troops could have followed them down."

  Maeve placed a finger on Gray's lips. "That doesn't even make sense. If the troops have found the tunnels, I wouldn't be any safer here than I would be near the city center." She took her finger from Gray's lips and traced a line on the map. "They're all connected." She took a step toward him. "You can't just tuck me away so I'll be safe, Gray. We have a job to do."

  She didn't say anything else but held Gray's tortured gaze with her own. She was going with him. She was just waiting for him to acknowledge it. She watched the emotions flit through his ice blue eyes: fear, determination, anger, and finally, resignation. He blew out a breath, warming her cheek.

  "Fine. Just be careful." He paused and lifted his hand to cup her cheek. She leaned her face into the palm of his hand, relishing the feeling of being near him again. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath before he whispered, "I don't know what I'd do if I got you back only to lose you again."

  CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

  Maeve, Gray, Private Thompson and Elton walked briskly through the dim tunnels. Gray had found a forgotten gun and some ammunition in one of the tunnel rooms, and Private Thompson carried his army-issued weapon. Gray had found another gun for Maeve, but she had once again refused to carry it. Gray relented only when she had tucked a small knife into her belt, but Maeve had no plans to use it, either. Elton walked with his hands tucked into his pockets, weaponless, in front of them. Private Thompson watched him warily, but Elton had made no move to escape.

  Maeve took a few quick steps to catch up to him. "Elton?" He raised his head and raised one eyebrow in question but said nothing. "Was it worth it?"

  Elton's brow furrowed in confusion, but he remained silent.

  "The few fleeting moments of power you had when you turned us over to Arabella. Was it worth it?"

  Elton shrugged. "Look at where I am now. I'd say no."

  "Would you make the same choices again?"

  Elton kicked the dirt on the ground as he walked with his shoulders slumped. He stared straight ahead as he answered. "I wish I could say no, but it all sounded so good. I would never go without anything again. No worries about safety or food or shelter. That's what she offered me, and when you don't have any of that, you'll do whatever it takes to get it." He turned his head to look at Maeve. "I know you think I'm a terrible person, and I'll be the first to admit that I did terrible things. But I didn't do it because I'm evil. I did it because I thought it was the only way to have those things. I wish I could say I wouldn't do it again." He paused for so long that Maeve thought he might not say any more. In a voice barely above a whisper he said, "But I just don't know."

  Before Maeve could answer, Gray had pushed between them and flattened himself against the dirt wall, his gun at the ready. He motioned for them to do the same. Private Thompson leaned slightly out from the wall and whispered around Maeve and Elton. "What is it?"

  Gray didn't take his eyes off the tunnel ahead of him as he whispered back, "Voices."

  In the quiet, Maeve strained to hear any sound. A low murmur made its way through the tunnel. She leaned her face close to Gray's ear and said in a voice that was more breath than sound, "They're coming this way."

  Gray nodded and looked up and down the tunnel. They were in a stretch of the tunnel that was simply tunnel, no rooms branching off to the side, and Maeve tried to remember the last time they had seen a room or another tunnel branching off. "Should we go back?"

  Gray kept his eyes trained on the tunnel, and Maeve thought she could make out a pinprick of light. Gray shook his head. "There's a room just up this tunnel. Hopefully, they're going there. We'll sneak past once they've entered."

  Maeve bit her lip but said nothing. If she squinted, she could see a door nearly 100 yards down the tunnel. She prayed Gray was right because that didn't leave them much time to escape back down the tunnel if he wasn't. She shifted toward him again, but as she leaned toward him, he raised a finger to his lips and motioned for her to settle back against the wall. She held her breath as the light grew bigger and brighter. She thought she could make out several figures trailing behind the light. She sucked in a breath as one voice came carrying through the darkness.

  The light turned and disappeared into the room, leaving the tunnels once again shrouded in a dim light. Maeve waited until she heard the door shut before breathing again.

  "Why is Arabella in the tunnels?" Gray asked her.

  “I may have told her the plans for the laser weapon she wanted were in the tunnels.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  Maeve shrugged. “It was the best I could come up with at the time. I was trying to save your life.”

  She took a step forward, but Gray's arm barred Maeve from moving. She was intent on getting revenge on the woman who had taken Thomas and could have already been the cause of Emma's death.

  "We can't," Gray whispered in her ear. "We have to get that antidote to Emma and help for Ginger. She’s on a wild goose chase that will keep her busy for a while. We can send troops back to capture her."

  Maeve settled back against the wall and shot a look at Elton, catching him giving the door a thoughtful look.

  "Don't even think about it," she growled.

  Elton shook his head vehemently. "I wouldn't. She left me to die in the desert. I would never trust her again." He paused as if weighing his words. "But we could end this right now."

  Gray leaned away from the wall and pinned Elton with his fierce gaze, his blue eyes like chips of ice. "Our job is to get this antidote to Emma and to find help for Ginger. We're not going to risk our friends' lives by waltzing into that room with no idea what we're up against."

  Elton wilted under Gray's authority, holding up his hands in surrender. "OK. We'll do it your way. But what if we never get another chance at Arabella? What if Thomas is in that room?"

  Elton's words made Maeve pause. Would they be sacrificing Thomas if they walked by that door without going in?

  "Gray's right," Private Thompson spoke up. "Our mission is to deliver the antidote and find help for Ginger. We're going to have to wait until we have more support to attack Arabella."

  Gray moved away from the wall and stood in front of Maeve, holding her gaze with his. Maeve knew he could see the conflict in her soul reflected in her eyes. How could she choose between her friends?

  "We'll get him back, Maeve, I promise." Gray's eyes had changed from the ice chips directed at Elton to a warm, blue filled with resolve for Maeve. "Even if we have to trek across the desert into The Beyond. We will find him."

  Maeve held his gaze for a moment longer, then squared her shoulders, stepped forward and placed her hand on his cheek. "I'm holding you to that." Gray covered her hand with his and nodded. She adjusted the pack on her shoulders and motioned for him to lead the way. "Let's go."

  Gray adjusted his own pack and began jogging down the dimly lit tunnel, taking care to make as little noise as possible. The rest of them followed. Private Thompson had just cleared the door when it slammed open, causing everyone to freeze for a split second. Maeve frantically swiveled her head from side to side looking for somewhere, anywhere, to hide, but the long expanse of tunnel provided no cover. Gray shoved her behind him, and Private Thompson did the same with Elton. Both Gray and Private Thompson trained their guns on the door as they quickly shuffled backward down the tunnel, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the door without turning their backs.

  "Run," Gray whispered to Maeve, but instead of running, she grabbed a handful of his shirt to let him know she was staying. Elton was already five steps down the tunnel when he looked back a
t Maeve with pleading eyes, begging her silently to run down the tunnel with him, but after a quick glance at him, Maeve kept her fist wrapped in Gray's shirt and her eyes trained on the door. She heard Elton's footsteps pounding in the dirt behind her. Her body stiffened when Arabella stepped through the door.

  "Oh, hello again," she said. Gray's finger tightened on the trigger, and Maeve hoped he wouldn't pull it. They still didn't know where Thomas was, and as much as she hated Arabella, she didn't want Gray to have to kill anyone.

  Despite her troops having been in a pitched battle, Arabella looked as if she had done nothing more strenuous than wash her face. Maybe that was the most difficult thing she had done today, Maeve thought. It's not like she led her troops into battle.

  "What a delightful surprise to find you here." Arabella tapped her blood red lips with a matching fingernail. "Did I say surprise? That would be a lie. We've known you were here since you turned that corner." She pointed to the ceiling. "Cameras. The New Government installed them. We just borrowed the feed for a bit." Two guards stepped into the hallway behind Arabella, pointing their guns at Gray and Private Thompson. Maeve saw a bead of sweat roll down the side of Private Thompson's face and wondered if he had any actual experience against a live enemy.

  "Well, that should work in our favor since the New Government can see what's happening here," Gray said with a quick upward glance to the camera.

  "Oh, silly boy, we blocked their access when we took over the feed, and it's unlikely they're watching the tunnel cameras closely enough to notice when one camera goes offline. They do have some battles still to fight above us."

  Maeve felt Gray tense at Arabella's words and realized he had been hoping that help would come.

  "Why don't you just hand over the plagoran venom that you took, and you can be on your way?" Arabella held out her hand as if she really thought Maeve would just hand it over. Maeve moved to stand beside Gray. He shot her a warning look and motioned for her to step back, but Maeve ignored him.