The door slid open a little more, and Velia saw Farem’s furious gaze peering at her as he shoved at it.
“I wish you the same, Arga. Hopefully, we’ll meet again.” Velia glanced over his shoulder to Retav and touched her hand to her chest. He smiled through tears and returned the motion, apparently too choked up to say goodbye.
Velia stepped into the pod. Once more, she wasn’t to pilot it, with Salno guiding its entrance into the portal. Golden fire lit the windows.
“On the way to save the day,” she muttered. “Hang on, Jape. I’m coming for you, big boy.”
* * *
Minutes later, the passage cleared. “Velia, are you in the correct location?” Salno’s voice was low through the pod’s PA system, as if she were trying not to be overheard.
The stretch of desert through a porthole window was blinding, with its scrubby vegetation and ocean of sand. The pod swooped toward a line of rock outcroppings that grew more familiar as she got closer to sandrail level.
“Exactly where I need to be. I’m moving to the central platform to disembark now.”
“Hurry. The warriors loyal to Ehar are coming in.”
“I’m in position. Send me down.”
Velia descended, and the furnace blast of the Great Basin Desert’s heat made her wince as much as the fierce glare of the sun. It was a huge change from the moderate climes of Cas.
The platform was a couple of feet off the ground when it stopped. It hung for an instant then rose toward the ship once more. Velia jumped down to the desert floor and watched the platform disappear into the underside of the pod.
“I hope that’s not a bad sign,” she muttered. Farem must have gotten into the chamber and ordered the pod returned immediately.
Velia gave the ship a salute as it flew up and winked out of sight. Clutching the items Arga had given her, she moved toward the outcropping. Before ducking under the ledge of stone into the comparative relief of its shade, she glanced around. She saw no sign of vehicles or aircraft homing in on her position. She’d not expected to anyhow; the information on the pod said it was invisible on radar.
The outcropping was midway between the innermost perimeter of Camp Noname and the installation itself. Feeling encouraged about the situation thus far, she went to the cave in the rock formation, following the hollow moaning sound of the slight breeze entering from a thin shaft at the rear. She examined the ground for tracks as she neared the opening. Neither man nor animal had recently been to the natural shelter she used as a cache for emergencies during her rambles.
The supplies she’d laid in on the small ledges and at the rear of the shallow cave remained in their usual places. She contemplated the gallons of water, MREs, a first aid kit, a few large scarves bought from thrift stores, and other sundry items that she’d stocked in case the buggy broke down and she ended up stranded. She had several such places readied.
Velia claimed the backpack that hung from a rock jutting from the cave wall. She packed it slowly, working out when she would make it to Camp Noname once she set off. She checked and double-checked the items she selected despite her zeal to be on her way. She was worried about Jape.
Worried? I’m terrified for him. If he’d not been hurt badly, if they’d not killed him after he sent her to Risnar, they might have contacted the Monsuda to fetch him. After Retav’s stories, the idea choked Velia with panic. What if Jape was okay, but she got there too late?
I care about him, probably more than I should this early in the game. Right or wrong, I want us to have a chance.
She snagged the compass she’d stored and watched the needle spin. There was a substantial amount of electromagnetic interference in the area on purpose, meant to confuse those who had no business near the installation. Throughout the desert, pockets existed where the compass would work, and Velia had a number of landmarks where the compass failed.
She wasn’t worried about the long walk before her. In the two years she’d lived at Noname, the desert had become her element. As long as she respected the environment and worked within its harsh boundaries for survival, it was not inhospitable. She was as at home in it as the residents of Cas were in the grasslands.
After an hour passed, she was confident she was as prepared to rescue Jape as she could be. She tested the Monsudan device she was leaving behind, making sure it was programmed as Arga had explained it should be. After breakfasting by Risnarish time on an MRE, Velia soaked a scarf in water, tied it about her head and shoulders, and hefted the backpack. An assessment of the sun’s position confirmed she should go.
She walked toward Noname at a steady but sustainable pace, a lone figure traversing the hostile desert for an even more intimidating place.
* * *
Full dark had arrived when Velia reached the final checkpoint of Camp Noname, the large fence that surrounded the buildings. The place was lit like a city, but she kept her flashlight on, letting it warn the guard at the gate that she was coming.
It seemed an eternity since she’d last come through the gate, riding in her sandrail and thinking ahead to the next day when she would be granted admittance to the portal research team. Dull shock reverberated when she realized that had been less than two weeks ago.
Before she was within hailing distance, she pulled her passkey out of her pocket and clipped it on her collar. If the strict secrecy of the inner project remained in place, the outer guard wouldn’t have been alerted she was to be apprehended on sight. And why would the perimeter guards know anything? General Thomas and the Marines would never expect her to return after what had happened with Jape...and if she did return, they’d expect her to come through the portal gate, not walk in through Camp Noname’s front door.
I hope I’m not fooling myself on that account. I guess I’ll find out soon enough.
Through the gate was the only access to Noname. Velia tugged down the hem of her shirt, making sure the belt Arga had given her stayed hidden. As bold as brass, Velia walked up to the guard watching her approach. She took it as a good sign that he kept his weapon slung.
Better yet, her first contact on duty was the friendly, ready-to-be-reassigned Stoddard. He gave her a grin, easing her mind about her status outside the red section.
“Look what the buzzards dragged in. I thought you’d given up on your desert rat ways. Buggy broken?”
“It was bound to happen sooner or later. Fortunately, I’m obsessive about taking precautions.” She patted the backpack, trusting Stoddard wouldn’t search it despite its lumpy appearance. “Water. Don’t leave base without it.”
“I heard that. Green and yellow sections of the base lost air-conditioning this afternoon, and they haven’t fixed it. Open windows don’t do much to curb the sweat factor. Which I apologize for.” He grimaced at his damp uniform.
“Nights are much cooler in the desert. Downright cold sometimes.”
“Cold won’t cut it after dealing with this heat all day. Man, I pray they forget Fort Benning and send me somewhere frozen after this. I’d even take the Antarctic.”
“That’s a desert too, technically speaking. Biggest on the planet.” She tried not to look too anxious to pass through the gate. “Guess I’d better hit the garage and see if I can con someone into either coming out and fixing the ride or towing it in.”
“Not going to quit your sand-loving ways, huh?”
“Not a chance.” Easy. Don’t sound impatient.
He stared over her shoulder into the darkness beyond the security lights. “What’s out there that’s so interesting? Seems like a whole lot of nothing to me.”
Despite her growing anxiety, Velia had to grin at the question. “There’s a whole universe of surprises out there.”
“If you say so. Have a good one.” Stoddard stepped aside and waved her at the passkey slot.
“You too.”
Velia swallowed, wonder
ing what would happen as she slid her card into the reader. It buzzed, its indicator turned green, and the gate clicked open.
Thanks to God or the All-Spirit that Noname remains devoted to keeping the left hand from knowing what the right is up to.
Velia didn’t stop to enjoy her relief. She headed straight for the motor pool’s garage. Again, her passkey accessed it with no problem.
She ran through her checklist with the sandrail quickly. As far as she could tell, it was ready to roll. Once she’d assured herself the vehicle was ready to hit the sand, she pulled off her backpack and took the protective vest out. She slipped it on, against the moment when the belt’s protective field gave out.
Fifty shots. That was Arga’s best guess on the belt’s deflection ability against bullets. Velia hoped he was correct, because she was pretty sure she would be shot at in the next few minutes.
With defenses at the ready, she hefted the Risnarish shooter, hoping anyone who saw her would think it was the huge flashlight it resembled. Arga had said it was set on widespread, which would take less precision when aiming. Excellent. Despite being a military brat, Velia was not a big fan of guns. Any prospect of firing with precision would be a joke.
More importantly, she prayed she wouldn’t be required to shoot anyone, particularly the Marine guards she knew. She had the notion she would let herself be gunned down before firing the thing. After a moment’s hesitation, Velia jammed the shooter into her belt loop. It would be a tool of last resort, something to be used only if Jape’s life depended on it.
That left her with the tiny metal box that fit in the palm of her hand. Its surface had only a yellow button, in the middle and surrounded by Monsudan hieroglyphics. Arga had called it a capture field emitter. “You need a clear sightline and to be within three meters of your target,” he’d warned.
Up close and personal, in other words. Velia blew out a breath. This rescue promised to be tough...if not impossible.
The alternative was losing Jape. That was most definitely impossible to contemplate, especially now with the potential for more than a mere friends-with-benefits relationship. Not getting him out of enemy hands would injure her in a manner that, though not bloody, would leave damage all the same. Damage she might never recover from.
Enemy hands. She was thinking of her fellow humans as the opposition now, along with the country she had devoted her loyalty to. But it wasn’t just blind loyalty, was it? It was fear of rocking the boat and losing what I believed mattered. The way Mom did. The way Jane did.
Even her father, seeing the truth at the end and speaking out against it, had paid with his life. Maybe Velia would too.
Yet certainty filled her when she thought of Jape. He was worth facing danger. He was worth fighting the fears she never could before. He was worth each mote of strength and courage she could summon.
She inspected everything once more. Her readiness was as good as it was going to get. Fair enough.
She didn’t go to the elevator to access the orange and red sections. She’d go outside, sneaking around the green and yellow wings of the upper buildings to find an access point. With windows open, she felt better about her chances of gaining unseen entry.
Velia went to the garage door. She’d not been to church or said a prayer in ages, but she quickly crossed herself before opening it.
There was a flood of lights out there, but there were plenty of shadows too. Velia licked her dry lips. Before she could consider her fears any further, she headed with a purposeful stride for the first pool of darkness on her search for Jape.
* * *
Jape sat cuffed and shackled to the lone chair in the otherwise empty, dark room, his mind turning over the impossible situation he was in.
No window. The air was stifling with heat, making it hard to breathe, and his wound continued to hurt, particularly when he shifted. However, the worst of the misery had lessened, thanks to the removal of the bullet and the shot of pain relief given by the medics.
The sole exit was locked, with two guards on the outside. The light from the corridor seeped in along the crack between the bottom of the door and the floor. The guards’ voices drifted in, discussing some game they were apparently passionate about. Jape tried to concentrate on that rather than the discomfort he was in and the hopelessness of escape. They talked about some team contest called Foot Ball, his ear translator told him. Jape tried to imagine a competition in which a foot was tossed to players to gain points. It sounded bizarre. Macabre. He was glad Velia hadn’t mentioned enjoying what sounded like a violent blood sport.
Despite his efforts at distraction, Jape’s mind returned to puzzling over finding a way free of his predicament. No matter his captors were armed and might kill him if he tried to break out. No matter that if he escaped them, he would have nowhere to run. The portal chamber was heavily guarded. The collection pod had departed, leaving him stranded on this planet with no route home.
Ehar wouldn’t send help. With him gone, many of her problems would vanish as well. She would assign the position of head enforcer to a warrior dedicated to her, ensuring that the portal access would be destroyed.
The situation was hopeless. Perhaps that was the way it should be. Jape had wanted a way to atone for his failure to save his men. Wasn’t this justice, then? A way to balance the scales for living when those who meant so much to him had died?
Lan. Duhon. Serek. Mun.
Why wouldn’t his mind accept that, instead of churning over the parameters of his confinement as if it would stumble upon some route of exodus? Why couldn’t he concede to fate?
At least Velia isn’t here. With any luck, Arga and Salno will send her to Yitrow, keeping her safe from Ehar. Maybe the Assembly will eventually do more than censure the head elder.
Jape thought he should have been panicked to be prisoner on a hostile alien world, but from the moment the pod had left with Velia in it, he’d been able to cope. Sure, he was anxious for himself, but not terrified. Not with her out of immediate danger.
Funny that she means so much after we fought each other so hard. If only I hadn’t squandered most of the opportunities I had with her by acting suspicious. I’d do anything to have those hours again.
I woke up in time to enjoy what we did have. I didn’t end up with nothing, and I’ll be grateful for that for as long as they let me live.
The guards droned on as he contemplated Velia. The abrupt stop to their conversation drew him out of his musings. Though he’d stopped paying attention to their discussion, Jape knew that the sudden silence was an interruption, not the natural cessation of talking.
His ears perked and cupped, straining as he gazed at the door. Soft footsteps approached...sly, sneaking taps instead of the purposeful thud of someone conducting normal business.
The warriors did not speak. Their shadows, visible under the slit of the door, didn’t move. The creeping feet stopped, their owner throwing a new shadow in the center of the trickle of light.
Then shuffling sounds of movement. Who was out there? What were they doing? Why weren’t the warriors speaking to the new arrival?
“Sorry about this, but a big mistake has been made.”
Velia?
Ignoring the blast of agony that accompanied movement, Jape strained at his bonds. “Velia!”
“Thank God. Hold on, Jape. I found this guy’s passkey to unlock the door.”
Jape could hardly believe it. Help, as improbable as it was, had arrived.
There was a buzz and a click. The door opened wide. Jape winced at the burst of light.
“Jape, are you all right?” Velia, grabbing his arm, pulling close. The smell of her skin, saltier than usual, and a dry scent that reminded him of the night he’d abducted her.
He squinted impatiently, willing his eyes to adjust. There she stood, gazing down at him, her eyes swimming with emotion.
“Jape. Jape, I was so scared I’d lost you. It took forever to figure out where they were keeping you. I can’t count the near misses I had! Hold on. Let me find the keys to these cuffs.”
She dashed out and searched the soldier standing on the left. He didn’t flinch as she rifled through his pockets.
“Here we go. Hopefully, these are what I need.” Velia returned and fussed with the cuffs holding Jape’s wrists to the chair arms and his ankles to the legs. “Perfect. I’ll have you loose in a second. Too bad all of you isn’t as flexible as other parts, or you could have slipped out.”
The instant Jape was freed, he grabbed Velia and wrapped his arms around her, consuming his senses in what he couldn’t quite believe. She was there. She’d dared trouble, defied her own kind. For him.
His heart filled up, overflowed. He’d last wept when his guardian died many years before. He allowed a few tears, losing them in her hair as he buried his face in it.
She came for me.
Jape allowed the emotion to hold sway for a moment. Blinking his eyes clear, he looked into her face, her cheeks lined with wet trails.
“I have no words.” His voice had never been so rough.
She wiped at her tears. “No time anyway. We need to move. How bad are you hurt?”
“It feels worse than it is. I can’t armor my back fully because of the damage. Earthling medicine isn’t very healing.”
“I have a containment field belt for you. It should help. Can you walk okay? Run?”
“Whatever I have to do to get out of here.”
She nodded at the two guards. “Arga said the capture fields won’t hold when the mechanism gets to a certain distance.”
Capture fields. That was why the soldiers weren’t moving. “We’ll lock them in here. And make it so they can’t escape.” Just like that, Jape’s mind was clicking along, in fight mode. Except...
“Where are the others? You didn’t come alone?”
Velia was cuffing the metal circles to a guard’s wrists. “Sheesh, thanks for the vote of confidence. Grab their guns, would you?”
Worlds Collide Page 25