Approaching Storm (Alternate Worlds Book 2)

by Taylor Leigh

  ‘Ah, and what paperwork would that be?’

  The man pulled out a sheet. ‘The Dangerous Substances and Articles form.’ He handed it to Tollin. ‘As we’ve explained before: we cannot transport items of the nature you require until the correct paperwork is filed. The Druids have very strict rules about what they allow on their land.’

  Tollin read over the sheet. ‘Um, yes, they would. Right! Well, could you just give me the order number then, I’ll get this back to you quick as I can!’

  The man flipped through some more pages and read it off to him.

  Tollin smiled broadly. ‘Thank you. Sorry about the bother of all this, things are a bit of a mess back at base, paperwork is a nightmare, no-one ever knows what’s going on, you understand.’

  The man nodded sympathetically. ‘Of course.’

  ‘Righto. Come on, Sam!’ Tollin exited the building in the same flurry in which he entered.

  When they were outside Sam turned to Tollin, who was reading over the paper intently.

  ‘So,’ she said, ‘sounds like our friends are messing around with something rather dangerous, if they need a special form to fill out to ship it. What do you think it is?’

  ‘I think the Miol Mor Shipping and Delivery Company needs to work on their client protection policy.’ Tollin pulled a thoughtful face. ‘I’m not sure what they’re up to, but I say we had better find out. Follow me.’

  Sam obediently followed Tollin as he jogged to the side of the building. A great wall stood before them, which had a locked gate. Tollin darted immediately to the gate, after casting a quick look around at the top of the building, no doubt searching for cameras.

  As the gate rattled, she looked back at him. ‘What do you think you’re doing? You can’t just break in!’

  Tollin fiddled with the lock, talking fast. ‘Of course I can! Right, now the order number is IO869TZ31, keep an eye out for that, they should all be labelled.’ With that, he swung the gate in with a flourish. ‘After you, my dear.’

  Sam gave him a sceptical look. ‘I thought the whole point of this trip to the city was to blend in, keep my head down.’

  Tollin flashed her a staggeringly charming smile. ‘Yeah, well, what’s the fun with that?’

  Sam stepped inside the shipping yard, walking on the balls of her feet, though she felt it quite unnecessary. She couldn’t shake the thrill it sent through her. She’d always wanted to do something like this, but had never had cause to do so. Tollin didn’t seem to care much for rules—or what anyone thought of him. It was a liberating feeling, and Sam found herself basking in it, drinking up the reality of her situation. She was with the Traveller, breaking into the shipping yard to check out an item the Myrmidons had, which was supposedly dangerous.

  All right, then.

  Tollin and she dodged along the rows upon rows of crates. Tollin’s wide eyes scanned the labels of each, muttering and tcting every now and then. Sam did her best to just remember the sequence of letters and numbers he’d rattled off to her. She couldn’t quite remember what came after T, was it Z or 3? Still, at the rate Tollin was moving, it didn’t much matter if she remembered or not. He was making up for the both of them, glancing at labels so fast Sam was surprised if he’d read them at all.

  Tollin ducked behind a large crate and motioned for Sam to follow suit just as a robotic lifter rattled by, hauling a nearby crate towards a loitering lorry. Tollin narrowed his eyes at the retreating crate then shook his head in disappointment. Surely, Sam thought, he couldn’t see the printed sequence from that far away.

  He jumped up once the robot trundled away. ‘Hmm…’ He rubbed his unshaven chin.

  Sam waited patiently.

  Tollin sniffed heavily. Sam stared. He sniffed again, raising his nose in the air, like a dog that had caught a scent. ‘Ah! I’d know the smell of reactor panels anywhere!’

  And he was off like a shot, dodging around and leaping over crates like a madman. Sam broke into a run after him, worried she might lose him in the maze. Sam hated to admit it, but it had become immediately, painfully clear that she was not in the best of shape. Trying to keep up with Tollin, who had the everlasting energy of a high-strung whippet, was exhausting. As hard as she tried, she soon lost sight of her thin, wild friend.

  Sam turned around on the spot, scowling. Every direction she turned was nothing but paths of crates. She cursed herself. What good was she to Tollin if she couldn’t even keep up?

  She leant against a crate, gnawing on her lower lip, when a thought suddenly hit her. Miol Mor Shipping and Delivery Company! The name rang a bell. She’d heard it before…someone had mentioned it recently. With all that had happened to her, her thoughts were a bit of a jumble. She wracked her memories. She wasn’t sure if it was important or not, but something about it was familiar.

  ‘Oi! Darius! Close the gate next time you come in, you’ve left it wide open!’

  Sam jerked as if slapped. Darius! Of course! Darius had a job here. He’d just been hired on! She had never felt so stupid. Darius hadn’t been the best at keeping a job and last she knew he’d had several, not to mention his various sports.

  Sam wove through the maze of crates towards the voices and stopped just at the loading bay. She scanned the area for any signs of life. Her heart leapt at the sight of two men talking. One of them was Darius.

  Sam hung back in the protection of the crates, Tollin and his mission momentarily forgotten. Watching him now, she found it hard to believe he had once been hers. She might as well have been an observer looking in on the life of someone completely different, completely normal.

  She bobbed up and down nervously. ‘C’mon, hurry up, just leave!’

  Finally, after what felt like ages, the man clapped Darius on the back and left, leaving him alone. He stood still for a moment, distracted with his handheld, and then strode Sam’s general direction. Sam’s heart began to flutter. She knew it was absolutely a stupid idea to see him—and here of all places. She couldn’t involve anyone, but Darius was the one last thread that connected her to the life she used to have. She couldn’t just completely detach herself from that, not when he was so close.

  He stopped a couple metres away and began cataloguing the information on one of the crates. Sam swallowed, fighting down her sudden explosion of nerves. She cast one more look about to see if any other people were about and then made her decision.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Tollin pressed up against the crate as if an ultra-powerful magnet had stuck him there. He sniffed heavily, the metallic, charged smell of ozone burning his sinuses. He didn’t have to check the tracking number—though he still did—to know it was the right crate.

  ‘Hmm, now, what are you up to; great whopping panels for a power generator, aye? Now, what could you need these for? The amount of power from a generator this size would be enormous! Much more than you’d need than to power your little building out in the forest…so…what are you doing?’

  Tollin ducked around the crate, taking it in from all angles. His mind went whirling away with him. What could the Myrmidons possibly need a large power generator for? It had to do with the anniversary, Tollin was sure of that, but what their end goal was was a bit more puzzling. Would it be possible, Tollin wondered, to create a machine—however unlikely—that could punch a hole through a Realm? You’d need a monstrous amount of power to achieve something like that, and the technology would have to be beyond anything people on this Realm are capable of even dreaming.

  ‘Sam, I think things may be a little more complicated than I first assumed.’

  He glanced up from the crate to where Sam should have been standing. Except she wasn’t there. Tollin straightened and turned around on the spot, long arms swinging.

  Samantha Turner was nowhere to be seen.

  Tollin groaned. That couldn’t be good.

  * * * * *

  Sam pulled her hair behind her ear and stepped out of the shadows nervously.

  Darius started when he s
aw her. He didn’t seem to know what to do with himself, so he shoved his hands deep in his pockets, expression wary. His eyes darted around, as if it were painful to meet her eyes. ‘S—Sam?’

  Sam pressed her lips together, fighting back growing tears she couldn’t control. Darius, everything her life was before leaving Scottorr, before the ring and the Myrmidons and Tollin, stood before her, real and solid. He looked just as ready to break down as she felt.

  He embraced her in an awkward hug. Sam rested her head against his chest, trying to find the same comfort she’d had in his embrace that she used to. He felt like a completely different person, and she realised, so was she. If made her feel all the more unhappy.

  ‘Sam, what are you doing here? How’d you even get in?’ he asked, pulling back. ‘I saw on the news—’

  Sam hadn’t planned on what she’d tell him. The last thing she wanted was to make him a target, to put yet another person in danger.

  ‘Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,’ was all she could think of stammering.

  ‘You were on a broadcast…I’ve called your aunt, friends, everyone I could think of. I’ve been downloading news casts from Scrabia constantly. What’s happened?’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Sam bit her lip. ‘I can’t really say. Everything has just been so…mad lately. I’m okay, I’m safe. I can’t tell you any more than that, I’m sorry.’

  Darius ran his fingers through his blond hair, swearing. He fixed Sam with soft eyes. ‘Do you have a place to stay? You can stay with me.’

  Sam inwardly winced at the offer. It was painfully tempting. Running back into the welcoming arms of familiarity after all the impossibilities would feel temporarily wonderful. ‘I can’t, I’m sorry.’

  ‘Sam?’ Tollin’s familiar voice echoed through the myriad of crates. His lanky figure bounced into view, eyes wild, entire body radiating excitement. ‘Come on, we’ve got to go, now!’ He grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle tug.

  Sam hated to admit that having Tollin’s hand wrapped around hers was beginning to feel much more familiar than Darius’s previous embrace. How could she have changed so much in just a few short days?

  Darius’s eyes widened as he saw Tollin. ‘Who the hell’s this?’ he demanded, gripping her other hand all the tighter.

  Sam bit her lip.

  Tollin didn’t bat an eye at the appearance of Darius. He also made no move to let go of her hand. ‘Can’t leave you humans alone for five minutes,’ he grumbled

  ‘Just a moment!’ Darius snapped. ‘Who are you?’ He whirled to Sam. ‘Is he your new boyfriend or something?’

  ‘What?’ Sam’s cheeks grew warm. ‘No!’

  Darius’s eyes narrowed. ‘What’s going on, Sam?’ He glanced back to Tollin and Sam could envision all-too-easily what he was attempting to piece together. ‘He the one responsible?’

  ‘What?’ Tollin looked up from his timepiece, mouth slightly ajar, already distracted from the conversation. His distraction didn’t last long.

  Darius lurched forward, grabbing Tollin by the collar. ‘You bastard! What did you tell her? Hmm? Did you say you were rich? Did you kill Brock Turner?’

  Sam grabbed Darius’s arm in alarmed annoyance. ‘No! Knock it off, will you? He hasn’t done anything!’

  Tollin’s thin lips tightened as he seemed to be deciding exactly what his next move would be. He glanced over to Sam and narrowed his eyes. ‘First sign of trouble and you’re running back to your old boyfriend for help, is that it?’

  Sam bristled. ‘Oi! You left me and I just happened to see him. It’s not done any harm!’

  Darius’s grip tightened around Tollin’s collar.

  ‘Oh,’ Tollin drawled. ‘He’s a real charmer, isn’t he? Where’d you find him, outside the detention centre?’

  ‘Sam,’ Darius’s voice was tight with nerves. ‘Tell me what is going on!’

  ‘I can’t, I’m sorry. Darius, please, you just have to trust me. I’m safe, I’m okay; you can trust him, too. He’s the reason I’m still alive.’

  Darius dropped Tollin and whirled around to her. ‘Sam, I’m scared for you. You leave Scottorr, then all of this happens, now you’re back with some stranger and I’m supposed to believe you’re all right?’

  ‘Sam,’ Tollin nudged gently. ‘We’ve got to go.’

  Sam took Darius’s hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘Yeah, that’s what I’m asking.’

  Darius glanced back to Tollin, eyes narrowed. ‘You’ve got my number, Sam. Don’t be afraid to use it. If you need me for anything, I’m here.’

  Sam leant in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. It felt strange, final, but different than the first time they had said goodbye. This time, Sam was the one leaving by choice. This time, Sam was the one who wanted to go.

  ‘I’m sorry I can’t explain, but no-one can know that I’m here. Don’t tell anyone you’ve seen me, yeah?’

  Darius nodded morosely. ‘I want you to be safe, Sam. Take care.’

  She smiled sadly. ‘Same to you.’

  Slowly, she turned from him, ignoring his quiet mutterings. She took Tollin’s offered hand and was pulled back to her new world. The one she didn’t ever want to leave.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Clieg Erikson keyed open the door to the lab and didn’t relax till it slid shut behind him. Only then did he let out his heavily held breath.

  Having Avery Roth at the base had thrown everything off-kilter. He’d changed since Erikson last remembered, and it wasn’t a nice change. The man was stricter than a headmaster and almost seemed to have the power to see through walls. Every move Erikson made, felt like it was being watched. Not to mention the man was demanding. He had a wild desire that went far beyond obsession—in Erikson’s silent opinion. He’d never state it out-loud, however. Being the odd one out was never safe. As much as Erikson felt passion for the idea of other worlds and the slight possibility of contacting them, he was not willing to go to the lengths his former partner was suggesting.

  That was what he was wrestling with now.

  He’d seen Samantha Turner in Miol Mor today. Seen the stone on her finger! The man who’d been with her could only have been the man who was calling himself the Traveller—not the original Traveller, of course, that man would be long dead by now—and he’d seen them both! And yet, now, he couldn’t bring himself to mention it. She was nothing more than a kid. Eighteen, nineteen, perhaps; no older. How she’d arrived on Scottorr was a mystery to him, somehow she’d managed to escape the murderous group of Myrmidons on Scrabia—the extremists—as Erikson secretly thought of them.

  He hated to think of what they’d do to her if they caught her. Some of the things done in this very room turned his stomach and he did not want to see the same happen again. They knew she was here, of course, but no-one, as far as he knew, had any insight into where Turner had gone. Scottorr was a big planet, she could be anywhere. And yet, somehow, he’d managed to bump into her in the market. He almost felt guilty for spotting her, following her inside. He felt even worse now, wrestling with the problem of what to do about it.

  His partner looked up from her place beside him. ‘You’re back! See anything interesting in town?’

  Erikson sat down next to her, expression tight.

  His companion frowned, her grey eyes softening. ‘You all right?’

  Erikson glanced back towards the closed glass door. A few scientists were leaning over the readings from the power generator, checking its stability. The only flaw in their sealed glass room was a hole in the ceiling, through which the thick cables ran, spiralling down towards their project. Still, Erikson did not feel private in the lab. There was every possibility it was bugged.

  He chided himself for being so paranoid. What business would the Myrmidons have spying on one of their own? They had no reason to mistrust Erikson; he was the head researcher, the leader of their main projects. He’d been loyal for all the long years he’d worked here. And yet, now, he found himself reluctant to speak. What he wa
nted to say went against everything he needed for his project to succeed. It felt like a complete betrayal of all he and his fellow researchers had been striving towards.

  Again, he scanned the room to make sure they were alone.

  ‘Erikson? You okay?’ his companion asked again, scowling now.

  Erikson casually leant in towards her. ‘Actually,’ he kept his voice low, ‘I did see something in town today. Someone. I could have sworn I ran into Samantha Turner; the girl Avery is so keen on finding.’

  His companion’s thin eyebrows rose. ‘You’re joking; how could she possibly have managed that? I though Roth must have gone barmy when he mentioned that. How the hell did she get here?’

  Erikson shook his head. ‘She was with some man. And she was wearing a rather peculiar ring. The stone looked suspiciously similar to that one.’ He glanced towards the great, throbbing red stone sitting just beyond the glass. ‘I’m almost dead certain it’s what we’re looking for.’

  His fellow researcher’s eyes narrowed. She had curious scars that completely marred the left side of her face beyond all recognition, but she was still beautiful and much too young looking to be an expert in the advanced field they worked in. ‘What man did you see? Did you tell Roth about this?’

  Erikson sighed heavily. He shifted in his chair, immediately regretting bringing up the subject with her. ‘I don’t know who he was; there was just something about him. A feeling… I don’t know. I just…I didn’t want to tell Roth. She’s just a kid, you know. I don’t know what our group did on Scrabia to her or her family, but I didn’t want to be involved with it. So no, I haven’t told Roth.’

  His companion nodded once.

  ‘Tell me what?’ a bland voice broke from behind them.

  Erikson felt his stomach crash to the floor. He stared at his partner for a moment and watched her expression slowly close off from compassionate to stony.

  Roth glanced over to her. ‘Will you excuse us for a moment? I think Erikson and I need to have a little chat.’