“I know how he’ll react,” I said. “He’ll flip out, and I’ll have to pound him into dust. On second thought, count me in.”
“The things that motivate you,” Andy said.
“I assume you gave him some other reason to go to Livermore with me?”
“I did.” Andy smiled and did that tent thing with his fingers. “I told him he needs to master the art of stealth. A haunted cemetery is a safe place to practice.”
“Good ploy. Only one problem. It’s not. Mason and I were attacked the last time I was there.”
“By dogs,” Andy said.
“Big dogs.” I crossed my arms. “I don’t think I can protect him.”
“Take a box of kibbles.”
“I mean from me. I may hit him with a tombstone.” I turned to the Kilodan. “Are you sure Andy can’t come?”
The Kilodan sighed. “I need Andor here. He has not yet perfected the technology to hold a Knight.”
“But I’m this close,” Andy said, holding his hands as far apart as they would reach.
“Find the cave of the Proletariat,” the Kilodan said. “You will decide if Drake can be trusted.”
“And you want my opinion?” I asked, smiling.
The Kilodan nodded.
“He stinks. That’s my opinion.”
The Kilodan grunted and walked away.
“I don’t think that’s what he meant,” Andy said.
…
“Why can’t I drive?” Drake asked as we flew along the highway in the Andymobile. It was a very dark night, but Andy had told me to keep the transport in Shimmer mode anyway, so I did.
“Once we complete this mission,” I said, “we’ll talk about it.”
“Awesome. Will you really let me drive?”
“I said we’d talk about it. And here is how the conversation will go: you’ll ask me politely and respectfully if I believe you are competent to drive one of the most powerful pieces of technology the Psi Fighters have ever invented, and I will laugh so uncontrollably that I won’t be able to answer.”
I braced myself as we skidded onto the dirt road leading to the Livermore Burial Grounds. Andy had programmed the coordinates into the Andymobile’s logic, and all I had to do was go along for the ride. So, technically, I wasn’t driving, either. But I wasn’t about to tell Drake.
The Andymobile slowed its pace as the dirt road curved into the massive cornfield. Cornstalks shivered as we passed, as though watching us, warning us to stay away. The route to the Livermore Burial Grounds wasn’t any less scary this time around.
We pulled up to the gate and got out. “Follow me,” I said to Drake.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“The woods on the other side of the cemetery. When we get there, we’ll find a trail. It leads to a cave. I hope we can make it that far without being seen.”
“I’m on it,” Drake said. “No way anybody will see me.”
“They won’t have to. I can hear you walking, even without my mask’s enhancers.”
“Sorry,” Drake said, then became amazingly quiet. Maybe there was hope for him yet.
“You aren’t your normal obnoxious self, Drake. What’s wrong?”
“The Kilodan told my dad he’s considering me for a mission, but that he wasn’t sure I could handle it. My dad told me I have an ego problem. He got special permission for me to be trained at the Academy so I could get control of it. He said if I fail, he’ll pull me from my training permanently and I’ll never be a real Psi Fighter. So I’m trying. I guess there is more to being a Psi Fighter than just having incredible kung fu skills.”
“I know what he means about your ego,” I mumbled. “Drake, are you aware the Knights are in our school?”
“I am. I want to find him. I have a score to settle.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.” Drake’s voice became angry. “Whoever he is, he’s using Art Rubric to recruit kids from our school to rob houses.”
This was news. I knew for a fact he didn’t get this information from the Academy. “And exactly how do you know these things?”
“Art told me.”
“There’s a credible source.” My voice dripped with sarcasm. “Art Rubric, the nastiest bully in school. Art Rubric, the biggest dopehead on the planet. Art Rubric, the most—”
“You don’t believe me.”
“You, maybe. Art Rubric, never.”
“Rinnie—”
I spun and grabbed Drake by the arm. “Never say my name when we are masked. Do you understand? Never. In case no one told you, that is the first rule of being a Psi Fighter.”
Drake’s mask gazed back at me, but I couldn’t read any emotion.
“I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I thought it would be okay across our mask’s radio.”
“Well, it’s not.” I released his arm and started walking again.
“I just wanted to tell you this dude got Art hooked on drugs. That’s why I want him.”
“It might be the same Knight who’s leaving clues to the next murder right under our noses,” I said. “He’s trying to lure us out because he knows our mandate is to protect innocents. I wish I knew who he is, but I don’t. He doesn’t know who we are, either, so don’t do anything stupid. If you react normally, even when you’re masked, somebody might recognize you.”
“Art knows who he is.”
If my mask could do an eyebrow raise, it definitely would have happened right then. “I suppose Art gave you a name. Let me guess. Tammy Angel. Sorry, been there. Wrong road.”
“No, he wouldn’t tell me. He said he wants to be sure first.”
“I wouldn’t believe anything Art Rubric says. Now, pay attention. I’m going into Shimmer, and I don’t want you tripping over me.”
“Shimmer? What’s shimmer?”
I buried my mask in my hands and decided against using Shimmer. It would do me no good to be the only invisible one. “Never mind. Just stay close. We’re almost there.”
The night sky was dark, without a glimpse of a star. The moon was hidden somewhere behind a blanket of clouds. As we approached the woods at the end of the cemetery, I wondered if we were being watched. If the Blue Lady was nearby, she didn’t show herself.
“If you see a woman dressed in blue,” I said to Drake, “be calm. If she gets nervous, she’ll scream and her dogs will come.”
“Dogs?” Drake said. “So?”
“They’ll attack us. We aren’t here to fight wild beasts. We’re here to find the Proletariat.”
“Look,” Drake said, pointing to the tree line. “There’s a path. Is that the Ghost Trail?”
“Good eye. Let’s go see.” I took the path into the woods, motioning Drake to follow. As dark as the night sky was in the cemetery, it was worse in the woods. The trees were thick and blocked out any semblance of light. It was no wonder the little winding footpath was called the Ghost Trail. It would have been spooky in broad daylight. “Red,” I said, and my night vision flashed on.
“What’s red?” Drake said. “I can’t see a thing.”
“Use your night vision.” I stopped and Drake ran right into me.
“Sorry,” he said. “What’s night vision?”
“Say ‘red’ into your mask.”
“Why red?”
“Short for Infrared.”
“Oh. Red. Hey, cool, I can see you. Wow, I can see everything. What else will this suit do?”
“Keep me from killing you, I hope.”
“Yeah, that would be good.”
“Stay quiet and follow me.” I took off at a faster pace down the narrow, winding trail. Off in the far distance, a dog barked. I hoped it would stay off in the far distance. No sign of the Blue Lady. As we got deeper into the woods, the hillside became very steep, and I could hear the sound of a river in the valley below. Somewhere beneath the depths of that water, the old town of Livermore was submerged.
“What’s that smell?” Drake said.
“I
don’t smell anything.”
“It smells like a party.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked. Then the stench hit me. I looked down at the ferny ground surrounding the trail. Empty beer cans lay everywhere.
“Must have been a good time,” Drake said. “Hey, look, the leaves are disturbed beside the trail here. Like a bunch of people wandered off.”
“What are you, Daniel Boone?”
“No, seriously, look.” Drake pointed into the woods away from the trail.
“Pattern recognition,” I said into my mask. Instantly, the landscape in front of me changed colors, flashing brighter then dimming as my mask analyzed the ground for anything that appeared to be nonrandom. The Ghost Trail grew bright along the forest floor, and a few yards past the beer cans another trail, dimmer but distinct, veered off and went straight up the hillside.
“This way,” I said, and took off up the slope. Drake followed close behind me. The trail had started out fairly wide, as though dozens of people had walked it, but now it became narrow and straight. There were either a lot fewer people, or they were all walking in single file.
“I see it,” Drake said. “A hundred yards ahead. Right in the side of the hill.”
There before us, completely hidden from the Ghost Trail by the sharp landscape and thick undergrowth, was a hole in the side of the hill, like a bear’s den.
“The Cave of the Proletariat,” Drake said.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Nameless Here for Evermore
“Seriously, have you never been taught to put your uniform in Shimmer mode?”
Drake shook his head.
“Who is your teacher?” I asked, shaking mine back at him.
“You.”
“Since when?”
“Well, you and An—umm, that other Psi Fighter who leads all the classes.”
“Very good.” I patted him on his masked cheek. “You remembered rule number one. Okay, if you say ‘shimmer’ into your mask, it engages a sort of cloaking device. Nobody can see you while you’re in that mode.”
“Cool,” Drake said. “All righty then, shimmer! How awesome is that? Can’t see me, can you? Am I behind you? Am I in front of you? Am I even still here? Maybe I left and you don’t know it.”
“Sadly, you didn’t. You aren’t even transparent. I don’t think you have Shimmer installed in that uniform.”
“Crud. So, I have to stay visible?”
“Unfortunately.”
“We could always switch uniforms,” Drake said, nudging me with his elbow. “Know what I mean?”
I crossed my arms and said, “You do realize there’s nobody here to keep me from pulverizing you, right?”
Drake backed away slightly and pointed up the hill. “Okay, here’s the deal. We’ll explore that cave up there, and I will use all my mad ninja skills to remain unseen. Good plan?”
I rolled my eyes beneath my mask and started toward the cave. It was dark enough that Shimmer wasn’t necessary. The path became well-worn as we got closer to the cave’s entrance. It seemed to be used regularly. Deer paths crisscrossed the hillside, but this was no deer path. The only tracks were human. I had to assume they were unwashed humans, because I could smell a slight stench of sweat as we got nearer the entrance.
I turned to Drake. “Stay close to me when we’re inside. We don’t know what we’ll find, and I don’t want to get separated.”
Drake nodded, but said nothing. He seemed unusually hesitant, and stood hunched over, hugging himself, hands clenched like he was praying.
“Scared?”
“I’m not—” Drake stopped short, staring at something behind me. “Scratch that. I am.”
I turned to see what he was talking about, and caught my breath. On the trail to the cave entrance were four very large, very gruesome wolf skulls on posts. “Demon dogs. That’s how they keep trespassers away.”
“It’s true,” a scratchy voice said. I spun to see the Blue Lady standing at the mouth of the cave. “They don’t like unwelcome guests. But you are welcome.”
“Do you know us?” I asked.
“You, I know,” she said. “You are welcome. Always welcome.”
I didn’t have a clue what she meant. For a second, I thought she somehow recognized me even with my mask and armor, but that was impossible. Then I remembered that her mind was burned out from Psychedone.
The Blue Lady pointed to the cave. “Egon is not in there. I looked. Robert took him below with Ruth. I am not allowed below.”
“Am I?”
The Blue Lady shook her head, slowly at first, then more rapidly. “No, no, no, no. No one is allowed. I told my son, but he went. Now he is below. I can’t save him.”
“Is your name Almira?” I whispered.
She nodded.
“Is Egon your son?” I asked.
“Yes. You told me you would save him. Did you?”
How did she know? “I saved him from Robert. He is recovering in Old Torrents.” Okay, I’d kicked Egon’s butt all over Dead End Alley with the help of Mason and Susie, which had taken him away from Nicolaitan, so technically I saved him.
Almira nodded. “Not a nice place to be. I was there. They helped me. But now, all is bad. Very bad.”
“Does Ruth have a son?” I asked, hoping for a long shot.
“She does.”
That confirmed what I’d learned from Mrs. LaReau’s diary. “Do you know her son’s name?”
“Mason. Ruth hated hurting him. She doesn’t have to listen to Robert anymore.”
More confirmation that Mason’s mother was alive. Relief washed over me. I couldn’t wait to tell him. But first, “Who is in the cave?”
“The children,” Almira said. “He still takes the children. Will the Maven save them?”
The Maven. The unknown person in Mrs. LaReau’s diary? “May we set them free? Will your dogs let us?”
Almira smiled and pointed to the skulls. “The dogs sleep. Go in.”
“Thank you,” I said, then, turning to Drake, “Don’t make any sudden movements. Just follow me slowly into the cave. Got it?”
“If it’s all the same to you,” Drake said nervously, “I’ll wait out here.”
“Okay with me,” I said, walking toward the cave. “I don’t need a big crybaby slowing me down.”
It worked. Drake grunted and followed me. Boys are so gullible.
The entrance was small. I had to stoop to get inside, but once in, I saw it opened into a deceptively large cavern. The stench of sweat grew stronger.
“What’s up with the Milk-bones?” Drake asked.
“The skulls are to scare people away. But the real things are out there.”
“Got it,” Drake said. “What is that smell? Do the Knights only recruit people with bad hygiene?”
My mind jumped quickly to Norman LaReau’s stinky closet. “I think it’s in the job description.”
The cavern was massive. My parents’ house could have easily fit inside. The walls were brown sandstone. I heard water trickling in the distance. Probably an underground stream. At the far end of the cavern, the ceiling drooped lower until it was only shoulder-high. Darkness obscured whatever was beyond it. As the roof got lower, the trickling sound got louder, and the darkness began to dissipate.
“Is there light up ahead?” Drake asked.
“Looks like it,” I said. “Be ready.”
The ceiling got lower and lower, until we nearly had to crawl. Gradually, it opened up again to standing height. The room glowed dimly, resembling a blue, starry night sky.
“Ew,” I said. “The ceiling is moving.”
“Arachnocampa,” Drake said.
“I don’t like anything that starts with arachno,” I said.
“Spider worms. Glow-in-the-dark. They live on cave roofs. They drop poisonous threads to catch prey.”
I took a slow, deep breath. “Why does it always have to be spiders?”
“This isn’t right,” Drake sai
d.
“Tell me about it.”
“No, seriously. These things are from New Zealand. We don’t have them here.”
“Obviously, we do,” I said.
“Somebody brought them here. I wonder why.”
I froze at the sound of clinking metal. “Maybe that’s why,” I said, pointing to a figure in chains, hunched over on the floor.
There in front of us lay a dozen or more teens, all chained to the wall, glowing blue in the light of the ceiling. I cautiously approached the one closest to me. His eyes were dazed, and he shivered slightly. Drool ran down his cheek and left a clean streak on his dirty face. Track marks covered his arm.
“He’s high on Psychedone 10,” I said. “These are the kids who disappeared.”
“How will we get them out of here?” Drake asked.
I hit a button on my chest armor. “I just sent Dalrymple a message. He’ll be here in eight minutes. Draw your Thought Saber. We need to get these chains off them and get them outside. Quickly.”
I drew my Amplifier from my belt, and a double-edged rapier burst from its tip. I sliced the smoky blue blade through the boy’s chain with a flick of my wrist. Drake whipped his Amplifier from his belt and a Roman gladius shot out.
I should have guessed.
We waded through the crowd, rapidly slicing through iron, freeing over a dozen kids, both boys and girls. I recognized a few faces but stayed calm, not revealing that I knew them. Then I came to the last kid in chains.
“Art,” Drake said with obvious panic in his voice. “Are you okay?”
“Quiet!” I hissed into my mask’s com. “You can’t act like you know him.”
Art Rubric sat against the cave wall staring blankly at Drake. I slashed his chains and pulled him to his feet. He turned his gaze toward me, cocked his head sideways, and said, “I seen you before.”
No kidding, I wanted to say. The last time, you were pilfering a teacher’s house. How deep are you in this?
I pulled Art outside with the others and made them all lay on the ground next to each other.
“Let’s get them out to the cemetery,” Drake said. “They’ll be easier for the police to find.”
“There’s no time. I sent Dalrymple the coordinates. He’ll find them. He’ll want to investigate this cave, too.”
Live and Let Psi Page 20