Walker

by Michael Langlois

  “You’re letting me come with you? I figured you’d want me to stay here, out of the way. Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  Sika snorted quietly. “Confidence has nothing to do with it. If we get caught, you’re my only ticket out of here. Protectors and Walkers always work in pairs. Just try not to screw it up.”

  “Right.”

  Sika took one last look and then opened the door. After a hurried glance in both directions he darted off to the left, moving faster than Daniel would have believed possible for the complete lack of sound that he made.

  Daniel followed him as best he could. By the time he reached the end of the hall a few seconds later, Sika had broken the lock by simply turning the handle slowly until things snapped and crunched quietly inside. They slipped in and closed the door.

  Sika flipped on the single light bulb overhead. The room was small, about fifteen feet long and six or seven feet wide. There were three sloping shelves on each wall containing open bins. A small brass frame at the front of each held a card with a neatly printed name on it if the bin had something in it. It was a matter of moments for Sika to re-arm himself with his Urum blade, as well as several smaller steel ones that had been recovered from Bruce’s room when they were captured.

  Daniel snagged his backpack and his blade, then stuffed Iyah’s silks, jacket and knives into the backpack. A moment later, Sika handed him Saul’s pistol and silks as well.

  Daniel froze with his hand in the bag as sounds drifted into the room from the hallway.

  A man’s voice filtered through the closed door. “Light’s on in the evidence locker.” Another one responded with something Daniel couldn’t make out. Straining to understand the quiet voices, he clearly heard footsteps moving down the hall towards them.

  Then he nearly jumped out of his skin as Sika bellowed in a deep voice, “Who screwed all this shit up in here? By God someone is about to UNSCREW it as soon as I get my hands on them!”

  The next sound Daniel heard was the door to the security office down the hall being softly closed.

  Sika snapped off the light, and darted out of the room with Daniel on his heels. In seconds they were safely back inside the close confines of the concealed passage.

  “Are you out of your mind?” whispered Daniel.

  Daniel could just make out Sika’s brilliant teeth glowing in the dim light. “You’ve obviously never spent time in a military organization. No way were those men going to come in and catch the blame from a pissed off officer. Fish in a barrel, boy.”

  “Jesus. Let’s just get to the vault.”

  32

  It took them nearly an hour to make their way down to the Hazard Vault, which was itself inside the Guild armory, which in turn was at the center of a system of concrete tunnels under the campus. The entire subterranean complex was designed to move material in and out of the armory efficiently and secretly to any of the Walker transfer stations scattered throughout the Guild enclave.

  The access shaft they used from Walker Hall terminated in a circular hatch in the floor, which opened to reveal a ten-foot drop into one of these underground transport tunnels. They listened carefully at the open hatch and then dropped through.

  The first thing Daniel noticed were the dull silver rails set into the concrete floor, which ran the entire length of the tunnel before vanishing around a corner. The second thing he noticed was a sharp pain in his back, as he was jabbed hard with a rifle barrel.

  “Up against the wall, feet apart!” snapped a voice from behind.

  “You, too!” came another voice near the first, no doubt prodding Sika.

  They had spent the last hour skulking unseen through secret passages to get here, and then promptly dropped out of the ceiling directly in front of a patrol. Daniel ground his teeth in frustration.

  Hands against the wall, he risked a glance behind him. He quickly pictured a flat plane about six inches in front of the two guards, then yanked everything in that plane out of the world for a split second. The effort made him dizzy, but he was rewarded with the metallic ringing of rifle barrels hitting the concrete floor.

  Sika spun around to face the guards, one fist catching the nearest in a vicious back-knuckle swing. Daniel turned and straight armed his guard in the chest as hard as he could. There was a solid thump as his hand connected with the guard’s armored torso, followed quickly by a loud clatter as the man rebounded off of the far wall and fell into a heap on the floor.

  “Well done,” said Sika with raised eyebrows.

  “Thanks, I learned that technique in the second grade. It’s called shoving. It’s my signature move.”

  Sika laughed, then said, “We need to move fast. There’s no place to hide these guards, so we need to be in and out before the next patrol gets here.”

  They jogged along the rails until the corridor merged with several others into a single large outlet the size of an aircraft hangar. A hundred yards later they arrived at a set of vault doors reaching from floor to ceiling.

  There was a massive lock on one door, with a square panel set into the front of it bristling with switches. Next to the panel was a single keyhole. A wheel large enough to steer a ship with was mounted on the lock itself, attached by a thick shaft.

  Daniel looked around. “No guards?”

  “They keep to the perimeter tunnels instead of waiting next to the vault door. Standing at the end of a blind alley isn’t the best way to effectively guard something. It’s nothing but a big shooting gallery at this end.”

  “Okay, so how do we get inside?” Daniel asked, peering at the three rows of unmarked switches.

  “Like this,” replied Sika, pulling out a key and inserting it into the keyhole. He toggled half the switches, then turned the key. There was sharp clicking sound from somewhere inside the door. Sika then set his feet and grabbed the wheel. Taking a deep breath he slowly rotated it, grunting with effort until it locked into place. He pulled on the wheel and the door swung outward smoothly.

  “Huh,” said Daniel, impressed by the resistance of the lock. “So to work this thing, you have to have the switch combination, the key, and have the strength to turn the wheel. How’d you come by the first two?”

  “A few of the top Protectors get the keys to the kingdom. Sometimes we have to fetch or deliver things to the vault. There’s a lot more in here than just the Scinte.”

  “Like what?”

  “Nerve gas, briefcase nukes, weaponized viruses, anything that the Guild might require to keep a world in order, or has confiscated from governments that weren’t deemed trustworthy. You’d be surprised how often people consider using these things as long as they think themselves safe from the effects.”

  Daniel shivered. Individuals were fine, but people as a whole were crazy.

  They walked into the vault. It was the size of a warehouse, with rows of shelves, locked panels, and smaller vaults inside. The tang of oiled metal and old rubber hung heavy in the air. Bright cones of white light fell out of the murky ceiling from huge bare bulbs underneath conical steel diffusers. Too few to adequately light the cavernous space, but enough to throw sharp black shadows in all directions.

  The shelves were as likely to be stocked with elegant bundles of white enameled cylinders full of chemical weapons as with a heap of wires and cables sprouting out of a crude metal box. Each pile or item was neatly tagged with a long alphanumeric serial number.

  Sika led them down the wide center aisle to a small safe no more than a foot square set into the concrete of the rear wall. It was open. On a narrow table in front of it lay the twin to the original Scinte box, with a wire cage around it. On the top of the cage was a square lump of metal with a tiny red light on it glowing dully like an escaped cinder.

  “Looking for that?” asked Mr. Gray, stepping out from one of the shadowy rows behind them.

  Daniel snatched up the caged box and spun around to face him, heart pounding. “As a matter of a fact, yes. And now we’ll be going.”

 
; Mr. Gray smiled. “Be careful when you do. There’s a bit of plastic explosive in the top of that box wired to a smaller version of the restraint bracelet. If you attempt to Walk with that box, the Veil energy will set off the explosive. Much like the collar you’re wearing.”

  Daniel stiffened as Sika slapped a collar around his neck, the cold metal snapping shut with a tiny click.

  “Be cautious, Daniel,” said Sika. “I do not wish to see you dead.” His voice was flat, but not unfriendly. Businesslike. Daniel looked over his shoulder, but Sika wouldn’t meet his eyes.

  “Welcome back, Daniel,” said Gray. He plucked the Scinte case from Daniel’s fingers. “You’re an easy man to catch, aren’t you? We don’t need this as bait anymore, so why don’t we put it to good use, eh? Let’s go visit your friends.”

  The color drained out of Daniel’s face and his stomach turned over. “What do you mean, visit my friends? That’s not possible, they’re out of your reach.”

  Gray smiled, genuine amusement showing through. “Not possible? Every time I think I’ve got a handle on your arrogance, you manage to surprise me. Sika left a beacon behind for us to track, something a bit more powerful than the locators in the average Arc. It took several of our best trackers working in tandem to find it, but in the end it was no real challenge. I will admit, however, that we had never tried using multiple people to search the Veil together before. We simply didn’t know there was anything to look for. We owe you some thanks for showing us what was possible.”

  With that, Gray turned and led them out of the Vault.

  33

  They traveled the tunnels under the campus, Gray in the lead, Sika guarding from behind. Daniel felt empty. Collared and condemned, thinking of his friends under guard and helpless. He had no illusions about how narrowly they had managed to escape intact the last time, and then they had been prepared. Now they didn’t even have a place to run that the Guild couldn’t follow. It was over.

  They would all be labeled as traitors and be swollen with Arrat roots before long, staring blindly up with vision darkened by the invasion of the hairy filaments. He nearly stumbled shuddering at the mental image.

  Instead of taking him down to the cells as Daniel expected, Gray led them to an opulent wing of Walker Hall that he had never seen before. He ushered them down empty corridors full of graceful furniture and fresh flowers, gilt-bordered paintings and deep rugs underfoot. He opened one of the elaborately carved doors and guided Daniel and Sika in before he stepped in and closed it behind them. Inside stood a pair of guards with weapons trained on the interior.

  It appeared to be a conference room, with a long elegant table running down the center of the room and large porcelain whiteboards on the paneled walls. All of the plush leather chairs that would normally have surrounded the table were pushed to the rear of the room, and occupied by Bruce’s escapees who were sitting quietly with bound hands and feet. Standing around the table were Iyah, Bruce, Ekani, and Boro. Lying face down on the table was Saul, his shirt cut away and his wound packed with black, sodden cloth.

  Daniel rushed to the table and looked into Saul’s face. He was awake. “How are you feeling?”

  “Pretty shitty, except for my legs. Can’t feel them at all. You?”

  “Great. Got caught again, but I got some free jewelry out of the deal, so I’m good,” replied Daniel tapping one finger against the explosive collar he wore.

  “Nice, us too.” Saul rattled one arm weakly against the table, drawing Daniel’s gaze to the modified restraint band he had on, also sporting the new explosive nodule. Daniel glanced around and saw that anyone else who could touch the Veil was also wearing one.

  “We didn’t get very far, did we?” Daniel said quietly. “They even got Autumn in the bargain.”

  Saul started to chuckle, but it quickly turned into a painful, spasming gasp as the motion pulled at his torn back muscles. “Not exactly. They did follow Sika’s beacon, but the Wayguides they brought didn’t last long. They zoned out hard since they have to open themselves up to a world in order to Guide people in. It took all four Walkers in the expeditionary force to locate Olympus again and get us out.”

  “They can still use the beacon to get back, though.”

  Saul slid one hand painstakingly down the table and dipped it into his coat pocket, coming out with a thick cylinder. He pushed it towards Daniel with a grin. “You mean this one? Sika handed it over when the team arrived, and the expedition leader couldn’t help crowing about it when they showed up to capture us. He crouched down and planted it in the ground right next to me, giving me a smirk like he was rubbing my nose in it. So, as soon as we started to cross over, I just reached out a hand and brought it along for the ride.”

  Daniel laughed and clapped Saul gently on the shoulder, drawing the glances of the guards, but he didn’t care. A wave of relief bubbled up inside him as he realized that there was still a slim chance they might escape.

  Autumn wasn’t exactly a vacation spot, but as long as they stayed away from the nests, they were probably okay to use it as an escape route. Keeping his body between Saul and the guards at the front of the room, Daniel slipped the beacon under the table. He didn’t want it on anyone’s person if they left suddenly.

  There was a quiet knock, and Daniel turned to see a man in a Protector’s uniform tapping his knuckles on the doorframe. Gray turned as well, and the man leaned forward and quietly spoke to him. The man left and Gray turned back to the room.

  “It looks like the council is feeling nervous and would like to have the Scinte delivered to them in chambers,” said Gray, striding over to Sika. He opened the explosive cage and withdrew the box. As he handed the cage back to Sika, Daniel caught a glimpse of something else in his hand, but it was too quick to see what it was. He then turned and addressed the guards, “Come with me, I want a full escort in case there are more conspirators lurking around.”

  The guards looked puzzled. “Sir?” one ventured. “Maybe we should just call for another squad so that we can keep an eye on things here. Sir.”

  Gray shook his head. “No time. Sika can watch them as effectively as you, if not more so. Especially with them crippled with restraint bands. And if they try anything they’ll be blown to pieces. Let’s go.”

  He left the room with the unhappy guards in tow and closed the door.

  Daniel was dumbfounded. There was no reason for Gray to take the guards with him. Taking the Scinte from him would be like trying to take a pork chop out of a lion’s mouth, not to mention the folly of leaving the entire group unwatched save for one man. It was just plain stupid, something that even Daniel, who was no fan, could accuse Gray of being. Unless he did it on purpose. Several things that had been bothering him suddenly snapped together. He turned to Sika and said, “You aren’t really guarding us, are you?”

  Sika gave a wide smile and produced the small metal tube that Gray had handed him. “Not exactly.” Pulling out his knife, he walked over to Daniel. “May I?”

  Understanding, Daniel turned his head to the side, exposing his collar. With one deft flick, the metal band came away from his neck, neatly severed. Daniel breathed easier and rubbed his throat. Sika went around the room removing the explosive restraints and handing them to Daniel, who put them all into his backpack.

  When he was done, he walked over to Saul and gently pulled the crusty, blood soaked rags out of his wound. Saul gasped when the air hit the exposed flesh.

  Iyah was there instantly. “What are you doing?” she asked in a flat, dangerous voice. As far as she was concerned, any man who played as many sides as he did couldn’t be trusted. Sika stopped and passed her the tube.

  “Scinte, a gift from Gray. He stopped taking his annual dose a few years ago. I was going to apply it to Saul’s wound.”

  Iyah unscrewed the cap and sniffed hesitantly at the contents, which smelled strongly of licorice and damp earth.

  “Trust me,” said Sika.

  Iyah moved around the table unt
il she was standing nose to nose with Sika and looked him in the eyes. “I promise you that if he dies, you’ll follow screaming.” Sika shivered ever so slightly. Daniel didn’t blame him.

  “I give you my word.”

  Iyah looked down and gingerly poured the clear liquid into the wound. Saul visibly relaxed at once, as the pain began to fade. To Daniel’s Veil enhanced sight, Saul became incandescent as he funneled more and more power through his body, building until Daniel had to back off his sight to shield himself from the radiance.

  As he watched, something very peculiar happened. Saul seemed to be channeling as much power as was humanly possible, but after a few moments the painfully bright glow flared to stunning intensity. The currents surrounding Saul convulsed and contracted, condensing the Veil material itself to fit though the conduit that was Saul’s consciousness. Saul gasped and arched his back, his fingers digging into the hardwood table with a Channeler’s strength.

  With his normal sight, Daniel saw flesh and muscle writhing over the wound, pulling together to obscure the visible meat and bones in Saul’s lower back. Eventually, when all that was left was a patch of bumpy red scar tissue, Saul relaxed and the Veil compression faded, his subconscious backing off the primal need for power now that his wound was healed. Saul sat up shakily and ran his fingers over the new topology of his lower back.

  “Wow, that was … different,” he said.

  Daniel agreed, and then began pulling things out of his backpack, remembering the gear that he and Sika had recovered. He passed out silk armor and weapons to Saul and Iyah, and also gave her back her jacket, which she shrugged into gratefully. That left the sack empty save his collection of explosive restraints.

  He slung it back over his shoulder gingerly, his heart skipping a beat as he realized how lucky he was that the torrent of power Saul had just tapped hadn’t licked out and blown them all to confetti.