by Blake Vanier
Korbin dusts off his hands. “So, how much longer do we need to wait around, Nero?”
Please, hurry up. “Not much longer. I hope.” Nero glances at his watch. It is four minutes past nine. Should we just go now? What if the signal doesn't come, and we're trapped? What if I already missed it? More guards could come at any moment! Nero forces himself to wait. “The woman said I would know the signal…” If she follows through.
Each time they hear footsteps running down the hall, they hold their breath.
Korbin jumps up and fidgets with his hands. “I've had enough. We should really go,” He swings his arm through the air, pointing at the door. “If we stay any longer, we’re just going―”
KABOOM!
The explosion sends a shiver through the ship, jarring the children to the bone. They almost fall over. The lights dim. Red warning lights and alarms go off. Everyone turns to Nero, open-mouthed.
Good Lord! Nero forces a half smile. “I think that was it.”
“Uh, you think?” Iona says. “Who is this woman?”
“I don’t know, but she’s crazy,” Nero says with extra emphasis.
“She’s certainly not messing around,” Ryder says. He steps forward. “So, I guess up and out?”
Nero nods.
“I’ll lead, then.” He cracks the bulkhead open and peers through, waving everyone forward. “Okay, stay close, and follow me.”
Ryder leads the children through the maze of the ship's innards, losing their way several times. Fortunately, they easily blend in with the other children and the crew pays them no mind. The warning siren hits a new note when they reach the exit. Red flashing lights illuminate the dark night. Cool fresh air fills Nero's lungs. He runs to the edge and looks down the railing in both directions. He spots something hanging over the edge. The rest of the children follow as he runs toward it.
Nero sees a small boat at the bottom of the ladder. “Here's our exit.”
Ryder glances over. “Good. Alright, one at a time. The rest of us will hide. Thea, you're first.”
Thea descends the ladder while the others wait in the shadows. A few sailors run within meters of their hiding spot, but none notice. After Iona climbs down the ladder, Nero, Korbin, and Ryder make the trip. The little boat rocks dangerously back and forth as the children settle. Ryder unlatches the ladder and rows toward shore.
Korbin thumps Nero on the back. “That was great, Nero. I would’ve never guessed you’d rescue us.”
Thea pushes Korbin. “Whatever, Korb.” She looks at Nero, beaming with excitement. “I knew you'd come get us.”
Ryder pulls back on the paddles. “I'm seriously impressed. I'm not sure any one of us could have done better.”
Korbin's smile fades. “Speak for yourself. If Nero did it, I could do it.”
Nero feels a strange glow from the pit of his stomach. A grin spreads across his face.
“How the heck did you do it?” Iona asks. “The ladder alone must have weighed a ton.”
“The Woman from the forest helped me,” Nero replies.
Iona raises an eyebrow. “Huh? You mean the one that attacked you?”
“Well, yeah, but she actually turned out to be… helpful. She taught me how to use Aether!”
Korbin chokes. “The crazy hobo woman taught you to use Aether? Did little magical fairies and an army of goblins help you, too? Why would she help anyways?”
“I don't know.” Nero looks at the bottom of the boat. “Maybe she felt bad that you all were going to be sold as slaves.”
Suddenly the sirens fall silent. The warning lights turn off. Voices from the crew are now audible over the short distance. A sailor stops at the railing, peering over the edge. He yells something to the upper decks of the ship. A spotlight zooms over the water, tracing back and forth. Korbin jumps next to Ryder, grabbing a paddle. They both row frantically, zigzagging the boat across the water.
Several more spotlights burn holes through the darkness. One passes within a meter of the boat.
Nero clenches his seat. “Hurry up. We can’t get caught!”
Ryder pulls back hard on the row. “No duh.” Sweat glistens on his forehead.
Nero watches as a spotlight sweeps around, heading straight for them. He puts his head down, closing his eyes.
“Dang it!” Ryder yells. “Faster, Korb, we need to get to shore.”
Nero opens his eyes. The boat is flooded with light, the spotlight pointing directly on them. The voices from the ship zip over the water like an angry mob.
They hit the edge of the walkway, unloading as fast as the boat will let them in the glow of the giant spotlight. Nero looks back at the pier, using his hand to block the light. Men are yelling and getting closer.
Ryder grabs his arm. “Come on!”
“The Market!” Nero yells. They all start to run.
The children sprint down the walkway. Ryder is pulling Nero as fast as he can go. They make it to the outer edge of the Market area, passing a restaurant with an outdoor patio. People at the tables are staring toward the waterfront.
Ryder glances back and speeds up. “Run, Nero. Faster! They’re not stopping!”
The Market is surprisingly empty; everyone is standing at the edge of the bay, chatting amongst themselves. Suddenly, Nero's collar tightens around his neck. He is yanked backward, out of Ryder's grasp. Ryder looks back in shock. He is quickly taken by another sailor. Large hands cover their mouths. The sailors drag them back the way they came as they struggle uselessly. Three other men spread themselves out to shield the two children from curious onlookers.
The sailor holding Nero leans close, whispering into his ear. “Your friends might’ve got away, but that just means there's only two of you to take the punishment. And the Cap’n won't stop until he's satisfied.” Nero can hear the smile in the man's chuckle. “The boys and I start a little bet in these situations. I'll put my money on you not surviving half an hour.”
A deep grizzled voice sounds from behind the guards, freezing them in place. “Excuse me, gentlemen.”
The sailors holding Nero and Ryder spin around. A huge figure, easily a half-meter taller than the thugs, looms in the darkness. The lights from the surrounding buildings shine off his dark skin. He has long braided hair and scars lining the side of his expressionless face. A toothpick hangs from the corner of his mouth.
The sailor holding Nero steps forward. “Who you calling gentle?”
“Forgive me.” The man dips his head. “I'm going to have to ask you toilet scum to leave the children alone,” he says with an air of indifference.
The sailor growls. “Mind your own business, or we’ll smash your face in.”
The stranger opens his hands to the children. “Unfortunately, this is now my business, so―” He pulls out his toothpick and rolls it in his fingers, then shrugs. “I guess I could use a makeover.”
“You’re going to regret this.” The sailor signals and the other men charge.
The stranger flicks his toothpick in the face of the nearest sailor and plants his foot in the middle of the man’s chest, propelling him backward. He dodges as the heavy fist of a second sailor whistles toward him. He pulls the arm past him, driving a knee into the thug’s gut. With catlike celerity, the stranger spins to strike the third in the side of the face with his foot.
Landing nimbly on the balls of his feet, he casually regards the scene; two standing sailors still gripping the children’s arms, and three men on the ground. He touches his face and speaks without a hint of exertion. “Not much of an improvement. I would give your friends a hand if I were you. They don’t look so good.”
The two sailors let go of Ryder and Nero. Then, with an encouraging nod from the stranger, they help the other three up and shuffle them back toward the ship.
Ryder steps toward the huge man. “Thank you, Sir. That was amazing!”
The stranger looks down at Ryder. “Beating up someone weaker than you is not something to be proud of. Why were they ch
asing you?”
“We just escaped from their boat,” Ryder says.
“Did they kidnap you?”
Ryder nods. “Yeah, yesterday.”
“Where are your parents?” He asks.
“Uh, they’re at home,” Ryder says.
Iona, Thea, and Korbin appear next to Ryder and Nero, breathless.
The large man looks at the children then back to Ryder. “I don’t believe that. Do you have a place to go?”
“Yeah,” Nero says.
The man turns on Nero. “And you have a plan for tomorrow? What if they search for you?”
“We’ll manage,” Ryder says.
“Oh, yeah? It looks like you had everything under control just a moment ago. I’m sorry I interfered. Goodnight.”
The man starts to walk off, but Thea runs up to him, hugging his massive leg. “Thanks for saving them, Mister.”
The man stops and looks down at Thea, still holding his leg. He pushes her away. After a moment, he turns to face the children, looking at Nero intensely. “Where are you staying tonight?”
Nero takes a step backward.
“I know you aren’t from Blue Horin,” the stranger says. “Just tell me what your plan is, and I may be able to help.”
“At a hotel,” Nero says.
The man shakes his head. “That won’t work. If you had something to do with the explosion tonight, the Traffickers will hunt you down. They have a reputation to uphold, and they’ll intimidate anyone that has information on you. That includes the employees at the hotel. Is there anyone you can trust?”
Nero hesitates, then shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”
The stranger’s gaze falls on Ryder. “This is how you plan to manage?” He pulls a small metal cylinder out of his pocket, twirling it about his fingers several times until he catches it in his fist. He closes his eyes. A low grumble rumbles from his throat. “Alright, I can provide you with a safe place to stay tonight.”
“What?” Ryder asks.
“It’s the best option.”
“How can we trust you? How do we know you're not just going to lock us away somewhere else?” Ryder asks.
The man twists the metal cylinder apart, pulling out a toothpick. “You have no reason to trust me, but I promise I won’t do anything to harm you or your friends. As a Borukin vow, that should be worth something. Let us at least talk about this in some privacy,” he says, nodding his head toward a few people watching them. Ryder glances around, then looks back at the stranger. After a moment the stranger pulls out a set of keys from his pocket. “Here,” he says, holding them out to Ryder. “These are my keys to everything I own. A gesture of good faith. I’m leaving now, with or without you. You better make up your mind.”
Ryder hesitates but then steps forward and takes them. “Okay, lead the way.”
The large man gracefully moves through the side streets. After ten minutes, he stops at a back door in a dark alley. “This is the back of my shop. Please, open the door for me.”
The stranger helps Ryder select the key and the door opens to a soft glow. “My name is Sosimo,” he says. “I guarantee you’ll be safe here, but do as you will. If you decide to go, please leave my keys.” He dips his head and disappears inside the doorway, ducking under the frame.
Ryder turns to the others. “So, what do you think?”
“He doesn’t seem too bad, just sad or something,” Thea says. “He did save you guys, so that’s something.”
“Yeah, but Totos didn't seem too bad either. And look where that got us,” Korbin says, throwing up his arms.
“That's a good point,” Ryder says. “But, what else can we do?”
Nero steps forward. “There’s the hotel room, but it’s back the direction we came.”
Ryder pushes on his front teeth with his thumb. “That's risky. We could bump into men from the ship. Besides, there might not be someone to help us. And like the guy said, anyone could tip them off if we’re seen.”
Iona nods. “We're going to have to take a leap here. He hasn't done anything that makes me nervous yet. Plus, he just gave us all his keys. That's a pretty big risk on his part. I say we go in and feel it out. We can always sneak out later if something doesn't feel right.”
“I agree,” Ryder says, nodding. “Well, let’s hope for the best.” He leads the way inside.
11
Kabel Reikyn
Isis
Isis’s head falls to her chest again. She jerks. The morning light is just spilling over the horizon. It illuminates the city of Sunta and the walls of her office. She sets her jacket―which had been lying on her legs―to the side as she stands up from her desk chair. She stretches; a yawn grips her and a shiver runs through her body.
Isis grabs one of the canisters found at the children’s hideout and walks to the window. How could they have been so stupid to go into the forest… If I can’t find them, then I need to find Reikyn. She moves back to her desk, uses her screen as a mirror to fix her hair, then calls Lieutenant Colonel Phillips.
Phillips pops up on her screen, wearing light infantry gear and a clear visor. “Ma’am. I was just about to contact you.”
“Tell me you found Reikyn.”
“I’m sorry, Ma’am, we haven’t yet.”
“Are you telling me you can’t find one person with two companies? Are you telling me you’re incapable of performing your duty? Are you telling me that I need to find someone else for your position? Because that’s what I’m hearing, Phillips, and I’m in no mood for this type of news. You’ve had more than enough resources to find this man. What’s your excuse?”
“I understand, Ma’am, and under normal circumstances I would agree with you. But the intel on our target hasn’t been accurate up to this point. It’s moving at a much greater speed than a class two Human on foot should, and it took out one of my squads.”
“‘It, Phillips?” Isis asks.
“We’re tracking something hostile, that’s for sure, but some of the samples we took from the contact point with squadron three don’t agree with anything we’ve seen before.”
“Elaborate, Phillips. I don’t have all day. How could one low class Human do this?”
“I’m sorry, Ma’am. I think this is something you need to see for yourself. This situation needs to be reassessed.”
“Damnit, Phillips, this is hardly something I have time for.”
“I know, Ma’am. I wouldn’t request your presence unless it was serious.”
Isis taps a button that says ‘location’ below Phillips’ name. The screen toggles to a map of the mountains many kilometers from the foothills. She selects, ‘Travel to,’ ‘From Current Location’, ‘Immediately’, and ‘by Levitraft’. Her computer outputs total distance and estimated time considering travel and vehicle availability. She flips back to the visual of the Captain. “I'll be there in a little over an hour. I hope―for your sake―this is worth my time.”
“It is, Ma'am.”
Isis reaches toward the ‘end call’ button. “Did you find anything on the runaway orphans?”
“No, Ma'am. I have people watching the forest to see if they were flushed out… but considering the trouble we had, I don’t think we’ll find them.”
Isis nods, ending the call. A countdown of the estimated arrival of her levitraft shows on the screen. She watches the numbers tick down as frustration smothers her mind. Her whole body yearns to lash out. Alright, enough. This isn’t solving anything. With difficulty, she imagines herself in a scene where she is commanding a group of generals looking to her with the utmost respect. In time. Solve these problems, and you’ll be one step closer.
When she opens her eyes again, several minutes have elapsed on her levitraft countdown. She swipes it away, pulling up a map of Sunta, New Lur, Ferin Forest, and the mountains. If they went into the forest, where were they going? She pans the map over, so Blue Horin Bay comes into view on the opposite side of the river. It does look to be the shortest route f
rom New Lur to any other location. Is there any chance they could have made it through? She runs her thumb over the edge of her ear. If they have information on more ancient technology, then I have to assume they made it… It would be careless otherwise.
She switches her screen back to the home menu and calls her assistant.
A video feed appears. “What can I do for you, Ma'am?” He asks.
“I'll be leaving momentarily. Make a flier from one of the pictures of the children and put Fae's name on the front, urging them to come home. Send it to me when you’re done. Gather all the info on the children you can. Where they came from, medical records, history. Also, send me any information on the terrorist member we’re tracking. I would like to review all of this on my flight.”
“Yes, Ma'am. I'll have that ready as soon as possible.”
“Good.” Isis ends the call and starts another to Dr. Grantov. The call is unanswered. She calls back―three more times―until someone picks up.
A meticulously groomed old man in a lab coat appears on her screen. “Do you bedevil everyone like a spoiled child to get what you want?”
“When I call, Doctor, I expect you to answer.”
“Science is the only thing I must answer to. What do you want?”
“What’s the status on Fae?”
“Who?”
“Fae Underwood. An old, non-Erohsian woman?”
“The subject expired last night,” Dr. Grantov says casually.
“What? Were you planning on informing me?”
“Would you like me to inform you when I go to the bathroom, too? My science cannot wait for such trivialities.”
“Did you at least discover anything before you killed her?”
“Killed her? I barely got through the first layer of her consciousness before she died. It was hardly my doing. There needs to be a certain amount of will to live in order to survive the scans you ordered. It helps when a patient resists; it makes following the memory threads easier and calibrates the intensity of the sweep. Without resistance, the Aether used in the sweep was amplified greatly and it burned through her like a dry field of wheat. It was a noteworthy demonstration of mind control―but overall a disappointing subject. If she was hiding something, she took it with her.”