by Ailx Nichols
His hands no longer shook, but his thoughts were still muddled. They’d been like this since he’d gone to Lanterns earlier today. He’d been so happy, so eager to see Haysi again! But she’d vanished. As had Maggi. Iyatt had questioned everyone he could find in the vicinity of Haysi’s parlor and Mother Vada’s brothel. But no one had noticed anything unusual.
Maybe they truly hadn’t. Or maybe the Lanterns denizens had been too scared to tell him what they’d witnessed. Their reasons were immaterial. What mattered was that Haysi was nowhere to be seen. The door to her parlor had been left unlocked—which never happened—and she hadn’t left so much as a brief note for him.
He’d returned to his house, hoping to find her waiting for him there. Then Rhori pinged to tell him to sit tight and wait. That was all the carpenter had told him over the commlet. Needless to say, Iyatt had begun to fear the worst—that Haysi was no more. Killed. Taken away from him, like Unie earlier this year, by the thugs who ruled the realm.
Now he knew Ultek had Haysi.
It was breaking his heart, but he couldn’t afford to wallow. She was alive. He had to hold on to that thought.
Alive.
Regardless of what Ultek would do to her—or was doing to her at this very moment—the monster wouldn’t kill her tonight. It wasn’t his habit. He’d keep her with the other women and use her until she succumbed to an illness or an “unfortunate accident.” Ultek referred to such losses as “wear and tear.”
Another shudder ran through Iyatt’s body, biliousness rising in the pit of his stomach.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Must be Rhori,” Lippin said. “We dropped him off not far from Government House.”
The instant Iyatt opened the door, Rhori gave him a one-armed hug. He held his side with the other hand and his breathing was pained. It looked like he’d run all the way here.
“I have… good… news,” the carpenter managed.
Iyatt could barely resist the urge to shake it from him.
Rhori gulped down a few breaths. “Ultek’s motor vehicle is parked in front of Government House.”
The news was better than good. That Ultek was in Government House meant he couldn’t be in his own right now. Which, in turn, meant he couldn’t be in the basement, subjecting Haysi to pain and degradation.
“I overheard his driver chat with the other drivers as they waited outside,” Rhori said. “Their bosses were convened for an emergency meeting.”
Lippin’s voice carried from the main room. “I bet it’s about Achlins Ghaw’s disappearance!”
“That would be my guess, too,” Rhori said. “The drivers expected the meeting to go on for a while.”
“Good!” Iyatt headed to the main room.
It was time to act. Iyatt had to break into Ultek’s house and extract Haysi before the police chief got home from Orogate.
He just needed to figure out how.
How did you break into a well-guarded stronghold, which was more like a small fortress than a private house?
Sharply, he turned to Lippin. “You’re good with tech, aren’t you?”
The locksmith bobbed his head.
Iyatt whipped out his commlet and thrust it into Lippin’s hand. “Jancel believes Voqras had spying devices installed in Ultek’s house.”
“If I were Voqras, I’d do the same.”
“Do you think…” Iyatt swept his hands over his face, knowing the idea was too far-fetched. “Do you think you could intercept the signal those devices broadcast to Voqras’s people?”
Lippin returned Iyatt’s commlet. “I have my own now, thanks to Rhori and Timm.”
“So, can you do it?” Iyatt asked again.
“I don’t know.” Lippin began to manipulate his commlet, pressing keys like a madman. “I can write a set of commands, a simple program, that will cycle through all local wavelengths. I’ll set it to look for local signals only, so we don’t get interference from the satellite.”
Iyatt leaned forward, watching the commlet screen. “How long will it take?”
“Anywhere between five seconds and five hundred hours.”
Gasping with disappointment, Iyatt looked at Lippin’s focused face and then back at the screen.
Lines of symbols ran across it, then paused, then ran again, then paused again, in a loop.
Iyatt didn’t have five hundred hours.
He had one. Two, at best.
“You do that,” he said. “But I won’t be able to wait.”
As he turned away from Lippin, his commlet buzzed. It was Timm.
“I flew over Ultek’s house so many times my head is turning,” the cyborg said.
“And?”
“I’ve mapped all the doors and windows, the patterns of the guards’ rounds. There are seven armed men patrolling the grounds, including two snipers on the roof.”
“Weak points?”
“Only two that I was able to detect,” Timm said. “Will send you the details in a moment. I was hoping to spot a ventilation grille to the basement, but no luck.”
“It’s a private house,” Iyatt said. “Much bigger than mine but built around the same time. I wouldn’t expect a single large shaft, but rather several small ones.”
“That explains it.”
There were distant voices in the background.
“Six guards left,” Timm said. “One just called it a day.”
“Good!”
“You can take my wheels to get here.”
“Thank you.”
Last month, Timm had taught Iyatt, Jancel, Lippin and Rhori to drive his motor vehicle. “Just in case,” he’d said, adding with a wink, “For example, if you need to save my ass.” Oh, how Iyatt wished the “just in case” hadn’t involved Haysi!
“Do you still have your blaster?” Timm asked.
“Yes.”
Reverend Zammi had made him promise he’d never own or touch a weapon again. Given his history, it was the best he could do to protect others and himself. From himself.
But Iyatt did own a blaster these days. He’d even become a good marksman. What with his involvement in the Association, he didn’t have a choice.
That being said, he hoped to the Goddess he’d never have to shoot anyone with it.
“Good,” Timm said. “Blasters come with night vision. It’s pitch-dark here, and we have the disadvantage of not knowing the terrain as well as the guards do.”
That was a good point—a point not to be taken lightly, considering what was at stake.
Timm spoke again. “I’ll dash home for my gun. It won’t take long. Can you stay put until I ping you?”
“Why?” Iyatt frowned. “I could have a head start—”
“Because you need me for this op, from beginning to end.” Timm’s tone was vehement. “Trust me.”
They ended the call with Timm saying, “Itkis, over.”
Lippin’s commlet emitted a noise, and Iyatt glanced at it. The lines of code were no longer running on the screen. Instead, two words appeared: Program end.
Underneath there was a set of numbers.
“I don’t believe it!” Lippin looked from Iyatt to Maggi to Rhori. “It may be another nonsatellite wavelength, but I can’t imagine there are that many—”
Voices poured from his commlet, and he shut up. They were faint but still comprehensible.
“I want to strip her,” a man said.
Noises that sounded like slaps were followed by three men talking at the same time, their voices too jumbled to make out their words.
“Why do you resist, Haysimina?” one voice boomed over the rest. “Last I checked, you dance half-naked for a living?”
“Ouch! She bit me, Kanwo!” another man screamed.
More slapping.
Iyatt pressed his palms to his ears. “I can’t listen to this.” He turned to Lippin, “Take it to another room! I can’t… You’ll tell me if you hear anything I should know.”
Before Lippin was able to clear the room, Iyatt he
ard one more thing.
“Step away from her,” the man with a deep voice said in a commanding tone. “We shouldn’t undress her until Chief Ultek arrives. You know the drill. The boss breaks the girl in. We’ll all have a go, but only when he says.”
A wild roar reverberated in the room. Iyatt’s roar. It had come from Iyatt’s throat. His mind was burning, consumed by rage.
Stop! He needed to calm down so he could think straight. Anger wouldn’t save Haysi. It might fuel him and thrust him into action, but without a clear plan he would only make things worse.
I know that better than anyone.
He slammed his fist into the wall, making a ragged dent. Pain scorched his hand and blood stained his knuckles. It helped some. Iyatt wiped the back of his hand on his dark pants and pushed his rage into the recesses of his mind.
When he turned toward his friends, his expression was stony. “It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”
Twenty-Two
Rhori rushed to Iyatt and grabbed his shoulders. “It isn’t your fault, you hear me?”
“You don’t know what I’ve done.” Iyatt gave his friend a hard stare. “And, what I haven’t done.”
Rhori couldn’t know Iyatt had failed to warn Haysi properly about Ultek, putting the interests of the Association above her safety. It had been a mistake to withhold from her that the police chief was none other than the girl snatcher.
Rhori had no idea how reckless, how nearsighted Iyatt had been in assuming Ultek wouldn’t be interested in Haysi. After all, she was a Lanterns belly dancer, Iyatt had reasoned. If she crossed Ultek’s path, he’d see her as a harlot. Ultek didn’t care for harlots.
What was I thinking?!
Instead of lulling himself into a false sense of security, Iyatt should’ve taken her somewhere far away.
“It doesn’t matter now.” He trained his unwavering gaze on Rhori. “There’s no time. I must get going.”
Pushing past Rhori, he headed to the junk room where he kept his blaster.
“Hold it, Samurai!” Lippin called after him. “We need Timm to stack the odds in our favor.”
“In Haysi’s favor,” Maggi added quietly.
Iyatt halted midstride.
Breathe. Calm the rage. Think.
He pressed his forehead to the door between the two rooms.
“Ten minutes,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’ll give him exactly ten minutes and not a second more.”
Swinging the door open, he went to the middle of the room and dislodged three floorboards. He took a blaster, crampons, gloves and a hooded mask from the hiding place. Rising to his feet, he packed the crampons and hooded mask into a small backpack, holstered the blaster, and slipped on a jacket to conceal it.
Rhori tapped his back. “Hey, do you seriously expect me to let you do it alone?”
“Yes, I do.” Iyatt crossed his arms.
“I’m a clandestine wrestling champion, remember?” Rhori quirked an eyebrow. “Wrestling may not be as cool as Rateh, but I can knock out a guard or three for you.”
“Do you have a weapon?”
“I do now,” Rhori said. “A dart gun.”
“What kind of darts?”
“Nonlethal. The tips are filled with a potent tranquilizer that will put the target to sleep.”
Iyatt uncrossed his arms.
“With some luck,” Rhori said, “I could sedate half the guards before you need to fire your blaster.”
“You won’t be able to see them.” Iyatt was thinking as he spoke. “Timm said only the front porch is well lit.”
Rhori chewed at his lip. “I don’t suppose a flashlight would be a good idea.”
“At the police station, there are night vision goggles in the supply room.” Iyatt turned to Lippin. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but do you think you could pick the lock to that room, what with you being a locksmith?”
“Can you describe the lock?” Lippin asked.
“It doesn’t seem overly sophisticated to me, but I’m no expert.”
Lippin beamed. “Shouldn’t be a problem. I brought over some of my tools, just in case.”
“Then we need to go there first,” Iyatt said. “I’ll sneak you in.”
“How?” Lippin asked.
“There’s a small window without bars on the second floor of the west wing. I’ll open it from inside. Can you climb up to the second floor?”
Winking to Lippin, Rhori rolled his shoulders back, standing even taller than his usual towering self. “I’ll lift you up.”
A faint smile touched Iyatt’s lips. If Lippin began the climb from Rhori’s shoulders he’d be almost halfway there.
Crouching over his hiding place again, Iyatt fished out two additional pairs of crampons, gloves and hooded masks.
Pointing out the crampons, he explained, “These will come in handy to get into the police station and into Ultek’s house.”
He demonstrated how to attach them to shoes before thrusting a pair into Lippin’s and Rhori’s hands along with the masks and gloves.
“Fancy that, Samurai Martenn!” Rhori arched an eyebrow. “You’re the last person on Hente I would’ve suspected of owning robber’s accessories.”
“In multiple sets,” Lippin added, bowing his head with exaggerated respect.
The men shoved the gear into their pockets.
“What happens once you and I are inside the police station?” Lippin asked Iyatt.
“I’ll show you where the supply room is. Then I’ll go to the communal room and create a diversion.”
“Of what kind?”
“I’ll pretend I’m drunk and tell them a salacious joke,” Iyatt said.
Lippin wiggled his head. “You’re never drunk, and you don’t tell dirty jokes. It would be suspicious.”
“Don’t the cops call you ‘Saint Samurai’ behind your back?” Rhori asked teasingly.
Iyatt waved him off. “What matters is that they’ll all gather around me and give me their full attention.”
“No one would want to miss out on Samurai Martenn telling a dirty joke,” Maggi said, entering the room. “I, for one, wouldn’t.”
“All right,” Lippin said. “So, while you entertain them, I pick the lock and get the goggles, right?”
Iyatt confirmed.
“What about the armory?” Rhori asked.
“Too well guarded.” Iyatt wedged the floorboards back into place. “We better leave it alone.”
“Understood.” Rhori checked his watch. “Timm will call any moment now.”
While they waited, Iyatt tried to go over the details of his plan, but all he could think of was how he’d failed Haysi.
He’d silenced his heart and judged her for failings she didn’t have.
Who gave me the right to do that? Even vestals refused to judge, and they were a lot saintlier than he was. After his conversation with Jancel about Hawina, he’d found the Book of Xereill passage his friend had referred to. It was now etched into his mind.
My children,
Before you judge others,
stop and consider your true motives.
Does despising them make you feel cleaner?
Does magnifying their sins minimize yours?
Does downplaying their worth boost your own?
The verse now hit even closer to home than the first time Iyatt had read it. If he’d stopped to examine his true motives before discrediting Haysi, he would’ve seen what it had really been about. A deplorable attempt to feel less ashamed of his past. To feel better about himself.
He recalled his rejected proposal.
Deep in his heart, he’d known why he wanted to marry her, but he hadn’t been brave enough to confess it. Not even brave enough to admit it to himself. Instead, he’d come up with a justification that must’ve sounded shallow to her.
No wonder she’d said no.
He owed Haysi a huge apology. And amends, bucketfuls of amends. If they survived today, he’d prostrate himself at her feet
and pledge eternal fealty. Married or not, lovers or not, he’d serve her for the rest of his days. Because he wanted to. Because she deserved it.
Because I’ve fallen in love with her.
Iyatt let the realization sink in, then glanced at his watch and pinged Timm. But the cyborg didn’t respond. That could presage a bad development. Or, it could simply be due to Timm flying or being somewhere with no signal.
Rhori’s deep voice startled him. “How much did Jancel tell you about Achlins Ghaw?”
“Only that he was in the Refuge now after a narrow escape.” Iyatt rubbed his temples, forcing himself to focus. “Oh, and that Ghaw was going to share something about Yvory Ultek at the next Fulcrum meeting.”
“That’s what I’ve been told, too, but no further details,” Lippin said.
Iyatt leaned against the wall. “I’ve always thought of Dame Ultek as a victim of her husband’s, not an accomplice.”
“Having seen the woman a few times, my gut tells me you’re right,” Rhori said.
“She might be willing to help once we’re inside the house,” Lippin chimed in.
Canting his head, Iyatt stared Lippin in the eye. “We? Did you just say we?”
“Yes, that’s what I said.” Lippin lifted his head. “If you’re hoping to get in quietly, you’ll need my skills, just like for the police station.”
“I’m coming, too,” Maggi said. “You don’t expect me to sit here, warm and cozy, while you’re risking your lives to save my best friend, do you?”
“I understand the sentiment,” Iyatt said. “But, frankly, you’ll be more useful if you stay here.” He handed Maggi his commlet. “Do you know how to use it?”
Maggi shot Lippin a glance. “Yes. I’ve had quite a bit of practice since Lippin bought one.”
“Ping Rhori if Timm calls or shows up,” Iyatt said before adding, “We’ll keep Lippin’s commlet tuned to Voqras’s channel.”
“He should’ve been here by now.” Rhori checked his watch. “Do you think something went wrong?”
“I don’t know,” Iyatt said. “And I’m not waiting around to find out.”
When Iyatt finished telling the two dozen cops gathered around him his raunchy joke, the police station building shook with the men’s laughter.