by Niranjan K
Raul was faint. “And none of these work on the Elite?”
Niki shook her head.
“How are we going to rescue Colin then?” Raul couldn't recognise his own voice.
“We need to come up with a plan.” Zain said.
“You’ll need to come up with one fast,” Alexander said. “Right now a thunderstorm on Hafi is keeping the Ansaris pinned down, but the moment it becomes safe for travel, they’ll be on the next shuttle. Also, Hafi isn’t Ignis. Which means that there are plenty of flights at all hours. Once your man’s in the Central Console, there won’t be anything any of you can do.” He paused. “My suggestion remains the same. Kill him before he leaves Hafi.”
Zain shook his head, “I can’t do that.”
“Your funeral,” Alexander shrugged. “But may I ask why?”
“Because,” Zain said, “if we don’t risk our all for this one man, then we’re letting down every person who believes in us. We let this one man die, and we’re letting them all die. We all need to know that we’ll take this chance for each one. Otherwise, we’re just a bunch of people who talk big, but are in fact cowards who hide in an inaccessible planet to keep our skins safe!”
“Unless you’re going to come here and save him, looks to me your skin’s going to be safe,” Alexander said.
“I would come there,” Zain said with a fierce pride that caused horripilation all over Raul’s body. “But as you yourself pointed out, the flights from Ignis are not frequent and they’re all booked days in advance.”
“Convenient,” Alexander murmured.
“Can you help us?” Zain asked. “I have people on all three planets ready to help. One of them even has the rudiments of a plan. We’re none of us well versed in this, in spite of what we are. Can you help us?”
Raul was astonished, particularly since Alexander didn’t laugh or turn down Zain with another mocking remark.
“My help,” Alexander said. “Comes with a price.”
He looked forbidding. Raul had a feeling that helping them was the last thing he wanted to do.
“We don’t have any money,” Zain said.
“I don’t need money. What I need is something you can provide.”
Zain frowned. “What is it?”
“I’d prefer it if we were to talk privately,” Alexander said.
Zain nodded, and Raul shook his head as he made his way towards the door, wishing he knew why that strange expression was on Alexander’s face.
Thirty Two
Zain Baako stared at the blank media wall. He wasn’t certain how he felt. He was furious, but also grudgingly admiring. Alexander Selwood certainly didn’t pull his punches when he wanted something, and as much as Zain would have liked to tell the man to go to hell, they needed him, and the bastard knew it.
When Zain asked if Selwood could help, he was thinking of something along the lines of advice. Eva and Maya had come up with an outline of a plan, and Lucas had given a few inputs to improve it, but not even Lucas could think when and where they were to ambush the Elite, or how they were going to get away afterwards. They had a few advantages. The portable teleportation blocker that Joyce had developed for one. Also, the fabric that she’d invented that would block spikes. For all that, their plan was still vague. Zain had hoped that as an immortal who had evaded capture for centuries, Selwood might be able to help them finalise it.
Instead, Selwood had taken the vague plan and told them how to make it work, told them he could try and get information on when Colin would be brought to Prith, showed them the best place to ambush the Elite, and offered him Quinn’s help for teleporting them out once they’d rescued Colin.
“Have you any more of those stasis guns?” he had asked. “Tranq guns and stun guns won’t keep the Elite down for long. They have equipment they carry on them at all times that will be able to break through the stasis fields generated by the guns too, but it’ll hold them long enough.”
“We’ve a couple,” Zain had said. “I’ll arrange for our team to get it.”
It was then that Selwood had put forward his condition. Asylum for Mason Davis and his family, and that too the very next day after they had rescued Colin.
“I know your history with him,” Selwood said, though he didn’t look at Zain while he said it. “But he’s not the same man now. And his family’s innocent.”
“So, the cost of your help is that we bring them to Ignis?” Zain had asked.
“Yes.” Selwood had looked at him then, and Zain could see the resolve on his face. “In the interest of full disclosure, I don’t give a damn for any of you. I want to bring Thaxter down, but I don't want to be a part of you to do it, and I’m not willing to risk my skin to do that either. But I will help you if you do this.”
Zain had known then that there was no other way. Would he have been so reluctant if Selwood had been seeking refuge for anyone except Mason Davis? After all, providing refuge to those who were trying to escape the State’s clutches was part of what they did, but Mason Davis... How did Selwood know him anyway, and why was he so interested in helping him?
Zain wished Sergio was still alive. He might perhaps have been able to throw some light on all this, but Sergio was dead and Alexander Selwood remained as much an enigma as ever.
He had agreed, but had made a few more demands to which Selwood had cheerfully acceded. It was strange that even after Selwood assented to everything, Zain should have been the one to feel disgruntled and unsettled. Probably because Selwood had concurred so readily while it had taken every ounce of strength Zain possessed to agree to what Selwood asked of him. Selwood’s compliments on the ingenuity of the plan, and its simplicity did nothing to make it any easier.
“I need two cryo units,” Zain had told him. “And you’ll have to tell my team how to operate one.”
“A cryo unit,” Selwood had said. “That’ll hold them. That’s genius, actually. The Ansaris are vindictive sons of bitches. They would have never stopped chasing you. But what were you planning to do if I hadn’t been here?”
Zain had shaken his head. “We were hoping to purchase a couple. There are a few companies that manufacture them.”
“Didn’t think you could afford them,” Selwood had observed quite dispassionately. “Good thing that you don’t have to find out if you can.”
Someone cleared their throat, and Zain turned to find Lucas.
“Davu and Niki sent me to see if you two are done,” Lucas said.
“You sound as if we were having sex or something,” Zain said drily.
Behind him, the media wall crackled to life, showing the different cities and towns on the three planets as well as the perimeter of the compound. This was their most secret and secured facility and apart from him and those who lived here, only Raul, Niki and Davu knew of it. Yet Selwood had found it within a day of arriving on Ignis. He had admitted to lying about how he found it initially, just saying that he had followed Raul using Quinn.
“Lucas,” he asked. “How well do you know Selwood?”
“I talk to him occasionally,” Lucas said, turning to look at Zain. “Mostly about Niek. Why?”
“No, no,” Zain took the third chair at the panel. “Before, I mean. Did you know him well? In the twenty third century?”
“I met him a total of two times,” Lucas said. “Both times were in the hospital. We were civil to each other. What is this about?’
“He wants us to grant asylum to a Rogue who has managed to stay off the Elites’ radar for a while.” Zain said.
Anyone else would have asked, “Isn’t that good for us? He could tell us all about Thaxter’s strengths and weaknesses, couldn’t he? And about the other Elite?”
What Lucas asked was, “Which one?” almost as if he knew, but then of everyone there, Lucas knew him best, including his history.
“Mason Davis,” Zain said, lowering his head, because he didn’t want Lucas to see how much it affected him.
“Oh my God, Zain,” Lucas’ h
and was on his shoulder, and Zain suddenly felt tears start to his eyes. “I’m so sorry. Does he know? Selwood?”
Zain nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
“Is this a bad time?” Amir spoke from the door and Zain hastily wiped his eyes. Lucas stayed where he was.
“Come back later,” he said.
“I would like to, but someone has to be on monitor duty,” Amir said as he moved towards the wall. “If you two need privacy, I can arrange it.”
“It’s all right,” Zain sighed. “It’s no big deal.”
“Obviously,” Amir said, his tone dry. “Who’s this Mason Davis?”
Zain breathed deeply, pulling himself back together. “Only the man who wiped out my entire family while he was part of the Elite,” he said, raising his head and looking at Amir. Talking about it made him feel he was four again, hiding beneath the corpses of his parents, and trying to stifle his sobs.
“Oh my God!” Amir said. “And he’s a Rogue now? What changed?”
Obviously Amir had been eavesdropping for a while.
Zain thought his laughter was a bit hysterical, and judging by the wary expressions on Lucas and Amir’s faces, they thought so too. He stopped before Lucas could do something like slap him or throw a jug of water over him.
“He fell in love,” he said, lips twisting. He could hear the contempt in his own voice.
“I thought this was real life,” Amir muttered.
“I guess shit happens in real life too,” Zain said. “But please keep this to yourselves. Not even Joyce is to know. Davu and Niki don’t know and I would like to keep it that way.”
“You’re not the only one that bastard has hurt,” Lucas said. “If he comes here, there’s going to be trouble.”
“Not if we don’t tell everyone who he is,” Zain said. “He’s changed his name, and you know very well that even those like me who have lost loved ones to him don’t really know what he looks like. They use simulators, you know, and memories blur with time.”
“So, what did you tell Alexander?” Amir asked.
“What can I tell him?” Zain shrugged. “The bastard has us by the balls, and he knows it. He can help us as no one else can. He even offered us his Sentient as a getaway.”
“He agreed to lend us Quinn?” Amir whistled. “He must really care for this guy. He did tell you that Quinn has a couple of built-in problems, didn’t he?”
Zain nodded. Selwood had been upfront about it. Any attempt at tampering would cause Quinn to leave, as would any possibility of being captured by the State. It could leave his team in trouble, but Alexander had assured them that Quinn wouldn’t leave at the first sign of trouble, but only if there was no other way to avoid capture.
“So, you agreed to help your parents’ murderer,” Lucas said softly.
“It isn’t just that,” Zain said. “No matter what Mason did, his family is innocent and we... this is what we do. Help people who need it, especially when it comes to escaping Thaxter.” He paused. “But I did get his agreement to provide us with the DNA masking technology and two Cryo units.”
“That’s all good,” Amir said. “But he’s asking us to shelter a monster.”
“Selwood says he’s changed,” Zain said.
Lucas snorted. “I guess he would know,” he said, his tone vicious.
Zain wished Lucas would get over his prejudice against Selwood. The man had changed. Why couldn’t Lucas see that? Why couldn’t he accept that? Perhaps there was a lesson for him there too. Perhaps Mason Davis had changed too, and he should try and put his anger and hatred of him aside.
Thirty Three
The space port was deserted, or at least it was clear of civilians. Eva Costas studied the structure as she sauntered towards one of the ticket counters. She had studied simulations of the place, but this was only the second time she was entering it.
Eva had been part of the Resistance for a few years now, and when Colin was arrested, she’d flown to Nizhoni to meet Raul Beltram. She would have flown to Ignis, but there were no direct space flights between Ignis and Hafi. She had come to ask Beltram to talk Zain into helping them rescue Colin. She had even had a rough idea of what to do, though she hadn’t much hopes that they would do it. It had surprised her when Zain had contacted her and gave them the go ahead.
Zain had also mobilized a team for her, which she was grateful for. Colin had been her friend for long, and though he’d all but severed his ties with the Resistance after his brother’s death, she still wasn’t prepared to abandon him, and Maya had agreed. Maya and Eva had been married for only six months, though they had been together for years. Eva wasn’t too happy that Maya was part of the mission, even though she wasn’t going to be part of the rescue team. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Maya, rather she was scared for her. For all that, it was still a comfort to have Maya on the team, and Eva couldn’t quite figure out the dichotomy within her either.
The space port was a large circular building shaped like a dome, and it was all glass. The entrance was sealed by a door which needed a fingerprint and a DNA signature to open, and it allowed only one person to enter at a time, unless it were the Elite. There was a Defender Base inside the space port, but it was some distance from the entrance. There was a row of ticket counters on the left side of the entrance. On the right side was the entry to the boarding area, through a corridor that hugged the outer wall of the dome. Luggages were transported aboard the shuttle through Nishati and none was allowed inside the spaceport, passengers having to leave them in the Nishati chamber just outside the Entrance to the right. The entrance scanners wouldn’t allow entry if there was even a hairpin on the person. Nothing but the clothes they wore. They had to remove even their shoes which would be returned once they boarded the shuttle along with whatever items they might need during the flight like medicines or a pad or a phone. All weapons were kept in Nishati until they returned. No weapon was allowed to be carried off planet unless the passenger was part of law enforcement. But if all went well, they wouldn’t need weapons.
The Defender base was on the left side of the corridor leading to the boarding area, and to its left was the corridor through which people arrived at Prith. The glass walls inside and out meant that the Defenders would have an unobstructed view of whatever was happening outside the port. Eva purchased three tickets to Hafi and four to Ignis from the bot manning the counter. The flight to Ignis was at 2400 at night, and the flight from Hafi would be coming in at 2230. That gave them less than two hours to effect a rescue, and to get away. The next flight to Ignis would be at 0630 the following morning, and she didn’t think they would have that much time. They had to be out of Prith today, and Eva didn’t even consider returning to Hafi.
As she waited, the shadow of a large man fell on her. Eva made no sign of recognition as Ludwig Dahlen loomed behind her and asked the bot for five tickets to Ignis. Having purchased the tickets, Ludwig sauntered over to the toilets which were the only area not covered by glass, and Eva went outside again.
The space port was set inside a large walled compound, and the gates were manned by a bot who checked all entrants’ fingerprints, and scanned them for weapons. Weapons were collected and deactivated before being handed back to be kept in the Nishati chamber at the entrance to the port. Eva had no idea why that was since it would have been more efficient for the bot to put it directly in Nishati. Teleportation was disabled inside the space port, and that was one thing that even the Elite was not exempt from. In fact, almost their entire plan hinged on that.
Eva strolled over to the teleportation point which was at a distance of fifteen feet from the entrance of the space port to the left. Fifteen feet was the minimum safe distance not to be affected by the teleportation blocker that covered the space port. It stood to reason that the Elite would try to teleport from there. She stumbled, and fell, breaking her fall with her hands while placing the mini blocker that one of the Resistance’s scientists had developed on the ground. It had a built in
camouflage, a radius of ten feet, and would be effective for an hour. It could also be disabled before that time by a remote that Ada would be carrying.
Ada Tastad was from Prith, just like Ludwig, and both of them had volunteered for this mission. Though Eva was meeting them all for the first time, she already trusted them. Ada and Ludwig would be accompanying her and Tang Bau in the rescue. Tang was from Aeras and talked very little. Maya and Fabio Albani would be waiting at the rendezvous point while Lee Sung would be inside the port, disabling as much of the monitoring and scanning tech as he could. Fabio was also from Aeras, but he’d been to Prith before and knew the city of Nizhoni well. Lee was from Prith and he worked for the company that had developed and sold the monitoring and scanning technology to the port.
Eva brushed off the dust from her hands as she rose and checked the time. It was 2200. She knew that timing was crucial. They had to put out of commission the two Elite, rescue Colin, and get away before the Defenders could interfere or the Elite could call for backup. They had a plan to put the Defenders out of the picture as well, but it was better to be prepared for any eventuality.
They would all be using simulators to alter their appearance and Ludwig had a spare one for Colin. Since none of them would be entering the space port itself in their disguises, no alerts would be thrown when they entered it later as themselves to catch their flights. They were using fake IDs and fingerprints now, but once they succeeded, they could use their own prints. Raul and Zain had assured her that the tech expert they had would have erased all Colin’s prints from the system by then, and he could use his own prints and DNA to enter the port without alerting anyone.
She brushed the dust from her clothes, and her fingers slid over the smooth fabric of her shirt. Beltram had told her it would block spikes. The shirt was full sleeved and had a high neck so that the only exposed part of her upper body was her face. Her pants and socks were also of the same material. It felt flimsy to touch, light and smooth, and if she didn’t trust the scientists who created it, she would never have believed it could stop a spike. All seven of them had it, and masks and gloves as well, to be worn while facing the Elite, and she hoped it would be enough to protect them from the spikes. A spare overall with gloves and masks was also provided for Colin’s use.
