“I’ve already arranged for her release.” Lady Meralla Meetcher spoke quickly. “The prince will take her through the hov lot and out back where Lady Merisia Restler will be waiting with a hov. My men will think I’m taking an evening drive with the lady and her friend, a young man by the name of Talyon Keldor. He will—”
“Taly?” Kiata asked, surprised. She had not seen the boy since saving him from the Porit viper years earlier, but she had often wondered how he fared. He might even be a man by now. She pulled the dagger away a little but not enough to make Lady Meetcher feel too comfortable.
Confusion crossed the lady’s face.
“I’ve never heard him addressed informally but that would make sense.”
Ponder Taly later.
“Is the Ranger all right?”
Kiata watched as Lady Meetcher pieced the story together. Donovan Meetcher had been as mad as a ferbel dropped into a bucket of cold water when four of his people had disappeared in one night. Todd’s homing beacon had led to two trussed-up men early this morning, but the other two were still missing. Meetcher had wanted to have a long conversation with Kiata, but she had been dodging his men the whole day.
“Ireea?”
Kiata hissed and pressed the dagger against Lady Meetcher’s throat again.
“Wait! I mean you no harm. You’re in danger too. It’s close to seven now. I came back for their weapons. They’re over in that trunk.” Lady Meetcher flicked her eyes in the proper direction. “Go to sublevel one, prison room three. I’ll unlock the way and tell the prince to expect you. Take them to the back hov lot. Merisia and Taly should be there soon.”
Kiata hesitated, wishing she had Reia or Todd’s perception. Deciding to trust the woman, she stepped back to give the lady some breathing room.
“Come with us,” she said.
“No, the hov will barely hold six people, and I must delay discovery of the escape as long as possible.”
“Six?” Kiata asked, coming up with a discrepancy in numbers. Prince Terosh, Reia, Lady Meetcher’s friend, Taly, and Kiata made for five passengers.
“My daughter will be with you. Now go!”
Kiata tried one last time.
“My lady, surely there are other hovs. We can take two.”
Lady Meetcher shook her head.
“As you stayed last night, so I must stay today. I will escape later or not at all, but that girl needs you. Keep her safe.”
Kiata took another step backward, tipped her head in a small bow.
“May you have success on your journey, Lady Meetcher.” Kiata collected Reia’s banistick and shootav and a beautiful kerlinblade and kerlak pistol she assumed belonged to the prince from the trunk Lady Meetcher indicated and dashed from the room.
ARIMAN KELDOR KNEW Meetcher’s conduct had upset Lady Meetcher. Having nothing to do after the evening meal, he went to the sitting room to relax. The fertia wine gave him the courage to try and comfort the lady. It didn’t take him long to locate her private chambers. He had learned the house’s layout soon after stepping foot in it. He knocked and a moment later she answered.
“Did you—” the lady cut herself off as surprise, fear, and guilt crossed her countenance. Her right hand trembled.
Keldor cleared his throat.
“I came to check on your welfare, my Lady.”
“Thank you, Master Keldor,” Lady Meetcher said, after a slight pause. “I am ... well.”
The plush purple carpet caught Keldor’s attention. He gently pushed past the lady and leaned down to read the marks. An attack had taken place here recently. Everyone entering or leaving would cross this spot. If the attack was a day old, the marks would have faded. One scuff led Keldor’s eyes to the right wall near the door, where a painting’s skewed frame indicated something—or someone—had struck it.
Lady Meetcher closed the door and leaned back against it, breathing unsteadily. A faint line traced across her pale neck.
“Who attacked you?” Keldor asked.
“I cannot tell you, Master Keldor.” Lady Meetcher blinked and avoided his gaze.
Keldor reached for his comm.
“Please, you do not understand!” Lady Meetcher insisted, breathless with anxiety. “It has to be this way.” Tears spilled from her eyes as her comm chimed. She looked plaintively at Keldor and slowly reached for it.
Suspicion took over, and he touched his kerlak pistol. He doubted Lady Meetcher’s husband knew about her actions. That alone wouldn’t move him to action, but guest or not, he needed to know what she was hiding.
“Give me that,” he ordered, holding out a hand for the comm.
Lady Meetcher clutched it to her chest and shook her head.
“My daughter’s life depends on my silence.”
The statement sent Keldor’s suspicions soaring. In one swift motion, he brought his right forearm across Lady Meetcher’s neck, pinning her to the door. Prying the comm from her, he flicked the on switch.
“Who is this?” he demanded.
With a burst of unexpected strength, Lady Meetcher threw off his arm and ducked away. She kicked at his left shin, but he side-stepped. Dropping the comm, Keldor grabbed the woman’s arms and slammed her against the door, stunning her. He drew his kerlak pistol, set it for low stun, and leaned forward with his forearm once again pressed against her throat.
The comm chattered from the floor, and he thought he recognized the voice.
“Einer? There’s been a security breech. Let no one leave. Where are you?” Keldor wanted the Ranger and prince to escape, but the presence of others confused him. The situation threatened to move beyond his control.
“Back hov lot, sir. Lady Merisia Restler is here to see the—”
“Detain her and anyone with her. Stun only. That’s an order!” Keldor spun Lady Meetcher around and twisted her left arm up behind her back. “Let’s go to the back hov lot.” He tucked his kerlak pistol into his holster so he could open the door.
They arrived at their destination just as Meetcher’s guards bathed the area in brilliant white light. A firefight was already well under way with a familiar sandy-haired young man in the thick of it.
Taly!
A FEW METERS FROM THE south wall of Meritab, Talyon Keldor tapped his foot nervously, sending puffs of dirt into the air. Merisia held Kia Meetcher. Taly had offered to take the child, but she cried every time he touched her. His hand hovered near his hidden kerlak pistol.
The man who had challenged them stepped away and spoke into a comm.
Taly concentrated on the conversation but couldn’t hear the words. He didn’t want to give them away by pulling his gun, but the man wasn’t accepting the excuse of a pleasant evening drive. Taly suddenly realized that bringing Kia along had been a mistake. He should have known everybody in the Meetcher estate knew the girl’s father had allowed her to be taken away. Thus, her presence aroused suspicion. As Taly came to this conclusion, the guard reached for his weapon. Taly whipped out his kerlak pistol and shot the man as bullets and beams started flying from the wall sentries.
“Merisia, get behind the hov!” Taly shouted, diving for cover.
This was supposed to be a simple pickup.
Two figures darted from the hov lot, not bothering to weave. The figure in front carried something in its arms. As they moved forward, Taly recognized Prince Terosh, and the burden the prince carried as a thin young woman. The second figure—a tall woman—held a banistick with tendrils of energy zipping up and down its surface in her right hand and a wide, flat, violet kerlinblade in her left hand.
Taly watched open-mouthed as the woman ran backwards, swatting beams aside with incredible speed.
He waited until he saw the flash of a kerlak pistol and shot in that direction. He didn’t know if his shot connected or not because his eyes scanned the wall again, searching for more ways to help. Moments later, Taly spotted a man holding a woman in front of him as they emerged from the nearest door. His stomach climbed into his throat.
Father!
Taly had believed his father to be on a mission near Rammon. Instead, his father held Lady Meralla Meetcher by one arm and shot kerlak beams at the two fleeing figures headed for the hov.
“Momma!” screamed Kia Meetcher.
Horror seized Taly as the girl slipped from Merisia’s grasp and dove beneath the hov. For a moment he was relieved, but then, he heard serlak bullets striking the hov’s sleek, black frame.
“Kia! Come back!” Merisia desperately reached for the child but missed.
The girl popped out from the other side and dashed toward her mother.
“No, Kia, no!” Merisia scrambled to her feet. “Taly!”
As Taly started for the girl, an energy beam slammed into the child, threw her back a meter, and cast her to the ground with the force of a sledgehammer.
With a cry of rage and grief, Lady Meetcher wrenched her arm free and raced toward the child. Heedless of the bullets and beams flying around her, Lady Meetcher fell to her knees, scooped Kia into her lap, and sobbed. If she stayed upright, she could die of a stray bullet.
Heart heavy, Taly fired two stun beams into Lady Meetcher’s shoulders to knock her out.
Prince Terosh Minstel and the tall woman hurtled his way. Slapping away a few beams that came too close for comfort, the woman spun to face Taly.
As recognition ignited in his brain, Taly was transported back to the last time he’d seen Ranger Kiata, the night she’d saved him from the Porit viper.
The prince shouted something, but it took Taly’s brain an extra second to comprehend.
“Open the door!”
Before Taly could comply, a bullet slammed into Merisia’s right arm, spinning her halfway around, and causing her to faint. Luckily, Prince Terosh caught her. Seeing the prince struggle to keep Merisia upright and not drop the girl already in his arms, Taly rushed to help. Merisia had the other girl pinned to the prince’s chest. In other circumstances, it would be amusing.
By the time Taly returned to the hov, Ranger Kiata pried opened the doors, deactivated the kerlinblade, threw it to the floor, and tucked the banistick into her belt. As Taly reached to help, the Ranger grabbed Merisia and tossed her into the hov then relieved the prince of the girl he’d been carrying.
“Taly! Let’s go!”
The Ranger’s words slapped some sense into Taly just in time for him to register two more hovs arriving.
“Get in and drive!” Kiata ordered.
At first, Taly thought she was talking to him, but before he could unstick his feet, Prince Terosh obeyed.
Grunting, Ranger Kiata seized Taly’s shirt and hauled him to the hov. After pushing him in, the Ranger leapt in and balanced above the backseat with her hands and shoulders braced against the driver’s seat and her feet pressed on the back window.
“Go! Go!” she shouted.
For the first few minutes of the wild chase across the Kesler Plains, Taly could only brace Merisia and the other girl. It proved a difficult task because the prince kept executing sharp turns. For a while Taly muttered apologies alternately to Merisia, the other girl, and Ranger Kiata as the ride bounced him around the backseat. Eventually, Taly wrestled Merisia into a seatbelt. He considered trying to strap the other girl into the middle seat, but figured she would probably be safer on the floor. A bullet pinging off the roof confirmed his decision.
The next several minutes kept Taly busy trying not to crush Merisia or step on the woman still cradled in the foot space. Taly wished the hov’s back wasn’t quite so roomy. The space just gave him more momentum as he slammed into the other occupants. The gray fabric ceased to be comforting the fifth time Taly had his nose buried in it.
A quick left flung Taly toward Merisia. Desperate not to bust her nose with his head, Taly grasped the balance bar that hung above her head. He held on so hard his wrists hurt. Taly considered waking his friend but figured if they died in a crash she’d probably be better off slipping from unconscious to dead rather than experiencing unnecessary terror.
The brief glimpses Taly had caught of the pursuers looked like the dark hovs belonging to the Meritab Regulars, but he couldn’t fathom why soldiers would be chasing them. They must have seen the prince. No soldier would dare shoot at a royal.
Ranger Kiata’s calm voice pulled Taly from his thoughts.
“Taly, return fire if you can. Try not to hit me.”
“Where are you going?”
“On the roof,” Kiata answered, climbing out the window and perching on the doorframe.
Taly’s mind struggled to find a different meaning for those words.
“Get us close to one of the pursuers!” Tossing that order at the prince, Kiata scrambled up onto the roof.
Crazy Ranger!
Taly didn’t envy the prince his driving job. Bullets slamming into the back bumper, bouncing off the metal frame, and scratching the reinforced windows. Taly prayed the chase would end soon.
YOU ONLY GET ONE SHOT at this.
If Kiata missed at these speeds, she would be lucky to end up as one large collection of broken bones. She landed on one of the pursuing hovs with enough force to dent the roof. The hov swerved violently, reminding Kiata why she hated the flying metal boxes. Todd loved the power hovs offered, but Kiata preferred traveling by horse.
Must be a guy thing.
Commanding herself to focus, Kiata instructed the anotechs to stick her body to the roof.
A man’s astonished face popped up from the front passenger seat. Kiata’s fist met it with satisfying results. He almost fell, but she caught his shirt and tossed him back into the hov.
The other hov turned to help. Kiata took her dagger out and slid from the roof to the front engine compartment, heedless of the beams flying millimeters above her head. A few precise stabs and slashes left the engine exposed. A quick jab with Reia’s banistick took care of the engine itself.
Kiata refocused on the soldiers in the hov, locked eyes with the driver, and touched the window. A quick word to the anotechs knocked out all four men. She didn’t want to kill the king’s soldiers. Still, she needed to end the chase before somebody crashed. She held on tight until the hov finally stopped. Feeling incredibly tired, Kiata slid off the hov and raised Reia’s banistick to face the remaining soldiers. To her surprise, a swarthy man with dark brown hair and eyes stood over his comrades with a kerlak pistol in hand.
Prince Terosh halted the hov near Kiata, climbed out, and stared at the newcomer.
“Lieutenant Laocer?”
“I’m glad you’re safe, my Prince,” Laocer said. “Rumors around Rammon speak of assassins. This proves it.” He motioned to the dead soldiers in the hov he had just emerged from. The four dead men wore the gray uniforms of Meritab Regulars. Laocer wore Royal Guard blue, but something about him made her uneasy.
“Yes, I suppose it does,” the prince said.
“The Royal Guard is fractured, my Lord. Some stand by their vows, but others are lured away by promises of high positions if they join the rebels.”
“Who leads them?” Prince Terosh asked, his anger flaring.
Kiata could sympathize. Rebellions inevitably led to deaths.
“I do not know, my Lord,” Laocer replied. “Captain Antar sent me to find you. I am to escort you back to Rammon as soon as possible.”
“I’m not returning right away,” Prince Terosh said. Suspicion shone in his eyes.
“Where are you going, my Lord?” Laocer asked.
“Come with us and see,” Terosh invited.
Kiata wished he hadn’t done that, but if Laocer was going to betray them, she supposed it would be best to keep him close.
Another hov pulled up, and Kiata braced for a new fight until she saw Todd jump out. He ran to her and smothered her in hugs and kisses.
Chapter 40:
Consequences
ALLEI (AUGUST) 18, 1538
Eighteen days after Prince Terosh’s Kireshana journey
Meetcher Estate, City o
f Meritab
Lord Kezem had sent Kolknir to sort the mess in Meritab. Dutifully, he ran lengthy interrogations until he had a clearer picture of events. The Lady wanted Lord Kezem’s plans for the Alliance to succeed, but ever the cautious planner, she had also instructed Kolknir to help where possible. He was to punish the failures and reward the deserving.
A review of the security vids showed several promising Alliance soldiers. Kolknir would make them offers later, but the Meetcher family presented a more pressing issue. Donovan’s clumsy attempts to play both sides deserved death, and his wife’s betrayal of Alliance ideals and contempt for Lord Kezem also deserved death. The fact that her actions aligned with the Lady’s wishes was irrelevant. Free thinking on the part of ambitious Alliance individuals had led to this debacle, Kolknir needed to make an example out of the Meetchers lest others decide to question Lord Kezem or the Lady.
The appropriate fate for the Meetcher child remained unclear. In times past, she might have been killed for her parents’ failings, but the Rangers had taught Kolknir to never waste resources. Kia had fought Lord Kezem’s agents. She had fighting potential.
Kolknir brought his attention back to the makeshift prison holding the Meetchers. The prisoners stared into empty space. Meetcher ignored Kolknir’s questions, but Lady Meetcher answered without protest, showing little emotion until he mentioned her daughter.
“What will happen to Kia?” Meralla asked hoarsely.
Kolknir walked to the small table in the corner and poured a glass of water. He returned to Lady Meetcher, brought the glass to her lips, and let her drink.
“She will live,” he said.
Peace came over Lady Meetcher.
“What will happen to us?” Meetcher wondered.
“We’ll die,” answered Meralla. She winced, but Kolknir guessed it was more from the burns on her shoulders than the thought of their fate.
“You can’t—” Meetcher began.
“I can and will, but if you have a last request, I’ll consider it,” Kolknir said, feeling generous.
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