The Chimney: The Merc Papers

by G. T. Spoor

  “Then come on, let’s go.”

  “Don’t ya think ya should call in some… I don’t know, reinforcements or something? I thought ya was working with some Mercs.”

  “This has nothing to do with them, and besides, that’s a different case.”

  “So, what? It’s just you and me?”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

  “Look, the more we argue here, the more trouble there’s going to be for that girl. Her life is already in danger because I didn’t do anything earlier. If you’re not going to come, I’ll go in alone.”

  “All right, fine, I’ll go with ya.” The orc put the jitney in reverse. “There’s another way to the forge. We can approach unseen.”

  He pulled back about a block, then turned around and took the next right. It led them down a narrow winding street and over an old steel bridge. From there they approached the forge from the west: a large stone structure in traditional dower style. It was carved into the face of the mountain. The road they were on was higher than the main courtyard and they could see the lorry passing through the gates below. Tar stopped the jitney and Emily got out. She ran to the edge of the road and watched as the lorry pulled into a waiting alcove. Nok jumped out of the passenger side and closed the doors behind the vehicle. Just like that, Galbassi had acquired himself another victim, but Emily was determined not to let him keep her.

  A quick search of the general area showed no way of getting down to the courtyard, but she did find another way into the old forge. A steel door led to the upper levels. Pressing her shoulder against it, she gave it a shove. It moved, but only a little. The rusted hinges didn’t seem to want to let anyone in.

  “Come on, give me a hand,” she called out to Tar who was still in the jitney. “We can get in through here.”

  “I still think we should get some help,” the orc said before joining her at the door.

  “There’s no time for that.”

  On the count of three, they tried to force the door open. Even with their combined strength, it only moved a few more inches, but it was enough to slip through into the forge. As Emily stood in the darkness, she wasn’t sure which way to go. The light from the door only chased away a few feet of the gloom in front of her. It wasn’t until Tar entered, carrying an old rusty lantern, she could see what she was getting herself into. The place appeared abandoned. The forge hadn’t seen anyone in quite some time. The floors were covered with a thick layer of dust and aside from a gently metallic tapping, it was eerily quiet. Following the hallway deeper into the dower structure, they took the first staircase they came to. They were about three floors above and far west of where the lorry entered. As long as they kept moving in the right direction, they should be able to find where Galbassi was hiding.

  The darkness was oppressive. It kept the light of the lantern to a mere three feet. Several impassible hallways forced them to find alternate routes. Some seemed to take them farther away from their intended destination. It wasn’t until they found the second staircase that traveling got easier. It was then they found their first signs of life—a light at the end of a corridor.

  Tar extinguished the lantern as they got closer. It wouldn’t do to attract too much attention, not yet. Their first priority had to be finding the young woman. Only when she was safe would they worry about Galbassi. Even then, Emily wasn’t sure what she was going to do about him. She told Fat Foh she would turn him over to the authorities, but the Cabba was right. There was no one in authority—not this far down the Chimney.

  As they moved closer to the source of the light, it led them through a maze of doors. The corridors were lined with them and it reminded Emily of the offices of the Bureau. They tried as many of them as they could along the way. None of them were locked, but none of the rooms looked as if they’d ever been used. Most were completely empty, and a few had the scattered remains of discarded furniture but little else. There were too many doors leading to too many rooms and not enough time to check them all. At the rate they were going, it would be hours before they found the right room, and that’s assuming they weren’t caught before they did.

  Just when Emily was starting to lose hope, Tar tugged the back of her jacket.

  “This way. Follow me,” he whispered.

  “Where are we going?”

  “She’s this way, but she’s not alone. At least I don’t think she is.”

  “How do you know?”

  Tar regarded her for a moment, then turned away. From the look on his face, he wanted to explain, but all he said was, “Trust me.”

  He had never given her a reason not to, at least not yet, but she couldn’t help but be suspicious. However, she was fresh out of ideas, and not knowing which way to go, she let him lead. He took her past several more rooms, never stopping to look in any of them. The orc seemed to know exactly where he was going now and started walking faster as he moved from one corridor to the next. Then, without warning, he stopped outside one of the doors. There was nothing special about it. It didn’t look any different from any of the other doors they passed.

  “They’re in here,” he whispered.

  This was too convenient, Emily thought.

  She was about to question his newfound knowledge when the hallway behind them suddenly lit up. Somebody was coming. She could hear footsteps heading in their direction as the sound of voices grew louder. Her first thought was they must have been discovered. Emily tried the door and was surprised to find it unlocked. She wasn’t sure if she was disappointed or relieved. Opening it, she pushed Tar in, then pulled it closed behind her, but just enough so she could keep an eye on the hallway.

  Within moments, two vir came around the corner. They were walking, side by side. One was dressed in workman’s clothes. He had a long, narrow face and curly black hair with a nose that leaned over to one side. The second man was shorter but broader with slicked-back dark hair and a grim expression on his face. He was better dressed than his companion, but what caught Emily’s attention was his footwear. He was wearing black iron-shod boots—the same boots she saw when she regained consciousness after she was abducted. This was the man who arrived with Galbassi. This was the man who was supposed to look into her origin for him.

  Thankfully, they didn’t appear to be searching for anyone and were only engaged in a simple conversation.

  “More than I needed to know,” the man in the iron-shod boots was saying.

  “But you have to admit, he could be a problem.”

  “I think you’re worrying too much.”

  “I don’t think you’re worrying enough. What if he turns his mind this way?”

  Too bad Emily had no idea what, or who, they were talking about. When they turned the corner, and she could no longer hear what they were saying, she closed the door.

  The room they’d sought refuge in appeared to be a waiting area. Tables were pushed aside and there were a few chairs scattered haphazardly about. A row of cabinets along the wall were picked clean of anything useful. Besides the one they came through, there were only two other ways out of the room. Otherwise, the place was empty. There was no sign of the girl.

  Tar stood off to one side and looked confused. He was staring at the far wall as if he was reading something, but the wall was bare.

  “What’s going on?” she asked him.

  When he looked at her, it was almost as if he didn’t recognize her. Without answering, he walked past her and placed his hand on one of the doors.

  “They’re in here,” he said.

  “Who are?”

  “All of them. They’re in here.”

  Emily crouched down and pressed her ear to the door. The sound was muffled, but she thought she could hear someone sobbing. She tried opening it, only to find it locked. That alone was a good sign, seeing as it was the first locked door they came across.

  “How do you know they’re in there?” she asked.

  The orc stare
d at her blankly.

  “Tar, how do you know they’re in there?” she asked again, this time a little more forcefully.

  “What?”

  “You just said they’re all in there. How do you know?”

  “I… I just do.”

  It wasn’t an answer she was willing to accept, but this was not the time for a lengthy discussion. She tried the door again; it was still locked.

  “Here, let me try.”

  The orc pulled out a thin leather pouch from the inside of his jacket and produced two small picks. Crouching down next to the door he inserted them into the lock.

  “You can pick locks?” Emily asked.

  “Hey, I wasn’t always a jitney driver.”

  As he worked on the lock, she decided to try the second door. That one was unlocked and led to a small office, one that had seen some use not too long ago. A few leather books were stacked on a desk, which had recently been wiped clean. Strange, and in some cases disturbing items hung from the walls. They appeared to be small mementos of the reluctant slaves who had passed through the hands of Galbassi. Family pictures, jewelry, letters, articles of clothing, locks of hair, but the one thing that caught her attention was a simple white mask.

  Emily reached for the mask but stopped when she heard voices coming from the other room. At first, she thought Tar had managed to get the door open, but she wasn’t that lucky.

  “Who the hell are you?”

  So much for secrecy. It would appear they had finally been discovered.

  Drawing the tyng from her jacket, she moved to the side of the open door to get a better look at what was happening in the next room. Two slavers, one orc, one vir, had Tar backed against the wall. The jitney driver had his hands out in front of him.

  “This is not what it looks like,” he said. “I was exploring the old forge, looking for any scrap metals, when I ’eard what I thought were some people in trouble. I didn’t know they were yours. If it’s all the same to ya, I’ll be on my way.”

  “You ain’t going nowhere until we see what the boss has to say.”

  Emily adjusted her grip on the tyng, which were now two feet long. There was no time to analyze the situation properly. She would have to improvise, so she targeted the orc first. They were usually faster and stronger. If she could put him down, the vir would be no trouble.

  Taking a deep breath, Emily charged into the room. She came in low. With the tyng in her left hand, she struck the back of the orc’s right knees. He never saw her coming. As he started to fall, she spun around behind him and lashed out with the tyng in her right hand. It connected with the side of his head, sending him to the ground faster. Without waiting to see if he was getting up, Emily moved to her second target. The vir was slower to react. He lunged for her, but she broke his forearm, then his ribs, and then his knee. The final blow was to his head. It was also the one that laid him out.

  That was way too easy, she thought as she looked down at the prone bodies. It should never be that easy. The tyng retreated back into her clenched fists.

  Tar stepped away from the wall and straightened his jacket.

  “I’ll have ya know, I had everything under control,” he said. “I was just waiting for the right moment ta make my move.”

  When she didn’t reply, he placed a hand on her shoulder. Emily flinched.

  “Ya all right?” he asked.

  “What? Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.”

  Tar looked down at the bodies. “Ya know ya did good,” he said. “I don’t think they was here ta lend their help.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I know. It’s only—did you get that door open?”

  “No. Not yet. This is a proper dower lock. Takes a little time, unless…” Crouching down beside the bodies, Tar searched through their pockets and pulled out a small knife, a canvas purse, and finally a ring of keys. “Unless you happen to find one of these.” He grinned.

  It took him several attempts even with the keys, but when he finally got the door open, a young man lunged at him with the leg of a chair. It came within inches of Tar’s head. The only thing that saved the orc was that he tripped over his own feet, trying to back away. As the young man lifted his crude club for a second attempt at Tar’s skull, Emily jumped between them.

  “Wait,” she shouted. “We’re here to help.”

  He slowly lowered his weapon. “Who are you?” he asked.

  He was a thin, young vir, still in his teens. A mess of red hair concealed his eyes. His clothes were dirty and he smelled as if he hadn’t bathed in days.

  “My name is Emily. Emily Doyle. This is my friend Tar.”

  She could tell the young man was conflicted. Another vir who didn’t trust orcs.

  “We’re here to help,” she added. “Is there someone else in there with you?”

  “It’s all right, Mark.” An older woman stepped out of the room. She seemed frail and tired. Her hair was matted, her clothes were torn, and her face was dirty. She glanced down nervously at the two prone bodies. “Are they… are they dead?”

  “No,” Emily said. “I don’t think so.”

  The woman seemed almost disappointed.

  “I’m Alison, and this is Mark. We heard the fighting, but we didn’t know what to expect.”

  “It’s all right. You’re safe now. Can you walk?”

  “I can, but there’s someone else in here. She was brought in not too long ago. She hasn’t moved.”

  Alison stepped away from the door, allowing Emily through. When Tar tried to get up, Mark took a defensive stance over the downed orc.

  “I’ll stay down here, if it’s all the same to ya,” Tar said, waving her on.

  There was nothing in the improvised cell besides a few broken pieces of furniture. In the back of the room, on what was left of a bed, a young woman lay motionless. Emily recognized her as the woman she had seen walking with Stefan earlier that evening. She placed two fingers gently against the side of the woman’s neck.

  “She’s still alive.”

  “What’s wrong with her?” Alison asked.

  “Henol poisoning.”

  “Poison?”

  “She should be all right in a couple of hours, although I don’t think we can wait that long. Have you seen anyone else brought in?”

  Alison paused for a moment and shook her head. “There were two others, but they were taken away yesterday. I have no idea where they are now.”

  The thought of it made Emily nauseous. How many people had been smuggled out of the city for Galbassi’s profit? Based on the wall of trophies in his room—far too many.

  “How long have you been here?” Emily asked.

  “I don’t know,” Alison answered. “A couple of weeks, maybe more. We came to the forge two days ago, but I’m not sure where I was before that.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We’re getting you out of here.”

  She led Alison out of the room. Tar had managed to get back on his feet, although Mark was standing behind him with his chair leg at the ready.

  “Tar, do you think you’re up to carrying the young woman back the way we came?” Emily asked.

  Tar said nothing and glanced at Mark who seemed to be waiting for the orc to do something wrong.

  “I’m sure Mark will help you,” she added.

  “He’s an orc,” the young man said, grimacing.

  “He’s an orc who saved our lives,” Alison corrected.

  Mark lowered his weapon. “Fine, but I’m keeping a close eye on you.”

  “Wonderful,” Tar said. “It’s always good ta be appreciated.”

  Emily left them to work it out and returned to Galbassi’s office. Pulling what appeared to be an old courier’s bag from the wall, she retrieved the white mask. Slipping the mask into the bag, she slung it over her shoulder and was about to head out the door, when she stopped to inspect the leather books. They seemed to be the only other things Galbassi valued in the room.

  Opening the first one, she flicked through the pages. She was
n’t sure what she was reading as it wasn’t written in any language she understood. Although, from the way it was laid out, they appeared to be ledgers of some kinds. Emily closed the book and took the whole stack with her.

  Leaving the room, she found Tar next to the door, the young woman, still unconscious, cradled in his arms. Mark stood behind him with his modified club. Hopefully he wouldn’t be using it on the orc anytime soon. Alison was standing against the wall. She looked a little nervous but seemed more energetic now that she was outside the cell. The thought of getting out of this alive must have rejuvenated her. The bodies of the slavers, however, were nowhere in sight.

  “In the cell.” Tar jerked his head toward the locked door. “Thought it’d be safer if they woke up in there.”

  If he felt they had to be locked up, then they must still be alive, which meant she didn’t break the first tenet—not completely. That was one burden she didn’t have to carry.

  Emily handed Alison the books.

  “I think these might have something to do with their business. Get these to…”

  Who?

  Nobody cared.

  The whole reason the slavers could act with impunity was that there was no one around to stop them. Who would care what the books had to tell them? Who would care where the missing had gone?

  “I’ll find someone who will listen,” Alison said.

  “Thank you.”

  “Are we going, or ain’t we?” Tar asked.

  “You think you can find your way back to the jitney?”

  “Of course I can.”

  “Then go. Get them out of here. Find someplace safe.”

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  Emily placed her hand on the courier’s bag. “I still have one more thing I have to do.”

  “You can’t go after Galbassi alone.”

  “If I don’t, who will?”

  “Leave it to—”

  “Who? The Mercs? They won’t touch him, and the guards don’t care.”

  “There are still some decent Merc companies,” Tar argued. “The yellow Snakes for instance. They might be able to help. At least it’s worth a try.”

  “If we leave, what’s to stop Galbassi from starting up somewhere else? It’s like you said back in the jitney, it may be years before we get a chance like this.”