Warrior Rogue (The Drift Lords Series)

by Nancy J. Cohen

  “Good work. Now where’s that chisel?” Paz asked.

  A solid thwunk was all it took to push out the soft metal. It left a hole big enough for him to wriggle his hand through. Twisting his body, he reached upward. His fingers felt the solid wood bolt on the other side.

  “Ugh, it’s heavy.” His muscles strained as he strove to dislodge it. Pain flared along his nerves as a thousand pinpricks stabbed his flesh. He broke off, sweat beading his brow.

  “Don’t quit now,” Smitty urged. “You’re probably feeling the toxin left over from the worms. They’ve dissolved in your body, but their poison takes longer to wear off. Keep going.”

  Gritting his teeth, Paz tried again. This time, he managed to lift the bolt. It fell with a heavy thud to the dirt-packed ground. The hinges creaked when he pushed the door open.

  “Come on. We’ll wait for the guards to bring our meal. Then we’ll make our move.”

  Smitty waddled after him out of their prison to the dingy lane between cells. “Good thing these old places don’t have surveillance cameras.”

  “So we hope. Keep your voice down.”

  They crept toward the door at the far end, staying in the shadows. Hours passed while they waited, crouched against the walls. Paz caught himself dozing off a couple of times, twinges of pain waking him.

  Finally, a rattle sounded followed by a couple of clunks. The dungeon door banged open, and two guards trudged through. The first one carried a tray with nourishment. The second Trollek held a laser carbine.

  Smitty jumped on the first one’s back and hammered at him with his chisel. Paz attacked the armed guard and kicked the weapon out of his hand.

  With a snarl, the Trollek lashed out with his fists. Paz blocked his blows. He leapt and spun, kicking out and landing a foot in the beast’s solar plexus. The Trollek grunted.

  As the beast doubled over, Paz jabbed his elbow at the guy’s nose. The Trollek dodged and lunged at him. Paz’s muscles ached, and his lungs burned, but he fought back until the right opening came and he snapped the beast’s neck.

  He glanced at Smitty. The dwarf had floored the other fellow. Not bad for a little guy.

  “Come on.” He gestured toward the open door. “Let’s go find Jen.”

  Chapter Nine

  Paz ran into Jen by an outdoor courtyard where confounded humans carried supplies from building to building. His gaze took in the torn strap on her dress, the bruises on her face, and the needlestick on her arm. Rage swept through him followed swiftly by concern.

  “Jen! Thank the stars. I was coming after you. Are you all right? What did they do to do?”

  “Nothing worse than what they did to you. Algie wanted a blood sample. I took the bandage off. It was itching me.” Her mouth tightened when she noted his hunched posture. “Can you walk okay? You were being beaten when I saw you last.”

  He imagined he wasn’t a pretty sight. His body ached all over. “I’ll be all right. Who hurt you?”

  “No worries. I took care of him.” She glanced away.

  He tilted her chin toward him. “What is it?”

  “I-I killed him. I couldn’t help it. Bosk would have hurt me.” Her eyes flooded with tears.

  “It’s okay, Jen. You can tell me later. We’d better get out of here.”

  Sunlight glinted off her diamond earrings, and he realized morning had arrived a number of hours ago. Paz wondered why the Trolleks hadn’t taken her jewelry. Maybe they preferred gold, or like him, regarded the gems as worthless kewa stones.

  A throat cleared behind them. “Ahem. Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

  “Oh. Sorry. Jen, this is Smitty.” He waved the dwarf forward. “He was in the dungeon with me. I promised to take him with us when we escape the island.”

  Jen gave his friend a wan smile. “Nice to meet you.”

  Smitty grinned, exposing a row of tiny white teeth. “Don’t let my size fool you. I’m second cousin to King Tiberius of the Dwarf Realm, and I hold the rank of Chief Courier.”

  “O-kay.” Jen’s eyebrows lifted as she regarded him.

  “You can only see me because I got caught.” He clenched his jaw. “Normally, we’re not visible to humans.”

  Paz poked him. “You’re free to go on your own if you want. You might be better off without us, especially if you can turn invisible.”

  Smitty kicked a pebble on the ground. “I can’t. They cut my hair. It blunted my powers, all except for the one thing they needed from me.” His eyes brightened as he examined Jen. “Nice, shiny stones you’re wearing. I like them. Give them to me!”

  “Stop it, Smitty, they belong to her.” Paz glowered at him. “I have to find the source of the cors particles, remember? Take us to that transfer station you mentioned.”

  “What, we’re not leaving?” Jen gazed at him askance. “At any moment, the soldiers will sound an alarm that we’ve escaped. We’ll never get through all those gates in time, if we can even find our way to the exit. We have to go now.”

  He compressed his lips. “I will not forsake my mission. You and Smitty can head for the main gate. I’ll catch up to you later.”

  “I don’t think so.” She lifted her chin in that stubborn manner he recognized. “It’s all for one and one for all, boys.” At their puzzled looks, she explained. “We’re in this together. You stay, we stay.”

  He gritted his teeth. “So be it. Smitty, lead on.”

  They evaded detection as they wound through a series of twisting paths and outbuildings. At the sight of one set of heavy iron doors, Jen gasped and clutched his arm.

  “That’s Tent Ten. It’s where they took me.”

  “Keep moving.” He didn’t ask questions. They’d exchange stories later—if they made it out of here.

  He needed to find the rift and determine how the Trolleks kept it open. He’d already decided he would not destroy any of the portals until he’d identified the main gate from their world to this one. If it linked to a worldwide network, then taking down the primary might topple the rest.

  “There’s the transfer station.” Smitty drew them into the shadow of a wall where they watched a number of Trolleks coming and going through an arched door into a nearby building.

  A siren wailed. The soldiers took off at a run for the keep.

  Paz spoke in a low tone. “They must have discovered our escape. This is our chance to get inside.”

  He waited until the Trolleks stopped pouring from the open door before they scuttled inside. Past several arches and empty rooms, they came to a place with a loud ratcheting noise and a vibration underfoot. The odor of cors particles was so strong it roiled his stomach. He stifled the bile rising in his throat.

  Two rounded, raised platforms consumed most of the chamber. Each one had an arched canopy supported by four columns. Cables snaked every which way across the floor. One column at each site held a control panel.

  Using his PIP, Paz recorded the readings on each console for the last set of coordinates.

  “Look,” Jen said, pointing, “there’s an opening in the floor.”

  He strode over to where she’d indicated. Through a gap, a spiral stone staircase led to a lower level.

  “Wait here, I’m going to see where this leads. You and Smitty stand guard. Yell down to me if you hear anyone coming.”

  Without waiting for a response, Paz descended the stairs. A huge mechanism stretched along a cavernous hall at the bottom.

  His ears hurt from the deafening noise. How did the Trolleks tolerate it? They didn’t care for loud sounds, but then again, you couldn’t hear it from outside due to the thick walls.

  The device appeared to be automated from the lack of any workers. Was this the generator that powered the portals above?

  Paz deployed his makeshift PIP to snap images with the camera function. He took photos at a broad angle and then took some closer views.

  Halfway down the great hall, he paused. Set in an alcove off to the side was a control console. Eager to salv
age what information he could, he opened drawers until he found a stash of blank data crystals. He popped one in the slot and sat in the chair.

  The monitor screen remained blank. He tried voice commands to bring up the files. When that didn’t work, he typed on the old-fashioned keyboard. A list popped up, and Trollek symbols scrolled across the screen. Smark, the files were encrypted.

  Aware he was on borrowed time, he clamped his lips together. From the intense odor of cors particles, he surmised one of the portals upstairs was a dimensional rift. The other might serve to transfer Trolleks from here to another location on Earth. His concern was the former, but he didn’t have enough information to understand how it operated.

  He couldn’t just blow this thing up like the power source at Drift World. An explosion here might not close the gateway and might even widen it. He needed Kaj’s engineering expertise to analyze the data.

  Swiveling in his chair, he stared at the mass of cables twisting overhead. There was something about this setup he wasn’t getting. Reluctant to linger, he copied the contents of the hard drive onto the data crystal before removing it and placing it for safekeeping in his pocket. He’d work on breaking the encryption later. Meanwhile, he returned the monitor screen to its original state.

  He’d just started up the spiral staircase when he froze. Guttural Trollek voices sounded from above. Soldiers must have found them.

  “Paz, come up here,” Jen’s voice called. “They’re friends.”

  Friends? Impossible.

  He raced up the staircase. At the top landing, he peered around the corner. Two armed Trolleks stood talking to Smitty. One of them caught sight of him.

  “Do not fear us. We work for the Viden cause. We will help you.” The speaker’s long nose had a downward tilt. Coarse brown hair curled around his head.

  The Videns were a faction among the Trolleks who espoused science instead of warfare as the path to peace. But why should he trust them? He emerged into the chamber.

  “If you’re on our side, tell me what powers this rift.”

  “We’ll help you escape because we may need you later, but we won’t help you destroy our access to this world. Dr. Morar still seeks the answers we need to solve our problem.”

  “What problem?”

  Jen strode over and clutched his arm. “I know what he means. I’ll tell you later. Let’s just leave.” Her fingers dug into him.

  He understood. If they didn’t accept this offer now, they’d lose the chance.

  “Very well. What’s your plan?” He detached himself, standing ready in case he had to act.

  “A supplier is unloading food stocks a few doors down,” the second Trollek said. “You’ll hide in his cart. We’ll escort the vehicle to the exit, and then you’re on your own.”

  “Why are you helping us?” Jen waved a hand in the air. “I thought Algie wanted to keep me here.”

  Paz threw her a look of exasperation. Did she mean to sabotage their escape?

  Hook Nose spoke. “The dokter has your blood sample. Further experimentation might kill you. We feel it is better to keep you alive until she has positive results.”

  “Aren’t you working together?”

  “To a certain extent.” He hesitated as though about to say more but then decided against it. “We must go. Another group is scheduled to arrive, and a reception committee will be coming to greet them. Remember to act confounded.”

  The two Trolleks ushered them outside. Paz did his best to instill a glazed look on his face. He nudged Jen to do the same. Smitty waddled along beside them, his head downcast.

  They followed the path through another archway. Up ahead, a cart was hitched to a couple of donkeys standing in front of a storehouse. Empty burlap sacks filled the rear. A man came out of the building. He wore baggy clothes and a blank expression.

  “Hobbs will be returning to his farm in the highlands,” the first Trollek told them. “You’ll want to get off before he heads into the mountains. Now get inside, cover yourselves with those sacks, and lie still.” He slipped Paz a knife. “Here, you might need this.”

  Paz took it then gripped his arm. “Thank you, my friend. May I know your names?”

  The Trollek’s large ears stiffened. “It is best if we remain anonymous. Be off with you. The farmer nears.”

  Paz hopped into the cart and hauled Smitty onto the flat surface. Jen landed after them, aided by the second Trollek. Their friends tossed the sacks on top of their bodies along with some stray leafy greens. They settled down as the entire cart sagged under the weight of the driver.

  “Move on, human,” Hook Nose commanded the fellow.

  Paz figured the man was under orders to obey any Trollek rather than just the kabak who’d confounded him. As they rattled down the gravel drive, he ignored the discomfort of lying on a hard surface, smelling sun-warmed compost, and being shaken side to side. They still had to get through the checkpoints and clear the exit.

  Then he had to come up with another plan. With this slow method of transportation, it would take hours before they reached a turn-off road to the mountain passes. At that stage, they’d strike out on their own.

  He’d stick to his original idea of heading to the fishing village of Kamaji and hiring a boat to the mainland.

  With minimal movement, he patted his pocket. Stored in his PIP were the coordinates for the two gateways in the chamber they’d just left. If one brought in Trolleks from the home world, where did the other one go?

  He suspected it might lead to another recruitment center like the one at Drift World. If so, that might be their next destination. He hoped Jen wouldn’t mind another detour.

  ****

  Jen hung back while Paz negotiated with Hiroshi Jin Kolami, a man of mixed descent and owner of the largest junk in Kamaji. The thin, dark-haired fellow accompanied his speech with animated gestures. He spoke in a native dialect, and Paz responded in kind. The Drift Lord amazed her with his ability to speak different languages.

  Kolami pointed to Paz’s wristwatch, and Paz shook his head. Narrowing his eyes, the fisherman pointed at Jen. Paz shook his head again. Were they bartering for the price of passage? It would be stiff for the three of them.

  She stood at the side of a dirt road. A couple of chickens waddled past as she swatted insects and worried about Trollek soldiers discovering their route.

  Smitty wandered toward an old woman selling dried fish and stringy vegetables. As they exchanged words, his face reddened, and his voice rose in anger. He, too, could speak their native tongue, making her feel as awkward as she had growing up in her socialite mother’s shadow.

  Feeling out of her element, she meandered over to Smitty. “If you’re negotiating for supplies, I could really use some decent clothes and sturdy shoes.”

  Smitty cast her an annoyed glance. “Would you like anything else? Some pretty baubles maybe or a new handbag? What have you got in there, by the way?” He pointed to the purse she’d managed to retain.

  Jen’s face brightened, and she pulled out her enameled business card case. Maybe she could be useful after all. “Here, see if she’ll take this as payment.”

  The woman’s weathered face crinkled as she grabbed the metal case and bit on it. She shook her head and thrust it back at Jen.

  Smitty intercepted the object. “I’ll take it. Look, I can see my reflection in its shiny surface.” He peered at himself, grinning in childish delight. “I want it!”

  Jen’s mouth curved up. “All right, it’s yours.” Anything to pacify their new ally. “How about a comb?” she asked the old woman, pulling one from her bag. “Or a notebook and pen? A lovely scarf?” She waved the fabric at the old woman who kept shaking her head. Jen’s heart sank. What else could she offer?

  Taking out her designer sunglasses, she dug further inside her bag. The woman muttered excitedly.

  “She’ll accept those.” Smitty pointed to her dark glasses.

  “What? These cost me over two hundred dollars!”


  “Give them to her.” The dwarf bounced on his heels. “She’ll get you a set of clothes and some slippers for your feet. She says you have tiny feet like a proper lady. You’ve just bought us a stash of food, too.”

  The woman hobbled off with her prize. Jen was startled by a tug on her arm. Paz stood next to her.

  “Jen, I need your earrings,” he said in a low tone.

  “Why?” She stared at him.

  “We have to buy our passage on Kolami’s junk. He wants the diamonds. It’s the only thing of value we have to offer him.”

  “I could turn some of these stones into gold.” Smitty kicked at a pile of pebbles on the ground.

  Paz compressed his lips. “Not a good idea. I told him we were shipwrecked on the other side of the island. Having pieces of gold on us would make us suspicious. We’re ragged enough to fool them but not for long.” He turned to Jen. “I’ll get you some new kewa stones, bigger ones.”

  “But my parents gave me these,” she said with a pout.

  “I’m sorry, but it’s the only way.”

  With a heavy heart, Jen sighed. “Oh, all right.”

  She unfastened the earrings and handed them over. Paz strode away, his boots sinking into the sand.

  Jen scratched her arm. Dust and mosquito bites covered her body. That’s what she got for wearing a sleeveless dress, but who knew?

  Next time I travel, remind me to choose more practical clothes.

  The old woman returned, handing Jen a pair of drawstring pants and a faded blouse and giving Smitty a sack of food. Jen changed in a nearby hut but carried her new slippers as she emerged onto the beach. The junk was anchored a short distance offshore. They’d have to paddle out in a flat-bottomed sampan.

  She cast a last glance toward the curving road as they boarded the boat. No sign of the Trolleks. Could their escape have been orchestrated? If so, to what end?

  Heck, it didn’t matter. The sooner they left this place behind, the better. She donned her new shoes—pleased they fit.

  Paz helped her and Smitty climb the rope ladder onto the junk. As Jen set foot on the scrubbed wood deck, a couple of crewmen who were already onboard sauntered over to consult with their captain. Jen gazed with awe at the masts overhead and wondered if the ship was motorized. She’d been boating before but not in a sailing vessel.