Chapter
19
The next day Stephen tucked his badge into his front pocket and gingerly touched the back of his head. The linen cloth was gone, but he could still feel the stitches that kept his wound closed and wondered if there would be a scar. He shrugged and left the commander’s tent. It wouldn’t be the first one.
Commander Powell had been surprised at his request to stay at the base until Dr. Latimer returned, but agreed after he saw Stephen’s papers and badge. Even here in Austrium, his status as a World City bounty hunter held sway. Although how long that would last, he wasn’t sure. With the city council corrupt and Dr. Bloodmayne after Kat, most likely his position—and the benefits it gave—would be revoked.
Better to make the best of it while he had the power.
Stephen headed down the rows of canvas tents. The base was more like a mobile city made of tents, motorwagons, and even the occasional airship. Commander Powell said they had been here for a year, but Austrium was pushing back and they might have to uproot the base. He could only imagine the kind of organization and stratagem it took to run this base, let alone move it.
Hopefully they would not be here long. Dr. Latimer was scheduled to be back in the next week or two. His tour was up and already he had plans to head back to World City. Perfect timing.
Stephen approached the grouping of tents marked by a blue circle with a white star within. Each tent was numbered, starting with number one, the main medical tent. He ducked through the flaps of the first tent. Only a handful of men remained now since the bombing, most having been discharged, housed in one of the smaller tents, or sent back to World City due to grievous injuries.
He still could not remember anything after the bombing, only vague images. However, he could well imagine what would have happened to Kat if he hadn’t thrown himself across her. The projectile would have caught her directly in the face, marring or even killing her.
But then you would be free, a small voice whispered. No more fear of that other Kat, no more wondering if she will lose control again—
“No!”
Stephen stopped and glanced around to see if anyone had heard him. No one looked his way. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, his insides knotted up. He would do everything in his power to help Kat. He owed her that much. But what if Dr. Latimer couldn’t cure her?
Then we’ll find another way. And another. And another. We will keep on looking until we have pursued every possibility, and then we will still look.
Stephen approached one of the nurses and asked about Kat.
She glanced up from the list in her hand. “Miss Bloodmayne? The lady who came in with you? Tent four.”
He thanked the nurse and headed back out. Tent four stood to the right a couple tents down. The flaps were tied back and a sharp, strange smell filled the air as he approached. Inside, he found Kat and the young doctor who had visited him yesterday. The doctor looked to be about his age, with thick dark hair and a clean-shaven face. His accent had marked him as from one of the villages north of World City.
The two stood beside a table laden with glass vials, pestles and mortars, glass tubes, large clear beakers, and some kind of slender metal cylinder with a flame at the top.
The doctor stepped away from the table. “I’ll be back. In the meantime, continue with your work.”
He left through the back exit without noticing Stephen.
A burning sensation flared inside his chest as he stared at the flap where the doctor had left. Seeing Kat with another man brought back all sorts of painful memories. Stephen closed his eyes and breathed in through his nose. No, he would not let his past cloud his present. Never again.
After a couple more breaths, he opened his eyes. Kat was so focused on the two liquids she was mixing in a large glass tube that she hadn’t noticed him.
Stephen opened his mouth to say something, then stopped and watched her.
When the liquids were mixed to her satisfaction, Kat grabbed a pair of metal tongs and used them to hold the tube above the small flame nearby.
He had never seen this side of Kat—the daughter of a renowned scientist and one of the first women to graduate from the Tower Academy. He watched the way her fingers steadied the tongs, the way she adjusted the flame on the metal cylinder with such precision, the way she focused on her work.
She was like no other woman he had ever met.
After half a minute, she withdrew the glass tube from the flame and turned off the cylinder. The flame went out with a pop as she placed the tube inside one of the holes drilled into a wooden stand.
“You’re amazing.” Stephen’s voice broke the quiet inside the tent.
Kat dropped the tongs and looked up. “Stephen! I never heard you enter.”
“I didn’t want to interrupt.”
She retrieved the tongs, a flush creeping across her face. She pushed back that tendril of hair that always seemed to come loose from her chignon. “I’m helping Dr. Emmett this morning. I don’t know my father’s formula for his healing serum, but I know a simple one from the Tower and offered to create a couple vials for the military’s use.” She settled the tongs on the end of the table.
Stephen shook his head. “Every woman I knew before you only knew how to play the pianoforte, or paint, or concerned themselves with the latest fashion. You’re different.”
The red deepened across her cheeks as she began to straighten the remaining empty vials into a single perfect row. “I was never much interested in those. I’ve always wanted to study science, ever since I was a little girl. I love how the world works. How mixing and combining elements can create both poison and medicine. How the human body is like a vastly complex machine. It all fascinates me.”
She finally looked up, and Stephen knew he would never forget that look on her face. Her eyes glowed with excitement and wonder, and her face was flushed with passion. His stomach did a somersault. If he hadn’t already fallen for Kat Bloodmayne, he would be on a crash course now. All the jumbled up feelings he had held inside cohered into a single emotion: he loved Kat. He had loved her since the moment he saw her, even when he left her at the Tower. He loved her now, and he would always love her.
“Stephen?”
Stephen swallowed the lump inside his throat, his blood racing throughout his body. “Yes?”
“Are you comfortable with a woman who thinks?”
He blinked at her blunt inquiry, then broke out in a laugh. “Yes, I am.”
She nodded to herself as if answering an unasked question.
“Why do you ask?”
Kat paused, her hand on the last vial. “One of the young men from the academy said men were not interested in intelligent women.”
Stephen sobered. “That might be true of some men.” A woman like Kat would have intimidated many of the men back on the force. “But not me.”
Dr. Emmett walked in and stopped when he spotted Stephen. “Mr. Grey. Is there something you need?”
Stephen waved his hand in a dismissive fashion. “I was simply checking on Miss Bloodmayne.”
Before the doctor could say more, Stephen turned and left the tent, a smile on his face and a fire inside his heart.
He spent the rest of the day wandering around the base. Most of the areas were closed to him, but there were still places he could walk and stretch his legs. As noon approached, the sun blazed down on the camp and heat waves rose above the tents and distant golden hills. Shots echoed on one side of the camp as new recruits trained. On the western end, rows of brass machines were lined up in single file.
He wasn’t allowed to go near the machinery, but even at a distance he marveled at the vehicles. Each was the size of a small carriage set on two jointed legs that could bend. A small window encased in sheet metal marked the front where the driver sat. A long, thick pipe ran up the backside with a steam valve attached.
On either side of the window were two “arms” with cannons similar to the cannon-like arm the bounty hunter Ro
dger Glennan sported on his right side.
Stephen stopped.
A cold sweat broke out across his body. There was still a bounty on Kat, and that meant, sooner or later, Rodger—and Piers and Jake—would come. If what little Stephen knew about Dr. Bloodmayne was true, the man would stop at nothing to get his daughter back. To him, the Narrow Strait would be a mere hurdle to overcome. After all, the three bounty hunters knew the name of the ship he and Kat were on, and it wouldn’t take much digging to find out what kind of work Robert did for the World City Council.
It was even possible the trail would lead them right to this base.
Stephen spun around. Why hadn’t he thought of that before? He clenched his hands and hurried down the dirt path, away from the war machines and toward the medical tents. On the Lancelot, he had been too preoccupied with his guilt over what he had done to Kat. Then they had reconciled and all his thoughts had turned toward finding Dr. Latimer and a cure for Kat. Then the bombing occurred and—
Enough! I can’t change the past, but I can prepare now.
His mind rushed through timetables and trajectories. How long would it have taken for Jake, Piers, and Rodger to figure out where he had taken Kat? How long before they found a ship to cross the Narrow Strait? He moved his fingers as he counted, then let out his breath. They still had time. There was no way the bounty hunters could already be in Austrium unless they flew, and even then no ship was as fast as the Lancelot, even after crashing for a couple days. At least none that he knew of.
But they needed to be ready just in case Jake and the other two men showed up. Hopefully Dr. Latimer would be back before then.
Chapter
20
The Calypso pulled into Duskport in the late morning. After securing the small steamboat to the boardwalk, Captain Harpur extended the wooden plank and gestured toward Jake and the other two bounty hunters.
Jake slung his pack over his shoulder and started across the plank first. Between Piers’ constant complaints about the filthiness of the ship, their tight living quarters, and Rodger’s seasickness, he couldn’t leave the ship fast enough.
Ahead, the small seaport of Duskport spread out before them, a collection of shabby buildings nestled along the shore. A couple fishing boats gently rocked in the harbor, their owners sitting on barrels on the dock, smoking pipes or cleaning nets.
He placed a foot on the pier and sighed in relief. Solid ground. Before he could take another step, Captain Harpur swung out a hand to stop him. Jake stopped short and narrowed his eyes.
“My payment,” the captain said with a wiggle of his fingers.
Jake tightened his lips and reached inside his duster for the pouch he carried. He counted out the bills and thrust them into the captain’s hand. “You’ll receive your final payment if you’re still here when we return.”
Captain Harpur closed his hand around the bills with a gleam in his eye. “I’ll be here, you can count on that.”
“No matter how long our mission takes.”
The captain waved him off. “Even if it takes you weeks.”
“Good.” Jake bypassed the captain and walked across the boardwalk, his boots slapping against the wooden planks. Piers followed behind him, along with Rodger. The sooner they started their mission, the better.
He stepped onto the street and looked around. There wasn’t much to the port. Just a bunch of run-down storefronts, weathered homes, and narrow streets. He tugged on the end of his mustache. Where to start? He dropped his hand. Taverns would be a good place to find out information.
Jake headed toward an old pipe-smoking fisherman sitting on a bench at the edge of the street. The man looked up and his eyes wandered over Jake’s tattooed arms. With a puff of smoke, he pulled the pipe out. “Quite the colors you have there.”
Jake folded his arms. “I like to think it means I’ve lived an interesting life.”
“Sailor?”
“No. Not quite.”
“Hmmph.” The man took another long draw from the pipe. “So what brings you to Duskport?”
“Looking for someone.”
“Here?”
“No. However, I would appreciate it if you could point me to the local tavern.”
The man gestured with his pipe. “Just head down that street to the Laughing Gull. Can’t miss it.”
“Thank you.”
“Sure, sure.” The man settled back and continued with his pipe.
Jake started in the direction the fisherman had pointed. For being at war, Austrium seemed to be as laid back as rumors had portrayed the country to be.
Piers came up beside him. Even during the sea voyage, Piers had somehow managed to keep his white suit immaculate. Always the consummate gentleman, even if he was a bounty hunter. “So what is our plan?”
“Find information. The Lancelot was a blockade runner for World City, which means it ran supplies for the army. Find out where the bases are and start eliminating each one as a possible place for Miss Bloodmayne and Stephen Grey.”
Piers nodded. “My thoughts as well. A woman in a military camp will be hard to miss.”
“As long as we don’t run into any problems with Austrium or the military crossing the country, we should find her in no time.”
Piers waved his hand. “Keep a low profile, fit in with the locals, and we should be fine.”
Jake glanced back. “Rodger might be a bit of an issue.” Not to mention Piers’ dapper outfit.
Piers glanced back as well. “Yes, but we’ll be thankful to have him if we find ourselves in a fight.”
“That’s the only reason I brought him onto this job. That, and I didn’t want that cannon of his trained on my back.”
“Indeed.” Piers adjusted his monocle, his sniper-cane clicking against the cobblestone.
Of course, neither did he want Piers’ sniper skills tested against him. Fortunately, the bounty offered on Miss Bloodmayne was more than enough to share with each man, as long as they finished the job.
Find the lady, use the needles Dr. Bloodmayne sent with them on her, and ship her back to World City. Easy mission. Easy money. Then onto retirement. Jake smiled. Life couldn’t be better.
“And what if we run into problems with the lady?”
Piers’ words doused his happier thoughts. Miss Bloodmayne was not like any other quarry he had hunted before. Thought petite, she had thrown him and his men across the room back in Covenshire with just her mind. He didn’t believe in much beyond what he could see, but even he couldn’t deny that there was something odd about her. Something downright terrifying.
Piers must have caught the look on his face. “It’s something we should be prepared for.”
“You’re right. And I’ve given it some thought.”
“And?”
“We can’t go head-to-head with her again. We will need to take her unawares, before she can do . . . well . . . whatever it is she did in Covenshire.”
Piers sniffed quietly. “It’s too bad we need to take the lady alive. If we had other options, I could take her out myself with just my sniper rifle.”
“The council was adamant that she be taken alive. Too bad they didn’t tell us about her ‘special abilities.’ We could have been better prepared.”
Piers shrugged. “Well, now we know. So what’s your idea?”
Jake stuffed his hands into his pockets as they walked along the street. “When we reach her, we scope out the area, then make a plan to catch her before she realizes we are there.”
“Do you ever wonder if we should even be doing this?”
Jake glanced at Piers.
“What exactly is the Tower doing with a woman like her?”
“Since when did you develop a conscience, Piers?”
“I haven’t. I just value my life. What if there are more like Miss Bloodmayne? Or what if the Tower is trying to create more?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. All I know is when I’m done with this job and have the cash in hand,
I’m leaving World City behind.”
Piers clicked his tongue. “Perhaps you’re right. World City is changing, and not for the better. Maybe it’s time I found a new place to live. If it wasn’t for this war, I would enjoy a chateau in Austrium.”
Jake snorted. Piers would fit in just fine in Austrium, what with his smart clothes and high-class living. “Just keep the end in mind, Piers, and let’s finish the job.”
Chapter
21
Several days after she’d caught Stephen watching her work, Kat had just finished changing the bandages on one of the army cooks when she noticed a slow, faint buzzing noise outside the medical tent. Smiling, she tucked in the edge of the gauze. “There. Keep the area clean, and if the bandage falls off or becomes dirty, come back and we will place new salve and gauze over the wound.”
The young man inspected the bandage and beamed up at her. Freckles covered most of his face and his ears stuck out on either side of his head. She narrowed her eyes. He couldn’t be more than sixteen! How in the world had he ended up here?
“Thanks, Miss. Are you one of the new nurses?”
Kat shook her head, conscious of her Austrium attire. She had washed the outfit a couple of times since arriving at the base, but it certainly was not the most appropriate clothing for assisting in a medical ward. “No, just someone helping out.”
The boy blurted out his thanks again and left. Kat watched him go, then turned her attention back to the strange noise as she dipped her hands into the bowl of water on a nearby table and washed up. The buzzing grew louder. She tilted her head to the side. It sounded like thousands of angry bees.
She wiped her hands, then placed the linen on the table and headed outside the tent, surprised at her own calm. It was late morning and clouds had gathered, blocking out the sun. Nurses, medics, and Dr. Emmett stepped out from the surrounding tents.
“Is it another attack?” one of the nurses asked.
“I don’t know.” Dr. Emmett frowned and looked up at the sky.
A slight chill touched her spine as Kat glanced up. She saw the wagon explode again in her mind, there one moment, a ball of fire and smoke the next. The memory seemed oddly distant, like something that had happened to someone else.
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