by Drae Box
The concrete under Raneth’s feet cracked. He jerked into a run, bashing his shoulder into a wall as he turned. Ruddy Denzites. Why can’t I shake them? He spun round a corner, ending up behind a cafe. He peeped over his shoulder to check on the Brethren. A cloud of dirt was rushing towards him. Bummer. He sprinted towards a large bin by the cafe’s back door, glancing back at the brown cloud as it crashed into a wall behind him. Here goes nothing, he thought, pulling up the lid and looking inside. Just enough room. He climbed in, nestling into the leftover food and bags of rubbish as he pulled the lid back over. Speckles of dirt battered the bin from all angles but the back. Raneth hunkered deeper into the rubbish, resting his arm against his mouth and nose, trying not to gag.
“Where’d he go?”
“He definitely came down here. I could feel his footsteps,” stated the other Brethren to the first. The soft patter of the dirt died down. “Maybe he went through that building there, or up that drainpipe. That’s near where he last stepped.”
That one must be the one with the Common Gift of Earth. No wonder I couldn’t lose them. Sounds like he’s mastered the gift. He flinched as one of the pouches on the front of his belt began to vibrate. My grebunar. Holding his breath, he waited to see if his flinch had given him away. He couldn’t answer it. There was no volume control on his. If Aldora or Cray – whoever it was – talked at normal level or louder, or if something was noisy near them, the Brethren would hear it. Heck, they might hear the blasted thing vibrating. As long as he didn’t squeeze it to accept the greb, he’d be fine. Maybe. He watched the bin’s lid, listening to the two Brethren arguing about how to find him. They must not have heard it. He didn’t dare breathe a sigh of relief.
“Alright. I’ll run to the other side of the building. You try that door and see if you can get in. He might have picked it and locked it again from the inside, so just break it. Denzel’s extra nosy about everything to do with Bayre, so look everywhere.”
Raneth stilled as he listened to the two Brethren walk away from one another. He heard the crunch of the door next to him as the one with the Common Gift of Earth shoved against it. A second crunch of the wood was followed by a thump as the door fell against the cafe’s floor. The royal official inhaled then coughed into his elbow, pushing his arm hard against his mouth to stop the Brethren hearing him.
Think I’m OK, he decided when the bin stayed shut. I’ve nowhere to go but back the way I came or up the drainpipe, so I’d best stay here for a bit longer. The Bayre stifled another cough. How am I going to find Aldora? I could try and track her, but she wouldn’t have dropped anything. She knows bits of Green, but not all of it. She might go to Jim’s or back to Ali’s if she can find her way. Raneth mulled over which was more likely. Unless she’s walked up to a Brethren and asked to see her uncle. Raneth frowned. But why did she run when I did then? Instinct because I did? She wouldn’t greb me if she was with a Brethren, would she? Maybe she’s lost. I could try and get her on the grebunars once I’m safe. What if she doesn’t want anything to do with me because she is starting to think I’m a monster and a murderer? Raneth glanced up at the lid of the bin as glass shattered nearby. Even if she thinks that of me, I have to look out for her if I can. We’re both too recognisable. And she tried to contact me. Unless it was Cray. I can’t let her uncle get hold of her. There’s no way he’ll listen to her, and there’s no way he just wants her close because she’s family. He’s up to something.
Raneth lifted the bin lid an inch and peered out. Might be safe now. I’ll use that drainpipe and then jump to another building.
He climbed the drainpipe with practised ease and strode carefully along the tiles of the sloping roof, staying on the same side as the back of the cafe. If I stay up on the rooftops, I might spot her more easily. Raneth sprinted across the roof, leapt across the street and smashed into the terracotta tiles of the next house. Winded, he stayed on his front and listened to the ground below. Please don’t let anyone have seen me.
Raneth climbed to his knees and strained to hear any sign of the Brethren. Doesn’t sound like they saw or heard me. He crept closer to the front of the building and peered down into the street. A unit of ten brown jackets strode past. Guardsmen, remembered Raneth. Organised. Trained. They’re even walking in sync. Someone with army experience is responsible for them. He watched them curiously as he lowered onto his front to make himself smaller and less visible against the rooftop. Four of the ten had crossbows strapped to their backs. Big ones too, not those little ones that are easy to reload. They’ve chosen deadliness over speed. Handy. Raneth smiled and looked at the other six. Four of them had a basic sword gently tapping against their leg as they walked along the road, and the other two had twin short swords. Those two will be fast.
The Bayre watched as the Broken Crown unit walked under a street light. They can see too easily, decided Raneth. If I’m to find Aldora, I need the light too, but we both need the dark to avoid these guys. If she is avoiding them. He pulled up his hood and wrinkled his nose as the smell of gone-off milk pulled at his nose. I have to hope Aldora isn’t with Broken Crown just yet, that there’s still time for us to work together for Giften’s sake.
Raneth army-crawled across the roof until he reached the side of the building, where it shared a private alleyway to its back garden with its neighbour. He jumped down and prowled out of the alleyway and back onto the streets. I need some advantage. Lights off. Glancing over his shoulder at the Guardsmen heading in the opposite direction, Raneth exhaled. I just hope they don’t know Green’s streets as well as I do.
Continuing onwards, Raneth made steady progress towards one of Green City’s substations, which had been installed a few years before by Southern Kingdom technicians, with some of the city’s own technicians observing and learning. He drew close to the gate of the fenced building and glanced around. The street was deserted except for him and a red squirrel that stared back at him from a tree in front of the substation. The substation wasn’t much to look at; it was a small square building, with one light by its door. Raneth slipped free his lockpicks and started working on the padlock that protected the substation’s perimeter fence. The padlock quickly gave way and the royal official crept up the short path to the front door. He slipped his picks into the lock and felt for the tumblers, finding only one. He released the tumbler and the cheap lock gave way. I should tell Cray to update the security with better locks when he’s back, thought Raneth, slipping inside.
The interior of the small substation was strangled in darkness. Grey boxes lined the walls and stood like sentries between them, their presence accentuated by their constant buzzing and the small circular lights of blue, red, green and yellow that gave Raneth the smallest of light to see by. There’s got to be a master off-switch somewhere.
Slipping a hand into a back pocket of his trousers, Raneth withdrew a silver lighter and flicked it on as he drew close to the first of the grey machines. Oil heater? What do they need one of those for? He prowled deeper, carefully reading the labels on each box. He rubbed at an ear as he noticed another noise under the buzz of the machines – a high-pitched whine.
I have no idea what I’m doing, he admitted to himself. But there’s gotta be a safety switch somewhere. Where is it? He followed each row of the metal boxes, ignoring every button and every light, only reading the labels. Ah-ha! He grinned as he found the safety lever. He rubbed his palm down the side of his trousers then grimaced as he found the squashed remains of what felt like banana. Raneth wiped that on his chest. He grabbed the lever and pulled.
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