A solid minute passes when a third slowly approaches, cautiously peeking around the walls, his Traxpire aimed and ready. That’s what I heard—the sound of a Traxpire, of explosions ripping through space. Without firing his Enidd, Sampson swings on the encroaching Vermix who immediately turns to fire. But with Sampson’s hit, the Vermix drops the weapon, thrown off balance by the force of the impact. Quickly scrambling to regain his stance, two bullets carve through his chest, rendering him immobile. Tossing the second Enidd to Tucker, Sampson dives behind the wall closest to the third Vermix, retrieving his Traxpire.
He peeks past the wall, quickly returning his back to it and glances at us. “Five more.”
“All armed?” Reid asks.
Sampson nods, motioning Reid to pass his Enidd down to Jace. Once he does, Sampson hands him the Traxpire. “Cover me on three.”
I’m shuffled to the end of the line, past Jace who switches positions with me. Booker’s still unarmed, but he’s behind Jace, keeping me tucked into the corner of the walls. With the three Rogues ready, and Sampson already counting down, I don’t have time to protest.
“…Two…three,” Sampson says, everything happening at once.
Unarmed, he flies into the next compartment, scampering up the wall. Reid, Jace and Tucker race into the open space behind him, spilling Enidd bullets and firing bright orange blasts. Howls of pain emerge, response bullets soaring back. Jace is nicked in the leg, cursing as he falls to one of his knees. Reid whips him back, something whizzing by his face and thighs.
On instinct I fly forward, but Booker’s thick, muscular arm holds me back. It’s a good thing too, or else I would’ve run right into a stream of Traxpire explosions, the Rogues dodging just in time, back to the opposite wall. Another cry bellows from the other end of the room and then another.
“It is the Fychu!” one hollers as a loud crack sounds.
And then there’s silence.
All breathless, Reid, Tucker and Jace hold to the wall across from us, waiting through the icy quiet. Finally, Reid calls out, “Sampson?”
“We’re alright,” he says without a hint of exhaustion. “There were only eight of them.”
“Only eight…” I mutter, moving past Booker.
“They looking to assassinate the queen?” Jace asks, following me with the slightest limp as I run into the next space and find Sampson over a pile of dead Dofinikes. Each has multiple holes in their chest and stomach with some missing portions of their limbs. The last lies with his head unnaturally positioned to the side, his final expression one of utter terror.
“Not necessarily,” Sampson picks weapons off the Dofinikes, handing Booker and me an Enidd each. “But something. They were definitely looking for something.”
“Do you think there could be more?” Reid asks.
“Definitely a possibility…” Sampson glances around, finally exhaling. “I’ll have to stay here. Make sure no more have infiltrated the FH. And, of course, take care of these guys,” he glances over the pile of fallen Vermix. “The suit is over here,” he moves through the room, to the last compartment where a huge coral chest is built out vertically from the wall. Opening it, he withdraws a head piece and a much larger black suit, one to fit a different body type. He hands it to Reid. “Take this to the chancellor. You’ll be fine from this point?”
“We need to get back to the Docking Station.”
“There’s a private one through here,” Sampson motions to another coral door. After opening it, he indicates the pool in the center of the room. “Call your Millix. They’ll come. I must leave you now.”
“We’ll return with Chancellor Keller,” I promise.
“I know you will,” he squeezes my shoulder. “I’ll see you soon.”
Without another word, he darts back through the space, making quick work of tying up the Vermix. I’m so engrossed in his actions that I don’t even hear my name.
“Fallon,” Reid softly calls me again. “Ready?”
“Yep,” I spin, moving past the Rogues and into the next room to stand by the pool. Taking a deep breath, I black out the noise around me, quieting the racing emotions. She needs to hear this correctly the first time. Closing my eyes, I concentrate, forming her image in my mind.
Lalu, I need you.
A second of silence and then her voice rings in my head…
Where are you?
Queen Ravan’s Docking Station. Bring the others, please.
Yes, Fallon.
Opening my eyes, I look to Reid and the others. “They’ll be here shortly.”
“What was that?” Tucker paces between us, obvious shock still marring his face. “Were those the captured Vermix?”
Reid shrugs.
“At least we know who let out the toxin,” Jace sighs, examining the slight wound on his leg. It’s barely nicked, a few beads of red staining his suit leg. He cups it momentarily, “Hopefully there’s no more floating around.”
“Or at the prison,” I watch him investigate his abrasion. “You sure you’re good to go?”
“What?” he laughs, indicating to his leg, “this? Yeah—think I can handle a scratch.”
“Seen you handle worse,” Tucker says.
“That’s what I’m saying. Really, Fallon,” Jace holds a hand to his chest, frowning, “you hurt my pride.”
“Just don’t attract any carnivorous animals,” I make for the pool, strapping the Enidd to the hook on my hip. At least we’ll be armed going into the prison—if any lingering Vermix do make a surprise visit.
Lalu emerges in the center of the pool and seconds after, seven other Millix appear. My heart speeds up, starting to constrict the air in my chest. I should probably warn them about where we’re going. What to expect and how confined they’ll feel. But if Ariana had told me any of this, I probably wouldn’t have gone. So instead, when I glance at the others, I simply ask the thing I really need to know.
“Ready?”
Chapter Eleven: Prison
“After you, Boss Lady,” Jace grins.
I toss Reid a glance but he merely shrugs, a slow smile crossing his lips. Okay, he can agree to this. He takes off for Palli and once on board, turns to me. “Fallon?”
I climb onto Lalu as she lowers her neck. “Booker—you got the suit?”
“Right here,” he motions to it draped over his shoulder. He climbs atop his Millix and Jace and Tucker do the same. Once we’re ready, I grasp the bairs on Lalu’s neck and lean in, picturing where we need to go.
To the prison, Lalu. Visitor’s entrance.
Yes, Fallon.
“Hold on,” I grip tighter just as she begins to submerge.
Lalu is in the water first, then Reid and Tucker, Jace and Booker right after. The three extra Millix travel alongside—two on either end and one trailing behind. But even with the speed of the racing Millix, we have to go slower, weaving in and out of the drifting Mybyncian forms.
“God Almighty…” Tucker whispers as we descend through a thick fog of them. “How many you think were killed?”
“How many you think are still trapped inside?” I ask as Lalu swerves under a cluster of bodies. The other Millix dart around and we join up on the other side. “This is insane…”
“Let’s get Keller and get back,” Reid says. “Afterward, we can figure out what to do about everyone trapped and collecting more Dilly.”
“But it’ll only be temporary,” Tucker throws him a glance. “We need something to really heal them.”
“It’s all we have right now…” Reid returns the look, lightening his tone at Tucker’s maddening expression. “I’m sure Sampson will figure something out.”
The weight of that sparks a moment of quiet as we dive deeper into the dark water, where fewer and fewer of the dead have strayed. With less to weave through, the Millix race deeper, faster, Lalu leading us to the same spot where Mimi parked for Ariana’s ascent yesterday.
“Right here,” I motion the others as Lalu slows to a stop, the o
ther Millix circling to a halt.
“Geez!” Jace curses. “It’s blacker than night out here.”
“You miss that part?”
He scoffs uncomfortably. “Thought Sampson was being dramatic.”
“Nope, just honest. Booker,” I turn to him, “you’ll stay here and wait for us?”
“You got it, Boss Lady.”
Jace, Tucker and Reid strain a chuckle but I merely roll my eyes. “You can still call me Fallon.”
Booker looks to Reid for approval. He nods, grinning ear to ear, obviously amused by this. “Whatever she wants.”
Now Booker turns to me. “Okay, Fallon.”
“Boys…” I grumble to myself. “Okay—who’s carrying the suit?”
“I’ll do it,” Tucker volunteers and Booker hands it off to him. Once they’re situated and ready to go, I look between them, giving them the description I wasn’t gifted.
“Okay, we’ll be going up through there,” I point to the dark, narrow opening above. “It’ll be black and extremely narrow so don’t freak out.”
“You’re talking to the Rogues, baby,” Jace grins.
“Right,” I roll my eyes. “Look, it’ll be one long ascent and when we reach the top, we’ll go left, through another long tunnel. Once we’re out of that one, we’ll be in another space—wider, but still submerged—and at the top of that room, another tunnel. This one will be tighter than the others. After we’re through, it should be it. We’ll be in the main part of the prison and then it’s just a matter of getting to Perio’s cell.”
“Geez…” Jace scoffs, “…don’t think you made it complex enough.”
“Didn’t say it was going to be easy. Why? Regretting not staying behind with Werzo?”
“No, I’m not a pussy.”
“Prove it,” I push off from Lalu, heading straight for the black opening above. But Reid swims past me, blocking my lead with his Enidd already drawn. He stops me before entering the passageway.
“I’m going first.”
“You don’t know where you’re going.”
“Up, left, up—I got it.”
“But—”
“There could be something in there,” his voice tightens. I start to argue but he shakes his head with finality. “I’m going first. Jace, Tucker,” he calls, “keep behind Fallon.”
“On it, Boss.”
“Booker,” Reid glances down to him still sitting on a Millix. “See you in a few.” Without waiting, Reid takes off through the tunnel and I’m right behind him, Jace behind me and Tucker after him.
We’ve only been swimming for a few minutes when Jace gripes, “weren’t kidding about these tunnels. How’re we going to get Keller back through?”
“You saw how quickly Maris went into shock…” I remind him. “If he’s been infected, he’ll probably be unconscious… easier to maneuver.”
“But how’re we going to move him?”
“We’ll tie his hand to your ankle,” Reid calls above me.
“Better than having to push him…” Jace pauses a moment. Still swimming with furious kicks, he tries again. “But if he’s unconscious, how will we find him?”
“Sampson said he’d be in Perio’s cell,” I offer. “I say we start there.”
“The left turn’s here,” Reid takes off in the new direction and we all follow, making quick time of the second tunnel but moving through it in stark silence. Finally reaching the bulbous room of water, we swim to the top, to the last tunnel’s entrance. Unable to stand the quiet anymore, I break it up with a reminder.
“This one’s the tightest.”
“Normally I like the sound of that…”Jace chuckles, earning a laugh from Tucker.
Reid glances back with an amused grin before taking off through the tunnel. Jace follows next this time, then me, then Tucker. Swimming for a few minutes, Tucker adds to his initial reaction.
“Yeah, you would.”
“Being Recruitment Rogue Commander definitely had its perks.”
“If you don’t mind me asking…” I start but Tucker knows where I’m going and is quick to cut me off.
“Don’t.”
But I need to know. Ignoring the Rogue Leader, I focus on Jace again. “Just how many girls did you sleep with?”
“Here we go…” Tucker sighs.
“Look, Fallon… it’s not like I went after them.”
“Don’t lie to her,” Reid calls back.
“Alright… well I did, but they were basically waving me on.”
“And you couldn’t say no?”
“I didn’t want to say no.”
“Are you saying you went after every Arrival?”
“Not every Arrival,” he corrects, “half of them were dudes and then… some of the girls were just… not my type,” he tries putting it delicately. “But the rest… oh yeah.”
We swim in silence a few more minutes as I try to calculate just how many girls might’ve fallen under Jace’s seductive charms. And then, a new thought engulfs me, quickly transitioning to a question I eagerly need to have answered.
“…What about me?”
“You?” he laughs, humored at the thought. “Hell no. You were off limits from the beginning.”
“Jace…” Reid starts.
“What? She wants to know,” he directs his attention back to me. “Before I even knew who you were, Boss said you weren’t an option.”
“Jace…” Reid says again, this time with an edgier tone.
“Wait a second…” Tucker’s confused, trying to piece the details back together. “That’s not right. I remember telling you outside right after Reid told me. And we knew who she was because we’d seen her earlier that day.”
“Nope,” Jace disagrees. “I was told first, way before then.”
“How long is ‘way before then’?”
“I want to say…” Jace thinks for a second, “…day after you arrived?”
Whoa…
“Before you even talked to her?” Tucker tosses the question up to Reid with genuine surprise. “Really?”
“Does it matter? We’re here.”
Without another word, Reid swims out of the tunnel and we all follow in silence. Jace and Tucker swim past me, joining Reid’s furious speed as we all break the surface of the water. We’re in the same place Ariana took me yesterday—in a hollowed cave with limestone walls where several large tunnels dot the area and only a foot or so of solid ground runs the perimeter.
“Great…” Jace mutters. “More tunnels.”
“Which one is it?”
I motion to an opening up ahead to the right. “That one.”
Reid swims towards it, jumping effortlessly onto the ledge. He puts his hand out and pulls Tucker up first. The two help Jace out and then Reid and Tucker each grab one of my hands, yanking me out of the water.
Tucker repositions the suit over his shoulder. “What’re we going to tie Keller up with?”
“Maybe there’s something we can use in the cell,” Jace suggests.
“There isn’t.”
“Then maybe he has something on him,” Reid motions us forward. “We’ll figure it out. Come on, we’re wasting time.”
“You’re right,” Jace glances back to the water as we all set out down the same passage I took yesterday. “Booker would’ve never fit through there.”
“Would’ve fit just fine in here,” I move past the others, further into the tunnel. “This way.”
But before I get too far ahead, Reid slips his hand in mine and shifts me behind him. “I go first. You don’t know what’s down here.”
“Probably just the chancellor—”
“Just…” he exhales. “Stay behind me. Please?”
The pleading tone in his voice pulls at me. “Okay.”
He nods and takes the lead position again, keeping one hand in mine and the other on his Enidd. With Jace and Tucker behind me, Enidds aimed and ready, we approach the end of the passage and come upon an empty glass tank. My stom
ach drops.
Where’s Perio?
Reid leads us closer to the thick glass divide and as the boys are peering through it, trying to find anything in the dark water, I glance up the limestone steps and nearly gasp.
Perio is standing at the bars, his wide, terrifying eyes watching us with a greedy grin. On the ground in front of him—on our side of the divide—Chancellor Keller lies nearly still, involuntarily twitching every few seconds.
“I did not expect so many…” Perio’s smile turns down after a second, scanning our group, “though I had hoped for the Fychu.”
Reid yanks me behind him as Jace and Tucker run up the steps to examine the chancellor on the ground. We’re right behind them, but even with Perio safely separated by the limestone bars, Reid makes it a point to keep me behind him, blocked from the Musko leader.
“I was losing hope anyone would come at all,” Perio paces about his cell. “It has been awhile since the good chancellor first arrived. His time must be running low… especially without any Dilly to counter the toxin.”
“And you were just lucky enough not to be in the water all night?” I manage to peek past Reid’s shoulder.
“Luck has nothing to do with it.”
“Then you were tipped off,” Reid glowers.
“Incorrect,” Perio sighs, seemingly bored already, “but as the chancellor here will likely be dead before any help arrives—a fate you also share—I find no great dilemma in divulging the truth.”
“What truth?” I ask.
“Boss,” Jace calls, panicked. “He’s saying something—Keller.”
“What?” Reid flies ahead, crouching down with the other two who are struggling to get him inside the suit.
“We love our people,” Perio goes on, pacing again. “We love them so much that we are willing to show them what cruelty can be done by those outside our World. And when all hope seems lost, when our home is nearly destroyed, it will be us who will save them, us who will resurrect the remaining life force,” Perio stops pacing, his wide orange eyes flickering between mine. “You see, in order to save some, many must die.”
“It was you…” my words come out a whisper, the truth hitting me like a shockwave. “You released the toxin.”
Plague of Mybyncia Page 16
