In all of his years combing the tunnels, Riya had only come across one live person. The man was in his seventies and claimed he was not part of the TDU; he had argued extensively he didn’t even know who the TDU was, or what year it was, for that matter. Riya wasn’t sure what happened to him, but he presumed he traded the darkness of the tunnels for some prison cell deep beneath Lunia.
Riya shook the memory out of his mind and continued on, watching Lupa, who cautiously made his way through the green darkness ahead. They came to another platform marking a break in the tunnels and Riya’s heat signature sensor blared to life. His monitor was picking up a small red bleep of life. Albri saw it too, motioning again for the team to stop. He waited several seconds before firing off a quick hand gesture, commanding his squad forward. Lupa and Riya were the first to head out, hugging the concrete walls as they proceeded down the narrow platform.
Suddenly, another two signatures popped up on their displays. They both stopped immediately, using a blur of hand motions to signal contacts. Both Riya and Lupa stayed as close to the wall as possible as they waited for Albri to give them orders.
Silence washed over the tunnel as the squad waited in the darkness. For Riya, it was the stillness that killed him.
He took a deep breath, as Albri gave him and Lupa the green light to engage. Riya looked at his display before proceeding. The heat signals weren’t moving. A knot tore into his stomach, his mind trying to tell him what he already knew. The contacts weren’t rats. No, rats moved when they were scared. Rebels hid.
Riya nodded at Lupa as he followed him slowly onto the platform. God, I hope this isn’t an ambush, he thought, raising his assault rifle and training it on the northern tunnel entrance. The sound of his clanking armor echoed in his helmet with every step. His armor was never as loud as he thought it was, and he knew his helmet amplified sounds while his ears further scrutinized his every move.
Riya watched Lupa jump gracefully from the tunnel ledge to the platform. He quickly followed suit, crashing on his armored knees, his rifle still trained on the heat signatures ahead. Within seconds he was back on his feet, making his way closer to the targets. Behind them Albri and company watched nervously.
Lupa stopped suddenly. It was deathly quiet, the tunnel almost completely void of noise, save for a small drip of water from a loose pipe somewhere above them.
Riya took a knee and brought his rifle to his goggles, glassing the tunnel with the crosshairs in his scope before peering back at Lupa. He was still crouched against the wall. His white outline reminded Riya of one of the statues lining the courtyards outside the State office buildings.
And then one of the red heat signatures moved. Without hesitation, both soldiers fired two shots at the mobile targets, the bullets penetrating the thick concrete walls of the tunnel and sending fragments of rock and concrete into the air. A trail of smoke bled out of their barrels as the Knights waited for a response, but once again, silence washed over them.
They dropped their rifles to their sides, signaling to the rest of the team to proceed. The heat signatures must have been rats.
The squad cautiously filtered out of the tunnel, jumping onto the platform one by one to join Riya and Lupa. Albri made his way through the soldiers and stopped in the middle of the concrete platform, taking a knee to examine his tablet.
“According to this map, we’re standing on a platform that isn’t supposed to exist. The only option is to head north. It will take us deeper into the tunnels,” he said, calmly.
“I want Loi and Bria on point now. Ai, you, Riya, and Lupa watch our six.”
The Knights nodded and headed for the north storm drain, but before Ai had time to jump off the platform, an explosion ripped through the ground, sending him flying through the air.
“Ambush!” Riya screamed, diving for cover.
An eruption of gunfire filled the dark tunnel, tails of fire spitting out of the Knights’ assault rifles. Ahead, Riya could make out two men firing rifles from the north tunnel and another two from the south.
Riya kneeled, firing at the men in the north tunnel first, and turned to finish his clip at the attackers behind him.
In a matter of seconds the room was filled with chunks of rock and smoke as the Knights emptied their weapons into the darkness. The firing from the attackers grew silent.
“Cease fire,” Albri said over the com.
Riya’s armored chest heaved in and out as he pulled out his spent clip. He cocked his head to make sure Lupa was okay before turning back to the tunnel.
“Report,” Albri whispered into his mic.
“Negative on heat signatures,” Riya said, desperately trying to hide the fear in his voice.
“Riya, Lupa, check on contacts,” Albri responded.
Within seconds the two were running towards the north tunnel while Albri and Loi went to check on the south tunnel. Bria headed towards the area he had last seen Ai.
Arriving at the end of the platform, Lupa and Riya looked down into the tunnel water below. The bodies of two men lay warped in the murky water, a trail of red liquid seeping from their cooling bodies.
“Two casualties,” Riya said, over his com.
“Two here as well,” Albri responded. “What’s Ai’s status?” A brief silence followed, and static crackled.
“He’s gone; took a rocket right in the side. There isn’t much left but twisted armor.”
Albri grimaced, pausing before he brought his hand up to his com. “Roger. We’ll get a crew down here to retrieve his body. In the meantime, we move on. We have to be close to their HQ. Bria, call in reinforcements and let Supreme Knight Morr know our location.”
“Roger,” Bria responded.
In seconds the team was moving, reloading their weapons and brushing dust off their armor. There was no time to mourn Ai, and everyone in the squad knew it. They were Dark Horses and had a job to do. Ai would get the proper funeral and respect he deserved when the mission was complete.
Riya led the smaller team into the north tunnel, firing two quick shots into the TDU member’s skulls as he walked passed them, ensuring they were dead. He wasn’t nervous about attracting any more attention with his rifle; the entire squad knew the TDU would more than likely be aware of their presence by now. The challenge was going to be infiltrating and destroying their HQ before they packed up and moved to another location.
Somewhere in Riya’s gut, he felt lucky. Part of it was probably due to the fact he hadn’t ended up mangled like Ai, but it wasn’t just that. He couldn’t deny the tingle of excitement racing through his body. It could have been adrenaline, or it could have been the scent of the elusive TDU. Whatever it was, he was just glad the knot began to loosen as he made his way through the darkness. If Albri was right, then they were close to the TDU’s headquarters. Whatever danger lurked in the darkness he was prepared to face it. He wasn’t just a Knight; he was a Dark Horse.
Chapter 7: A Note from the Past
“Learn from yesterday, love for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
~Albert Einstein
Time: 5:00 p.m. February 9, 2071.
Location: Lunia, Tisaia
A weak sun emerged out of the dreary clouds, attempting to shine down on the cobblestone streets of Lunia below. Spurious admired the melting snow, watching a river of water empty into a storm drain below before looking back at Lana.
“God you’re beautiful,” Spurious said, gazing into her eyes. Lana shot a shy smile back at him, a tint of blush apparent on her cheeks.
“Thanks. You always make me feel pretty. I’ve never been with anyone that has been able to do that,” she replied.
The two had been seeing each other off and on for weeks now, an hour here and an hour there. For Spurious it helped keep his mind off the death of Paulo, and his conversation with Leo, who he was hoping to avoid. Today Spurious had a special plan. He was taking Lana to his old flat.
“You know, one thing I
don’t know about you is where you grew up,” Spurious began as he guided her by hand through the crowd.
“That’s because I don’t think I’ve told you.”
“In fact, you haven’t told me where your family is from at all, or where they are now,” Spurious continued.
Lana stopped and dropped his hand, kicking a rock across the street.
“There are a lot of things I haven’t told you because I want to protect you. So far, I have felt comfortable telling you most everything, but there are some things that should just be left unsaid. Look around you, you know where we live.”
How stupid, she is an immigrant.
“Don’t worry, Lana; you don’t have to tell me anything about your family. I haven’t told you anything about my family either, but today I’m taking you somewhere very special—I’m taking you to the place I grew up.”
Lana turned away. “You grew up in Rohania?” she asked, studying the cracked walls of stone buildings and the citizens who littered the dirty streets. The scene brought back a wave of memories of her own childhood — a childhood she tried to forget. Oblivious to their conversation, the crowd of Rohanian residents continued about their daily routines. Spurious stole a glance at Lana once again. Her olive skin looked dark, even in the dull gray afternoon.
“Shall we go?” he asked. Lana smiled, taking his hand.
“Thank you for taking me here today. I’m excited to learn more about you,” she said, softly.
“Trust me; it’s worth the journey and the risk.”
“There isn’t a risk, is there?” Lana asked, biting her lip.
“Does that excite you?”
Lana smiled, revealing her perfectly aligned teeth. “You excite me, Spurious,” she said, grabbing his arm and following him through a dense gathering of patrons waiting outside a food stand.
Spurious laughed and continued to pull her along. For some reason he was only slightly nervous. He wasn’t quite sure why he wanted to bring Lana to his old flat, but something inspired him. Perhaps it was losing Paulo, or perhaps he simply wanted to share a part of his life with Lana. He had looked for a way to tell Lana his parents helped create the TDU, but was terrified she would not understand. And deep down, he knew he wasn’t ready to share this piece of his past with her. The day wore on, and before he knew it, the white stone marking his old building was in front of them.
“This is it,” he whispered.
“Where are the windows and the doors?” she asked.
“I’ll tell you in a few minutes, come with me,” he said, extending his hand to her again.
They darted across the busy street, Spurious pulling Lana towards the narrow alleyway. They entered hesitantly, avoiding heaps of trash and rotting wood. He scanned the street for anyone who might be following them before disappearing into the alley.
The alley was illuminated only by a sliver of sun that began to fade as a cloud passed overhead. Spurious scanned the shadows for the gargoyles that marked the entrance to the ancient building.
“There,” he said, under his breath, leading Lana carefully through the narrow passageway. A pair of gargoyle heads emerged out of the shadows. Spurious anxiously dropped her hand and reached for the wooden door.
“Stay where you are. It could be dangerous,” he whispered to Lana.
Spurious pushed on the massive frame of the door, but it wouldn’t budge. There was something blocking it from within the building.
“Damn,” he said, shoving his body against the frame of the door and pushing with all of his strength. The door moved slightly, but not more than a crack. Spurious stopped, wiping beads of sweat off his forehead.
“Be careful, Spurious. There might be nails.”
He walked down the alleyway, jumping over piles of wood, looking for something that could pry the door open. As he searched, a ray of sun finally broke through a cloud pattern and illuminated an object under a pile of trash. Spurious bent down, picking up a rusted piece of metal piping.
“This should work,” he whispered, inserting the pipe into the small crack. He pried the door back, creating a gap wide enough for them to slip in.
“Let’s go,” Spurious said, once again taking her hand and cautiously pulling her through the dark gap.
“It’s going to be dark in here,” Lana speculated, entering the dark building.
“That’s okay. I figured as much, so I brought a candle and some matches.”
The two stopped and Spurious reached into his knapsack, pulling out a large white candle and a small book of matches.
“Here, light this,” he said, handing her the candle.
The tiny flame quickly grew into an impressive orange blaze, illuminating the interior of the building. The inside was just as he remembered it; the walls lined with solid oak, not the cheap stuff that rotted after a solid rain. The first floor hallway was filled with broken lamp shades and pictures hanging loose from their hinges on the walls. On the floor were yellowed newspapers in front of the doors of residents now lost to the past.
A sense of nostalgia washed over Spurious, who stood staring down the ghostly hallway, his face turning pale.
“Are you all right?” Lana asked, noticing his quick change of demeanor.
Spurious shook his head. “I’m fine, I just haven’t been here for a long time and it brings back memories. Sorry, I didn’t realize it was going to have this effect on me.”
Lana squeezed his hand. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
He smiled. “It’s okay, really. I want to do this. I need to do this.”
The flicker of the candle illuminated the hallway, sending orange light dancing across the walls of the building. At the end of the hall a broken door leading to the stairs hung loosely off its hinges.
“Careful,” Spurious warned as they made their way through the open door. He stopped to examine the condition of the steps under the weak light. He didn’t want to end up falling through the stairway or breaking his leg on a step.
The stairway looked safe enough, and Spurious held the candle up farther, cautiously climbing the steps, guided by the orange glow. The first step moaned under the weight of his foot, but held. “I think it’s safe. Stay close."
Lana nodded and followed Spurious up the flight of stairs. By the time they had made their way to the third floor, his nervousness had mostly subsided.
“We’re almost there. Just one more flight of stairs and we’ll be there.”
“Do you think there will be anything left in your old flat?”
“We’re going to find out in a few seconds. Here, hold this,” Spurious said, handing the candle down to Lana, who stood a few stairs below.
He reached for the hallway door’s handle, twisting it with ease. Spurious swung the door open, swallowing a mouthful of musky air and breaking into a deep cough.
"Are you sure you’re okay?"
Spurious stopped in front of the hallway trying to regain his breath and make out the numbers on the doors simultaneously. "Yeah, I’m fine," he finally replied.
“Which one did you live in?” Lana asked, grabbing Spurious by his forearm softly.
“I’ll show you, follow me.”
The hallway was pitch black, with only the glow of the candle to guide them. The windows at both ends of the hallway had been boarded up and appeared to be spray painted black to prevent any light from coming in. Spurious examined the flat numbers door by door, each time raising his candle to the small black numbers. Some of the numbers had fallen off or were cracked, but Spurious knew he would recognize his old door when he saw it.
Halfway down the hall Spurious stopped, handing the candle back to Lana. Is this it? he wondered, rubbing the exterior of the wooden door with his hand.
“I’m home again, Lana!” Spurious exclaimed, nearly bumping the candle out of her hand with excitement. He reached for the handle, opening the door and revealing a dark and musty old room.
“Not exactly the way I remember it,” he said, taking a deep
breath and entering the flat, with Lana close behind. The floor boards creaked loudly, prompting them both to jump in surprise. The aged wood was smudged with water stains, and thick cobwebs clung to the ceiling like white veins. Spurious continued to scan the room with his candle, but he knew there would probably be no trace of his former life. He kicked a pile of old newspapers and fliers that must have been left behind, nothing that would reveal anything about his parents.
“Well this is it,” he said, relieved in a way.
“What do you think happened to all of your old furniture?” she asked.
Spurious shrugged. “Repossessed by the CRK, stolen by stragglers. Who knows?”
The flat was simple, consisting of a living room and kitchen with two small bedrooms and a single bathroom branching off on the west side. Curiously he walked to his old bedroom first, excited to explore his old room.
He stepped over the door lying like a skeleton on the floor. Spurious craned his neck cautiously into the darkness, holding his candle high so the orange glow lit up the walls of the room with warm light.
In the east corner a small mattress lay on the ground. It was torn in the middle, guts of cotton pouring out like a nasty flesh wound. Mold had also found its way into the room and badly stained the mattress.
The west corner revealed a small wooden chest that was harnessed to the wall. He immediately recognized it and rushed over to an ancient box.
“This is where my parents used to keep all of their personal items. They must have thought they were safer in my room, because no one would have looked for them in here.”
Lana walked over to Spurious, putting her hand on his shoulder as he leaned down and opened the chest. It was empty, except for a cloud of dust that rose into the air, prompting Spurious and Lana both to cough.
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