razorsedge

by Lisanne Norman

  “Check this one,” said Kezule as they stopped by a bend in the corridor. “I’ll remain here.” He turned to look at Keeza, staring at her with unblinking eyes. “Do not harm him. We’ll take him with us.”

  Keeza nodded and moved toward the door. The corridor was short, only two rooms on one side, on the other, the elevator as the female had said. Activating the first door, she peered cautiously in as it began to slide open. It was a small staff lounge, empty at this time of night, and there was a window.

  Hauling Zhyaf with her, she made for the far wall and peered carefully out into the night. A deserted quadrangle, bounded by lawns and three low brick walls. To one side she could make out an aircar. She let out a low chuckle as she started back to Kezule.

  “So it’s your car,” she said. “Fitting that we should use it.”

  “Keeza,” said Zhyaf, keeping his voice low as he stumbled along in her grip, “think what you’re doing. You should be helping us, not him.”

  From outside, they could hear an exchange of shots and the low, terrified yowling of Nayla.

  “Shut up!” she hissed, shaking him, her claws just puncturing the flesh on the sides of his neck. “Why should I help you? You’ve done nothing for me! He fed me, gave me a purpose when you abandoned me!”

  “We never beat you! He did!”

  “I deserved it. You beat him for no reason,” she snarled, hauling him back to the door. “Now shut up! It’s thanks to him you’re still alive!”

  Looking out, she saw Kezule standing on her side of the bend. “General!” she called quietly, pitching her voice so he would hear her. When he looked at her, she gestured with her gun.

  “For Vartra’s sake, think, Keeza,” Zhyaf hissed. “He’ll kill you when he’s free! He won’t need you then! You have no future with him!”

  She leaned forward, biting his ear sharply, making him yowl in pain, a sound cut off abruptly as she tightened her grip on the back of his neck. “I have no future with you! I killed two guards, you want I should kill you, too?”

  Kezule took in the hostage’s bleeding ear as he ran toward her. He’d forgotten she’d be aggressively violent toward males other than him. “Remember who’s in charge,” he said icily, pushing her back inside. “Do not hurt him again!”

  “Yes, General,” she said, forcing her ears down in apology. “There is a window, and an aircar.”

  Kezule sealed the door and slung his rifle over his shoulder. “The pistol,” he ordered, holding out his hand. She gave it to him and he fired at the locking plate, destroying it. “See to the window,” he said, handing it back and glancing around the room for something with which to bind the captives. An overall lying across the back of a chair caught his eye.

  Pushing Nayla onto the chair, he took hold of the overall and began ripping lengths from it. Swiftly he bound her, then joined Keeza.

  “The window’s sealed. I’ll need to break it.”

  “Do so. Give him to me,” he ordered, taking hold of Zhyaf’s wrists and tying them together. “Hurry. They are close behind.”

  Keeza backed off from the window, aimed her rifle at it, and fired. Nothing happened. She spat curses. “Stun guns,” she said with disgust as she pulled the pistol from her pocket again. Standing to one side, she leveled the pistol at the window and fired. The glass exploded in a shower of shards. Using the rifle butt, she swept the frame clear of shards. She hesitated, remembering what the male had said and looked at Kezule. “The poison in my arm…”

  “Will be seen to. Now go.” He pushed her forward and a moment later she was standing in the courtyard holding her hands up to take Zhyaf from him.

  She staggered slightly under his weight, letting him fall with her support to land on his feet. Grabbing him by the arm, she hustled him over to the aircar. Stopping, she rifled in his pockets for his card. Pushing it into the reader set on the vehicle’s wing, she waited impatiently for the door to slide open. A worried glance behind told her Kezule was following, bringing the female with him.

  “Please, you said you’d spare me,” Nayla whimpered when he stopped. “I told you where the window was.”

  Keeza shoved Zhyaf inside and followed him, making sure he was secured in the rear seat by the safety strap. Then, she clambered into the pilot’s seat and shoved the card into the slot. Hearing a thump, she glanced over to see Nayla drop bonelessly to the ground.

  “Go,” he said, climbing in behind her and closing the door.

  *

  “They’ve killed her!” said Mara, leaping to her feet. “Oh, God! They’ve killed Nayla!” She began pacing the room, wringing her hands, a look of terror on her face. “They’ve taken him with them!”

  “Mara, if they’ve taken him, they want him alive,” said Ruth soothingly, getting up to take hold of her fosterling.

  Mara avoided her and darted round the other side of her bed. “You don’t understand,” she said, leaning forward on it. “He killed Nayla! He promised he would let her go! Zhyaf’s next, and that means me!” Her voice ended on a high-pitched wail.

  Jack eased himself out of his chair. “Vanna, m’dear, I think we have to sedate Mara now. She’s obviously becoming too hysterical for Zhyaf’s good. Would you mind handing me your hypo?”

  “Don’t you come near me,” said Mara angrily, pulling herself upright again. “How dare you suggest that! You know that it’ll affect Zhyaf!”

  “And so will your hysterics!” Jack snapped, his mustache fairly bristling with an anger equal to hers. “Pull yourself together, girl! He’s the one facing that damned Valtegan, not you, he needs his wits about him! Give the man a chance, Mara,” he said, softening his tone as he saw tears begin to spill down her cheeks. “Kezule and that Keeza woman are only two people. Through you, Zhyaf has all of us to help him and give him advice. Now send to him, lass. Tell him to keep calm, we’re doing everything we can.”

  She covered her face with her hands and began to sob gently as Jack eased his way toward her and enfolded her in his bear hug. “Come on, lass,” he said, patting her back gently as he brought her back into the center of the room. “You have to be brave for both of you.”

  *

  There was something he’d noticed while in laalgo, something alien about himself, he remembered. What was it? He thought back, trying to recall it.

  “Where to, General?” Keeza asked as she headed out of the grounds of the installation, then upward to lose themselves in the traffic that passed overhead.

  Irritated at the interruption, Kezule turned in his seat to look at the captive Sholan behind him. “I want countryside— woodland in which to lose us. Which direction?” he demanded.

  Zhyaf heard the question but couldn’t make his brain work. He was numb with fear. He knew just how deadly Kezule was. The Valtegan reached out for him, nonretractile claws coming closer to his face. He shrank back in his seat, opened his mouth— and found it too dry to speak. He swallowed furiously, managing to get enough spit together to croak an answer.

  “West. Taykui Forest.”

  “Hey, this thing’s got onboard mapping!” said Keeza, fiddling with the multitude of recessed switches. “We’ve got ourselves an important hostage here, General. Hold on, I’m finding Shanagi. Yes. He’s right. The forest’s to the west.”

  “Head for there. Can this craft be tracked?”

  Zhyaf shook his head. “Only if you use satellite link.”

  Keeza made an impressed noise. “Real important, this male. Who are you?” she demanded, looking back briefly. His face was vaguely familiar, but from where? She turned her attention to the aircar’s comm where the airway routes were being displayed. They were coming up to a westerly turnoff point.

  Kezule turned back to look out the front of the craft. As he did, he realized that the windshield afforded a clear view of the occupants. “I can be seen,” he said, sliding down on the seat.

  “No,” croaked Zhyaf. “`Screen’s opaque from outside. Can’t see in.”

  He looked
to Keeza for confirmation.

  “On the upmarket models, yes, and this is definitely one of those. It feels like he’s telling the truth.”

  Kezule kept his gaze on her. Feels like the truth? What was she saying? Could she be aware of the male’s thoughts? If she was one of the mind readers, he’d have known by now, surely. The ones who’d brought him to this time had touched his mind, stolen his words. If she could do that, she’d have done it before now, if only to have avoided his beatings.

  “Feels like the truth?”

  She shrugged, keeping her eyes on the other traffic as she banked the vehicle to the left, joining the flow of traffic heading west. “I had strange dreams while you were in laalgo. I heard the alarm before they came in for you this evening.”

  He turned so he could see them both. “The alarm. What caused it?” he demanded.

  “He should know, he was one of the three that came in first,” she said.

  “Thought you were dying. Came to help you,” Zhyaf said. “Please, a drink. Can’t talk. Mouth too dry.”

  Kezule hissed in annoyance.

  “Where?” asked Keeza.

  “The button on your door. In there.”

  Keeza pressed a claw tip into the recess. A hatch slid back revealing a collection of drink and food containers. She took two drinks at random and handed them to Kezule.

  “I will fly this craft,” he hissed. “I will not feed him!”

  “I think I’d be better piloting, General,” she said carefully. “I know these vehicles, know the traffic regulations.”

  The hiss turned to a snarl. Again she was right. He glared at Zhyaf. “First tell me what set the alarm off.”

  The captive’s eyes widened in fear as he tried to look away from him. “I… don’t know.”

  Kezule’s hand lashed out with a blow that rocked his head, bouncing it off the interior wall. “What set it off!” he demanded.

  “I don’t know,” moaned Zhyaf, tears of pain clouding his sight as he tried to sit up.

  Grasping him by the throat, Kezule pulled him forward until the safety strap stopped him. “Tell me!”

  “Bio-sensors!” he whimpered. “Under your skin.”

  Shoving him back into his seat, Kezule began to curse in his own language while hastily pressing along the inside of his right thigh. That was what he’d been trying to remember! Oh, they were cunning, these furred vermin, but not as cunning as he would be! He found it: a tiny, regular lump, unnoticeable until he’d known it was there. Clenching the muscle, he scored the taut flesh with his claw tip, then applied pressure on either side of the wound. Blood oozed out, bringing with it the tiny sensor. Picking it up, he put it between his teeth and bit down sharply on it.

  “Now we cannot be tracked. Unless…” He looked back at Zhyaf.

  “No more I know of,” he stammered.

  “Beside you, General,” Keeza said, nodding toward him. “First aid kit in the door unit.”

  Inside he found a medical case with adhesive dressings. He took one and placed it over the small cut. That seen to, he opened the first drink container, and leaning back, held it to Zhyaf’s lips, letting him quench his thirst. When he’d done, he opened the other for himself.

  “They thought you’d died?” Keeza asked.

  He glanced consideringly at her. She had no need to know the details. “Part of laalgo,” was all he said.

  “There’s food as well. Can you eat anything other than raw meat?”

  “No,” he said shortly. “In the forest I can hunt. Must eat soon.” Already the rush of energy from his awakening was beginning to dissipate. He needed answers from this male, answers he already knew Keeza didn’t have. Handing the empty containers to her, he turned once more to his hostage.

  *

  “What the hell have you done to her?” Josh demanded as soon as he saw Mara. One side of her face was swollen and already beginning to turn a livid purple. He was at her side instantly, his arms protectively around her, glaring at them.

  Ghyan shut the door and reached mentally for Ruth. Vanna had her hands full at the moment explaining to Josh what had happened. The exchange only took seconds, but by the end of it, he knew all that had gone before. The situation was indeed grim. He glanced at Garras, noting the ear piece and throat microphone he was using.

  “The bio-feed’s dead,” Garras said quietly. “We’ve no way of tracking them now.”

  Mara heard him anyway. She pulled herself away from Josh and faced him. “It wasn’t Zhyaf,” she said defensively. “He didn’t say where it was. Kezule knew, he didn’t even need to ask him!”

  “Mara, no one’s criticizing Zhyaf. He’s the one there,” said Garras. “He must do what he has to do to survive. No one will blame him for telling Kezule about the bio-feed.”

  She nodded, wrapping her arms tight around her chest, and began to pace the room again.

  She’s hardly sat still since we brought her here, sent Vanna.

  We’d do the same. When she can do nothing to help, movement is her only palliative, Ghyan replied, deftly moving their thoughts to a private level where there was no possibility of Mara or anyone else overhearing them.

  Zhyaf will allow her to tell us nothing about where they are. He says Keeza has been sensitized, could pick him up.

  Understandable. Now tell me, how may I help?

  She indicated the group gathered in the room. We’re none of us really experienced telepaths, Ghyan. Is it possible for you to reach Zhyaf without…

  He cut her short. No. I hope no one has tried. There was an anger in his mental tone. Zhyaf is experienced. If he says he’s in danger, then his judgment must be accepted.

  Vanna sighed. I thought as much. No, no one has tried. The Brotherhood are leaving this to us. Zhyaf is an En’Shalla, after all. In that case, I need your help in a different direction, Ghyan. If the worst should happen, I need your help to try and save Mara’s life.

  As she outlined her plan, Ghyan listened in disbelief, shaking his head. Impossible!

  Try, Ghyan. That’s all I ask. Support me. If the gestalt triggers, I need Josh’s mind there to answer it, to take hold of it and use it to bind him to Mara.

  Vanna, what you’re asking is…

  You’ve never experienced a gestalt. Believe me, it can move mountains! Carrie used it to shape-change— it left her with eyes like ours!

  I have often wondered about that.

  Just try, Ghyan! It could save her life!

  I’ll do what I can, of course…

  Jack leaned toward Garras. “What’s happening at Shanagi?”

  “Rhyaz has alerted the Protectorate to try and track down Zhyaf’s aircar. They don’t hold out much hope, though. The spaceport’s on alert, as is the seaport and all major aircar hire firms. The Brotherhood is starting sweeps of the surrounding countryside on the assumption that he isn’t likely to go to ground in the city. For one thing, there’s the food problem. Where could he get fresh raw meat without attracting attention?”

  “What the hell does he intend to do? Just hide?”

  Garras shrugged. “He could try and steal a suitable craft and head home, except, does he know where it is, and would he be welcome on a world fifteen hundred years older than he is? This wasn’t a planned escape, Jack, it was one of opportunity. My bet is he has no plan at present.”

  *

  “We’ve left the city limits now, General,” said Keeza. “There’s very little traffic here at this time. We’ll stick out like a sore tail.”

  Kezule considered the options. Stay in the air and draw attention to themselves, or land and be vulnerable to search parties because they weren’t far enough away from the city. On balance, he’d rather take his chances on land. “Find somewhere to set us down. Somewhere we can conceal the craft.”

  “There’s what looks like a clearing up ahead.”

  “Take it.”

  *

  Josh, placated now, was sitting on the bed trying to persuade Mara to stop pacing
. “You’ll only wear yourself out, make him tired, too,” he said.

  She stopped. “He was due home later tonight. Our Link day is due,” she whispered.

  Thank Vartra! Vanna sent to Ghyan. Our first piece of hope!

  The priest turned to her in surprise.

  Don’t you see? It could make strengthening her Link with Josh easier!

  *

  Keeza taxied the craft under the overhanging branches of the nearest trees, bringing it slowly to a stop. She turned to look at Kezule, face creasing in concern when she saw the state of him. His skin had paled to the point where it seemed blanched of color. It accentuated his thinness. Like the last time he’d woken, he’d burned off a lot of his body fat.

  “Gods, you’re freezing as well as starving!” she said. “I forgot you need clothing for warmth!” Reaching for the console, she switched on the heating unit. “You, come here,” she ordered, reaching back for Zhyaf. “I want your clothing!”

  “There are clothes on board,” he said quietly. “I was due to return home tonight.”

  “Huh! Your unlucky night, wasn’t it? Where are they?”

  “In the locker beside me,” he said, nodding to the storage unit that took up the space next to him.

  Reaching over her seat, she pressed the release for the locker. The door swung open to reveal a carry bag. Grasping hold of it, she pulled it forward onto her lap and began going through the contents. Her rummaging revealed a pale gray tunic and a woolen robe of purple edged with black. Keeping them, she flung the bag behind her.

  “This first, General, then the robe,” she said, passing them to Kezule.

  Forcing his frozen limbs to move, Kezule took the clothes from her and began to put them on. Already the cabin was warmer and he was beginning to thaw out. He began to see the advantages of a fur pelt.

  *

  Accompanied by L’Seuli, Rhyaz strode into the military building where Kezule had been housed. “Where’s Nayla Kiolma?” he demanded of the guards on duty.

  “In the medical bay, sir, along with the injured guards,” said the senior trooper. He turned to one of his men. “Take the Guild Master to the…”

  Rhyaz was already on his way. “Damned incompetent…”