Prophet: Bridge & Sword

by JC Andrijeski

  Fucking thing is encrypted. Keeps asking me for my DNA password.

  Can you get past it? I sent.

  I’m trying. We can blow it with the telekinesis if we have to, but then we’ll have company. They’ve got at least two full military units up here now.

  My eyes slid to the other end of the room, seeing the clusters of armed Legion of Fire seers as Revik pointed them out with his light. The gunfire was already getting closer. Black-clad soldiers of the Legion of Fire were definitely firing back at someone on this floor now. The anti-aircraft gun had quieted, so Balidor’s people must have reached the terrace.

  Given all the confusion, I wondered if I might be able to procure us a gun.

  No, Allie, Revik turned, glaring at me, obviously hearing my thoughts. Stay here. I don’t want you wandering around looking for fucking guns.

  I considered arguing with him. It would be easy as hell to sneak behind the firing line, knock out one of the Legion of Fire guards with my light, grab his gun. Then we’d have one automatic rifle, anyway––and whatever sidearm he might be carrying.

  Feeling Revik’s light charge up, growing hotter as this went through my mind, I relented, rubbing his back with a hand.

  How much time do we have? I asked.

  He glanced at the old-fashioned watch.

  Forty-two and a half minutes, he sent.

  And Maygar’s with Jon? They got in okay?

  Revik nodded, giving me a bare glance. Jon and Maygar breached downstairs about fifteen minutes ago. Facial rec picked up Maygar. I felt it on Dulgar’s light.

  I frowned, nodding. That explained a few things.

  You think Shadow is behind the seers being moved? I asked. Or is it a coincidence?

  Revik made a noncommittal gesture with his free hand. Not a coincidence, no. But maybe not Shadow himself.

  What does that mean? At his silence, I thought. You think someone else is tracking List seers? Who? Salinse?

  The buyer was Arabic...or pretending to be. I saw him consult a list of names on his hand-held. He was looking for specific seers. Every seer he took is on the List. Giving me a bare glance, he exuded a pulse of reassurance. It may be a coincidence. They’re all highly ranked.

  That’s a pretty big coincidence, husband, I said, biting my lip.

  Revik conceded my words with a head tilt, still focused on the organic circuits. If it was Shadow, they’d be dead already, right? And they’re not. I felt them.

  I didn’t answer. Pushing my hair out of my face, I grimaced, still thinking.

  Will you and ‘Dori be able to track them? I sent.

  I felt a pulse off him, but couldn’t quite untangle the emotion there.

  I don’t know. Whoever it is has them under a pretty heavy shield.

  I felt a shift in the Barrier and turned towards the opening by the pool. More soldiers of the Legion of Fire were on their way. I felt them on the stairs, in the elevators. Balidor’s people would have to hurry if they were going to take control of the terrace.

  How far are the boats? I asked Revik, thinking of our daughter that time.

  When he didn’t answer, I looked at him.

  He was staring at the circuits. Some of their glow leaked onto the lower half of his face in a blue slash, and I could feel him there, inside the machine’s consciousness. I reached out my light, wondering if I could help, when he let out a sharp exhale, straightening.

  You got it?

  I think so… yes.

  Even as he said it, the panel in the wall was starting to open.

  Orange light flooded the area by the fireplace a second time. When I looked up, I could see Revik’s face. He smiled, motioning me towards the five-foot passage.

  You sure we should go without a gun? I sent. That’s so unlike you, husband.

  Clicking in mock disapproval, he tapped his temple with a tanned finger.

  I smiled in spite of myself, shaking my head. Okay, walking bomb boy. Maybe you shouldn’t be pushing me to go first, then.

  But I was already moving rapidly towards the opening.

  I felt him behind me as I slid up to the edge of the wall, letting my light snake out lightly ahead. I didn’t feel anything.

  Poking my head around the corner, I made out a long, narrow corridor.

  It flashed in and out of view, lit by orange emergency lights. For the first time, it occurred to me how the electric got cut. The whole security system, as well as the power, had been tied into the construct. I rose higher in the Barrier, just enough to feel the mass of infiltrators working frantically to repair the damage I’d done.

  Ten minutes had passed. Barely that.

  Revik laid a hand on my arm, sending me an impulse to be careful. Nodding, I checked our shield, then ventured deeper into the opening in the wall.

  I was crouched in the low doorway, staring down that orange-lit passageway, when the first gun went off behind me.

  The bullet came straight for my head.

  7

  SEER PROOF

  I DUCKED, BUT already too late.

  Luckily, Revik was faster. His light flared in the Barrier––a millisecond before the bullet veered off course. It pinged on the edge of the door, making me duck a second time.

  I lurched through the opening, scrambling for cover.

  Another bullet swung wide, impacting the wall.

  Revik had done that, too.

  That fact didn’t reassure me all that much, not when I looked back and saw the line of soldiers emerging out of the smoke, moving in our direction. Lit in front by the orange emergency lights of the corridor, they held automatic rifles, wearing all black apart from the armbands of the Legion of Fire.

  Revik threw up a shield, holding out a hand as they raised their guns.

  Grabbing the arm of his jacket, I tugged him back into the opening right as they opened fire. I got him inside, if not out of the doorway itself, and started feeling over the walls with my hands and light, looking for another panel, some way to close the damned door.

  I heard violent, loud cracks and winced.

  Revik was breaking guns.

  Well, hopefully guns. Better guns than spines.

  I found the panel and pinged Revik, who looked over just long enough to toss me the cutting tool. His eyes glowed a bright, otherworldly green, but I barely noticed. I couldn’t focus on him now––even with him standing in the gaos di'lalente doorway.

  Cracking the panel with the organic tool, I shoved my hands into the tendrils the way Revik had done. I heard another set of explosions from Revik, and recognized the sound. He’d just ignited the bullets inside a gun magazine, probably semi-organic shells.

  I peered past the opening, only to have another guard fire on me for my trouble.

  “Stay out of sight, Alyson… d’gaos.” Revik shoved at me with a hand, raising his voice against the sound of gunfire. “I’m trying to scare them off… not kill them all.”

  Just knock them out! I sent.

  I would if I could, he said, pointing up with his hand.

  Feeling the military-grade, mobile construct surrounding the infiltrators on the other side of the door, I nodded grimly, focusing back on the panel.

  Once I’d merged my consciousness with that of the organic machine, I sent an impulse to the organic to close the door.

  It complied without protest.

  I flinched, watching in disbelief as the panel began to slide shut. Apparently they put all the security measures on the outside.

  Allie, what the hell did you just promise that thing? Revik joked.

  Wouldn’t you like to know? I grinned.

  Giving me a sideways look, he grunted. After watching you with Dulgar? No.

  My adrenaline spiked as several remaining soldiers lunged towards the opening. Revik shoved them back using the telekinesis. He was still avoiding killing people, which I was more than good with, but I wished he’d get better at busting kneecaps.

  You try it, he sent, smacking my light a little. W
ithout ripping open an artery. Or tearing the leg clean off. Miss smarty pants.

  I let out an involuntary laugh. I tensed when a black-clad guard appeared in the opening right in front of Revik. He aimed a handgun at Revik’s face.

  It exploded––bringing yells and screams as shrapnel burned the original soldier’s face and chest, and burned the arms of two seers fighting with the door. Cursing, the two guards in front continued to grip the edge, scrabbling with black gloves on the outside, like I had done, when––

  The door closed.

  The last shot echoed down the corridor.

  We were left in silence.

  I couldn’t even hear the physical alarms anymore. Glancing up and down the corridor, I didn’t see any doors. Wherever we were, I hoped we could get out of here.

  “Having second thoughts about this plan of yours, wife?” Revik said humorously.

  Giving a faint snort, I looked him over. “Not shot, then, husband?”

  “Nope.”

  Smiling faintly, I clicked at him. “Does Balidor know where we are?”

  “He should.” He tapped the old-fashioned watch.

  We’d managed to equip it with an ancient GPS pulse, one that slipped past their sensors, which mostly looked for organics. Revik made an apologetic gesture with one hand.

  “Probably wouldn’t hurt to call him anyway, now that the grid’s down.” He grunted. “I suspect the Legion of Fire finally figured out we aren’t here so you can get naked and blow their boss while I watch…”

  Hearing the genuine irritation in his words, I sent him a pulse of warmth.

  He glanced up and down the corridor. “Which way?”

  Rather than answer, I went into the Barrier. I felt Revik do the same. An instant later, we clicked out and both began half-jogging down the narrow corridor to our left.

  “Can you feel them?” I said. “Are they already out of range?”

  “I picked up a shield.”

  I nodded to the snapshot he sent me. “They’re moving awfully fast.” I frowned, scanning the blank-seeming walls. “Elevator?”

  He grunted. “That, or jet pack.”

  Rolling my eyes, I tugged one of the jewels off my necklace, sending an impulse to the organic matter to transform it into an earpiece. Without slowing, I handed a second jewel to Revik even as I fitted the first one into my ear.

  “I still wish I had a gun,” I grumbled.

  Revik chuckled, sending me a pulse of warmth. “I’m a bad influence,” he said.

  I switched the comm to the frequency Balidor gave me before we left. I didn’t bother with a greeting when I heard him pick up.

  “Did I piss you off or something, ‘Dor?” I said, using the sub-vocals. “Or did you really just let the head of your military arm shoot at us? With a cannon?”

  Balidor chuckled. “Is he my head of military operations then, Esteemed Bridge? If so, you might want to tell him that. Preferably when I’m not around.”

  In the background, I heard automatic gunfire.

  “Everything good on your end?” I said.

  “If that was an inquiry after my health, we are all very good here, Esteemed Bridge, thank you for asking.” He added, “Have you spoken to Jon?”

  “No.” I glanced at Revik. “They know who Maygar is, though. Revik felt it on Dulgar.”

  Balidor hesitated. “That’s… not good, Esteemed Bridge.”

  “You’ve got back up with them, right? They’re not alone?”

  I felt his light hedging. “We have people on their way––”

  Feeling my tension spike, he continued without changing tone.

  “––They are both fine, sister. We have three of our best military infiltrators with them: Jorag, Chinja, Hondo.” He hesitated again. “Frankly, I am more worried about there being agents here, and whether they might start eliminating seers as soon as Jon IDs them. I would prefer if he had more backup for that contingency.” Pausing, he added, “Where are you and your husband right now, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  “In a hidden passageway, looking for an elevator. Northeast corner of the terrace you hit.”

  “Erm…. why, exactly, Esteemed Bridge?” he said politely.

  I rolled my eyes. “Dulgar sold the List seers. We need to know to whom. It looks like he sold all of them. Revik thinks they’re headed to the Middle East.”

  I practically saw Balidor frown, even through the dark link.

  “So likely Dubai,” he muttered. “Along with the others.”

  I heard another cluster of automatic weapon fire.

  “All right,” he conceded grudgingly. “I see your logic. But come to the casino when you are finished, if you do not mind. I will do my utmost to meet you there before the clock runs down on our Elaerian brother being out of his cage.”

  I glanced at Revik. “Understood.” Remembering what I’d seen from the Barrier, I frowned. “Oh, and, FYI… I know you’ve got the audio from our meeting with Dulgar, but I think these Legion guys have more contacts in Hong Kong than he was saying. It might be why our friend from Dubai got here first. Either way, we need to intercept before he can get them home. We’re not ready to breach a Shadow city.”

  Feeling a pulse of agreement from Revik, I glanced at him.

  I felt Balidor agree with me, too, from the other end of the line.

  “You think this was a ruse on their part?” he said. “That they have some agreement in place with Shadow already?”

  “I think it’s possible––” I began.

  Wrap it up, wife, Revik sent, pinging me with his light. Discuss this shit later.

  Feeling the clock ticking down in his aleimi, along with his worry about our daughter, I nodded. “‘Dor, I have to go. Help Jon and Maygar, okay? And for the gods’ sakes––don’t let either of them be taken hostage. If they know what Maygar is, they might know who his mother is––which means they know Elaerian can reproduce with Sarks. That makes Maygar a target.”

  Revik sent me another hard pulse of agreement, that one containing worry.

  Glancing at him, I fought a smile, realizing he was worried about his son. A few years ago, he would have scoffed at the idea of Maygar in danger.

  Revik pushed harder at my light.

  “Okay… signing off.” I clicked off the comm as soon as I’d said it.

  Just then, Revik came to an abrupt stop, staring at a blank section of wall. The wall was featureless, without any markings, indentations or symbols. I watched him run his hands over the outside, blinked––then realized I could see it, too.

  The outlines were faint, but grew more visible the longer I scanned.

  “Elevator?” I said.

  He nodded, still scanning with his eyes and light. Straightening from where he’d crouched in front of the featureless panel, he walked to a specific section of the wall and placed his hand flatly against the surface, right about waist-height.

  Surprising both of us, the panel let out a low tone.

  No security––nothing apart from the wall’s being invisible.

  The two of us stood there, watching as a number appeared, not far from the ceiling. Below that number, the faint outline of double doors gradually grew visible. I watched as the number went from a blue four to a blue three then a blue two, then a blue one––

  “Sub-basement?” I said.

  Revik glanced at me. “Maybe a key code inside?”

  I frowned, glancing up and down the empty corridor, squinting against the flashing orange lights. “Or maybe not. It doesn’t seem like they expected anyone besides them to get this far.” I looked back at Revik. “Did you check out the organics?”

  Revik’s eyes showed a flicker of surprise, coupled with understanding as he looked at the door, then back at me. In the same instant, I realized what had surprised him. Despite the morphing material, there weren’t any organics.

  It was some kind of synthetic, but wholly dead metal.

  Revik touched it wonderingly with one hand. “Se
er-proof.”

  I smirked. “Just not us-proof.”

  Revik continued scanning the mechanism. The elevator, being made totally of dead metal, would be invisible to an ordinary seer. Normal seers couldn’t see physical objects from the Barrier. Even an organic machine emitted a rudimentary life force.

  Dead-metal, like this, didn’t.

  Revik and I were different, though.

  “They still might have a passcode inside, wife,” he reminded me.

  I nodded, watching the numbers, which were now shining a light orange color from the wall, and going up instead of down.

  Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-one.

  Revik took my arm, pulling me to one side of the doors, and out of direct view of whatever might be inside. Positioning me slightly behind him, he shifted his weight on his feet, staring up at the changing numbers.

  They morphed rapidly now, without slowing or stopping.

  Forty-six. Forty-seven. Forty-eight.

  I could feel Revik charging up the telekinesis.

  “I feel seven,” he muttered.

  I nodded, seeing the snapshot through his light.

  “Now I bet you wish we had a gun,” I murmured.

  He smiled, but his eyes never left the numbers.

  Seventy-one. Seventy-two. Seventy-three.

  The ping went off, and Revik’s light snaked out. I felt all seven of them fall simultaneously to the carpeted floor of the elevator, even as the doors opened.

  “Cutting it a little close, weren’t you?” I remarked.

  Revik motioned vaguely towards the ceiling with his fingers. “Different shielding.” He glanced at me. “Once I knew I could knock them out, I decided to wait. I thought it might buy us some time. You know. In case they have cameras.”

  I grabbed his arm when he started to walk around to the opening in the elevator doors.

  “Be careful, damn it!” I said.

  He looked at me, directly that time.

  Before I could make sense of his expression, he leaned over, kissing me on the mouth. He sent a dense heat with the kiss, enough to catch my breath. Then he turned, still holding my wrist as he peered around the doors.

  He sent me a reassuring ping a half-second later.

  Let’s go, he sent. We don’t have much time.