by Ciara Knight
Bendar? he mouthed.
I shook my head and shrugged. Good thing we weren’t allowed to talk because fear choked me to silence.
Ryder tipped up my chin and brushed a kiss across my lips. Taking my hand, he eased me up and jerked his head in the direction we needed to go. Taking the lead, we followed Ryder for a few meters then he tumbled to the ground. I froze just as my boots kicked something solid. I dropped my gaze to the ground but all I saw was rusty-colored hair and blood.
Chapter Thirty-One
My hands clamped over my mouth, stifling my cry of shock and anguish. My knees buckled and I sank to the hard ground, pebbles digging into my shins.
Flipping Bendar onto his back, Ryder assessed his limbs, torso, and head. A small gash etched his temple.
“Can you…?”
I didn’t even need to ask. Ryder’s eyes were already glowing silver.
Pressing his palms to Bendar’s scalp, the blood crusted and the skin sealed. The dark line lightened to a pale pink then faded to a thin white scar before disappearing completely.
Bendar’s eyelids flickered open before his goofy grin swelled his cheeks. He opened his mouth to speak, but Harrison pressed his hand over it. When he lifted a finger to his lips, Bendar blinked his response.
A second later, Penton and Raeth joined us. She tapped Harrison on the shoulder and grinned. Time to rescue our friends.
We trudged through the muck until we stood sodden and filthy before the Tower.
There were four, not three guards, on the perimeter and I’m out of darts, Ryder said through our mental link. It’s high, but manageable.
Bendar shuffled over and, frowning, stared up at his entry point then turned to Ryder. At over six feet, he was perfect as Bendar’s platform and catapult, if needed.
Muscles bulging against his grey shirt, Ryder knelt, allowing Bendar to climb onto his shoulders. Once the little man had his balance, he rummaged through his side pouch and brandished a small hand-held drill then set to work on the vent cover.
Each time a screw loosened, the back of my neck prickled in awareness. Given our guard count was off, if there were any other guards lurking around and heard the drill, they’d raise an alarm. Yes, Penton stood ready with his bottle in one hand and rag in the other, but that wouldn’t help if dozens of guards descended on us.
Raeth moved to his side as Harrison covered the walkway.
Bendar yanked the cover off and handed it down to me. Then he stuffed the drill back into his pouch and whispered, “Now.”
Ryder lowered into a squat, moved backward, then thrust upward, shooting Bendar at the vent. Bendar’s upper body landed inside, leaving his short legs waving in the air. Wiggling and twisting, he pulled himself in until he was no longer visible.
Panting, Ryder collapsed onto the ground. I lowered behind him, massaging his shoulders and he flashed a grin. “Should’ve used Bendar for my overhead presses,” he murmured.
Before I could reply, Bendar lowered the rope ladder, having already secured it to the vent’s frame. Raeth went first, her metal leg making the ascent difficult. Once she’d reached the top, I scrambled up after her.
“Halt!” a guard yelled, his voice reverberating off the metal walls of the vent. I flipped myself around then, lying on my belly, I inched to the opening and peeked outside.
A guard advanced on Harrison and Ryder, seemingly unaware of Penton hiding in the weeds to his left as he aimed his weapon at their chests. At the guard’s order, Harrison and Ryder faced the stone wall with their arms raised. Penton sprang up and clasped a rag over the guard’s nose and mouth. Almost instantly, the gun dropped, followed by the guard.
Harrison retrieved the weapon and jammed it into the waistband of his pants. Only then did I notice the collection Penton and Ryder had stashed in their belts and pockets.
Penton dragged the unconscious man into the reeds and dumped him beside the other sleeping guards.
Sighing in relief, I moved further into the shaft. Without a word, Ryder and Harrison scaled the ladder in record time.
Harrison reeled in the ladder. Cover, he demanded. Penton lifted the vent cover up to him and he pushed it in place, securing it temporarily. Stay alert. And Penton, if things get out of hand out there, make your way to the shuttle. Don’t wait for us. We’ll find an alternate exit.
An emptiness in my mind told me Harrison had cut the connection abruptly. He was a man used to having people follow orders, with no room for argument.
Bendar signaled us to follow him. As we started to crawl, Raeth’s artificial leg clanked against the metal panels of the vent. We froze.
How are we going to continue without alerting the entire Tower to our presence?
As I gnawed my lower lip, Harrison passed me a thick cloth. Give this to Raeth. Tell her to put it under her leg. It’ll dull any noise.
She gave me an apologetic look as she positioned the cloth under her knee.
At a fork, we turned left and continued down a long shaft. The last time I’d traveled via a ventilation system, I was half dead. I barely even remembered Ryder dragging me to safety. I just prayed no one needed to be dragged out today.
Raeth stopped. A moment later, I could hear Bendar’s drill. We’d reached our destination—the dreaded Tower.
Shifting, I rested on my hip. Behind me, I caught Harrison studying my every move. I arched an eyebrow at him.
Nothing. It’s just that... His eyes seemed to glaze over, as if lost in a memory, but an instant later, his impassive demeanor returned. I recognized the reaction as his quick suppression of all emotion after a momentary show of weakness. I’d perfected the look. It was what had kept me alive aboard the queen’s ship.
Raeth glanced back and shot me a quick smile, her mental speech entering my mind with no stutter. The exit’s near the floor. No one in sight.
Finally, some good news. I waited while Raeth wrapped her leg in the towel, tumbled through the opening, making only a muffled clang, then rolled to the opposite wall. A second later, she lay flat on her stomach, her gun drawn and aimed at the hall. The weapon in her hand looked like a Penton special. He’d been busy.
I hopped down and squatted by Raeth, one of my new guns pointed at the corridor behind us. Harrison quickly followed.
Worried, I looked for Ryder and watched as he dropped into the hall. Standing, he scanned the area, his gaze narrowing on the vacant corridor. His expression hardened at the same time as I heard, not good, broadcasted in my mind by Harrison.
I followed his gaze, but didn’t see anything. What is it?
Nothing. That’s the problem. Too easy.
I shuddered
Harrison pressed his back against the wall and slid to the corner. Clear. They didn’t think about the vents when this was constructed because there’s no direct access to the prison level. But we still have to get in there. That’s where we’ll be facing more opposition.
Bendar replaced the grate and turned a few screws by hand before he passed Harrison and rounded the corner. I soft-footed it to a large door with a glass slat at the top. Three bolt locks and a keypad secured the door, evidence we’d arrived.
After a quick inspection of the area, I identified the queen’s handiwork set into the ceiling. I pointed up at the sensors.
Harrison motioned for me to think so he could communicate my thoughts to the group.
Those aren’t speakers, I told them. They’re specialized alarm sensors. They respond to noise above a specific point. Talking triggers them, as will Raeth’s leg. Also, if you can’t open those locks with the right key on the first try or if I melt them, a silent alarm is sent.
Raeth, with Harrison’s help, strapped the cloth around her artificial foot.
Bendar pulled a case from his pouch. Opening it, he removed a ring with a variety of keys dangling from it and a thin fiber-optic lens. He inserted it into one of the three locks, examined how it worked, then studied his keys. Worried, I braced myself to sprint to our escape vent as
he slipped a key into the lock and turned. At the click, I exhaled and struggled to stay upright.
He repeated this with the next one. However, the amount of time it took him to match the third lock unnerved me. I glanced at Harrison and Bendar.
Bendar shrugged. Not lock.
What about the keypad? I asked.
Raeth moved up to the door and ran a finger across the top, sides, and bottom. Removing a small glass bottle from her pouch, she sprinkled black dust over the top of the pad.
Fingerprints? Harrison asked.
Raeth nodded.
You’ve got one shot. Enter the wrong code and it’s over, he warned.
She smiled, replaced the bottle, and removed a canister with a long straw-like stick. Puffs of white sprayed from the can into the slit around the buttons. With each puff, a beep sounded. After six beeps, the door snapped open. Grinning, she met our curious gazes.
Another Penton special? I asked.
She shook the can and smiled with pride. Of course.
We eased through and shut the door gently behind us. Two turns later, we neared the section holding Fallon. One more set of locks and we’d be there.
Bendar peered around the corner and froze. Soldiers.
My hand tightened on the butt of my weapon, the coolant keeping my heat inside at a simmer.
Ryder scrubbed his chin. Told you this is too easy. Fallon’s bait.
You’re probably right, so stay alert, Harrison said.
As soon as the guard disappeared down another corridor, Raeth hurried to the key pad and repeated the process required to unlock the door. I exhaled in relief as we passed through without incident.
Ryder’s hand squeezed mine and his cool gift surged through me, calming my mounting anxiety.
Once we were confident the patrol had continued on its circuit and wouldn’t reappear for an extended amount of time, we moved toward our target cellblock. The hall dead-ended. To the right, we spotted the main hub of the Tower—a large room, enclosed in glass and metal and filled with soldiers. It was an exact copy of the command centers in the queen’s council buildings.
Soldiers, dressed in monotone uniforms, focused on screens mounted overhead and on the desk spanning the length of the space. Some sat, their hands over their ear pieces, listening, while others tapped away on halo pads.
I stared at the command center, completely at a loss as to how we, not to mention Fallon and Thornton, could get past them. Swallowing hard, I faced Harrison. How can we rescue Fallon and Thornton without being seen?
I’ll take care of it. His eyes rolled back in his head then his chin dropped to his chest.
Turning to my friends, I mouthed, Who’s he contacting?
Raeth’s lips curled into one of her all-knowing grins. Fallon, she mouthed back.
Seeing my confusion, Bendar extracted a piece of paper and pencil from his pouch and scribbled a note. Similar powers, it read. Mind influences mind. He rubbed his brow and added, But many.
Before I could ask what he meant by many, the sound of marching feet echoed through the halls. Two, maybe three people approached. Ryder dropped my hand and turned on the heel of his boots with a squeak.
My hand tightened on the grip of my gun. Focusing, I connected with the power deep inside me and eased the vault, containing the churning lava, open. Holding back my power, waiting for the right moment to unleash it, I noticed Ryder’s icy gaze focused on the corner. He, too, was waiting as the marching drew closer. Whoever approached would be met with deadly force.
But with twenty or more people in the command center behind us, one of them was bound to hear the attack.
Raeth scooted to my side, armed with her pistol.
“Ryder’s gift first,” I hissed. “Quieter that way.”
Raeth moved behind me, brandishing her weapon.
“There’re two,” I murmured.
Something about the sound of their heavy boots hitting the floor tickled my memory. With a deep intake of breath, I soothed my rising anxiety.
A quick look at Harrison confirmed he was still frozen in his trance. I moved along the wall. Passing him, I stood with my back against his, protecting him. We’d come here as a team and we’d leave as one. If I had to, I’d incinerate every soldier in the Tower, along with those stationed outside.
I thought about Fallon and Thornton in their cells, vaguely wondering what the other prisoners might have done to deserve being incarcerated in such a hellhole. I paused, a small smile playing at the corners of my lips. That was it. I’d release every prisoner. After their treatment in the Tower, I doubted they’d have any love for the queen and her council. They could prove to be powerful allies or if nothing else, a perfect distraction.
The steps halted at the corner behind us and quiet descended. For a split second, I felt someone touch my mind, then nothing.
Neumarian?
“Need help?” I heard a familiar voice whisper.
Captain Gordon stepped forward with a glinting smile. Mart followed, her lips pressed and brows arched.
“We were on patrol and discovered Penton,” Gordon said. “The kid almost took me out. You’ve got forty minutes until the shift changes.” He gestured us forward. “We best get going if you mean to rescue your friends.”
Gordon strutted up to Ryder. “I’ll draw the guards patrolling the catwalk into a cell and secure them. You’ll have to take care of the rest.”
Ryder lifted his handgun, blocking Gordon from passing. “Don’t like coincident. You here, us here…”
Neither did I. Just like when we were aboard the Freedom, I was torn between trusting him and treating him as our nemesis. Concern gnawed at me, but before I could sort out my worries, Mart elbowed me out of the way and hooked her arm through Ryder’s.
“No surprise. We knew ye’d make a play for ye uncle,” she said, in the soft tone she reserved specifically for Ryder and Gordon. “Waited for ye to arrive. Want to help.”
Gordon cast a warning sideways glance at her. Every nerve in my body vibrated—this was a trap. But which of them was the traitor? Mart, because I never wanted her hands to touch Ryder again, or Gordon. Raeth waved them forward. “D-don’t have m-much choice. T-tower will soon know we’re h-here.”
Ryder shook off Mart’s arm and lowered his weapon then leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. “Still think it’s mighty convenient.”
Harrison grunted, stumbled against the wall, and met my gaze. Fallon’s in bad shape, barely hanging on. Third cell on the right. His eyes widened at our new companions. “Gordon? Mart?”
Gordon offered his hand in a Neumarian handshake. Strange, few humans greeted Neumarians that way.
Harrison’s harsh expression softened in sympathy. “I’m sorry to hear about—”
“Later. Let’s get this done. I’ll take care of as many guards as I can. The rest is up to you. Here, take this.” Gordon slipped a bronze key card from his jacket. “It’ll open the cells.”
A tingle of impending danger raced from the base of my skull down my back. What are you sorry for?
Later. Harrison nodded. Semara, I’ll need your help. The Tower specializes in torture. Melt everything they use. I’ll handle the guards at the control panels. Ryder, you drain enough life force to incapacitate but not kill.
Ryder nodded.
I touched Harrison’s arm. Where’s Thornton?
Two cells down from Fallon. When Ryder gave the all clear signal, Harrison faced us. Raeth and Bendar, once the guards are down, take over the command center. The control panel is near the front, far right. Open all the doors on every floor. Once Gordon and Mart have stashed the guards in the last two cells, lock them. Ryder, stay with Raeth. Fallon will need your help.
Gordon stepped forward. Let’s do this in phases. I’ll take a group back first then you and Ryder follow. We’ll dwindle the numbers down that way. At Harrison’s nod, he strode toward the cells.
Taking a deep breath, I listened to Gordon greet t
he guards. After a brief exchange, Gordon instructed them to join him in the interrogation wing to prepare it for an incoming prisoner. At his bland tone, I wondered if his involvement was a routine occurrence. As I watched the soldiers snap to attention, my body went cold, despite the roiling heat of my gift.
Harrison canted his head, directing Ryder into the open. I hated he’d been forced to use that aspect of his gift. The memory of the lives he’d extinguished when he’d saved Raeth in the Wasteland four years ago, still haunted him.
I caressed his chest. “I’m here for you. I’ll never leave you.”
With a jerky nod, he turned away from me, walked out into the open, and assumed his fighting stance.
“Hands up!”
Ryder raised his hands to chest level and extended his palms out. A network of midnight black threads started at his fingertips and moved up his arms, disappearing beneath the sleeves of his shirt. Three men and two women crumpled, unconscious, to the ground, weapons still holstered.
We hurried toward the controls on the far right that operated the cell and guard doors.
Frowning, Ryder trotted up to us. “It’s too easy,” he muttered, his eyes hovering over the fallen bodies.
“For now, stop worrying. We’ll figure it out,” Harrison answered.
He knelt and checked their pulses. “You’re control is absolute, Ryder.”
I gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “They’ll be fine.”
As much as I knew harming others tormented him, the faster we got out of here, the better. There was something to what Ryder said. It was too easy, especially given the queen’s involvement. As much as I wanted to believe the council played both sides because they were weak, I didn’t. If Ryder and I were right, this mission was going to blow up and we’d be lucky to survive.
Ryder placed a chaste kiss on my forehead. “Be careful.”
I squeezed his hand. “You, too.”
Joining Harrison, I charged with him up the sloping floor to the second cell door, leaving Ryder and the others to deal with the command center. While the corridors appeared clean and non-threatening, I knew better. Death and decay permeated every stone of the Tower. Even the air was rank with it. I glanced at Harrison. How many people have died in this place?
