Sinful Surrender

by Houston Havens

  “No, Reto won’t use his cyborgs for that,” Fay answered. “He’ll use the androids or droids to do that.”

  “Great! That’s just fucking great,” Logan shouted. “That’s great news, Fay. Androids! They’ll definitely have no problems with frostbite, lack of oxygen, or the death zone at the top of the mountains. They’ll not suffer any of the complications humans experience. They can walk right in.”

  The sound of something sliding a short distance across the wooden floor reached her.

  “Hang on. Don’t panic.” Drakker sounded like he was all the way across the room. “Androids won’t have those issues, but all machines have problems at those altitudes. Their mechanics, their inner workings, will freeze. And don’t forget the bacteria will eat through them.”

  “But how fast?”

  “What you say is true in most cases, Drakker.” Fay sighed. She didn’t want to give them any more bad news. “But…the UG has developed the JC380 android. Their army is filled with them, and they don’t have any problems with subzero temps.”

  “Shit!” Drakker’s voice shook like an earthquake along a fault line.

  Fay altered her focus, returning her mind’s eye to her physical body.

  “Logan, the androids can take over our mountains in no time. They’ve got us!”

  She sat up in time to see Logan’s look of disgust dart from his brother to her. Drakker walked toward her and flopped into his chair, rejection written all over his face.

  “I’ve got a meeting point with Chandra. If you want to save Arlo, we need to be at latitude 37.05 north, longitude 104.52 west in twenty minutes.”

  “Isn’t that the location of the old Tucker farm?” Logan looked at Drakker for confirmation before jutting his chin at her. “We can make it.”

  “I told Chandra the direction Arlo’s headed in. She said she’s got friends already in the lower quadrant. I don’t know what her friends are doing there, but she said they’ll get to him before us. Arlo’s danger zone for running into the cyborgs is about fourteen hours. You’ve got nineteen before the Underworld government makes their first move. Then another eight hours before the androids scale the mountains. Another three hours for them to position themselves for a full attack at midnight. Tomorrow.”

  “They’ll attack at night?”

  Fay wanted to gather Drakker in her arms and comfort him. She wanted to soothe his distress, yet all she could do was give him the frightening facts. “Cyborgs and androids don’t need light to see…they use kintronic echolocation and infrared sensitive screen readers to see. There’s no hiding from them.”

  * * * *

  Arlo continued to ride south at top speed. When he passed Jenjanas Lake, he knew he was at the thirty-mile mark from home.

  There had to be a way to mislead the Dirt Dwellers so they wouldn’t come back to the mountain in search of Fay when they realized her SNS had been removed. His mind searched for answers as the night grew darker.

  Something darted across their path about a hundred feet ahead. His horse snorted in discontent, but Arlo pushed him to keep the pace. “It ain’t nothing.” He crouched low over his horse’s back and patted his neck to calm him. His reassurance was the only way to keep his beast at full gallop. “It’s okay, boy. It’ll be gone by the time we pass there. No worries.” It was vital to get the SNS as far from the mountain as he could. He couldn’t allow anything to stop him.

  The sudden zing of a rope snapping taut rang loud. It caught his horse by the neck causing the American Paint to stumble and fall, dropping Arlo on his head. The horse was back on its feet within seconds, but Arlo lay still trying to catch his breath and get his bearings. Bright white spots floated in his vision as he tried to focus. He rolled to his knees, but a crunching sound in his neck made his world spin. He would not give up. He had to do everything he could to protect Fay.

  Each attempt to rise failed. The black trunks of the trees danced in his view. He felt dizzy and nauseous and slumped forward landing face first in the grass. It took all he had just to fight to stay conscious.

  He squinted as the dove-gray mist on the floor of the woods parted and swirled. Something was coming. Arlo rolled onto his back. He made a blind search with his fingers hoping to find his bowie knife but found only an empty sheath. He stretched his arms out, rummaging the ground with his hands. Finding nothing, he cranked his head to the side, and beneath the mist, he saw the shine of his blade three feet away.

  “Shit!” He squeezed his eyes to near slits, forcing his fuzzy focus into a narrow path of clear vision. Again, he looked at the twisting curls of haze and realized the billowing of a long cloak was what disturbed the fog and caused the turbulent ghostly waves.

  A metallic zing disturbed the silence of the night air. He forced his eyes wide open, trailing the sound with his gaze until he squinted his eyes against the blinding gleam of a sword’s flashing steel. Arlo lifted an arm in protection. A tall figure, face hidden within the deep hood of a cape, now towered over him, studying him with the sword raised.

  A grubby-looking Dirt Dweller joined the cloaked man. Without even looking at Arlo he said, “Kill him.”

  Chapter 9

  “Stop!” Gansu, leader of the Old World Moles, shouted at Sori. “Spare him.”

  “But, Talpidae said—”

  “I don’t care what he said. You do as I say. And I said stay your hand! Now, get him up and bring him with us.” His words were hushed but spoken in a rush. “And hurry.” He looked at the hawk settling on his shoulder and said, “Underworld cyborgs gather just thirty klicks from here, and we still have quite a distance to travel.”

  Within minutes, the Moles had cleared the area, leaving no signs they’d been there.

  * * * *

  Logan regretted his decision to trust Fay. Halfway to their arranged meeting place Chandra made last-minute changes and sent them to another location. This place was sketchy. He peered around the corner of the rickety barn then ducked his head back. Pulling Fay closer, he whispered, “Tell me again. Why are you so sure Chandra wouldn’t set you up for a fall? You said earlier even siblings couldn’t be trusted. So, why would you trust a so-called friend?”

  “She’s the closest thing I have to family. We trained together at the MTTC. It’s a school for mind travelers. Neither one of us have a real family, so we kind of adopted each other like sisters. Even though we’ve drifted apart of late, I just can’t believe she’d ever betray me.”

  “So, you’re not absolutely sure she wouldn’t.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Good. Because I wouldn’t,” a female voice whispered from behind them with a firm underlying tone. Logan jerked, shoving Fay behind him to protect her with his body. “Whoa, cowboy. I’m Chandra Lamar.” She held up her hands in surrender. “We’re on the same team here.”

  “Chandra!” Fay cried in a hushed squeak, pushing passed him to hug the woman who was almost as tall as he was, making her no less than six three to his extreme height of six feet six. Chandra was a slim but voluptuous. She was a sexy blonde with breasts the size of large cantaloupes. She was the total opposite of Fay’s petite form with perky breasts and sleek black hair that drove him wild with desire.

  “You’re not mad at me?” Fay was saying.

  “Of course I’m miffed.” Chandra folded her arms over her breasts. “Why didn’t you tell me how you were feeling about our government? I would have gone with you.”

  “Well, I didn’t plan an escape.”

  Logan felt his gut twist at that bit of news. What had she planned?

  “I was on a mission to find out the truth,” she said, patting the hand Chandra had gripped around Fay’s bandaged arm to lead them inside the barn. Fay continued talking. “I didn’t know where it would lead me, or if I’d even find Logan. If the documents I saw in my last MT mission were real, I knew I’d never be able to return home, but I wasn’t sure where I’d go. I was hoping the answers I found would lead me to the truth, and I believe it
has. Logan and his brothers have been very understanding and have taken a big chance with me.”

  Logan touched Chandra’s lower back, hoping to give the impression he was trying to get her attention, but he was really checking for weapons. His fingers revealed something hard, possibly metallic, tucked into her waistband. “Speaking of that, is there any word about my brother?” He scanned the barn. There was no one in sight.

  “There is. But let’s get you two safely below first.” She released Fay and slid her foot back and forth across the hard-packed dirt floor, moving sawdust and tossed hay. Recessed evenly with the surface of the ground was a three-by-four rectangular wooden hatch.

  “How did you get out of the Underworld?” Fay stopped Chandra from opening the door. “I thought they’d be in lockdown by now.”

  “They are, but MTs have never been included in a general lockdown.” She nudged Fay’s shoulder like she should know that.

  “Yeah, but that’s when a citizen makes a run for it. I assumed everyone would be included when it’s a mind traveler making the escape.”

  “I agree with you, but this is not the case. They don’t want the citizens or other mind travelers to know a top MT has defected.”

  “Oooh, such a nasty word.” Fay frowned.

  “Not my word.” She shook her head. “Defection is the word they picked to use when addressing all of us who had a need to know about you.”

  Logan interjected, “All? How many would that be?”

  “Thirteen.”

  “And you were one of the thirteen who had a need to know?”

  “Of course.” Chandra bent down and yanked the door open, revealing the top rungs of a ladder descending into darkness. “I’m her best friend. They’re hoping I’ll lead them to her.”

  “Are you?”

  “Logan!” Fay’s tone was scolding.

  Chandra frowned. “If I was, would I be telling you about it?”

  “A smart spy would, to put me at ease.”

  She snickered. “You’re right, they would. Only problem…I’m not that smart. Just ask Fay.”

  Still not believing her, Logan pressed. “So…why wouldn’t you be missed right now? I mean, if they’re expecting you to lead them to Fay…wouldn’t you be missed right now?”

  “I don’t think they believe she’d contact me this soon, if at all. They know Fay’s smart and would know I’d be the first they’d contact. Besides, I played it off like I was pissed at her and felt betrayed.” She shrugged. “Besides, there’s so much chaos right now nobody knows who’s doing what.” Chandra pointed toward the dark opening. “After you, Logan. Gentlemen first.”

  Logan glanced into the pit. He couldn’t see a thing, so he couldn’t tell what was waiting for them at the bottom. He saw three possible scenarios: trust Chandra wasn’t betraying them and would take them to Arlo; second, it was a trap for Fay, and if that were the case, he’d go down first and take the hit for her hopefully giving her a chance to escape; or third, both women were out to capture or kill him—the infamous leader of the Airbornes.

  “Logan?” Fay’s furrowed brows told him she was feeling his doubts. She looked at Chandra. “Can you give us a minute?”

  “We don’t have a lot of time, Fay. Make it fast.”

  Chandra stepped a mere three feet back, so Fay whispered to him, “I trust her.”

  He whispered back, “That’s it, isn’t it? Trust.” Fay looked at him, and he swore he saw a shot of hurt flit in and out of her frozen stare.

  “Logan? If your gut isn’t right on this…I’ll show my faith in you. We’ll pass on whatever help Chandra can offer us at this point. I’ll go with you. But, let me see if I can get out of her whatever she heard about Arlo, so we can find him.”

  “Are you two lovers finished with all the hemming and hawing?” Chandra rolled her brown eyes toward the sky. “Can we go now?”

  “Give us a minute.”

  “Come on, Fay! The Moles told me the Dirt Dwellers are less than eighteen miles away. Make a move, or I’ve got to leave you two. I can’t risk exposing the Moles.”

  Logan’s heart stopped on hearing the mention of the Moles. How did a Dirt Dweller know about them? Was she talking about the Old or the New World Moles?

  “Moles?” Fay looked at Logan. “Didn’t you or Drakker mention them at the interrogation?” She scanned her glance back to Chandra as she approached them. “Who the hell are these Moles? Why haven’t I ever heard of them before?”

  “Not now, Fay.” Chandra let out a sigh, nudging her closer to the pit. “I’ll explain later.”

  “No. Now.”

  “Fine, but listen up because I won’t repeat it. Moles…Old Moles are those who survived the changes because they happened to be living in caves, grottos, and Nike silos when our government moved below the Earth.”

  Fay gasped. “You knew the UG lived abov—”

  “Sssh! The New Moles are runners from our world who mixed with nonorthodox Old World Moles. I’ve joined them, Fay. Like them and the rebel Freedom Fighters, I want to overthrow the UG.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me how you felt?”

  “Because I didn’t think you’d understand.” She glanced around. “You always played too close to the rules for my comfort. Now, can we go?”

  “People survived in Nike silos?”

  “Yeah! Just like the one I’m trying to get you two into right now. We can’t be detected in there.”

  Logan knew about the Moles from Andonis, who’d learned about them from the Star Riders, and that was all he needed to make the leap. He brushed passed both the women and stepped into the darkness. Looking up, he saw Fay’s legs above his head as he went down the ladder. Once the girls joined him at the base, Chandra took the lead. She led them down a dirt tunnel supported by wooden beams every few feet until the ceiling got so low they had to lay flat on their bellies to inch through the wedged rock and soil. They emerged from a crack into a grand well-lit area, supported by steel walls and an eight-inch-thick door that opened mechanically.

  It was just as Chandra claimed—an old Nike silo. Logan tried to dust the damp soil from his shirt and pants as he studied the long, wide tower. The first thing he noticed was the advanced technology the Moles had compared to the Airbornes. Most of the people were mobile, riding around on horseless buggy-type contraptions. And there was an unknown source lighting the place. This illumination didn’t come from the oil lamps and candles the Airbornes used.

  Chandra must have guessed his amazement. “They’re solar-powered standing vehicles. The lighting is geothermal. Their running water comes from wind energy.”

  Logan bobbed his head indicating he understood, even though he didn’t. Seeing all this, he now knew he’d have to meet the leader of the Moles. His people deserved technology like this. Anything he could do to make his people’s lives easier was his obligation and duty. There had to be something the Airbornes had he could trade for some of their technology.

  The place was swarming with a mix of New and Old World Moles bustling here and there. He’d heard the rumors from Drakker about the appearance of the Old World Moles. Though their features were almost the same as the New World Moles, they had a more refined beauty. Their men were as exquisite in their handsomeness, as their women were in their fairylike magnificence. The rumors were true. Not only was their attractiveness flawless, but there was an ageless glow to their flesh. The real clue to the Old World Moles’ ancient bloodline was the elongated top part of their ears protruding from beneath their shiny, silklike, pale blond hair. Dark hair seemed to be an oddity among them. Overly large eyes in unusual pastel colors told Logan who the Old World Moles were as well.

  A man of undetermined age about a foot shorter than Logan with waist-long hair strode toward them. A striking red-tailed hawk perched on his shoulder.

  “My dear Chandra,” he exclaimed in a gentle voice that belied his age. “So glad you made it. The Dirt Dwellers are in the vicinity. They have released cyborgs to comb th
e entire area. We can only hope they don’t find us.”

  “Gansu.” Chandra patted him on the back then tossed a hand out in introductions. “This is Fay Avalon and Logan.”

  He focused his powder-blue eyes on Fay. “Era uoy ton Ednaloe, rethguad ot Neeuq fo nalc Naleehk, regnuoy retsis ot Dlogiram? Wohs em ruoy oottat.”

  She stiffened, looking very uncomfortable under his scrutiny. “Pardon me?”

  He lowered his gaze and bowed his head. “My mistake, I thought you spoke Elvish. I said you resemble someone I knew long ago.” His glance shifted to Chandra.

  An uncomfortable silence fell around them. So, Logan pondered. The lore Drakker told me about the Old World Moles with bloodlines tied to a faery race is true. It was the first time he’d heard the actual language spoken.

  It was clear Chandra was unaware of the awkwardness when she asked Gansu, “You found Logan’s brother?”

  “Oh, the stranger.” He raised his gaze and looked at Logan. “Yes, he’s in the ER. I’ll take you there.” He led them toward a spiral staircase in the middle of the circular area. Rubbing the top of one of his elongated ears, he looked at Fay and said, “Exceptional color to your eyes, my dear.”

  Again, her body stiffened at his comment. She passed him without uttering a word and descended the stairs. Gansu placed his hand at the center of Logan’s chest, stopping him from following the women. “You wouldn’t happen to be Logan, the leader of the Airbornes would you?”

  “I am. If memory serves me correctly, you lead the Moles.”

  “That is correct.”

  “This is a little hasty, but time is valuable for us both. Would you being willing to set up trade with the Airbornes?”

  “We’re desperate for cotton. We need it for clothing. We can use rice, sugar, corn, apples, oranges, lemons, and wheat…for starters. What would you like from us?” Gansu’s lips almost made it to a smile as he gave a respectful bow of his head.

  “Technology.”

  “Deal. Later let’s set up a schedule for exchange.” He lifted his hand from Logan’s chest and glided it through the air in a motion that said he could pass. “It’s nice to finally meet you face to face, Logan. I’ve heard great things about you.” Gansu followed behind him. “Your brother is on the second floor. He complained of dizziness, and he seems agitated, like he’s searching for something. We tied him down.”