“Can I help you with anything?” Casey offered in his accented Denicorizen. Andie turned to him with a smile. “Sure, you can chop some vegetables for me. It’s a good thing you are following us in both languages,” she added in apology. “I’ve been thinking and speaking in both for so long that I don’t always notice when I switch.”
“And I speak no Basic,” Randa explained ruefully. “Hours and hours my dear daughter here has spent trying to grind your language into my mind, but it just does not sink in. I am a much better teacher than a student,” she commented.
“Randa was the one who taught me Denicorizen,” Andie clarified for Casey. “But she could learn Basic if she really wanted to I think.” She flashed a wicked grin at her mother-in-law. “Randa just feels that it is beneath her.” Randa shook her finger at Andie in mock reproach before turning politely to Casey.
“Well, Casey, I hate to be a rude hostess but due to the difficult timing of Andie’s invitation, I am going to have to ask you to stay the night.”
Casey looked startled at Randa’s request. “You need me to stay here until tomorrow?” he clarified, clearly wondering if he had interpreted her Denicorizen correctly. Andie grimaced. Of course she should have remembered that Randa had a critical mission taking place tonight. Casey was just too noticeable. He could draw attention to their apartment just when they didn’t need it. Even curious neighbors stopping by to find out what the Citizen man had been doing there could be dangerous.
“Yes. I am just worried that someone might see you leave tonight. It was risky enough that Andie brought you here in the first place. Tomorrow morning when my mission is completed I’ll have a hooded cloak brought for you, and you will be able to leave a little more unobtrusively.”
“I’m so sorry,” Andie said contritely. “I can’t believe I was so thoughtless.”
“You’re forgiven as long as nothing goes wrong tonight,” Randa said, softening the words with a smile. “I have to head into the control room,” she continued briskly. “The first of my couriers is going to be making the pickup in less than an hour.”
Randa stalked off to the control room and Andie led Casey into the kitchen so she could begin to prepare dinner. They had barely started to prepare the stew Andie was making when Tiran popped into the kitchen. Casey ended up making himself useful by distracting Tiran so Andie could finish cooking. She sat at the table with him, telling him endless stories about her home back in Faroi. Casey was an attentive listener, and Tiran clearly relished the undivided attention. He even patiently answered question after question about himself and anything else that crossed Tiran’s mind. Andie watched the two of them with pleasure. Entertaining a four year old without showing a sign of boredom was a rare talent. Even Andie would have given up by now and asked Tiran to go play until dinner was ready.
When the food was ready, Andie took a bowl in to Randa, who was listening intently to radio transmissions from her team. She took the bowl and mouthed that everything was going according to plan, and Andie slipped back out of the room to eat her own dinner. After dinner she invited Casey back into the living area where they spent the next hour catching up on the past ten years. Tiran played around them, occasionally interrupting them, but other than that, Andie had fallen right back into her old pattern with Casey. Despite having spent years on different planets, it seemed that they could pick their friendship right back up where they had left it.
She hadn’t felt so lighthearted since before Laeren had died. If only it could have lasted longer.
18. Detour to Urok
Once Tiran had gone to sleep, Andie and Casey joined Randa in the control room to listen in with Randa as her mission progressed. The chip containing the details of Jaory’s imminent attack on Croask had been smoothly passed through several couriers, hopefully making it impossible to trace it back to the cabinet member. Only one more transfer to a courier remained before the chip would be passed to Jerrapo’s agent, the one who would physically take the priceless information to the Resistance leaders in Urok. Within the hour they should hear the code phrase that meant Randa’s team had successfully achieved their objective.
The minutes ticked by. One hour came and passed. One hour and fifteen minutes. One and a half hours. Andie tapped her foot impatiently, and Randa’s brow creased. Suddenly the carrier whispered into her microphone. “The storm is rolling in,” she reported. “And I am about frozen with cold.”
The reference to a storm meant that there was a problem. For some reason no one had shown to take the chip from her. Andie watched Randa’s brow crease in concern. “Give us ten more minutes,” Randa ordered. In another microphone, she ordered the backup team into action. The courier who had the chip right now wouldn’t know who to deliver the chip to, or even the right code phrases. It was part of Randa’s guarantee that if one of the couriers was intercepted he or she couldn’t give away information that would harm the whole team. The backup team member would have the right information to make the delivery. Yet Andie began to feel a little uneasy. It wasn’t a good sign to have a missing team member.
Suddenly, a soft knocking to the outside door stunned the group. Casey and Andie exchanged startled looks, and Randa groaned. There was no part of the plan that meant that they should have a visitor this late in the evening. Randa withdrew her personal weapon and moved to the door. She called, “Who is it?” through the door, her grip on the weapon tense. To Andie’s utter bewilderment, the voice on the outside answered with the team password. Randa cautiously opened the door, and the courier slipped into the command room.
“What in the name of the blue planet are you doing here?” demanded Randa. “I said to give us ten minutes. The backup team was on its way!”
The girl blushed scarlet. “I thought you said to get back in ten minutes,” she confessed, her voice trembling. “I’m so sorry, Commander.” Randa sighed in exasperation. Andie looked at the clock. They had no time to lose—they were almost going to miss their contact. She turned to the shivering courier. “Go ahead and give me the pouch,” she ordered, while fastening on her weapon belt. The girl took the tiny chip case and handed it to Andie who slipped into the tiny pouch on her belt. Then, she grabbed her cloak and flung it over her shoulders.
“What do you think you are doing?” Randa exclaimed. Casey stared at her, his eyes alarmed.
“Somebody’s got to take it, Randa. You can’t do it, and it will take too long to get another team member here. It won’t take me very long,” Andie explained hastily, pulling on her gloves and drawing up her hood.
“But Andie . . .” she faltered. Andie didn’t give her any more chances to protest. “Tell me the code phrases, Randa,” she urged. “You know we don’t have time for this. Jerrapo’s agent will be boarding a shuttle without this chip if we wait.” Randa glanced once at the clock on the wall and conceded, quickly rattling off the codes Andie would need. Andie locked eyes with Casey briefly, and then spun and headed for the door. She was outside before he could stop her.
The streets were nearly deserted. Only the occasional pedestrian passed, bundled and hurrying to escape the cold as soon as possible. The frigid wind burned Andie’s cheeks, and her ears and the tip of her nose and fingers were soon numb. Swiftly she made her way through the streets. Andie had not been in Roma long enough to know her way around well, but the maps she had unwearyingly studied and her brief excursions from the apartment came to her aid now and she strode in the direction of the shuttleport without hesitation. The drop-off was to be right across from the shuttleport on a busy strip of bars and cafes which were still open at this time of night. Andie drew her heavy cloak around her face to protect it from the wind, as well as hide her noticeable skin from any others on the street.
The trip to the shuttleport was mercifully short, and she soon found herself looking for the street where she was supposed to turn. The sign above her read Fifth Street, and the street she needed was Second Street
. Three more blocks.
At Second Street, Andie halted on the corner, peering down the sidewalk. The storm had officially arrived, and the first snowflakes were just beginning to stick to the ground. Lights from the windows of the businesses lining the street spilled onto the sidewalk, and occasionally, she caught the sound of muted pounding music. Obviously the bars were still in full swing, but the streets appeared to be deserted. Hardly a surprise, considering the nasty weather. Andie slowly started to walk up the street. A figure emerged from the swirls of snow about ten feet ahead of her. He was tall and cloaked like her. Jerrapo’s agent, she hoped. But something in her held back, and she still approached slowly, looking for signs of danger. Something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t say what it was. Summoning all her courage, she continued forward. The chip had to get delivered. The imposing figure was now less than five feet away. He was facing the other direction, apparently watching the door to a bar just down the street. When she had nearly reached the man, she gathered all her courage and spoke. “Could you tell me where Jilian’s Tavern is?” she asked politely, the first part of the code. The man looked up, and Andie found herself staring at a pair of eyes she would never forget. No, not those cold, cruel eyes. For an endless moment she stood frozen, her brain refusing to accept what her heart already knew. Before she could force herself to turn and flee, Oanni’s iron grip clenched her arms. Furiously, she struggled for her freedom. He wrenched her arms behind her back and dragged her to the side of the street. The door of a nearby parked transport opened. Before she could do anything he shoved her inside and slammed the door shut behind her.
Inside the transport she found herself facing a bulky form of a person, although it was too dark to tell much more. She didn’t wait to find out who it was. She pulled her laser from her belt, but he knocked it from her hand. Dropping to her knee, she drew the deadly kirkuna from its sheath just as he grabbed a fistful of her hood twined with her hair. As he tried to yank her back up, she didn’t even pause to consider but plunged the kirkuna deep into his thigh. He screeched in agony and let her go. Andie spun for the door and fumbled with the handle. But her blow to her unknown assailant was her downfall. As he lunged after her, his injured leg crumpled beneath him. He swayed and toppled right on top of her, knocking her with a thud to the floor. The last thing she remembered was the staggering pain of something sharp against the back of her head.
When Andie struggled back to consciousness, she was laid out flat on the floor. She could hear the two men talking, and keeping utterly still she tried to make out their words through the throbbing in her head.
“You knew it was her that quickly?”
“I never forget a face. It has been years, but I could never forget.” Even through the haze in her head, she recognized Oanni’s voice. Her heart thudded painfully, fear constricting her chest at his deceptively pleasant tone.
“I was sure she had fled the planet as soon as Citizen trade began to be common,” the stranger replied. He groaned a bit. “Stop moving,” Oanni ordered. “I’ve given you the antidote but you still shouldn’t move much.” At these words Andie unobtrusively patted her pouch. While she was unconscious, Oanni had taken the antidote and the chip from her pouch. The chip was useless now anyway. If Jaory had been able to intercept the transfer, then he would know to change his tactical plans. Probably Oanni had already retrieved both her laser and the kirkuna from the floor of the transport as well. “Anyway,” continued the stranger with a raspy voice, “what would Jaory want with her now? He cannot keep her as a slave. The Union would not permit it, and all they need is an excuse to step in and take control.” There was silence for a moment.
“There are some things that a man simply cannot overlook. The Citizen’s rebellion is an item that has rankled my master for some time. It is time to right the situation,” Oanni stated slowly.
Fear shot through the length of her body. Her blood itself seemed to chill at Oanni’s voice and words. Andie simply couldn’t face Jaory again. They couldn’t bring her to Jaory’s estate. She knew instinctively that she would never survive his revenge. Andie hastily thought through her options. Cautiously she moved her hands and twisted her ankles, enough to ascertain that she was not tied down in any way. There had to be some way to escape. As far as she could tell there were only the two men in the transport. Carefully, Andie opened her eyes just a slit. She could see nothing but a small cargo hold with some boxes lining the rear end of the transport. She was lying on the chilled metal floor, and the voices drifted from somewhere to the front of the craft.
The other man groaned painfully. “I wish I could get my hands on the little wretch myself. My leg is on fire. However, Oanni, it is no matter. She must be turned over to the King. She is a revolutionary, a traitor to the King, and will be dealt with in the manner he sees fit.”
“I will take her to my master with your support or not, sir,” Oanni replied icily.
“I am a member of the Royal Guard, and you must follow my orders. She is my prisoner!” the other insisted, his voice rising with each word.
“Royal Guard?” sneered Oanni. “You do not frighten me with your commands. The King is hardly a force to be reckoned with. He cannot even prevent that ill-equipped rabble from taking control of his cities.”
“Sir,” the man’s voice grew cold and hard, “such talk sounds like treason. Jaory would have been facing some bitter defeats if it had not been for the action of my men, Royal Guardsmen. We are the ones responsible for your victory tonight. May I remind you that you are presently sitting in a city that is the center of the King’s power? You are very far from any of your allies.”
With this statement, Oanni’s limits had been surpassed. He threw himself onto the other man, drawing the poison-tipped dagger he had taken from Andie’s leg. Her muscles had been tense, waiting for just such an opportunity. She leapt to her feet, threw open the door, and jumped to the pavement. Then she started to sprint for the corner without sparing so much as a glance behind her.
Ten feet down the street she heard someone burst from the transport. Andie had a head start on him and she tried to force her legs to move faster. Just a minute was all she needed and she could reach the safe anonymity of the shuttleport.
Not daring to look behind her, she pumped her arms as hard as she could. Reality seemed to melt into one of those nightmares that would always wake her in a cold sweat. She sprinted but the faster she tried to move, the slower she seemed to run. Strong gusts of wind held her back. It was like trying to run into the ocean, wave after wave pushing her backward while the dragging weight of the water didn’t allow her to make any headway. Andie could almost feel Oanni’s rank breath on her neck.
Just as she felt her chest would explode from exertion, Andie reached the corner and darted into the street. This street was a little bit busier, despite the terrible weather, and she had to dodge transports. But there it was! The shuttleport! All she had to do was make it a few more feet. Just a few more feet . . .
Behind her a horn blared and she glanced back to see a transport screech to a halt. Oanni leapt out of the way just in time but it gave her a few desperately needed seconds. Dashing into the shuttleport, she looked for somewhere, anywhere, to hide. The washroom seemed too obvious. Suddenly it came to her. The only place that Oanni wouldn’t think to look. It only took her a second to find the hall for departures. Ten minutes later she purchased a ticket for one of the last flights of the night. Two minutes after that she boarded a shuttle for Kruundin City, the center of Jaory’s home district on the continent of Urok.
♦
On the shuttle she waited in her seat impatiently. She still had another twenty minutes before departure. With every new person that boarded the shuttle she expected to see Oanni’s narrow face and piercing eyes. If only this shuttle was taking her away from Corizen altogether she would never have to worry about that cold-blooded demon again. All of a sudden homesickness swept over
her almost taking her breath with it. She wanted to see her family so much! And her home! Zenith was still her home, no matter how long it had been. She made a promise to herself that if she ever got out of this alive she would take Tiran and return home.
Finally, the doors were sealed shut and all the passengers were strapped into their seats. The shuttle lifted and the port dimmed behind them. Andie settled back and tried to relax. She was absolutely exhausted, and she would need all her strength to survive in Jaory’s own land. She drifted off quickly, secure that at least for a little while she was safe.
In Kruundin City the sun was just beginning to rise. The sun glowed in the east, spilling over the Blue Plains. She stepped from the shuttle into an awakening marketplace; it was not very different from the one she had met Casey in just the day before. Was it possible that only yesterday she had gone with Orrin to the market? It felt like two weeks had passed. Randa and Tiran must be worried sick.
Her shuttle ticket had cost almost every last joya she had kept in her hidden money belt. There was only a couple of small coins left, nowhere near enough money to get her back to Roma. She would have to turn to the local Resistance leaders for help. Breakfast was her first order of business, then she set about to find the Resistance’s hideout in the city. Every city, even Jaory’s capital, had a contingent of loyal Resistance members. In some places they were in control and openly fought against the King. However, in Royalist strongholds such as Kruundin City, they were still hiding, fearful of attack. However, Andie knew that a few key words would get her into the local base. She assumed that by now Oanni had discovered where she had disappeared to, but it would be next to impossible for him to find her in the crowds.
Another hour later she sat inside the cozy command room of the Resistance for this part of Urok. It was on the second floor above a bakery and the sweet smell of pastries and baking bread wafted up from the kitchen below. The chief commander for Kruundin City sat at a table in front of her, his palms flat on the table as if he could crush the news she brought to him. His bushy black brows contracted. Then he visibly forced himself to relax. “Mistress Sirra,” he said wearily, “I am sorry at the news you bring. We had such high hopes for this movement against Jaory. I only hope that the Royalists were not able to trace the message back to the source. But,” he added with a smile, “I am glad that you escaped from their hands. The widow of Laeren Bruche will always be welcome with us.” Andie thanked him for his hospitality, feeling the old familiar pang at the mention of Laeren. She missed her husband dreadfully. Laeren would have known just what to do to get her home. Still, at least Tiran was safe in Randa’s capable care. That was a lot to be grateful for.
The Legend of Sirra Bruche Page 25
