He leaned in close, listening and feeling for the slightest puff of air. Nothing. He leaned in closer, holding his breath. There. He thought he felt something, but it could have been the ventilation system. He put his ear to Dante’s chest as light as dew on a butterfly wing.
There it was. Soft, slow breaths and a steady heartbeat. It sounded normal, if slow, and it eased Jack’s worry. He opened his eyes as he eased away, then froze. Dante’s eyes were open. The Mystic peered at him with creases forming between his brows.
“Now, I know I’m pretty, but I’m not Sleeping Beauty pretty.”
Jack jerked away and landed on his behind. For a moment, he choked, his mouth working like a fish out of water as he tried to sputter an explanation.
“I couldn’t hear you breathing,” he said at last, pushing to his feet. “You’ve been out for over twenty-four hours, man.”
“That long?” Dante sat up and groaned. “Feels like five minutes.”
“You are awake!” Night Thorn chimed in. “We have been waiting for you. Jack says we cannot enter the ancient temple without you. I told him your vital signs are normal for a mortal who has overused his gift, but he wouldn’t listen.”
“Sometimes I just need to see for myself. Blame it on the journalist within.”
Dante snorted as he stood and stretched. “Well, I’m up now. How about some coffee?”
He headed into the cabin and Jack followed, still feeling foolish. He trusted Night Thorn as much as any ship, but as the hours dragged on, it became easier to convince himself something was wrong. He kept that to himself. Dante was fine, as was Bava. He could go without worrying…for the next few hours, at least.
Bava looked up as the two Mystics walked in. “Welcome back from the night world, friend Dante. Rested?”
“Good enough for now. Please tell me the data we stole was worth something.” Dante grabbed coffee from the machine and sat across from the Yeti.
“They have updated the encryptions since I defected on Commander Xoa’s orders. It is taking some time to decipher.” Night Thorn sounded apologetic, at least until she brightened up as she went on. “We have time for a session while I work. I can multitask this without slowing the decryption.
Bava perked up with a soft rumble echoing through his chest. “As much as Bava would like to destroy the Cult of Two Suns, he does not wish to rush anyone.”
“I’m not feeling so focused,” Dante admitted. “I’d rather start by catching up. What’s our status?”
“We disengaged from Nexus without issue. The Pirr vessel was on lockdown when we left the port. They may still search for you.” Night Thorn hummed; a habit she’d picked up over the last few weeks. “I would like to know what happened. My sensors placed you on the other vessel, then you reappeared in the cabin.”
Jack shrugged. “Dante’s got some tricks up his sleeves.”
“I’ve only done it once before. If I have my way, it won’t happen again.” Dante cracked another yawn. “My dragon showed me how to make a passage between the physical world and the Astral Plane. It took everything I had to bring others through with me…and then some.”
“It’s appreciated. I don’t think I could have slipped us past all those soldiers. Except…well, maybe I should try and push myself a little harder,” Jack admitted.
“Not while we’re on mission, I hope.” Dante yawned and downed more coffee. “So…what’s the plan?”
“You will be guests while our friend translates data. You may also enjoy Bava’s cantina. Bava’s band has improved much, friend Jack. Have you learned an instrument?”
“Not yet. I’m not sure I’ve got the talent for it. I’m more of a silent, written word sort of artist. I’m not about making noise. Or music,” he added.
Bava grumbled, then shrugged in perfect imitation of a human. “You will observe and bring word of our performance to Earth. One day Bava wishes to play in New Orleans.”
“If we are not gaming, I will focus on the code,” Night Thorn interrupted. “When we near the station, I will notify you.”
“Sounds goo—” Jack began, but an audible click indicated Thorn had stopped listening.
“Is she mad?” Dante furrowed his brow, looking groggy and probing one eye for crusties.
“Disappointed, Bava thinks,” Bava said. “Bava is disappointed, too, but there will be time on Zeri. Inga will enjoy this game.”
“Who’s Inga?” Dante asked.
“His brothers. It’s complicated…”
“Bava is eldest, so Bava is Bava.” The Yeti grinned. “Bava is honored to have you as guests, friends. The adventure cannot be over yet!”
It had reached a lull, but their adventure wasn’t over yet. The moment they walked through the door, Yulu greeted them with crushing hugs and a worried snarl. Bava growled back, not bothering to translate. Night Thorn remained quiet; she was with them, thanks to their earpieces, but preoccupied with the encryption.
The argument didn’t last long. Father and son growled for a few minutes, then threw their arms around each other. It looked more like an attack than a sign of affection, yet when they separated, both Yeti quieted.
Yulu went to the stove, growling, while Bava waved them deeper into the dwelling. Jack stole a glance at the older Yeti, occupied with the cutting board and red vegetables he’d never seen before.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
“Of course.” Bava led them through another beaded curtain and into a room furnished with fat cushions as large as armchairs. “Sit. Yulu forgets what it is to be young and Yeti. Yulu’s blood no longer boils like magma.”
“He didn’t seem so mellow to me,” Dante commented as he grabbed a seat, then looked a little regretful as he sank to his hips.
Bava waved that off. “Yulu worries when he should not. It is time to relax, friends. Bava has many videos. Some were given by friend Jack, but Bava traded for others.”
“A movie would be nice,” Jack agreed, looking to Dante for confirmation. “But what do you think? Should we check in?”
“And give away our position? No, let’s wait until Night Thorn cracks the code.” Dante yawned, his jaw creaking as he stretched. “Then we’ll either have what we need, or we’ll try again. I’m not about to gamble on which.”
“And if you find evidence against the Pirr, what then? War?” Bava asked. “Pirr would like that, Bava thinks.”
“It could be their goal. Good thing it isn’t up to us.” Jack smiled and dropped onto a violet cushion. “In an ideal world, we’d get blackmail material forcing them to behave.”
“Forgive Bava. What is Black Mail?” the Yeti asked. “Bava not familiar with phrase.”
“Blackmail. It’s holding a secret hostage, in a way. Someone finds out something shameful about you, something you don’t want known, and you pay them to keep it quiet.”
Bava drew up, surprise and disgust warring for control of his face. The signs were hard to read, though Jack had spent a lot of time in close company with the Yeti; at least he understood more than he had two weeks ago.
“Bava did not know humans harbored vile secrets.” The Yeti bristled. “Tell me Bava’s friends do not hide this shame.”
“Definitely not. My life isn’t that interesting.” Jack took in the Yeti’s agitation and changed the subject. “Did you say something about a movie?”
Jack opened his eyes in the dark, unsure what had woken him. Dante’s soft breathing was the only sound, and it was pitch black in the cave-like guest room. He rolled over to go back to sleep when he heard the soft rattle of beads in the hall. Then they rattled again, then again.
He counted without thinking about it and got to seven before it stopped. Too many. He frowned and reached out, brushed against nine cold, disciplined minds.
After all his time with Bava, he knew the feel of a Yeti’s presence. This was different.
“Dante.” He crept to where the Mystic slept and shook his shoulder. “Wake up.”
Dante grun
ted and brushed at Jack’s hand. “Not now, Mom,” he muttered.
Jack shook him harder. “Dante. Wake. Up. We’ve got trouble.”
He snapped upright. “Who—where?”
“Shh—” Jack hissed, but it was too late.
Four intruders charged into the room, wielding batons crackling with electricity. Their flickering light gave Jack a few glimpses of them, but their helmets hid their features. Jack reached for Dante, but the other Mystic threw himself from his bed, diving for the corner.
The intruders split. Two went after Dante, who’d pulled a gun from his gear. The other two came after Jack, swinging their weapons.
Jack called on his invisibility, but something pushed back. He expected some resistance when they were looking at him, yet this was different. They seemed to be fighting his ability.
Electrified cudgels came at him. He tried to move, but one attack glanced off his arm. A jolt ran from his shoulder down to his knuckles, and his arm went dead, dangling from his shoulder. The attackers swung again. Jack threw himself to the ground, rolling out of the way and coming up near the door.
Dante fired, peppering one assailant with bolts of golden light. The intruder staggered, smoke rising from his armor. The other moved in. Dante closed with him, grabbing at the cudgel to wrest the weapon away.
A roar shattered the air, loud enough to shake the floor. Bava surged through the doorway with an intruder hanging from his neck. The enemy’s baton dug into Bava’s shoulder, energy pouring into the Yeti’s body, but it only seemed to make him angrier. He ripped the enemy away and threw him at the strangers threatening Jack, knocking them all into a pile. Bava turned on the ones after Dante and froze in place.
Jack tried to stand and found he couldn’t. Dante froze with his hands clamped to an intruder’s helmet. His enemy pulled free and removed his helmet. A Pirr.
Jack tried to rise, but his body didn’t respond. Something wrapped its tentacles around his mind. He pushed. The barrier gave way but, after a moment, snapped back in place.
“This has gone on long enough.” A white-clad Pirr stepped into Jack’s field of vision, looking around with disdain. He was meticulously dressed with his hair slicked back, and a foul miasma rose from him, infecting Jack’s senses and turning his stomach. He wanted to gag, but something denied even that much control to him.
Bava’s body shook as the invaders picked themselves up and recovered their weapons. They stowed their batons and drew handguns, aiming at Jack and Bava, yet ignoring Dante. Bava growled as they passed him, earning a surprised look from the leader.
“Stubborn creature. Stay,” he ordered, then gestured at Dante. “Your presence is required elsewhere, Mystic First Class Dante. Come with me.”
Dante stood and walked, feet dragging along the floor as he fought every inch. The stranger clamped a hand on Dante’s shoulder, fingers digging into the Mystic’s flesh, and the resistance evaporated.
They paused in the doorway, and the stranger spoke, “Finish the rest.”
Bava shrieked loud enough to make Jack’s ears bleed. He broke free and tore into the nearest Pirr before they could react. The Yeti pressed forward, knocking them away from Jack as they pulled their triggers. A stray laser bolt singed Jack’s cheek, then he was free. He rolled under the bed and engaged his invisibility. He crawled out the other side just as a Pirr crouched to fire under the bed.
Jack circled around and pulled the baton from his enemy’s belt, then sent a jolt into the base of the enemy’s spine. The Pirr went limp, just as Jack had hoped. He stayed invisible, dodging around Bava’s claws to get to the kitchen and the abode’s exit. More enemies at the door fought Yulu, who fought with a fury that matched his son. The older Yeti attacked tooth and claw, grabbing Pirr by the helmets and cracking them like walnuts with his paws.
Even if Yulu knew he was there and moved aside, Jack couldn’t get through the doorway. He stumbled as something hit him from behind. Bava had taken down his enemies. He smelled of singed fur as he rushed to help his father.
Jack dropped his invisibility. “Bava, they took Dante!”
Yulu howled. Bava growled and smashed his fist down on a Pirr’s head. With his other hand, he produced his translator and pressed it to his throat. “I know. More Pirr are coming. Bava’s people resist but cannot get out this way.” Bava slammed his fist against a panel. A heavy metal door slid down, tearing apart the beaded curtain and sealing off the room. Yulu growled, sounding disappointed. “There is another way out. Come with Bava.”
The Yeti led Jack back into his home, through the brightly decorated rooms now in disarray, unconscious Pirr strewn across the floor. Bava hammered on a wall that looked like any other, and it slid to the side, revealing a utilitarian-looking tunnel beyond.
Jack ran to keep up with Bava as the Yeti hurried down the corridor with silent steps that contrasted with his ferocity. The tunnel sloped upward with a slight curve, taking them toward the center of the station.
“What is this place?” Jack asked.
“Inside station’s bones. Most assume it is solid, but tunnels were used to build the station.” Bava stopped and slammed his fist into the wall again. Cracks appeared on the surface in the rough size and shape of a door. He shoved it open and ushered Jack through, then pushed it shut behind them.
“Where does this go?”
“This branch goes to Bava’s club. It is near docks. If they are stealing our Dante, that is where they will go.” Bava took off running. Jack stretched out his strides. He was ordinarily in shape for a run, but after weeks in the confines of a spaceship, he’d lost some conditioning. The next time he needed to play spy, he’d remember this.
The next hidden door took them to a dark room. Jack felt the difference in the air before Bava switched the lights on to reveal a velvet curtain. Jack followed the Yeti through the backstage curtains and across the empty club.
From there, they had a short dash to the docking platforms. Night Thorn rested in her berth, surrounded by freighters, the only Pirr vessel in sight. Jack dug in his pockets for his earpiece and toggled the controls.
“…soft, mortal flesh, sleeping when you should listen,” the ship ranted in his ear.
“Thorn? Did you see what happened?” he asked.
“He wakes! A Pirr vessel was here. They sent a shuttle, and I thought it must be trouble, but now they’re gone.”
“Gone?” Jack groaned; they’d been too slow. The tunnel had let them get through the station with no obstacles to slow them, but it had taken too long.
“Yes. In and out, just like that. They didn’t even notice me.” She sounded offended. “The danger is over.”
“For us, maybe. They took Dante.”
“No! How did this happen? Where is the Yeti?”
“He’s here. They got away from us. Any idea where they went?”
“None. I cannot track them.” Night Thorn sounded so desolate it made Jack wish he could comfort her. “Had I known…”
“We’ll figure it out. They don’t get to keep him,” Jack swore, yet as he peered beyond the ships to the vastness beyond, he didn’t know how they’d ever find their friend again.
Thirteen
Dante paced the floor of his prison, counting steps again for lack of something better to do. Three paces carried him the length of the room, two across the breadth. The ridged floor was made of a rubbery material that didn’t function at all like rubber. Every time he tried to enter the Astral Plane, or cut a hole in reality, the floor shocked him.
Sometimes he lost consciousness with no idea how long. His dragon was silent, and his captors only came at feeding time. The hard brown cubes they brought had never seen the inside of a kitchen, he was sure, and so hard that gnawing them occupied an hour.
Fifteen times they’d fed him since Zeri Station. Whether that meant it had been five days, or fifteen, he wasn’t sure. They’d taken his clothes and given him a gray coverall that looked like what it was: a prisoner’s uniform. His shoe
s were taken, as well; the better to feel the floor’s shocks. He had nothing to do, no one to talk to, and he was sure his mental screws loosened more with every passing hour.
“When I get out of here, I’m having a talk with Bava about home security,” he said to the door.
He sighed and resumed pacing. He was talking to himself now—never a good sign. He wondered what Jack would do in this situation. Maybe he’d be better off; he could get his big brain working on the next dungeon, or “write” the story of his capture.
Or maybe Dante was more susceptible to isolation than he’d been years ago, and the lack of stimulus turned off the creative part of his brain. It didn’t matter, not really. He had to deal with it, plain and simple.
The door slid open, as if reacting to his thoughts. The female Pirr in the doorway wasn’t the usual one who came at meal times.
“I am Tian.” She crossed her arms and moved forward, occupying the threshold without stepping onto the floor. The woman was tall and powerfully built, with silver hair cut off at her chin. She looked too tough for him to take in a physical fight. Dante stared at her feet, considering if he could get her to take a step inside and then use his powers to shock the hell out of her—unconscious, hopefully.
“I am Dante,” he said and inclined his head.
“I know.” Her ears twitched. “I am here to give you conversation. Your behavior has become erratic. It seems humans do not cope well with isolation. Your kind considers it a form of torture, yes?”
“Yeah. They’ve abolished it pretty much everywhere.” Dante wondered if he could get past her. But then what? Was he still on the ship, or somewhere else? How could he get a message to Jack?
“Had we realized this sooner I would have come the first day. We need your mind intact. So. I am here. You may now interact with another intelligent mind.”
He stared at her. Maybe he was paranoid, but this sounded like an interrogation technique. Lock a guy up, give him no interaction for days, then invite him to spill his guts. Maybe that worked on some people, but not on him. He was stronger than that.
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