The Plague Forge

by Jason M. Hough

Page 37

  Kelly shook her head. “Nothing upstairs except offices, control, and the climber port. ”

  “The climber port, exactly. We go up. ” Under their combined stares he seemed to transform. His face hardened. His posture, which on any other day would have involved a slight stoop and a walking cane, made him seem like a wall despite being one step below Samantha. “No time to argue about it. That thing needs to get to space and we’ve got that capability right above our heads. Besides, my fancy suit we spent all that time on is in the aircraft. I’ve got no other choice. ”

  “They’ll just stop the climber—assuming we can even find one heading up—and turn it around. ”

  Prumble shook his head. “There’ll be one. The city is under siege. I guarantee there are at least a handful of people who have a sudden urge to move to higher ground. As for stopping us, we bluff. We pretend Kelly’s our hostage and when that starts to lose its effectiveness we use that alien cube as our hostage. ”

  The book, too, Sam thought. Grillo might at least hesitate if he knew they had it.

  “Mental,” Skadz said under his breath.

  For her part, Kelly seemed to be considering the idea. She looked to Sam, who could think of no other option and shrugged. “If we can get inside Gateway, we can pull that same trick that Skyler used to get to Anchor. ”

  “Too many things have to go just right—”

  “If you have a better idea,” Prumble said, “then go for it. But pick one now because we need to get off this damnable stairwell. ”

  Kelly kept her eyes on Sam, eyebrows raised, and Sam realized she needed assurance not that the plan was worthy but that Prumble was someone she could trust. Prumble, who’d been nothing to Sam for years except the big man who served as fence to Skadz, and later Skyler. She’d always found him mildly disgusting. How he must sweat under that ridiculous duster, how he always spoke as if on a theater stage. Yet he’d shown a remarkable sense of loyalty, or at least partnership, with Skyler and Skadz. A kinship.

  She’d also always thought of him as something of a coward, hiding down in that dingy garage. She’d assumed he’d never left the dark confines of that musty place, but he’d shown incredible knowledge of the city and its people over the last few weeks. And he’d killed. Killed with surprising efficiency for an overweight Kiwi locksmith.

  Sam nodded to her friend. “Let’s go up. ”

  “Okay then,” Kelly said. “On my signal. ”

  And just like that, she crept back to the corner that looked out on the rest of the lobby. She spent perhaps a second taking in the scene beyond, then held up a hand instructing the rest of the party to wait before she vanished from view.

  Sam swallowed hard, and studied the unfamiliar rifle in her hands once again, double-checking that the safety was indeed off. When she glanced back up, Kelly had returned. She wheeled one hand about rapidly, the look on her face matching the urgency of the motion.

  Turning, Sam motioned for Skadz to go next. “Are you okay? Are you with us?” she asked him when he’d come to her step.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m an old hand at letting people down. ”

  “Don’t. It’s not like that. …”

  “It is to me. ” He softened then, a little. “Look, I’m just pissed-off, okay? It blows my fucking mind that Arkin lit out at the first sign of trouble. ”

  “Me, too, but it’s not our problem now. We have to look out for each other, first, and get the fuck out of here. ”

  “I know, I know. Doesn’t mean I’m happy about it. ” With that he continued up the steps.

  Sam followed him after Prumble nodded to her his intention to come last. Around the corner she glanced briefly at the bank of windows and glass doors that fronted the lobby of the climber port. Guards, some in Jacobite regalia and some in the classic Nightcliff fashion of mismatched uniforms and maroon-painted helmets, stood in clumps near the entrances. Others ran toward, or back from, the fortress wall some distance away. Some stood casually; others were hunkered down behind makeshift barricades. It all looked very sloppy and confused to Sam, but clearly it would be suicide to make a run for it, especially once word of the theft got out.

  Kelly strode purposefully up the stairs, Skadz on her heels. Sam followed a few steps behind, wishing she’d snatched a Jacobite shift off one of the bodies in the vault’s antechamber. Still, everyone seemed to be either outside standing guard against the vague threat of riled subs, or busy in other places. Only a few people moved about in the vast lobby, but they paid Kelly and her followers no heed.

  A second wide flight of stairs led up to what must have once been a luxurious waiting area for passengers about to embark on the journey to space. A long window overlooked the northern portion of Nightcliff and the sea beyond. The room jutted out over a portion of the yard below, and Sam noted discolored portions of the floor where she guessed couches or chairs must have once been bolted down.

  As Prumble had predicted, there were plenty of people milling about, crowded around the double doors that led to the climber boarding area. Someone Sam couldn’t see through the crowd was speaking in calming tones, urging those gathered to be patient while a climber was prepped.

  Kelly rushed past all this, eschewing the main doors for an unmarked side exit. Inside was a narrow, plain hallway with smudged white walls and a dull green floor. Exposed pipes lined the ceiling and darted out at odd places through flanged rings that showed hints of rust under their white paint.

  There were two side doors along the hall, and one at the end, which Kelly raced toward.

  Sam watched her burst through the door, rifle raised and barking commands of “Stand down!” at whoever lurked within.

  Skadz pressed himself against the hallway wall so that Samantha could push past him. She did so, bringing her own gun up as she stepped into the room. Terrified eyes stared back at her from startled operators. Some stood by, a few hurling cries of surprise or even “betrayer” at Kelly. Others still sat ashen-faced at desks supporting wide terminal displays and slate data entry devices propped up on the flat areas. All this faced in on a giant screen that showed on one half what Sam knew to be a map of the cargo yard, and on the other half a chart of the space stations along the Elevator cord. Little icons moved about on the digital version of the thread.

  “Everyone stay calm,” Kelly said. Then she aimed at one of the terrified desk jockeys. “You. Mark a car on the next climber reserved, then lead us to it. We’ll take two of you as hostage. ”

  Sam reached for the nearest technician and balled the collar of his shirt into her fist. She was about to hoist him from his chair when she noticed a familiar face at the back of the room. A rugged, handsome, slightly askew face. Vaughn locked eyes with her and the corner of his mouth twitched. The slightest of movements, the only hint she needed.

  “You,” she barked at him. “Come over here. Slowly. Hands off that billy club, eh?”

  Vaughn almost cracked a smile. She could see it in the sparkle of his eyes, the slight tuck of his lower lip. He caught himself and glanced down as he crossed the suddenly silent room. When he’d come to stand in front of her she took him by the upper arm and twirled him to face away from her, then liberally frisked him. She double-checked his hindquarters just in case. “Can’t be too careful,” she said in a low voice.

  “Uh huh. ”

  “Any funny business,” she added, “and I’ll do you up a treat. ”

  This time he did laugh, but managed to turn it into a clearing of the throat that sounded reasonably like shock.

  Kelly went on. “Anyone tries to prevent that climber from leaving, or announces our arrival to those up top, and your friends here will die. ”

  In the hallway at her back, Sam heard a sharp whisper from Skadz. She glanced back. “Yeah?”

  “Empty storage room back here. Toss the lot of ’em inside and lock it. ”

  “You’ve got a key?”

&n
bsp; Skadz shook his head. Vaughn shifted his weight, causing a ring of keys on his belt to jingle softly. Just enough. Damn, I’m glad to see you. She yanked the key ring from its loop of Velcro, the ripping sound sharp enough for a few of the room’s inhabitants to jump. “Right,” she said. “Everyone in there, except you and you. ” She nodded to Vaughn and the senior tech Kelly had singled out.

  The group began to slowly rise from their seats. Some still held their hands in the air and moved with acceptable speed. Others, though—Sam saw their sidelong glances, their hesitation. The hardening of eyes. Thoughts of heroism finally cracking through the fog of shock and fear.

  She was about to say something when Prumble came through the door, pushing her aside as if his personality created its own bow shock. He hefted a machine gun in each hand and looked like one of Darwin’s ragged, dead skyscrapers in his long, straight coat. “You heard her,” he said in a growl. “Rickity-fucking-tick. We haven’t got all day. ”

  As if to quash any last lingering thoughts of revolt, he simultaneously thumbed the safeties on both weapons. Total showmanship, the brilliant son of a bitch. His presence, the implied threat in his voice, had the desired effect. The stragglers were up and moving, avoiding Prumble’s gaze as they squeezed past him and into the hall.

  “Keep moving, keep moving,” Skadz was saying as they filed into the storage area. “Get cozy, plenty of room. ”

  “What’s going to happen to us?” someone inside asked.

  “Beats me. Good time for an orgy if you want my advice. Oh, blimey! Forgot who I was speaking to. Sorry, that was ruddy insensitive. Prayer circle, then? Hail Jacob and all that shit?” He slammed the door and locked it. “Tossers. ”

  “Can we go?” Sam asked of no one in particular.

  Kelly gave her captive a little shake. “Soon as this one gets to work. What’s your name?”

  “Miles. ”

  “Hello, Miles,” she said, tone light and friendly. “About that climber. Let’s lock out the main entrance, okay? Can we do that from here?”

  “Um, yes. I mean, maybe. I’m not really sure—”

  “Do as she says,” Vaughn said. He managed to sound drained, defeated, and stern all at once. Sam wanted to bite his earlobe, just the way he liked. “Not the time to fuck around, Martin. ”

  Kelly’s eyebrows went up. She studied Vaughn, then glanced at Sam and perhaps caught the hint of admiration in Sam’s face. “Martin, is it? Well now. Better do as your friend here says and we’ll all get through this with our fingers still attached. Understand?”

  Prumble stayed by the door through which they’d come. Skadz gave him a respectful slug on the shoulder as he came back in, hauling the bundle and foisting it up onto one of the desks with an unceremonious thud.

  While Kelly worked with the tech, Sam moved Vaughn over to the exit on the far wall, had him open the door, and peered out into the hallway beyond. It sloped down to join with a sparse loading area, polar opposite to the once-luxurious passenger entrance on the other side of the building. There were a few handcarts about, some crates of varying content. No workers, thankfully.

  The far wall of the loading area had an open section in the middle, blocked by a half-height metal gate. As Sam took this in the building vibrated slightly and she heard the deep sound of large machinery begin to whir. Beyond the gated gap in the wall, she saw the familiar sight of a climber car rotate into place like the chamber on a revolver.

  “What’s in that bundle, Sam?” Vaughn asked. He kept his voice low.

  “Something important. ”

  They were facing each other now and some internal debate raged behind Vaughn’s eyes. “Something Grillo’s going to miss?”

  “He’ll be mad as a cut snake. I guarantee it. ”

  Vaughn grunted. “You’ll be stuck up there. Eventually he’ll win. Starve you out, or—”

  Sam heard the goodbye beneath the words. She closed the distance between them and kissed the man. She gripped his head, her thumb in front of his ear, fingers entwined within his fine brown hair. When he kissed back she let her lips part and felt his tongue dart into her mouth with a profound urgency. She pulled him away, met his gaze. “Come with us. It’s too much to explain now, but there’s a way out. Another Elevator. I know, it’s crazy but it’s there. In Brazil. That’s where they went. The traitors. ”

  “Bollocks,” he said. He sounded more amazed than doubtful.

  “Come with us. We need you. They don’t know you and I are … you know, acquainted. ”

  “Grillo does. ”

  She smirked at that. “Then imagine how fucking surprised he’ll be when he realizes you’re our hostage. ”

  Sam saw that sparkle in his eyes again, and knew she had him.

  They made their way back into the control room. “All clear,” Sam said.

  “Just about ready here,” Kelly replied. “A few passengers made it onto one of the cars before we could lock up the climber. Nothing to be done about it until we’re above, unfortunately. ”

  Skadz stood in front of the big screens on the long wall, his mouth agape. Sam turned to look and felt her heart lurch. A row of video feeds at the bottom provided a live view of the loading yard. Each image seemed worse than the last. Scenes of harrowing violence rendered in cold, austere silence. Subhumans numbering near a hundred rushed in from every angle toward shell-shocked guards who stood in a rapidly folding line in front of the climber port. The creatures had the smell of blood now, and the guards, used to minimal action in Grillo’s world of order and piety, were being quickly overwhelmed.