“And you?” Saskia asked Sikorsky.
“Air. Air,” he gasped.
“Do you feel tight in your chest or your throat?” Saskia asked. Sky often faced breathing problems when she had close encounters with her spirit, but Sikorsky was a hybrid, not a carrier.
“My hand. My hand,” Sikorsky croaked, twitching as he tried to lift the arm. The index finger was missing, and it looked like it had been cleanly chopped and cauterized before he teleported onto Oriana. There was no blood in the galley. Saskia added liquid skin to cover the exposed bone.
“Yeah, I noticed you were a finger short,” Saskia said. It was the only major injury she’d found, and he was still in shock from the loss. His other injuries were consistent with gravity sickness, overexertion, and falling. The fact that the grav-gun was in his jacket pocket and the wound was still fresh told Saskia that he hadn’t lost the digit in captivity.
“Did Diana cut it off?” Amanda asked. “She cut off Corey’s finger. She broke Danny’s.”
Sikorsky’s body trembled and Saskia injected an anesthetic into his hand.
“Did you bring me here, girl?” Sikorsky asked.
“I was trying to reach Janiya. Galen said to use the Confluence,” Amanda said, scratching more intensely at her ears.
“She was right there. She wanted to come,” Sikorsky rasped, then choked on his saliva.
“Was she shackled to a wall or strapped to a chair?” Amanda asked.
“Amanda, I think you need to remove yourself,” Saskia warned. She’d seen the captain get triggered by memories of Guard torture, and in the past, Amanda had been too overwhelmed by her schizophrenia for Saskia to distinguish it from PTSD.
“She was in a cage,” Sikorsky replied.
“He put my wife in a cage,” Coro growled, leaning on the door. His hair was disheveled, his eyes blackened by the gravity blast.
“Her hands were broken by the grav-sources,” Sikorsky said. His eyes were glazed, and through the pain medication, he wasn’t moderating the impact of his words.
“Why didn’t you bring her?” Coro demanded, stepping into the room. Saskia blocked his path, her hand on her stunner.
“The grav-source glowed,” Sikorsky said. “When I touched it, I saw a way out.”
“That’s why I connected to you and not her,” Amanda said, looking at her bruised hands.
“So Janiya has to be touching one of these stones for you to help her escape?” Coro asked.
“It was on my finger. The stone was on my finger. My finger is gone,” Sikorsky slurred. The shock of the loss hit him again, this time bringing disbelief and grief.
“Hopefully it’s in the other realm and not on the floor of a Terranan interrogation room,” Amanda said. “If it’s caught, we can pull it the rest of the way here. I need another piece of the stone.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Saskia said.
Fuming, Coro stalked out of the room, nearly knocking over Sky and Chase as he blustered through the hall. Sky limped to Sikorsky’s bed and laid next to him, pressing her body to his side. She whispered to him and stroked his face, easing his pain with her touch. He looked old, all of the sudden, and as his breaths slowed, Saskia feared they’d stop altogether.
“Do you need help getting back to your room?” Saskia asked Amanda.
“I want to be in here,” Amanda said, sitting firmly on the second bed.
Crossing her arms, Saskia went to the hall and exchanged a look with Chase.
“Do you regret coming?” she asked.
“I don’t regret leaving,” he replied. “I’ve never rescued someone. Danny always said that when someone’s in need, you just step up. You find a way and you do it. Janiya is in need and I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what I can do.”
Saskia nodded. She understood the feeling, but appreciated that he hadn’t grabbed a weapon and charged in without a plan. “I wasn’t looking forward to a coup, but we need to help now. Parker’s holding Janiya for a reason. He knows he needs a hybrid and a Hanyu stone to get what he wants.”
“World domination?” Chase asked.
“Elysia on the surface,” Saskia said.
Coro’s nose ached, but he could handle a punch to the face. Today, he was grateful that he could finally lift his head without hurting his neck. The water haul he’d planned to use as leverage had been swept out from under him by Matthews, and the man had made no effort to help his wife, despite repeated confirmation that she was imprisoned. Opening the personnel door, Coro leaned against the frame and scanned the port for danger. His fingers twitched on his camouflaged stunner, and the Hanyu ore felt heavy in his pocket.
There were more people in port now than when they first arrived. A small crew of engineers worked on refurbishing one of the smaller cargo transports. Oriana’s arrival had given them reason to hope that even if the embargo didn’t end, there would be a way to subvert it. As long as they bought fuel from him, Coro didn’t care where they flew.
A Guard emerged from the port office, his eyes focused on Coro. The bars on this young man’s uniform indicated he was a lowly lieutenant, biding his time until Coro crossed the line. Coro motioned him closer and he approached without fear.
“You know you wouldn’t have water if it weren’t for me,” Coro said.
“Yes, sir,” the man replied. His nameplate said Carr.
“You know I control the fuel resources of Quin. Your ships won’t have access to fuel if I don’t get back home,” Coro continued.
“Okay,” Carr said, his disinterested tone challenging Coro to make him care.
“There were two women on the microcruiser that came the other week. Have you seen them?” Coro asked.
Carr cocked his head, too surprised by the directness of the question to get his poker face in place. “I’ve seen them,” he allowed. “One is in there with you, isn’t she?”
“The other is in the basement of the Marble enduring torture at the hands of your leader,” Coro said.
Carr’s nose wrinkled. “Is that why you brought salt water?”
“I want my wife back,” Coro growled, thumbing the trigger of his stunner.
“I was told she came seeking asylum. I’m not to tell you where she is,” Carr said, raising his hand and pointing two fingers at Coro. His stunner was integrated into a glove and he didn’t have to hide the fact that he had it.
“I want to speak to Cheoff about the future of the water trade,” Coro tried.
“I don’t set up his meetings,” Carr said.
“Can you get me to his office without arresting me?” Coro asked.
“His office is on the second floor. I don’t go up there,” Carr replied.
“Then get me to the first floor,” Coro said. Hands raised, he took one step out of the ship, then another. Carr didn’t fire. He motioned Coro to walk in front, keeping his weapon raised. They passed through the gate into the Main City and Coro paused to take in the sight. He’d heard it was beautiful and he’d seen pictures, but now he saw what water rationing did to an artificial environment. There was no color anywhere. The buildings and streets were moon-slate gray, and the dead trees were coated in grayish dust. The people looked washed out and burnt out, even when they dared wear a splash of color. They noticed the Guard, and feared the uniform, and they averted their eyes from Coro, because he was the prisoner.
“This way,” Carr said, pointing down a long, straight road that seemed to go on to the other end of the Dome.
“Whose side are you on?” Coro asked, lowering his hands and holding his head high. He hadn’t been shot or arrested, so he may as well act like a boss and walk with dignity.
“I’m a Guard,” Carr replied.
“Cheoff, Parker, Solvere, some other player I don’t know?” Coro asked, glancing over his shoulder at the man.
Carr cocked his head, considering his answer. He’d dropped his arm to his side, but his wrist was tipped upward, keeping his weapon engaged. “General Solvere looked o
ut for me most. But I don’t agree with her methods.”
“Like what she’s doing to my wife,” Coro challenged.
“She hasn’t—” Coro caught himself mid-confession, then changed gears to the recitation he’d been permitted. “Janiya Coro came seeking asylum. She was granted—”
“She’s in a cage. Her hands are broken,” Cheoff interjected.
Carr’s face paled and his eyes dropped, guilt clouding his face. “How do you know that?”
“How does your Governor have the nerve to whine about a water delivery while he’s doing that to my wife?” Coro demanded, turning to face the Guard.
Carr croaked, then swallowed his guilt and raised the stunner again, prompting Coro to move. “He’ll tell you she came seeking asylum and it was granted.”
“He’ll lie,” Coro growled.
“No. He actually believes it. And I’m supposed to make him,” Carr said. “Turn right here.”
They’d reached a courtyard, and the buildings here were white instead of gray. The grass was yellow and brown, trampled by people standing in line for food. There were a few storefronts active, most advertising repair services. The Marble didn’t stand out.
“Why do you know about Janiya when Cheoff doesn’t?” Coro asked.
“Galen killed my partner. Those creatures follow me everywhere,” Carr replied. His eyes narrowed at Coro, and he pointed at a building that had ten steps leading to its door. “I’m not crazy. Don’t look at me like I’m crazy.”
Coro shook his head and raised his hands again.
“That’s why I help Solvere. She doesn’t call me crazy,” Carr said, pulling the door and pushing Coro inside more roughly than was needed. All the security for the building was inside, but it was still less than what Coro had in his main office. The gates were easily penetrable by a weapon, and the two bored officers at the security desk began gossiping when they saw Coro. He couldn’t believe it when he saw Governor Cheoff hustling down a grand staircase without so much as a bodyguard.
“Governor!” Coro hollered.
Lieutenant Carr immediately tackled Coro to the ground and clamped a hand over his mouth. Coro fired his stunner at the Guard point blank and rolled to his knees.
“Cheoff! Janiya isn’t safe!” Coro hollered. “She’s in a cage! She wasn’t granted asylum! She’s a prisoner! You have to help!”
The two gossiping guards leapt over the desk, one of them smashing his hand and stealing his stunner. They dragged him across the floor, but Coro kept shouting. As a boss, Coro knew it was the only way to make Cheoff listen. Cheoff wasn’t going to call off his dogs and hear Coro out, but hopefully he’d mull the words in his own time and then in half an hour, they’d have a conversation under more controlled circumstances. That was how Coro operated.
The two guards tossed him into a stone room and slammed the door closed. There were no seams or rough edges and the stone was cold to touch. There was no handle on this side of the door. The room was empty, save for him. Then a voice came over the speaker.
“I’ll let Colonel Rhodes know you’re here.”
22
The lockdown alarm rang and Cheoff hit the floor. He hadn’t seen Sikorsky since that first day, but the man let Cheoff know he was still lurking, able to teleport into any secure area. The most recent message was left in Cheoff’s own office. He’d run downstairs to report it only to face a new attack.
“Sir!” Lieutenant Turner shouted, leaping on top of him, shielding him bodily. Years of drills, and the odd assassination attempt had taught Cheoff to trust the Guard’s protection, and they all acted as though they were on his side. Except for Solvere.
There was no immediate assault, but Colonel Rhodes and several others created a wall around him, letting him get to his feet.
“I don’t have time for your drills today,” Cheoff said, turning back to look for a stairwell.
“Not a drill, sir,” Rhodes said, grabbing his arm. Their eyes met, and Cheoff froze in fear. He knew Rhodes was doing his duty; he was taking Cheoff to a secure location, and he wasn’t waiting for Cheoff’s consent.
Rhodes pointed up the stairs and Cheoff ran. The building was on high alert, as everyone scattered to appointed muster locations to shelter in place. A pair of interns clambered down the stairs, and Rhodes shielded Cheoff until they’d passed. This was nothing like their drills.
They arrived at the safe room, and Cheoff entered his code, springing the door. There was a Guard named Zannth inside, stunner pointed directly at Cheoff, but she dropped the weapon when she recognized her superior. Parker leaned casually against a computer console, more interested in the condition of his cuticles than the situation at hand. This room was designed for safety and surveillance. It had one entrance, but four exits.
“First floor,” Rhodes ordered Zannth, sealing her outside the room. Striding to the console, Rhodes called up the building surveillance. “The Governor is secure. Situation report.”
“The situation is Damien Coro. He came to the Marble to see me,” Cheoff said.
“Yes, sir. I’m aware,” Rhodes said. He pressed a hand over his ear and listened again. “He discharged a weapon in the lobby, sir. He shot Lt. Carr.”
“Carr’s been shot?” Parker said, taking peculiar interest. “Colonel Rhodes—”
“Stay here,” Rhodes ordered, heading to the first exit—a one-way pass through spikes.
Parker’s nostrils flared and he drew a shock-dart from his jacket. There were no weapons stored in this room for Cheoff to grab. It had made sense when they were developing policy, but now, Cheoff felt like a sitting duck.
“What are you doing, Parker?” Cheoff asked nervously.
“Saving the world, Governor,” he smirked, pressing a hand to the main door leading to the hall. “It’s up to me now that you’ve fired Diana.” He opened his mouth to say more, but his eyes went distance, a hint of emotion rising up.
“I can’t have her repeating her past. It’s only a matter of time before she kills someone,” Cheoff said. General Solvere’s resignation hadn’t surprised him, but the look on Parker’s face said she’d dumped him as well.
“So you gave Rhodes license to kill her!” Parker cried.
“I did no such thing,” Cheoff stuttered, sidling toward one of the room’s escapes. He could dive down the chute and be on the path to the Governor’s mansion, sheltered from the general public, but not out of range of Parker or the Guard. “She’s not dead. She’s resigned. Is she hurt? Was there a fight? There’s no incident report.”
“There never is.” Lowering the weapon, Parker stalked out of the room.
“Parker, if I need to know something, tell me,” Cheoff called. They had reports for everything. What did he mean? Cheoff needed more information. Why wouldn’t anyone talk to him? On top of this and Sikorsky’s warning, he now had Damien Coro hollering that his wife wasn’t safe.
Returning to the console, he checked the building surveillance to see if the danger persisted past Coro’s attempt to speak to him. None of the cameras showed where the Guard took Coro, but he went into that side hallway outside the security barrier that Cheoff had never gone down before. The main lobby and most of the hallways had cleared out. There were a few dozen employees sheltered in the first floor break room, and others in the windowless conference room that they referred to as ‘the cave.’ There were guards visible at every entrance to the building, and a small squadron going room by room, checking for danger and verifying the safety of the civilians.
“Screw it,” Cheoff muttered, walking to the chute exit, shaking out his muscles. There was no way he could leave through the front door. He dove into the chute, but rather than hitting open air, he hit a wall. This wasn’t an exit; this was a trap! He looked up, but it was dark the way he came and spiked so that he could only continue forward. Tapping the light on his Virp, he shone it around. There was a faded X on the wall and Cheoff kicked. The wall didn’t budge. He kicked again and again, but he couldn’t get t
he leverage he needed.
“Some get-away Garrett,” he panted, shining the light around the tube again. The air was getting humid from his panic and sweat. If he didn’t call the Guard for help, they’d find him anyway.
Suddenly, the wall cracked from the outside, and fresh air came in. “Governor,” Lieutenant Turner exclaimed, grabbing him by the feet and pulling him out. He fell almost ten feet into a patch of brittle bushes.
“What’s the nature of the danger?” Turner asked, aiming his stunner at the hole in the wall. “Did they see you escape?”
Cheoff shook his head. How could he explain to a Guard that he’d had a panic attack and didn’t trust his Guard anymore? They’d been alerted the moment he attempted escape. He felt like a prisoner.
“You subdued Coro, correct?” Cheoff asked, sitting up and leaning against the wall. He didn’t want to stay here, but Turner wasn’t going to let him run.
“Yes. Mr. Parker has said he will handle the preliminary interview,” Turner reported. “Lt. Carr’s injuries are being treated on site.”
That was good. That meant he’d be occupied for a little while. Now all he had to do was figure out what was going on before another Coro disappeared. “I want transcripts.”
He brushed the broken twigs from his clothes and stepped onto the walking path. “Go back inside, Turner. I’m taking a walk.”
“I can order us transport, sir,” Turner said.
“I’m walking,” Cheoff said, grabbing Turner’s wrist before he could touch finger to Feather. “No Guard.”
“But sir,” Turner protested.
“What have you heard about General Solvere?” Cheoff asked, tugging Turner’s elbow, leading him down the path away from the Marble. Normally, there were at least four guards escorting Cheoff through the city, and if he let Turner go, he’d be surrounded in no time.
The Confluence: A Space Opera Adventure Series (The New Dawn Book 6) Page 16
