Close Contact (22 page)

The other hall yielded the same results, as did the next set of corridors we came to, and the set after that. Several hours passed, and I was beginning to get bored by the time we reached the fourth intersection along the main passage. Immediately, things got more interesting as I peered down the right hall.

“It’s not stone,” I told Reynard, running my hand down a wall.

He stepped up beside me, gazing over my shoulder. “Neither are the floors. It looks like some kind of metal, but I don’t see any seams.”

“They must have cast it all at once,” I told him. “Either that, or this is part of the original ship that brought the settlers to Madrea. It makes sense that they would scavenge the living quarters and continue to use them, although I’m not sure why the section would have been buried down here.”

“Do we need to search this section?” He asked. “You said the hall outside the girls’ room was stone.”

I thought about it and then nodded. “Yes, because the Sumantti could be anywhere.”

This time when I stepped into the hall, my footsteps rang slightly, and instinctively, I slowed down, being careful where I put my feet. There didn’t seem to be as many doors here, and they appeared closer together.

On my shoulder, Peri shifted restlessly, and I picked up a feeling of unease from her as I stopped between the first set of doors. The one on the right was almost completely closed. The door on the left was wide open. I raised the lamp and took a closer look inside, then caught my breath.

“Look,” I told the men. “There are metal shelves built into the walls.” But what really held my attention was the lack of dust, combined with numerous black metal cubes sitting on the shelves. Stasis boxes. I’d recognize them anywhere, had even used them back on Centaurius to keep food fresh for weeks or months on end.

Excitement surged through me as I walked into the room and glanced around. Reynard moved to one of the shelves and reached for a box, but I stopped him. “Don’t open them. If the Sumantti is here, we don’t want her lashing out in anger. Maybe I can tell if she’s here from just touching them. Her container should be the only one that’s actually turned on, and the box will be expending a lot of energy to keep her captive.”

From my shoulder, Peri muttered darkly, her gaze on the door. I paused, head tilted. “Did either of you hear something?”

They listened for a second and then shook their heads.

“Must have been my imagination.” I put my lamp on a shelf, went to the first of the boxes and put my hands on the sides. Nothing.

“How do you tell if they’re on?” Reynard asked, depositing his lamp across the room from mine for maximum efficiency.

“There will be a very low, very faint vibration,” I told him. “You can’t hear it, but you should be able to feel it.”

With a nod, he moved to another box and put his hands on it. Bim stayed in the center of the room, as though reluctant to mess with things he knew nothing about.

I was reaching for the next box when suddenly Peri screamed in rage. Already on edge, I went into overdrive, spinning toward the door to confront whatever danger had alerted her.

But even then, it was too late. The metal door was already closed, and just as I slammed into it, I heard the distinct thunk of a latch clicking into place.

To save energy, I dropped out of overdrive, but that didn’t stop me from pounding on the door hard enough to leave dents in the metal. From the other side I heard the muffled sound of laughter, and a speaker on the wall crackled to life.

“Temper, temper, Agent Adams. Even a Gertz GEP can’t tear open solid metal.”

Reynard moved up beside me on my left, Bim on the right, axe at the ready. “You won’t get away with this, Strand. The Federation knows you’re here. My ship even has vid of you loading sunstones. Everyone will know you’re responsible for our deaths.”

“Ah, but you see, I have no plans to kill you or your friends, Agent Adams. All I have to do is keep you locked away here and wait. Eventually, you’ll starve to death, of course, but it’s fair punishment for criminals like you. As for the Federation, I’ve broken none of their laws. I’m here at the invitation of the king. Your vids are worthless.”

“What are you talking about? We aren’t criminals.” My words were interrupted by the deep vibration of huge bells tolling mournfully. The noise was muffled and faint, coming as it did through the many passages under the castle. But not even distance could stop the disturbance it caused in the ground, and I felt it all the way from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.

Instantly, Reynard stiffened, and from my other side, Bim growled.

“What is it?” I asked, alarmed by their reactions.

“Something has happened,” Reynard said. “Something bad. The bells are only rung under dire circumstances.”

That evil chuckle came again. “The commander is correct. I’ll leave it to your imagination to wonder what it is. Now, I must go. It’s almost time to put the final part of my plan into action. Good-bye, Agent Adams, and thank you for falling so readily into my little trap. It was most obliging of you.”

The static coming from the speaker cut off abruptly, and I turned to Reynard. “Schite. This was a setup from the beginning, and I walked right into it. I’m sorry. They should have sent someone who knew what the frag she was doing.”

He pulled me closer, wrapped his arms around me. “You had no reason to think Strand would trap us this way. Even I was expecting a face-to-face attack, not this cowardly trick. How could you know?”

“I should have. At the very least, I should have had Lillith
run probabilities, gone over all of them and planned for each accordingly.”

“There must be something we can do.” He released me and went to examine the door. “There’s no opening mechanism on this side. It looks as if it’s been removed.”

I joined him and checked the spot where the handle had been. Only fresh tool marks remained to mar the metal surface. “If there was something I could get a grip on, maybe I could pull it from the frame.”

The commander ran his hands around the edge of the door and then shook his head. “It’s smooth. I can feel the seam where it opens.”

Bim stepped forward, his axe drawn back, but I put a hand on his arm before he could use it. “It would only dull your weapon,” I told him. “The metal is too hard for an axe, and you may need it to be sharp later.”

He looked at me, a heavy brow arched, and I grinned. “I just thought of a way to get us out of here.”

“How?” Reynard asked.

“Good thing he doesn’t know about my psi ability. Catch me,” I told Reynard, already shuffling through the DNA I had stored. “I’m going to find Marcus.”

I
landed in utter chaos. It seemed that Marcus and all his employees were confined in a small storage room at the Terpsichore. All the women except Treya were crying, and she was ranting at the top of her lungs, threatening someone on the other side of the door.

The men looked pale and grim, especially Marcus. He stood in the middle of the noise, hands clenched at his sides, head bowed.

“Marcus?”

I spoke quietly, but not quietly enough. At the sound of my voice, Treya spun to face me. “You!” she spit. “This is all your fault. I should have known you were no Bashalde.”

“Shut up, Treya.” Marcus’s voice was so level that the noise in the room instantly stopped. “Where are you?” he asked me.

“Strand has us locked in a metal room under the castle. What happened? We heard the bells.”

“The king and the four extra guards Reynard assigned him are dead. And they’re saying you murdered them, that you’re a spy for the Federation sent in to remove him so the ban would be lifted. The king was killed with your knife,
and two of Braxus’s men are swearing they saw you and the commander flee the scene.”

“You know that’s not true,” I said.

“Of course I know it,” he snapped. “But Braxus has the king’s guard whipped into a frenzy. They’ve arrested all of us for harboring a spy, and now they’re out searching for you and the commander.”

“Can you get out?”

“No. They’ve blocked the door and left two guards in place. None of them will listen to reason. When they don’t find you, I think the rest of them will be back, and it won’t be pretty. They need someone to blame, and we’re handy.”

“Okay, don’t panic. I’m going to send you some help. If you have to, block the door from this side. Don’t let them in under any circumstances.”

Without waiting for more conversation, I pulled out Lowden’s DNA and locked it into place.

Instantly, I was in his tent. He was pacing in front of Jancen while the elderly man wrung his hands. He saw me first and gasped. Lowden spun, his mouth dropping open at my appearance.

“I’m sorry,” I told them. “There’s no time to explain how I got here. You know Politaus has been murdered?”

They both nodded.

“Good. I didn’t do it. Whoever stole my knife did. Now Braxus is in charge of the guard, and he’s sent them after Marcus Kent and Marcus’s employees. Probably to keep him busy so he can’t help me. I need you to take your men to the Terpsichore and free them. If you don’t, the guard may very well kill them.”

Lowden bowed. “As you ask, so shall it be done.”

“Thank you. And please hurry.”

His grin was feral. “Do not worry, Agent Adams. It won’t
be the first time my people have faced the Madrean Guard. As always, we will prevail.”

He was running for his tent opening, already shouting orders, when I pictured sliding back into my body.

The first thing I felt was Reynard’s arms around me, and then I became aware of the cold floor under me. Dread washed through me as I thought about telling him what I’d learned.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. He was on his knees, cradling me close, leaning slightly so he could see my face. Bim was standing guard over me, and Peri was hanging upside down from a shelf, cooing at me.

When I didn’t say anything, the commander’s expression altered to one of grief. “Politaus?”

“I’m sorry.” I lifted a hand to cradle his cheek. “He’s dead along with four of the guards.”

Releasing me, he pushed to his feet and then just stood there, like he didn’t know what to do next. “I think I knew as soon as I heard the bells,” he murmured. “But I didn’t want to believe it. I should have been there to stop it.”

“There was nothing you could do,” I told him, scrambling up and putting a hand on his arm. “I know he was your friend as well as your king, but even if you’d stayed with him all the time, they’d still have found a way.”

He took a step toward the door and then stared at it blankly. “I need to take command of the guards. They must be in disarray by now.”

I moved in front of him, forced him to look at me. “Reynard, listen to me. Braxus has taken over. He’s told the guards that both of us are responsible for the king’s death. Two of his men are swearing they saw us leaving the scene together. That’s what Strand meant when he called us criminals.”

His eyes, so blue and empty a second before, suddenly
ignited with the flames of rage. “Braxus has signed his own death warrant. If it takes me the rest of my life, he will die at my hands. Did you find someone to get us out?”

“Not yet. The guards are holding Marcus and his people hostage at the Terpsichore while they search for us. When they can’t find us, I’m afraid they’ll go back and kill them. I’ve sent Lowden and the Bashalde to free them, but the situation leaves me with a dilemma. Everyone I know on Madrea is either locked up, busy fighting the guards, dead, or they’re our enemy.”

“There must be someone!” He paced away and then back. Without warning, he doubled his fist and slammed it into the door. “I should be fighting, defending my people from these bastards.”

My mouth opened to console him, but something he said suddenly struck a chord. Something about fighting. I thought furiously.

Fighting. I’d only had one real fight since I landed on Madrea.

Durtran! He’d said he owed me after our sparring match at the king’s supper.

I clutched Reynard’s arm to keep him from doing more damage to his hand while excitement surged through me. “Tell me about Durtran,” I urged. “Was he loyal to Politaus? Is he an honest man?”

“Yes to both,” he said, catching onto my idea. “He wouldn’t believe the lies told about me, either. Durtran and I know each other well.”

“Where would he be at a time like this?”

Reynard didn’t even hesitate. “The same place I’d be. In the guard room, taking charge of his men and trying to keep order.”

“So he wouldn’t be alone.”

A sigh lifted his chest. “Probably not.”

“It’s okay.” I patted his arm. “I’ll just go into my dream state and watch him until he is.”

“That could take hours.”

I gave him a wry look. “It’s not like we’re going anywhere else. Besides, it may be the only chance we have to get out of here.”

“You’re right.” He sat on the floor and leaned against a shelf. I sat in front of him, using his body as a backrest.

“I’ll be able to support myself unless I jump into my ghost form. If that happens, you’ll know I’ve found a way to get Durtran alone. Now, what does the guard room look like?”

Bim turned to face the door, standing guard as Reynard wrapped his arms around me in a loose hold. “The office is fairly small, about five meters by five meters. The walls and floor are stone, and there’s a wooden desk facing the door. Weapons and shields are hung on the walls.”

I’d closed my eyes as soon as he started speaking, and built a hazy image of what he’d described. Then I put Durtran at the desk, wearing the uniform of the king’s guard.

Immediately, the mental picture solidified and I watched as Durtran snarled at two men standing in front of the desk. “I don’t care what Chine said. He has no standing with the guard. You will spread the word that if anyone locates the commander or the woman, they will bring them to me. And they damn well better not have a scratch on them. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” One of the men squirmed before he spoke again. “But Braxus—”

“Just because Braxus sits in the throne room does not make him king!” Durtran roared. “The new king will be chosen by the people. Until he is, you will obey the orders of your senior officers or face treason charges. Now, remove yourself from my sight and go do your job.”

The man saluted and practically ran from the room. The other one arched a brow at Durtran. “Don’t you think you’re being a little heavy-handed? The men are upset and confused. Remember, they lost their king tonight, too.”

“They are soldiers. Their duty comes first, no matter how upset they are.” He ran a hand over his face and I could see the weariness in his eyes. “There’s something wrong here, Hallis. The commander was completely loyal to the king. He’d never be part of a plot to kill him, no matter how enamored he is of the woman. Braxus’s men are lying.”

“Walk carefully, my friend,” Hallis told him. “Unless we can find proof of a conspiracy, we may all be in danger of committing treason.”

Hallis didn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. After all, Reynard had sensed my presence the first time I’d peeked in on him. Maybe Durtran was sensitive, too.

Get rid of him
, I sent.
You need to be alone
.

Durtran shook his head and then rubbed the back of his neck.

Okay, this was good. He obviously felt something. I just needed to be a bit firmer.

It’s me, Echo. I’m here but I can’t show myself until you’re alone. Send him away and close the door.

He blinked and looked around the office, then stood abruptly. “Hallis, I need you in the field. Make sure the troops aren’t running wild in Bastion City, terrorizing the people. And close the door on your way out.”

The man looked puzzled, but didn’t argue. Instead he gave a short bow. “As you wish.”

When the door was closed, Durtran looked around again. “Have I lost my senses?” he murmured.

I gave a final push and appeared in front of him. “No, your senses are fine. So are your instincts. The commander
had nothing to do with the king’s murder. And neither did I. We were framed by Braxus and Losif Strand. I’ll tell you the entire story later, but now we need your help.”

“Is it true that you’re an agent of the Federation?”

“Yes,” I admitted. “But I wasn’t sent here to interfere with the king or the ban. That’s just another lie.”

He nodded. “I suspected as much. How can I help?”

“Losif Strand has trapped me and the commander in a room under the castle. The door can only be opened from the outside, so we need you to come let us out.”

“How do I get there?” he asked without hesitation.

I gave him the directions for the path we’d taken, since that was the only way in I knew. “Be careful, Durtran. There’s a vidport on a tree in the clearing. If Strand has anyone watching it, they’ll know what you’re doing. There may also be guards at the door, although we haven’t heard anyone.”

Before I could slide back into my body, the office door was flung open and Hallis charged in, yelling, “Second! The Bashalde are attacking our troops!”

In the middle of his declaration, he ran right through me, then staggered to a halt and turned slowly to stare.

Well, scritch. So much for being discreet. Might as well make the best of the situation, since it was too late to vanish.

“I’m afraid that’s my fault,” I told them. “Braxus ordered a contingent of the guard to lock up Marcus Kent and his employees. I sent the Bashalde to free them before Braxus could call for their deaths.”

“Why would he want Kent dead? The man is only a tavern keeper.”

“Marcus knows too much. He knows who I am and why I’m here. He can also testify that both he and the commander were with me when my knife was stolen.”

Durtran glanced at Hallis. “Order the troops to yield to
the Bashalde and allow them to free Kent. I won’t have a full-scale war break out between our people on Braxus’s orders. And Hallis, you will tell no one what you’ve seen and heard here.”

“They wouldn’t believe me, anyway,” the man muttered as he ran back out, giving me a wide berth.

“Will he keep silent?” I asked Durtran.

“Yes. He’s a good man.”

“In that case, I’ll see you soon.” With a final nod, I slid back into my body and opened my eyes.

“He’s on his way,” I told Reynard, sitting up to face him. “Now all we have to do is hope he makes it in time. Braxus won’t wait long before he uses the Sumantti. He’s already giving orders and taking charge as if he were king.”

“It took us hours to get here.”

“Yes, but we weren’t in a hurry, and we searched every room on the way. Durtran knows approximately where we are and will come straight to us. Meanwhile, I have one more trip to make.”

Shifting my position I leaned against Reynard again, shut my eyes, and shuffled through the DNA I’d recently collected. When I found the one I wanted, I pushed.

Kiera looked up, startled, from the pool where she lounged. Dragon birds were lining the sides, squabbling over the soapsuds floating in the water and diving in and out of a waterfall on the other end.

I grimaced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt your bath.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She climbed out of the pool and reached for a drying cloth. “What’s wrong?”

“You need to tell the Limantti that I don’t think it’ll be much longer before the Daughter Stone is released. Things are happening really fast now. She needs to be on the alert.”

Smith nodded. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Just be prepared. We may need you both.”

“I’ll go to the Mother Stone right now.”

“Thanks.” I slid back into my body, satisfied that I’d done everything possible to stave off the catastrophe heading in our direction.

When I sat up this time, Bim squatted next to us and opened his pouch. Pulling out a familiar cloth-wrapped bundle, he offered it to me.

“Good idea.” I smiled at him, then unwrapped the food and divided it into three parts. “We should eat while we have time.”

“Where did you go?” Reynard asked, taking his share.

“To alert Kiera Smith. We may need the Mother Stone to try and contain the Sumantti when she’s finally released.”

“Is she really as beautiful as you told Lowden she is?”

I glared at him. “Probably more so. Which is why you’re never going to meet her.”

“No one could be more beautiful to me than you are,” he said.

“Uh-huh. You’re still not meeting her.”

At least my comment made him smile a little, even if it did look forced. And I also realized that somewhere along the way my resentment of Kiera had faded away to nothing. It’s hard to stay upset at someone you were counting on to help save your life and the lives of millions of others.