Storm of Arranon Fire and Ice (38 page)

Go right. The stairs to the lower levels
are to the right
.

Shuffling footsteps preceded the faint glow
of hand-held lights.

Oops
!
The power must be out on this
entire level
.

From inside the Science Unit, Aven’s voice
penetrated the heavy doors. “Erynn! No! Don’t do this to Jaer
again!”

Guilt, a rush of fear, and the temptation to
let Aven come with her were strong.

This isn’t about my fear. It isn’t about
Jaer. I know Cale will be angry with me again, for not telling him.
I don’t want to do this alone. But Cace needs help. Now. This is
about Cace, his fear, and who is best prepared to find him
.

“I guess that would be me.” She felt her way
along the rock wall surface, staying pressed against the cold
stone. In part to keep from stumbling down the stairs to the next
level, but also to avoid personnel rushing through the darkened
corridors. When the pale glow faded and the scuff of running boots
silenced, she pulled the small lamp from her pocket and shone its
meager light around the deserted tunnel. Stairs cut into stone lay
a meter before her. The path below was dark, as were the stairs
leading up.

I still need to learn control. The power
to the whole base is out
.

Erynn frowned.

I didn’t think I meant to…but maybe on
some level, I did
.

“It’s better this way. The Vid Cams won’t
find me,” Erynn whispered, rushing down into blackness broken only
by her lamp’s faint glow. She took the steps two at a time, first
passing one landing, then another, and another. The stairs ended in
a small alcove. A mark on the opposite wall told her she was in the
right place—section ten. A shorter set of steps leading down and
into the chamber was ahead and on the right. Erynn shined the light
into empty space below and descended. Discarded packaging still
littered the floor. Water dripped on stone with a steady tap, tap,
tap.

Behind her, the lights in the tunnels snapped
back on, and the previously dark corridors glowed with a comforting
allure. She stared up the short set of steps. “Whill must have the
generators running,” Erynn whispered and tore her attention away
from the light. She shone the meager beam across the back wall and
the recessed niches, searching for…

What
?
Did I think there would be an
opening big enough to walk through, or a marker stating
,
“
This way to Dhoran’s underworld. Watch your step
”?

A coppery metallic odor swirled past her. She
directed the beam to the far left corner in the back of the space.
Nothing. She arced the light across the recesses to the right
corner. A body lay propped in the corner. His head flopped at an
unnatural angle on his chest.

Erynn took in a slow, steadying breath,
stepped over to the body, and stopped a meter away. Blood from a
large gash across his face stained the front of his jacket and
pooled in the creases. She moved closer, stooped, and felt for a
pulse in his neck. There was none. She knew there wouldn’t be. His
eyes stared down at his lap, unseeing and lifeless. Erynn stood up
and took a step back. “You must be Grame. Sorry it came to this for
you. I guess you outlived your usefulness. You knew too much and
became a danger to Dhoran. Why? Why did you follow him in the first
place? What were you promised in return?”

Distant shouts brought her back to the
moment. Time slipped away with a cruel swiftness. She had to find
the way out and down soon.

A meerat dashed from her left to within an
arm’s length of her. The small creature stood up on hind legs, nose
twitching in the stagnant air now redolent with the stench of
death. Its beady eyes scanned the dead man.

Erynn kicked at the small creature.

It avoided her kick only to return. This time
instead of focusing on the body it turned to her, stared up, and
screeched in a scolding, demanding chatter.

The meerat scurried away before Erynn could
pull back her foot to level another kick. It ran to the top step
and stopped. The tiny creature turned toward her again and began
its incessant chattering. Erynn glanced at the recesses in the
stone and nodded. “The recesses are too obvious—a distraction.” She
hurried to the steps, following the meerat’s lead. Her thin light
traced over the rock walls of the small alcove.

More voices called above her, louder and
accompanied by running boot steps.

She continued to sweep the beam across the
solid stone with a rapid back-and-forth motion. “Where? Why can’t I
see
the opening?” her voice rasped out. One hand gripped the
lamp, and the other fisted in frustration.

The meerat was gone, and it hadn’t climbed
the main stairs.

“So the entry
is
here.”

There were scrambling footfalls on the steps
above her now.

Erynn glanced up. A glaring white light
bobbed across the upper wall. From the corner of her eye, the
stones to the right of the stairs wavered in an indistinct line and
seemed to overlap. She dropped her gaze to stare at the spot,
letting her mind relax and her vision go soft. The stones did
overlap, hiding a narrow opening into a space behind the stairwell.
She made a dash, squeezing in and vanishing from the alcove as
several dark forms silhouetted behind bright beams reached the
bottom of the steps.

All light and sound from beyond the break in
the wall ceased to exist. Erynn moved in a zigzag pattern about
five meters through a confined crevasse that opened into a cavern
similar to the one under Deanaim, complete with burning fire pits.
She remained concealed in the shadows against the wall. She had
left one realm and entered another without an unpleasant
consequence.
She
could accomplish what Dhoran needed a
portal to achieve.

Erynn sighed, sensing a brief moment of
relief. She stared at the fires in the distance. Shifters moved
around the flames, unaware of her presence, for now. On the uneven
stone floor between the fires lay a crumpled shape.

Cace
!

A DEEP HUM GAINING IN pitch preceded the
return of the unit to full power. Lights blinked on, flickered a
couple of times, and then burned steady and bright. Aven squeezed
through the opening doors and scanned the length of the dim, empty
corridor, right to left.

Erynn was gone.

Kerk joined Aven. “Is Erynn here?”

“No,” Aven growled. “Kerk, contact teams
four, five, and six. Get a team on each of the next three levels
down. Search for Erynn and make sure everyone on those levels is
all right.”

Kerk nodded and tapped behind his ear,
speaking as he took off at a trot.

Aven turned and ran for the stairs. He
contacted Tiar. “Tiar. You okay?”

Tiar responded, his voice clear, as if he
stood in the same room as Aven. “It was just a power failure. The
generators took over. Is something wrong?”

“Yeah, I’ve got bad news. I lost Erynn. I’m
sure she’s headed up to the Medical Unit. I’ll meet you and Cale
there.”

“We’re on our way.”

The connection clicked off and Aven stepped
up his pace.

Aven burst into the Medical Unit. Bright
lighting made Aven squint after the dim corridors. The contrast of
Aven in his black tunic, quilted pants, fingerless gloves, and
boots stood out against the clean white surroundings. He approached
the protesting guard stationed at the front desk.

“Wait! No weapons allowed! Sir. Stop. Now!”
The guard fumbled from his seat, bumping the edge of the desk as he
came around.

Without a break in his stride, Aven glared
and pointed at the guard, effectively ending his admonishments.

Nev stood at the far end of the hall, talking
with his staff. The Medical Unit had its own emergency generator
and probably experienced little more than a flicker in their
service. Word gets around fast though and the loss of power
throughout the base would be big news.

Aven strode toward Nev. The sharp report of
his boot heels on smooth stone shattered the peaceful calm.
“Where’s Erynn?” he shouted when halfway there.

All eyes locked on Aven.

“Erynn?” Nev smiled and took a few short,
shambling steps toward Aven. “Erynn’s back? Is she all right?” Nev
stopped and frowned. “Is Erynn injured?”

Aven charged forward. He grabbed the front of
Nev’s jumpsuit with both hands. Aven shoved, immobilizing Nev
against the wall under his powerful grip.

Nev’s head hit the stone with a solid thud,
his arms flying up, palms open and forward. “What’s this about? Why
are you doing this to me?”

The few others in the hall stepped back in
shock. Unspoken protests died in their open mouths.

No one interfered with a physically powerful,
angry, and determined Anbas.

Aven growled and whispered, “No more games,
Nev
—or would you prefer Dhoran?”

The slightest hint of a smile turned Nev’s
lips before he contained the expression, turning it to one of
incredulity. “I…I…What? I don’t understand.” He responded to this
aggression in a soft cowering voice.

Aven pressed his weight into Nev. “Cut the
act. I know who and what you are.”

Cale and Tiar rushed past the dazed guard and
into the hall to stand behind Aven.

“Byan, I have some questions for you.” Cale’s
stilted but even tone relayed his serious intent.

Maire exited a patient’s room, securing the
door behind her. She hurried forward, took one look at Nev held
against the cold white stone, and turned to Cale. Her eyes brimmed,
and a single tear broke free, rolling down her cheek. “I should
have…I’ve known for some time now that something was off and I
didn’t say anything. I didn’t think anyone would believe me.”

Aven’s teeth ground with an audible grating.
He adjusted his two-handed grip on Nev’s pale blue jumpsuit, and
the fabric tore along the shoulder seam.

Red-gold scales appeared through the rip,
shining in the bright overhead lights. A low throaty growl issued
from deep in the Nev/Dhoran-thing’s chest. His smile returned, this
time fully exposing the long, sharp incisors. Dhoran blinked
slowly. When his eyes opened, a vertical pupil centered in a
gold-green iris replaced Nev’s normal, human blue ones.

Aven released his right-hand grip and made a
powerful fist. He punched Dhoran directly in the face with a
lightening-quick reaction and all the force he could muster. Dhoran
never saw it coming.

Dhoran’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he
slumped in a heap to the clean white floor.

Aven callously flipped Dhoran to his stomach
and bound his wrists behind his back with the leather straps
carried inside his belt. He then secured Dhoran’s ankles.

Tiar tapped behind his ear. “Security. Get
down to the Medical Unit.” As an after thought, he added, “Send two
teams in full armor, weapons ready.”

Cale turned to Maire. “Get a sedative, and
make it powerful. We’ll need to keep Dhoran under our control.”

Maire’s eyes widened. “Dhoran? But if…Where’s
Byan Nev?” She glanced down at the unconscious form on the
floor.

Aven stood up after checking his work and
spun on Maire. “Go. I don’t know how long that punch will keep him
down.”

She turned and dashed to an open door halfway
up the hall.

The small group at the end of the corridor
scattered, disappearing into any handy prospect that offered
safety.

Two security teams clad in full body armor
arrived on the run, and the Medical Unit guard stood aside.

Maire reappeared holding a long silver tube
and knelt next to Dhoran.

Dhoran’s eyelids fluttered, and a low throaty
rumble of a laugh pushed from his lips. “Maire, have I told you how
much I appreciate you?” His tone was deep, guttural, and slow, the
words slurred.

She pressed the tube against Dhoran’s neck,
and a quiet hiss followed.

Any trace of humor slipped from Dhoran’s
arrogant expression. He stared at Maire with those cold gold-green
eyes. “How did you know?”

Her jaw tensed, the muscle bunching. “Nev is
a strong, confident man. Your pathetic portrayal of him as weak and
timid was dead wrong.”

Dhoran’s eyes closed and he chuckled thinly.
“You don’t know power. Wait until you experience true strength.
When…I…claim…Arranon…” His words trailed off, and his head lolled
to one side.

Cale’s orders to the security teams rang
through the silent space. “Take him to a monitored holding cell. I
want five guards physically present, watching him at all times, as
well as the Vid Cams.” He turned to Maire. “Make sure he’s
constantly sedated.”

Maire nodded and motioned to a male tech
peeking around the doorframe from the supply room. “Quick, get a
gurney.”

With Dhoran strapped down on the thin
mattress, Aven led the way. The gurney rolled across the smooth
stone tucked between the two security teams, their weapons drawn.
Aven’s search for Erynn could continue after Dhoran was in a cell
and locked in securely. After all, she was somewhere on the
base.

The lack of contact did not encourage Jaer.
In fact, he knew silence from Aven, Tiar, and Cale was a bad sign.
Erynn had done it again. She was off on her own, attempting Cace’s
rescue. The transports weren’t due until sometime after dawn. Jaer
wasn’t going to wait that long. It was time to go.

He changed from his black tunic and quilted
pants back into the heavy white harsh-weather gear. Jaer left the
room he and Erynn shared for a too-brief few huairs and hurried
down the stairs.

Sean sat before the center fireplace, talking
with several locals. Wilo was among them.

Wilo saw Jaer and stood up, coming from the
far side of the massive round hearth. “What are you doing?”