Tempest Rise (revised edition 10/2013) (Treborel) (19 page)

The next week was torture for Lysette. She couldn’t rest for one moment without seeing Katar’s smiling face before her. When the emergency call came in from Tor, asking for a Pediatric Surgeon she volunteered for the assignment hoping to keep her mind off Katar.
As the medical team prepared for departure, news arrived of an explosion at a children’s home. There were fatalities and at least 25 children were severely injured.

Joah, Andru and Kendra were among the Empaths that volunteered to accompany Lysette and the senior surgeon on call that night. The sun rose behind the clouds just as their transport lifted from the landing area and headed directly for Tor.
The pilot informed them of an additional pick up, just outside the city, and their scheduled arrival would be in two hours. As the large lumbering transport approached their second destination, Lysette could see a small farmhouse near the clearing where they were landing. There were no signs of any medical facilities or personnel as the transport touched down. A lone soldier caught her eye as he emerged from the decaying shack. The side doors opened, and he stepped in asking the others to remain seated while he spoke to the pilot.

Lysette glanced back out the window
, and saw a group of men dressed in white surgeons uniforms emerge from the structure and head toward the jet. As they boarded the craft, they produced laser weapons and pointed them at the surprised medical team. Shots rang out in the cockpit; shortly afterward, the bodies of the pilot and co-pilot were dragged over to the opening and tossed out.  Two of the five men disappeared into the cockpit and the jet lifted slowly off the ground.

The transport swung off in the opposite direction of Tor. They headed southwest toward the river. The hijackers searched each of them
, taking anything that could be considered a weapon. When the navigator demanded to know what was going on, she was thrown from the transport without a word. The medical team was separated into three groups; surgeons, Empaths, and military personnel.  Kendra could only stare unbelievingly at the commanding officer, her face filled with horror.

The two remaining soldiers who had been acting as the medical
team's escort, were questioned briefly and determined to be of no use. Each one was shot in the head and thrown from the craft, so quickly that no one had time to react. This left only the medical team. Lysette was horrified, were they simply to be used as entertainment while these mercenaries escaped? She had not known the two young soldiers well, but they deserved a better fate. They had done nothing to deserve the death they received.

Dr. Spencer was the only military medical office
r aboard the craft. As a result, he was strapped to the navigator’s seat and interrogated. As the commander approached Dr. Spencer, Lysette caught a sight of the small crossbow strapped to his back. Terror filled her as she realized that all the fears she had felt for Katar were now happening to her and her friends. The Kings Elite Guard had captured them. Commander Connor was about to torture them for information.

As Dr. Spencer’s fingers
were removed one at a time, his screams spurred Seriana, the elderly female Empath, to move slightly forward. Closing her eyes, she reached out to Dr. Spencer and blocked as much of his pain as she dared.  When he fell unconscious, Commander Connor turned to glare at the courageous healer. He pulled out the knife that hung at his waist, stepped toward her and drove it deep into the hollow of her throat.

Lysette screamed and lunged forward trying to reach her. Connor moved with the grace and speed of a large cat
, and backhanded Lysette in the side of the head. Everything went black as the butt of the knife cracked her skull and sent her reeling backward. Andru was instantly at her side. Pulling her back and healing the damaged tissue before it could swell and kill her. It took all of his strength to stop the blood flow and heal the swelling tissue, as Lysette began to convulse. Pulling her back into the shadows Andru refused to leave her, forcing him to maintain intense levels of healing she so desperately needed. As the effort of keeping her alive became apparent in Andru’s face, Joah took his place.  Kendra stared up at the psychotic commander as he watched them work. She was shocked that he allowed them to touch Lysette, much less heal her.

It
took several hours before Lysette regained consciousness. As her eyes opened, her thoughts went to the murdered Empath and Dr. Spencer. She stared blankly up into Andru’s face. He was talking to her, as Andru’s voice became clear, she heard him say, “They killed him. They nearly killed you too.” He warned in a hushed tone, urging her to stay still. “It was just as well you were unconscious. They tortured Spencer for quite some time before he died.”

Lysette whispered through a splitting headache, “its Connor and the Elite Guard.”

“I realized that when he put a bolt through Spencer’s forehead.” Andru concurred with disgust. “I still can’t figure out why they stopped killing everyone. What could they want with us?” Andru looked down to find Lysette unconscious again. Kendra, who had been sitting beside Andru, overheard their conversation and gasped as she realized the man that had haunted her dreams since childhood was Commander Connor.

They spent the next three hours in silence.
Andru and Joah traded places twice, trying to force, Lysette’s healing as best they could. Knowing that whatever they faced would require all the strength she possessed. The River Ny disappeared beneath them, as they turned and headed for the coast. Their destination was Ergos, a city under siege. As they approached the city boundaries, the laser cannon fire ceased. It was clear that the offensive troops were expecting them. As the large craft landed on the Ergos hospital complex roof Lysette regained consciousness once more, she was weak but out of danger.

Connor approached them saying, “One wor
d, or even a loud sigh, and I’ll kill every one of you.” His voice seethed with disgust at the weakness and fears his captive’s eyes held. Andru carried Lysette down the series of stairs that lead to the alley behind the complex, where an urban caravan was waiting for them.    The inside was pitch black; the windows had been painted to hide its contents.  The vehicle began to move, taking several turns but never stopping. After several minutes, they arrived at their destination and were ordered to exit. The broad stone building stretched out to cover an entire city block. The caravan pulled around to the back entrance of the structure, stopping in an alley of some sort between the large building and several smaller structures. As they entered the series of stairs that led deep into the belly of the structure, Andru noticed that an ancient script noting the death of a martyr covered the entrance.

The winding staircase they descended began to broaden as they reached its base opening into a spacious living area deep underground. The soldiers shoved the prisoners toward the center of the richly decorated room. The large
chandeliers that hung from the ceilings glittered and sparkled as they neared.  The Empaths were told to be seated on the lush satin sofa, as Commander Connor pulled Lysette from Andru’s arms.

“She’s still injured!” Andru
protested loudly fearing for Lysette’s safety, and was punched in the face by Connor for his effort, then shoved onto the sofa by the soldiers that surrounded them.

Forcing Lysette to stand
, Connor ordered, “Stand bitch!” Connor leaned close to Lysette and whispered softly in her ear, “Or I’ll show your empathic protector the point of my blade.”

Lysette struggled to push him away, her head pounded as she swam in dizziness. Fe
eling Connor’s iron grip on her arm, he dragged her toward a set of double doors near the back of the room. Once inside, the dim light was a relief to Lysette’s eyes. As she adjusted to the darkness, Lysette could see the room was as equally large as the last. Only a small area was put to use. Near the center of the room was a large canopied bed, dressed in the same dark amber satin as the previous room.

In the bed was the still form of a sleeping woman. Beside her
, hunched over in a high back chair was a man. He stirred and rose at their approach, seeing only Lysette as she neared. Lysette recognized the man as soon as he turned to face her. Memories of her childhood visits to Bantor flashed through her mind.  Yet this man had looked much different then. King William had been a man of impeccable taste and composure. He now stood before her withered and worn.  He looked as if he had suffered some terrible illness that had eaten away at him for many years. Meeting his tired lost gaze frightened Lysette deeply. What had happened to this man to cause him to become so lost to himself?

Stopping before her
, William studied her for a moment then simply stated the facts, “You have been brought here because you are a Pediatric Specialist. The Queen gave birth to my sons last night. They are dying. You will save them.” Turning, he moved toward another set of doors taking Lysette deeper into the structure. As they entered, Lysette found herself in a small medical center.  Blinking against the harsh lights, Lysette didn’t notice the oversized incubator in the center of the room until she was standing before it. 

Staring down at the two infants before her, Lysette’s mind cleared
instantly as she feared she could be of no help to the dying babies. The two pale bodies lay still in their tiny shelter, joined together from their temple to the base of their throats.

The efficiency of the new sensor equipment installed around the southern air base had cut the search for King William nearly in half. There was no way in which anyone could have entered the eastern sector of the Treborelan Mountains without
being detected.

With the
Gem mines carefully mapped and inspected; there was no way William could hide. The sensors would pick up every life form no matter how small. The search had yielded nothing, just as Katar had expected. With the war ending, Katar decided to make a brief stop in Borel, before heading back to Ergos and the final battle that was to take place in three days. He wanted to inform his mother of his intent to marry Lysette. Afterward he intended to have a brief visit with Enda, to give her the news in person and make certain she understood their relationship was over.

The Queen was overjoyed at his announcement asking him to bring Lysette to her as soon as possible. It was as much as Katar expected. Enda’s response on the other hand was quite a surprise. As he entered her
home, she had been quite excited to see him. She nearly ripped the clothes from his body until he intervened. Taking her hands in his, he briefly explained his relationship with Lysette and told her they could never be together again.

Enda’s voice was filled with disappointment as she said, “Katar, this is totally unexpected. I never really thought you would give into your mother’s wishes and marry. It won’t be a pleasant experience for you
, unless you’ve found a woman who is as meek and selfless as you are bold and stouthearted.”

Katar recognized the familiar purr in her voice as she once again tried to seduce him, running the back of her fingers alon
g his cheek. He brushed her hand away and said, “Lysette is neither meek, nor excessively selfless. She is the woman I love and will not betray.” Katar’s conviction was clear. Enda stepped back with a smile.

She said, “I am here if you ever decide a change is needed in your life.” Enda took his arm and led him to the door. “My door will never be closed to you.”

During the three hour journey on horseback it took to get to the Borel Harbor Katar considered Enda’s words. He had no doubt about his love for Lysette and their ability to make each other happy. Even so, something about their conversation bothered him. Was it the fact that Enda gave him up without a struggle? Perhaps, his ego wanted tears and pleading. Yet, he knew, it was best she accepted it easily. He had never promised her any more than the brief romance they had enjoyed. It was clear that she had completely understood, knowing that someday it had to end.

As he boarded the military transport and headed for the southern base
, he quickly checked his breast pocket for the gift he had purchased for Lysette. The large, pear-shaped solar gem gleamed as he opened the velvet satchel, to reveal Lysette’s engagement present. The turquoise color of the gem matched Lysette’s eyes perfectly. The transport arrived on the platform near the underground passage to the hidden base. Katar planned to prepare his helijet and depart immediately. If he hurried, he could spend at least a few hours with Lysette before he was due back at the command center near Ergos.

As Katar entered the long
, narrow tunnel that led into the base, he was met by Cap. His friend never looked healthier, yet there was a strange look on his face.  Katar took his friend by the shoulder and swung his arm around him to walk with him saying, “Cap it’s good to see you. Sorry I didn’t manage to see you off at the hospital, something came up . . .”

Cap interrupted, “Yeah, I spoke with her just before you arrived, she seemed a little perturbed.” Cap’s raspy voice had softened a bit
, yet the deep toned roughness was still very much apparent. “Speaking of which, Sean Nolan has been trying to reach you.” Cap stopped and looked directly into Katar’s eyes adding, “Something’s wrong.”

Katar headed quickly toward the
command center, and order a Comm link put through to Lavose. Instead of Sean’s face appearing before him on the holographic image, Prince Roth flashed before him. He spoke quickly, “Prince Katar, well you finally managed to spare a few moments of your time . . .”