Warrior Rogue (The Drift Lords Series) (13 page)

Without waiting for a response, Paz descended the stairs. A huge mechanism stretched along a cavernous hall at the bottom.

His ears hurt from the deafening noise. How did the Trolleks tolerate it? They didn’t care for loud sounds, but then again, you couldn’t hear it from outside due to the thick walls.

The device appeared to be automated from the lack of any workers. Was this the generator that powered the portals above?

Paz deployed his makeshift PIP to snap images with the camera function. He took photos at a broad angle and then took some closer views.

Halfway down the great hall, he paused. Set in an alcove off to the side was a control console. Eager to salvage what information he could, he opened drawers until he found a stash of blank data crystals. He popped one in the slot and sat in the chair.

The monitor screen remained blank. He tried voice commands to bring up the files. When that didn’t work, he typed on the old-fashioned keyboard. A list popped up, and Trollek symbols scrolled across the screen.
Smark
, the files were encrypted.

Aware he was on borrowed time, he clamped his lips together. From the intense odor of cors particles, he surmised one of the portals upstairs was a dimensional rift. The other might serve to transfer Trolleks from here to another location on Earth. His concern was the former, but he didn’t have enough information to understand how it operated.

He couldn’t just blow this thing up like the power source at Drift World. An explosion here might not close the gateway and might even widen it. He needed Kaj’s engineering expertise to analyze the data.

Swiveling in his chair, he stared at the mass of cables twisting overhead. There was something about this setup he wasn’t getting. Reluctant to linger, he copied the contents of the hard drive onto the data crystal before removing it and placing it for safekeeping in his pocket. He’d work on breaking the encryption later. Meanwhile, he returned the monitor screen to its original state.

He’d just started up the spiral staircase when he froze. Guttural Trollek voices sounded from above. Soldiers must have found them.

“Paz, come up here,” Jen’s voice called. “They’re friends.”

Friends?
Impossible.

He raced up the staircase. At the top landing, he peered around the corner. Two armed Trolleks stood talking to Smitty. One of them caught sight of him.

“Do not fear us. We work for the Viden cause. We will help you.” The speaker’s long nose had a downward tilt. Coarse brown hair curled around his head.

The Videns were a faction among the Trolleks who espoused science instead of warfare as the path to peace. But why should he trust them? He emerged into the chamber.

“If you’re on our side, tell me what powers this rift.”

“We’ll help you escape because we may need you later, but we won’t help you destroy our access to this world. Dr. Morar still seeks the answers we need to solve our problem.”

“What problem?”

Jen strode over and clutched his arm. “I know what he means. I’ll tell you later. Let’s just leave.” Her fingers dug into him.

He understood. If they didn’t accept this offer now, they’d lose the chance.

“Very well. What’s your plan?” He detached himself, standing ready in case he had to act.

“A supplier is unloading food stocks a few doors down,” the second Trollek said. “You’ll hide in his cart. We’ll escort the vehicle to the exit, and then you’re on your own.”

“Why are you helping us?” Jen waved a hand in the air. “I thought Algie wanted to keep me here.”

Paz threw her a look of exasperation. Did she mean to sabotage their escape?

Hook Nose spoke. “The dokter has your blood sample. Further experimentation might kill you. We feel it is better to keep you alive until she has positive results.”

“Aren’t you working together?”

“To a certain extent.” He hesitated as though about to say more but then decided against it. “We must go. Another group is scheduled to arrive, and a reception committee will be coming to greet them. Remember to act confounded.”

The two Trolleks ushered them outside. Paz did his best to instill a glazed look on his face. He nudged Jen to do the same. Smitty waddled along beside them, his head downcast.

They followed the path through another archway. Up ahead, a cart was hitched to a couple of donkeys standing in front of a storehouse. Empty burlap sacks filled the rear. A man came out of the building. He wore baggy clothes and a blank expression.

“Hobbs will be returning to his farm in the highlands,” the first Trollek told them. “You’ll want to get off before he heads into the mountains. Now get inside, cover yourselves with those sacks, and lie still.” He slipped Paz a knife. “Here, you might need this.”

Paz took it then gripped his arm. “Thank you, my friend. May I know your names?”

The Trollek’s large ears stiffened. “It is best if we remain anonymous. Be off with you. The farmer nears.”

Paz hopped into the cart and hauled Smitty onto the flat surface. Jen landed after them, aided by the second Trollek. Their friends tossed the sacks on top of their bodies along with some stray leafy greens. They settled down as the entire cart sagged under the weight of the driver.

“Move on, human,” Hook Nose commanded the fellow.

Paz figured the man was under orders to obey any Trollek rather than just the
kabak
who’d confounded him. As they rattled down the gravel drive, he ignored the discomfort of lying on a hard surface, smelling sun-warmed compost, and being shaken side to side. They still had to get through the checkpoints and clear the exit.

Then he had to come up with another plan. With this slow method of transportation, it would take hours before they reached a turn-off road to the mountain passes. At that stage, they’d strike out on their own.

He’d stick to his original idea of heading to the fishing village of Kamaji and hiring a boat to the mainland.

With minimal movement, he patted his pocket. Stored in his PIP were the coordinates for the two gateways in the chamber they’d just left. If one brought in Trolleks from the home world, where did the other one go?

He suspected it might lead to another recruitment center like the one at Drift World. If so, that might be their next destination. He hoped Jen wouldn’t mind another detour.

****

Jen hung back while Paz negotiated with Hiroshi Jin Kolami, a man of mixed descent and owner of the largest junk in Kamaji. The thin, dark-haired fellow accompanied his speech with animated gestures. He spoke in a native dialect, and Paz responded in kind. The Drift Lord amazed her with his ability to speak different languages.

Kolami pointed to Paz’s wristwatch, and Paz shook his head. Narrowing his eyes, the fisherman pointed at Jen. Paz shook his head again. Were they bartering for the price of passage? It would be stiff for the three of them.

She stood at the side of a dirt road. A couple of chickens waddled past as she swatted insects and worried about Trollek soldiers discovering their route.

Smitty wandered toward an old woman selling dried fish and stringy vegetables. As they exchanged words, his face reddened, and his voice rose in anger. He, too, could speak their native tongue, making her feel as awkward as she had growing up in her socialite mother’s shadow.

Feeling out of her element, she meandered over to Smitty. “If you’re negotiating for supplies, I could really use some decent clothes and sturdy shoes.”

Smitty cast her an annoyed glance. “Would you like anything else? Some pretty baubles maybe or a new handbag? What have you got in there, by the way?” He pointed to the purse she’d managed to retain.

Jen’s face brightened, and she pulled out her enameled business card case. Maybe she could be useful after all. “Here, see if she’ll take this as payment.”

The woman’s weathered face crinkled as she grabbed the metal case and bit on it. She shook her head and thrust it back at Jen.

Smitty intercepted the object. “I’ll take it. Look, I can see my reflection in its shiny surface.” He peered at himself, grinning in childish delight. “I want it!”

Jen’s mouth curved up. “All right, it’s yours.” Anything to pacify their new ally. “How about a comb?” she asked the old woman, pulling one from her bag. “Or a notebook and pen? A lovely scarf?” She waved the fabric at the old woman who kept shaking her head. Jen’s heart sank. What else could she offer?

Taking out her designer sunglasses, she dug further inside her bag. The woman muttered excitedly.

“She’ll accept those.” Smitty pointed to her dark glasses.

“What? These cost me over two hundred dollars!”

“Give them to her.” The dwarf bounced on his heels. “She’ll get you a set of clothes and some slippers for your feet. She says you have tiny feet like a proper lady. You’ve just bought us a stash of food, too.”

The woman hobbled off with her prize. Jen was startled by a tug on her arm. Paz stood next to her.

“Jen, I need your earrings,” he said in a low tone.

“Why?” She stared at him.

“We have to buy our passage on Kolami’s junk. He wants the diamonds. It’s the only thing of value we have to offer him.”

“I could turn some of these stones into gold.” Smitty kicked at a pile of pebbles on the ground.

Paz compressed his lips. “Not a good idea. I told him we were shipwrecked on the other side of the island. Having pieces of gold on us would make us suspicious. We’re ragged enough to fool them but not for long.” He turned to Jen. “I’ll get you some new kewa stones, bigger ones.”

“But my parents gave me these,” she said with a pout.

“I’m sorry, but it’s the only way.”

With a heavy heart, Jen sighed. “Oh, all right.”

She unfastened the earrings and handed them over. Paz strode away, his boots sinking into the sand.

Jen scratched her arm. Dust and mosquito bites covered her body. That’s what she got for wearing a sleeveless dress, but who knew?

Next time I travel, remind me to choose more practical clothes.

The old woman returned, handing Jen a pair of drawstring pants and a faded blouse and giving Smitty a sack of food. Jen changed in a nearby hut but carried her new slippers as she emerged onto the beach. The junk was anchored a short distance offshore. They’d have to paddle out in a flat-bottomed sampan.

She cast a last glance toward the curving road as they boarded the boat. No sign of the Trolleks. Could their escape have been orchestrated? If so, to what end?

Heck, it didn’t matter. The sooner they left this place behind, the better. She donned her new shoes—pleased they fit.

Paz helped her and Smitty climb the rope ladder onto the junk. As Jen set foot on the scrubbed wood deck, a couple of crewmen who were already onboard sauntered over to consult with their captain. Jen gazed with awe at the masts overhead and wondered if the ship was motorized. She’d been boating before but not in a sailing vessel.

“Where are we headed?” Smitty poked Paz on the shoulder. “I need to get back to my people.”

“Taiwan. We can get transport to Hong Kong from there.”

Jen clicked her tongue. “Oh, crap. We forgot to ask about a telephone in the village.” She consulted her watch. “It’s five o’clock. We’ve been missing for over twenty-four hours. My father must have mobilized a search mission by now.”

“The Trolleks may have provided evidence of our demise.” Paz noted her questioning glance. “They recruit mind slaves and send them home to wait for further orders. These sleeper agents may be more widespread than we’ve thought. They’ll follow instructions and no one else will be the wiser.”

“So they could have claimed our aircraft crashed into the sea and sank with no survivors?” Tears pricked her eyes at his nod. “My dad won’t give up. He won’t believe I’m gone.” She tightened her resolve to connect with her parents and spare them the pain of loss. “Can you ask Kolami if he has a radio? You could try to contact your team again, too,” she added as extra incentive.

Smitty stepped between them. “Let’s find our bunks first. This thing weighs a ton.” He lifted the sack with their food stores. “I hope they have some good ale onboard. Wouldn’t trust their water if I were you. Awful tasting stuff in the dungeon.”

Jen regarded him curiously. “You didn’t tell me how you ended up there, or why the Trolleks captured you.”

“Later.” Paz gave her a dimpled grin. “I’m with Smitty. Let’s go below where we can’t be spotted from the deck.”

One of the crew led them down a rickety companionway. He stopped at the bottom and spoke in a rapid dialect. Paz turned to the others to translate.

“Jen, you and I are assigned to the captain’s cabin since we paid for our voyage. Captain Kolami will share quarters with his first mate, that’s Kano here. Smitty, you’ll bunk in crew quarters with Rafu and Senichi. They’ll explain your duties.”

The dwarf’s cheeks puffed out. “What duties? And why am I stuck in crew quarters while you get a luxury suite?”

Kano pushed open the nearest door, and Jen peeked inside. She gasped at the closet-sized space with a short, single bed, a bureau, and a tiny porthole. Luxury? Ha!

“We’re working our way through this passage,” Paz explained in a patient tone. “It was the only way Captain Kolami would agree to take us. I’ll be assigned duties, too. Jen, I hope you can cook. You’re in charge of the galley.”

Her jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“No, I’m not. And I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said our lives depended on it. There’s nothing stopping these guys from stealing everything we own and tossing us overboard.”

Chapter Ten

The first mate rattled off instructions and swept his hand toward the cabin. His narrow face pinched, and his shoulders hunched. Jen surmised he wasn’t pleased by their hesitation to budge from the companionway landing.

“Kano says to move our butts inside,” Paz translated. “He has to help get the sails unfurled while the tide favors us. He mentioned it’s the custom to pray to the gods for deliverance from sea monsters at the start of every voyage. We should do the same.”