Chapter Twenty-Six: A Dangerous Mission
The vague, nagging feeling that had plagued her sleep only intensified as the sleeping medication wore off and Bronwe found herself staring at the ceiling trying to remember what was so upsetting. As soon as she realized she hadn't changed out of her clothes last night, the memories came flooding back and she groaned softly. It was going to be a long day. She had to find a horse. She had two time travelers in her sitting room, the loony bin police could knock down her front door any minute now, and she was supposed to go with them on a quest. Well, Bronwe thought to herself, we will just wait and see about that last one, eh?
After she'd changed, Bronwe listened for any sign that the others were up and, hearing none, sat on the edge of her bed, working on the beginnings of a plan for 'Operation Horse Rescue' as she had dubbed it. There was nothing for it, she was going to have to call in every favor ever owed to her and hope it was enough.
Forty minutes later, armed for the day, she opened her door and softly crept to the kitchen, trying not to disturb her sleeping guests.
Araphel's eyes cleared as he sensed movement in the room, and he sat up quickly, momentarily bewildered as to his surroundings before his memory caught up with his muscles. "Ah, good morning," he greeted, raking one hand through his tangled hair. "I trust you slept well?" He nodded surreptitiously at the cylinder she had given him the night before.
Sighing slightly, Bronwe answered, pointedly avoiding the word 'sleep.' "I was undisturbed," she said, somewhat resignedly. "It was all that could be hoped for." Hoping to change the subject, she inquired, "Are you more likely to eat in this morning, or do you insist on starving yourself?"
"Starving sounds good," Kaylee interrupted, yawning so widely Araphel was surprised to see that her face did not break in two. "But if we get out of here soon enough, maybe Mychal and Firar'll have lunch waiting." The Scout got to her feet, stretching out a few knotted muscles before snatching up her blanket and folding it neatly with the pillow on top. "I'm sorry for leaving mud on your carpet," she apologized, looking at the mess her dirty clothes had made, "but somebody who shall remain nameless," she glared at Araphel, "tossed me into a mud puddle."
Bronwe shrugged one shoulder gracefully. "If what your friend says is true, carpets will not be one of my concerns for much longer," she was obviously not comfortable sending then out into the world unfed, "can I at least persuade you to have a drink before we leave?"
"Uhm, sure, I guess," Kaylee said. "So did you two bang out a plan of attack or are we just going to wing it?"
Araphel looked at Bronwe. "Well..." he hedged, realizing that he wasn't quiet sure what they were going to do.
Bronwe chewed on her bottom lip and turned to get them a breakfast drink, "I have...an idea. I am not sure if it is a good idea, but..."
"Any idea is better than no idea," Kaylee said, sounding much like Firar in Araphel's ears.
"I agree," he spoke up. "We are at a disadvantage, not knowing anything of your world, so your idea is likely the best."
She tried one more time, not holding out much hope, "Are you absolutely certain you need this horse? I could possibly clone another one for you..."
"Austus made it very clear that we needed our own mount back, unfortunately. I know it will not be easy, but we must find a way," Araphel confirmed.
Bronwe sighed, feeling she'd done quite a bit of that today. "Of course he did. Well," Bronwe tried to simplify her plan - not a hard task, as it was a very simple plan, "we ZAP in, get the horse and ZAP out." She handed each of them a glass of the blue liquid, waiting for them to criticize her plan to pieces.
"ZAP is that purple transporter thing, right?" Kaylee asked. At Bronwe's nod, she cracked her first smile since arriving on Tresmar. "Sweet, let's do it!" She sipped the blue stuff she had been given, then promptly choked on it, most of it going down the wrong pipe. After a few minutes of unpleasant coughing and gagging noises, the Scout managed to squeak, "What is this stuff?"
"It is an electrolyte solution," Bronwe explained, then, seeing it was not enough information, she added, "A water substitute. Except that it has different elements that your body needs... The tablets," she gestured to the table, "contain the rest."
"Yick, pseudo-food. Not quite like Star Trek after all," Kaylee muttered. "So where do we go to find a ZAP? Or do you keep one in your closet?"
"I've... made arrangements for someone to be away from their terminal for twenty-five minutes later on today. Hopefully, that will give us enough time do to what we need to do." Though Bronwe was anything but confident, she hid her misgivings behind the impassive mask Araphel had seen as the Tenwin 'bin' had taken him away.
"When do we need to leave?" Araphel asked, downing his own drink and setting the glass aside. "Our window of opportunity is not large, but it is better than nothing."
Bronwe looked at her wrist and answered, "Not for at least an hour, perhaps closer to two." She looked them over, taking in their mud splatters, and hid a smile. "Would either of you care for a shower before we leave?"
"Yes, oh please yes!" Araphel had never seen the Scout so excited. It was rather...disturbing. "And I don't suppose they've come up with a quick way of washing clothes around here? You know it'd be a shame to put dirty clothes back on after taking a shower..." Kaylee wheedled.
Bronwe's amusement grew at the girl's response, "You look about my size. I have clothes you can wear, if you like. And I will see if I can do something about...that outfit."
"Great! Wonderful! Lead the way!" Kaylee was almost beside herself in her joy. A real shower, no seaweed...just blessed steam and clean water. If possible, her grin got even wider.
Bronwe inclined her head and turned to walk down the hallway, stopping halfway and pulled open a door that had been hidden in the paneling. She stepped aside to let Kaylee in.
The girl's eyes scanned the small room, where a small stack of washcloths sat, trying to match her own version of a shower with the one she saw before her. It wasn't working. There was no showerhead, nor a drain for that matter. Just a couple of buttons set in the wall. "Er, Bronwe? How does it work?" she asked uncertainly, at an uncomfortable loss.
Bronwe started, then remembered Kaylee had likely never seen an IonBath before. "You stand under that blue dome, on the blue pad, and push the green button. That releases the ions, which bombard the dirt into microscopic particles that you wipe off with the cloth. Once you are clean, you pres the red button to turn it off." She smiled. "It is quite nice, once you get used to it. I will get you something to change into," she said, turning to leave.
Kaylee abruptly decided that the sooner they all got off Tresmar the better. It was downright inhumane, not to use water for showers! Technological improvements be hanged, there was nothing like a good, scalding shower. Somehow she didn't think that people sang in the bath very much on this planet. She certainly wasn't inclined to do so at the moment. She briskly nodded her thanks to Bronwe, and slid the door shut, getting down to business.
"You have no water on this planet, do you?" Araphel asked, eyeing the Peacekeeper. He was already beginning to think of Bronwe by her title.
"None that you would want to touch." Bronwe spared him a glance, then turned and disappeared into her room, returning momentarily. Placing a bundle of clothes at the door, she looked bitterly out the window at the images of nature, "Why do you think we live above the clouds? To be caught in a rain shower is deadly."
"The water contains foul substances, evidently." Araphel sighed. "Is this the fate of all worlds with mortals on them? To slowly be killed from without by its inhabitants?"
She answered without turning from the view, "Do you want my opinion, or are you merely thinking out loud?"
The Healer paused. He had been thinking aloud, but his innate curiosity got the better of him, "If you would give your opinion, Lady, I would hear it."
She spoke softly, but her words dripped with resentment, "Mortals are a cancer. They devour everything in sight, seeking only immediate gratification and pleasure, caring for naught but themselves. Nature is but a means to an end. Infants are taken from their mothers at birth, placed in state run programs until they are old enough to work for a few short decades. Then, when society deems them too old to be productive, they are locked away in a place like Tenwin. Mortals cannot be bothered to look after others, their family or their planet. They fear that which is not them, killing and destroying everything they touch. It is because of mortals my people are gone, or forced into hiding. It will be almost a relief when this planet dies completely. I have only three hundred years of misery left," here, Bronwe turned to look him in the eyes, letting him see the depths of her unhappiness for an instant, "I welcome the end."
Araphel was not prepared for the sorrow in her deep eyes, and he shook his head sadly. "Why do you not believe us then, and why do you wish to remain when you have been offered a place that is beautiful and alive? The mortals that live there are not encumbered by such machines or lack of feeling." He sought to convince her, and to convince himself that such things could not come to pass on Mychal's world. But his own...
"Perhaps..." he began tentatively, "…perhaps when this is all over, this quest, you will accompany me to my world? It is home only to the elves, and we simply live with what is given to us, no more and no less."
Swallowing her bitterness once again, she said softly, "It is not fair for me to live on such a world... Not when my people are doomed to live here, under such conditions as you have only begun to grasp. Nor have I any wish to watch another world die slowly." Turning to look out the window, she continued, "Your world sounds lovely, but I am afraid I have spent far too much time in the world of men; I would not fit well in yours."
He could not bear to see her wallowing in so much bitterness, and moved to stand behind her. "My world welcomes any and all with open arms. You would be welcome, and you would have nothing to fear there, ever. Mortals cannot touch it, nor stay long, for we hold sway, and we always shall. Why will you not come?"
"And leave my people without a leader? To whom would they turn?" Bronwe shook her head, "As much as I am tempted to go, my place is here." She reached into her pocket and withdrew her pendant and held it out towards him. "Will you give this back to him for me?"
His gaze dropped to the necklace, whose jewel gleamed brightly from the silver knotwork. "I cannot, and I think you well understand that. Do not deny yourself what you know to be true." Araphel turned away.
Mentally shaking herself, she slipped the necklace back into her pocket and studied Araphel a moment. "I am curious," she said, "Will you do something for me?"
The elf turned back to her. "Normally I would say yes, but I warn you that I cannot do anything to hinder our quest. Anything else I will gladly do."
"Take it off."
One of Araphel's eyebrows shot into his hairline. He pushed his initial thought about what she meant away and moved on to the only logical conclusion: his necklace. Slowly he undid the clasp, allowing the charm to fall into his cupped hand. "You cannot understand me," he said.
She smirked, switched languages and replied, "And why would you make that assumption?"
Araphel did an admirable job of hiding his surprise. "I was not aware that you remembered the elf's native tongue." In all actuality, he had simply assumed that their versions of elvish were different.
Bronwe shrugged, "It may be illegal to speak it, it may be a very nearly dead language, but I believe it is impossible," she smiled slightly, "to entirely forget the language you learned sitting on your mother's knee."
"True," Araphel agreed, turning slightly to witness a hand snatching the clothes Bronwe had left and disappearing back into the shower. "Do the mortals know of you? Is that why it is illegal to speak it?"
Nodding, Bronwe replied, "As far as they know, Elves have been eradicated and have been gone for centuries, but the law is still in the books. And although we are far from numerous," her gaze grew distant, "we are still here."
"And there is no way of escape," Araphel sighed. To be trapped on a doomed world, contented to wish for the end...it grieved him to see distant kinsmen in such a state, but there was little he could do. He slipped his necklace back on so he could understand Kaylee.
"Okay, all finished," Kaylee announced striding back into the room, dressed in Bronwe's lent clothes. "A little different, I'll admit," she said a bit sourly, "but I'm thankful to you anyway, Bronwe."
With great effort, Bronwe pulled herself back to the present, dropped the conversation and forced herself to smile at Kaylee, "Do you feel any better? Does the skirt fit?"
"Perfectly. You have no idea how much better. I owe you one." Kaylee tied up her other clothes inside her rather bedraggled cloak and set it gingerly by the door, to be grabbed upon departure. "You going for a turn, Araphel?"
The elf looked hard at Bronwe before replying. "No, as I was not so clumsy as to fall in a mud puddle." The strange she-elf was still puzzling him, and it was a matter that would give him no peace.
Kaylee's eyebrows drew together. "You were the one that had the horse throw me."
"Details," Araphel shrugged.
Trying to ignore the elf's probing gaze, Bronwe turned to face Kaylee, "If you give me your clothes, I will see what I can do about the dirt."
"Oh, don't worry about it. A little dirt never hurt anything. Except Mychal, perhaps. I wonder if Firar got anybody to shoot him?" she wondered, recalling the Warrior's mud-painted back. "They are two of our other companions," she said by way of explanation.
Bronwe nodded, not understanding much of their conversation but willing to pretend she did. "I see." It sounded as if they were all quite close, as far as friends went. A part of her yearned for that type of friendship again, the peace of a nature-filled world, but the rest of her rebelled against being pulled from her carefully constructed life without so much as a by-your-leave. Deep down, she knew she would be going with them and, if the truth be told, she was more than a little curious. And, if she truly was leaving, she had some things to take care of before she vanished.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable," she said, crossing to the terminal in the corner of the sitting room, her face a mask of polite indifference once again, "I have a few more calls to make."
Kaylee turned to Araphel with a smile so cheery it was haunting, and asked, "So, do you know how to play Paper, Rock, Scissors…?"
Bronwe walked over to the console and dialed from memory, once again shutting off the monitor and waiting.
Soon enough, the bored voice intoned, "Chrishom."
Bronwe lowered her voice slightly, so as not to be overtly overheard by her guests, "Mason here."
"So you made it, did you?" he sounded mildly curious, "I was beginning to wonder. Now what?"
"It's time to take Mansford and her two companions off the map," she replied, not volunteering any information, "and you can tell Leroy that his Rhodron is in transit. Both of you have my thanks. I'll be in touch." Bronwe closed the channel and stood gathering her thoughts.
"...no, scissors look like this," Kaylee insisted, fixing Araphel's fingers.
"It is most difficult to portray an object one has never seen," the Healer retorted, glancing up as Bronwe finished her call. "What news?"
She shrugged, not wanting to go into the details of her dealings, "I am merely tying up loose ends."
Her tone suggested it was unwise to pursue the matter further, so Araphel desisted in questioning. "When shall we be ready to carry out your plan?"
"Soon enough, I believe," she said, sparing a glance over her shoulder at him, "I need to talk to one more person, and then we can leave. I am sorry this is taking so long."
He quickly shook his head. "No, there is time enough. We apologize for our impatience. You have been most generous so far, in ways we can never hope to repay." Kaylee looked as if she wanted to add something, but she determinedly sealed her lips.
Bronwe nodded her thanks and turned back to the machine. This next conversation would be much more difficult, and she took a minute to fix her expression to one of bland indifference she activated the monitor and dialed from memory one more time.
The screen blinked on and a face that, at first glance, was remarkably similar to Araphel's appeared. His somber expression lightened significantly when he noted who was calling. "Bronwe! Darling, how are you?"
"I have asked you not to call me that," Bronwe said, her voice deceptively calm, "but I did not call you to argue."
He waited, silent, obviously knowing when not to push his luck.
She paused, considering her words carefully, "Amdir, something has come up, and I may have to disappear for a while. Since there is no one else in this Octrant with enough pull, I am leaving everything in your hands. The passes and ID makers are in a safe-box under the name Manley at the corner of Fifty-eight, Southwen, Craighenry and Port. Jenlin and Harmen will need to move within two years. Keep an eye on Drake too, he may need some help." Bronwe stopped for breath and to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.
Amdir's gaze sharpened as she listed off her instructions. His eyes narrowed as he rattled off several questions at an ever increasing volume, "What's wrong? Are you in trouble? What's happened?" He paused, listening, before continuing, quite agitated, "And who is in there with you?"
Even Kaylee couldn't miss the voice of the person Bronwe was talking to. Araphel, on the other hand, knew who she was conversing with. They exchanged glances, and the elf murmured, "Putting her house in order...and she thought she would not come with us. Most curious." He looked out the window opposite him, into the 'forest.' Kaylee still kept her mouth shut.
"Amdir," Bronwe's voice was still even, "you forget your place. I did not ask for your consent or your counsel. It is none of your business who I chose to entertain. I am well enough for the time being. I thought merely to give you a heads up, so you would be prepared in the unlikely event that I have to 'disappear' for a while."
"I don't like it," Amdir protested, "I'm coming over right now."
Again the two outworlders traded looks, but ultimately it was Bronwe to whom they gave their attention, poised as if ready to flee on her command. No good would come of this, Araphel sensed.
Bronwe forced herself not to react, "It will do you no good as I am going out momentarily. You will be wasting your time. You will serve our people better by staying where you are and maintaining your cover."
If elves pouted, then Amdir pouted. "Fine," he replied sulkily, "But if I don't hear from you by tomorrow, I'm coming over."
By tomorrow, everything would be decided, one way or another. Either they would have retrieved the horse and her visitors would be gone, or the horse would be dead and her guests would be staying. "Tomorrow is early enough. I will be in touch." For the first time in the conversation, Bronwe's control slipped and her voice nearly cracked, "Goodbye, Amdir." Unable to continue, she turned off the monitor and disconnected the call. Walking away from the machine, Bronwe collapsed into a chair and put her face in her hands.
Eggshells with this chick, Kaylee thought to herself. She fingered her necklace absently, finding nothing to say into the silence. Neither did Araphel, apparently, for an oppressive quiet filled the room, none willing to admit what had been heard.
The silence stretched on for several minutes before Bronwe took a deep breath and straightened, her face composed and her eyes unreadable. Standing, she collected her briefcase from the chair it had occupied overnight and walked without a word into her bedroom.
The Healer glanced at the Scout. "Hey, I'm not saying nothing," she defended, raising her hands. "You won't hear anything from me. All I want is to get back to Mychal and Firar and get some real food. You can handle the diplomacy, because I don't want to get in trouble. More trouble," she added as an afterthought.
Araphel sighed. "She is so stubborn. One moment she appears to believe us and the next..." He made a noise like a groan. "There is much more to her than meets the eye, Little One. Do not criticize her."
"I said I wasn't going to say anything," Kaylee replied fiercely. "And I meant it. So much for you trusting me."
Bronwe emerged soundlessly from her room, still clutching her briefcase. Scooping up some 'food' pellets, she swallowed one and shoved the rest into a pocket. Turning to face them she said politely, "I am ready to leave if you are."
Araphel nodded once. "We are." They followed her to the door.
Bronwe took one last look around her apartment, steeled herself, opened the door and stepped into the hall. After her guests had exited, she set the combination lock and walked without a backward glance to the lift door.
Out of reflex, Kaylee wrapped her arms around her midsection, stifling a small moan. "This is gonna be fun," she muttered to herself.
The door slid open and the trio stepped in silently. As she pressed the lowest number, Bronwe looked at Kaylee and said, "You'll need to press the blue button every time you see a blue arrow."
"Right," Kaylee hissed between clenched teeth. "No problemo."
The platform plummeted downward, the blue triangles a blur. Araphel stood stock-still, face impassive as the lowest floor rushed up to meet them. To the Healer's surprise, Kaylee arrived in a somewhat-upright position, albeit a bit lacking in breath.
She gazed up at him, her eyes regaining some of their focus. "Fun," she rasped. "Can we go now?"
Bronwe nodded, distracted, and stepped out as soon as the door opened, traversing the hall swiftly and exiting the building. She paged her car, waiting distractedly on the curb until it swooped up from below.
They piled in wordlessly, Kaylee once again cramming her tall frame into the back seat.
The craft lifted away from the curb and angled down, joining the flow of traffic the instant Bronwe entered their destination coordinates. The silence in the car was palpable, each of them lost in their own thoughts. For her part, Bronwe was convinced this was a suicide mission, and for some reason, she wasn't worried. Surprisingly, she was almost relieved. She wouldn't have to watch the planet die; she would no longer be accountable for the safekeeping of others. She smiled as she felt the burden of responsibility lift from her shoulders. She was finally going to be free.
Araphel was lost in his own set of thoughts, drawn and brooding in the silence. His posture bespoke his tenseness and anxiety, as did his lack of speech. He had always been noted as quiet on his homeworld, some classifying him as 'moody.' The Healer preferred to think of himself as pensive, and shifted his position slightly in the passenger seat, worry beginning to dominate him. There could be no second chances, he realized.
"All or nothing," Kaylee murmured to herself in the back seat, thinking aloud to herself. Araphel started back to reality, and met Bronwe's brown eyes when she smiled. Brown?he thought to himself. Before they were blue. He pushed the thought away.
Checking her watch, Bronwe started calculating when they would have to be where. As she noted the area they were approaching, she reached into her briefcase and pulled out a black wig.
Since they were in positions that prohibited them from once more exchanging puzzled glances, Kaylee and Araphel settled for rolling their eyes and blinking in surprise, respectively.
"You believe a disguise to be necessary?" Araphel questioned.
Looking at him sideways, Bronwe answered as she twisted her hair up, "Always. It is why I am still alive."
He raised an eyebrow at that, but let the comment pass. He had to be focused on their goal, and any sidetracking would merely slow him down.
"I couldn't live in such fear," Kaylee said softly, looking hard at the floor. A strand of hair was coiled so tightly around her finger that the tip was turning purple, and she was yanking on it with all her might. Araphel knew she was recalling the broken version of her own world, but he said nothing. "I think I would choose death."
"What makes you think I haven't?" Bronwe asked cryptically, tucking her hair into the dark wig.
Kaylee opened her mouth to answer, then shut it again, fearing a trick question. She turned her attention out the window and began counting flying purple cars, trying to remove the morbid memories from her mind's eye, still jerking frantically on her one strand of hair.
Silence descended on the trio once more as the craft dipped and wove among the lanes of traffic. Eventually, it dropped below the other vehicles, tucked in between two buildings and lowered itself to the curb. For a moment, no one moved. Then, Bronwe reached into her briefcase once more, pulling out two strange looking bracelets and a pair of gloves. As she pulled them on, she turned in her seat to look at Araphel and Kaylee. "I suppose you two want to know what we are going to do..."
"We would," Araphel replied simply. Kaylee settled for nodding. "We would know what roles to play in your plan."
Bronwe made a face, "It is not so much a plan as it is a desperate attempt to get that blasted animal of yours out. As I mentioned earlier, I have made arrangements for a friend of mine to be away from his terminal for twenty-five minutes. Hopefully, that will give us enough time to ZAP in, locate the horse and ZAP out." She hesitated, not wanting to worry them, but needing them prepared.
Kaylee chanced to open her mouth. "So we don't do anything but follow you in and out, right? No diversions or anything?"
"Best case scenario, yes," the she-elf admitted.
The Scout let her head thud back against the seat. "Let's hope this turns out to be better than best case. What're those things for?" she asked, pointing to the bracelets and gloves.
Pointing at the bracelet on her left arm, Bronwe replied, "This is a remote ZAP activator. We will need it to get you out of the facility once you have located the horse. This one is," indicating the one on her right as she searched for words, "for self-defense, should we be discovered. The gloves are merely a precaution, as I do not wish to leave fingerprints behind."
Kaylee leaned up between the seats, but her features froze at Bronwe's words. The she-elf had said nothing about getting herself out. A soft touch on her shoulder and a miniscule nod told her that Araphel had made the same distinction. His gaze clearly said, she will not leave us on my watch.
"Well, let's go then," the Scout said, filling the silence that had fallen.
With a glance at her watch, Bronwe nodded and released the doors. Bringing her briefcase with her, she stepped onto the curb and she waited for her guests, her face unreadable.
Araphel and Kaylee scrambled out of the vehicle, straightening their clothes and looking up at the imposing building before them. "Joy," the girl muttered under her breath. "Shall we?"
Bronwe forced an encouraging smile as she dispatched her car, "This is just an office building, you have no reason for fear. We are only here to 'borrow' their ZAP."
"The workplace from hell," Kaylee observed. "I don't see how anybody could work there and remain sane."
If Bronwe hadn't been so tightly wound, she would have laughed. As it was, she merely smiled as she approached the doors, "I do not believe I ever mentioned sanity."
"I'm beginning to really hate this place," Kaylee replied, following Bronwe inside as Araphel held the door open.
Bronwe walked without hesitation through a maze of hallways and stairwells, looking for all the world like she belonged there. The few people they passed in the halls didn't even give them a second glance.
Araphel imitated Bronwe's confident posture, pleased that none of the building's occupants paid any attention. He gave no thought to how the Peacekeeper knew her way around the establishment, too intent on their goal to wonder about anything.
Soon enough, Bronwe paused at a door halfway down the hall. After checking her watch, she took a deep breath and pulled the door silently towards her, stepping inside and waiting for the others.
Kaylee saw a purple platform identical to the first transporter she had ever encountered, but not much else. She stifled a small grin. Ah, if my little brother could see me now, the Trekkie, she thought.
Bronwe motioned for them to step onto the pad and walked quickly over to the controls. Opening up her briefcase, she drew out a piece of plastic and studied it a moment. Biting her bottom lip, she put the information into the machine then inputted a second set of information. Setting the timer, she hit enter then joined them on the pad.
A purple haze surrounded the unlikely trio, and the room around them disappeared to be replaced with darkness.
"Nice," Kaylee muttered somewhere to Araphel's left. Automatic lights flickered on overhead, sensing their presence. Stacks of crates formed a maze as far as the eye could see. They were in some kind of storage room.
Moving quickly, Bronwe propped her briefcase on a stack of boxes, opened it and pulled out the plastic card again. She studied it intently, turning it periodically, trying to determine the best course of action.
Araphel watched her, content to wait until she collected her thoughts. Kaylee was not quite so patient.
"Why don't we find a map or something? Or take down a guard station? We can't stand here and waste time," she said adamantly.
Sparing the girl a dry look, Bronwe returned her attention to the card, "This is a map, dear. And, by all means, feel free to take out a guard station, if you want to go back to Tenwin, or worse."
The Scout shut up. Araphel favored her with his approximation of a scowl, as if warning her to keep her mouth shut.
Sliding the card into her pocket, Bronwe checked the charges on her bracelets and picked up her briefcase. "All right, we leave this room, turn left, take the ninth door on the right, go down two flights of stairs and your animal should be in the second door on the right once we reach the hall. Any questions?"
Her companions mutely shook their heads, readying themselves to follow her.
"Okay," she shrugged. Without waiting for a response, she turned and pulled the door open a fraction, listening intently. "Let's go." She swung the door open wide and stepped soundlessly into the hall.
They ghosted along the deserted corridor, around the corner, and down to the ninth door, nerves on edge. The ninth door loomed closer, and they reached it without incident. Araphel kept his senses on high alert, attempting to catch the barest whisper of sound. So far, they were safe.
Pressing her ear to the door, Bronwe listened a moment before deeming it safe enough to enter. She opened the door to the stairwell, they slipped in and she closed the door quietly behind them. Running down the stairs silently, she was surprised to encounter a uniformed man coming up. She stepped in front of Araphel and Kaylee, placing herself directly in the guard's path. Relying on reflexes, Bronwe pointed her right forearm at him and tapped her bracelet. She caught him as he collapsed bonelessly, saving him from falling down the stairs.
"Glad she's on our side," Kaylee hissed in Araphel's ear, attempting to calm her heart rate. Her gaze darted around at the walls, feeling as if with every movement the occupants of the building were going swoop down upon them.
If Bronwe heard Kaylee, she gave no notice, laying the guard carefully on the landing. After checking his pulse, she moved on, apparently not sparing him another thought.
Getting to the bottom of the stairs, again they froze, listening for any sign that their presence had been detected. Not so much as a dust mote stirred.
As they waited at the door, Bronwe was started to worry. It shouldn't be this easy. Nothing in life was ever this easy. She was beginning to think they might actually succeed, and then, she would have to decide whether to go with them or not. This was not going as she had planned.
The Healer was growing increasingly uneasy. There was something to be said for the lack of resistance thus far, and a knot of worry began to grow in his stomach. He looked at Bronwe, who was frowning to herself. She was also growing suspicious, and he knew they could not linger here much longer.
Knowing that their window of opportunity was slowly closing, Bronwe opened the door to the hall and peered out. There was still no one to stop them. Shrugging to herself, Bronwe stepped into the corridor and turned right, counting the doors. She stopped in front of the second one and took a quick look in the window. Her breath caught in her throat. The poor animal was held in a stall, strapped to the point of motionless, and still conscious. His misery was obvious in his eyes.
"Is he there?" Kaylee asked in a voice scarcely above a whisper. Her eyes were scanning the still-deserted hall, a feeling of dread twisting deep inside her.
Araphel peered over Bronwe's shoulder. "Yes, and he is alive. Come, we must move swiftly."
Bronwe pulled the card out of her pocket again and typed a code into the keypad on the door. Sure enough, a retinal scanner slid out from the wall. Groaning softly, she steeled herself, leaned in and hoped the contacts she was wearing did the trick. The red light flashed and the lock released. She blinked. The light had hurt, but she could still see.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, until a woman's voice came over the com, "You have attempted unauthorized access in a restricted zone. Stay where you are, the authorities will be there shortly."
"So why did the door unlock?" Kaylee groaned aloud, pushing her way through. "Quick, come on, I bet all we have to do is touch him. Araphel, Bronwe, hurry!"
Her cry came too late as uniformed guards began to pour through the door. Kaylee ducked behind the horse's neck, rubbing his nose as Bronwe tried to defend them. Araphel simply went at it hand-to-hand.
There were too many. Bronwe knew she didn't have enough power to ZAP out three bodies and a horse, nor did she have enough energy to neutralize all the guards so she did what made the most sense to her. Moving closer to Araphel, while still knocking out men, she called him, "Touch the horse, I can get you out."
The Healer didn't even spare her a glance as he caught a guard full in the nose, ducking a shot from a weapon that he couldn't identify. The Peacekeeper didn't know that she did not need to get them out of this. Austus was responsible for their departure, but the horse was the key. "No!" he shouted above the fray. "Trust me, move back towards Kaylee. You must come with us!"
She was just about to reply that she wasn't going with them when a searing pain in her chest stole her breath away. Glancing down, she noticed two overlapping scorch marks on her blouse. Her hands and feet went numb as shock set in, the pain spreading through her body like an electric current. Turning as she fell, she noted with detached interest that everything moved in slow motion. So this is what dying feels like, she thought as a sad smile touched her lips. I am finally free. Bronwe was out before her head hit the floor with a sickening thunk.
He saw her fall, heard Kaylee scream her name. A shot grazed his shoulder, but Araphel paid no heed to it. Dropping down below the general weapon's fire, he gently lifted Bronwe into his arms, pressing one hand to the still-smoking wound she had sustained. A ripple of pain touched him, and he gasped as he threw himself backwards towards Kaylee. There wasn't enough life left in the world to afford him the healing power he needed, and Bronwe's life faded beneath his fingers.
Kaylee was struggling to keep a grip on the frantic horse while freeing him at the same time. She ducked as a laser bolt screamed overhead and melted a hole in the wall. Tugging and jerking on the last of the restraints, she risked a glance over her shoulder at Araphel, only to find him nearly on top of her, carrying Bronwe. The look in his eyes was nothing short of despair as he leaped nimbly onto the horse, ducking low against his neck and sliding one of the Peacekeeper's limp hands to rest on the animal's mane.
The Scout swallowed hard and touched the mount's nose, just as a burning sensation lanced through her leg. But the world faded around them before the pain could register.
[Key's A/N: Okay, we've been sitting on 10 chapters for a long time and for you patient ones, I hope you'll be pleased with this latest development. Thank you!]
[Drew's A/N: Don't look at me, I would have uploaded them, but Key wanted the honours. Please, if you must lynch, keep it between the hours of 4 and 6pm, Monday through Thursday - we do have lives other than writing. Keep reading!]