A Silence Heard (19 page)

My instinct was to squeeze harder, but I felt his pulse pitter-pat too fast and relinquished my hold a tad. “The key to this doorway is in my left- hand trouser pouch.”

Without hesitation, I reached into his pocket and pulled out a flat metal disc.

“How do I use this?”

He gave out a sickly wheeze, so I let him have less of my grip. “Place it on the ground.” He paused, sucked in what little air I allowed him to have and continued, “Where you see that circular bare patch.”

“Kendra, would you do the honours?” I said and held out my hand so that she could take the thing from me. She did and put it on the floor just in front of the grassy mound, then stepped away. There was a brief ground trembling, which forced us all to move back, then a grinding noise as the earth parted and the disc disappeared down the dark shaft.

“Stairs or hover pod?”

“Stairs.” Pratt coughed and I pushed him forward. As soon as our feet poked over the hole, a light came on revealing a cast iron staircase that led to a small corridor. I saw no guards, or meds, which made me curious as to why.

“Not as far down as I expected. I trust you are not fibbing to us, Agro.”

“Considering you have me at your advantage, that would be of no use. This is merely the outer chamber where decontamination occurs, should the need arise.”

“Contamination from what?”

“Oh, you know, this and that.”

I gave him a neck squeeze, he gagged and I gave him a shove. “After you, Agro.”

Pratt stumbled down the steps. I turned to the others. “Follow us. But be careful.” Then I made my way down the narrow staircase.

The room at the bottom was not so big. There were nozzles attached to the walls and I guessed that they were the means of cleansing. Opposite the stairs was a small window, where I saw someone peering in at us. “Who’s that?”

“I can’t see properly from here.” I pushed Pratt towards the glass and the face disappeared.

“That face, are there more?”

“Could be.”

“Do they separate us from where we are to go?”

“They do.”

I sucked in air to clear my befuddled noggin. We had no choice but to get to the med place and if this was the only way, then so be it, guards or no guards.

“How do we get to the next level?”

“Tap on the window.”

“Are you making jest with me?”

“No. Tap on the window.”

What a feeble gesture in a time of such peril. No, something more substantial was necessary here. However, before I could contemplate a pounding to attract attention, there came the sound of shuffling and heavy breathing. I looked over my shoulder and saw Kendra and the twenty or so other injured, hobbling down the steps.

Brennus held onto a limp Hacket. I waited for him to plop the Agro on the ground before frog-marching Pratt to the glass. I held his head in front of it and although I did not tap as suggested, the sound his cheekbone made on impact caused the stranger to reappear.

“Let us through or I'll break this pane with his face.”

There came a muffled conversation, which I thought went on too long, so I pounded his forehead against the window again. The talking ceased and a new countenance showed itself to me. I said pretty much what I said before, and the wall became a door and opened.

Two guards stood in front of us. Behind them, I saw two shut tight metal doors. The Agros had no weapons that I could see, and their uniforms were torn as if they had been involved in some fisticuffs. They looked at me, then at Pratt, then at all those that stood behind us.

One of them, a thinner than the other male, but with the same sunken-cheeked, dead-eyed look, stepped forward and said, “Sir, we are pleased to find you alive. However, the situation below is very grave.”

“Address yourself to me. This Pratt is no longer in a position of authority, as you can see,” I said and dug my fingers into his throat.

“Do as she says fool, or she’ll break my neck.”

The two guards looked at each other, then back at us. Pratt gagged and the skinny guard swiped his mitt across his scant-haired pate. “There is a hostage situation in the med room.”

Pratt grabbed at my fingers and made a back-throat hacking sound. I loosened my grip; he took a deep breath. “A hostage situation? By whom, to whom?”

The other guard, cupped a hand over his puffy eye, and looked to the floor.

“Answer me.”

The guard lifted his head, blinked and stared at Pratt.

“You will answer, but direct your gaze to my face and not this excuse for life.”

The guard looked into my eyes. His face lost colour and he licked his lips before replying. “Those that were cured have taken over and are keeping guards and others tied up until their demands are met.”

“What are their demands?”

“To be freed.”

He bent his head and breathed heavily. Pratt let out a hoarse “Ha! Fools. They will not triumph.”

“We managed to shut off the power to the exits before…”

I finished his sentence for him, “Before retreating to safety like the milksop sissys you are?”

The guards shuffled their feet and stared at the ground. Brennus and Kendra approached. They stood either side of the humbled guards and peered over their shoulders.

“Where do those doors lead to?” Kendra said to them.

“An elevator that goes down to the med rooms.”

Kendra turned to me. “Shall we?”

Nodding to Brennus, by way of suggesting that he might deal with these feeble Agros, the Woodsmale grabbed them both by the lapel of their short black jackets. He yanked them into the decontamination room and let go. They stood still and looked to each other with fearful eyes. Brennus shook his head and kicked them in the behind.

“Gae on, yer turncoat wimps. Out and up.”

They rubbed their rears, pushed through the wounded and raced full pelt up the stairs. Kendra turned to Brennus. “Wise to let them go? What if they amass allies and come back for us?”

He leant close to her. “Lassie, ye think our actions have gone unobserved and that others are not already on the way?”

My thoughts turned to Wirt and the Meeks. I pushed Pratt to the double metal door and said, “Open it.”

He put his palm against the wall and two doors slid open. The space before us was small. Just enough room for three at most. I shoved Pratt into the lift and beckoned Kendra to joined us. She slipped in next to me and I squished nearer to Pratt.

“I’ll wait wi the others and send them down in batches,” Brennus said.

“Bring Hackett first. He is most injured of them all.”

“I will, Adara. Ye take care.”

I nodded.

Pratt pressed a big black button at the side of the metal wall and the doors swooshed closed. I felt my legs lengthen and went quite dizzy as the box thingy fell fast. My ears filled with air and I gulped to pop them. Woozy and tumble-tum, I grabbed onto Kendra’s arm with too much force. She let out a faint whimper as the elevator came to an abrupt halt. I leant away from Pratt’s shoulder and pointed to the button. He pressed it again and I pulled him before me, so that if it were a trap, he would get it first.

The doors hissed open and a huge white space appeared. Before Pratt could enter, I gripped onto his neck once more and surveyed the mighty high- ceilinged place. Lined on the left side of the wall were rows of beds, some dishevelled and some turned over. On the right wall, was a long, low shelf with six or so comps placed upon it.

My gaze went straight to the middle of the room. In a neat line were a series of chairs, six in all. On those chairs, tied tight, were guards, heads bent forward as if at slumber. And on a separate seat to the left of the chairs, was Edwena, bound and gagged. Behind them at the back, standing in front of a row of white washbasins and two tall white windbreaker-type partitions, Eadgard. There were other folk I did not recognise, dressed in long white coats and trousers that I took for meds. Above their heads, was a large blank screen.

“Adara?” Eadgard rushed towards me. He stopped just short and scowled.“Pratt.” But his furrowed brow soon smoothed at the sight of Kendra. He gave her a grin so full of meaning that had I turned around, I would have seen her blush.“So I see you have apprehended that vile male. Good work. Perhaps you should let him go before he expires. Tempting though that thought is.”

I released said Agro and he buckled at the knees holding his neck with his left hand. He coughed and stood upright.

“You have managed to secure this place?”

“Why state the obvious Pratt? Do you so live to hear the sound of your own voice that you must give comment on events that need none?” Eadgard said. Pratt took a larger than normal breath and strained his neck to see what was what behind Eadgard’s menacing bod.

“Have you harmed Edwena?”

“Harmed? Can you not see that she is well?”

“I can. Except for the gag in her mouth.”

“Then why ask?”

“Habit. The need to know, by double-checking. Sometimes the eyes can play tricks.”

A loud snorting sound caused me to turn. Brennus entered red of face and tugged a still unconscious Hacket behind him. He stopped when he reached Eadgard, who stared at the broken male with a coldness in his eyes that I had not thought possible. Brennus let go and Hackett fell to the floor. Eadgard spat upon his upturned face.

The downed Agro’s eyelids fluttered and he parted his lips a bit as if to speak, but closed them again without uttering a word. Kendra approached and touched Eadgard’s hand. The hardness of his features softened and he gently put a finger to the wounds on her cheek. She flinched and he withdrew his hand.

“The meds will treat you. They are powerful healers.”

Another swoosh sound broke their moment of pash and we all turned to the elevator to witness Deogol, Esme and another injured Meek hobble out.

“I would be grateful for such help, as would we all,” Kendra said and gestured towards the kiddles.

Eadgard put his mitt upon his forehead and let out a great exhale of air. “I had thought the news to be more than improved upon, but now that I see these wounded Meeks and all, I take back my accusation that some were telling tales to keep us from rioting.”

“Can they all be fixed?” I said and went to my bro. I picked a blood soaked lock of hair from his cheek. With a grimace, he cuffed my hand away.

“Not for me to say, Adara, but these meds have such tech and skill, that I think it is possible.”

“The Hacket thing is the worst. I may hae broke tae many of his bits.”

“Then put him on a bed.” Brennus yanked him up and threw him onto a cot. Hacket gasped then lay limp. “I will ask a med to take a peek,” Eadgard said and went to the far end of the room where comps, glass dishes and oddly looking lumps of gelatinous blobs that looked like flesh, rested upon low silver metal shelves. More white-clad folk sat facing said objects, deep in some kind of tech stuff. He stood behind one of them, a fem, and whispered something into her ear. She rose quickly, turned and peered to where Eadgard pointed at the hurt Meeks. She unscrewed her eyes, nodded and put her hand to her mouth.

The elevator disgorged more and more injured and the fem walked towards us. I guessed by the Asclepius wand badge on her short tunic, that she was a med. I looked at the snake and swore that it winked at me. The fem stood before me and put her hands behind her back. “I am Hildegunnr, best and chief med in this place. I can fix your soreness quick-quick. The others too I should not doubt. I will attach my deps to assist,” she said and lifted her forefinger into the air. Three male ‘dults dressed in the same white tunic and kecks rose from their seats at the shelf place, hurried forward and bowed to her.

“You three descend upon those from the reported siege in the silo.”

The males took Deogol, Esme and the other Meeks and led them to a bed.The little ‘un’s sat down with a moan or two then remained quiet and still. Hildegunnr clicked her fingers. From who knows where, two med-clad fems rushed to her side and lowered their heads as if in the presence of a goddess.

“Aida, you will treat this battered Lady friend of our dear Eadgard. Fidella and I will look to Hacket. From where I stand, it may be that he will require more than his fare share of making good.”

The meds scuttled to their assignments and I watched in great awe as they scanned faces, limbs, and chests for harm. They then produced from their pant pockets small black sticks, which they pointed at a wound, or injury. A brightly dot of red light shone on the affected area and all was healed. Just like that. Brennus whistled through his teeth, chortled loudly then shook his head. “Wha magic is this?”

“No magic. These meds have mastery of curing beyond anything I have seen. When I was brought to this place, I was little more that a bloody pulp. Those guards have a tendency to viciousness. But here I am. It took but a few secs, and I am better than before.”

Magic it did indeed appear to be, for before my eyes, a beam of light cured each sickly bod. I almost clapped my hands at the wonder and thrill of it all, especially when Deogol came to me all smiling, with Esme hip-hopping beside him like a kittle in spring.

“Bro! You are all better.” I gave him a firmly hug. He pulled away and took my hands in his.

“I thought my sight gone for good. What wondrous tech abides in this place. We Meeks had not an inkling of its greatness.”

“Why would you?”

“Because, Sis, we hacked into all comps here and could get info when we thought fit. The Agros new nowt about our deception. We are good at tech, better than they. It is how we managed to break the guards weaponry.”

“Truly Bro I am in awe of your knowledge.”

He stared at me and tilted his head to one side. “You look different, Sis. There is a wanness about your face, a decrepitude of sorts that gives you a look of an Oldie.”

“Oh ta, Bro,” I said, and cuffed his chin with my knuckles. He moved his jaw away from the pretend punch and touched my shoulder.

“The singing. It brings this on?”

I was about to chortle and deny such flimflam guesswork, when a hated voice behind me spoke. “You Meeks think you know all do you? You really have no idea what goes on here,” Pratt said, and sidled up to where I stood with Deogol and Esme.