Shades of Gray (97 page)

“I can sense her mind. She’s in a bad way, half drugged and in no condition to contact till we get there. I’ll need to look for her exact location when we’re closer.”

“Understood,” said Kaid.

He looked out the tinted screen and blinked at what he saw—a rock wall slowly moving past them. “Where are we?”

“Going down on the platform,” said Kaid. “You were gone a long time.”

He reached up to rub his eyes, forgetting his hands were encased in the suit gloves and stopped just in time.

“You better get your helmet on,” he said. “And the cloak.”

“I will, don’t worry,” said Kaid, flashing him a grin. “Schiya, get down to the Bridge ready to take over.”

“On my way, Captain,” she said.

Once the platform stopped, Kaid taxied the
Aggressor
in the direction indicated by the flight controller waving his lit batons. By luck, they were guided to a bay opposite where Kusac said the tunnel exit lay. At the last moment, Kaid ignored instructions to back into the bay and parked the ship at an angle that would allow the MUTAC free exit if needed.

As he cut the engines to an idle, he could see the official gesticulating in rage at them. He laughed as he got up and put on his helmet and picked up the voluminous cloak that had been lying across his chair.

“You have the Bridge, Schiya,” he said.

“Aye, Captain. Good luck,” she said, taking his seat and stowing her helmet under the chair.

“Routing weapons systems and comms to my board,” she added.

“All personnel to the starboard air lock,” said Kusac as he fitted his own helmet in place. “Prisoners, make sure your suits are well concealed. You too, T’Chebbi and Banner.”

Carrie, stay close by me,
he sent.
Kaid, you and T’Chebbi take care, Banner too,
he sent to them.

You too,
sent Kaid, clasping him by the shoulder as they left the Bridge and headed for the air lock, followed by J’korrash and Noolgoi.

Cheelar was waiting for them with their rifles. When everyone was assembled, Kusac took a deep breath, opened the air lock and began walking down the narrow ramp. At the bottom, he stopped, waiting for the others to descend and form up as guards around the prisoners.

Stay in the center,
he signed to the Sholans in their cloaks as he watched a M’zullian in an overly elaborate embroidered robe hustle over to them. He was followed by two other drones wearing kilts and fancy wide collars made of beadwork.

Just like we wore,
sent Rezac dryly.
Harem attendants.

“Lieutenant Lioshu, you took your time,” said the drone, coming to a stop before him. “I’ve been waiting here for you for over half an hour!”

“You exaggerate, Keshti, as always.” Kusac said, ostentatiously pulling his rifle off his shoulder and into a ready position.

Keshti sniffed loudly. “Well, show me my new acquisitions. Let me see if they are worth my time or not!”

Kusac barred his way with the rifle. “You can examine them at your leisure in the seraglio. I haven’t time to waste while you paw the females—or is it young males you prefer?”

“Insolence!” hissed Keshti, spinning on his heel and beginning to walk away. “Well, what are you waiting for?” he asked over his shoulder. “You’re the one who said you were busy!”

Kusac gestured to his troop, and they began to follow the drone toward the other side of the vast cavern. Ahead he could see a small forest of poles, each with a grisly trophy on the top. Glancing at Keshti, he saw him pull a cloth from his pocket and hold it over his face.

“Looks like we found the previous Emperor and his followers,” said Banner.

“Glad we can’t smell them,” said Cheelar.

“Keep focused,” snapped Kaid. “Or that will be us!”

Kusac slowed, letting his team go in front of him and form the planned protective barrier. Now beside Rezac, he let his mind roam ahead of them, looking for electronic security measures. He found what they’d expected—cameras, controlled from a security station just inside the blast doors, focused on the roadway they were on and leading up the corridor immediately inside. Without thinking, he bypassed the natural mental shielding of the main guard there and made him feel bored. He sensed him look away, making some coarse comment about the female captives to his companion in the office. Beside him, he could feel Rezac creating a need to not look closely at their group.

They passed through unchallenged, and now he reached out to find Zhalmo again. Keeping a portion of his mind tuned to her presence, he returned to take notice of his own surroundings.

“Found her,” he said briefly over their Command channel as they passed another doorway on their left. “Guard station. Twenty guards in there.”

“Copy,” said Kaid. “Security?”

“Minimal—cameras and comms linked to the first room we passed.”

The walls on either side of them were fused rock, likely drilled out by some form of laser. It was around midmorning local time, and the broad corridor was virtually empty. Lighting too was basic and almost as harsh as that in the main cavern.

There had been a faint nagging at the back of his mind since they’d landed, but until now, he’d been able to ignore it. The nagging had now become an itch, a demand to be noticed. He spared a moment to examine it, found nothing to do with their current situation, and pushed it aside.

Keshti and his attendants kept up their pace as they stepped out of the utilitarian area and into a less brightly lit cross junction. Straight across the junction they went, down a corridor now painted with the distinctive brightly colored figures they all knew from the Prime Palace.

“Still only cameras,” said Kusac, doing another check.

It took them several minutes to reach the junction at the far end and the elevator there, and in that time, only two people passed them. Again, Rezac made sure they were intent on their own business.

“This is going too well,” growled Banner.

“Why shouldn’t it?” asked Carrie. “We’re meant to be here, and we have an escort.”

“Getting out will be the problem,” said Kaid.

They reached the junction, and Keshti headed down it. “I don’t know why you all had to come,” the drone grumbled. “How many of you does it take to deliver eight captives? We’ll have to take the troop elevator.”

“Trouble ahead. About fifty soldiers in the area,” said Kusac.

A short way down, the corridor widened out into a small cavern where soldiers in various uniforms were milling about, taking other exits. It was obviously a major junction that serviced the military stationed within the Palace.

Immediately, Kusac joined his mind to Rezac’s as they projected an aura of normality around them, one that concealed the Sholans in their midst from any unwanted attention.

Keshti and the two harem guards had stopped in front of a large elevator door that was just opening. They stepped in, moving to the side by the controls and waited for them to enter.

Quickly they filed in, and the door was shut. With a loud clang, they began their descent.

“We’ll need the MUTAC,” said Kusac.

“Aye,” said Kaid.

They could hear Carrie cursing softly just under her breath.

Focus,
sent Kusac.
There’ll be trouble enough when it comes.

The mental itch had become demanding again as soon as they’d entered the cavern. Now it was dominating his attention, drawing even his eyes to the elevator door and the level they’d left.

Go back!
it whispered.
You must go back!

He shook his head, making Kaid turn to look at him.

What’s up?
he sent.

Nothing,
he replied, trying to block out the alien whisper.

Enough,
he snarled, reaching out to it on the same mental wavelength and forcing it to silence.
You do not control me! I
will
rescue Zhalmo!

Kusac, what is it? What’s wrong?
demanded Carrie.

He reached up and slapped the side of his helmet, then shook his head. “Comm malfunction,” he said audibly. “Fixed now.”

It seemed a lot more than that,
said Carrie as the elevator slowed.

I’m fine, honestly,
he reassured her, but he wasn’t reassured. This was almost the same voice that had tried to stop him from saving Zsurtul’s life. How in all the hells could it be here too?

The elevator shuddered, then ground to a halt and the door opened, focusing his attention back on their mission.

Keshti squeezed past them, muttering imprecations under his breath, and waited for them to exit so his guards could join him.

The drone led them along the corridor to their left, then turned right into one that was carpeted, the walls bearing incised carvings not of battles, but of scenes of the Emperor’s might over his enemies.

“Security post ahead,” said Kusac. “Four soldiers, but panic button to alert more in the cavern. Extensive camera networks and one to release gas into certain rooms. This leads to the Emperor’s private living quarters and Throne Room.”

The guards didn’t bat an eye as they passed through the room and out into what was obviously a large waiting room for audiences with the Emperor. Already there was a fairly large sized group of people clustered together at the far end.

They marched through, their metal-clad feet ringing on the tiled floor, and exited into a grand cavern laid out to resemble the courtyard on K’oish’ik, minus the cafes.

“Have you sent to Zhalmo?” asked Kaid.

“No. She’s in a bad way,” he said shortly. “She won’t want us there.”

“Ah,” said Kaid, understanding.

“These people are burrowers, not Valtegans,” muttered Noolgoi as they took a diagonal route across the open courtyard to yet another corridor.

“Get ready,” snapped Kusac, moving to the front again. “This is harem territory. She’s very close now.” Mentally he searched for the camera network and sent a surge of energy along it, knocking out the cameras in their area. “Cams neutralized. We need to be out of here in ten minutes.”

Keshti stopped and drew a chain off his neck, using the key on it to open the door in front of him.

“Room’s clear,” said Kusac.

“Just put them in there,” Keshti began, only to find himself being roughly pushed into the room by Kusac. He opened his mouth to yell out only to discover he couldn’t make a sound.

Rezac and Kaid grabbed the two guards and dragged them in with them, each mentally knocking his unconscious as the rest of the team piled in.

As last in, Kho’ikk shut the door and taking the key that was passed back to him, locked it.

Striding over to the door on the right, Kusac positioned himself there, rifle at the ready. “Helmets on,” he ordered, but there was no need as the “prisoners” had already pulled off their voluminous clothing and dragged their helmets out of the bundles they’d been carrying.

Na’qui pulled her hypo gun from her thigh compartment and quickly sedated Keshti and his guards. “No point in taking chances,” she said.

“Zsaya, Cheelar, guard the main door,” Kusac ordered. “M’yikku and Jo, take the far one. Stun civilians if you can, kill if need be.”

As he spoke, the door in question opened and a female in white stood framed in the doorway, looking at them in shock. A charged shot rang out, and she crumpled to the floor, stunned. Jo and M’yikku ran over, Jo dragging her into their room as M’yikku checked out the other.

“Clear,” he said, closing the door and taking up a guard position by it.

“Room ahead is a pool room with four women and one male. We go through it and the next room—empty—to get to Zhalmo,” said Kusac.

“Gas grenade,” said Kaid, getting one ready as he approached Kusac at the door. “One guard?”

“Aye,” said Kusac, throwing the door open and aiming his gun at the male ahead of them as Kaid threw in the grenade.

Shrieks filled the air as gas began to billow out and fill the room. The drone, a giant of a male, began to run toward them. A shot took him in the shoulder, but he kept coming.

With a curse, Kusac flicked his rifle off stun and shot him again, this time in the leg. He fell as though poleaxed.

The females had run to the far end of the room, huddling together in a knot, but the gas was having its effect on them and they were already beginning to collapse on the tiled floor.

Kusac ran for the next door. It was locked, but a swift kick from his boot had it exploding inward in a shower of splinters. The rest of the team following, he ran across what was obviously the Emperor’s bedroom to the door leading to the room where Zhalmo was.

He tried the door. It was locked.

Zhalmo,
he sent.
Zhalmo!
More insistently when she didn’t answer.

He felt her mind stir out of the stupor it was in.

Zhalmo, it’s me, Kusac. We’ve come for you. Don’t be afraid,
he sent as he raised his foot to kick down the door. “Stay back,” he ordered the others. “I’ll go in alone.”

Kusac?
The thought was faint and slow.

She was lying on the bed, naked, and had raised herself up on one elbow as the door burst open. Instantly she cowered back, almost trying to climb up the wall away from him in sheer terror.

Carrie, I need you here!
he sent.

She came in at a run, stopping dead when she saw the terrified female.

Zhalmo?
she sent, moving slowly closer to her.
I’m Carrie, Kusac’s mate. We’re here to take you home.

“Home?” she said. “I’ll never leave here. You’re not real, not here! Leave me alone!”

“Clock’s ticking,” said Kaid from the next room. “I sent for the MUTAC.”

“I know,” snapped Kusac, pulling the lightweight chameleon suit out of his suit’s thigh compartment.