Tempest Rise (revised edition 10/2013) (Treborel) (23 page)

Sobs wracked Andru as he sank to the floor. The two women knelt and held him. Andru looked up at Kendra and asked, “Why didn’t I feel his passing? I didn’t feel him die! He just doesn’t seem gone to me.”

“I felt his pain stop completely. It had to be his death. Unconsciousness would have left a feeling of pain. There was nothing.” She spoke soothingly as she and Lysette pulled him to his feet. 

As they reached the cots
, the door opened and Commander Connor entered with two soldiers. “The female will come with me. You and the boy will prepare the infants, it is time to leave.” Connor spoke only to Lysette, ignoring the others.

Andru rose
and placed himself in between the soldiers and Kendra. “You’re not taking her anywhere. I know you tortured my grandfather. I want him returned to me at once.”

“He is dead.” Connor spat out as he pulled a small pistol from his belt and pointed it at Lysette.
“She comes or the good doctor dies, now.”

“Kill me then!” Lysette screamed at him as the hatred erupted from her heart.  “I’d rather die than allow you to take another Empath to be tortured!
I won’t let her become just another amusing distraction to pass the last few minutes until departure.”

A surprised smile crossed Connor’s face as he turn
ed to gaze at her saying, “Dr. Nolan, am I such a monster in your eyes?” He motioned for the soldiers to take Kendra. The two closest guards took hold of Andru to restrain him, as the other two-escorted Kendra out.

Connor approached Lysette saying, “You are not used to the realities of war.  Although I should kill this one, I have chosen not to. If she cooperates, I will let her deliver a message to your friends, who at this very moment search the city for you.” Turning back to Andru as the soldiers shoved him to the floor, Connor’s smile vanished as he said, “Your grandfather’s body will serve as a reminder, I am not to be trifled with.” Glancing back at Lysette as the soldiers departed with Kendra Connor reached out, finding a stray lock of Lysette’s hair he wound it around his fingers. “Sean Nolan should be proud not only are you very beautiful and intelligent, but brave as well and filled with fire.”  Releasing her, he turned and was gone.

“Bastard!”
Andru whispered as he rose to his feet.

Lysette went to him saying, “I’m so sorry about Joah, he was a wonderful man.”

“I should have realized what he was going and stopped him.” The pain in his eyes was almost too much for Lysette to bear. Embracing him, they held each other for comfort.

“Can you tell if Kendra is alright?” Lysette asked pulling back from him.

“She’s not too far away and frightened but they haven’t’ hurt her.” Andru answered sitting down at the table feeling the frustration and helplessness consuming him. “I can’t just sit here again and wait to feel the pain of her death.” Rising, he went to the surgical tool and picked up a thin tube with several small buttons placed down its six-inch length. “You used this to separate the twins; it cut through their flesh easily.”

“It’s a small laser scalpel, not a weapon.” Lysette came to him taking the instrument from his hand.

“You were going to use this to slice a piece of bone from the babies’ pelvis. How intense can the beam become?”

“It has several settings
, but they must be used at close range, no more than 2 or 3 inches. After that the beam dissipates or the patient would be cut in half every time it was used.”

“Sounds like a pretty nice weapon to me.” Andru’s eyes narrowed as he reached for the weapon.

“I suppose you could use it to cut someone’s throat. But it would be no more advantageous than using a knife.” Lysette cautioned, knowing that the guards carried laser pistols.

“I can meet them at the door. I’ve gotten that close before.”

“Okay, so you get close enough to kill one of them. What do you think the others are going to do while you’re busy? Stand by and watch? Wait their turn?”

“Alright, I’ll wait for a better opportunity.
However, I’m not going to stand by passively anymore. When I get the chance you better be ready.”

“You do realize that it will be you and
me taking care of these infants the entire journey? Are you seriously going to try to cut someone’s arm or head off while you’re holding a baby?”

“Maybe that’s the protection that we need.” Andru answered so full of hatred he wasn’t thinking straight.

“So you’re going to cower behind an infant, hoping they won’t shoot.”  Lysette was disgusted with him. “Alright, go ahead, be a hero. I’m sure Joah would be impressed.”

Her words stung, but he wouldn’t back down. “Just be ready.”

The door opened once more and
Commander Connor appeared with Kendra at his side. She appeared shaken but unharmed. Dropping the scalpel quickly into his pocket Andru glared at Connor. Are you alright Kendra?” He said, moving forward trying to reach her, but was stopped by Connor.

“She is not allowed to speak with you again. Get your things and the infants, it’s time to leave.”

The last three days had been the most frustrating of Katar’s life. They had searched nearly every temple in the city. None of the temples supplied with water and fuel had turned up any sign of Lysette and her fellow captives. Cap had even taken to going out in the daylight hours with the operatives to search.

Sean and Katar were too recognizable to risk a daylight search. As a result, Cap had been searching steadily with only an hour or two of sleep each night. Katar found it too ironic to believe that the most evil man Katar had ever come across took both the two women he and his friend had ever truly cared for. They were to search the last five temples left in the city today. It had taken too long to search the others to risk waiting until nightfall again. Katar and Tam had managed to slip into the first of the building just after dawn, finding nothing. Making their way painstakingly through the back ways and alleys they moved toward their second objective. It took them nearly four hours to reach and search the next two temples on their list.

Tan urged Katar to duck into an old flower shop and use the
Comm link hidden there to contact the safe house. Sean and Cap had left a message. It was a prearranged code. Simply the number four, corresponding to the temple list they were using. The fourth building on the list was on old three-story cathedral.  Their instructions were to meet in a small market, across the street. Dressed in the light colored travel clothes of the Bantorians they blended in well with the people around them.

Until they reached the cathedral, the streets surrounding it were deserted.  Walking slowly down the walkway to the market they opened the tall wooden doors of the stone entrance and moved inside, their weapons ready. The sight that met their eyes brought a smile to Katars lips as they watched Cap consuming the last of a loaf of spiced bread. Stuffing the remains in his
mouth, he washed it down with a slug of port and rose to greet them.

Sean appeared from the back of the shop holding out a jug of water to the lanky
commander. “Go easy on the spirits, you haven’t had enough sleep to handle much without nodding off at the worst possible moment.” Sean scolded him.

Moving across to Katar and Tan
, Sean gave his report. “This cathedral doesn’t hold services. It’s reserved for weddings and anointing of children.  Lately they’ve expanded it to include funerals. There’s a wide alley around back. Its outer stairwell leads directly into the basement. There are no basement windows and . . . “Sean smiled brightly, “The guy across the alley says a caravan has been there twice in the last two weeks.”

Cap joined the
m and they left the market and walked casually to the end of the block, crossing the intersection and following the walkway past the alley entrance, behind the ancient structure. Cap spoke softly glancing around the still silent street saying, “The shop owner that backs to this alley says that about three months ago there was a major renovation project going on in the temple. He thinks they were getting ready to supply new quarters for the clergy. But Leanna checked the Administrative records and there are no clergy assigned to this temple.”

Katar asked, “Are there any other entrances into the cathedral beside these two?”  They moved around the corner and headed for the Meat shop that backed to the cathedral.

“No,” Cap quickly answered, “But there’s got to be a way into the basement from the chapel.”

“It’s locked up tight.” Sean interjected. “Either we make a lot of noise trying to get in
, or stand around and wait.”

Reaching the meat shop Cap opened the door and walked in without hesitation as he spoke to the owner, “Mr. Lutz, your business has slacked off.” Cap smiled and shook his hand.

“Mr. Cap, are you going to actually buy something this time?” The stocky dark haired owner greeted him with familiar gusto.

“I would if you had anything to buy.” Cap pointed to the empty coolers.

“Pay the right price and I just might find a piece of meat lost behind the crates in the freezer.”  The shopkeeper smiled, displaying a mouthful of crooked teeth.

“I’d rather get a look at your meat processor.” Cap answered waving a hand back at the men behind him. “My friends here are looking for a good investment.  I told them about your idea. They just might be able to supply the financing you need to market it.”

“Ah!” Mr. Lutz looked them over with renewed interest. Saying, “Well I don’t have any meat out on the table to be contaminated, so come on back.”

Moving into the slightly larger back room of the sh
op, Mr. Lutz proceeded to demonstrate his machine to Katar and the others as Cap snuck around to the rear of the building and glanced out the set of small windows. They acted impressed by the strange gadget that supposedly gauged the quality and type of meat. Katar and Tam asked  questions giving Cap enough time to study the rear of the cathedral.

“Well we certainly are interested in marketing this extraordinary machine Mr. Lutz.” Katar put out his hand to the overjoyed meat cutter. “Let me speak with my legal advisors and I’ll get back to you tomorrow with an offer.”

Leaving the store as the sky began to grow dark with an approaching storm, they followed the walkway further down the block and headed into one of the oldest hostels. As their eyes adjusted to the dim light, Cap described what he saw. “The stairwell was deep and dark, but there was definitely someone down at the bottom. I could see the figure of a man. He was just standing at the base of the stairs. All I could see was his head.”

Cap moved them further into the interior and through a doorway into the room beyond. They found Leanna eating some hard cheese at a long table. Rising as they entered
, she offered them a seat.

“I think this is the place.” Cap spoke quickly filled with anticipation and worry.

“It could be a vagrant hiding down there from the upcoming storm.” Katar cautioned.

“Well we’ve got to get in there and make sure either way.” Sean added sitting down across from him.

“Leanna has an idea.” Cap nodded in her direction.

She explained, “There is a funeral today at dusk.
We moved it to another location. We'll replace the mourners with our own people. That will give us the access we need to enter the chapel. Two of us enter with the funeral procession and find the interior stairwell.” Leanna pulled out a rough sketch of the interior of the building. “It should be here.” Pointing to the rear area behind the altar, they could see there were several small storage rooms. “The rest of us will enter through the stairwell. We will converge on them together cutting off any means of escape.”

Placing a second sketch on the table, Leanna added, “There are three
, perhaps four levels under the main structure. The old shelters were all built with one large main corridor running down the center of the structure. Unless they have moved the walls during some past renovation, we should find the basement stairwell leading to the end of this hall. I suspect the interior steps will enter at one of the far corners.”

The storm began in earnest outside as the group continued their discussion throughout the afternoon plans were set in motion for the encroachment of the cathedral. When the mourners
arrived, Cap and Katar slipped from the shadows of the doorway and mixed in with the crowd entering the cathedral. Wasting no time they made their way cautiously toward the front of the church. Finding the door that emptied into the sacristy they searched until a locked door barred their way.

Pulling a vial from his jacket
, Katar squirted a small bit of solution into the lock and onto the bolts, through the crack in the door. After several seconds, he shoved against the door and it gave way, its frozen bolts shattering like glass.  Activating the small Comm unit on his belt, Cap signaled Sean that they were through.

In the alley behind the structure
, Tan slipped through one of the meat shops rear windows and crouched in the shadows with his rifle. Turning the sights toward the stairwell, he activated its heat signature and got a clear image of the man hidden inside. Jerking the gun upright, Tan bolted back through the window speaking quickly to Sean and Leanna. “There’s an old man and a girl standing in front of the door. They appear to have been chained across the opening.”