[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Both Deen and Pinta worked the computers in front of them frantically, their
fingers tapping over the keys in an uneven rhythm.
There s no other town nearby, Shara said, hating the desperation that made her
skin crawl.
We traveled with a group across the dead lands, Jolen explained, his tone
surprisingly jovial. He made it sound like he was happy to see them. A few days ago
we went our separate ways had an argument over the right direction to take. He
laughed easily. I have to say we re damned glad to see you.
Again the men from the surface spoke and she couldn t catch a word they said. I
can t hear them, Romair, she whispered although it wouldn t have mattered how loud
she spoke.
Hell, man. We don t have papers. Not a damned thing. You wouldn t believe it out
there. We re lucky we re alive and talking to you now. Again Jolen laughed, and
whatever the men said to him made him laugh louder.
God, she d give him a medal of honor if he pulled this off. And personally
apologize for the years she d given him grief for his carefree attitude.
The water? Romair spoke now.
The men must have spotted the boxes of water in the back of the car. She paced
behind her crew, frowning at her feet as she listened in on the conversation.
I doubt it s registered too. We didn t pay for it. Let s just say we accepted it as a
parting gift from the people we traveled with. They weren t exactly the type of folk we
wanted to stay with long. Romair had picked up on Jolen s lighthearted manner of
speech.
She wasn t even there and didn t feel half as calm as the two of them sounded. She
glanced up when Deen and Pinta started talking excitedly amongst themselves.
115
Lorie O Clare
What? she demanded, searching the monitors around them.
Jain entered the Control Center with a few of the technicians, including Payla,
who d practically thrown herself at Romair earlier. Shara didn t like her. Not the way
she smiled, how she walked. Just watching her irritated her more than she d been a
moment before.
The transmitter seems to be sending a strong signal. Jain was her usual soft-
spoken self but there was a glow of excitement that made it look like she almost smiled.
It s working perfectly. And look at this. Pinta grabbed a nearby bottle of water
and poured it over her hands and then wiped her arms as she stood back and smiled at
Shara. I think we ve found the communication center for their town. They use a duplex
system. It s not too complicated really.
Let me see if I can get audio for all of us. Deen adjusted several knobs on the
console next to his keyboard and static burst through the speakers. Give me a second,
he insisted.
They re taking us through the gates, Romair said quietly into her ear. Are you
doing okay?
God. A foreign people who lived in a world almost uninhabitable to them led him
away and he worried about her. Her heart swelled so quickly she couldn t catch her
breath. She d fight and kill to make sure no harm came to him. More than anything she
wanted him back. Needed him back.
Worry about your own ass, Commander, she ordered, as her voice cracked from
the intense emotions she couldn t control.
Romair, or was it Jolen, chuckled in her ear. She licked her lips. She envied the
adventure they were taking on but was scared to death for their lives. What the hell
would the people on the surface do if they discovered where they were from?
Voices crackled through the speakers.
We ve got it, Pinta shouted with excitement.
Shara listened while two men discussed strangers entering their cities. One man
gave the other man orders to confine and detain them until they were matched on the
system.
What the hell does that mean? one of the technicians behind Jain asked.
Find out what that means. Shara already had Plan B spawning in her brain and
pulled Jain to the side, letting the others fuss over the computers while she put some
room between her and the rest of them in the large cave. She spoke quietly when she
had Jain alone. I want you to arrange a contact meeting with the leader of that town,
New Queens. I m going to speak personally to him or her.
Good idea. But we have another problem. Jain glanced over at the group who
worked around the computers and then met Shara s gaze. It appears Grayn Bolsh has
made his own tunnel to the surface.
116
Shara s Challenge
What? Shara yelled loud enough that everyone turned around and stared at her.
She d have Bolsh s ass on a platter if he fucked this mission up in any way. Stop him
immediately and secure that tunnel.
Jain nodded and Shara guessed she d probably already done that. When I got the
news I sent over a handful of guards. They just checked in and the tunnel has made a
fairly decent-sized pond on the surface. Since the land up there isn t accustomed to
water, it s corroded quickly and enlarged the tunnel so that we have quite a gap now to
the surface. They tell me the glare from the sun up there is making it almost impossible
to see what they re doing.
Shit. This was the last thing she fucking needed. Secure control of Zeal Current.
Take Bolsh into custody. He s jeopardized the safety of South Passage and I don t need
his crap right now.
I ll get right on it. But I m sure with that much water bubbling over their land,
those people will spot it soon. Jain stared at her, the ramifications of what she said
hitting Shara like a brick to the head.
I want that meeting with the leader of their people immediately.
Jain nodded and hurried over to the group at the computers.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]