Twin Stars 1: Ascension (18 page)

Tysen gave a casual nod. “Just keep slowly moving through the crowd toward the door, Esther. Act like you don’t know they’re there.” He sent back.

Nearby, a baby cried as its mother sat on a bench trying to sooth it. All around them, people were standing about, restlessly waiting for a way to leave the place that should have been a point of departure, but which for many had become a kind of purgatory.

“I am.” Came Esther’s reply. “However, I cannot understand what you think it is we can accomplish by walking into their trap.”

Tysen let himself smile faintly. “It’s all about how you think about it, Esther. What seems like a trap can also be our way out. Perception is everything.”

“So you say,” said Esther. “However, I will be most interested to see the results.”

“You’re about to,” Tysen replied, seeing Mr. Kyle step into view a dozen meters ahead of them. The agent was now standing between them and the exit, which explained why the other security people hadn’t moved in to arrest them yet.

“Tysen…” Esther’s grip on him tightened.

The security man had his arms crossed, and stood like a bouncer standing in the doorway at a nightclub, daring to be challenged. He wore a mirror sun visor now, but Tysen could almost feel his stare.

“C’mon Esther, let’s go say hello.”

Together the two fugitives made their way up to where the security agent waited, stopping just a few meters short of the man, but close enough to talk.

“Good day, Mister Kyle.” Tysen said in a cheerful tone.

“Lieutenant,” the agent said coldly. “Let’s not make this any messier than it needs to be. Come with us and nobody needs to be hurt.”

Tysen shook his head. “Thank you, Mister Kyle. I appreciate your offer, however- I don’t believe I’ll need your help today.” As he said it, Tysen gave Esther the signal they’d pre-arranged.

He saw Kyle’s jaw tighten.

“I’ve got two snipers, and twenty men with me this time, kid. This ends here.”

But, while Kyle spoke, another voice echoed from the announcement system while messages began to appear on the holo-displays that hung around them. The message read-“Would all those waiting for transport please proceed to Gate 4, free complimentary bus service will be provided to those going into the city center on a first-come, first-serve basis. Thank you, and have a nice day.”

Not noticing the announcement, Kyle continued. “This is your last chance, Lieutenant. Come with me, now. I don’t want to make this any bigger and issue than it already is.”

But, Tysen didn’t hear him. Tysen was too busy listening to the rhythm of the crowd around him. Listening to the sound of people suddenly bolting upright in their seats, listening to the sound of wheeled carriers turning quickly around, listening to the sound of footsteps rushing toward perceived freedom.

* * *

Kyle was rapidly losing patience with these two, and was just about to order his men to close in and take them when the first woman with her luggage in tow raced by him. Feeling something was wrong, he spared a glance around, seeing other people doing the same.

In fact, it seemed like the whole crowd had begun to move for the exit.

The exit he was standing in front of.

Then he looked at Tysen, and he knew. That kid had that look again, the same one he’d had in the bathroom. The cocky one that said everything was going according to his plans.

The hell it was!

Kyle drew his gun from his jacket holster as he advanced- leveling it at the kid. Crowd or no, he wasn’t letting them go anywhere.

“Don’t move!” He screamed at them.

And, for his part, the kid didn’t move. He and the girl just stood there, watching him calmly- waiting.

Then a family, two men and three women, passed between them, not noticing Kyle in their rush to get to the door. Kyle dashed forward, pushing past them, but by then it was too late.

The pair was gone.

Kyle spun around, trying to spot them, but the rush of the crowd had become a deluge of humanity, and it was only getting worse. Bodies were now jostling against him, bumping, pushing- shoving. There were faces everywhere- determined faces, anxious faces, young faces, old faces. He searched them desperately, trying to find the two he had come to get.

Kyle began to yell, he cried out through the link to his men to move in, to find them, to catch them.

But, in his heart he knew he had already lost.

Again.

* * *

They were free, but Tysen knew it wasn’t likely to last long.

Port Fedrin was a broad, open city that had been built on a large grassy plain near one of Fedrin’s larger freshwater lakes. The city itself sprawled across the plain and around the North end of the lake, filled with wide streets and lots of open areas. In such a low-density city, the public surveillance network wasn’t as strong as in an orbital station or major urban center, but it was still present, and would eventually find them if they didn’t move quickly.

They were also limited in that they couldn’t actively spend credit, or make any links to the city network without being traced. Or, at least Tysen couldn’t, they seemed largely unaware of Esther.

“Shall I try reaching the Admiralty?” Esther asked as they turned down a sidestreet, trying to blend in among the lunchtime crowd of a street food vendor’s market.

Tysen shook his head. “They’ll just trace it back to our location if you try. I can’t link to them either, there’s too much chance our opponents will arrive before the Admiral’s men can.”

He took Esther’s nod to mean she agreed. “Then what course of action do you deem best?”

Tysen tried to focus, the sweet smell of roasting sausages and cooking dumplings tugging at his empty stomach. They needed help, and he couldn’t escape it, but to ask for it directly would just get them handed over to Mr. Kyle. He decided that they’d have to take the indirect approach.

“Alright, link to The Halloway Concern and see if they can help us.” With luck, Esther would be able to do it surreptitiously enough that she wouldn’t be traced, if they were even looking for her in the first place.

“Understood, linking to them now.” She reported. “Do you have a specific request for them?”

“Yes,” he said. “We need transport to a resort in the mountains North of the city. We’ll need someone who can protect us until we get there- preferably several someones.”

“I am informing them of your request.”

Tysen nodded, then looked up as he felt the first drops of rain.

The already gray sky was getting thicker, and he could hear distant thunder now.

One thing after another.

* * *

Several kilometers away, Bara Rodgers, chief of Fedrin operations for the Empire-wide conglomerate known as the Halloway Concern, was just getting into the elevator to leave for lunch when the link came.

She knew it was trouble the moment she saw the look on her assistant’s face, and stepped back out of the elevator, motioning for the rest of the executives to go ahead without her. Then she stepped away from the doors and focused on the link.

“What is it, Jennifer?”

“Ma’am, we’ve got a situation. I just received a coded link message from The Founder’s Squire.”

Bara’s mind suddenly dropped into panic mode. The Founder’s Squire was here? Did that mean…”Is it an inspection?” She asked quickly. “If it is I want Volo and Beihn on the link, right now.”

Jennifer shook her head, “No ma’am. Not an inspection. She said she’s here on some kind of courier assignment, but the local authorities have tried to intercept her.”

A courier assignment? Bara’s panic shifted to concern. If the local authorities were trying to stop the Squire, that was a pretty big step. The Halloway Concern was one of the most powerful entities in the Empire, and had tremendous influence- to risk a confrontation with them for even a large government like Fedrin’s was a highly dangerous move. If they got to the Squire first, they would make sure there was no evidence left behind to accuse them of anything.

And that meant she had to act quickly.

“Jennifer, link to Chief Brubaker in security and tell him I need a package of flowers delivered. Give him the information he needs, and then tell him after it’s done to erase all records of this request. When we’re done, I also want you to erase all records of this link we’re in now.”

“Yes ma’am.” The girl said, having been with Bara too long to be surprised by such an order. Then the AR window snapped shut, and Bara stood there frowning.

She’d done what she could, and she’d covered her own trail in case there was any blowback. She wondered what The Founder’s Squire could be doing in Port Fedrin that the locals would want her so desperately, but in the end it didn’t matter. She’d done her job, and sent the best she could to help without getting directly involved. That would have to do.

Bara looked at the elevator, then turned away- her appetite was gone. She’d just order in and get back to work. If the Squire was near, The Founder might be as well, and she needed to make sure everything was in order. She began sending link requests and making notes of things to be done.

* * *

“Here, Esther. You stand under the bus shelter.”

The rain had started just as they’d arrived at the appointed place- a bus stop in front of a local elementary school. The stop itself was little more than a sign attached to a light pole, but the wall behind it had a covered nook just big enough for one or two people.

“There’s not room for both of us,” Tysen continued, feeling gallant. “And, I’d hate to see you get wet.”

Esther, who had already entered the shelter turned to look at him quizzically, her bright too-blue eyes coldly evaluating him. “Thank you, Lieutenant. However, my clothes are replaceable, and I will not feel the environment as you do.” Suddenly she reached out and grabbed him, pulling him into the limited space and tightly against her. “Here, like this we will both fit under this shelter together.”

Surprised, Tysen started to protest, but suddenly found his throat going dry despite the damp, humid weather. He had thought Esther would feel hard and lean, but now, pressed face to face with the soft, wet, and very beautiful Squire he discovered she was anything but.

“Y-yes,” he croaked, his eyes mere centimeters away from hers, his mouth just centimeters away from hers. “I ah…forget that sometimes…You seem so…human.”

It was an effort to get the last word out, it was like his brain was seizing up, and his whole body was growing suddenly hot.

He thought he detected a hint of amusement in her eyes. “Is that how you think of me?” She asked. “As one of your kind?”

“Well, it’s hard not to.” He answered, his head swimming. “You’re perfect…” He regretted the words as he said them. Should he be saying this? “I mean,” he tried to correct himself. “You’re perfect in every way I can…Ah…See…No…Ahh…”

She smiled, a warm, beautiful smile.

“Thank you. I am glad I can…please you.”

Then she closed her eyes and was leaning in, her mouth reaching for his. He tried to stop himself, tried to tell himself that this was wrong, but he wanted nothing more than to kiss this Squire -this woman- in front of him.

“Esther…” He croaked, trying to hold on to his last shred of resolve. “I think we should…be careful…it would be wrong to get…too close.”

“Yes,” her soft voice whispered back, deep, full and tempting. “So very wrong.”

And Tysen, who prided himself on his self control, who prided himself on not needing anyone, who prided himself for being the master of his own fate- gave up.

“So completely…” He leaned in to kiss her.

The car horn screamed through the deep, warm haze, jolting him back to reality.

“…Wrong!” He finished, pulling back and standing straight upright. He turned his head to look out at the sleek black car that was now parked just next to the bus stop. Tinted windows, smooth dark lines, and a low profile made it look less like a car than a shadow of a car come to life.

“I believe that is our transport.” Esther commented, once again all business.

Tysen, feeling a sudden sense of relief, sucked in a deep breath to calm himself down. “Yes,” he said, breathing out. “Yes, it is. Let me go first- I’ll hold the door for you.”

Then he dashed out the short distance to the car, ignoring the hard rain and pulling open the passenger door. Esther slipped out and inside, and he followed, shutting the door behind him.

The interior of the car was the opposite of the outside, the hard sleekness was inside a warm, dark softness. The cool dry air inside smelled like mint, and soft music was playing from the speakers. It felt like a bubble of comfort and safety from the world around them.

The passenger seat was empty, but a lean, muscular man with ebony skin sat in the driver’s seat. Tysen could see the man’s brown eyes watching them through his rear view mirror with a mix of friendly curiosity and amusement.

“Good afternoon, folks!” The man said in a thick Fedrin accent. “Nice patch o’ weather we’re havin’, isn’t it?”

Tysen leaned forward, offering a hand between the front seats. “Albert Tysen.”

“Keith Ulstead,” said the man, giving it a firm shake. Tysen could feel the thick callouses on the inside of the man’s hand from driving, and another callous running along the inside of his index finger. This man used a gun, and he used it often.