Deadly Designs (Design Series) (21 page)

"Yes. The animal is her pet." Taking advantage of the calmer atmosphere, she quickly gave an explanation as to how she and Tammy had met.

Understanding lit some of their faces, others showed no softening.

"How can we use this?"

Again, Storey couldn't see the speaker. "The group that grabbed Tammy is the same group that is holding the Councilman. She can't be taken back there. Her life is in danger."

"We should trade her. We'd get rid of two problems at once."

Storey gasped, unwittingly squeezing Tammy's hand. Tammy opened her mouth and the noise that screamed out of her mouth had everyone in the room clapping their hands over their ears and crying out. Storey slipped off her backpack and with Eric's help dug in to find a granola bar. Pulling it out, Storey held it out for Tammy who snatched it up with teary eyes. The noise shut off immediately.

"Good God, what was that?"

"That was the scream of betrayal for an adult who'd trade a defenseless child for a lying, cheating, vindictive Councilman," she snapped, her fury so great she doubted she'd be able to control what came out of her mouth if anyone said anything else about throwing Tammy to her death.

The room full of men stilled.

Behind her, Eric whispered, "I think that's the first time they've ever been told off."

"It's too bad," she bit off, "that this attitude is allowed to permeate through your people. It doesn't show any of you in a good light."

Knowing the others heard her, she added, "Reminds me of the actions of the same person you're asking us to go save." Her smile, grim and ferocious, beamed as she added, "That was also a death sentence."

Silence. The elders looked at each other, then down at their various papers. Paxton didn't appear to know how to answer that.

Eric spoke up, his tone placating, as if hoping to soothe the storm. "Time is an issue here. They were prepared to sacrifice Tammy within days. My father could face the same fate."

Paxton bolted to his feet. "You must go. Return Tammy then travel to where the Councilman is being held. While you gain intelligence, we'll pull a party together to meet you there. Time it to the minute. The team will port in, rescue him and all can return home. With enough codexes, the trip will take only minutes."

The rest of the elders sighed happily. Obviously, with a proactive plan finally put forward, they were prepared to jump behind it.

"Good. You do that." Storey turned abruptly and tugged Tammy back into the other room. Tammy followed obediently, still munching on her treat. Skorky sat in her hood, delicately working on his piece of bar.

"Hey wait, what's the matter?" Eric called out behind her, racing to catch up.

"Nothing," she said. At least nothing more than all of the things wrong in her world right now. "We're so far behind schedule. If we stay here and do nothing but let them rant, Tammy will be our age before they get the plan moving. This way, we can take care of one problem, while they work on another problem."

She spun around, wondering at his silence. "Right?"

"Right." He grinned. "I'm just thinking we should have you attend all the Council meetings to get things done."

She shot him a horrified look. "Do you hate me that much?"

His grin flashed wickedly. "No, I like you that much I'd like to find reasons to keep you closer."

"Oh," she brightened. "For that reason alone, I'd consider it, but I can tell you right now that those old farts in there wouldn't let it happen."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and chucked the ever silent Tammy under the chin making her laugh. "I'm up for anything that keeps you in my world."

"Are you talking to Tammy or me?" At his look, she snickered. "Come on, let's return Tammy to her family, although I'm going to miss her something awful. And to think we're going to rescue your father now."

"He might learn something from this adventure." He laughed and tugged her toward the corner of the lab where the portal was.

"Yeah," she said darkly, "he might be worse now!"

Before she knew it the black smoke had risen to her waist. Tammy snuggled in close.

"I wish she could talk."

In the back of her head, a small voice said, "I do talk. Why can't you hear me?"

Storey shot a startled look at Tammy. Then blackness took over and she couldn't see or hear anything.

***

Eric just barely caught an odd look on Storey's face before everything went dark. He tightened his arm around her shoulder, reassured as she cuddled closer. Tammy's arms wrapped tight around both of them. He had to admit, it wasn't going to be easy to say good-bye to her. Not being able to speak had kept them from learning anything about her people or lifestyle, but had maybe made the visit a little easier on them if her speech and communication abilities were anything like her screaming.

That noise she made had to be a lethal weapon.

The black fog started to recede.

The trip seemed longer this time. They'd had so many problems traveling lately that he no longer had the same assurance that all would be well. Still, if one didn't understand all the things that could go wrong, then it was impossible to be prepared.

Maybe that was a good thing.

He studied the familiar looking trees. "Looks like we're here."

"Hmm. Wherever here is?" Storey stepped back and checked out the sky and the surrounding hilly terrain. "It looks different than the last location."

Eric checked out the trees that dotted the landscape. "It's similar – we could be close to the last spot – but I don't recognize the area."

"Let's head over there." Storey pointed to the grove of evergreen trees in the distance.

"Why trees again?"

"I don't know. I guess I'd feel better if we weren't out in the open like this…"

"Got it." He was good with that. "First things first. Give me your codex." He unclipped both of them, and a quick glance toward Tammy, he dropped them into a different pocket on his left leg. With Tammy busy looking around, she never even saw the movement. He gave a soft chuckle, then led the way, trying to keep an eye on the open fields around them.

The closer they got to the trees however, the more nervous Storey started to act. She turned to look behind them several times, even to the point of turning around and walking backwards to check out the area.

"What's the matter?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "It's like a weird buzzing in my head. Sometimes at my home, when I walk beside a large hydro station, I can hear a similar sound. I almost recognize it, but it shouldn't exist in this location."

"Hydro station?"

She shook her head. "Creates electricity for our cities."

"Electricity?"

"Yeah, you know lights to see by, stoves to cook with, monitors to keep an eye on crossings; they all plug into wall outlets that provide the necessary power to make them run." She walked a few moments in silence then sighed. "You don't have that kind of power, do you?"

He shook his head. "Not like that. We have fuel cells that keep things running. But I think our requirements are much less than yours."

They'd almost reached the grove of trees, when Tammy started. She tugged on Storey's arm until Storey looked at her. "What's the matter?"

Tammy pointed.

Storey spun around but Eric was way ahead of her.

"Louers."

***

Storey stiffened. Meeting the Louers was why they were here, but after their last meeting, she didn't trust them. The buzz in the air deepened. She studied Tammy's face looking for some sign that she might recognize the approaching Louers. Her face appeared normal. Not fearful, not worried, and yet, not happy. Very frustrating.

Eric whispered, "Careful."

That's when Storey realized she'd been retreating steadily. "Sorry." She glanced at him. "What is that noise? It's getting worse."

He frowned. "I don't hear it.

"Tammy appears unaffected."

Eric bent around Storey to check out Tammy's face. "So does that mean she knows them or doesn't know them? It's so frustrating she can't speak. We know she has healthy vocal cords and lungs."

Storey studied the approaching group. None were familiar. The buzz in her head deepened. She had to consider the idea that had trickled into her consciousness earlier. "I think the buzz is her people using telepathic communication. I heard it last time too."

He gripped her shoulders then relaxed slightly. "I can barely hear it."

The newcomers kept walking toward them. "They probably used a form of the same ability to knock us unconscious, too."

Eric walked several steps to the side to study Tammy's face. "She's busy doing something. If it isn't communicating with the approaching group then I don't know what else it could be."

"When we were in the portal, I thought Tammy spoke to me in my head." Storey hoped it had been her. She'd love to be able to talk to her.

"If it was her," Eric suggested, "that could mean you are receptive to their method but need to have the distractions filtered out so you can hear her."

That made sense. Just the thought of being able to communicate with Tammy was exciting. "Is the energy thinner, different in the portal?"

He nodded. They'd come to a dead stop, waiting until the Louers walked closer. Keeping his voice low, he answered, "Yes. The portal blocks everything else out."

"If I could learn to communicate with her, then in theory, I could learn to communicate with my stylus. That would be perfect."

She kept her eye on the leader of the group, a large overbearing male who strode slightly ahead of another dozen in their group. At least he didn't have any numbers on his arms. "I'm not liking this."

"Who is?"

Storey alternated between studying the group and then Tammy's face. "I don't understand why they have no facial expressions. It's like they are emotionless."

"Until you look them in the eyes."

At his words, Storey shifted her gaze to study the leader's eyes. Huge, deep set and dark, so dark it was hard to see if he had the same eye biology she had. She hadn't noticed any difference in Tammy's eyes.

His eyes weren't cold though; dark, curious, wary, yes. Certainly not emotionless. Interesting. She kept her hand resting on Tammy's shoulder – nonthreatening but protective. She didn't know what was about to happen but if anyone made a crosswise move against her…Storey planned to bolt – with Tammy. If she couldn't be assured of Tammy's safety, she wasn't leaving her behind.

Not that she had any idea of where to take her.
So please let everything work out.

As the group approached, she watched all eyes zero in on Tammy. The buzzing in the air pumped up. Tammy started bouncing, her fingers were clenching Storey's hand so tightly, Storey didn't realize she was squeezing back so hard, Tammy couldn't go to see the others even if she wanted to.

Finding it difficult to do, Storey forced herself to let go of the little girl's hand. As if freed by an elastic band, Tammy shot forward and launched herself into the lead male's arms.

Eric and Storey inched closer, watching as Tammy was caught and held in a tight grip.

"Well, that's good news."

"It looks that way. We don't know that this is Tammy's father, but I guess it's safe to say that she's happy to see him."

"And he her." The group continued to march toward them, only now Tammy was wrapped tight in the leader's arms.

Her back straightened as the group stopped several feet in front of Storey. Storey didn't want to break eye contact with the leader but at the same time, she wanted to make sure Tammy was happy. Giving the little girl a quick look, she found her staring back at Storey. Storey couldn't help but smile at her.

For the first time, Tammy's lips curved upward in response.

"Tammy, that's perfect. I'm happy to see you smiling."

Tammy wiggled and the man holding her let her go. Tammy came running over to Storey and threw her arms tight around her waist. Storey bent and hugged her back. Skorky ran around Tammy's shoulders as if too excited to sit still. The others watched.

Tammy released Storey then hugged Eric in turn. He grinned at her. "I'm going to miss you, Tammy."

She ran back to the big male and stood at his side.

Then she turned to face them, waved at them both.

The world dimmed.

Storey watched as Eric crumpled to the ground in front of her.

"No." She struggled to stay on her feet.

The ground rushed to meet her.

E
ric winced at the sound. Someone was groaning, retching in a rhythm he recognized but didn't want to. The fumes of heavy stomach acid hit his nose just then and it was all he could do to not vomit himself. He had no idea who was sick, but he was about to join them if they didn't stop soon.

Then he heard a sound, just a faint moan, but it was enough. "Storey."

"Oh God, I hope not. That would mean I was here, caught in this no man's land still. Why couldn't it be like my clone or something?"

Eric laughed. Even feeling like crap, with her voice so woozy, her spunky attitude made him laugh. She might be sick but she wasn't screaming in pain and if her sense of humor was still there, things couldn't be that bad.

He opened his eyes. Where were they?

"Storey, are we prisoners again?"

"I have no idea. I can hardly move for the pain in my head."

Eric tried to sit up, and a hammer-sized boom exploded inside his head. Groaning, he collapsed back down. "What did they do to us?" he whispered when he could.

"I have no idea. We're in some kind of cave again. At least that's all I can see. There's no opening and it kind of reminds me of the Louers' old dimension except for one huge thing missing – the smell."

Eric sniffed the air experimentally. The last place he wanted to find himself was back in that horrible dimension, but if the Louers could do things like they'd done to Storey and him without them even letting on how they'd been done, he'd be happy to leave and never come back.

And he still had to rescue his father.