TangleRoot (Star Sojourner Book 6) (7 page)

“What the hell is this?” Al said. “You can't find your way back to Earth?”

“I've lost my tel abilities,” I told him. “It's the way I found this star system, and the only way I'll find my way back to the trade lanes. It's unchartered, you know?” I ran a hand over my left temple. “I don't feel so good. I think I'm hungry.”

Al strode to me and grabbed the front of my shirt. “If you're lying to me…,” he came close, “you'll think you're feeling like a million creds compared to how you're gonna feel.”

I let my jaw drop and tried to look listless. “What…what good would lying do, Al? Sooner or later, I'll have to take you home. When my tel is back, you know?” I pressed my fingers to my forehead. “It should come back,” I mumbled, “the way it did last time. As long as I'm not traumatized.” I looked at Gabby and Dave standing in the doorway and smiled crookedly. “Hi, guys. Al, are Gabby and Dave coming home with us? I worry about them.”

Al pulled me closer. I smelled liquor on his breath. “Worry about getting us back to Earth.”

“Al, he's the only one who can fly a starship,” Paulie said, “and the only tag who can program the ship for the lanes and home.” He glanced at Gabby and Dave and lowered his voice. “We gotta keep him happy, you know what I'm saying?”

Al never took his gaze off me. “If I find out you're lying,” he growled, “I won't give you to Zack.” He pushed me hard against the wall and spread his hands. “I'll burn your balls off with a hot beam.”

I was truly afraid of this man. Looking into his eyes was like peering into a mirror of Hell. I threw up my tel shields, unwilling to encounter the tidal force of his evil mind.

“You'll
beg
to die,” he said, “but I won't let you!”

“You'll be the first to know,” I croaked, “when my tel is back. Promise.” I crossed my heart with a shaky finger.

We landed near Gabby and Dave's small prefab on a knoll, surrounded by winter woods of curled branches and red pods. I still played stupid and weak. Paulie guided me into the small hut, which was packed with scientific instruments, equipment, and plants growing in tanks. Here, the men would wait for me to announce that my tel abilities had returned and I was ready to fly them to the trade lanes.

Fat chance.

But there was no chance, I knew, of influencing four minds at once with an intrusive probe that would force them all to do my bidding, especially Al, who was a sensitive. I had trained myself to influence one person, sometimes two, but never four. I had stretched my powers to the point of achieving distant probes, seeing visuals of surroundings through the minds of others, and the death blow that burned through the brainstem.

I sat on one of the two cots, closed my eyes, and leaned back against the hypalon-inflated wall. How much time did my team have before their stingler batteries gave out?

The room was stuffy and crowded with six of us. Vito was onboard the hovair, preparing supper in the sous chef. Al said something to Zack and nodded toward me.

Zack dug into his coat as he approached me. I heard a chain rattle. Oh no! If he handcuffed me to the cot, we'd never get away.

I stood up quickly. “It's too hot in here,” I mumbled, and moved lethargically toward the door, acting as though I couldn't zippered my jacket. “I need some fresh air.”

Zack moved faster than I thought he could, and gripped my arm. “You gotta go to the bathroom?”

“What? No, I'm too hot. That's all.” I tried to pull away. He clamped down harder. “Al,” I said, as Zack pulled me to the cot and forced me to sit, “he's scaring me!”

“Just do what he says,” Paulie said from the small table where he was playing solitaire on his comlink. Gabby and Dave sat close together on the other cot.

Son of a crotefucking bottom slimesucking piece of shit!
I thought and bit my lip as Zack pulled out his handcuffs. “Right-handed, right?” He clamped the handcuff around my left wrist, brought the chain through the cot's bottom stand, and clamped on the footcuff without waiting for an answer. “See?” He pointed to his head. “I remember.”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked him. “Where would I go?”

He shrugged and flipped Al the key. “Talk to the
capo
.”

Al just stared at me with those black eyes and slipped the key inside his vest pocket.

Vito came in with a large bag slung over his shoulder and brushed snow from his hair. “Man, it's getting cold out there. Snowing again. Brrrr.” He stamped his feet and dumped food packets onto the table. “Brown is yer meat.” He pointed to a packet. “Green is yer vegies. Tan is yer carbs, and red is yer dessert.” He placed four packets in front of Al, who sat down. “Here ya go, boss.”

The men gathered at the table, but Gabby and Dave remained on the cot. I knew how they felt. My stomach was too upset to eat. I was afraid to project a visual to the cave with Al so close to me. He might pick up the send, realize my tel powers were intact, and I'd be talking with some very high notes.

After they ate, Al motioned for Gabby and Dave to get off the cot. They got up quickly and sat on the floor in a corner. Al stretched out on the cot. Zack approached me, yawned and scratched his crotch. He grinned when I got off the cot and sat on the floor. “Have a nice dreams,” he said and shook the chain. He laid down with part of his bulk hanging off the sagging edge.

The room was lit only by dim glowballs along the ceiling. I leaned back against the wall and slept for a while. I jumped and suddenly awoke from a nightmare. The window was black. Snowflakes slithered down the glass and piled up in miniature hills at the bottom. Gabby, who was no sensitive, was projecting a thought.
Jules. I think I can get the key. Do you hear me?

Al couldn't catch just a normal thought.

I turned my head in her direction and nodded.

If we can sneak out
, she continued,
and get to the hovair…

I nodded again.

Al and Vito wore the two stinglers they'd taken from Gabby and Dave tucked inside shoulder holsters. I stayed very still, not wanting to rattle the chain as Gabby silently lifted herself and padded softly toward Al, who was snoring.

An alarm suddenly beeped. Gabby jumped back and ran to sit by her father, who put his arm protectively around her shoulders.

What the hell?
I thought. Then I saw the tiny light blinking on Al's belt as he got up. Vito and Paulie were on their feet. Zack mumbled something, scratched his cheek, and snored.

“You little
puttana
!” Al said as he approached Gabby and Dave.

Gabby screamed and Dave got in front of her.

“Leave her alone, Al,” I said and stood up, my left foot braced on the cot. “She's just a kid.”

Al shoved Dave aside, grabbed Gabby by her hair and lifted her to her feet.

“Al, don't!” I cried as he smacked her across the face. She fell to her knees with a cry. A trickle of blood seeped down her chin. “Christ and Buddha,” I said, “she's just a kid!”

Al swung around and pointed at me. “You shut your friggin' mouth or you'll be next!” He dragged Gabby to her feet while Vito held back Dave.

“Please!” Dave sobbed. “Don't hurt her. Do it to me instead. It was my idea. I swear it was!”

Al dragged Gabby to the door by her hair and flung it open.

“Daddy!” she screamed as he threw her outside, slammed the door, and locked it.

“No,” I whispered. “You can't
do
that.”

“Julio!” Paulie said. “Shut yer mouth!”

Gabby screamed and pounded on the door.

I pulled at my chain. With Zack on the cot, I couldn't drag it to the door. Al calmly returned to his cot, sat down, and shut off the alarm.

“No, please!” Dave shouted and tried to get to the door. “She's my baby.”

Vito threw him down to a sitting position.

A sensation of fury built inside me. “You belong in a zoo,” I told Al.

He stared at me, wiped a hand across his mouth, and stretched out on the cot.

Paulie strode over to me. “Will you shut the fuck up before you're out there with her!”

“I
am
out there with her. You should be too.”

He gave me a strange look, as though I were talking in a foreign language. I slumped to a sitting position and pressed my hands to my head.

Paulie squatted beside me. “You…uh, you want a cannoli? I still got one left. Vito made them.”

Tears slid down my cheeks as Gabby's screams tore through my mind like blades. I began to sob.

Paulie got up and went to Al. "Al, I mean no disrespect, but suppose I let her back in? It's bothering Julio, you know? We don't want him to get upset. He might not be able to –

Al swung to a sitting position. “Paulie, you're my younger brother and I love you, but don't
ever
question my orders again!”

Paulie shrugged and backed away. “I meant no disrespect.”

For fifteen minutes I listened to Gabby scream for help and watched Dave sob on the floor. Then Gabby's screams stopped and there was only a scratching on the door as though some animal wanted to get inside.

If she dies,
I thought,
I'll find a way to kill him.

“Paulie,” Al called. “Let the
puttana
back in.”

I stood up as Paulie strode to the door and opened it. Gabby was leaning against the doorframe, shaking badly, with balls of ice dangling from her hair.

“Can I please…please come in?” she asked.

She stumbled as Paulie yanked her inside and closed the door.

“Gabby!” Dave hugged her and guided her to a corner. He helped her to sit down and rubbed her arms and hands vigorously. She leaned against him and closed her eyes. “I'm…I'm so tired, Daddy.”

“I know, baby.” Dave pulled the ice balls from her hair. “I know.” He kissed her forehead.

Paulie looked at me like a kid asking for approval. I smiled. After all, within the parameters of their fucked-up social order, Paulie had tried.

“You still got that cannoli?” I asked him. “I could use some supper.”

“Sure!” He took it from a red bag and brought it to me. “It's fresh,” he said proudly and unwrapped the paper.

“
Gracie,”
I said.

“
Prego.”

“Hey, Paulie!” Vito called, “you two engaged, or what?”

“
Ma vaffanculo!”
Paulie told him and flicked his thumb from behind teeth.

I didn't even want to know what that meant as I ate the cannoli, savoring the crunchy pastry tube and the sweet heavy cheese. Not the most nourishing meal I'd ever eaten, but one of the tastiest.

Zack woke up, dragged himself to a sitting position and scratched his head. “Wha' happened? Did I miss something?”

I sighed as I chewed and leaned my head back. Now all I had to do was find a way for the three of us to escape and get to the cave in time to rescue my friends. That's all.

* * *

Gabby found a way for us. After she recuperated from hypothermia, with Dave's help, and slept for a while, she contacted me again with natural thoughts.

I was asleep, but it woke me up. The four gangsters were sleeping soundly. It was still night. Wind howled and rattled the window. Snow had piled halfway up the glass. Fat flakes beat against it, as though wanting to get in.

Jules,
she sent.
I'm going to bring you a bolt cutter we use for snapping off thick branches. Be ready! OK?

I looked her way and nodded. Dave was sitting beside her.

She crawled softly on hands and knees to a cabinet, opened it with a click and lifted out a bolt cutter. I tried to keep my thoughts down to subliminal, but I was getting excited. I stuffed my scarf inside my jacket, with the ski hat, and quietly zippered it, just in case any of the crotes woke up.
Who, me? I'm not going anyplace,
I practiced.

Gabby and Dave left their jackets tied around their waists.

Gabby kept the heavy cutter pressed against her chest and moved on her other hand and knees to me.

I took the cutter. “Go back,” I whispered, “in case somebody wakes up.”

I waited for her to lie down beside Dave, as though they were both asleep, then I took off my jacket and wrapped it carefully around the end of the chain and the cutter to muffle the sound. I held my breath as I snapped through the closest link, and the smallest, to the handcuff. The sound was only a dull crack. Still, I quickly hid the cutter and jacket under the cot. I leaned back, as though asleep. No one stirred. I think the howling wind and rattling window covered the sounds. My heart was beating in my throat as I carefully lifted the cutter and jacket again and broke the closest link to the footcuff.

No one stirred at the muffled crack.

Are you free?
Gabby sent the thought.

I nodded to her, put on my scarf and hat, and crawled to the door. When I was safely there, I motioned for them to stay low and follow.

I waited for them to get close, then I reached up, unlocked the door, and opened it enough for them to scurry out on all fours. Wind howled through the opening and took my breath away as I followed. I jumped up and closed the door against it, but the icy wind had already swirled though the hut.

“Run!” I shouted as wind cut like broken glass across my face and invaded my throat with icicles of air. I followed them toward the landing site with the hovair. But the night, the swirling snow, had created a whiteout. We floundered through deep drifts.

The hut door flew open. The light nailed us in its glare. I saw Zack plow through snow, a massive dark shape, like a moose in winter.

“Run!” I gasped and fell into the drift. The flash of a laser overhead. I was glad I'd fallen. Until I heard Dave scream. “Oh, no,” I muttered. “Oh, no!”

“Daddy!” Gabby shouted. “Daddy, get up.”

I plowed up to Dave and Gabby. She was pulling on his wrist, trying to lift him. But the blackened hole in the center of his back, where snowflakes melted, told me he would not be moving again.

Zack was gaining, and the others weren't far behind.

“C'mon.” I grabbed Gabby's arm and half dragged her away from the light.

She fought me. “I'm not leaving him here in the snow.”

“He's gone,” I said. “They're coming for us, Gabby. They need me. But this time they'll
kill
you.” She stared at me numbly. I shook her arm. “They'll kill you!” I pushed her ahead. “Your father wouldn't want that.” Another blue flash. It barely missed her. “Run!”

She did.

We plowed our way past the light. The others caught up to Zack, but we were as invisible as the hovair.

“We're the fuck are they?” I heard Al yell.

“Probably heading for the hovair,” Vito answered.

“Where's
that?
” Al asked.

Silence.

“Stay down, Gabby,” I whispered. We lowered ourselves into a drift and funneled out snow around us. “Think you can find the hovair?”

She wiped tears and pointed. “Somewhere in that direction. Are you sure he's gone?”

I nodded. “I'm sorry. There's no chance.”

“Oh, Dad!”

“Quiet, now, they're coming this way. C'mon.”

We circled behind the hut and Gabby led the way toward the landing site, using the hut as her reference point. I didn't tell her, but the air was so cold, with crystals swirling, that we couldn't stay outside much longer. Plan B would be a hollow in a drift, out of the wind, for the rest of the night.

The cold was creeping into my chest when Gabby pointed at a dark shape looming to our right.

“That's it!” I said. “C'mon.”

I covered my face and neck with my scarf, then realized that Gabby had no scarf and no hat. She was shaking badly again. I took off my scarf, smiled at her as I wrapped it around her head and neck, and tied it in place. We followed a flattened trail through drifts.
Probably made by a large animal looking for shelter,
I thought, until Zack rose up near the hovair, growled like an animal, and threw himself at me.

“Oh, shit!” He hit me like a falling tree and we both went down.