7

Selah’s stomach knotted with fear. She could clearly see numerous TicCity security vehicles ringing the living units.

“Look where? What do you see?” Bodhi stared out the wide window that wrapped around the conical front of the transport.

“In front of our living quarters, there are a lot of security vehicles,” Selah said.

Bodhi’s jaw dropped. He looked down at his data stream. “That’s more than a click. It’s at least three quarters of a mile up the road. How can you see that?”

“I don’t know, but I can see the building as well as if I were standing in front of it,” Selah said. She hadn’t noticed any lightning surges accompanying her farsighted vision. While fighting at East Creek, this kind of clarity hadn’t manifested, so the ability must have come about in the last hour. Selah shivered at the thought of more unknown things happening to her mind and body.

Taraji cycled down the transport and drifted to a stop, hovering thirty feet above the ground. “We’d better come up with a plan before we storm in there. As soon as they see the transport, the Council is going to attempt to commandeer it.”

“Is there a way to sneak in and get my family?” Selah watched the crowd for any sign of her mother or Dane.

“If they haven’t been detained, yes. But I wouldn’t know how to reach them if they get picked up. I’d never get past Council security. I’m sure they’ve been alerted to whose side I’m on,” Taraji said.

Selah spotted her young brother being dragged to a security transport. As usual, Dane struggled with the security agent. Twice he almost got away but was dragged back by the collar.

“They’ve got Dane.” Selah’s knees weakened. She watched as he broke free and started to run. Her breath quickened. The guard snatched him by the collar, literally lifting him off the ground. Anger welled in her chest. “Help him!”

Bodhi pressed on the joystick. The transport slid forward.

“No.” Taraji pulled back the control. “We need to sit it out.”

“That’s my brother being hauled away!” Selah’s voice rose. She knew Bodhi and Mari were on her side, but would that be enough to move Taraji to action?

“Tell me when security has both of them,” Taraji said.

Selah stared at the vehicles surrounding the living units. She scanned the scene for her mother. Just as she was about to change her focus, Pasha came into view. Selah’s heart pounded in her ears. The guard had her in restraints.

Selah drew her brows together. “They’ve got both of them.”

Taraji punched in a couple commands and veered off to the right, avoiding the rest of the beach and obscuring Selah’s view.

Selah panicked. She tried to keep her family in sight by running down the side of the command deck and peering out the portals, but they moved out of range. “Wait! You have to go back. We need to get them out of there.”

Taraji continued on her route. “And how do you propose we do that?”

“Well, I don’t know—”

“And neither do I at the moment. But I do know we’ve worn out our welcome here, and when we free them we’d better be on the fast track out of TicCity,” Taraji said.

“We should get the supplies and Brejian, then grab them up,” Bodhi said.

“Can we be sure they won’t hurt my family?” Selah returned to the navigator chair.

“Nothing is certain.” Taraji slowed as they approached the depot. “But I think they’re doing this to draw you out, so they won’t hurt them right away.”

“You’re telling me they might decide to torture my family to force me to expose myself?” Selah ground her teeth together. Would there ever be a time when she wasn’t hunted or responsible for others around her being hurt?

“I don’t think they’d be that dramatic, but they might put them on public display to determine how resolved the people are about stopping you from reaching the Third Protocol,” Bodhi said. He tapped his earpiece. “Yes, can you bring them in with AirStreams? We’re overhead now.”

Taraji lowered the transport onto the depot parking area, keeping it in a steady hover, and Bodhi brought down the left-side ramps. Selah watched out the portal as at least a half dozen of the smaller hovercrafts delivered large crates and cases of supplies, making at least three trips each.

Mojica entered the command deck carrying laser darts and leg holsters. “I’ve been monitoring security communications. If we’re not out of here in the next hour, we may never leave. They’re amassing firepower we can’t beat even with the X11B technology we’ve got below.” She passed out the weapons.

Mari clutched a case of communication bands and earpieces. “I tried to contact Treva but I’m getting interference. I can hear the artificial modulating harmonics. We’re being blocked.”

“I’ve been trying too. If we can’t contact her in the next few minutes we may have to leave Brejian behind,” Taraji said.

“No. We can’t abandon Brejian. She has the Repository files I need, and she’s only willing to trade them for passage out of here.” Selah readjusted the strap on her laser dart and glanced out a portal. She didn’t want to lose the one bright light of hope that might help Bodhi.

Running men brandishing weapons caught her attention as the last AirStream approached the open ramp. Taraji muttered under her breath and tapped her panel to close the ramp. The AirStream veered off.

“Time to leave,” Taraji said. She shifted the joysticks, lifting and pivoting the transport at the same time. She tapped her earpiece twice and motioned for Bodhi to listen in. “Treva Gilani.”

Taraji maneuvered the transport opposite the side where TicCity security was stationed at the moment. “Tell Brejian to come out the back . . . What do you mean you’re not here? Why are you there? The two of you could be caught. Don’t—”

Bodhi slammed his fist into the chair arm and turned to Selah. “I don’t believe this. Treva and Brejian heard about Pasha and Dane through their status report and went to the security unit to rescue them.”

Taraji mumbled under her breath again and sharply turned the transport to the west of the complex. “I know what she’s trying to do. Brejian’s clearance will get her in to see them, but there’s going to be too much manpower for them to get back out. I think this is the best break we’re going to get. You’ll have to go in for the rescue and hope luck is on our side. I don’t like not being on the ground, but our best chance to get away with this is if I’m at the helm, so I’m staying here. Bodhi, you and Mojica have to do this one.”

Selah jumped to her feet. “No! I’m going too. That’s my mother and brother.”

“They would have a feeding frenzy if they spotted you down there,” Bodhi said, rising from his seat.

“At this moment, I can see better, fight better, and move faster than any of you, and I’m not going to sit on my hands when I could be an asset to my family’s survival.” Selah sucked in a breath and set her jaw.

Bodhi looked to Taraji. “Tell her she can’t go.”

Taraji pursed her lips then grimaced. “I have to admit, she’s right.”

Bodhi’s voice deepened. “This puts her in too much danger.”

Selah stepped up to him and placed her hand gently on his chest. “Danger is going to be around every corner. The more I learn to use my new abilities, the more I may be able to fight the breakdown as it affects my body.” Her confident smile didn’t betray the knocking in her knees.

Bodhi covered her hand with his and brought her palm up to his lips. He kissed it softly. “My sweet firefly, I love you. I can only hope that one day we’ll live in a world where we’re always safe. But since today isn’t that day, I’ll settle for being at your side.”

“Oh no you won’t,” Taraji said. “Mojica is going with Selah.”

“I don’t want her going down there without me,” Bodhi said.

Mojica stepped between them. “Bodhi, I am Kinship. I think I proved my abilities rescuing the child. If you think you could best me in battle, I will allow you to take my place.”

Bodhi pressed his lips tightly together.

“Will you please retake your position at the helm and help pilot this monster of a craft, which you have proven to be exceptionally skilled at,” Mojica said.

Bodhi gritted his teeth then nodded. “You keep her safe or you’ll answer to me.” He kissed Selah on the cheek.

Mojica smiled and patted him on the shoulder as he slid back into his seat.

“Okay, you two, I’m ready to drop you in. I’ve keyed your communicators to see both Treva and Brejian on your screens. You find them and they’ll find Pasha and Dane,” Taraji said.

Mari helped strap on Selah’s communicator. “I wish I were well enough to go, but I’d just slow you down.”

“That’s okay. You rest. You suffered quite a blow to the head, and I don’t want to risk more injury to another member of my family,” Selah said.

Rylla hurried through the chamber entrance and threw her arms around Selah’s waist. “I was listening at the door. You can’t go down there. They’ll try to kill you again.” She tightened her hold.

Selah gently pried Rylla from her. “Honey, I have to go. My mother and my little brother Dane are down there.”

“Your mother and brother? When did they come to TicCity?” Rylla tried to take Selah’s hand.

Selah transferred the girl’s hand to Mari’s. “We haven’t had a chance to talk about everything that’s happened. But we’re leaving here and going west as soon as I rescue them.”

Rylla squirmed to get her hand free of Mari’s grip. “I’ll help. I know the way! The Bantors brought me to the security offices all the time while they were conducting business.”

“Figures they’d be friendly with the Council,” Selah said. “But you’re staying here. We’ll be back shortly.” She buckled on a utility belt and checked the charge on her laser dart again.

“That’s not fair. I want to go.” Rylla wrenched free of Mari and ran out through the command deck entrance.

“I’ll go down and make her something to eat, and hopefully by the time I’ve soothed her ruffles, you’ll be back. Stay safe, sis.” Mari hugged Selah and headed for the quarters below.

Selah followed Mojica through a side entrance. It would be good for Rylla to have a younger brother. She thought about introducing Rylla to her mother and Dane. She hadn’t really had time to bring up the subject of the girl.

Mojica stopped in front of a vertical silver tube with a circumference of about six feet. The shimmering length disappeared up into the ceiling and down through the floor. A hum radiated through the floor and vibrated Selah’s spine.

She stopped. “What is that?”

“A magnetic stairway. What you see isn’t a solid. It’s a wave.” Mojica stuck her hand through what Selah had thought was a solid tube.

Selah gasped. “How does it work?”

“As we go through the wall, a magnetic floor panel will develop below you. After we’re completely inside, touch your hands to the wall in front of you. Anywhere you put them, hand holds will appear. Anywhere your feet touch will be a step. Like this.” Mojica went first to demonstrate.

Selah ran her hand through the beam. It was fluid like water running between her fingers. But when she clenched her fist, the energy became solid. The smooth texture felt like transparent plascine. Her heart pounded with anticipation as she followed Mojica. When she concentrated and didn’t overthink moving through a void with no discernable floor beneath her, the motion of climbing down the energy beam resembled descending a ladder. The tube extended with them. When they stepped onto the ground, the tube silently retreated into the vessel.

Mojica sprinted to the back entrance of the security center and flung open the door.

Selah glanced back toward the transport and gasped.