Event Horizon, page 29
Joseph looked in the direction the pale man had pointed. And then back towards Farson. His whole life was in that town. His family, friends, every memory. He had only wanted to help it, to make life a little easier, to make sure people respected them. Not as authority figures, but as their fellow human beings. Maybe some did respect them in a weird way, but still not the way Joseph had wanted.
He looked down at his arm. It was completely healed. He cautiously touched the intact skin. Completely smooth. The hairs had even grown back. And it no longer hurt to breathe. He reached down underneath his shirt collar. The clothes were still burned, proof the fire actually happened. He looked at his necklace. It was untouched by the flames. He held the small dolphin in his palm. The sea. The place his mother had grown up and where he always dreamed of visiting. The dream was finally coming true. He could live with one true dream.
Joseph walked through the forest and headed for the sea.
46
In the Air
Eli tugged at his shirt collar as he sat in the military conference room. Maps of Farson and Wyrd Forest covered the walls, the location of Walker's bunker marked with an X. At the conference table with him sat Margo and Aleah Hirsch, Walker's girlfriend. He had never met her in person, but he had heard her name several times while in the bunker. A guard stood stationed at the room's sole door. Eli fidgeted. Somehow, the presence of a single guard made the room feel much smaller.
After Donovan had pointed him in the right direction, Eli made it back to the base without any trouble. Once military personnel realized who he was, they escorted him to the barracks where he stayed for the rest of the day. A doctor had examined him, concluding that he was in good health except for a few minor cuts and smoke inhalation. He asked about Walker, but the doctor said nothing, leaving him to rest. At daybreak, he had been escorted to headquarters. No one gave him an explanation.
Captain Weston Christie entered the room, accompanied by two senior officers. All three wore stark military uniforms with medals pinned to the fronts. The small room felt even more cramped. The captain sat down at the table, directly in front of Eli, while the officers remained standing near the door.
"As of right now," the captain addressed the room as he placed several papers on the table, "fourteen of Joseph Walker's followers have been captured. Some of them have accepted plea bargains, and the rest refuse to speak. Though none of them can tell us where Walker is. I would like for those present to shed some light on the subject, if possible."
"Who was captured?" asked Aleah, her voice hoarse. Eli noticed her eyes were bloodshot. He would hate to be in her shoes.
Christie turned to one of the papers. "Jem Landyn, Fredrick Sinclair, Link Wesson, Maddock Haus—"
"Him. Maddock." Anger rose in Aleah's voice. "He's responsible for the bombing, not Joseph."
"Really?" The captain folded his hands and stared at her. "Then why didn't your boyfriend stop him?"
Aleah averted her eyes. Eli could not help but wonder if something similar would have happened to him if he had gone with Katia. Would their actions have landed one of them in this position?
"I don't know," Aleah said. "Maybe—"
"Maybe Walker wanted to bomb the embassy, but he needed someone to say it first. That way, he'd have an excuse."
"You're here for the bomber, right?" Aleah's head shot up. She glared daggers at the captain. "That's the reason you came. You have Maddock. There's no need to go after Seth." Aleah winced. "Joseph."
"There is such a thing," the captain said as he made a note of Walker's nickname, "as guilty by association, which is what you are, Ms. Hirsch, as long as you refuse to tell us his location."
Aleah stared at the captain, defeated. "I don't know where he is. I swear. I'll take a lie detector test if that will convince you."
"How long have you been with Walker?"
"Almost six years."
"And you have a child together?"
Aleah bit down on her lower lip, tears welling in her eyes. A child? Eli had no idea Walker had a child. "Yes."
"All that time with him, surely you know of a place that he would hide."
"No. The bunker was the only place."
"Okay then." He turned to the guard at the door. "Take Ms. Hirsch to have a lie detector test. Wait until I arrive before you administer it."
The guard complied and led Aleah out of the room. She did not protest. All of her willpower had been drained. Eli watched them go, wondering if they would subject him to the same tests. Oh God, what if they asked him about Nate?
"Your name is Elisha Carnaki, correct?" asked Christie. He walked over to Eli's side of the table and loomed over him. Margo sat on the other end, not saying a word.
"Yes, sir," Eli replied, snapping his attention back to the captain. He was not a very tall man, around the same height as Eli, but the way the captain stood over him made him seem seven feet tall.
"I want you to tell me about Joseph Walker. How did he act? What sort of supplies did you see at the bunker?"
"Walker was..." Eli cleared his throat. It was still sore from all the smoke. "Well, I never really talked to him. He was sort of standoff-ish. Short fuse, I guess."
"And the bunker?"
"I was confined to a single room. I never saw the whole bunker. Or any supplies."
"Very well," the captain sighed. "I expected this much. Since you were taken hostage. You must have been under a tremendous amount of stress."
"Yes, sir." Not really. The first few hours were agonizing, not knowing his fate. But then reality dawned on him. This was punishment for his inaction, for not choosing a side. He was resigned to stay down there indefinitely. But God, it was good to be back on the surface! He interpreted it as a warning to not be weak willed in the future.
"But," said the captain, leaning forward, "you weren't the only hostage. A crew member of yours, a man named Nathan Kennet, was also taken. What happened to him?"
Eli watched Margo from the periphery of his sight. She sat motionless, observing him and the captain. She had not spoken a single word, only motioning for him to wait. Eli cleared his throat and said, "I honestly don't know, sir." That part, at least, was true. "They kept us in separate rooms. And when the fire broke out, it was pure chaos. I can't say for sure if he made it out, sir."
Christie sighed and resumed his seat. "We found a few remains in the bunker that have yet to be analyzed. It's possible they belong to Kennet."
"I suppose so, sir."
"You don't seem very upset by this news." Christie narrowed his eyes.
"Kennet and I weren't close, sir. We just worked together."
"You weren't close," Christie mused. He turned to another paper. "And what if there was evidence that Nathan Kennet was a pseudonym? Would that surprise you?"
Eli shrugged. "Like I said. We weren't close."
"Very well. You're free to go, Mr. Carnaki." Christie stood and gathered up the papers in a folder.
Eli stood and exited the room, followed closely by Margo. They passed by an open door. Eli saw Aleah Hirsch sitting at a table with a little girl on her lap. Walker's daughter. She was probably too young to remember any of this. Probably for the best.
Once he and Margo were outside, Eli breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad to be out of that building, to be leaving Bedlam. A crisp morning breeze rushed past him. Fresh, powdery snow blanketed the base. The surrounding forest seemed less eerie. They walked back to Event Horizon, snow crunching underfoot. Several transport crews milled around the crafts. Some crafts were already gone.
"What happens now?" Eli asked as the exit ramp raised, closing with a bang.
"Be patient," Margo instructed. She climbed up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and Eli followed.
***
Dakota glanced upward as the panel opened. An extra set of artificial lights shone into the compartment. He saw Margo and asked, "Safe to come out now?"
She nodded and offered her hand. Dakota took it and climbed out of the smuggler's hold. He stood as straight as possible, glad to be out of the cramped space.
"So how was it?" she asked.
"Not great." Dakota had spent nearly twenty-four hours in there. It was worse than being trapped in the bunker. At least he could stand up and walk around there.
Margo motioned for him to follow her. She headed down the hallway towards the common area. Dakota took his usual seat next to Cass and Eli. Cass immediately hugged him, holding him tight. He sensed relief and happiness from her, and a sense that she was partially to blame. If anyone ought to be blamed, it was Dakota. Chasing after Walker had been his idea.
He glanced at the others. Donovan and Eli were smiling while Hugo wore a tight smile. Uriel leaned against the far wall. He nodded in Margo's direction. Time to pay attention.
Margo cleared her throat, and all eyes turned towards her. "Our business here on Bedlam is officially over, and we've been given clearance to leave."
Donovan and Cass cheered and clapped, Eli joining in. Dakota was ready to leave this world behind, too.
"About damn time," said Hugo. His smile did not reflect in his eyes. A bandage covered his right ear. A medical chart flashed before Dakota. It stated temporary (possibly permanent) hearing loss in that ear. Waves of guilt hit Dakota, and he broke away.
You didn't fight the shots, Hugo. That soldier's death is not your fault.
"Where are we heading now?" asked Cass.
"We have two options. We can either return to Zeta II and conclude our business there, or we can delay that job and go to Vega. Another transport captain proposed a onetime job with us. So, what will it be?"
"Which one is farthest away from Novatera?" asked Donovan. This raised a few laughs, though he had not intended it as a joke.
"Vega it is. There is one more thing," said Margo, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "Before we landed on Bedlam, Nate requested that this be his last job with Event Horizon. But because of recent events, Nate is now a person of interest. Not just in finding Walker. There's the question of his real identity. Dakota, what do you want to do?"
Dakota glanced over at Uriel. The guardian looked around the room and said, "I don't know about you, but this place is starting to grow on me. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to stick around a little longer."
"I'll stay. Maybe until the war ends."
Cass gave him a big hug, and Hugo grinned ear to ear. "Finally," he said, "our own personal seer."
"Shut up," replied Cass in a half joking manner.
Margo also grinned and seemed relieved. Donovan and Eli looked uneasy. Donovan avoided eye contact with Margo. Eli forced himself not to look Dakota's way. He had not forgotten the reason for Eli's self-imposed penance.
Dakota wished he could reassure them. Tell them that he knew about the deal, Myrddin Graiko, everything. Everything except Margo's intentions. Telling them might raise Margo's alarm, and make staying here more difficult.
He turned back to Uriel, wanting to know what he should do, but Uriel was not there. Neither was the wall. It had been replaced by the blue-green gardens on Dionysus. In the distance, he could just see the Imperial palace. Small figures moved around. Three figures stood between the palace and the garden's edge.
Dakota blinked, and he was right next to the palace. Blue-green ivy climbed the centuries old building. People dressed in guard uniforms entered the palace. He saw Cantara and Rowland and her older brother Malchus standing alone. All three wore fine clothing. Cantara in a sky-blue gown that reached her ankles. Rowland and Malchus in black suits with robes. A purple and gold robe for the emperor and light blue and silver for his son.
Rowland removed the gold crown from his head and walked towards the younger man, handing it out for him to take. Malchus reached for it, eager and smiling. The crown dissolved into ashes and was carried away by a gust of wind. Malchus's hands fell to his sides. Blue jeans and a worker's shirt replaced his robe and suit. Cantara and Rowland were similarly dressed.
All three looked at Dakota as though they were shocked to see him there. Cantara, eyes wide and fearful, said to him, "You shouldn't be here."
The image stretched back, growing smaller and smaller until it was a pinpoint of light in a sea of darkness. Dakota felt himself falling into the darkness, sinking deeper. He reached for the pinpoint, desperate to get back to his friend. But he continued to fall. The pinpoint winked out of existence. The darkness itself faded away into the slate gray walls of Event Horizon.
"Hey, Nate. Nathan!"
Dakota glanced around from face to face. The room spun, going from upside down to right-side up. Colors blurred together. And something painful coming from the ceiling. What was that? Light? Yes, it was the ceiling lights.
"Are you okay?" asked Cass.
"Yeah, fine," said Dakota, trying to control his breathing. How long had he been breathing that fast? Hard to tell. His heart raced as though he had just sprinted a mile.
"Are you sure?" asked Margo.
Dakota nodded. He rubbed his hand underneath his nose to make sure it wasn't bleeding. All clear. He hoped nose bleeds would not become a trend.
"You're okay with going to Vega?" Margo asked. That was genuine concern in her voice. How long had he been out of it?
"Yes. I just spaced for a second."
"It was a lot longer than a second," Cass replied.
"Did you see something?" asked Donovan, leaning forward.
"Yeah, maybe he had a vision." Hugo rolled his eyes.
"I'm serious."
"It was nothing, really," Dakota assured them. If only I could tell myself that. He asked Margo, "Any idea where we're going after Vega?"
"Not really. Probably Zeta II. Why?"
"No reason."
Margo then said to all of them, "Take off is in half an hour." She then left the room. Everyone else followed suit. Eli asked how Hugo was dealing with the injury, and Hugo responded without sarcasm. A good sign. They disappeared inside Hugo's room. Donovan then went to his room, and Cass gave Dakota another hug before doing the same. Dakota remained in the common area, the sound of the air ventilators humming quietly.
"What was your vision about?" asked Uriel, sitting down beside him.
Dakota shrugged, not sure how to put it into words. "Is there any chance we'll be going to Dionysus soon? In the next month or so?"
"I think that's up to Margo." Uriel stared at Dakota, worried. He asked, "Dakota, what did you see?"
"Hey, Nate, what are you waiting around for?" asked Cass, leaning in the entryway.
"Just getting my bearings." Dakota stood, and he and Cass left to join Margo in the navigation room. She had never allowed him in this room before. Surprisingly, Donovan was there, too. Margo punched in the coordinates for Vega, and the craft slowly rose into the air.
Watching the forest and the neighboring town disappear, Dakota thought about the vision, seeing Cantara and Rowland. Cantara telling him that he shouldn't be there. The crown turning to ashes. Were they in danger? Dakota had to know. He no longer cared about the risks. He had to get back to Dionysus, make certain they were safe. Help them. Let Margo honor her deal with Myrddin, if it meant going back to Dionysus, back to his friend.
Dakota was done running.
About the Author
Beck Todd is an independent science fiction and fantasy author living in Charleston, South Carolina. You can follow her at becktoddauthor.com.
Beck Todd, Event Horizon
