Zen paced her cell like a stalking tiger making Stephan grin. “Relax Zen. Palomera won’t try her tricks on us again. Edline is safe. Besides, she's still out according to Rafael.”
“It’s not Palomera I’m worried about! It’s Mira. She’s capable of anything now that she doesn’t have her father’s backing.”
“What can she do?”
Zen stops pacing. “I don’t know but I have a real bad feeling about her, waterboy.” She sat on the edge of her cot and pulled her knees up, resting her chin on them.
Stephan sighed and strode over to the bars separating them.
“Come here,” he said, grabbing hold of the bars.
She sighed and stood, walking over to the bars and sliding her hand into his. They entwine their fingers. “I don’t trust your fiance, Stephan.”
“Neither do I Zen, but she wouldn’t sell out her people. She cares about them.”
“I’m not so sure.”
Stephan pulled her slightly and she blended between the shadows, sinking into their inky depths with a squeal and reappearing on Stephan’s side with another breath. They stared at one another before she checked around her for the possible cause.
“The shadows,” she pointed to the black silhouettes covering the floor and walls. “I went through them.”
“You are part shadow elemental and Isaias can do the same.”
She held onto him. “I have no idea how I did it. How do I get back?”
He kissed her forehead. “We’ll figure it out later. Come on, let's sleep a little. My cot isn’t drenched, since I took out all the water.”
Zen grinned. “I forgot you could do that.”
He winked. “I can do a lot of things.”
Zen blushed for once understanding the innuendo. “Stephan!”
He chuckled and led her to his cot where he lay with his back against the moldy wall.
Zen laid back with her back to his front and his arms came around her stomach holding her to him. She smiled and closed her eyes. Still, a niggling worry gnawed at her. She knew that Mira was capable of anything now. She had lost the respect of everyone if she ever really had it, but she had lost control of her father and she had lost Stephan for good. She would not be happy when she woke up from the crystal daze. Zen snuggled closer to Stephan. We’ll deal with her when we are free. Let us at least rest a bit before we mess with her again.
###
The plane set down on the barren wasteland. All around them were craters full of lava. It was a miracle the pilot had found a landing strip out here.
“Eso significa que hay personas aqui,”(That means there are people out here.) Cecile said as they disembarked their state-of-the-art jet and walked down to the barren ground. Each Don was wearing a plastic suit that protected them from the heat and ash. It resembled a biochemical suit but was made out of lightweight plastic. It had gloves and boots but D’Angelo preferred his combat boots and Cecile also preferred her high heels as inconvenient as they seemed. Don Kiko was wearing a full suit and Don Arrio wore only a mask and gloves. Behind them, their two brigades of soldiers had spread out and begun their search wearing breathing masks and gloves. As Cecile whined for the nth time, D’ Angelo wondered if Don Vasquez would mind if he pushed his wife into a crater of lava. He turned to walk to the north when his audio radio frequency screeched, He winced.
“Sorry sir, we are still getting used to nomadic tech. We found something you should see. Northeast of where you stand, sir.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant. We’ll be right there.”
He turned to the others and signaled them. “My lieutenant found something interesting to the northeast so I’m going to check it out. Anyone coming?”
“I’ll go,” Bernado said while Cecile shook her head.
“Yo me quedo aquí. Mi constitución no fue hecha para este terreno.” (I’ll stay here. My constitution wasn’t made for this terrain.)
“I’ll stay with my wife,” Kiko said, placing a hand over Cecile’s shoulder and steering her towards the plane.
“Be my guest.” He turned to Bernado and gestured with his head. “Let’s go check it out then.”
Bernado nodded and they began their trek northeast. It was a twenty-minute walk and by the end of it, both men were sweating profusely.
“This heat is a killer eh D’ Angelo?”
“Yes, it is. I have no idea how nomads live out here?”
“They must live underground or something, like lizards most likely.”
“Hmm.”
A few minutes later, they saw what their men had seen. There was a ship parked at another landing strip but every time they went near it several shields went up. A shield of water encapsulated the ship and another silver one reflected anything metal used on the ship including explosives.
“The ship is well-protected, sir. We aren't getting in.”
“What about swimming into the shield and undoing the locking mechanism from the inside?”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The lieutenant shook his head. “The water is weighted, sir. We send in someone and they will be crushed by the weight of it.”
“Clever mechanism don’t you think,” said Bernado as he walked around the ship looking for a way in.
“I’d hate to say it but this was smart security. We can’t enter because we’d have to swim through liters of weighted water and…,” he dropped his earring in the glove and dropped his glove into the water. It was roughly sucked in and stuck to the ship’s hull. “We’d be trapped under the water by any metal we carry. Possibly by the metal in our own bodies till the water squeezed us to death. Vicious but effective.”
“Hmm, I’ll tell the men to stand down then and search for some caves,” said D’Angelo.
Bernado turned to him. “Why caves?”
“Wasn’t it you that said these nomads would hide underground like lizards?”
“Ahh, I see. Well, good luck with that. This area is riddled with caves. We don’t have enough men to check all of them.”
“Then we’ll wait for them. They can’t hide forever”
“That’s probably for the best,”
###
Mira scowled at her ragged image and wished she had something to throw at the mirror in front of her. All of her privileges had been taken from her. She had been moved from her special room in her house to a soldier’s settlement with nothing but a coarse brush, and a mirror, along with one dresser and a cot! Not even a real bed! She kicked her legs into the metal ground and screamed, launching the only thing she had, her brush, at the mirror and hearing a satisfying crack. I am a beauty! I deserve more than this! Father will pay! A soft crackling came from her walkie-talkie then, catching her attention. The crackle became discernible words.
“Then we’ll wait for them. They can’t hide forever”
“That’s probably for the best.”
She grinned, these must be the people after that girl Zen! She turned the radio higher.
“What do we do now sir?”
The signal was scratchy at best but she could make out the next words.
“Start searching the caves.”
Mira froze. Her people were in danger! She should hand this over to her father but...maybe I can talk to them and make them a deal. The girl for leaving us alone? No, these people were told to be ruthless but...if I could get rid of the danger surely they wouldn’t fight us, right? Mira bit her lip and picked up the walkie-talkie she had spent nights listening for any signs of Stephan. A tear ran down her face and she wiped it away pressing the button.
“This is three-four. I have what you are looking for. If you promise not to hurt my people, I will hand her over to you.”
A loud screech and then D’Angelo’s seductive tenor voice came on. “I’m listening.”
###
Zen was torn from Stephan by the guard.
“How did you get in here? Weren’t you in a different cell?”
“No, you put us together. We shared that small mattress all night. Is it time to leave?” she asked while Stephan sat up and yawned. His crystal blue eyes were slightly hazy from sleep but were becoming more alert as time went by and he took in the situation. Zen looked pointedly at the guard. Ishevara can you create memories?
I can. What do you wish for, Guardian?
I just want a simple memory of this guard putting Stephan and me in this cell together for this guard. I don’t think anything else is needed. I’m already messing with his head, poor guy. You need to touch his forehead for a minute with your index finger. I’ll stop time as well.
Zen nodded and Ishevara began to glow, catching the guard's attention.
“What is that thing doing?”
Zen shrugged. “Ishevara is her own person. Sometimes she glows on her own.”
Stephan’s eyes widened and then time stopped. She could see the guard blinking very slowly. Shrugging she put her index finger on his forehead and began to glow for a minute before everything snapped back to motion. She took her finger off the guard's head before that. The guard blinked and then nodded. “Yes, you two were the prisoners that were brought in together. I must have stuffed you into the same cell. I’m very sorry about that. Here let me take you to another cell.”
Zen nodded and just when the guard was taking her to her real cell, Mira showed up.
“I’ll take her from here, Keenda. Father wants to speak with you about...something.”
Keenda glared at Mira but handed the keys to the cell to her. “She still has seven hours of imprisonment left, Mira. Make sure she completes them.”
“Of course Keenda.”
As soon as Keenda was down the steps, Mira grabbed Zen and shoved her down the steps.
“Wait where are we going? Aren’t you going to put me back into my cell?” asked Zen as she was dragged down to the double doors that led to the exit.
“No, I’m turning you in. You have been a thorn in my side and a threat to my people. I’m giving you to the Dons.”
Zen froze.”Mira, tell me you didn’t tell them where I am. Please!”
“They are on their way here to get you.”
Zen rushed Mira and punched the girl in the face. “You reckless girl! You’ve put everyone in danger! I’m telling your father. He has to get ready for an invasion thanks to his daughter!”
Mira spit some blood from a bitten cheek out. “They only want you! If you go quietly they will leave us alone. They promised me this.”
“You are foolish and naive! They will destroy everyone to get me! Just because they can! You put more than a hundred people in danger, Mira! Dons have no honor!” It has taken me a while to see past their cheerful charade but I have! They are gangsters who are after nothing but profit and you led them straight to your door. Congratulations Mira. You are completely corrupted in thinking of no one but yourself and self-gain.” Zen snatched the keys from Mira and turned to head back to the containment rooms.
“Wait where are you going?”
“To free Stephan and tell your father of your massive fuck up. He needs to get ready for an invasion.”
Mira stood and collected metal into a knife. “You are not telling him anything! You are coming with me!”
Zen glared and glowed outstretching her hand and unmaking the knife before punching Mira with everything she had in the stomach felling the girl. Mira wheezed and coughed holding on to her bruised abdomen. Zen glared at her and then turned and took off running for the containment rooms reaching Stephan’s cell and undoing the lock.
“Come on waterboy. We’re about to have company.”
Stephan narrowed his eyes but got out of the cell and followed Zen to Rafael’s study where the man was deep in a meeting with another chief.
Zen tapped the door urgently until the door was opened by an irate Rafael.
“You two! You still have seven hours to go. I don’t have time for this! Whatever Mira has done…”
“Mobilize your men. Your daughter sold you out to the Dons.”
Stephan turned large eyes to her. “What do you mean Zen?”
“Mira made a deal with them. She’d show them the way here and give me to them if they didn’t harm anyone but you know the Dons. Arm your men Rafael. They are coming for us through the front gate!”
Rafael stuttered backward in surprise. “Mira did this?”
Zen nodded. “She thought she could trust the words of a Don and get rid of me. She’s just a child Rafael, but you have to mobilize your men soon. I don’t know how close they are to us.”
A loud boom sounded across the caves.
“Too late. They’re here,” whispered Rafael.