Blood in the Fire

Chapter Nine In The Dark

Prison Caves - November 2184

Elizabeth

I called them the prison caves because this detention center was built inside an underground maze of hollowed out chambers and tunnels. The wizards had only a very basic defense system around the planet. Captives and guards were the only inhabitants. However, the detention was virtually impossible to break into or out of because the layout was in constant flux. The caves and the passages that connected them shifted their location at random.

Furthermore, a force field prevented teleports that lacked the proper authorization. Merador claimed he knew a member of The Omniscients who'd been working as a prison guard at the facility. He gave us the access protocols we needed. Convenient. Anyone who tried to enter or exit without them would set off a security alarm.

My stomach jumped as I materialized in the prison. Gravity on this planet was heavy. I ignored the uncomfortable pull as I searched the darkness for my boyfriend. Finally, my ill-adjusted eyes fell upon Anton kneeling on the cave floor, with his back against a wall. Is he hurt? He wasn't much more than a shadow. In his left hand, he held a small monitor. My heart pounded as I closed the distance between us and tried to search his outline for injuries.

I'm fine, he said telepathically while looking in my general direction. I didn't know if his eyes were adjusted enough to see my face. I couldn't see his, but hearing his voice in my mind was like having a wave of calm energy flow over me. It had the opposite effect on Luke. I had warned him that we would be communicating through telepathy down here. That didn't stop him from letting an expletive slip when Anton's voice filled his head. I put my forefinger to my lips to remind him that we needed to be silent.

I wanted to embrace my pig-headed counterpart. Instead, I ducked close to the wall where I would be less visible, and I motioned for Mark and Luke to do the same. My sense of anxiety subsided. I noticed, for the first time, the damp, rotting smell inside the caves. We would have to be careful not to hyperventilate while on this oxygen-rich planet. Honestly, that was the least of my concerns. Wizard guards and built-in weapons, sensors, and security features were bigger threats.

Now that we were inside, telepathic communication and teleportation were limited to a radius of three miles. From the outside, Tamer could monitor the wizard security, relay messages, and serve to expedite evacuation if need be. As an extra precaution, I'd decided to carry a small laser weapon. It looked like Anton had clipped one to his belt as well.

Anton took my free hand in his and squeezed. I still couldn't see his face, but I heard the soft smile in his voice when he whispered, "those were nasty spells you pulled with Merador."

I shrugged and moved around him to peer down the hall. I could have done worse. You know where we're going? I asked telepathically. I didn't feel comfortable making any noise down here, even if Anton thought it was safe.

This way, he replied while studying his monitor. It was programmed to project sonar-like signals to determine the current cave configuration and display it on his device. Infrared sensors were used to detect nearby wizards.

We had no idea where Eln was being held, but Anton had built-in some search optimization parameters. Realistically, with the caves shifting the way they were, finding Eln would be a matter of luck.

As planned, Anton took the lead, followed by Luke and Mark, while I brought up the rear. Dim lights spaced along the cave wall at fifteen-foot intervals were our only source of illumination. The lamps only covered a radius of about five feet, leaving gaps of ominous darkness in between.

I didn't think my brothers understood the danger we faced, but they were tense. Their rapid advances and stiff posture confirmed they were watching their backs. We'd only walked a few meters before we made it to the next bend. The four of us piled up against the wall and waited for Anton to finish scanning around the corner. No wizards, two sensors, two anti-intrusion measures: one gas, one laser fire, he told us telepathically. Then, he set to work disabling the sensors and anti-intrusion weapons. I moved back to a better position for guarding our rear. With the caves shifting, a wizard could sneak up on us or we might find ourselves within a sensor's line of sight. I squeezed the palm-sized laser gun in my hand.

Even with most of the spells prepared, it took Anton almost ten minutes to disable everything. He was careful not to trigger alarms while he worked. We all waited in anxious silence until Anton announced All clear. I sensed uncertainty through the telepathic link. His heartbeat was racing.

The only way to find out if he'd missed something was to turn the corner. I shifted closer to Mark as Anton proceeded-attack spells at the ready. I listened for warnings that we'd been detected. Once he was out of sight, I listened for the sound of a body hitting the ground, but heard nothing. Laser guns were silent. Luke disappeared around the corner. Silence. Mark ducked around and I followed. A relieved sigh escaped my lips when I saw them all slinking before me.

Suddenly, a thick arm wrapped around my neck and grabbed me from behind.