Chapter 16
Corey was waiting at the subway exit for Warrior Davens to return. Voices coming from the right caught his attention and he turned to watch as Liam and Quinn Estro walked up, accompanied by a third man who he assumed was Sr. Commander Bond. Liam made the introductions.
“Warrior Corey Nash, this is Sr. Commander Bond.”
Corey shook hands with the commander who was assessing him. “Thank you for coming.”
“How goes the search for Lieutenant Saber?” Commander Bond asked.
“We believe we are less than twenty minutes behind them. They’ve tried to mislead us quite a few times but Lieutenant Saber was able to leave clues behind to help us track her.”
“What kind of clues?” Liam asked.
“Her blood was found periodically through the corridors where we were tracking their heat signatures. It helped greatly to point in the right direction.”
“Her blood?” Sr. Commander Bond looked shocked.
Corey nodded. “She’s a very smart warrior, she left small amounts for us to find. Some on the walls, a few drops on the ground. Once she even used her blood to make an arrow to point in the direction that they took.”
“Why are we at the exit for the subway station? I would have thought they were taking her to another tribe, or maybe even a dome,” Lieutenant Quinn Estro asked curiously.
“Her blood trail and heat signatures have led us here. I believe that they went aboveground.”
All three of the Drastan men looked at one another in confusion. Liam shook his head in denial. “That can’t be right. Why would they go aboveground when it’s still so contaminated with radiation? Nothing grows up there.”
“I have an idea but I would need for you to answer me honestly.” Corey had a suspicion that the reason they had been sent to the tunnel construction sites hadn’t been fully revealed to either him or Nix. The Estros were holding something back and he was going to get to the bottom of it.
Liam stiffened, but responded with a question of his own. “What have I not told the truth about?”
Oh hell no, Liam wasn’t getting out of having to answer him. His secrets could cost Nix her life. Corey stepped toward Liam, determined to get the truth. “We were sent here to check on the construction sites. Is that right?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Liam answered, but there was hesitancy in his voice.
“It was more than just doing a check up on the progress. What wasreallyhappening at the construction sites that you wanted us to investigate? Don’t you think we would have been better prepared if we’d known what we were looking for? Was this whole thing a set-up?”
Liam was silent. That was definitely telling. Corey was frustrated that Liam would still hold back information even after Nix had been taken. Apparently he wasn’t the only one frustrated with Liam’s refusal to answer.
“Captain Estro, answer the question,” Sr. Commander Bond snapped.
Sighing, Liam ran a hand through his hair. “We had reports that some of the materials and equipment were going missing. It started with just one or two tribe locations reporting missing small amounts, so we thought it was just miscounting or misplacing. Then it started spreading to more and more tribes undergoing construction. The amount of supplies missing increased and even more equipment was being taken. What confused us the most was that no one seemed to see anything, and even the security feeds we set up had moments of blurred or fuzzy images. My father, Commander Estro, met with his strategists, who advised him to keep this quiet until it was confirmed by someone we trusted implicitly—you and Lieutenant Saber were to be as unbiased as possible.”
“Why not just tell us this from the beginning?”
“The strategists didn’t want to taint your investigation.”
“In other words, they didn’t want to believe that humans could be stealing equipment out from under your noses. It would be an embarrassment to them if it got out. It might also inspire others to steal.”
“Yes.”
“We should have been made aware of what we were getting into. The resistance rebels are not just trying to stop progress on the tunnels and tribal living quarters; I believe they are trying to build a base aboveground.”
“What? Why would you think that?”
“While we stopped at a couple of tribes, I got information that workers were being taken aboveground for work they were told was top secret. I was also told that some of the air purifier systems had gone missing and had to be re-ordered from the command ship. Those supplies and equipment were clearly being put to use elsewhere, and I believe that the resistance leader is using them to build a base somewhere above ground.”
Quinn looked disbelieving. “Why not build a base below ground where it’s safer?”
Corey shook his head, “We have been searching for the resistance in the domes and the tunnels. The one place we’re not looking for them is…”
