I can tell from his one-word answer I’m not going to be able to talk my way out of this.
We reach the bottom of the long staircase, and I look around theopen space. The ceiling is raised over the intersection of tunnels and stairs. I step toward the main area, but the guy nudges me to the left to another staircase leading down. This one is dark, not a single orb lighting the way. Walking down stairs with a pushy Oo’rahim at my back is quickly becoming one of my least favorite things.
“Is there someone I can talk to?” I ask, trying to delay going down there.
“Eventually.”
He says even less than I do. Aro loves to accuse me of being the surliest motherfucker out there. I can’t wait to tell him I found someone worse than me. Hey, we can’t all be Aros—with his endless energy and pathological optimism.
The farther down we go, the cooler it gets. I don’t mind the temperature, but I’m not getting a good feeling about where he’s leading me. A long, dark and narrow tunnel leads to a single light on the wall next to a smooth metal door.
This is a dungeon, if I’ve ever seen one.
With a shove, I’m in a small, unlit cell. I mark the Oo’rahim’s face into my memory. If it comes down to a shoot-out, I’m aiming for him first.
“What brings you to Sabaak?” a voice from the corner of the cell asks. This one has a long beard and eyebrows that go down his robes.
“I told your friend here?—”
“Brethren,” he barks, sharply interrupting me.
Oh yeah, that’s what they call each other. Another odd detail of their ideology.
“I told yourbrethrenalready,I crashed here.”
He narrows his eyes. “How did you find us?”
“I guess I just got lucky.” I shrug.
“That’s impossible. No one can get past the Halo?—”
The bearded Oo’rahim silences the other with a raised hand. He flinches, clearly intimidated.
It all starts to make sense. Somehow, they got their hands on a Halo, a powerful shield that prevents incoming and outgoingelectrical pulses. A Halo is capable of bringing down small aircraft, like lifepods, and even blocking signals for rescue. The invisible barrier is impossible to detect, and difficult to come by. They are used by people who don’t want to be found.
“Whatever you’ve got going on here is none of my business,” I say, trying to put them at ease.
“How do we know that you aren’t here to steal away the Golden One?” he asks.
“Shut up, you imbecile!" The bearded one raises his hand again. This time, it comes down hard across the face of the Oo’rahim who asked the question.
“Not here for your gold. I just need some food and water, and I’ll be on my way.”
“Yes, you will be leaving shortly.”
The way he says it sends a shiver down my spine. There is something about the look in his cold, dead eyes that makes me think I won’t be walking out of here. He’s got something closer to a body bag in mind for me.
“Good. We are on the same page,” I say, faking agreement.
“Page?” the bearded one asks.
“It means we agree.”
The Oo’rahim close the cell door behind them. On their way out of the dungeon, I hear muffled voices.
“Keep him away from her until we know what he’s doing here.”
He said her.
