Claustrophobia

Chapter Nine - Xylaris - 5

The wind whipped at their hair as they sped along the rocky road, gravel occasionally flicking up into the belly pan of the Zoomus. They were headed away from the resort and into the barren wilderness, following a trail that snaked through the bloody crags. Z9 held on tight as Kron hustled around the corners. Despite the danger, she wished he'd pick up the pace.

Z9's Halo-Core beeped as they came to a fork nestled deep in the pass. Kron pulled to a stop and looked down both alleys. Each one gave him a blank, unresponsive stare, refusing to spill its secrets. 'Any ideas which one he went down?'

'I've got the coordinates from Carmen. Put this into the Navi. XY-1287-5-HOR.'

Kron typed it into the interface between the handlebars and the system began to process. 'You think that's where he's going?'

'Let's hope so.'

A moment later and a blip appeared on screen. 'It's about ten miles up ahead.'

'That'll be where he's going.'

Kron kicked on the anti-grav again and took off down the canyon.

The Abyssal Cluster shimmered overhead like a watchful ghost. Every time Z9 looked up towards it she shivered. For the life of her, she couldn't fathom why Kassre DyGleyre would want to come here most of all, of all places.

Kassre DyGleyre. It didn't seem as if she had anything to do with Mysen and Ser-Serad, but you could never tell. When they'd met in that shop off-board, Kassre had changed. Now she was insightful, and lacked the innocence that followed her like a shadow. There was something there, but Z9 couldn't work it out. When they had spent the night together she had returned to her youthful naivety. That other woman had been nowhere in sight.

'You were on the ship spying on DyGleyre, weren't you?' Z9 called to the policeman above the wind.

Kron didn't register the question at first, then laughed. 'I guess the game is up, huh?'

'And that was your camera in her bathroom?'

'You got me.'

'Fucking pervert.'

'Putting a camera in the main room is obvious. Bathroom, however? Might get missed.'

Z9 punched his back, almost sending them against a rock wall. 'You're still a pervert.'

Kron knew that nothing he said would be able to exonerate him from that particular point of Z9's wrath. He hadn't suggested putting the camera there (that had been the idea of his boss), but she wasn't about to believe him any time soon.

The rocky walls started to thin out, and there was a faint, blinking red light moving in the dust cloud ahead.

'That's him,' Kron said as he piled on the gas.

Z9 looked over his shoulder to the little NaviMap on the dashboard. They were only a mile or so away from the coordinates. She wriggled her fingers and took her Alpha from the holster. 'Can we catch him before we get there?'

Her question was answered as a large, shimmering barrier of blue light began to materialise in front of them. Kron revved the engine for all it was worth and put his head down to streamline them for that extra few inches of distance gained before the shield materialised completely, and ripped them apart.

The world slowed. Z9's heartbeats spread out as she prepared to bail at the last possible moment. The ground would rip her up, but at least she might live. She held her breath like a child holding a teddy.

The blue was like a beckoning ocean, calling them closer, closer...

And then they were through. The barrier solidified inches away from the rear port and Z9 felt the air ripple as it shivered into its brick-wall existence behind them.

Z9 went to let the air out of her lungs, but it was ripped away from her as a gun blast smacked into the ground near the Zoomus. She brought up the Alpha and aimed atop the rock. A glint of red light off metal revealed her target, and with a skilful and well-placed shot, she brought down the sniper.

'Close one,' Kron laughed.

'Don't get cocky. We're only just alive.'

They crested a lip in the earth. Down below them in a small basin was a base, its walls black to absorb what little heat there was out here in the middle of nowhere. Its central building sat like a bulbous spider, with several out-buildings sticking out like limbs. Slamming into the front door was the stolen Zoomus, with Ser-Serad leaping from the vehicle. He spun to face them, and Z9 saw the snarl on his face.

He gave a quick chop of his hand towards them before he opened the door and ducked inside.

Kron threw the Zoomus behind a blasted outcrop as several guards posted around the base began to open fire on them.

'Are we trapped by any chance?' Kron looked nervous, and for the first time sweat glistened on his brow. Detectives weren't built for assaults on secret bases; they fired a gun mainly in self-defence. Z9 got the feeling that Carmen had done a lot of the work coming to get her out of that dingy cell, and Kron had taken out one or two foot soldiers along the way when he had to. This was different, however, and he wasn't prepared for it.

'This will be simple,' Z9 said, checking the canister again (which was almost full, having fired only once). 'We spin out, fire, and spin back in. Those things can't bore through solid rock.'

A large chunk of rock crumbled a foot away from them, spitting grit into their eyes. A large stone sliced across Z9's hand and drew blood. She sucked it and let her tongue taste the blood. A useful way to get yourself wired; taste your blood that an opponent has drawn. Nothing like it.

'You sure this will work?' Kron asked.

Z9 shook her head. 'But we've got no option. We've got to kill the bastard, and there's only one way in.'

Kron sighed and checked his own weapon. 'I didn't want to die just yet. I wanted to know who won next year's HyperGP.'

Z9 smiled. 'I'd take your money off Lar.4G. I think he's had enough excitement for a lifetime.'

Kron laughed. 'If I survive this, I think I'll be putting my money on him just because I can. A survivor splash-out.'

'Get ready to put your money where your mouth is, then.'

They looked at each other and inhaled deeply. Held it. Out they breathed.

'Go.'