Aestus, Book 1: The City

Aestus, Book 1: The City | Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The guard snapped to attention when the pair walked up to the elevator, saluting Gavin, and waved them through without so much as a question. Jossey followed, glad she'd asked Gavin to accompany her.

Apparently she was accompanying him, she thought, faintly amused.

The elevator, too, had a guard when they got on. He looked straight ahead as they entered, only quirking an eyebrow when the commander said, "Sublevel 4, Ministry of Intelligence."

Jossey noticed a second door in the elevator, on the opposite wall. She had a vague recollection of it opening onto a secret corridor that ran behind the standard SL-4 ring.

She almost smiled. Tark had loved this type of thing.

Gavin seemed to be thinking the same thing. She glanced sideways at him. He still didn't look at her.

She sighed to herself.

The elevator jumped, and began to descend.

One level. Two. Three.

As they descended, the guard keyed in a code and opened a small panel in the wall. He looked apologetic as he issued them wristbands, activating them with the touch of a button. They both displayed the same sequence of numbers. "For the Ministry's doors," he said. "One-time codes."

Gavin didn't even blink. Clearly he was used to this.

"It's for security, sir, miss," the guard said. "I know who you are."

Jossey took hers without comment. It was thin, made of the plastic material that only the Ministry had access to. It was flexible, and locked onto her wrist immediately when she slipped it on. She didn't know what kind of adhesive they used, but she knew it couldn't be removed without an instrument only security had.

She found it funny that even Commander Tskoulis of Patrol was required to wear a security badge. With a tracker.

In case he went rogue, or something. She didn't know.

She didn't care. She was willing to go through whatever hoops Intelligence required to get to her uncle's office.

The elevator slid open, revealing the second corridor. It was paneled differently than the normal inner and mid tunnels, with blue and green neon lighting strips along the edges, and it was very, very empty. She saw only one guard, pacing up and down.

How depressing, she thought.

She looked in both directions as they exited the elevator. The circle was quite large, the light fading before it curved into oblivion. She followed Gavin silently, half-running to keep up with his stride.

He finally turned to her, looking down at her, face inscrutable.

"If you're going to be on Patrol, you have to keep up," he said flatly.

She stared at him. His eyes were dark. Cold. More like Commander Tskoulis than the Gavin she knew.

She clamped her mouth shut and hurried after him, face burning.

The tunnel curved gently, and they followed the green lights until they came to an unobtrusive door in the outer side. Gavin stepped up to it, keyed in the code on his bracelet. She followed suit.

It hissed open.

They were at the end of a long straight corridor, with another guard at the end. The corridor was chilly.