Remember Me (ONC2020) ✔

Chapter 19

Runan paced the slight stretch of flat earth in their hiding nook among the fragrant pines. While Tunia monitored the royals' positions, Ju'rah, back in his actual body, looked over her shoulder, making her blush and tense with the attention. Soft footsteps approached, and Solara embraced Runan.

"You'll wear a hole in the ground and alert them we're here," she said.

"What if Tunia's right and Ita's is gone for good?"

"We can't assume she is. You survived this once. I'll be with you if the worst happens again."

Pinecones crunched as Tunia stood. "They're coming through the tunnel. We have a minute or two."

Ju'rah grabbed a rifle and passed another to Runan. "I hope you're still a good shot. We'll wound everyone but the queen then lure her away from the pack." Ju'rah held out pairs of handcuffs the Uppers had used on Runan. "We'll use these to control the others. Once they click shut, there's an activation key to keep them electrified and ready to shock when there are sudden movements." Ju'rah tossed a nylon bag of cuffs to Runan.

"Do you think Ita's still in there?" Runan asked.

"If she is, seeing you, Solara and I should help coax her to the front of the queen's mind."

"Positions," Tunia called.

Runan kneeled behind a boulder and loaded his rifle. He aimed it down at the landing point, near the almost camouflaged tunnel entrance. After the ground rumbled like a disgruntled beast, a diagonal line split through the rock. A dark hole spat out a pod slightly larger than the one Runan and the others had commandeered.

Tunia signalled to wait as she played on her holo-screen. After the pod's engines stopped, the top of the vehicle opened, exposing most of its passengers. The driver jabbed at buttons to close it, but his cursing meant Tunia was winning. The tunnel door closed behind them, and no one answered their efforts to call for help on the radios.

In the first two rows, passengers in royal guard uniforms readied their weapons while the last two held riders huddled together, wearing the bright colours of royals. Two women were younger, one as old as Messita and the other in her early teens. A younger boy peeked around the forest until a red hand pulled him into the shadows.

"It's her," Tunia mouthed.

Runan nodded and inhaled to steady his aim. He and Ju'rah would take the first shots once Tunia confirmed everything was okay. The rest would follow with non-lethal rounds. They needed these people alive if they wanted public sympathy, but they also couldn't have anyone escape and warn others.

As the passengers refused to move, Ju'rah picked up a medium rock and threw it to the edge of the bush where none of their allies were hiding. It cracked and skipped across the hard ground. The employees in the pod scoured the area without leaving their seats. All four had blast coil weapons pointed in different directions. Runan's muscles ached in memory of what happened at the farmhouse.

The driver huffed. "We've been cut-off from outside communication."

"Do you think Lowers did this?" a guard in the second row asked.

Two men laughed. "It's one of our people, maybe a sympathizer or a disgruntled former employee."

"Stop theorizing and go!" the queen's voice boomed. "Open the tunnel."

"We can't."

"Pry or blast it."

"With all due respect your highness, if it were that easy to breach the royal residence, your life would be in significant danger."