Chapter 61

Amnon Saxe sprinted away from Katherine’s transport and aimed for the thickest grouping of people.  It wouldn’t be impossible for the guards to pick him up from a crowd, but it would be a lot harder than if he headed for the fringes of the plaza.  His chest pounded and his nerves were on edge.

As he wove his way through the throng, he fought with the snippets of Keetha that flashed through his mind.  Her eyes.  Her laugh.  That time she all but dared him to enter this fight.  The delightful dinners and occasional fights.  The images of her getting shot and being surrounded by soldiers.  It was all too much.  Amnon fought against tears, against sobs, against throwing it all away.  He was in this fight because of her.  She had sold him on the vision of a free Merlain, a return to the days before Dol.  But now, if everything was successful, it would be a free Merlain without her.  Was that even worth it?

Amnon shook that thought free from his mind.  Of course, it was worth it.  He told himself that she didn’t care about her life outside of a free Merlain.  Keetha Cata would have died a thousand times if she could help aid the overthrow of Chieftan Dol and spark a desire within her fellow citizens to return to simpler days.  Amnon wiped his eyes and continued to make his way, under the crowd’s cover to the rear of the prison building.  With Keetha gone, he had one more commitment to make, and then he would return to the safe house and figure out what was next.

He made his way around the perimeter of the building, knowing that he was now totally exposed.  Amnon needed to get into the building and soon.  The plaza was still a huge distraction, but that wouldn’t last forever.  As he turned around a corner of the building, he began to hear Saw Yatha’s voice reverberate from the plaza.  Hoping whatever Saw said would buy him some time, Amnon picked up his pace to find an appropriate access point.  He tried several doors with his security access, but it failed every time.  Amnon grunted his frustration that his access had been revoked so quickly.  That would make what he had to do that much harder.

Amnon’s eyes brightened when he saw a door propped open.  He gingerly approached it, certain he would have to fight the person or persons behind it.  He craned his head around the door’s edge and saw no one.  Then, Amnon hesitantly peered into the building.  Still no one.  Not wanting to press his luck by waiting, Amnon ran down the corridor until he came to a service elevator.  The door opened easily enough, and he pressed the button for the executive floor.  

His body continued to move.  Tapping his foot and huffing out his spent air, Amnon’s eyes locked on the screen telling him how much longer till he reached his destination.  Just a few more floors, he tried to calm himself, and you’ll make things right with her.

The elevator reached the proper floor and the doors opened.  Amnon was surprised to see Tovan Quill.  Tovan’s eyes widened and he pushed Amnon back into the elevator and pressed him to the back of the box.  The elevator doors slid closed behind them.

“Are you stupid?” Tovan hissed.  “They’re trying to kill you.”

“Thank you.  I wasn’t aware,” Amnon replied.  “Let me off. I need to something.”

“Yeah, well, I’m under orders, we all are, that if we find you, we’re to turn you in, or kill you, whichever makes sense at the time.”

“You haven’t killed me.”

“Not yet.”  Tovan pressed the button for the top floor of the building.  “What’s really going on?  It doesn’t make sense that you’re part of a plot.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

“Disappoint?”  Tovan laughed.  “This has been the most exciting day.  Have you heard about Dol?”

Amnon just stared at Tovan.  His mind was still working to see if there was a way escape and do what he needed to do.

“I heard from someone in Dol’s building.  No one has seen the Chieftain for days, Saw Yatha has been holed up in Dol’s office for about as long, and now the place is in flames.”  Tovan checked Amnon’s reaction.  “Seems suspicious, yeah?”

“How do you mean?”

“You have got to be kidding me.  I think Dol knew of your, what is it, a revolt?  He knew about it, fled the realm, and placed Saw in charge to goof things up.  Then he’ll be back after everything’s a mess and clean it up.”

“Hmm,” Amnon managed.  “Did you see the Coellum ships making their way here?”

Tovan’s eyes widened again, then his smile spread.  “You’ve really made a mess of things, haven’t you?  That is if you’re really a revolutionary.”

“I don’t see how I can convince you otherwise.  Now, can I get on with what I came here for?”

Tovan shook his head.  “Soldiers are clearing all the floors.  You’re glad I caught you when I did.  They are making sure no one is left who might be loyal to you.  I was the last one on that floor and the soldiers were due there any moment.”

“There’s something on that floor.  There’s something I need to get, or do, or – “ Amnon stammered.

“Take a breath,” Tovan said. “I’ve decided I’m not going to turn you in.”  Amnon turned his head to check Tovan’s face.  It looked sincere, but Amnon wasn’t sure who he could trust.  Not anymore.  Not in this building.  “Doesn’t matter to me if you want to make a mess of things, it’s been the most out-of-the-ordinary day I can remember.  Why would I want it to come to an end?  So, I’m not going to turn you in.  But I also can’t have you captured by the soldiers either.  That would put an end to all the excitement.  Yes?  Here’s my thought.  We’ll stop this on the floor above.  I’ll double-check your floor is clear and bring you down through that; you know I never learned what it was called; the chute across from your office, the supplies would come on.”

“I never learned what that was called either, but I know what you mean,” Amnon smiled.

“Right.  You wait there, and I’ll bring you down.”

Amnon nodded.

The two men waited in silence until the elevator reached the proper floor.  As swift as well-trained soldiers, Tovan and Amnon hustled through the corridors and office spaces until they came to the chute.  Tovan raised the door, and Amnon slid inside and sat on the platform.  “Stay put,” Tovan said as he closed Amnon in.

Amnon wasn’t sure if this was a good idea or if he’d just allowed himself to be trapped like a gullible child.  As he waited and considered his options, the more it likely didn’t matter.  Either Tovan was being honest and might prove a momentary ally, or Amnon had actually been trapped the moment he stepped into the prison building.  The only difference at this point, was the building offered the illusion of escape.  But if Tovan was right and soldiers were systematically evacuating the building, it would only be a matter of time before Amnon was discovered, in the chute or somewhere else in the building.

So, Amnon chose to enjoy the moment of still and quiet.  The darkness of the chute helped him forget the chaos on the plaza and the tragedy of Keetha.  It all seemed like a bad dream and far away.  Then the platform in the chute began to slowly lower.  It came to a stop and the chute door slowly rose.  Amnon was relieved to see Tovan’s face, but also scanned it to see if Tovan had sold him out.

“They’re on the opposite side of the floor.” Tovan whispered.  “Whatever you have to do, do it quickly.  I’ll do what I can to help them avoid this side as long as I can.”

Amnon nodded and slipped out of the chute.  He wove his way along the familiar path to his office.  There, like the faithful assistant she was, Keetha’s desk sat ready for work next to his office.  A wave of grief washed over him as the reality and finality of his loss reached his whole being at once.  In the distance, he heard Tovan’s voice saying something to the soldiers, which helped Amnon get on with his task.

She said it was in her desk.  Amnon quietly opened her drawers until he found a hand-carved wooden box with a note on top that said FOR AMNON.  He reached for the box and opened it.  Inside the box was a signal gun.  Unsure what he was to do with it, Amnon looked at the note.  In Keetha’s confident handwriting, he read: I’m sorry that I won’t get to see this, but know I loved you and wanted to spend my last moments with you.  It was such a joy to join you in this adventure.  As for the gun, open my window, aim at the sky, and pull the trigger.  I have one last thing to say before I’m forgotten.

Amnon wiped the tears with the back of his hand as he pocketed the note and slid the window by her desk open.  He held the gun firmly in both hands, aimed the barrel at the sky, and pulled the trigger.  A loud explosion launched something into the sky, and a few moments later, there was a second explosion that sent a red powder flying in all directions.  When the cloud had dispersed, in its place was a message in blue smoke: GIVE MERLAIN BACK TO MERLAIN!

Amnon let his tears flow freely down his face as he smiled and laughed.  What a fighter she was.  His love for her grew in that moment until it felt like his chest would burst.

“Amnon Saxe,” came the gruff voice behind him, “drop the weapon and place your hands in the air.  Saw Yatha would like to have a word with you.”