A Silence Heard (20 page)

“Quit your vagueness, Agro. Tell what you know or say nowt,” I said and prodded him with my stick. He recoiled a tad then smirked.

“As you wish. I will seal my lips and keep from you things that may spoil your present glee.”

Secretive wolf-spawn. I grabbed him by the lapels on his coat and pulled him close. “Tell me what you know or…”

He yawned and said, “Or what? You’ll rough me up, again. Really, Adara, you are somewhat predictable.”

I grunted and let him go. He snickered and walked towards where Edwena sat. Eadgard clocked the direction he was going, and stopped him by putting his hand against his chest. “Stay where you are.”

“For what purpose?” Pratt said and flicked Eadgard’s hand away. He looked my Backpacker friend in the eye and leant forward. “You think you have won?”

“We have,” Eadgard said and took hold of Pratt’s shoulders.

The Agro did not struggle. “Down here, perhaps, but do you actually know what is occurring up there?” He rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling. Eadgard let his hands fall from Pratt, and the Agro scum brushed at his coat as if something filthy had been left there. I saw Eadgard’s fingers clench and he furrowed his brow. I thought he was about to open the wound I had left on the Agro’s mush, but he did not. Instead he turned away and marched to where Edwena sat, all tied up with a bandage stuffed into her gob. He pulled the gag out and she licked her swollen lips.

“You will not get away with this. Do you know how many we are? Do you think…”

Eadgard crammed the cloth back into her mouth. She gave out a coarse, muffled yell and kicked her legs out in an attempt to make contact with his shins.

“That is why I gagged you in the first place. Too much prattle. Too many idle threats.” He bent close to her. “I did not believe you before. I do not believe you now.”

“Believe what?”

“Nothing, Adara.”

“What has this wolfwhore been saying?”

“Lies to scare us that is all.”

“No. Edwena is telling the truth. Watch and fear,” Pratt said and walked over to the comps and sat down.

I followed him and stood behind his chair. He tip-tapped for a sec and an image sputtered onto the screen. It was the gravel track outside the triangular silo. I blinked and heard a low noise rise up from the comspeaker. Pratt swivelled round in his chair and beckoned for me to bend down.

I did.

“Take a good look, Adara, at what goes on above.”

Leaning close to the screen, I saw the building that had seemed strange. The one with and without windows at the same time.

As I peered at the screen, the almost hidden windows opened and what looked like a huge metal tube was thrust through. Below, a small group of black uniformed Agros appeared, and stood in one long line facing the pyramid silo where Wirt and the others hid.

The quiet noise that hummed from the comp became louder. I realised it was the thump, thump, thump of footsteps. A gut-churning sound of many feet pounding the ground in perfect unison.

“See and listen to the might of Agro power.”

Chapter Eighteen

Never Underestimate Your Enemy

Pratt leant back in the chair, pressed a button on the com, and the image disappeared. “Our army is on its way. Shall I press again and share the image with one and all?”

I straightened. “No. No need to dash hopes when only one side of the tale is told.”

“Meaning?”

“That we have bods aplenty too.” I would have argued further with the smug Agro when I caught sight of Kendra. What a transformation had occurred in her once brutalised face. Gone were the swollen cuts and red ringed slashes that uglified her perfect features. She noticed my stare and came over. The chief med fem Hildegunnr did too.

“All healed, my dear. These meds have skills beyond any I have seen.”

Behind me, I heard Pratt fiddle with the keyboard. I elbowed the back of his head and said, “Touch that com and I will smash your face into it.”

He stopped and Kendra gave me a squint-eyed look. I took her arm and led her away from the comps and Pratt. Hildegunnr followed and stared at me with such intensity that I almost felt she could see my innards. Kendra folded her arms. “What has come about?”

I took a breath. “The Agro have an army and it is near.”

“How near?”

“Not sure, but Pratt showed me some that are gathered outside.”

“We must tell the others. We must go back up to help Wirt.”

“I know, but we are few. How can we defeat an entire army?”

Our convo was cut short by an amplified sound of the marching I heard before. I snapped my head round to see Pratt standing to the side of the comp. He pressed a button and up on the big monitor came the view of the pyramid building and the silo opposite. Eadgard and the others walked slowly towards the huge screen. Pratt pressed another button and the image changed to a sea of black uniformed Agros marching.

“Still think you can win?”

“How far away are they?” Kendra said.

Pratt shrugged.

Brennus raced to the elevator. “We cannae leave the little ‘uns without protection.”

Eadgard joined him swiftly. I swear they would have jumped into the thing if Hildegunnr had not stopped them. She took a small transparent disc from her tunic pocket and aimed it at the rising and falling room.

The doors slammed shut.

“Are ye mad fem? Let us out,” Brennus said and both he and Eadgard tried to prise open the closed portal.

Pointing the thing again, the chief medi-fem drew an invisible line down the middle of the doors. The two males jumped back with a yell as the metal smoked, melted, and sealed the doors tight.

“It would be madness to attempt aid at this time,” Hildegunnr said and walked towards where I stood. She looked at me and I felt something slither down my back. “The army has not arrived yet, but you have, Adara. I’ve been waiting for you. They promised you would come and here you are. Praise the BabyCheesus.” She touched her forehead, chest, and left and right shoulder. Reminding me of the Praisebee traitor Lilith, and maybe not traitor, Elijah.

I gulped. Kendra stood in between her and me. Eadgard, clocking that something was afoot, walked briskly to my side. I looked around the room and saw a look of confusion on all present, all except for Pratt and Hacket. Who, quite recovered, was sitting on a bed, legs crossed and grinning as though the battle was already won.

Eadgard turned to Hildegunnr and wiped his hand across his brow. “What means this? Are you turning against us?”

She, still staring at me, answered, “Not at all.”

Pratt clapped his hands and went to Edwena. He took the gag from her mouth and untied her bindings. She coughed and rubbed her wrists. “If you will escort me?” she said and he held out his hand for her to take. She did and he helped her over to where Hacket reclined. Said Agro patted the mattress and they both sat next to him on the bed. “Ha! Thought you’d made an ally in that med fem huh?” Pratt said.

Eadgard flared his nose holes and stared hard into Hildegunnr’s eyes. Kendra half closed hers and I detected a look of jealous in them.

“I trusted you. You saved my life,” Eadgard said. He turned to me. “I cannot believe this fem would turn against us, not after she drugged the guards so that we could overcome them.” He pinched the bridge of his nose as though to stifle a sneeze and stood by Kendra. She took his hand and he pressed it to his lips.

I heard an echoing thud, turned, and saw Brennus kick the doors. “All this talk when our own are in peril. Never mind that loon, all of ye, come and help me break this thing down.”

Some of the ‘dults began to murmur under their breath and twist their necks as if dispelling some age old injury. Some looked to the floor and coughed, and some, straightened their tunics, walked over to the door and began to kick and punch it.

The solid barrier did not budge.

Brennus motioned them to step back and hurled himself sideways into it. He made a great ‘thunk’ sound as his massive shoulders clunked against the metal. But it remained firmly shut. His helpers pressed their shoulders into it and pushed with all their might. The thing remained closed. They tried once more, without result then stepped back panting.

With a slow clap and a smug grin, Hacket stood. “Nice try gents, but my med friend here is too good for the likes of you.” He walked over to Hildegunnr, stood beside her rigid bod and began to stroke her arm. She looked at him as though he was a bug and he pulled his hand away. Hacket sucked in his cheeks and addressed the males by the elevator. “That door cannot be broke. Agro Tech is beyond your puny abilities. Now, I suggest you all find a place to sit, or lie, and wait for what will be.”

Edwena and Pratt nudged each other and chuckled. Brennus put his fists to his forehead and leant against the wall. The other ‘dults stared at him for a sec and when he closed his eyes, they plodded over to a bed or two, and did indeed sit down. The meds huddled together by the comp desks and my bro and the other Meeks came to stand by me. Hacket leant close to Hildegunnr’s ear. He whispered something, she blinked, and he smiled.

“I’ve given her permission to begin the tests on you, Adara. I can’t honestly say that they won’t be painful.”

Eadgard lunged towards him, but Hildegunnr blocked his progress with her body.

“Let me pass, I will not allow harm to come to Adara,” he said and pushed her away.

The chief medi-fem stepped in front of me and waved a finger at Eadgard. “I have no intention of causing Adara, any harm.”

“Don’t see how you can avoid it when you begin your tests,” Hacket said and wandered back to Pratt and Edwena.

With a pursing of her lips, Hildegunnr looked Eadgard in the eye. “I will not carry out any tests.”

The newly cured Agro paused in his ambling and turned ‘bruptly. “What? But that is why you are here. To meddle with genetics, to discover things we can use.” He stared at her with lowered lids. “In fact, it is the only reason we allow you to be here. Do you dare defy those who have given you a home?”

In way of reply to his menacingly spoken words, Hildegunnr, bent her head, reached up and pulled her collar down and across her shoulder to reveal a deep, wide scar. She stood straight, stared at Hacket and said, “Some home. That Agro did this to me. He wants me to probe and prod, but I will not. The years I spent in Agro service are at an end. You see, I know about your voice, Adara.” She righted her collar, folded her arms and grinned. “I know a way to defeat the Agro army. Come, Adara, let us compose a tune to pelt them with.”

Something heavy turned inside my gut. I screwed up my eyes and opened them wide. Hildegunnr tilted her head, and stared at my face. “You are quite flushed and ready to perspire. May I suggest you slip behind one of the partitions and relieve yourself.”

What with all the fraught and fright, my bod had seemingly shut down that part that needs to plop. Now that things were not so immediate, my innards were screaming to me for release. I nodded, walked quickly to the back of the room and slid behind one of the windbreaker thingy’s.

They hid two white plop bowls and I saw a medi-male standing beside one of them, holding a glass jar with what looked like a tiny creature with a head, three arms, two legs and, I swear, a bony tail, floating inside. He quickly flipped open the lid, threw the contents in and flushed. I was about to say, “What the huff is that?” and “Is this what you get up to down here?” when he briskly shoved past me and left.

I near spilled upon the floor so much in need was I of squirt and ploop. I went to the other bowl, yanked down my troos, lifted the lid and cared not for who could hear what, whilst I gushed and blasted until quite drained. I gave a goodly sigh, then a shudder, pressed the metal button behind the bowl and exited the place for getting rid of things unwanted. I washed my hands in the sinks at the back of the med room and went to where Hildergunnr sat at a cluttered desk to the left of the comps shelves.

The other meds hurried towards her, but she waved her hand at them and they scuttled back to the corner of the room. I saw Kendra standing by my Bro and a few Meeks. She beckoned to me and, although keen to know what was to come next, walked over to where my friend stood beside Eadgard and the others. He grinned and turned to Hacket.

“I was right to think Hildegunnr an allie. May I suggest that you take your own advice to sit down and wait to see what will be.”

Hacket folded his arms across his chest and remained where he was. Kendra turned to me. “It would appear, my dear, that you must become cosy with that medi-fem so as to dismiss the Agro threat.”

I looked to my friends. “I do not have that much power to fell an entire army. She is, as Brennus said, a loon of the highest order.”

Deogol and Esme exchanged a meaningful glance. “Sis, I reckon that fem is up to the task. She healed us all, even those that were close to death. We will work on a way to scupper their weapons.”

“And we,” Kendra said indicating Eadgard, “will try and make contact with the others.”

“Eh? What others?”

“I told you, my dear, we are not alone.” She took Eadgard’s hand, led him to another comp and both sat facing the screen.

I scratched my noggin.

Deogol, Esme and the other Meeks, sat down next to my friends and began to hit button after button. Images appeared then disappeared and I began to feel all-dizzy with the cutting to and fro of pics I did not recognise. So, I was more than glad when Hildegunnr waved to me and smiled. “Come. Sit.”

I shrugged, shook my head, then slouched over to Hildegunnr and sat next to her. I leant back in the seat ready to give over to dumb. With eyes all but glazed, I near fell into a slumber, but my attention became aroused when I happened to glance down at her desk. It was large and wooden, unlike the rest of the shelves and whatnots in the room. I touched its rough surface and noticed that as well as the comp, it was strewn with bits of broken devices and oddments made of materials I had never seen before.

She bent her head low over the keypad and her hair fell forward to reveal large ears. I tried not to stare but she must have felt my gaze, for she quickly covered said hearing holes with her thick black locks. She raised her head and said, “I will play some tunes and when you hear something of significant tone, we shall try it out.”