Chapter Six

Chapter Six

 

It was a disconcerting feeling, hurtling through time and not knowing when or where she was going.  It was not something with which Irin had a lot of experience, and that bothered her because she was adept at almost everything that had to do with Weaving �" except landings.  That fact was made painfully clear when she dropped back into existence, landing on a hard floor and rolling until her body smacked into something hard and solid.  Groaning, she rolled away from the object to lie flat on her back, trying to catch her breath. 

 

Her stranger was already halfway up a staircase across the room when he heard her less than graceful entrance, and he froze, watching her with concern. 

 

Irin finally opened her eyes after a few seconds to take in her surroundings.  From what she could see, it looked like a cellar of some sort, and the object she had crashed into was a large wooden barrel of alcohol.  Propping herself up on her elbows, she finally caught sight of her quarry on the stairs, looking for all the world as if he were about to bolt, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to catch him this time.  “No, wait!” she cried out, “Please!”

 

He’d taken only one step when her words ripped through him, causing him to stop dead.  Slowly, carefully, he turned to face her, giving her a few precious seconds to try to talk to him. 

 

“Please, I just want to know who you are,” she continued after the thrill of seeing him stop and face her.  She waited, hoping he would answer, but he just watched her through wary eyes.  Interpreting his silence as unwillingness to reveal information about himself, she decided she would go first as a show of good faith.  “My name is Irin,” she told him, “I mean you no harm.  You surprised me when you popped in on my mission again today, and I just want to know who you are.  I’m actually really glad to see you again.  After our last meeting in the forest, I was starting to worry I’d made you up.”  She stopped again, realizing she’d begun to babble.  “Can you at least just give me your name?”

 

When he just continued to look at her, a realization hit her like ton of bricks: she had no idea when or where this guy was from.  It was possible that he didn’t even speak English, and that prospect was very disconcerting.  How in the world was she supposed to communicate with him?  Languages were Lance’s forte, not hers, though she knew enough Spanish and French to get by.  Tentatively she decided to try them, though she wasn’t very confident.  “Je m’appelle Irin,” she tried, but he just looked at her inquisitively.  “Me llamo Irin,” she said next, but it came out more like a question than a statement, and his look didn’t change.  She heaved a sigh in resignation; it looked like they were down to good ole’ universal sign language. 

 

As she got ready to play the most complicated game of charades in her life, a shrill buzzing ripped through her left eardrum, and she cried out in pain.  “Ah, crap!” she exclaimed, wrenching out the offending little earpiece and stabbing at the button in an effort to stop the incessant noise.  Finally, with one particularly violent jab at the button, the sound sputtered out pathetically, and the device emitted a small wisp of smoke that lazily dissipated into the air.  She was pretty sure that meant the gadget was toast.  Adding angry Tech Department personnel to her list of things to look forward to, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back in defeat, letting out a frustrated sigh. 

 

When she finally turned her attention back to the man on the stairs, he was wearing the international expression for “What the hell just happened?”  She held up the little device so he could see it.  “Earpiece,” she chuckled weakly and then mimed placing it in her ear and taking it out.  “They, uh, don’t exactly handle time travel very well,” she paused, hoping against hope he showed some sign of understanding her, but no such luck.  “Right, you have no idea what I’m talking about,” she muttered, slipping the earpiece back onto her belt.

 

They just looked at each other for a few seconds before Irin decided she felt ridiculous sitting on the floor and stood up, brushing herself off as best she could.  The man stumbled back a step, eyes widening, and she was surprised to note they were a light shade of blue.  He stilled when he realized she was just rising to her feet. 

 

“Alright, let’s try this again,” she said, planting her feet shoulder width apart.  “I’m Irin,” she spoke clearly as she pointed to her chest, “Ir-in.  Now your turn.”  She pointed to him, hoping he got her gist.  He didn’t.  She pointed to herself one more time.  “Irin.”  She even brought up her other hand to point to herself, just in case one wasn’t enough.  “Ir-in,” she repeated one more time for good measure.  She pointed to him once again, but all he did was smile like he thought she was amusing.  She felt her temper shortening by the second.  “Oh, you think this is funny, do you?  Why can’t you just tell me your name?” she demanded, letting her frustration get the better of her.  Where was Lance when you needed him? 

 

“Look,” she started speaking again because it was the only thing she could think of, short of drawing her weapon and shooting him.  That, however, included the serious risk that he would get away before she got him, and then where would their diplomatic relations be?  “I don’t know if you understand me, but I’m not your enemy.  I just have a whole hell of a lot of questions, and you’re the only person that can answer them, so I really need you to come with me.  My brother’s a linguist, and he can explain everything to you when we get there.  None of the people like me have ever met someone who can do what you do, so it’s really important for you to come with me and help us understand.  Please,” she asked sincerely and held out her hand to him. 

 

In the silence that followed, he glanced back and forth between her hand and her pleading gaze, presumably trying to figure out what to do.   

 

Irin’s hope slowly grew when he didn’t immediately refuse her, instead looking from her to her hand.  She didn’t want to push it, though, so she kept her mouth shut and silently encouraged him to come with her.  A moment later, a small smile pulled up the corner of his mouth, and he uttered one syllable, “Rhys.” 

 

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion.  “What does that mean?”

 

Before he could answer, though, they heard a door slam and the sound of several pairs of booted feet on the floor above them.  She had almost forgotten they were in some sort of cellar with everything that was going on.  Thoughts about their location were torn from her mind when she caught sight of the stranger’s reaction.  He had clearly been spooked beyond his threshold and had raised his hands in front of him. 

 

“Not again,” Irin moaned as she threw her mind toward the tendrils he was manipulating, struggling to latch her own web onto them.  She Wove faster than she could remember, but her work was messy �" she was in for a bumpy ride.  Still, when he brought his hands together and disappeared, she was ready and effectively jumped his Weave.  Let’s see where we end up this time, she thought bitterly.

-.-

Jace and Lance cracked back into existence in the artificial light of the Weave Bay.  “0031214 and 5!  We need to see the Commander NOW!  Code Three!” Jace was yelling rapidly the second he could open his mouth.  Lance had already jumped over the captives and had his hand on the gel scanner before Jace had finished.  Right when the door beeped open, red light flashed through the entire floor, pulsing with the audible alarm. 

 

The Commander came barreling out of his office after the first iteration of the buzzer sounded.  “WHAT’S GOING ON?” he bellowed, and the entire floor turned to look at him. 

 

The screen across the floor from him lit up at the same time a uniformed worker said quietly, “Code Three, sir.”

 

Code Three.  Those two words burned into this brain, two of the worst words he could hear in his job.  One of his agents was Missing in Action.  “Talk to me!” he yelled just as the Weave Bay door rumbled open. 

 

“Commander!”  “Sir!” the twins yelled on top of one another as they struggled through the door before it had opened all the way and began racing across the floor. 

 

The Commander blanched when he realized which team had just arrived.  “Please don’t tell me…” he said hopelessly as the two men skidded to a halt in front of him.  He valued all of his teams, but these were just kids, ones he had known and trained since before they knew how to Weave.   

 

“It’s Irin, sir,” Lance said desperately.

 

The Commander allowed one second for his heart to clench at the news before forcing his professional training to take over.  “Walk with me,” he commanded as he marched across the floor, issuing orders as he went.  “You, page the retrieval team and get them up here in the next five minutes.  You, find Scotty.  I don’t care where he is or what he is doing.  He better be here before the retrieval team.  You, get me a status report on all the Stealer activity from tonight.  Let me know if anything suspicious shows up.”  He slammed open the doors to the Bay Operation Room.  “If she shows up, you let me know the second it happens,” he commanded briskly and then slammed the door shut again.  “Turn that infernal racket off and get to work!” he bellowed across the floor, and someone had the intelligence to turn the alarm off before having to be asked twice.  “Now you,” he rounded on the brothers following him, “tell me what happened,” he ordered and then turned around and began marching toward the War Room. 

 

“We subdued two of the hostiles inside a building, and Irin took out the third in the alley behind it.  We were in the process of confiscating wands when we heard Irin yell out, and we ran out into the alley to see what was wrong.  She was gone by the time we got there,” Lance explained matter-of-factly, pausing as they filed through the glass War Room door. 

 

Jace picked up, “I used the scanner to pick up her trail, and we ran through another building and onto the street, following it.  After a few hundred yards, though, I picked up the energy signal of her Weave.”  Jace and Lance were sitting side by side across the table from the Commander.

 

“She Wove away?”  He didn’t hide the displeasure in his voice.  “Are you sure?”

 

“Positive, sir,” Jace replied. 

 

“Well then, why didn’t you just track her destination?” he roared. 

 

“We tried, sir,” Lance told him.  “Jace picked up some intense and unusual energy readings that were disrupting her signal.  He couldn’t get a lock.” 

 

Jace used his scanner to pull up the graphs they’d looked at before and handed it to the Commander.  “That cluster on the left is Irin’s Weave, but that huge energy cluster next to it overpowered her signature,” he explained. 

 

“Is that a rift?” the Commander asked of the second cluster. 

 

Jace glanced at his brother apprehensively.  “Ah, no, sir.  It’s a Weave.”

                               

 “You’re telling me that,” the Commander pointed to the bright greenish-white blur, “is supposed to be a Weave?” 

 

“Yes, sir, it’s way more intense and nothing like I’ve ever seen before, but all the hallmarks are there,” Jace told him confidently. 

 

The Commander looked each one of them dead in the eye.  “Do either of you have any idea what this is about?” he asked, and he didn’t miss the matching looks of guilt that washed over the men’s faces.  “Damn it, you better tell me what happened,” he growled at them. 

 

“It, uh, has to do with our mission this past Sunday,” Lance began weakly. 

 

“Ireland was it?” the Commander interrupted. 

 

“That’s right.  The fifth hostile got away because Irin ran into the woods after something before she secured him properly.  When questioned about it, she claimed she’d followed some kind of rogue Weaver into the forest and watched him Weave away, but it was different somehow,” Lance explained. 

 

“Why is this the first time I am hearing about this?”  The question was directed to both of them, but he pinned Jace with his glare. 

 

“There was no evidence to support her farfetched story, and I worried she might have been confused because she was overextending herself with all the extra hours she’s been putting in with the students in the gym.  Rather than put her through the embarrassment of a formal inquiry and mandatory suspension, I decided to deal with it in house.  She took it easy for a few days and was fine,” Jace said honestly and with no defensiveness in his voice. 

 

“I should have your heads for this,” the Commander seethed.  “You knowingly falsified official reports, and your actions may have directly led to whatever ill has befallen your teammate and your sister.  I hope you appreciate the enormity of the shithole you’ve landed yourselves in.”  The looks of shame on their faces were made worse by the blatant worry they harbored for their sister.  “I will deal with you two later,” the Commander continued, getting up and walking to the glass door.  “Get in here!” he roared as he opened the door. 

 

Seven people, including Scotty, filed in and took seats around Jace and Lance, who nodded their heads morosely by way of greeting. 

 

“Glad to see you all decided to show up finally,” the Commander harassed them while he used a keyboard to pull up Irin’s Company profile.  “This is your target: Irin Cavaleri.  Data indicates she is no longer at the time or location of her mission.  There is also evidence of a possible rogue Weaver or something else involved.  We have no idea what we are dealing with, and you guys need to get me some answers.  Scotty, take whatever equipment you need to analyze this in the field,” he said, passing Jace’s scanner to Scotty. 

 

Scotty’s eyes widened as he took in the density plots.  “That’s some nasty s**t there alright.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  I’ll do what I can, sir,” Scotty promised. 

 

“Good.  Jace, go with them and show them what you found.  Go now; Jason has your coordinates in the Weave Bay.”  They all stood up and headed for the door.  “Good luck,” he wished them briskly, and they nodded in thanks. 

 

Lance laid a hand on Jace’s shoulder once outside the War Room.  “Find her,” he told his brother earnestly. “Please.” 

 

Jace nodded.  “I will do everything I can,” he promised. 

 

Satisfied, Lance clasped Jace’s forearm.  “Be safe.”  It wasn’t a suggestion, and the implication was clear: I can’t handle it if something happens to you, too. 

 

“I will,” Jace vowed, looking his brother in the eye.  Then he let go and made his way to the Weave Bay. 

 

Now came the hardest part of the entire process for Lance: he had to sit and wait for something to happen.

 

© 2012 Padfoot101