Revenge of the Mad Scientist (Book One: Airship Adventure Chronicles) (14 page)

She put a hand on the mud block wall behind her and steadied herself as she came to her feet. Her head swam a little but quickly cleared. After dusting off her jacket and skirt, she walked over to the door. It was made of rough wood with a black iron handle. She reached out and pushed down on the handle but it wouldn’t budge. No surprise there.

The opening in the wall was too high to reach and too small for her to squeeze through. She could see nothing in the room to use as a weapon. There was only a dirt floor with the rug she had been lying on. She knelt down and ran a hand over the loose sandy surface. Footsteps sounded outside the door and she scraped a handful of sand into her palm before standing.

The door opened, creaking on its leather hinges. Belle’s heart pounded in her chest. A figure draped in black entered, his face hidden behind a black scarf that covered everything but his glittering brown eyes.

She took a step back as the man advanced into the room. He stopped a few feet in front of her.

“You have something of mine,” he said in a thick foreign accent.

“What?” She wasn’t prepared for that.

“You have my pin. It is sacred. Only a Sarc may touch it. Give me the pin and I will grant you a quick death.”

Thoughts jumbled in her head. The pin. He must mean the stickpin her father left for her to find. She remembered Benji telling her about the Sarcs and the ritual of the pin. Then another thought intruded -- Momi telling her about the men of the flower wanting to kill her. She hadn’t made the connection at the time, but now she knew, the Sarcs were the men of the flower. The pin had the shape of a death lotus.

Without time to consider consequences, she threw the sand she was holding into the man’s eyes and when he gasped and bent over, pushed him into the wall and ran out the door.

He would be after her soon, so she ran as fast as her legs would allow down the dark narrow street and turned left at the first cross street and then right on another. She heard noise and ran toward the market. There, she struggled through a mass of people pushing against her as she stumbled along.

She crossed the wide avenue of the venders and ran into an alley. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she ran, turning down corner after corner to confuse anyone following. Finally she reached a dead end and backed up. She pressed against a wall trying to catch her breath. Somewhere along the way she’d lost her hat and her hair fell loose from its pins. She pushed the strands out of her face and looked up the street. It was quiet. A narrow dirt lane lined with mud brick buildings on both sides. Laundry hung from lines strung from second floor windows. It must be a residential area.

There was no sign of anyone following and she breathed a silent prayer of thanks. Now how would she find the way to the aeroport? Surely she could see the ships hovering in the air from a distance. She started back the way she had come and peeked around the corner, then quickly retreated. Unbelievable! The black robed Sarc was there coming closer toward her hiding place and she had nowhere to run.

“Lady?” A soft voice whispered.

She looked back toward the dead end. A man in brown and gold robes had opened a door and stared at her.

“Are you in trouble, lady?” he asked.

She hesitated only a second and then nodded.

“Come, come.” He motioned for her to pass through the door.

She ran inside. He couldn’t be worse than a trained assassin. He closed the door behind her and locked it.

“Someone is after you?” the man asked.

“Yes.”

“Don’t worry, you are safe here.” He looked through a slit in the door for a moment. “Ah, you have a dangerous enemy.”

He turned back to her and studied her for a moment. “A beautiful young woman like you should not be out on the streets of Harucca alone.”

“I was with some friends when that man hit me over the head and kidnapped me,” Belle said in her defense.

“A Sarc, and yet you escaped. Clearly you are a woman to be reckoned with.” He smiled. “You should sit down and have some tea. The Sarc will move on soon and then we can try to find your friends.”

He motioned to a sitting area of cushions on a plush rug with a small round table in the center.

Belle looked around the room. It was lit by several gas lanterns, which allowed shadows to play about the corners. Tapestries lined the walls and there were carved wooden tables and bookcases around the walls. She decided a cup of tea would be extremely welcome, and she had no desire to go back outside with the Sarc wandering around.

She crossed the room and sank down on one of the cushions. The man left the room and returned in a few minutes with a brass tray holding a teapot, and small round cups without handles. He placed it on the short table and then joined Belle on a cushion across from her.

“Your friends must be very worried about you,” he said as he poured the tea. He held out one of the cups to her.

“Yes, I’m sure they are.”

“I apologize. I should introduce myself. My name is Rafi Tarris.”

“Arabella.”

“A beautiful name,” he said as he leaned back on the cushions. “And where are your friends now?”

“I don’t know. Looking for me I suppose.” She sniffed the tea and could detect a faint scent of cardamom. She took a sip and let the warm fluid slide down her parched throat. Then for the second time that day, everything went black.

###

Rett pushed his way through the crowd of men gathered around the Caro Barro. This was going to cost a lot of money he knew. But there was no other way of getting information than bribing some of these slimy bastards. The slave traders were extremely jealous of each other’s property. If they could rat on one of their fellow traders and cause them to lose a sale they would jump at the chance. That’s what he counted on.

The slave market huddled in the northeast section of Harucca—the oldest part of the city. It consisted of a cobblestone paved square surrounded by two story buildings where each trader kept their slaves. At appointed times during the day, usually morning, noon and five o’clock, a selection of slaves were presented in front of their owner’s building where prospective buyers could check them out and purchase them.

The presentation occurred in waves according to the type of slave. Young children were first, then older adults who could be household workers, then the strong young men needed for muscular tasks. The final presentation showcased the
inamorati
, the beautiful young women bought as body slaves or concubines. Rett was certain Belle would be in this group.

They were currently showing the older adult group.

He crossed to the first house and saw a large man in grey silk robes with a black staff in one hand that he used to point out features of the slaves to onlookers. There were three men and two women on display here. He moved on to other houses, noting the individuals who appeared to be the house owners.

The bidding and purchasing of the slaves proceeded until most of the poor human merchandise had been sold. The remaining individuals were taken back inside and would come out again for the next showing. Rett moved from house to house, whispering in the ears of the slave traders. He was looking for a beautiful auburn haired woman, six feet tall with hazel eyes—a rare combination. It took him several hours to complete his circuit of the houses, dropping coins in eager palms with promise of more as he made inquiries. But so far they all denied knowledge of Belle.

He walked from the square to an open air coffee shop where he could be found if any of the slave owners came up with any news. He glanced up at the sun, then flipped open his pocket watch as he settled in a chair beside a small round table. It was already four o’clock. In an hour another wave of slaves would be presented. Worry gnawed at his insides. What if Belle had already been taken out of the area? The traders here might never get a glimpse of her.

A thin man in clay colored robes placed a small cup of coffee in front of him and Rett tossed the man some coins. He took a sip of the thick strong brew as he scanned the area for any unusual activity. But he only found the wandering shoppers with their large straw bags, venders shouting out their offers and the brays of livestock being herded through the streets.

He hoped Sam had been successful in taking Benji and Jasper back to the ship. He wouldn’t put it past either of them to go running off to find Belle without any idea what they were doing. He raised a hand for the server to bring him another cup of coffee, then drummed his fingers on the table, waiting.

A glance at his watch showed it was a quarter to five. Almost time to return to the slave market for the next wave. He drank the rest of his coffee quickly, hoping for a burst of energy. Another ten minutes with no sign of anyone looking for him and he stood, cursing under his breath. As he started to leave, a hand grabbed his arm and tugged him into the dim interior of the small café. Haze hung in the air and overhead paddle fans did little to dispel it. There were only a couple men sitting at a table to the side, smoking their water pipes and sipping the heavy coffee.

Rett squinted in the sparse light trying to see the details of the man who pulled him inside. It was one of the slave traders he had spoken to earlier. His heart beat faster, hoping this regarded news of Belle. He followed the man into a shadowy corner.

“You seek a tall auburn haired woman?” the man said in a low voice, his eyes shifted left and right.

“Yes. Have you seen her?” Rett grabbed his upper arm in eagerness.

“Please, the robes...” the man motioned to his arm.

Rett took a deep breath and released him.

“I have not seen her myself, but there is no doubt this news is of the woman you seek.” He leaned closer and the garlic on his breath made Rett’s eyes water.

“Where is she?”

“A man named Rafi Tarris has her. He deals in
inamorati
of the highest quality and he sells only to the pashas.”

“Where can I find him?”

“Too late. Your
inamorati
is on a train already headed north to Faldoral. But Rafi couldn’t help bragging about his latest discovery before he left. He described her as a goddess, tall, beautiful, with hair like dark fire and hazel eyes. He expects to receive a small fortune for her.”

“Damn,” Rett swore.

“Now I believe there was promise of a reward?” The man held up a hand before his grinning face.

Rett laid a hundred gold slips in his hand and watched the trader count them in delight. But he had no time to lose. That train was already on its way north. He raced out of the shop and wove through the mass of people in the market, scattering squawking chickens and stray dogs in his path.

When he reached the aeroport he called for the ground crew to come and release the airship. A man came toward him from the crew quarters frowning.

“You can’t leave now. You have to check with the office and pay your bill.” The man raised his fist in an angry gesture.

“It’s an emergency. We have to leave immediately.” Rett pulled several hundred gold slips from his pocket and waved them in front of the man. It was many times the amount of their berthing. Belle would have a lot to repay if they got her back.

The man hesitated a moment then waved Rett toward his ship. “Get aboard and I’ll release the lines.

Rett nodded and hurried on to his ship. He tugged the rope so the pulleys would lower the gangplank, then pulled it up after him. He raced up the steps to the deck, yelling for Sam.

“What’s wrong?” Sam sat on the deck with Jasper and Benji, but he jumped to his feet when Rett pounded up the steps.

“We have to get
Gambit
in the air so we can follow Belle,” he yelled as he ran up to the piloting area on the aft deck. “They’re setting us loose so stoke up the engine.”

Sam ran for the engine room without further questions. Benji followed Rett with Jasper close behind.

“Where’s B, B, Belle?” Benji demanded, grabbing Rett’s arm. “We can’t leave without her.”

Rett shook him off and pulled the levers into neutral. “The slavers have her and they’re taking her north to Faldoral. We have to follow them.”

He ran down the stairs and looked over the side of the ship. Below, his bribed ground crew loosened the lines from the iron tether rings. The steam engine started up with a grinding bang.

“Sir, what can we do to help?” Jasper put a hand on his shoulder.

Rett studied the older man and boy before him, their faces set in determined lines. He needed their help and knew they wanted to save Belle as much as he did.

“Alright.” He motioned to the fore and aft of the ship. “Pull up the tether lines and coil them on the deck. It’s going to be dark soon, so after that, light the lanterns along the rails.

They ran in opposite directions and he headed back to the pilot station. Sam rapped on the trap door to let him know the engine was ready. He checked to make sure the lines were all aboard and then stomped twice to alert Sam to release more helium into the inflatable.

Their upward motion started slowly then picked up speed. He activated the fans and moved the lever that would position the bow up. This increased their ascent dramatically. Benji quickly lit the lanterns on the rails of the vessel his teeth pressing into his bottom lip.

“Steam’s up,” Sam said as he raised the hatch and poked his head out. “Are we away?”

“Yes, come on up and I’ll fill everyone in on what happened.”

When Sam, Jasper and Benji gathered around him, he told them what he had discovered at the slave market. Benji furiously exclaimed, “Bloody Hell” over and over. Jasper merely pressed his lips together in a forbidding manner.

“So what’s your plan?” Sam asked.

The truth was, he didn’t have a plan. He only knew they had to find Belle and rescue her. She was on her way north, so that’s where they should head also.

He cleared his throat and looked around at their eager faces. “Okay, we know she’s on a train. So we’ll head north of Harucca and find the train traveling in that direction and follow it. In this country there won’t be more than one.”