Subterranean

'Then see with my eyes.'

For just a few seconds, the tunnel vanished and he was in umbo's chamber. He saw. Gasping, his heart clenched, and the link shattered.

Ben prayed for more speed, rage fueling him forward.

Michaelson tried to block Sin'jari's approach toward Ashley, but a quick flip of the elder's wrist had five of the silaris dragging him back.

Ashley glanced over to Tru'gula. He struggled futilely in the clutches of two of the silaris. No aid there either.

Sin'jari stepped toward her. 'He no help. He weak.'

Ashley was flabbergasted at his words. 'You speak English.'

He nodded. 'I learn my enemy. Best way-' He scrunched his brows together, pondering his next words.

'To know them,' she offered.

He smiled at her as if she were a small child. 'No. To kill them.'

Raising the dagger to her chin, he leered at her. 'Poison. That right word?' He motioned toward the dead hunters.

She nodded.

He pricked his own finger. Then waved as if it were nothing. 'I lead silaris. Poison not kill us. We strong. We lead.'

'What about Bo'rada? I thought he was your leader.'

'Bo'rada?' He made a foul sound with his mouth. 'No smart. I lead Bo'rada.'

Ashley realized that this coup had been in the works long before her team appeared. Their arrival had almost screwed up Sin'jari's plan, but he'd turned it to his own ends.

'Now I lead. I say kill all you. And any others come here.'

Ashley shook her head. 'You won't win this. Tru'gula's hunters won't allow it.'

A sly look came to his eyes. He pointed to Tru'gula. 'Bad. He help you others kill Mo'amba.' He then tapped his chest with the dagger. 'I find out.' He slashed the dagger through the air. 'I stop.'

So Tru'gula was going to be pinned as an accessory to the crime, a coconspirator. Dead men tell no tales. She glanced at him, but his eyes were half closed.

Sin'jari noticed it too. He poked the wounded hunter with a finger, getting his attention. They spoke back and forth for a few minutes. Angry words. Finally, Sin'jari turned his back on him and faced Ashley again. He pointed a thumb toward Tru'gula. 'No smart. He call help. But nobody there. Mo'amba dead.' He sneered at her. 'Now you.'

He raised the poisoned dagger and stepped toward her. She tried to back away but was blocked by the silaris behind her.

Just as Sin'jari grabbed Ashley's throat with a bony hand, a noise erupted from the wormhole. Sin'jari twisted his neck around to look.

Ashley jumped as the transport sled blasted out of the wormhole and flew across the chamber, colliding into several of the silaris, knocking them off their feet.

The distraction was enough to allow Ben to crawl from the wormhole. He was standing before anyone was even aware he had appeared. He raised the rifle to his shoulder and pointed it at Sin'jari. 'Mate, I suggest you let the lady go.'

Sin'jari hissed at him and plunged the dagger toward her chest.

Ben fired.

Ashley saw the left side of Sin'jari's head fly away. His body stood there for half a second, dagger still poised, then crumpled to the floor.

A couple silaris rushed toward Ben. He swung his rifle, and in two shots, two bodies lay on the floor. 'Any others?'

Suddenly, from behind the group of silaris, as if by magic, a troop of hunters appeared, bristling with long spears.

'Meet a few of my friends,' Ben said with a smile. 'I placed a quick call before arriving. This bloody heri'huti means of communication could put the phone company out of business.'

The silaris, without their leader, put up little fight and were roughly herded away.

Ashley rushed over to Ben and wrapped him in her arms. 'You're okay. I didn't know… didn't know what Sin'jari had done up there.' She squeezed him and, muffled against his chest, said the words she had held so long in her chest. 'I love you.'

'Ay? What was that?' he said, pulling back to look her square in the face.

'I… I love you.'

He slipped back into her embrace. 'Oh, that. I knew you did. I was just wondering when you'd figure it out.'

'Shut up.' She reached up and kissed him.

Ben then moved his lips to her ear. 'You know, there's someone up top who's waiting for a big hug and kiss too.'

She pulled back from him, her hands clenched on his shoulders. 'Do you mean-'

He nodded. 'Jason's fine. Just a bit shook up like the rest of us.'

Tears blurred her vision as Ben smiled down at her. He then pulled her into a tight embrace. In his arms, she felt the strength of family she'd never experienced before.

Still in his arms, Ashley watched Bo'rada stalk into the chamber, confusion evident on his features. Crossing to the scarred figure, he spoke heatedly to Tru'gula, who answered with repeated gestures. Bo'rada's eyes grew wide.

'I leave you for a second,' Ben whispered, 'and see how much trouble you get into.'

Once Tru'gula finished, the leader stared with disgust at Sin'jari's body, then turned to Ashley and Ben. He bent his head solemnly in their direction. As apology or thanks, she wasn't sure.

Ben broke free of her embrace. 'I forgot.' He crossed to Sin'jari's body and fingered open the pouch on the dead man's belt. He reached inside and pulled out the diamond statue.

'Ohna!' Ben held the figure up for all to see, then crossed over and placed the female statue on the pedestal next to the male figure. 'They make a nice couple, don't you think?'

THIRTY-SEVEN

JASON SAT ON A SOILED CHAIR IN THE DEMOLISHED RECEPTION room of Blakely's office. He had his cracked Nintendo Game Boy in his lap and was trying to tape it together. Harry and his companion creatures were outside somewhere, patrolling, keeping an eye on things. Ever since the explosion of the elevator, Harry wanted the area watched closely.

Jason knew he was supposed to stay with Sandy back in Blakely's office, but she was giving him the creeps. All she did was stare off into space, fiddling with her hair. She didn't even say a word when he got up.

He thought about how Ben had saved him, and hoped desperately that he would return soon with his mom.

Then a soft scritch-scritching noise from outside froze him in the chair. It was probably Harry or one of the others. Wasn't it? The noise came again. It sounded like a bunch of boards was being shifted around.

He quietly stood up and took a step toward the hallway, toward safety. When he heard the noise once more, his curiosity got the better of him. He took a step toward the decimated entrance to the building.

He'd just take a peek. It might be important, or nothing at all.

Holding his breath to avoid any detection of his position, he snuck around an overturned desk to get a clear view out the building.

He stared, waiting for the sound to repeat so he could tell where it was coming from, afraid even to blink in