“Plan ahead. See how many guards are around him first,” he whispered. He raised his weapon and crouched beside her. Over her shoulder, she could see the other two men doing the same in the adjoining bushes.
For what felt like hours, but knew it was only minutes, the group watched Patto, watched the city and the forest path for signs that guards were going to fetch him. The guards grew closer to their location and then suddenly stopped. Gradually, they started walking back to the compound.
“What the…” Rosanheer gasped. “That’s not normal.“
Frustrated, Sedom left the group and cautiously crawled over to Patto. She knelt to him, feeling the back of his neck.
“He’s dying. We have to take him to Gathow,” she stated.
Rosanheer shook his head, frustrated she was willing to risk everything for a man whom she barely acknowledged knowing. “You're doing what they want you to do,” he mentioned. He pointed to a small pill-like pod under the skin above his left breast. She felt to the pod only to have Rosanheer pull her hand back. “Don't. It might be a tracking device or it could be an explosive.”
“What do you suggest?” Sedom asked.
“We leave him. It's not worth the risk,” Rosanheer advised.
Zion rolled his head back to look the other direction. “Bad answer,” he said under his breath.
Sedom grabbed her short-blade, slicing into Patto's chest. Patto opened his eyes, looking up at Sedom. He screamed out, his eyes bulging. “No!” He cried, trying to fight Sedom away.
Qilo held his shoulders down. “Hurry up, Sortec!”
“Hold him down!” Sedom demanded, finding it difficult to remove the pod. The more she attempted to reach the pod, the more Patto screamed. She scooped the pod out from under his skin, handing it to Zion. He quickly tossed it into the forest.
The pod flew into the bushes, exploding, sending everyone in their group to their stomachs. Sedom turned to look at the bushes, still lying on her stomach.
“Guess we have our answer,” she said. She turned to Patto who was unconscious. “We need to get him to Doctor Noral,” she stated. She did not need to scan him to know he was in great need of medical attention. “Rosanheer and Zion, stay behind and watch the city. Qilo, you're with me,” she decided.
“Why me?” Qilo asked amused why she would choose him and not Zion.
“Do you have a problem with my decision?” Sedom questioned sternly. Qilo shook his head. “Good. Bring him. We'll be back by sunup.”
The sun was setting over the distant mountains when Qilo felt Patto begin to stir over his shoulder. He carefully released Patto to the ground, forcing Sedom to stop. “He's awake. I think you should handle the introductions.”
Sedom knelt to Patto, resting her hand on his neck. “Patto, wake.” She tapped his cheek softly as his eyes fluttered open. “Remember me? Sedom, I’m Iya's friend,” she whispered.
Patto looked up at Sedom through eyes so swollen she couldn’t tell their natural color. “Yes, you're the reason for my misery,” he growled, feeling to his chest. “All they wanted was you, but I didn't know where you were so I suffered! I'll never forgive her for doing this to us. I hope she’s dead!”
His words shot through Sedom like daggers. “Iya is dead,” Sedom growled. “She suffered greatly for helping me,” she added.
“Good.” He gasped, attempting to stand, but lacked the strength. “My wife?”
“We're looking for her. We think she was transported to Vinic along with you. I have men watching the compound for an opportunity to—“
“Sortec,” Qilo warned. She glanced up at him, seeing Qilo shaking his head as if to tell her not to tell Patto anything.
“After we drop you off in Gathow, we'll go back for her,” she explained.
Patto squeezed the muscle of his left breast. “You… you can't take me to Gathow.”
“Why?” Qilo asked.
“As much as I dislike the Narkoy, I know if the Marisheio find Gathow, everyone that I care about will die.” He took Sedom's hand, placing it on his chest. “Like me. I just haven't registered it yet. Sedom, there's a tracking pod in my heart. They're hoping you’ll take me to Gathow. Once inside Gathow, they'll detonate an explosive, killing me and triggering the homing beacon. Within moments of the detonation, they'll know exactly where you are.”
“How do we stop this?” Sedom asked concerned.
Patto's face paled to a lighter shade of white. “Promise me, find my wife and take care of her. She has a kind heart. She shouldn't be punished for caring,” he begged, looking directly into Sedom's eyes. Sedom nodded as Patto's eyes closed. With a burst of energy, he stood and ran headlong into a tree, smashing his chest against the hard lumber.
“Patto!” Sedom cried out, rushing over to the man as he fell to the ground.
By the time Qilo and Sedom reached Patto, he was on the ground, foam leaking from his lips. His body convulsed and then slowly quieted. He fell limp into Sedom's arms. She felt to his neck, but only a dim life-source remained until nothing.
“He's dead,” Sedom told Qilo, her face not showing a hint of emotion. “We should bury him and return to the others.”
It was night by the time Qilo and Sedom finished burying Patto in the forest. Sedom whispered a prayer spoken by her people over the graves of their dead. It was a well-wishing of happiness in the afterlife, but somehow Sedom felt that was a waste. Patto, nor any of her people, would find any happiness until the Marisheio were destroyed.
Qilo walked in silence next to Sedom on the journey back to the others. He finally interrupted the silence with, “You want to talk about it?”
Sedom shook her head solemnly. “Do you
