Jayne Castle - After Glow

The dust-bunny had guided him to a sector that was listed as Unmapped on the sled's built-in locator. There was a note that a privately held corporation named Ama-Green had taken out a license to excavate for purposes of research and exploration.

At the first evidence of human occupation—discarded newspapers and trash in the tunnels—Emmett had abandoned the sled, taking Fuzz with him.

They had encountered the first guard station a few minutes later. Emmett had managed to slip into an empty passageway just in time to avoid discovery.

Using Fuzz as a directional indicator, Emmett had worked his way deeper into the Greenie compound, bypassing two more guard stations. But as they had worked their way through the sector it had become increasingly difficult to find corridors that were not teeming with guys in green robes. Camouflage had become a necessity.

Emmett had been obliged to let the first three prospects for a robe donation go by because they had all been too short.

When the fourth Greenie, a young man of twenty or twenty-one, had entered a chamber that had been converted into a laundry room, Emmett had decided the length of the robe was about right.

He had stepped out from behind the huge stack of folded towels and summoned a small ghost. The terrified Greenie had given up his robe without protest.

Emmett had left the robe donor securely bound and gagged in a closet, tucked away behind a large, industrial-size washing machine.

The corridor outside the laundry room was empty. Emmett paused at the first intersection and allowed Fuzz to poke his nose out through the opening in the robes.

"Well, buddy?"

Fuzz swiveled his head to the right and leaned heavily in that direction.

"Got it."

Lydia saw the newcomer arrive in the hallway outside her cell and immediately stopped her restless pacing. The man wore a green robe like the others. He had the cowl pulled up over his head and his back was to her as he went toward the three acolytes who were guarding her.

She felt a tingle of awareness. All of her senses had been functioning at high-rez for hours now and were no doubt over-sensitized. Nevertheless, there was something about the way this green-robed figure moved that was very familiar.

"Open the door," Emmett said in a cool, calm voice that rang with authority. "I've been ordered to move her to a different location."

Martin and Frances looked baffled. The third young guard frowned.

"Gee, I don't know," she said. "Maybe we better check with someone."

"Yeah." Martin started to get to his feet. "I'll get hold of the sector chief and just make sure—"

Ghost light flared violently in the passage. The three young people leaped to their feet and flattened themselves against the wall. They stared in shock at the wildly pulsing UDEM.

"Shit," Martin yelled.

Frances opened her mouth to scream.

"Nobody moves," Emmett said quietly. "And nobody gets singed. Give me the key to the cell."

Fuzz appeared from under Emmett's robes. He tumbled excitedly across the floor and slipped through the bars of Lydia's cell.

She scooped him up and kissed the top of his tatty little head. "About time you guys got here. What took you so long?"

Martin fumbled briefly under his robes and produced a rez-key. Emmett manipulated the ghost a little to one side and held up his hand.

"Toss it to me," he ordered.

Martin obeyed.

"You," Emmett said, looking at Frances. "Take off the robes."

Shaking visibly, Frances unfastened the garment, revealing the jeans and T-shirt she wore underneath. She wadded up the robe and hurled it at Emmett.

"You'll never make it out of here without getting caught," she snapped, voice quivering.

Emmett nodded. "You might want to keep in mind that this type of ghost is agitated by loud noises. One good scream, for example, will probably cause it to go wild."

Leaving the UDEM to keep the three pinned to the wall, he unlocked the cell door.

Clutching Fuzz, Lydia rushed out.

"Put this on." Emmett tossed the robe to her.

She swung the green gown around her shoulders and pulled up the hood.

"Let's go." Emmett turned and went swiftly away down the corridor. "The ghost will hold them until someone comes along to de-rez it."

She hurried after him, Fuzz tucked in one arm under the robe.

There was a small utility truck around the next bend.

"Right where I left it," Emmett said, leaping into the open cab and rezzing the engine. "Things are looking up."

Lydia scrambled up beside him. Fuzz poked his nose out from under the robes.

"Is that true what you told those three?" she asked. "About the ghost getting agitated by loud noises?"

"No, but with luck, they'll believe it long enough to give us a head start."

"How did you get hold of a truck?"

"I stole it off a bunch of Greenies who were having lunch."

"Nice going," she said.

Emmett checked the gages and dials on the dash and whipped the vehicle around a corner. "Fuzz got me in here but now we can use the locator to head for the nearest exit."

They passed another truck driven by a man in a green robe. The driver started to lift a hand in greeting and then did a double take and frowned.

"This place is crawling with security," Lydia warned.

"I got that impression." Emmett glanced at the locator and made another turn. "What the hell is going on down here?"

"The archaeological discovery of the century. Maybe of two centuries. The leader calls himself Master Herbert."

"That would be Herbert Slattery, Greenie boss, right?"

"Actually, I think he's really Troy Burgis."

"Yeah?"

"Listen to this. He claims he found an old map that was drawn by Vincent Lee Vance. He thinks it shows the location of Vance's second headquarters. He says that what Vance actually found was the tomb of this Amatheon character. Problem is, there's a huge wall of illusion shadow at the entrance."

"He really believes his own spiel about Amatheon?"

"I got that impression, but I have to tell you the guy is a good actor. I honestly can't say if he was putting me on or not. But he definitely wants to get into the chamber that Vance marked on the map."

"Did they grab you because Herb or Burgis or whatever his name is thinks you can de-rez the big trap?"

"It's a long story." Lydia clamped a hand around the side of the cab to hang on as Emmett sent the truck humming down another corridor. "But the punch line is that I did it once before during my Lost Weekend. That's why they wanted to get me back. Apparently I'm the only tangler who has been able to get into the chamber."

"And you've got amnesia about that whole forty-eight hour period," he concluded softly.

She smiled humorlessly. "Talk about your ironic twist, huh? I saw what no human has seen since the days of Vincent Lee Vance and I have no recollection of it. Just think, if things had gone a little differently seven months ago I'd probably be heading up the entire Department of Para-archaeology at the university today instead of working at Shrimp's."

"I take it you didn't offer to untangle this monster for Herb?"

"Nah. He promised me the sun, moon, and stars if I'd get him into that chamber but I told him I couldn't remember how I'd done it the first time. Then I explained that the knockout drug they used on me had given me a headache. I said I needed some rest before I made an attempt."

"That's why you were in the cell when I came looking? You were supposed to be resting up for the big event?"

"Actually, I was trying to buy some time. I had a hunch you would probably show up sooner or later."

He turned another corner and braked to a sharp halt. "Damn. Looks like the word is out that you're gone."

Lydia sucked in her breath at the sight of the big double ghost that blocked their path. Through the chaotic, pulsing green glare of psi energy, she saw two figures moving on the other side of the UDEM. Hunters, she thought, working in tandem to increase their power.