Chapter Four
Mercy woke the following morning and stretched, realising she was alone in the bed. The sun streamed in, suggesting she had slept later than she normally did. She figured Logan had left to get back to wherever he was hiding before it got light. The only reason she could be sure he had actually been there, and it wasn’t just another dream was the rosestone sparkling on the pillow next to hers.
The next few days passed in a haze. Mercy took commissions, dived in the abandoned ruins, and chatted to her friends, life during the day continued as normal.
At night, Logan would appear at her workshop as soon as it was safe to do so, and spend as much of the night as possible. The first couple of nights, all they did was kiss, but as they got more comfortable with each other, things progressed.
Tuesday morning, Mercy woke to a message in her mailbox from Grace, just saying “Drinks, eight pm” Butterflies took flight in her stomach. If this was code for another meeting, it would be the first time she and Logan had been together in public. They hadn’t discussed how to handle that.
As before, once the bar was clear of everyone not included, Owen and Grace locked the doors, and let Logan and Haru in via the cellar.
To everyone’s surprise, including Mercy’s, Logan walked straight over to her, and pulled her up into his arms, claiming her mouth with a kiss that left no doubt about their relationship. Sitting down, he pulled her onto his lap, and buried his face in her neck.
“Hi to you too,” Mercy said, giggling in his ear.
“Thought it was better to get it out in the open,” he murmured, “hope you don’t mind?”
“Have you two lost your minds?” Grace exclaimed. “Logan, you’re still a wanted man, remember?”
“Looks like Mercy definitely wants him!” Justice joked. Grace glared at him, and continued her rant.
“We’re in the middle of Darkness only knows what, and you two are busy catching feelings? You realise how much danger that could put you both in? If someone put a gun to Mercy’s head, Logan, could you think clearly, do the right thing, or would your emotions get the better of you? Mercy, what if someone had a knife at Logan’s throat, what would you do?”
“You’re the last one to talk, Grace,” Mercy retorted. “How long have you been screwing Justice and thinking no-one knows?”
Grace started to splutter out a denial, until Justice walked up and wrapped his arms round her.
“C’mon, darlin’, ‘bout time we were open, at least with these guys. Don’t know about you, but I’m getting mighty sick of havin’ to pretend I ain’t interested, and keepin’ my hands off you in public.”
Mercy watched Grace’s emotions battle across her face, before she relaxed into Justice’s arms.
“Fine. But the big difference is, Justice and I have been trained to put our emotions aside in high risk situations, you haven’t.”
“Well, let’s try and not get into any situations where that might be an issue, then?” Owen chimed in from the corner. “Now, can we get on with this meeting?”
“Fine,” Grace said, sitting down. Justice sat on the arm of her chair.
“We’ve uncovered plans that show there is something going on in the Sandrock Storage. We knew the church was involved, this confirms it, and it seems like Yan is involved as well.”
“Always knew he was a sleaze,” Mercy commented.
“Yeah, they needed a builder on board,” Grace replied. Looks like he built a lock to a secret chamber, so I need a builder to make the key for it.”
“Can you get me in to look at it?” Mercy asked.
“I can do one better, I’ve got the plan for it!”
Everyone gasped. “HOW?”
“Well, Yan being the double crossing sleazebag we know he is, he kept a copy of the plan - for insurance purposes no doubt. Did you know there’s a hidden drawer in his desk at the guild, Mercy? All I’m saying is once his replacement arrives, you may want to make sure they know about it.”
Mercy looked over the blueprint Grace handed her. “I think I’ve got everything I need, I can get it to you tomorrow.”
“Great stuff. Meet me at the Sandrock Storage at midnight tomorrow night then, we can go take a look.”
“Can you stop by the Civil Corps in the morning?” Justice asked Mercy. “Got some Corps business I want to discuss with you.”
“Sure thing.”
They all got up to leave.
“Just remember, Logan, you can’t be seen walking your girl home,” Grace snipped.
“I trust her to get home safely,” he replied, not rising to the bait.
The following day was a long one. Mercy made the key first thing in the morning, and hid it in her pocket. It was small, but it felt heavy there.
When she headed to the Corps, Justice had a surprise for her.
“After everythin’ you’ve done for the town, Mercy, figured it was ‘bout time to swear you in as an honorary corps member. If you’re willin’ I mean. And besides,” he looked round to make sure that no one, even Unsuur, was in earshot, “figure giving you Corps powers might come in useful.”
He handed her a uniform - jacket, trousers and boots. “You don’t need to wear ‘em, but if you know we’re tapping you for anything official like, then it’ll be handy to have ‘em.”
Mercy pulled the jacket on over her t-shirt, and was surprised how well it fit.
“Spoke to Vivi,” Justice said, “she’s got your measurements from the last order you got, so it should be a perfect fit.”
“You’re proud of yourself, aren’t you?” Mercy teased.
“Yup, but figured you deserved it.”
Mercy headed back towards her workshop with a spring in her step. Unfortunately, her mood was soured when Pen spotted her in Martle Square.
“Oho! Skinny Arms! You’re a member of the Civil Corps now? How interesting,” he said, narrowing his eyes.
“Yes, thank you. Justice swore me in this morning.”
“Need to watch the company you keep if you’re in the corps now, won’t you?”
Mercy blinked. Did Pen know?
“You’re right Pen, I’d hate for someone to see me talking to you. Best be off!”
She spent most of the day in the salvage yard and the mine, trying to avoid talking to anyone just in case.
Just before midnight, she slipped out of the workshop and headed towards the storage. Grace was waiting just inside and as they started to plan, Logan and Justice appeared as well.
“Seriously, guys?” Grace asked. “We were trying to do this quietly.”
"We can be quiet!" Justice protested.
"Just do as you're told, then. And no funny business, either," she snapped as Mercy felt Logan's hand on her back. “Now, let’s get on with this hidden door thing.”
Mercy looked up at him and grinned. “Later, then?” she asked, before walking over to the bookcase Grace was pointing at.
“Go on, pull that box there,” she said. Mercy did, and they watched as the bookcase whirred and slid to one side.
“Decent smooth mechanism. If Yan built this, it’s a shame he decided to mess about rather than actually build,” Mercy commented.
“Yeah, but he’s a bastard, so there is that. Key hole is there, pretty well hidden, you see it?”
Mercy squinted and spotted the slot Grace meant. She pulled the key out her pocket and looked. So far, they seemed a perfect match. Holding her breath, she inserted it in the lock and turned it.
There was another whirring noise, and the hidden door slid open.
The four of them stepped through the door, and Mercy jumped as the doors slid back into pace behind them.
“Only way to go is forward then,” said Grace.
They made their way down the corridor, avoiding the security lights that flickered on and off. At the end of the corridor was a control console.
“Guess we press the big red button?” Logan joked.
“You got any better ideas?” Grace asked, pushing it. This opened another door at the end, leading to a large room. What they found there was something none of them expected.
The middle of the room was dominated by a large water tank that went down several storeys below, with pipes leading upwards.
“Reckon we’re about under the oasis here,” said Justice. “Is that thing feeding the oasis?”
Logan picked up some paperwork from the table near it. “Got the motherlode, here,” he said. The rest of them crowded round.
“A user manual?” Grace said, incredulously. “Mercy, this looks like builder stuff, what do you make of it?”
Mercy flipped through the book, and walked around the tank a few times trying to make sense of everything. She knew what it looked like, but surely not?
“So,” she said carefully, “this looks like an Old World relic that’s designed to supply water. I know Qi has mentioned stuff about Sandrock being on a hub for space exploration, so that would kind of fit. Would want him to have a look at it to make sure that is what it is, and that it’s working, because the handwritten notes suggest it’s failing. But between him, me and Mi-an, if that’s what it is, we should be able to maintain it.
“This manual is mainly for Builders” she read aloud. “I know some newbie somewhere is reading this right now! Just check the diagram and do whatever's asked of you! Keep your head down and maybe you'll even see a pinch of these profits I am pilfering! NOTE: The regulator valve control that controls the amount of water going into the oasis is attached to this Old World doohickey that seems to create water like magic! DO NOT FIDDLE with the Old World relic! We have no idea how it works! Break this thing and our whole scam goes belly up, Sandrock'll be dried up in a week! The older this thing gets, the less water it seems to be generating. I don't know why, but who cares!"
“That sounds like a confession from Yan if ever I heard one,” Justice commented.
“You’re right,” replied Grace, “and it sounds like he’s in it for the money. But the messages we intercepted suggested something more sinister. Let’s keep looking round, see what else we can find.”
A poster on the wall confirmed the schematics linking the tank to the Peach statue in the oasis above, and in a small room off to the side, they found some partially burned letters.
“I recognise that writing,” Mercy said. “Pen sent me a few letters when I first arrived, trying to woo me. It was painful, but I recognise the writing. You almost expect it to have love hearts over the ‘i’s!”
“I recognise the codes, too,” said Grace. “Looks like we’ve got the evidence needed to prove Pen’s involvement.”
“Let’s get back up top and go after them!” said Justice.
As the left the side room, they heard footsteps approaching them.
“Hide!” hissed Grace. She and Mercy slipped back into the room, and pulled the door mostly closed; Logan and Justice faded into the shadows in the corners of the room.
They watched as Pen strode into the room, followed by Miguel.
“I’m telling you,” the older man said, “someone has been in here. The main lock has been tampered with and the door to the tank room should remain closed at all times!”
“Oh, pulease,” sneered Pen. “Are you sure you haven’t just been in here and forgotten?”
“I would never be so careless! It must be Logan!”
“That boy is useless. There’s no way he’s figured it out.”
“Don’t be so sure, search the premises!”
“I don’t take orders from you, old man!”
“No, but you will take them from the Empire. Don’t forget your place, Knight. For the Empire.”
“For the Empire!”
Grace took out a camera and snapped a few pictures. “More evidence!” she explained, grinning. “Now, how do we all get outta here?”
“Um, I think the guys might have other ideas, Grace.” Mercy whispered.
They watched with bated breath as Logan and Justice snuck round the sides of the room, each ready to overpower one of the Duvos agents.
Justice easily took out Miguel, hitting him hard enough on the head to render him unconscious. Pen, on the other hand, was not such an easy target.
“Well,” drawled Pen, “if it isn’t the bandit, here to save the town. What a shame they’ll learn how I caught you and the sheriff here trying to tamper with the water supply.”
Pen punched one fist into the opposite hand, before letting loose a beam of light from his palm, as Logan and Justice dived out of range.
“Shit,” hissed Grace, “his relic weapon! How do we solve this without doing anything stupid?”
Mercy looked round the room they were hiding in for inspiration. It looked to have been an old washroom, complete with an old mirror that had once been on the wall. “Don’t know if it’ll reflect the beam back,” Mercy suggested, “but the man is in love with his reflection. Might be able to distract him!”
“Best idea we’ve got,” Grace replied. “Now, let’s move.”
As they were about to leave the room, the women stopped as Logan let out an anguished cry.
“You killed my pa?”
Pen laughed. “Yes, and it was so easy. Poor deluded fool thought I was there to help him. It was so simple to inject him with that virus. Then you thought to try and rescue him. Couldn’t let the old man escape when he knew what was going on, and those bombs of yours, well, barely more than fire crackers, so I finished the job myself. And now, I can't wait to send you to join him!”
“You killed my pa!” Logan yelled again, advancing on Pen. He had no weapons drawn, but looked ready to beat the man to a bloody pulp with his bare fists. Justice took advantage of Pen’s attention being focussed on Logan to sneak up behind him, but before he could get a swing of his hammer in, Pen turned round and knocked him flying.
“Weapons out,” Grace said, as she and Mercy ran out and flanked Logan.
“Oh, the fry cook and the builder, too?” Pen laughed. “This gets better. While you won’t be missed,” he nodded at Grace, “taking out one of the builders will decimate the town!”
He grabbed Grace’s wrist, trying to wrestle the gun from her, having decided she was the weakest link. As Grace reached for the gun in her opposite holster, Mercy held up the mirror.
“Hey Pen! Got someone here you’ll want to see!”
He looked round, and for the briefest of moments he was distracted, gazing at what he claimed was chiselled perfection. It was enough, though. Grace brought the butt of her gun up against the nape of his neck, while Logan delivered an upper cut to his jaw. Between them, they knocked him out.
Once they were satisfied that both Pen and Miguel were still out cold and effectively restrained, and that Pen had been divested of his relic weapon, Grace rushed over to check on Justice.
“Guess that means I’m allowed to do this then,” Logan said, pulling Mercy in for a hug.
“I can see you, you know!” Grace called over, but there was no malice in her tone as she helped Justice to his feet.
“I saw a cart in back,” Logan said, “can probably dump both of them in there to get them back to the civil corps.”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Justice, “lock ‘em in the cells, then contact the Alliance, and Meidi.”
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