Page 25 of Guild Boss

“Yes. Most cabdrivers from outside the DZ can’t find an address in my neighborhood. I tried to give him directions, but he ignored me. Sure enough, he took a wrong turn. I tried to correct him, but he paid no attention. By then I was hallucinating wildly, so I thought I might have made a mistake. I tried to talk to him.”

“Did he say anything?”

“No, the cabdriver never said a word. He took another turn that I was sure was wrong. I tried to get out of the cab at a stoplight. The doors were locked. I decided to climb into the front seat. I think I had some notion of getting control of the car. But a thick plastic shield slid into place. I remember banging on it.”

“The driver took you to the Storm Zone?”

“That’s right. The cab stopped in the parking lot near the Storm Zone Adventure Tours office. There was no one around at that hour of the night. You can’t run tours after dark. Too much energy. There was a big SUV waiting. The cabdriver opened my door. I got out and saw some men coming toward me. I made a run for it. I was really out of it by then but I thought if I could make it into the Dead City, I might be able to hide. I can handle the energy inside. A lot of people can’t.”

“You sent the text to your neighbor while you were running?”

“Yes. It was so hard to concentrate. I got the wordsStorm Zone Wallout and that was it. As soon as I got inside the Dead City I lost the connection, of course.”

“The kidnappers caught up with you inside the Walls of the Dead City?”

“Yes.”

“They were strong talents of some sort.”

“Because they could handle the heat inside the Walls? I agree.”

“The average ghost hunter can’t deal with that kind of energy.”

“I know. Maybe that’s why I concluded they were Guild. I don’t remember anything at all after they captured me, not until I woke up in thetunnels. That’s when I noticed the blue amber pendants. I managed to escape, but I didn’t have any nav amber, so I got lost very quickly. That meant they couldn’t find me, but it also meant I was trapped underground. I chose the chamber with the throne to crash in because I saw the water. That’s where you and Otis found me.”

“Given your memories of that night, I have to tell you I’m amazed you take the shortcut through the ruins to walk to and from work.”

Lucy smiled a humorless smile. “I think you know why I keep returning to the scene of the crime.”

“You’re trying to find some evidence of what happened to you inside the Dead City.”

“You could say I’m obsessed.”

“No luck so far?”

“No.” She searched his face. “You don’t believe any of this, do you?”

“I believe you are telling me the truth about your memories,” he said, choosing his words with great care. “But you’ve also told me that you were drugged that night.”

“Drugged. Not drunk.”

“I understand. But either way, it means your memories are not reliable.”

“Well, at least you’re honest about it,” she said. “You’re not trying to humor me. I appreciate that. I think.”

So much for the virtues of honesty. The evening was not going well. Gabriel did not know whether to be relieved or disappointed when the music came to an end. He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her gently through the crowd.

Two people were waiting for them at the edge of the dance floor. Both were in their mid-thirties, expensively dressed, and radiating the self-assured vibe of a professional power couple. They wore matching wedding rings signifying a Covenant Marriage.

The woman greeted Lucy with the bright, vivacious smile of a person who had clearly been born for sales, politics, or show business.

“Lucy, so good to see you here tonight,” she said. “What a surprise. I heard you were doing tours in the Storm Zone these days. Is that true?”

“Hi, Jocelyn,” Lucy said. “Yes, I’ve been doing a little tour work. How’s business?”

“Fantastic,” Jocelyn said. “We’re constantly recruiting new talent.” She turned to Gabriel. “Gabriel Jones, I believe.”

“That’s right,” Gabriel said.

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