Between Gates (The Gate Chronicles Book 1)

Chapter 19: Back in the Game

Nari sat on her bunk, massaging her forehead. It still hurt a bit, and the bruise still showed, but it was getting better. Chenn had been right to take her to the doctor. The doctor had confirmed his suspicions. Nari had had a mild concussion. She was over it now, of course, but when the doctor found out how Nari got injured, she had promptly reported to Amory.

Vanessa was transported out of their barrack the next day. No one new came to take her place. So it was just the four of them. Nari and Kallie, Chenn and Ali.

Ali and Kallie were closer than ever, and Nari wondered how she could've missed the signs that they were in love. It had been growing since the day she did Kallie's hair. The two of them did nearly everything together.

She reflected on the fact that she hadn't noticed it at first. Normally, she paid attention to those sorts of things with her friends. She supposed that it must be because it had happened so quickly over the course of a few days, and she had been too busy dealing with Vanessa and the problems she presented.

Chenn, true to form, teased the two mercilessly. But she could tell he was happy for them. She could also see something else in his eyes. Sadness. Whenever he looked at her, there was a mixture of both sadness and love. There was something else too, but Nari couldn’t place it.

She turned back to her handheld device. No one else was in the room. It was time to begin to relay information back to Andrew. It still hurt her head to talk because the pain in her upper head was affecting her jaw too, so she hoped he would understand why she was just typing to him instead of speaking. It was probably better that way anyway. This way she wouldn't get caught speaking to him through a communication device. She could sub-vocalize - a method of communication using only certain patterns of mouth movement to relay messages - but that was tiring, and she wasn't very good at it either.  

However, it was a safer way of communicating with him than talking out loud. Should someone walk in the room, she wouldn’t be noticed talking right away because it was such a quiet form of communicating due to its lack of using spoken words. Instead, she would have time to let Andrew know why she wasn’t talking anymore, and stop before the person noticed.

She turned the little handheld toy on. Andrew's image popped up, and words began to fly across the screen.

What took you so long to contact me? He had a frown on his face, and she knew he had worried.

I had to collect the information I needed, Andrew. I’ve only recently gotten the information and the privacy to give you the info. She typed into the tiny screen.

I understand. Better to wait until you’re sure it’s safe to tell me. What did you find out and why aren't you sub-vocalizing? His eyes searched hers.

She smiled, knowing that he could see her on his side just like she could see him. 

I had a run in with one of the other agents here, and she punched me. My head and jaw hurt... I had a concussion, and I haven't completely recovered, so that's why I'm not sub-vocalizing. As to what I found out, they have the Wand of Winds, the Book of Spells, and the Scepter of Seas hidden away in a vault underneath East Base. I found out the location, but I have to figure out the combination to open it still. Things are hard here.  

How so? He typed, the frown coming back.

She shrugged. I’ve had some issues keeping a few of my connections here off my trail. Some of them are suspicious. I am watched by Amory’s men whenever I’m not with one of them.

How have you gotten around that? He smiled at her.

Let’s just say I’ve been going to the bathroom or the bunker a lot. She grinned.