Excerpt: The Sword

Excerpt by Caitlin Demers. Korina and her gang of thieves stole a sword from a tech exhibition, and now an unwelcome guest has arrived at their hideout.

“That sword isn’t yours. Your stance gives it away.” The young man drew closer to her.

“And this isn’t your party. It’s rude to come uninvited.” Korina reinforced her grip on the hilt. Who was he that he could read her with just a glimpse?

The young man glanced at the thugs surrounding them. “Some party. Could use a little more… joy. Decorations, maybe some smiles.”

“We were just fine before you showed up. What do you want?”

“The blade. You stole it from someone important, and I’ve come to get it back.”

“Finders, keepers.”

“Something has to be lost in order to be found. You stole that from Sci-Corp’s exhibition.”

“This thing is tech?” The metal blade reflected the flickering overhead lights. Korina snorted. “I thought we’d have laser swords by now.”

The man smiled tightly and held out his hand. “Please hand it over before you hurt yourself. I’m asking nicely before the officers outside burst in here with their guns.”

The other gangsters shifted. Korina stepped toward the young man and hid the sword behind her back. “And who are you that I should give this to you? You could be from the Molten Gang. Or one of our competitors from East Side.” He was better dressed than any of those goons though. Either he was a very successful thug, or he was from the Primary District.

If he was Primary, she was in trouble.

“The name’s Lex. That’s all you need to know.”

Lex. She knew a Lex once, someone her parents introduced her to long ago. Her fuzzy memory refused to tell her more about him.

“Well, Lex, if you won’t tell us who you are then I guess we’ll have to figure something out. Myles, stun him.”

A crackling electric bolt slammed into Lex’s chest, and he collapsed. While the gangsters dragged him away, Korina tapped her watch. “Nora, are there actually officers out there? Or anyone for that matter?”

Her watch crackled. “Nope. Check and I have searched the perimeter. If they’re here, they’re hidden well.”

“How did this guy get in?”

“Must have stayed in the shadows and slipped through once we passed.”

If this sword was so valuable, why would he come alone? Primaries never went anywhere without guards or assistants. If he was part of a gang, bringing backup was rule number one.

But of course he was stupid. He waltzed into their hideout like he owned the place.

What was so special about this sword? She turned it over in her hands, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. It just looked like one of those ancient artifacts in the Capital Museum. How could this thing have possibly been designed by Sci-Corp and be on display at their exhibition?

She tapped the blade against the wall, but it left no mark. She dropped it on the floor, and it didn’t explode. Rolling her eyes, she scooped it back up and slipped it into its sheath. Piece of junk. Might get her a good price though.

Myles strode into the room. “Fancy Boy is in the interrogation room. You’ll never guess what we found in his pocket.”

“If it’s just cash, I’ll smack you.”

“More than cash.” He held up an ID card. “His name is Alexius Archer.”

She snatched the card. “This has to be stolen.”

“Look at the picture.”

Same dark eyes, same wavy hair. Her stomach turned when her eyes landed on the logo in the bottom right corner.

Sci-Corp.

“Oh moons.” Korina handed the card back to Myles and rubbed her temples.

“We can always kill him.”

“We can’t kill the heir to Sci-Corp! We’re in enough trouble as it is.” She glared at the sheath at her side. “All of this for a stupid piece of junk.”

“Valuable junk. It has to be if the Sci-Corp’s golden boy came all the way here to get it.”

“But it doesn’t do anything. And we can’t worry about that now. He knows everything about us – who we are, where our hideout is. We’ll have to get rid of him and move.” Years of hard work building this place up and earning a reputation only to have it ripped down by one unwelcome guest. Her hands fisted. “Why does he have to be an Archer?”

“Make a deal with him. Give him the sword and his freedom in exchange for keeping our secret.”

“Do you really think that’s enough to keep him from telling the police the moment he’s free?” Growling, she shoved past him.

Alexius Archer was tied to a post in a small storage unit they called the interrogation room. Korina dismissed the two guards and dropped the sword in front of him.

Lex lifted his head. The stun had mostly worn off, but he still looked groggy. “Are you the one in charge around here?”

“I think I’m the one interrogating you, Mr. Archer.”

He cringed. “Lex is just fine, thank you.”

“Well now that I know ‘Mr. Archer’ annoys you…” She smirked. “Tell me – why are you here by yourself, Mr. Archer?”

“I told you I’ve come to retrieve the sword. Bringing backup would have frightened you off.”

“But why you? Heir to Sci-Corp, the largest technology company in the world—”

“We’re the only technology company in the world.”

“Exactly. Now answer the question.”

He sighed. “I’m afraid that is more of a personal matter than a plot.”

Korina rolled her eyes and paced. “Whatever. What is so important about this blade that you came all the way here to get it?”

“I don’t have to tell you.”

“Yes, you do. Because if I don’t know, it may get sold into the wrong hands. I’m sure you don’t want that to happen.”

His jaw flexed. “Will you give me the sword if I do?”

“I’ll give you the sword in exchange for information. I’ll give you your freedom in exchange for secrecy.” She inwardly cringed. That was Myles’s idea after all. But even if Lex agreed to keep their hideout a secret, they would still have to move. Korina wouldn’t sit comfortably until they were someplace no Primary or Sci-Corp heir knew about.

Lex eyed her. “I feel like I’m getting more out of this deal than you are.”

“You could let me keep the sword.”

“No, no, I will be taking that.” He sighed. “The sword is supposed to be the newest advancement in battle technology. It has a shock-absorbent blade that can deflect bullets and absorb stuns. Tests have proven it to be unbreakable. All this only if it is turned on.”

“But why a sword? Swords were out of fashion even before the Renewal.”

He smirked. “If you let me out, I can show you. Trust me, if you see what it can do, even you won’t want it going into the wrong hands.”

“If it’s that powerful, it concerns me that Sci-Corp and the government have it.” Korina unknotted his bonds anyway. “Show me what it can do, and then you can leave.” She hated letting him go so easily, but they could always steal the sword again. She also knew someone who would find this information worth more than any old sword.

Lex stretched his arms and picked up the blade. He swung it gently side to side. “I must admit, I have yet to try it myself.” He pressed a button hidden at the bottom of the hilt. The blade hummed. “But my dad told me all about it. It deflects bullets in the exact direction they came from, which give it the same power as a gun. But the real power is this.”

He knelt and swung. A purple arc of energy shot out of the blade and burst through the wall. Bricks clattered to the floor, and the arc disappeared.

Korina’s jaw dropped, and Lex stood with a smile. “Do you know why this can’t get into the wrong hands?” he said. “This one sword can blow through an entire army.”