Free Din Eidyn Corpus (Book 2): dEaDINBURGH (Alliances) by Mark Wilson Page B

activity. Joey’s eyes felt like buzzing bees following her movement.
    After relaying to her his mother’s description of The Hub, its contents and the possibility that it still lay fully-powered to her, Tricia had agreed enthusiastically to accompany him to the former pub on Niddry Street.
    “The streets have been mercifully free of The Ringed this last week, blondie. And besides, can’t remember the last time I had any fun,” she’d told him.
    Suzy had described Tricia as a computer genius. Tricia told him that she was a “hacker and communications specialist”. Whatever that meant.
    Joey was hoping to get some supplies and perhaps send a message to the outside world, but mostly he just wanted to be there, in that place where he’d seen his mother speak to him across the decades. He needed someone who knew how to access and how to use The Hub’s resources, to fully understand how it may be utilised. Fearful that their conversation was being broadcast, Joey whispered much of it, but really, how could he know. He’d decided to be guarded but to assume that no-one could hear him, otherwise he’d be a bag of nerves.
      On their way to The Hub, Joey had told her quietly about his mother’s message; of how she’d spoken to him by video message. All joviality had left Tricia’s face for a moment and she’d stood there, stone-still for once. Reaching up, Tricia had cupped his cheeks in her warm hands and told him softly, “That’s a real gift your mother gave you, Joseph. A real gift.”
    He’d smiled and nodded at her kindness. She was right: it was a gift.
    They’d continued their trip in warm, comfortable silence.
     
    Tricia tugged at his hand, pulling his attention to the heavy, black doors of the pub.
    “Shall we, blondie?” She giggled when she spoke.
    Joey looked up and along Niddry Street. Peering out at The Royal Mile above he felt a pang, once again, at how close he’d lived to this secret place. He wondered if The Brotherhood were nearby since their fence began just up on The Mile, round the corner.
    Tricia tugged at him again and pointed at a dust-covered keypad with faded numbers on the doorway. She reached out and wiped a finger over the corner of the pad, shifting decades of dirt and exposing a dim green light.
    “C’mon. Move yer erse.”
    Joey smiled and stepped towards the keypad. A final check up and down the narrow street to confirm they were alone and his fingers moved across the keypad, pressing the numbers his mother gave him.
    A gentle blip-bloop followed by a lock clanking made them both jump.
    Joey slipped through the doorway, gently pulling Tricia into the darkness with him. As soon as they’d cleared the door frame, Joey carefully closed the solid metal-covered wooden door, fearful of unwanted eyes chancing across it if left open. Not a scrap of light penetrated the door’s edges.
    Taking a deep breath, Joey allowed his senses to adjust to the lack of light. In its coolness and impenetrable darkness, the chamber felt familiar. Like home. The total absence of light was a security blanket around him. He allowed himself a moment to relax into it and listened as Tricia’s hands searched for something on the wall.
    A faint clang of hand on light metal rang and Tricia called out, “Shut yer eyes, Joseph.”
    Joey closed his eyes tightly and covered them with the palms of his hands a millisecond before something clunked behind him and harsh, sterile white light filled the chamber.  
    Tricia let out a whoop of delight. Through the cracks in slightly raised eyelids and between fingers, Joey squinted and watched Tricia dance a wee victory jig. As his eyes adjusted, he looked around the room, taking in its contents. He and Tricia beamed at each other, big goofy smiles that his face had never worn and hers hadn’t for years. Tricia whooped and ran to the nearest machine.
    “It’s all live, it’s alive!” Tricia laughed more loudly than ever at her own joke.
    Joey scanned his