Cade frowned, nodding. “Agreed. But you must realize that you’re too strung out down here against six hundred charging mutants. You need to gather everyone into one location and hold like an old-time fort. I suggest the Spaceport, as it has the most military hardware. Besides, the Diggers and, I would think, the smugglers, want what’s in the Pit. If you don’t care about cyborg relics, leave them in the Pit. Better yet, set a trap for the Diggers, mutants and smugglers.”
“Scientists at the Pit have claimed to feel vibrations in the earth.”
“Ah,” Cade said. “There you are. If you move quickly enough, you might be able to destroy the bulk of the mutant horde at the Pit.”
“How? Tell me how.”
Cade started explaining.
Halfway through, Drang summoned Lieutenant Godfrey. The lieutenant unlocked the cell so Cade could continue explaining with drawings at a table in a different room.
Soon after that, under Drang’s authority, Cade started to put his plan into motion.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The buoys around Therduim III likely jammed surface communication with anyone in space. That still allowed the people at the Spaceport to communicate with those at the Pit.
Forty-five minutes after Cade exited his cell, he rode in an armored car. He still didn’t feel one hundred percent. The ordeal since leaving the tunnel had left him in less than ideal condition. But he felt much better than he had an hour and a half ago.
Five armored cars roared along the black road, headed for the Pit. Each car had a driver, machine gunner and turret gunner. That was it except for Cade’s car. Each armored car towed a large wagon that carried heavy ordnance. Cade’s wagon had a nuclear device, the sole one in the convoy’s possession.
No jet or shuttle was in the air, although one of the pilots remote-controlled a small drone for observation.
Hyland drove Cade’s armored car. Lieutenant Godfrey sat in the turret-gunner seat. She was also in charge of the convoy.
“Even with all their vehicles, we won’t have enough room for everyone,” Godfrey was saying.
“Some can ride outside on the armored cars,” Cade said.
“You really think these Diggers will give the mutants the edge?”
“I doubt the mutants need an edge,” Cade said. “You saw how the one in jail shrugged off the stunner shots. That was amazing. Six hundred of them swarming the Spaceport—”
“What can they do against our armored cars?” Godfrey asked, cutting in.
“Are you kidding? The mutants likely have RPGs. What happens if three of your cars are burning and more mutants with RPGs are running at you?”
Godfrey swore to herself.
From his lower position, the driver looked up in alarm.
“Keep your eyes on the road,” Cade snapped.
As the driver turned back, Cade inspected the laser carbine Godfrey had given him. He carried a power pack on his shoulders, with a feed line connecting the carbine with the pack. At his side was a heavy revolver. He wore body armor, too, and a helmet.
“You look like a soldier,” Godfrey had told him in admiration.
Cade was actually beginning to feel like a soldier again. “I’m going to take a look around.” He didn’t wait for the lieutenant’s permission, but opened a hatch and poked his head and shoulders through. The jungle flashed past as the five-car convoy roared for the Pit. The leafy fronds were a blur and the planetary heat hit like a wall. The inner car was air-conditioned. It was much different riding on the road in an armored car than sprinting dead-tired from a screaming mutant posse beside it.
After a careful scan, Cade slipped back inside, closing the hatch.
“The mutants might swarm us,” Godfrey said, worried now. “We need a lift-off to the space station.”
“Remember what Drang said. There aren’t enough shuttles to ferry everyone in more than a week. And this Sub-Protector, I think he wants everyone down here dead.”
Godfrey paled.
“Don’t worry too much,” Cade said. “If we move fast enough, we might get most of the horde at the Pit.”
“Yeah? And if the Sub-Protector drops nukes on us?”
“Then why bother using the mutant horde? Think about it. The warship crews would see that. It would be too open, too brazen to get away with.”
“What if he becomes desperate enough?”
“No. Worry about what you can affect. Let’s concentrate on wiping out the mutant horde—and wiping out the Sub-Protector’s reason for doing any of this.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re going to set a trap for the mutants—our nuke. Well, let’s make sure the cyborg relics go up with them.”
“I don’t know,” Godfrey said. “The scientists will want to bring the relics along.”
“What they want and what they get are going to be two different things. That is, of course, provided you help me with that.”
“Okay. What do you want me to do?”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The Pit proved to be ten kilometers of deforested jungle surrounded by a vast packed-dirt wall four meters high. There were several dug-down areas, some smaller, one huge like a gravel pit. Dirt and gravel trails crisscrossed the area, at times passing dirt mounds of varying sizes. Beyond the perimeter wall were patrolling robots, sixteen altogether. There were another seven in storage or in the shops undergoing repairs. Cade had noticed machine-gun nests interspaced along the wall. Godfrey told him a twenty-man platoon also patrolled the outer perimeter.
There was a small town of log buildings, each constructed from the felled jungle trees. A large parking area held earth-moving equipment that included excavators, skid-steer loaders, bulldozers, backhoes, graders and tracked loaders. There were electric carts, some small and a few bigger. Dirt and gravel roads crisscrossed the Pit, although no one seemed to be in any kind of hurry.
The five armored cars parked between the earth-moving equipment and the town as the crews climbed out.
A sergeant sauntered out of a log building. The man carried a rifle but didn’t wear any body armor or helmet.
“What’s going on?” Godfrey said as the sergeant walked up to them. “Didn’t you get the message?”
“We got it,” the sergeant said, a smallish man with hair down to his shoulders, tied in place with a red bandana around his head. “We passed it along, too, but Professor Higgins said his people just made a fantastic discovery. This one could be worth a mint, and no one is going anywhere until they pull it free.”
“Did this Higgins say what he found?” asked Cade.
The sergeant glanced at Cade and then at Godfrey, raising his eyebrows as if to ask, “Who’s he?”
Cade stepped up to the man, looming over him. “I’m Force Leader Cade. I’m here to—” Cade scowled. “Stand at attention when I’m addressing you, Sergeant.”
The sergeant frowned, looking up at Cade. Maybe he saw something menacing in the Ultra’s eyes or maybe he sensed the raw power emanating from him. The sergeant straightened even though he’d likely never heard of the rank Force Leader. Cade’s obvious authority, military bearing, size and that Godfrey didn’t question what he said all must have added to the effect.
“I asked you a question,” Cade said.
“I don’t know exactly, uh, sir. I-I think Higgins called it a convertor.”
Cade swore, startled at the revelation. This was worse than he’d realized. It was time to shift into high gear. He eyed the sergeant, deciding to use the man.
“Get that rag off your head.”
The sergeant tore it off.
“Who’s in charge here?” Cade asked Godfrey.
“Captain Souk,” she said.
“Where’s your captain?” Cade asked the sergeant.
“In Pit Three, sir.”
“How many men are in there?” Cade pointed at the log building the sergeant had exited.
“Ah, I don’t know. There’s my four—”
“Get them,” Cade said. “And do it now, Sergeant. Hop to it, man.”
The sergeant raced for the log building.
“I don’t remember you saying you were going to pretend to be in charge,” Godfrey said.
Cade eyed her. Could he pull it off? It would have been better if Drang had joined them, but she’d remained at the Spaceport. “Lieutenant, do you want to survive Therduim III?”
“You know I do,” Godfrey said.
“And do you want to do your duty to humanity?”
“What does that mean?”
“Do you know what a cyborg convertor is?”
Godfrey shook her head.
“It takes people like you and me and peels off the skin with razors. Then it extracts useless parts from those going through, as the convertor adds mechanical and electrical parts. It other words, it turns normal people into cyborg troopers, complete with ripping away your personality by shoving an obedience chip into your gray matter.”
Godfrey looked as if she was going to be sick. “That’s what Higgins found?”
“That’s what the sergeant said. Convertors are one of the most evil inventions in human history. I intend to destroy it, even if it means killing everyone here.”
“What?” Godfrey breathed.
“I’m taking the nuclear device down there and setting the timer and proximity fuse. I’m also going to kill anyone trying to stop me.”
“Cade—that wasn’t the plan.”
“It is now. Remember, I fought the cyborgs. I know what kind of horror they brought. We can’t let them rise again. For one thing, your era isn’t ready to face them and win.”
Godfrey swallowed as her face twisted as if she was going to vomit. “Cade, I can’t agree to this. Killing everyone is barbaric.”
“Lieutenant, what do you think is going on here?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Rich people and others with hidden agendas are trying to revive the cyborgs. The rich ones want money and what money will give them. The others—I think there are some that want to revive the cyborg empire.”
“You can’t be sure.”
“I’m sure enough, though.” Cade saw the sergeant and four soldiers racing out of the log building, heading back here. He told Godfrey, “You’re going to have to make a decision. Back me or fight me.”
“You’re asking too much.”
“Do you believe I know what I’m talking about?”
“M-maybe.”
“That’s not good enough. Do you believe me or not?”
Godfrey nodded, saying in a quiet voice, “I believe you.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
The sergeant and his four soldiers slid to a halt, each of them snapping to attention with their eyes staring forward.
Godfrey exhaled, looking pale. Her voice was strong, however, as she said, “Gentlemen, Force…?”
“Leader,” Cade said.
“Force Leader Cade just arrived at the space station. He’s officially in charge down here. I have the authorization papers at the Spaceport, but this is officially an emergency. You will obey the Force Leader’s orders as if the Sub-Protector himself was talking to you.”
“Yes, sir,” the sergeant barked.
“All right,” Cade said, as he nodded to Lieutenant Godfrey. “This is what we’re going to do…”
Chapter Thirty
Cade rode shotgun as small Sergeant Haxo drove an electric cart down the graded path of Pit 3, the biggest one, the path hugging the dirt walls. The pit was like a reverse Egyptian pyramid or an upside-down one, with the apex being in the deepest part of the ground.
From what Cade had seen so far, two-thirds of the people were at the top in the log buildings, on the packed-dirt perimeter or walking patrol around it. The rest were working their way down or already at the bottom of Pit 3, excavating for new relics or working on those already pried from the ground, getting them ready for shipment elsewhere.
According to Haxo, a shipment of relics had lifted off directly to the space station about three hours ago. The station’s heavy lifter had landed as people rushed the relics on board. Haxo had heard the lifter would be back later in the day for the rest.
Sergeant Haxo slowed as they neared the bottom. It was a wider area than Cade had expected from the top. There were over a hundred people down here, bustling their butts to get the work done.
“Oh-oh,” Godfrey said. She rode in the back of the electric car. A wagon was hitched to it. A tarp hid the nuclear device inside.
A military man hurried toward them. He was medium-sized and carried a carbine. Three soldiers followed him. They wore body armor and carried rifles.
“That’s Captain Souk,” Godfrey said.
As Souk neared, Cade sensed the authority in the man and the determination on his flat face. Could the bankers—or whoever was paying—have reached the captain and bribed him? The possibility certainly existed.
“Stop the car,” Cade ordered.
Haxo applied the brake.
Cade jumped out. “Captain Souk, a word with you.” He didn’t ask it as a question, but gave it as a command.
Souk had opened and now closed his mouth. It was possible he’d just about been ready to shout for Haxo to stop the electric car. Cade had beaten him to it. With a scowl, Souk spoke to his three soldiers and then walked to where Cade was standing.
“Who are you?” Souk said.
“Captain,” Cade said without answering, as he held out his hand.
Souk automatically reached up to shake hands.
Cade had chosen this spot and had Haxo stop exactly here for a reason, as they were presently out of sight of almost everyone, including the three soldiers. Gripping the captain’s hand with bone-crushing strength, Cade yanked the man closer yet. He slugged him in the gut, a hard rabbit punch. Souk folded, and Cade lowered the man to the ground as he pressed the carotid artery. He blocked the blood flow until he felt the captain slump unconscious.
It was brazen and couldn’t have gone completely unnoticed. But short of killing the man, Cade wasn’t sure about the right way to do this. He picked up Captain Souk, carrying him to the electric car.
The three soldiers who had been with Souk saw this and rushed near.
“He’s had an attack of some sort,” Cade said, as he deposited the unconscious captain in the back where Godfrey had been sitting. “Lieutenant, take the captain to the infirmary.”
It only took an extra second for Godfrey to say, “Yes, sir.”
“Sergeant,” Cade told Haxo, “Unhook the wagon. You three, help him. We’re going to manhandle that into position.”
This was the critical moment. Cade was poised on his toes, ready to create mayhem. Fortunately, Haxo hurried to obey as Godfrey climbed into the car’s driver side.
“What happened to him again?” asked one of the three soldiers suspiciously. “Did you punch him? It looked like you might have punched him.”
“Are you crazy?” Cade asked calmly. “I caught him as he collapsed. I take it the captain has been under tremendous stress lately?”
The speaker turned to the other two. One of them snorted and nodded. The speaker turned back to Cade. “You could say that. Are you sure…?”
“I could see it in his face that he was collapsing,” Cade said. “I’ve seen such things before, and Captain Souk’s record implied it was going to happen to him. Stress, great stress—it’s why I’m here. This is an emergency, gentlemen. We’re in great danger.” Cade whirled around. “Is that wagon unhooked yet?”
Sergeant Haxo worked faster than before, cranking a handle as the hitch rose. “It’s ready,” he shouted.
“Go,” Cade told Godfrey. “Don’t waste a second. See that Souk receives the best medical attention possible.”
Godfrey cranked the wheel as she slowly turned around. No one yet had stopped to really question what they were doing.
That ended as a tall man shouted, “You there. What’s g
oing on?”
“Go,” Cade told Godfrey.
She pressed the accelerator, and the electric car zoomed up the grade, leaving with the unconscious captain.
“You,” said a man striding toward Cade. “Where is she going with Souk?”
Cade gauged the man: tall, although not as tall as he was, with a thin neck, wearing light clothes and with several scientific-looking tools dangling from his belt. He might be a scientist and walked and spoke like someone in charge.
Cade turned to one of the three soldiers, who still seemed bewildered by the speed of events. “Who is that?”
“Professor Higgins,” the original speaker answered. “He’s in charge of the Pit. The captain and he were talking. I think he’s going to be angry about what happened.”
Cade stepped up to intercept the professor. “Whatever you have to say, you can say to me, Higgins.”
The man stopped short, frowning at Cade. His eyes went up and down, as if to say, “You’re a big one.”
“Why are you still down here?” Cade asked.
“What?” Higgins asked.
Cade made a sweeping gesture, taking in everyone at the bottom. “You’re supposed to have evacuated the Pit.”
“Says who?”
“Sub-Protector Krenz,” Cade said forcefully. “Everyone is evacuating to the Spaceport.”
Higgins ran a hand through a thick swath of hair. He eyed the electric car taking the captain and then stared again at Cade. “Who in the hell are you?”
“Marcus Cade,” he said, holding out his hand. “I presume you’re Professor Higgins.”
“You have a laser,” Higgins said, making no move to shake hands. “I’ve never heard of you.”
“The Sub-Protector must have told you I was coming down.”
“No.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Cade said. “You’re leaving, all of you, as of this instant.”
“What? Leaving? That’s madness.”
The Soldier: Final Odyssey Page 13
