“Yeah, got it. Sounds like a plan.” Ozzy threw a thumbs-up. Thanks to Jonas, they knew Wildly was on his way, but they didn’t know when he’d be around or in what direction he was coming from.
Relic beeped.
Jozi stood straighter, jabbing a finger at the radar holoscreen. “There are half a dozen ships. That’s got to be Wildly.” She slapped her rifle and eyed Gragas. “Let’s go up top.” She clipped her helmet in place.
Gragas turned and marched out of the cockpit with Jozi.
Ozzy clipped on his EVA helmet in case anything drastic happened and leaned back. “Let me know when you’re on the roof and in a good spot. I’ll get us up, and we’ll start blasting them from above.”
The mountain began to vibrate, and smoke rose above its peak. One of Wildly’s craft landed on a charge, setting off the first detonation.
“We’re ready up here.”
Ozzy pulled back on the control stick and lifted the parallel lever, raising his craft quickly above the mountain range.
The ship that landed on a charge was on its side and near the Eagle. A hole had ripped through its bottom, and the ship was a mess of wires and metal. Internal explosions exposed more holes on the starboard. No one could have survived that carnage.
“Those poor dead creeps,” mumbled Ozzy. He pressed the control stick forward. “Shoot when ready.”
Another of Wildly’s ships touched down. It shot into the air a moment later and twirled, fire bursting out of its belly. Another explosion in the middle of the craft blew the side walls clear off. It bounced off Olympus Mons’s rocky base and slid away from the Eagle.
Two ships down. Four to go.
But Wildly and his crew weren’t that dumb. They aborted their landing approaches and pulled farther away from the ground.
Ozzy zoomed forward. Wildly’s ships were close enough for some pot shots.
A blue beam zipped from Ozzy’s roof, slamming into one of Wildly’s craft. Then more shots followed.
One of the enemy ships bucked and dipped. Glass shattered outward and fire spewed from the cockpit. Thick smoke billowed out and swirled upward.
Another enemy craft dropped like a lead weight, crashing into a detonation charge. The ship erupted into the air, spun, and crashed on its roof.
More of Wildly’s craft spotted Ozzy. Their thrusters lit up, and they flew at Relic.
Ozzy sucked in a deep breath. “Oh boy. Here we go.” He pulled the control stick to the right, turning around, and activated stern boosters, pushing as much zip as he could into Relic.
“They’re out of range, Ozzy,” cried Jozi. “Veer back around.”
“How about you be my stern shooter,” he replied.
“Easier said than done.”
Going this fast and trying to crawl toward the boosters wasn’t for kids.
Ozzy steered to the left, placing Relic in a wide turn.
A photon blast whizzed by his cockpit then another.
“Clasp a roof hold,” shouted Ozzy. “I’m going into a quick turn.”
“We got them. We’re secure,” said Jozi.
Ozzy shifted, putting his ship into a wide descending arc.
“Blast them out of the sky if you can.” He checked his radar. “They’re on my ass.”
“We can see that.”
Waboom!
Relic shook violently, and its engines sounded like they were taking their last breath. Ozzy pulled her into another turn, heading toward the Eagle.
The cockpit vibrated and beeped.
He checked his monitor and his heart dropped. “All engines offline. We’re going in for a crash-landing. Hold on tight.”
42
Olympus Mons, Mars
“We only have the handholds, so a more gentle crash would be nice,” Gragas said.
“Easy for you to say.” Ozzy leaned back against his seat, the restraints pulling. The craft’s holocomputers knew an impact was coming and were keeping him secured to his chair.
The ground rushed up, and the red sand on Olympus Mons’s eastern base stirred, exposing the gray rock underneath.
Ozzy lifted Relic’s nose, and just in time.
Relic shuddered, bouncing up and down on impact and sending a metal against rock sound screeching into the cockpit. Ozzy jerked back and forth, the restraints doing a good job not allowing his body to rocket through the cockpit window.
He cringed and flexed his muscles. Relic slid by the Eagle and crashed into a rock wall, breaking the starboard wing in half.
The craft spun and tipped to the side where it jostled back and forth then vibrated to a stop.
There was no sound, and his eyes darted around, inspecting the damage. The flight console was intact, and the cockpit was operational, minus the ionic booster controls.
He unstrapped and stood, his legs feeling a bit unsure of themselves. After a moment, he dashed out of the cockpit. “Are you two still with me?”
“Still here,” responded Jozi. “Wildly and his crew are coming in hot.”
Ozzy rushed down the ladder and landed square on his feet. He raced to the weapons rack, snagging a rifle.
He slapped the ramp button, which clanked and opened and smacked against the ground.
“Here they come,” hollered Jozi.
Ozzy slid down the ramp and to one knee. He aimed at the oncoming craft and pulled the trigger, watching a beam blast out of his rifle’s muzzle.
It went wide.
Shit. Gragas and Jozi always made this shooting thing look easy.
Shots soared from Relic’s roof, slamming like hot molten lava into one of the craft. The ship tilted then leveled out, going back into a straight dive.
“Run,” yelled Jozi.
The clank of metallic boots racing across the roof echoed in the air.
Ozzy was crouched next to the ramp, his eyes toward the sky. Jozi leaped over him, somersaulted, and popped to her feet.
The incoming craft let loose. Their cannons rotated, spitting balls of fire toward them.
Ozzy rolled away, catching a glimpse of Gragas beginning his leap to safety.
The enemy blasts hit Relic, and a roar enveloped the area. Relic split in two and one part was pushed back against the rock wall. Fire blasted outward, sending debris everywhere.
The concussion flipped Ozzy several times, his arms flailing as he tried to grab something, anything, to stop his momentum. His back slammed into a rock, and he let out a loud grunt. His helmet smacked onto the ground, and a warm rush from an internal explosion inside Relic pressed against his back, throwing him farther across the sand.
The pops and cracks coming from his bones filled his ears.
He tumbled to a stop. He was out of breath and weak. He turned to stare at Relic. It was a heap of fire and metal, and what was left of the outside armored exterior was dripping toward the ground.
He pushed himself into a seated position, resting his back against a jutting boulder.
He looked left.
Jozi was lying face down, unmoving.
He looked to his right.
Gragas was on his back, his chest lifting up and down. He was clearly dazed.
The ground rumbled and Ozzy looked forward. Wildly’s two remaining craft had landed.
Ozzy touched his shoulder. There was still a strap there. He followed the strap to the connected rifle.
The ramps on the ships opened and clanged loudly against the rock. Several men stepped out, including the tallest—Mort Wildly.
Ozzy lifted his rifle, slipped his finger through the trigger guard, and rested his finger there.
He took an uneasy breath, trying to calm his shaking arms. He closed one eye, aimed, and pulled the trigger.
Click.
There was no smoke rising from the muzzle as it usually did after an expelled photon blast.
He looked at the rifle barrel. Half of it was broken off.
“Shit.”
He threw the rifle on the ground and stood tall and strong. “C
ome and get me, fellas.”
43
Olympus Mons, Mars
Mort Wildly strode toward Ozzy with several men by his side, all wearing EVA’s and rifles and ready to send Ozzy to the afterlife—if there were such a place.
Wildly kicked a rock into Ozzy’s boot and tapped his EVA helmet. “Can you hear me?”
Ozzy could hear him loud as day, but he shook his head to be a dick. “Can’t hear you at all.”
“Good. Glad you haven’t lost your sense of humor. You’re my ticket into the Ministry. I turn you in, dead or alive, and I’m the hero, Ozzy-boy. How does that sound?”
“Sounds like you’re still a piece of shit. Nothing has changed since you came out of your mother’s ass.”
Wildly snapped his gloved fingers, motioning for his guard.
The guard took a giant step forward and kneed Ozzy in the stomach. Ozzy let out a loud grunt and went crashing to the ground.
Several men grabbed Ozzy by the collar and dragged him to one of the ships.
As he slid across the slate rock and red dust, he craned his neck to eye Jozi and gasped. He reached outward, his hands grasping for her. “No. Leave her alone.”
A man stood over her with his rifle muzzle against her chest. The sound of the shot echoed. Jozi’s chest bounced off the ground, and her legs twitched.
Ozzy closed his eyes and screamed, “No!” His stomach felt as if it were in his toes, and his eyes welled up. He did this to her. All she wanted to do was be a help to the population, and he drove her to her final resting place. She didn’t even get a chance to clear her name.
He squeezed his hands like they were around Wildly’s neck. He went to get up but struggled. His mind and body were weak and listless. He no longer cared. “Wildly, you piece of Mars dung. Just end me.”
“Put him in my rig. Right now, he’s more valuable alive than dead. First, I have to show him to the public that I have him before I slit his throat.” Wildly walked to the other craft and up its ramp.
The guards pulled Ozzy into the craft. He let his arms fall by his sides as Jozi’s face filled his mind.
They dropped Ozzy on the ship’s floor and hurried to their designated stations.
The ramp whooshed closed, and the craft lifted. It started to shake and dip a few feet but then ascended.
“What was that?” yelled a crewman.
Commotion littered the craft, and beeps and whistles reverberated off the walls. The holoscreens blipped on and off, and the lights did the same.
The sound of metal tearing and a saw buzzing rattled the ceiling.
Ozzy blinked, slowly moving his head in the direction of the sounds. A burning circular shape appeared above him, and a large saw was digging through the exterior and into the craft. Sparks shot and rained down everywhere.
A loud crash sounded when the circular metal piece dropped from the ceiling. A boot kicked through the newly created hole.
44
Olympus Mons, Mars
Several guns went off. Quad jumped through the hole, landing in a crouch with swords in hand.
He ducked and swiped a sword across a man’s stomach. The guard yelped, dropped his weapon, and pressed his hands against his wound.
Blood drenched his palms and he fell, rolling in pain on the floor.
Ozzy went to get up but fell back down. The room spun and he felt lightheaded. Plus, this erratic flying rig wasn’t helping any.
Quad lunged forward, slicing a rifle in half, and kicked another guard in the chest.
The guy fell back and landed against the pilot.
The ship rocked, and Ozzy slid across the floor, hitting a column.
Quad grabbed the pilot by the throat, lifted him, and threw him across the cabin.
The guy tumbled with a loud thump when he crashed against the ramp wall.
Quad took over the craft and extended the landing gear. He lowered the ship into a hover and touched down.
The pilot reached for a gun lying on the floor. Quad turned, aimed his photon pistol, and shook his head. “Think again.”
The pilot dropped his weapon and put his hands up, scooting back and up against the ship’s wall.
“Thank you.” Quad stood. He rushed to Ozzy and picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder. He pointed the gun at the pilot. “Lower the ramp, now.”
The pilot slapped the button. Quad stepped off the ramp and turned. He pointed his gun at the flight console.
Wapooh! Wapooh!
The console fizzed and burst into flames, the thin atmosphere diminishing the fires a few seconds later.
The men on the ground were dead or knocked out. Others backed up, hiding in the shadowed corners of the ship’s interior, choosing to live another day.
When the ramp closed, Quad turned and sent a myriad of photon blasts across its external controls.
A control box exploded into several pieces, sending a plume of smoke into the air.
“Put me down.” Ozzy pointed to where he’d last seen Jozi. “Help her.”
Quad surveyed the area. “Help who?”
“Jozi. I need you to do to her what you did to my brother.” His voice was coming fast and stressed. “You know, cure her with that golden ball.”
“I’m sorry, Ozzy, but she isn’t there.”
Ozzy took several slow steps forward, eyeing where Jozi had been. He gasped, turning around and around. “Where the hell is she?”
Booming thrusters pierced the quiet sky, and Ozzy looked up. A dozen of Jonas’s starfighter S-6 Hawks were nearing his position. Wildly’s lone craft hit its ionic afterburners and zipped away in the opposite direction.
Several of Jonas’s ships followed Wildly, while others came in for a landing.
Ozzy put his head in his hands and sat down, the cold stone sending shivers up his spine. “Where is Gragas? The last I saw him he was by my S-4 Jumper.”
Quad adjusted his mask, touching his eyepieces. “I don’t detect any human life or Dunrakee life in that direction. Jozi and Gragas aren’t here.”
Ozzy closed his eyes, trying to get the spinning to stop. “Impossible. I was just with them.”
“Perhaps Wildly took them.”
Ozzy started to shake his head but then thought better of it. “He didn’t. Wildly went into the ship empty-handed.”
An S-6 Hawk landed a few meters from them. The dust spun into the air, and a man stepped out of the craft, decked out in a full EVA military-grade suit. “Jonas wants to see you.”
“I figured as much,” said Ozzy, a knot growing in his throat.
“It’s about Jozi.”
Ozzy tilted his head and his eyebrows came together. “What do you mean?”
“Gragas is on his way to Jonas’s now. He has Jozi and is flying low to the ground so the MMP don’t detect him.”
“Is she alive?” Ozzy’s eyes were hopeful.
“Barely.”
45
Nearing Tagus Valles, Mars
Ozzy sat in the cabin with Quad by his side.
The S-6 was in the air and veered around a hill and into a gorge.
Ozzy stared at his lap, his mind slowly coming back to him. The spinning had stopped. Thank Mars.
But the reality of life and death consumed him. He’d sent too many of his own family and friends to their graves just by association. He couldn’t do that anymore.
In a way, Jozi was right in her thinking. Family was everything to her, and deep down, he knew family was more important than finding a sphere or any other artifact, for that matter. Money wasn’t worth more than family.
Even though they didn’t see eye to eye on everything, Jozi had become a good friend. And now another person associated with him might die or already be dead.
He cringed and tightened his lips. This was it. No more deaths on his watch. He was done, and to keep those he loved alive, this all needed to end.
It wasn’t a maybe.
It was a must.
“We’re heading in for the steril
ization chamber,” said the pilot.
Ozzy glanced up. The domed city of Tagus Valles sparkled into view. Good.
He’d decline Jonas’s offer to go to Earth and convince the crime lord to return his family. He’d told himself that he was done with forbidden archaeology before, but this time was the real deal.
It would mean more time with Lily-bug. Now that Robert was gone, things would start easing up in his life.
Hell, maybe he could be a professor again at the university.
He shook his head. Because Anonymity didn’t do his job of leaking all the information to the press, Ozzy would still be considered a criminal.
Instead, maybe he’d use whatever money he had left over to fix Relic and spend the rest of his life playing with his daughter and only pulling his rifles and guns out when she was in high school and the boys started coming around.
The com channel crackled. Jonas held a smile. “Good job, Ozzy. Our plan worked.”
Ozzy blinked several times. “What plan? If the plan was for me to fly the Eagle inside Olympus Mons, then, well…it didn’t work.”
“Not that plan.” He shrugged, a sinister look in his eyes. “Well, I didn’t tell you most of the plan, actually.”
“What did you do, Jonas?” The guy was about to come clean with something, and that something probably wasn’t going to sit right with Ozzy.
“I notified Wildly of your Eagle’s location and that you were on your way. I told him I wanted to align with him, and this was my offer to show him I could be trusted. He took it hook, line, and sinker.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No.”
Ozzy balled his hands into fists. “You set me up.”
“But my plan was to kill him, which you and your team almost did. My guys are chasing after him now, and I just spent the last ten minutes on the com line with him while he cursed me out.” Jonas leaned back, touching his belly and letting out a satisfied chuckle.
Martian Quadrilogy Box Set Page 58
