Cole vaguely heard a mournful cry in the distance. It sounded like some wounded animal, but he needed to focus on Tomar if his plan had any chance to succeed.
*****
Winded from lack of oxygen, lungs burning from the cold, Rhonda picked up her phaser and saw Cole stumbling away. The reckless man tried to distract Tomar to give her a fighting chance. Why did he have to be so noble? She loved him for it but hated to see him in such danger. Tomar would surely kill him. When she fired upon Tomar from a distance, the remaining convicts rushed her all at once.
Rhonda crouched and pulled the dagger out of her boot. She slashed with one hand. Unable to fire at such close range, she used the phaser as a metal fist. Under the onslaught, crowded by multiple assailants, Rhonda repelled and stabbed. Steel pipes clashed against blade and phaser.
When her dagger caught deep into one man’s gut, Rhonda twisted then pulled out the blade. The wounded convict fell in a gushing of blood absorbed by the snow as fast as it flowed out. Still, four convicts remained fighting.
A guttural cry, more like that of an animal than of any humanoid, filled the air. But Rhonda knew of no big animals on the frozen planet, except maybe...
“Bearcats, ten o’clock!” Cole yelled in alarm.
The words brought a shiver to Rhonda’s spine. How could she ever have doubted the existence of the elusive bearcats? Terrified, she watched two shaggy monsters coming straight at them at unbelievable speed over the frozen surface. Larger than bears and swifter than cats, they had dagger-like fangs and three rows of bared teeth sharper than that of ancient crocodiles. God, she hoped she wouldn’t be their next meal.
“Don’t move, Rhonda!” Cole yelled. “They track motion.”
Rhonda stopped fighting, aghast at the spectacle. So did the convicts as they faced the new danger. Humanoids against beasts. Rhonda set her phaser on explode and fired at the bearcats, but the animals somehow sensed the attack and moved far apart, avoiding the discharge that blasted a large chunk of ice and snow between them in a shower of white powder.
From the upper slope, a snow bank destabilized by the explosion fell off, rolled the two furry creatures downhill and buried them under the avalanche. Elated, Rhonda hooted while the convicts shouted victory cries.
“Silence!” Tomar ordered, staring at the mound of snow.
As Rhonda followed his gaze, she watched in horror as the bearcats emerged through the mound, shaking the snow out of their fur. But even that incident didn’t slow them down. If anything, they moved faster as they barreled toward the group of men.
One convict yelled, brandished his spear and charged the beasts. He threw his weapon at the largest bearcat then ran away in a flurry of snow down the gentle slope. The bearcat swatted the missile aside, roared then chased after the spear man. The animal quickly caught up with him and pounced upon the unfortunate convict.
The spear man screamed under the beast’s claws, then his voice strangled in his throat. The bearcat dipped in to feed. Its muzzle came up bloody as the beast licked its fangs. A pink halo spread on the snow as it absorbed the blood pouring from the mangled body. But the second bearcat now approached the group of weary humans.
Tomar walked slowly toward the oncoming beast as if to confront the monster face to face. The bearcat stopped, sniffed around, and hesitated. Did it recognize the scent of another predator? Tomar shrieked a challenge, and the bearcat responded with a throaty bellow.
As the convicts, immobile for fear of getting butchered, stared at their leader in anticipation of the duel, Rhonda saw an opportunity. She moved slowly toward Cole and whispered. “Let’s make a run for the ship.”
Cole shook his head. “If we run, the male feeding over there will come after us.”
Rhonda couldn’t help notice the larger size of the beast. “But he’s busy right now.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s instinct. They’ll go after anything that moves.”
As if on cue, the bearcat feasting on the downed spear man fifty meters away looked in their direction and groaned a warning. Blood dripped from the crimson fangs. Closer to them, Tomar and the other bearcat seemed involved in a slow ballet, face to face, studying each other like in a long-forgotten fighting ritual.
Rhonda couldn’t stand the wait. “All right,” she whispered. “What can we do? Shoot the convicts in the back?”
“Patience." Cole’s gaze didn’t stray from the two contenders. “Phase fire would attract the cats’ attention, and we may need the convicts alive to fight the victor if Tomar loses.”
The convicts yelled and cheered, encouraging the hissing Tomar. The Monack kept his shape but seemed to expand to match the bearcat’s bulk and strength.
Rhonda didn’t know who to root for. Both adversaries seemed equally dangerous and indestructible. Whoever won the fight, she felt doomed. “Let’s hope these two kill each other.”
Tomar seemed to be waiting for the bearcat to make the first move. The animal, weary, delayed the attack. But Tomar baited the cat, getting within range of the deadly claws.
The bearcat pounced, but Tomar side-stepped and stabbed the furry creature’s flank with sword-like claws. As green blood seeped from the wound through the shaggy fur, the bearcat bellowed in pain and charged Tomar.
Picking up the discarded spear, Tomar shoved it across the bearcat’s open mouth, preventing the beast from closing its jaws. Growing a single claw to the length of a very long sword, Tomar stabbed and pierced the roof of the animal’s mouth. The claw penetrated deep into the soft palate, impaling the brain. The beast shook and quivered but still struggled to close its powerful jaws. Under the pressure, the metal pipe snapped and the bearcat’s sharp teeth clapped shut, severing Tomar’s extended claw.
As the animal collapsed in a weak cry, it kept the claw in its mouth. Tomar immediately shrunk and readjusted his shape, as if to compensate for the missing part of his body.
But the other bearcat had heard its mate’s cry for help and rushed to her rescue. He sniffed the dying female lying in the snow then howled a sorrowful death wail. Tomar prudently kept the slain animal between him and the male beast. The monster turned to face the Monack and bellowed his rage, out for revenge.
“One down,” Rhonda uttered, wondering whether the severed limb would impede Tomar, who didn’t look affected by the wound.
While guards and convicts stared in awe, the shape-shifting gargoyle and the second bearcat faced each other over the cadaver, circling one way then the other. The Bearcat swatted at Tomar but couldn’t reach him over his dead mate. Tomar looked agile as he dodged the lethal claws slicing the air. Apparently, the Monack’s previous mishap didn’t impede his speed. Tomar kept challenging the bearcat, showing no fear despite its great size.
Finally, the bearcat leapt over his fallen mate and pounced on Tomar. The shape-shifter sidestepped and suddenly transformed into a bearcat, confusing the big male who stopped and sniffed, then roared his fury.
The ruse had only angered the beast further. Tomar regained his gargoyle appearance. Now infuriated, the bearcat, all fangs bared, snapped its jaws at Tomar’s head, so close, Rhonda wondered how the shape-shifter kept avoiding the clapping teeth as sharp as scalpels.
In a swift motion, Tomar stabbed at the big head and punctured the beast’s left eye. The bearcat howled in pain and reared up on its back legs, pawing the air blindly. Tomar, elongating his claw, slashed the bearcat’s unprotected underbelly.
The beast’s steaming guts spilled on the snow in a green mess and the nauseating smell arose despite the cold, making Rhonda want to heave. Tomar retreated just in time to avoid being smothered by the collapsing beast. The reverberation of the monster’s fall shook the ice like the rumble of a quake.
Rhonda didn’t know whether to be relieved or horrified. Now that Tomar had demonstrated the extent of his power, how could she possibly vanquish him?
The shape-shifter turned toward Rhonda, but Cole, who had discreetly moved away from the group to the side, now called him. �
�It’s me you want, Tomar. Come and get me!”
Tomar stalked resolutely toward Cole and motioned to his men. “Get the bitch. I’ve got this one.”
Rhonda couldn’t let Cole sacrifice himself but as she started toward him, the three remaining convicts blocked her way and attacked. Rhonda kept them at bay with high kicks that propelled them far. She stabbed with her dagger but missed or over extended her reach, unaccustomed to the low gravity.
Trying to get closer, she gradually moved toward Cole, who wielded his curved blade in wild circles against Tomar. When she realized the depth of the nearby rift, however, Rhonda understood that Cole had a plan. The bottom of the fissure glowed with molten lava. Surely even a Monack could not survive a swim into that hot cauldron.
Retreating from the edge, Rhonda fired at Tomar and watched him stumble. Cole rushed him toward the rift, but the Monack recovered his balance. As a convict charged her, Rhonda grabbed his arm, braced herself and slung him in a wide circle above her head then aimed for Tomar and let go. The force of the throw, combined with the low gravity sent the convict crashing into the Monack like a bowling ball toward a single pin. Both Tomar and the convict stumbled and fell over the rim into the abyss in a deafening scream.
Rhonda raced to the edge to make sure Tomar had fallen all the way down. With horror, she saw the Monack change shape in mid air and grow wings to fly away from the inferno. The screams of the convict she’d used as a bowling ball still echoed and swelled as he plunged to his death.
Outraged, knowing that her phaser might not do the job against such a resilient shape-shifter, Rhonda switched her grip on her dagger and threw it with all her remaining strength. The sharp blade flew and ripped through the birdman’s wing. Then Rhonda aimed and fired her phaser. The Monack screeched as his shape wavered and he spiraled inexorably toward the incandescent bottom of the deep crevice with a piercing screech. High on adrenalin, Rhonda kept firing until he hit the lake of fire. The screech ended as the Monack sizzled and disintegrated.
“Watch out,” Cole yelled behind her.
Rhonda turned and saw Cole awkwardly deflecting a convict. The other one, the last of them, now came after Rhonda. Too close to fire, standing at the edge of the crevice, Rhonda dodged him, hoping he would fall to his death. The man’s low-gravity skills, however, allowed him to keep his balance as he grabbed and wrestled her.
“Another bearcat!” Cole yelled.
Rhonda saw the huge shaggy creature bearing down on them. Anchoring herself on one foot, Rhonda kicked her opponent in the chest. The man went flying in the direction of the approaching bearcat. The beast pounced on the unfortunate convict and Rhonda heard his bones crunch.
As his adversary collapsed into a bloody heap, Cole grabbed Rhonda’s arm and yelled, “Run!”
Chapter Eighteen
Running in wide leaps in the direction of the ship, Rhonda struggled to keep her precarious low-gravity balance. Cole had let go of her. As she didn’t hear him running next to her, she looked back and saw him lagging behind. “Cole! Hurry!" Was he trying to sacrifice himself again to give her a better chance?
Rhonda would not let that happen. When would the man understand that she valued his life? She backtracked to him and realized he was too exhausted to run.
“Go without me!” he ordered feebly.
“I didn’t save your life back there to let you die now. You are coming with me." Although winded, Rhonda still had strength, and she estimated that Cole’s weight in low gravity must be considerably less. “Climb on my back.”
“What?”
“I can’t run and keep my balance if I carry you in my arms. Climb on my back! Now!”
Cole shook his head and mumbled, “Stubborn." But he smiled and obliged her.
As she had guessed, Cole’s added burden, instead of impeding her, gave her more weight to fight the bouncing effects of her running steps. Gasping for breath, heart pounding, she ran toward the spaceship. Behind her she could hear the snarls of the ravenous bearcat getting closer. Good God, it was chasing them! Panic gave her the strength to run faster.
She reached the ship and rushed up the ramp into the dark interior with her charge. She felt immensely relieved when the ramp came up behind her and closed. She could hear the bearcat’s claws scraping against the metal hull.
Rhonda’s legs grew very heavy. Rebel soldiers in green uniforms helped Cole climb down from her back. He collapsed on the floor under the sudden artificial gravity of the ship.
Rhonda needed to take care of Cole right now. “He fainted. Where is your infirmary?”
A young rebel grabbed Cole under the arms. “Take his feet and we’ll carry him there."
Once in the small infirmary, the young man set Cole on a bunk and removed his belt and his torn parka. “Wouldn’t be right to put him in the brig in his condition. We’ll just stand guard outside the infirmary. Don’t try anything funny, though, or he’ll end up in the brig, sick or not.”
“Right." Rhonda remembered Princess Zarah’s conditions. Although on the same side, the Captain traveled as her captive. “May I stay with him? I’m a medic and he needs care.”
“Sure. But if you stay, you become a prisoner for the duration as well. It means total isolation. No contact with anyone at all.”
“Who else from the Garrison made it to the ship?”
The young soldier pursed his lips. “Sorry. I’m not allowed to tell you that.”
“They were my friends. I just want to know if they are safe.”
The rebel looked away.
Rhonda realized he wouldn’t talk. “Can you at least tell me how long we’ll be locked up in here?”
“About a standard month to where we drop you off." He cleared his voice. “Something else. No weapons or communication devices of any kind allowed.”
Unstrapping her phaser belt, Rhonda gladly handed it out to the young rebel. “When are we leaving?" She peeled off her bulky parka and gave it to him as well.
An overhead message answered the question. “Everyone prepare for immediate lift off.”
The young rebel took her parka, nodded and left. As the door opened for him, Rhonda saw two armed soldiers standing guard in the hallway.
Hoping the soldiers outside the door couldn’t hear, Rhonda tapped her com implant at the base of her neck and whispered. “This is Rhonda. The Captain and I are aboard the ship in friendly but tight custody. Answer me if you are able. Let us know you are safe!”
Only static answered. Obviously the device didn’t work. Princess Zarah and her accomplices had thought of everything.
The vibration of the engines felt like a balm to Rhonda’s frazzled psyche. She wouldn’t feel safe until they were as far from Zurin Five as possible. Forcing herself to relax, she checked Cole’s vital signs. Weak but regular. She scanned his upper right chest for vessel damage and felt glad to find none. With a lot of rest, he would be fine.
She gave him a dose of stimulant from an injection gun. Within seconds, Cole opened his eyes with surprise, scanning his surrounding.
“We made it to the ship. How are you feeling?”
A sudden jolt shook the small space and glass bottles and medical packs fell from an open shelf. Rhonda gripped the bulkhead for balance as she remained standing next to the bunk bed. “Rather bumpy liftoff.”
Cole sat up and took her offered hand to anchor himself. They stared out through the wide oval porthole. The ship was lifting off at an odd angle. Soon it tilted then plummeted toward the planet.
“Dear God, we are going to crash!" Rhonda dropped on the bunk bed next to Cole.
He squeezed her shoulder and kissed her cheek gently. “As I said before, at least we’ll die together.”
Rhonda didn’t try to dam the hot tears that ran down her cheeks. God, she wanted to live, have a future, a chance at happiness.
The ship’s wild fall suddenly stopped within a few meters of the ice. A high jet of lava surged, so close to the porthole Rhonda thought it would hit and
melt the window or pierce the hull. Then the vessel righted itself. When the vibration of the engines increased, the ship lifted quickly toward the stratosphere.
Overwhelmed by relief, Rhonda collapsed into Cole’s arms. She sobbed against his chest, unable to control her reaction. She had pushed her body to the limits of exhaustion and as she let go of the tension, she felt weak and tired.
Cole brushed her hair away from her face. “Do we know who else among the Garrison guards is on board?’
Rhonda shook her head weakly. “They won’t tell us, for fear we’ll try to organize a mutiny." She scoffed. “As if we cared." She wiped her eyes, then, retrieving the injection gun she gave herself a dose of stimulant as well. It made her feel instantly stronger.
Through the porthole, Rhonda could now see Zurin Five in its entirety. Still white in places, the planet now featured large bodies of dark water and fiery volcanoes that spat incandescent lava and clouds of black smoke. Slowly, the doomed planet diminished in size as they flew farther into space. From a greater distance, it looked like a fiery ball.
Rhonda thought of all the prisoners who must be dying right now. Some probably deserved their fate, but she also remembered her sister. How many inmates, who’d only trusted the wrong person, now met an unfair death? Dear God, save their souls.
Suddenly the planet seemed to expand and retract. Optical illusion? “Did you see that?”
Cole nodded. “Here it is again. We made it just in time.”
A victorious message blared overhead. “We have officially reached safe space.”
But Rhonda kept staring at Zurin Five. The planet seemed on fire. It changed shape as if it was melting, expanding in places, shrinking in others. Soon, it glowed like a small sun and flared brightly.
Fascinated by the spectacle, awed by the enormity of what Duran had done with its greedy mining, Rhonda watched as the planet exploded, filling the black space around it with millions of incandescent pieces. It would have been beautiful to watch if it hadn’t cost a hundred thousand lives.
Alien Lockdown Page 22
