by Lowry, Chris
He examined the dressing, and settled in the blankets on the floor.
“I will rest now. No one will disturb me, or I will kill everyone. Darwin, bring Bruce in here, the stun will be wearing off him soon. Banger, you are free to ram the village. Robe will escort you. Tell your people we are your guests. Any harm to him, Pip will cut your girl’s head off and roll it out to you.,” he stared hard at Reanna. “Same for you. Any funny stuff, Robe frag’s your father. No questions, no second chances. Does everyone understand me?”
They nodded. He lay down and closed his eyes.
“No one will disturb me,” he reiterated.
“But how will we-”
He raised his hand, warning. They all became quiet, watching his chest as it rose in steady rhythm. They looked at each other, but no one moved until they were sure he was deep enough in sleep not to hear their feet on the floor.
The glamour worked, even on Robe, Pip and Darwin, those who had been with him the longest. They saw him only as tired. He waited until they moved away from him, fooled into thinking he was asleep. Then he relaxed ever so slightly. If they had been watching, they would have seen the glamour shiver, seen the wounded man confined to the floor, but he covered it quickly.
Reanimating his limbs for the final confrontation with Banger and his daughter had sapped his reserves, draining everything. And the shark nearly ripped his arm off. He wanted to look at it, study the wounds and determine if he would gain use of it again. The cuts were deep, gouges in the muscles. He projected himself in his arm, tracing the burning edges of skin, probing the bloody mess with his mind, trying to discover the extent of hurt. The pain was too much. More and he would risk their knowing and he couldn’t have that.
He trusted Robe. The boy was enamored of him, wanting to measure up in his eyes. He could tell and dropped a tiny hint here and there, cueing the Trooper’s reactions. Robe was wide eyed with wonder, and trained for nothing it seemed, even if it was effective against the mindless Mob. But he worked. Situations called for compromise and the Templar needed the boy’s help.
The girl followed Robe. Pip was better trained, and he had to wonder what organization trained their Second in command better than their leader. But it required too much energy and he quit thinking about it all.
“I will devote myself to healing,” he thought and reached inward, practicing the breathing and meditation Eleven had taught him, actions that should lead to a faster recovery.
He reached the third level of healing before he passed out.
Nova leaned back in her chair, half passed out with exhaustion. The preparations for next week’s event had drained her with meeting after meeting. First one to discuss Troop appropriation, the next to argue about requisitions, and yet another with her tailor on the scoop in the back of her dress.
She longed for a clean battle, where the Mob swarmed over the walls and adrenaline an fear pumped her so full of energy she felt she could take on the whole world alone.
As it was, she felt the world could take a leap.
The Com chimed and Stephen’s voice brought her from the edge of sleep.
“Darren’s here.”
She sighed, and rubbed her eyes.
“Send him in.”
The odor opened quickly and Darren jogged across the floor.
“I know where they are,” he stuttered.
She waited.
“Well?”
“Harry and I have been checking everywhere, all air traffic, all avenues, anything you can think of. They’re not on the Mainland.”
“They could be underground.”
“We thought of that, but underground, and they would have to fight the Mob. They couldn’t do it over and over every night. And they didn’t hole up anywhere safe.”
“What does Harry think?”
“He checked all the boats, and no one’s gone out on any with authorization. But the harbormaster talked about a non registered car flying over the ocean a few nights ago.”
“It could have been a Corsair.”
“That’s what I thought. But Harry pressed the guy, and the only reason he reported it was because they didn’t pay tribute.”
“The Corsair’s pay tribute to the harbormaster?” she raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t worry, we took him in.” Darren said. “We’re okay until the next one learns how to play the system. Anyway, Harry ran an air check on the islands. A small car was shot down over Channel a few days ago.”
“Why would Corsairs shoot down one of their own,” her eyes lit up.
“Exactly. Unless it wasn’t one of their’s. We want a squad to investigate.”
Nova slumped back in her seat.
“I can’t do it. Not with the fund-raiser so close.”
“Come on Commander,” Darren begged. “Just six Suits. We’ll only be gone a day.”
“Impossible. We need every body we have here.”
“But wouldn’t it look good if we could bring back the prisoner and the traitors. It would loosen the purse strings.”
Nova held her head in her hands, rubbing her temples. He was right. Bringing in someone would throw a new light on the Troops recent failures. Maybe it was the prisoner hiding on the island. Even if it wasn’t, the discovery of the harbormaster, coupled with a few pirate captives couldn’t hurt. She nodded.
“Tell Bram to go over the battle plans. Bring me somebody, even if it’s just Corsairs.”
Darren smiled and ran for the door.
“You won’t be sorry.”
But she was. Scenarios played over and over in her mind. What if the mission was a failure and she lost more Troops? It was a double edged sword and she hated it. send men to make a kill to score points. Lose men on the mission and lose the whole program.
She leaned back in her chair, praying for sleep or some other release to claim her.
“He looks sick,” Pip said.
“He’s just tired,” Robe argued, keeping his gun trained on Banger.
“I agree with her,” said Banger. “He hasn’t eaten for two days.”
“He needs fruit,” Reanna growled from the corner.
the captivity was taking it’s toll on her too, but in a different manner. Cooped up in the hut, or shackled with Pip when she went outside, she had grown sullen and removed. Darwin jokingly told Robe she was planning their deaths, then shuddered. She probably was.
Bruce had recovered from the stun the previous night along with the rest of the village. He had subsequently lapsed into a coma of shock on being in the company of Corsairs. Darwin declared it was all an act, but Bruce stuck to his guns, and lay against the wall in the hut, oblivious to the world.
Life went on outside. Everyone accepted Banger’s proclamation that the five were his guests, enjoying his protection. The Corsairs went on farming and scavenging the shores for driftwood or whatever else washed up. They tended their vegetables and gathered wild fruit from the jungle.
“What will fruit do for him?” asked Robe.
“That may be what made him sick,” offered Darwin. “His system isn’t used to our parasites. He may have an intestinal infection.”
“It’s the wound on his arm,” said Pip. “If we could get the Computer off of our car, we could at least scan him.”
That would tell them right where we are,” countered Robe. “Templar said he needed rest. We’re going to let him rest.”
the argument stopped for the moment, though no other conversation started to take it’s place. They sat in silence and watched the Templar’s scarlet face stream with sweat.
“Can we at least cover him?” said Darwin, moving to grab a blanket.
Reanna grabbed the blanket from his hands and roughly covered the Templar.
“You are stupid,” she told Robe. “Get me water.”
She tore a strip of the bedding and wiped the Templar’s face.
“You’re going to wake him and he’s going to kill us,” warned Robe. “He was serious.”
“He is doing nothing,” she hissed. “I doubt he knows where or who he even is.”
as if to concur, the Templar opened his eyes and flailed weakly with his right hand.
“Bring me my sword,” he rasped. “The fortress is seined, and they wish to battle.”
Reanna pushed him gently back to the mat.
“Sleep.”
“Sleep nothing! My men need me.”
“The battle is over,” she cooed. “You were wounded, but you won.”
He relaxed in her arms, looking at her face. He reached up with his hand, grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her lips to his.
“Who are you?” he asked, letting her go and closing his eyes.
She glared at the Troopers and Darwin, watching her in shock.
“We call that Fever,” said Banger, slipping back in the door and handing his daughter a bowl of water. Robe did a double take and vowed to be more vigilant in his charge.
“Every year, one or two people in our village come down with it,” Banger continued. “Bugs carry it and give it to you with their stingers. He has it. All we can do is wait.”
Reanna bathed the Templar’s face and chest with the cool stream water, and drew the covers to his neck. She cradled his head in her lap and forced him to swallow some water.
“He has to drink a lot of water,” she said as he spewed liquid out of his mouth, coughing. “And when he wakes, he needs fruit.”
“Don’t choke him,” said Darwin.
Reanna glared at him.
“I will care for this warrior,” she growled. “He is worthy of my attention.”
“Tell me where to get the fruit,” Pip said.
“I need some fruit too,” Bruce called from the corner.
“I thought you were in a coma,” said Darwin.
“I was, but I’m okay now.”
Pip kicked his legs.
“Are you okay enough to hunt with me?”
Bruce tried to look pathetic. It was easy.
“I don’t know if I have the strength.”
“I’ll go slow,” she reassured him. “You need the exercise.”
She helped him up and they walked out the door
“I wish I knew what to do,” Robe said, rubbing the barrel of his rifle.
“We wait,” Reanna answered.
Darwin stared at the magnificent giant man cradled in the arms of the smaller woman. He measured each laborious breath, holding his own in time.
“I can’t wait,” gasped Darren as the car flew meters above the churning ocean.
Harry sat beside him, driving the car.
“It would have been better if they gave us the vial,” he said. “But they want to be sure it’s him before they use it.”
Darren squirmed in his seat.
“When we find him,” I’m gonna-”
He squealed as the car hit turbulence, slamming against the cockpit like a hand. Harry fought to hold it up, as if his will alone would give strength to the engine.
“Let’s get there first,” he said.
Darren looked over his shoulder at the men strapped in the back. Six pasty white faces watched him closely.
“It’s okay boys,” he shouted. “We have to fly this low to avoid being spotted. They can’t pick us up on radar. We’ll sneak in right on top of them.”
Another hand slammed into the bottom of them, shoving them up and ramming them down again, like a mutated roller coaster ride.
“Hold it straight, Harry,” Darren yelled.
“I’m trying,” he growled. “This wind is terrific.”
Darren didn’t think he meant it in the good sense.
The island appeared on the horizon, just out of the edge of vision.
“Storm clouds, starboard,” Harry pointed out. “Let’s get in before it hits them. I’ll circle around, you find me something.”
Darren’s fingers went to work on the Terminal, flying over the keys in an advanced two finger method.
“Got them,” he pointed out of the window. “Three kilometers through there.”
“Get ready boys,” Harry shouted.
He aimed the car at the hidden village and fired the thrusters.
Pip almost had to drag Bruce through the forest. His arms were full of fruits, a shirt stretched form one thin forearm to the other, bulging with bounty.
“I can’t carry this,” he whined.
Her arms were full too, with twice as much fruit as him.
“If you say one more word,” she warned. “I’ll blow your head off.”
But she had made that threat before and it just wasn’t working.
“Can we go back? Please.”
She stayed her course on the path. It looked familiar to her, but she couldn’t be sure. She chided herself for not paying closer attention when the Corsairs led them in.
“I want to go to the car and get a processing unit for the Templar. It’ll tell us what’s wrong with him.”
“Him? What about me? Weak from a coma, shot and now I’m on a forced march through the jungle. I don’t think I can take it.”
“You can sit her,” she started and almost before the sentence was out of her mouth, he was down. “But I’m not too sure of the way, and I may not use this trail to get back.”
She kept walking. After a few moments, she heard footsteps behind her and was glad he was saving his breath for walking.
“We’re almost there,” she said.
“Ready boys! We’re almost there!” Darren yelled and unbuckled his safety restraint.
He carefully picked his way over his men’s legs to position himself at the sliding side door. He sealed his helmet against the wind pressure and rested against the door. The Com link in his ear chimed.
“How we doing?” Harry asked.
“All units, sound in.”
Each man responded when he came on line. Darren double checked the LED readouts that were projected on the inside of his faceplate. The Computer link up was running over a million calculations per second, accounting for every possibility in t upcoming attack. Darren felt confident all aspects were covered. There was only the one small problem of the Templar, but against eight Suits, he wouldn’t stand a chance. He hoped.
“Five seconds to drop,” Harry forecast as he darted over the trees. His Computer told him no activity in the camp was electrical. That meant Robe and Pip were off line or not there. He really didn’t care which.
“Three, two-Now!!” he screamed.
An electromagnetic concussion bomb erupted below them, just in case anything wanted to come on line and fire at them.
Darren hit the release button and launched himself from the sleek transport. His retro rockets kicked in seconds later and he drifted to the ground.
Soft thuds behind him let him know the other Troops joined him. His Computer readout confirmed it so he didn’t have to look.
The village stood just on the other side of a small stream, with a three log bridge spanning it. He moved for the bridge, rifle held ready.
Harry landed beside him.
“Stun three?” Darren asked.
“Stun four!” Harry growled and sprinted for the bridge.
The concussion bomb knocked them all to the floor of the hut.
“What?” Banger crawled for the door. “Troops!”
Robe tried to power up, but his Suit wouldn’t respond.
“I can’t get on line.”
The Templar sat up, pushing Reanna away from him.
“I heard the cannon roar,” he screamed. “Bring me my sword!”
“Keep him quiet,” Darwin grumbled.
“Too late,” Banger sighed. “They heard him.”
Robe peeked out of the doorway. He spied eight shiny Troopers converging on the hut.
“My Suit won’t fight,” yelled Robe.
“We have to hide,” Reanna scrambled for a trapdoor in the floor. “They’re too many.”
“I thought you fought anything?”
“I’
m a smart fighter,” she pouted.
The Templar shoved between them, jerking Robe’s gun from his hands. He leaned against the doorjamb and fired three rounds into the approaching Suits. They scattered and returned fire.
“You dare challenge me!”
Robe dragged him back in the hut, pushing him to the floor.
“Keep him safe. They’ll kill him!”
He struggled to take the rifle from the Templar’s one good hand. He jerked it away and sprawled in the doorway, taking careful aim and squeezing off shot after shot.
The return fire was an almost solid wall of plasma.
“We can get out of here,” Banger crawled across the floor to the trapdoor.
“I will not run,” the Templar slurred, stumbling into Reanna’s arms.
“We’re not running,” she dropped him through the hole in the floor. “We’re changing locations.”
She jumped on top of him. Banger followed.
“Go with them Darwin!” Robe screamed.
“You can’t stay here alone.”
“I’m right behind you. Go! Go!”
Darwin leaped down the hole. Robe kicked the trapdoor shut and pulled a mat across it, trying to cover it up.
He lodged himself in the doorway and blasted away until his power pack ran out.
An explosion shook the air, knocking the fruit from their arms.
“What was that?” Bruce picked himself up and stared at the woods in wonder.
“Concussion bomb,” Pip yelled.
She picked herself up and ran through the woods.
“What?” Bruce screamed, following close.
“The Troops found us!”
She didn’t notice him stop and hide.
Reanna hid the Templar in a mudhole, covered him with grime and muck and held him down. He struggled against her, but he was weak from fever and infection, and his efforts were just that, efforts. He was too weak to cry out, though she feared he might and kept a hand poised over his mouth.
Darwin watched over the edge of the hole.
“Your father is leading them away from us,” he whispered down to her.
